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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)
8/14/10
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & No Gi)
(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)
7/17/10
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ & No Gi)
(Maui War Memorial, Wailuku, Maui)
Mad Skillz
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
7/9/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
7/3/10
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
6/26/10
Kauai Cage Match 9
(MMA)
(Kilohana, Gaylords Mansion, Kauai)
6/25-26/10
50th
State BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(50th State Fair,
Aloha Stadium)
6/24/10
Quest for Champions
(Kumite/Grappling)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
6/19/10
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
6/18-19/10
Select
Combat
(Triple Threat)
(50th State Fair,
Aloha Stadium)
6/12/10
Destiny: Fury
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Center)
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 MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
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)
X-1 World Events
(MMA)
(Waipahu HS Gym)
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)
|
|
June
2010 News Part 3
|
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!
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here for info!
Take classes from
the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
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at 8:00PM
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Also on Akaku on Maui
Check
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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
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Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
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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!
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Despite
Loss, Fedor Emelianenko Still Greatest MMA Heavyweight Ever
By Mike Chiappetta
There have been bigger upsets in the short history of mixed martial
arts, even ones that left a bigger shockwave. It was just that
this seemed like it would never happen. That Fedor Emelianenko
would never bow to the superiority of another fighter on a given
night.
Sadly
yet predictably, in this world of 24-hour news cycles, instant
analysis and social media, the backlash against Fedor and the
devaluing of his stunning run of success was immediate.
It
doesn't matter; he's still the greatest heavyweight mixed martial
artist of all time. One fight does not change everything that's
come before it. One result does not impact a legacy that's already
been made.
Just
ask the guy who won.
"Fedor
is the best in the world," Fabricio Werdum said shortly
after becoming the first man to defeat him since Dec. 2000. "Tonight
I beat Fedor, but Fedor is the best."
For the last decade, he's set a standard of consistent excellence
that has never been topped in the world of MMA. That's why Randy
Couture was ready to quit the UFC a few years ago to face him,
it's why Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar have been asked about
him prior to their UFC 116 heavyweight title bout, and why Dana
White admittedly became obsessed with trying to bring him into
the UFC fold.
All
it means is this: you stay in the game long enough, you're going
to lose.
And
make no mistake about it, it was his first legitimate loss. The
first, back in Dec. 2000, was due to circumstance more than anything.
Just seconds into the match against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Emelianenko
suffered a cut due to an illegal elbow strike. In most situations,
a fight-ending gash caused by an illegal blow results in a no
contest, but because the fight was part of a tournament, a winner
was needed to advance into the next round. The ruling was made
on the spot, with Kohsaka declared the winner and allowed to
advance.
This
time -- for the first time -- there will be no controversy about
Fedor being beaten. Werdum will always and forever hold a legitimate
claim of being the first man to stop the unstoppable Emelianenko,
to make him surrender.
It
was a moment filled with tension before 12,698 at the HP Pavilion
in San Jose, Calif., Werdum locking him into the triangle choke,
pulling his head down, extending his arm into a combination choke/armbar.
Fedor fought it briefly, thought about tapping, changed his mind,
and fought it again. Werdum only made it tighter. It was then
the realization came, Fedor was going to lose.
There
was no escape. And finally, for the first time in his career,
after 35 fights, after an almost 10-year-run without tasting
defeat, Emelianenko tapped, a single time on Werdum's leg.
It
is a loss for which Emelianenko has nothing to be ashamed. Werdum
was a credible challenger, with wins over Alistair Overeem, Gabriel
Gonzaga and Antonio Silva in his past. He is also one of the
most highly respected Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts in MMA,
and it was that ground game which proved Fedor's undoing.
Emelianenko
didn't lose to a nobody, he lost to a sharpshooter firing off
his favorite pistol.
White
tweeted a smiley face after the fight. Given his frustration
in dealing with Emelianenko's M-1 reps, I wouldn't have been
surprised to see him gloat even more. In all it was a downright
tame response, but maybe it's because White knows the game well
enough to know that what happened to Emelianenko could happen
to anyone. He's essentially selling August's Couture-James Toney
fight by saying, "Anything can happen in MMA," and
yet everyone knows Toney isn't half the mixed martial artist
Werdum is.
Even
the greatest of champions have tasted defeat in their careers.
Georges St. Pierre was on the losing end of one of the biggest
upsets in MMA history when he was knocked out by Matt Serra.
Brock Lesnar got trapped in a Frank Mir kneebar. Anderson Silva
was memorably caught with a flying heel hook. It happens. This
isn't boxing where you get fed a steady stream of jobbers to
prop up your record until you're ready to fight for a major belt.
This is more like football, where 10-6 is considered a very good
season and 12-4 is outstanding. MMA is just too complex and layered
to avoid losses. That's why Couture can be looked at as a legend
with an 18-10 record, and why Silva's 26-4 mark is looked at
with reverence. Yet Fedor has lost just twice in 35 fights, despite
often fighting against men who outweighed him and outsized him,
despite fighting wrestlers and strikers and grapplers.
But
if you fight long enough, you're going to lose.
You
may feel some resentment toward Fedor regarding his refusal to
sign with the UFC, but don't let it stop you from realizing the
brilliance of what he's accomplished. A decade-long unbeaten
streak is something we may not see anytime soon in MMA, and the
man behind it should be celebrated for his relentless pursuit
of excellence in the world's most unforgiving sport.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
throws a fit and removes Kendall Grove fight from Spike TV portion
of UFC 116 card; Update: BJ Penn’s web site claims Tapout
backs away from Fedor
By Zach Arnold
Read
the story for full context. The timing of the comments made by
Kendall Grove about The Ultimate Fighter and the forum in which
they were made was pretty dumb.
However,
on the other hand, why is this development so petty? Because
it’s basically Spike TV and UFC giving Kendall Grove the
proverbial middle finger and saying, OK, you want to talk about
the network that way, fine, you won’t appear on television
and any sponsor money you were going to make by appearing on
television is out the window. In the process, they screwed over
Goran Reljic as well.
From
a development perspective, UFC will argue that getting Ricardo
Romero some air time against The Smoothie King will be better
than Kendall Grove who could be labeled by the organization as
a guy who’s not going to climb much further up the ladder.
However, the irony of UFC putting The Smoothie King on television
and rewarding a guy that Dana White was complaining (justifiably
so) two years ago for stand-up gate is just amazing. Booking
The Smoothie King reminds me of when UFC booked Sean Gannon and
I’m not necessarily talking about skill set, either.
Update
(6/26): Fedor now with Dan Henderson’s Clinch Gear? America
and Russia holding hands…
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Bellator
Finalizes Women's Tourney with Jessica Aguilar
CHICAGO,
Ill. (June 23, 2010) — Jessica Aguilar, the American Top
Team product and No. 7 flyweight in the world is the latest and
final addition to Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season
3 Women’s Tournament.
Aguilar, a rising star in women’s MMA, brings an impressive
8-4 professional record to the tournament, which begins this
August. In her latest showing just three weeks ago, Aguilar knocked
out Catia Vitoria four minutes into the first round.
Aguilar is the eighth and final fighter to be added to the tournament,
and all eight are ranked among the world’s 10 best in their
respective weight classes. The others are Japanese MMA sensation
Megumi Fujii – widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound
female fighter in the world – 11-1 British tae-kwon-do black
belt Rosi Sexton, 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward, 7-0
Southern California striker Jessica Pene, 8-4 New Mexico-based
submission specialist Angela Magana , 5-1 Las Vegas-based powerhouse
Lynn Alvarez, and 9-0 Irish sensation Aisling Daly.
The tournament begins on Aug. 12 and will once again be televised
LIVE in primetime every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and
during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and
the cable network mun2.
“This is my dream,” Aguilar said. “Bellator is
giving us 115 pounders a shot at showing the world what we can
do. Whoever wins this tournament will have the right to say they
are truly the best in the world. I just couldn’t pass up
that opportunity.”
The 28-year-old, who was born in Mexico and raised in Houston,
says she happened upon MMA four-and-a-half years ago on a whim.
After moving to South Florida and entering the real estate industry,
she needed a place to work out and eventually found a gym that
offered aerobics classes as well combat training. One night,
she decided to stick around for what she thought was a wrestling
class.
“It ended up being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class, and I loved
it … I never looked back,” she said.
One month later, Aguilar was competing and winning BJJ tournaments.
She made her pro MMA debut in February 2006 when she was tapped
as a late replacement to fight fellow top-ten 115 pounder Lisa
Ward. A life-long athlete, Aguilar took the fight without hesitation
on just five days notice.
“I grew up with big brothers and I figured, what could another
115-pound woman do to me?” she said.
True to form, Aguilar showed the extent of her tremendous athleticism,
taking Ward all three rounds before eventually succumbing to
a rear naked choke with just three seconds left in the fight.
Although she lost, the fight inspired Aguilar to train full time
and fight for a living. At the ATT camp in Coconut Creek, Fla.,
she now rolls with some of the top male fighters in the world.
“They call me pequeña – I’m like a sister
to them,” she says. “Having brothers myself, it felt
really comfortable, like a family environment.”
Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said Aguilar’s fierce
fighting style compelled him to make her the final addition to
the Season 3 Women’s Tournament.
“Jessica Aguilar has that athletic X-factor that makes her
competitive in almost any match-up,” Rebney said. “She
is a great final addition to our Season 3 Women’s Tournament.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on
Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional
company based in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn
Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional
with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport
of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’
executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in
the areas of live event production, television production, fighter
relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development,
international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and
commission relations.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Carwin’s
Trainers Confident If Lesnar Bout Goes 5 Rounds
by Tristen
Critchfield
While the UFC heavyweight title unification bout between Brock
Lesnar and Shane Carwin is sure to create a pay-per-view bonanza
and capture the imagination of the viewing public, it also presents
a unique challenge for one of mixed martial arts’ most dynamic
cornering duos.
Trevor
Wittman is the head trainer of the Grudge Training Center in
Denver. Greg Jackson’s famed dojo is located in Albuquerque,
N.M. Both will be in Carwin’s corner when he faces off against
Lesnar on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“We
work so well because we complement each other,” Wittman
said. “We don’t put a game plan together without giving
each other a call. We talk to each other consistently, for every
fight.”
When
Jackson isn’t in Denver, he says that he and Wittman are
on the phone daily, checking on the progress of various fighters.
“I’ll
go to Denver and work with the guys when I’m up there and
work with Trevor when I’m up there. There’s a lot of
great coaches that are up there, and we all kind of work together.
That’s how our team is structured,” Jackson said.
When
the two put their heads together, a result like Rashad Evans’
recent victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC
114 often follows.
Lesnar,
the heavyweight champion and one of the most freakishly athletic
specimens ever to set foot in the Octagon, is their next obstacle.
The South Dakota native is a former national champion wrestler
at the University of Minnesota. After a stint in the WWE as one
of sports entertainment’s biggest stars, he tried to make
the roster of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. When that didn’t
work out, he found a home in MMA, earning wins over Heath Herring,
Randy Couture and Frank Mir while arguably becoming the sport’s
most visible champion.
It’s
been nearly a year since Lesnar dismantled Frank Mir at UFC 100
and launched into a saliva-spewing tirade that harkened back
to his days as a heel in the sports entertainment industry. Lesnar
hasn’t fought since then because of a life threatening bout
with an intestinal disorder known as diverticulitis. Wittman
says that the layoff caused by the illness could give Carwin
an edge.
“His
(Carwin’s) biggest advantage in this fight is going to be
his consistency of fighting. I feel bad for what Brock went through
with the intestines, and I’m happy he’s feeling better
and got over that illness, but I think that’s going to be
a huge factor in this fight,” Wittman said. “Shane
had a long layoff before his last fight with Mir, and I think
that was something he needed. He never stayed out of the gym;
he stayed in the gym. The thing with this fight with Brock is
he’s (Lesnar) been off and he’s been out of the gym.
Greg
Jackson“If I was on the other side, that’s rough for
any fighter to come back to.”
While
much is made of Lesnar’s explosive power and speed, Carwin,
the interim champion, is no slouch in the making-jaws-drop department
either.
The
Colorado native was a Division II national champion wrestler
at Western State College. He’s shown a penchant for quick
finishes, dispatching his first three UFC opponents in a combined
3:24. His fourth fight, a No. 1 contender bout with Mir in March,
was a marathon by comparison, lasting a whole 3:48 before Carwin
earned a referee stoppage. All told, Carwin has 12 professional
fights, each ending before the first round bell could sound.
“There’s
nobody else in the UFC that has a record like that -- knocking
out everybody in the first round,” Jackson said.
Even
though Carwin has yet to hit the four-minute mark in one of his
fights, his team is supremely confident that their fighter’s
conditioning can last through five championship rounds.
“One
thing I see Shane do at the gym, he goes five rounds like it’s
nothing,” Wittman said. “I’m always looking towards
seeing him go the distance, but every time he knocks someone
out, I jump out of my seat. I love that part too.
“The
thing is, we’re ready to go five rounds. The way I see him
at the gym going five rounds, it’s going to be a complete
flop for him not to go five rounds (against Lesnar).”
“Shane
Carwin is such an amazing athlete that I really want him to go
five rounds,” Jackson said. “In my opinion, the longer
the fight goes, the better he’s going to get. I’m really
excited if it does go long.”
Although
Carwin’s fights have been quick, it doesn’t mean he
hasn’t dealt with adversity in the cage. His UFC 96 fight
against Gabriel Gonzaga impressed both Jackson and Wittman. After
absorbing a punch and a takedown from the Brazilian, Carwin rallied
for a TKO victory.
“I
was very proud of Shane for that fight because he showed his
ability to get back up when he got taken down. We had been working
that a lot. That fight showed to me that even if you take Shane
Carwin down, he has the ability to get back to his feet,”
Jackson said.
That
performance brought out something Wittman referred to as Carwin’s
“Hulk.”
“He
got his nose broken, and he was looking down at the canvas. He
was rocked. For him to instantly come back from that … if
there ever is a chance that he might get hurt in a fight, it’s
only going to make that fight more exciting. I’m telling
you, that makes for stars,” Wittman said.
Of
anyone Lesnar has faced in his career to date, Carwin most resembles
his equal in speed, power and athleticism. If Wittman is correct,
seeing Carwin standing across the cage from him should give Lesnar
renewed focus after the long layoff:
“I
can see in Brock’s eyes he’s more disciplined and more
focused for this fight just because he knows Shane’s bringing
something to the table. He sees someone that’s a lot like
him that’s coming after him.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Werdum
Welcomes Fedor Rematch
by Greg
Savage
Fabricio
Werdum’s astonishing upset victory over long-time kingpin
Fedor Emelianenko has thrown the Strikeforce heavyweight division
into chaos. Although the stoic Russian deflected questions before
this bout about a potential title shot against heavyweight champion
Alistair Overeem, it was widely believed he would at the very
least be offered that fight.
Now
with Werdum’s gigantic monkey wrench being tossed into the
plans, it’s anyone’s guess which way the promotion
goes with their big guys.
Talk
of an immediate rematch circulated the HP Pavilion during the
post-fight press conference and Werdum was clear that he would
indeed be willing to have a return engagement with Emelianenko.
“I
want a rematch,” said Werdum right after the biggest win
of his life. “I’m ready to fight anyone [Strikeforce
CEO] Scott [Coker] wants me to fight.”
Coker
was in no hurry to book that fight, and told Sherdog.com that
the promotion had options in the heavyweight division.
“We’ll
have to sit back and evaluate the situation,” said Coker
following the press conference. “We can go in any number
of directions.”
While
Strikeforce does have options with Fedor, Overeem and Werdum,
it seems likely that whoever is left out of the next big heavyweight
bout will be forced to square off with a less than compelling
opponent.
Strikeforce
Matchmaker Rich Chou pointed to Antonio Silva and Coker added
Sergei Kharitonov as potential foils for the trio.
Silva
recently lost to Werdum and Kharitonov has not fought since being
submitted by journeyman Jeff Monson 14 months ago. Neither seems
a fitting challenger for Overeem, but could be an option for
Fedor.
Emelianenko,
speaking with the media before Werdum told the same roomful of
reporters that he would grant “his hero” a rematch,
said he would like another crack at the man who ended his nine-and-a-half
year unbeaten run.
“Certainly
I would like to have a rematch with Fabricio,” said the
former Pride champion via his translator, “If he agrees,
I would love to do that.
CBS
executive Kelly Kahl was also on hand and, though he declined
to get into any specifics, said he would “have to listen”
if Strikeforce offered to bring a rematch to the network.
Another
interesting angle that will play out over the next couple of
months will be the manner in which M-1 Global, Emelianenko’s
promoter, handles the sudden vulnerability of their top star.
The
unexpected loss also has repercussions on the broader heavyweight
landscape. With Fedor’s defeat, the July 3 UFC championship
match between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin will be for the unadulterated
top spot in mixed martial arts heavyweight division.
Source: Sherdog
|
Dave
Meltzer: Fedor’s appeal is that he’s the anti-Brock
Lesnar
By Zach
Arnold
A passage from Friday night’s Observer radio show that has
several topics that people argue online about all rolled into
one.
I’ll
focus on one part of the passage that stuck out the most to me
and it has nothing to do with Fedor individually but rather about
Strikeforce as a promotion. When Scott Coker did his interview
earlier in the week with Josh Gross for SI radio, Coker said
that the reason he had the Fedor/Werdum fight in San Jose is
because he wanted to reward the fans that had supported the promotion
for so long as its home base with a big-level fight. Juxtapose
this with what Scott Coker keeps saying in interview after interview,
where he says the organization is no longer a regional promotion
but rather a national promotion.
Keep
that in mind when you read what Dave has to say about how ticket
sales are going for the event at HP Pavilion. He says the building
will be packed but that a large portion of the audience will
be out-of-towners as opposed to locals. I’ve heard Dave
say the same thing about Strikeforce in the area since they “went
national,” that the locals aren’t showing up in big
numbers and that the locals view the product now more or less
as a national deal as opposed to something they have an attachment
to.
A
couple of points playing off of that…
¦Cung
Le gets booked because Cung Le is supposed to draw the locals.
If he’s not drawing a big amount of local fans any more,
that’s a warning sign. Cung was one of Scott’s big
draws in the past for San shou fights.
¦I’m going to use a pro-wrestling analogy here, so
bear with me or else skip this point and go to full-page mode.
Listening to Dave describe how the Bay Area market has changed
since Strikeforce went ‘national,’ it reminds me so
much of what was said in the Carolinas in the 80s when Jim Crockett
Promotions decided to get into a war with Vince McMahon. They
started running shows in different towns and didn’t have
the infrastructure to do it. In one of the craziest moves ever,
they ran a show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York
and drew about 5,000 in McMahon’s backyard. The promotion
ended up bleeding cash and they got out in time for Ted Turner
to do the NWA/WCW alignment. Crockett saw the locals start to
fade away because the locals viewed the promotion as leaving
them behind. That’s the danger that Strikeforce faces here
if they fail on a national level — it’s going to be
hard to ever bring back those local fans that had supported the
company in the first place.
There’s the set-up for Friday’s radio passage:
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “You had a chance to chat with Mr. Emelianenko
a couple of days ago and you mentioned to me that he’s unlike
any other fighter you’ve ever spoken to.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Well, he’s just so quiet. And he’s not
bombastic, I mean, there’s quiet fighters but not this kind
of quiet. I mean he’s jsut different and I mean if you saw
the same thing that you know he was on HDNet [Friday] at the
weigh-ins and everything and you know they asked him if he cared
about title belts and championships and absolutely doesn’t
care at all. And you know I mean it’s just so weird that
the guy is so good at what he does because most guys who are
so good at what they do are so motivated by being regarded as
the best and he doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t care
about his legacy, doesn’t care what people think about him,
it’s like he’s out there and his job to win his fights
so he just goes out there and wins his fights. It’s a really,
you know, I call him the anti-Lesnar. He’s exactly in every
single way the opposite of Brock Lesnar. That’s not, you
know, I don’t know if it’s necessarily good or bad,
I mean it just gives him a different mystique. I mean, I think
the mystique does him good as far as you know people care about
him and people know him, I mean he’s not… He’s
a decent drawing card, and we’ll find out how big [Saturday]
when the ratings come in if he’s as big as Gina (Carano).
I don’t know, I don’t… I don’t sense as much
interest as in Carano/Cyborg, but local ticket sales are ahead
of the pace. You know, they’re going to have over 15,000,
maybe 17,000 or 18,000. It’s going to be one of the biggest
crowds if not the second biggest crowd that they’ve ever
done for MMA in this city so obviously there’s interest.
You know a lot of interest is from people who are not from the
city. Local interest, no, not nearly as big as actually most
of the shows. Well, I say most, but when you have the real big
ones that Shamrock headlined, no, local interest is not that
level, anywhere close, but there’s a lot of people coming
from all over the country because Fedor’s fighting and that’s
a rare thing. But yeah he’s… you know, he doesn’t
seem to enjoy you know doing interviews and publicity, kind of
also it’s part of his job.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “So, I guess the question is, I’m not doubting
you, I’m just asking teh question. So you believe him in
the sense that you didn’t…”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Oh, that. Well, why wouldn’t you believe
him?”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “That’s what I”m asking. You didn’t
read this as just a guy who you know he tells people that he
doesn’t care and this and that but deep inside he’s
got that burning desire. You read it as, he’s a guy that
this really is his job and he really doesn’t care all that
much.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “I think that’s pretty obvious. You know,
I mean he’s shielded from things like that. I think that
he cares about his future income and you know they’ve got
him you know his handlers have got him you know in a certain
mindset but to hmi I mean… if he lost, I think he would
consider it like he lost a sporting event and it wouldn’t
be that big of a deal. When Cung Le lost, the guy you know, it
was a horrible thing when Cung Le lost for Cung Le, you know
in that last fight and he told me that himself. If Fedor loses,
I think it’s like, oh, OK, I lost. Doesn’t happen every
day but I don’t sense you know I don’t see him like
Lesnar or any of these others guys that are you know I mean it’s
like it defines them. I don’t think this defines him to
himself.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “So, basically, when we have and we hear about
all these issues regarding UFC and who his management wants him
to fight and this and that, this is all coming down to his management
and he could not possibly…”
DAVE
MELTZER: “I’ve never believed for a second that he’s
scared of any one. I don’t believe it. His management’s
scared to death of him losing. You know, no question, because
he’s the meal ticket. If he loses, I mean his mystique is
great because he doesn’t lose. If he loses, I mean his value
goes way down. If he loses this fight to Werdum, you know, he
goes from being offered millions of dollars by UFC to you know
probably being laughed at by UFC, seriously, they might I mean
they might still take him for something but you know it ain’t
going to be a multimillion offer if he loses. He’s got to
win the fight for his management. For himself, you know, I think
he just wants to be taken care of and you know have a decent
financial future and everything and that’s just kind of
like the sports he’s in and be a representative for Sambo
you know which I think is a sport he really likes and I don’t
think he dislikes this sport at all. I think he likes it a lot.
He said that, you know, that you know he considers this you know
like a chess match and all that as far as the sport goes. But
as far as a guy, he’s different from everybody else as far
as you know that aspect of you know just not you know so low-key
and you know just to himself and I mean just, he’s not a
guy that comes off to me like he you know like he wants to be
a star. Whereas almost all the rest of the fighters you know
they want to be stars and even Brock wants to be a star, he just
doesn’t want the hassle of being a star, you know what I
mean.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Sure. He wants the benefits but not the negatives.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “You know Fedor ain’t going to be like a guy
like if they asked, if he was in the UFC and they asked you know
him to do the three week thing and it was the right thing for
business, I don’t think he wants a million people around
him but he ain’t going to say no whereas Brock, you know,
he just, he did say no! You know he asked and he just felt that
you know he would probably you know whether it’d be a day
or two days or three days in, he should just get sick of those
people around him and he’d want them to leave and you know
he didn’t want to put the you know and Dana want that thing
to happen and that’s why you know the fight with Carwin
hasn’t gotten you know the hype up to this point as it could
have, which is not to say it won’t do very well. It’s
going to do very well any way. It could have done, I mean I guess
we’ll wait a week and see but my feeling is that it probably
could have done better…”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
SIZE
MATTERS: LESNAR & CARWIN GO BIG IN CAMP
by Damon
Martin
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t
quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’"
– Muhammed Ali
Hard
training has become an essential part of every MMA fighter's
life, but when a title is on the line – in possibly the
biggest heavyweight fight in years – the training camp becomes
even more integral to the ultimate outcome of victory or defeat.
For
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and interim champion Shane
Carwin, the training for their fight at UFC 116 is upped even
more simply because this is the first time the two colossal heavyweights
have ever faced an opponent of equal size and strength. The massive
fighters both generally cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight
limit, and possess some of the scariest power in the heavyweight
world.
Following
his recovery from diverticulitis, Lesnar says he's thankful just
to be able to get back in the gym to prepare for a fight, but
he left nothing to chance when preparing for Carwin, working
with some of the best in the business.
"My
camp is full of big guys," said Lesnar. "I’ve
got Cole Konrad who’s a two-time NCAA champion, Chris Tuchscherer
who’s a runner-up Division II champion, Jon Madsen who’s
a national champion in Division II, Marty Morgan. I recently
had Randy Couture in my camp. So I’ve been surrounded by
greatness I believe."
Couture
added a great deal to Lesnar's camp, as did famed boxing coach
Peter Welch, who the champion brought in to mold and improve
his boxing game. With Carwin's unreal knockout power and tremendous
wrestling background, Lesnar left nothing to chance.
"I
brought some different things to the table," Lesnar commented
about his training camp. "I got a new strength and conditioning
coach. I brought in Peter Welch, a new boxing coach that I’ve
been working with since January and we kind of just, when I pulled
the pin on this fight last October, I really regrouped and kind
of rejuvenated myself. So I took a new approach on it as far
as training and everything. It’s been very refreshing and
I’ve really came leaps and bounds."
While
Lesnar has brought in some of the best training partners and
coaches to Minnesota to get him ready, Carwin's camp at the Grudge
Training Center in Colorado is already home to several top fighters
in the sport and a world class coaching staff.
Leading
the way is striking and MMA coach Trevor Wittman, who has been
a mainstay of the fight world for many years, working with fighters
like Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Eliot Marshall, and Duane
"Bang" Ludwig. Add to that the final touches of the
strategy and coaching added by MMA guru Greg Jackson, and the
team preparing Carwin is second to none.
The
longtime Colorado fighter didn't slack when it came to training
with the best fighters either, as he prepared for the biggest
fight of his career against Brock Lesnar.
"Brock’s
a big, talented, athletic heavyweight, and those are rare to
find," said Carwin. "I’m fortunate enough to have
a couple of those around and to be able to work with those guys.
Those are the ones that push you to the limits.
"And
that’s why this is going to be such a great fight is when
two great, big heavyweights that are athletic and believe in
themselves get in there and they each know that they’re
going to win, these are the great fights and these are the ones
that you remember."
Carwin's
camp has included the likes of fellow UFC fighter Brendan Schaub,
former "Ultimate Fighter" contender Demico Rogers,
and UFC and Pride veteran Ron Waterman. While the focus for much
of the training has been to get ready for a fighter of equal
size, Carwin doesn't discount the work he's done with smaller
fighters like Rashad Evans and Jon Jones.
"When
you go with the smaller guys, the 205s and even a couple of middleweights,
they bring speed and footwork and you try to match that as a
heavyweight. It’s good just to look at aspects from all
different fighters and give different looks," Carwin stated.
Undoubtedly,
Lesnar and Carwin both pulled out all the stops to get ready
for this fight. When they square off on July 3 it will show that
the training has paid off, then it's just a matter of who the
better fighter is that night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Smith
Not Guaranteed Rubber Match With Le and Other Press Conference
Notes
By Ben Fowlkes
The tally may be even at one win apiece for Scott Smith and Cung
Le after Le's second-round TKO victory at Strikeforce: Fedor
vs. Werdum, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be meeting
for a third bout any time soon, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said.
Responding
to questions about whether a rubber match was guaranteed, as
Smith's manager, Mike Roberts, seemed to think was the case when
he spoke with Sherdog.com before the bout, Coker said it might
be a consideration eventually, but it's by no means assured.
"We've
had that conversation," Coker said. "These guys, it
was an amazing fight. Both fights were amazing fights. I think
if they fought every weekend it would be amazing fights every
weekend, like the Gatti-Ward fight, just those epic battles.
When I think of Scott and Cung that's what I think of. But there
hasn't been anything decided. I didn't make that commitment to
Scott or to Mike, actually.
"It's
something that, as their careers go down the line, maybe there
should be a rubber match at some point. We did have a conversation,
but there wasn't any commitment. It could happen. Certainly it
could happen after another fight or two, but I think we're going
to be getting into the tournament business and we have another
path to take."
While
it's been rumored that the winner of this fight would gain entry
into that upcoming Strikeforce middleweight tournament, Le remained
non-committal about whether he would participate in it.
"I
haven't had a chance to think past this fight to any tournament.
It's been a rough week for me. I just had a baby boy. My wife
was in labor for 14 hours and she had an emergency C-section
because the cord was wrapped around the neck, so her being in
the operating room on Monday, it was very draining. I was exhausted
until, like, Thursday. I just dug deep and went in here, I knew
I was in shape, and I got about four or five hours of sleep yesterday,
so it had been a rough week."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
M-1:
UFC Trying to ‘Ruin’ Fedor’s Sponsorships
by Loretta
Hunt
M-1 Global says that Tapout withdrew a potential seven-figure,
one-year sponsorship deal with Fedor Emelianenko earlier this
week after the UFC told the clothing company to dump the fighter
or lose access to UFC events.
Emelianenko,
who meets Fabricio Werdum on Saturday at the Strikeforce/M-1
Global card in San Jose, Calif., was to have worn a specially
designed Tapout T-shirt during his fight entrance, according
to M-1. The Holland-based management group said the shirt went
on pre-sale briefly this week before it was abruptly pulled from
Tapout’s Web site.
“It
was our understanding that the T-shirt was in production,”
M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchstein told Sherdog.com on
Friday through an interpreter. “However, at the beginning
of this week, we were told by our sponsorship representative
that Tapout had received a call from (UFC President) Dana (White),
which involved him saying that if Fedor signs a T-shirt deal
with Tapout, then Tapout would be out of the UFC.”
Phone
and e-mail requests for comment sent to Tapout on Friday were
not initially returned. The UFC said it would not comment on
the matter.
M-1
Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan said the management
group was approached with the Tapout deal three to four weeks
ago through its U.S. representatives. Numerous negotiations followed
between the three parties for the next two weeks, said Kogan,
including a conversation that specifically centered around whether
there would be a problem with the UFC if a T-shirt deal was executed
between Emelianenko and Tapout.
“The
person from Tapout management told us that, no, there weren’t
going to be any problems, that Tapout was a company that was
older than the UFC and they were a company which has been in
the market with fighters that don’t necessarily fight in
the UFC,” said Finkelchstein.
According
to Kogan, the Tapout representative told M-1 Global that the
apparel brand company did have “issues” promoting other
organizations outside the UFC, so a proposed T-shirt would not
be able to feature the M-1 Global name or logo, to which the
parties agreed. Kogan said a letter of agreement had been sent
out by Tapout, but it wasn’t signed and returned before
the apparel company allegedly changed its decision.
Finkelchstein
said Emelianenko handled news of the soured Tapout deal the same
way he handles everything -- calmly.
“Fedor
isn’t greedy,” said Finkelchstein. “He’s
used to these kind of fallouts from our friend Dana White, and
to be honest, this didn’t come as a surprise (to him).”
Finkelchstein
took a harder stance than his client, though.
“How
does a T-shirt deal for fighter have anything to do with the
UFC?” asked Finkelchstein, who has managed Emelianenko throughout
his 10-year career. “The same thing happened with the RVCA
deal we had, and this shows that there is constant pressure,
that we’re constantly trying to be tripped up by the UFC.”
Finkelchstein
said RVCA, another clothing company that sponsors MMA fighters,
pulled the plug on Emelianenko last fall after sponsoring him
for two of the three fights agreed upon in their signed contract.
RVCA also had a three-year deal to produce Emelianenko-branded
clothing (outside of his fight attire), said Finkelchstein, but
that deal was terminated as well after the UFC allegedly banned
the company from sponsoring longtime RVCA fighters B.J. Penn
and Vitor Belfort until it cut Emelianenko loose.
Emelianenko’s
contract with RVCA paid $10,000 a month for three years, totaling
$360,000 plus a percentage of the T-shirt sales, said Finkelchstein.
M-1 Global estimates that Emelianenko lost around $1 million
after it acquiesced to RVCA’s request to quietly walk away
from the contract.
Finkelstein
believes the proposed Tapout deal -- which he said would have
been largely based on a percentage of sales from multiple T-shirts
worn by Emelianenko at news conferences, in training and around
his fights -- could have generated even more revenue than the
RVCA arrangement.
Finkelchstein
also said M-1 Global remained silent about the aborted RVCA deal
because it “had no interest in punishing companies that
wanted to work” in the industry.
“We’re
not the UFC. We’re not Dana White and we have no interest
in hurting the business of other companies and organizations,”
said Finkelchstein. “Unlike Dana White, who’s sometimes
cruel, we have no interest in hurting other people in this business,
or companies for that matter.”
RVCA
representative Brad Blankinship said he had no comment regarding
M-1 Global’s assertion that the company bowed to pressure
from White to cancel its arrangement with Emelianenko last winter.
(RVCA has been reinstituted as an approved sponsor of UFC fighters.)
“We
never had a formal deal with Fedor and we remain friends,”
said Blankinship. “We wish Fedor the best of luck in his
fight this week.”
The
UFC’s White has made no secret that the promotion wishes
to sign the sought-after Russian fighter, who hasn’t lost
since 2000 and has amassed a 31-1 record.
Last
summer, Emelianenko was offered a multi-fight, seven-figure contract
with the UFC, but he declined the exclusive deal. Emelianenko
went on to sign with Strikeforce -- which has been willing to
co-promote with his M-1 Global management on shows he appears
in -- a couple of weeks later. White continues to voice his intentions
to eventually bring the 33-year-old heavyweight into the UFC
stable.
“It’s
like (White’s) chasing us everywhere, and he’s trying
to ruin everything,” said Finkelchstein. “There is
constant pressure being exerted on us. We don’t comment
about anyone. We don’t harm anyone. We’re just doing
what we’re doing, and there’s this constant pressure
being put on Fedor like he’s hunted everywhere he goes.
Any influence they can exert on his career, if not directly then
by any other means, they do it.”
In
addition to the failed Tapout and RVCA deals, Finkelchstein said
there has been a clear pattern of companies expressing interest
in Emelianenko but then not entering into business deals with
him for fear of repercussions from the UFC.
“There
are a number of companies that, because of pressure from the
UFC, have never gone into a deal with us because they were afraid
of what the consequences would be based on the precedence of
companies that have sponsored him (in the past),” he said.
In
Tapout’s absence on Saturday, Clinch Gear has stepped in
to sponsor Emelianenko and start off a one-year, non-exclusive
deal. Clinch Gear shirts bearing Emelianenko’s name and
the Russian crest began shipping Friday.
Clinch
Gear, which was founded by former UFC top-five contender Dan
Henderson and Aaron Crecy, has had its own history with White
and the UFC. When Henderson wouldn’t re-sign with the promotion
last year, the UFC banned the fighter’s clothing brand from
sponsoring its fighters. Henderson subsequently signed with Strikeforce.
“We’re
banned from the UFC and the WEC and we haven’t contested
that,” Crecy told Sherdog.com Friday. “We understand
they have their reasons. We’re excited for the opportunity
to partner with someone like Fedor Emelianenko and we’re
really grateful to have the opportunity to work with Strikeforce
because it’s brought opportunities like this. We’ve
had more exposure through Strikeforce than any other deal we’ve
had before. They’ve opened doors for us, and we feel like
we’re growing with the promotion. If you ask any MMA fan,
I think the Clinch Gear brand has become markedly more visible
in the last seven months since we left the UFC.”
Crecy
said Tapout has been a “fantastic” sponsor of Henderson
in the last year as well.
“I
feel bad for Tapout if they were in a position where they were
forced to choose between sponsoring Fedor and remaining in the
UFC,” said Crecy. “That’s a tough position to
be in.”
Finkelchstein
said he was upset by the week’s developments but feels the
industry’s landscape won’t change anytime soon.
“Currently
the conductor of everything is Dana White, so what can we do?”
said Finkelchstein. “The only thing we can do is shrug our
shoulders and continue on. We’ve told the truth and there’s
no reason to hide.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Talk
Radio: Why is the media paying so much attention to Strikeforce
negotiating with Batista when it’s as big of a joke as James
Toney in the UFC?
By Zach Arnold
Now that’s a leading headline for you. This passage comes
from Sherdog radio last Wednesday.
The
first point being made is how much of the media covering MMA
now comes from the pro-wrestling world. Of course, as Alan Conceicao
has pointed out before, “everything is pro-wrestling.”
The addendum point to point #1 is how much Scott Coker and Showtime
believe that grabbing former WWE guys is somehow going to help
their bottom line.
The
second point being made is trying to put the potential signing
of Batista in context to UFC signing James Toney. At least with
Brock Lesnar in UFC and Bobby Lashley in Strikeforce, you had
pro-wrestlers with amateur wrestling experience. With Batista,
you have someone who went down in wrestling folk legend for allegedly
getting beat up by Booker T.
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “I have resisted, Mr. Sariahmed, the temptation
to address the rumors surrounding Batista, the long-time WWE
pro-wrestler who is in attendance at the Strikeforce card in
Los Angeles last week and TMZ ran with a story that he had signed
to fight with Strikeforce and there was the typical ‘no,
no, no, that’s premature, no, no, no’ and so kinda
like how remember [Coker] only had coffee with somebody, who
was that, was that Herschel Walker he only had coffee with?”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “Jose Canseco.”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Jose Canseco, OK. Well, I eat my words. That’s
true. That never happened. But… All I’m going to say
is the level of attention that the talks with him have received
once again demonstrates how many closet wrestling fans there
are out there and not only in MMA fandom world but in the MMA
journalism world. I mean, all these people come, not all of them,
but many more than you would think come from a lifetime of not
only watching pro-wrestling but covering pro-wrestling and there’s
that subtext that means more to them when they hear that name
versus other guys, you know, there’s plenty of other athletes
from plenty of other sports, football and the way up, that have
technically you know not got any further than it sounds like
Dave Batista has in talking with Strikeforce and it gets no attention.
Is this just the Brock Lesnar effect, Lutfi?”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “I mean, after a certain point, yes, I mean,
with Batista I believe we’re talking about a guy who’s
what… not exactly the biggest personality in the world,
not exactly the biggest name in the world, and I think we’re
honestly digging from bottom of the barrel guys when you’re
talking about… how old is this guy, 40?”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “41. Well, he’s a much bigger name than
Lashley and I think as far as the exposure he’s gotten since
like 2004 to 2005, he’s probably at least as far as his
role in the WWE, just as big a name in that context as Brock
Lesnar was. So I think he’s more on par with Lesnar in terms
of the stardom he was able to achieve in the WWE more so than
even a Lashley, so… maybe you haven’t, I understand
you know you don’t follow it too closely, but no, Batista’s
a pretty big name in pro-wrestling. Top 5, Top 6 guy.”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “Well I mean also, though, you’re talking
about Lesnar’s athletic ability in terms of kind of adjusting
to why that signing was made as opposed to Dave Batista where
regardless of the background, we’re talking about a 41-year
old guy trying to get into the sport.”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Oh make no mistake, yeah, no background. He’s…
I mean, you know, Lesnar is an NCAA National Champion, D-I, grown
man wrestler… another league but great wrestler. Lashley,
you know, wrestled in the Army, I think he had a Jr. College
wrestling career but something to point to. Batista, nothing
like that, I mean… nothing.”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “Yeah, I mean, we’re talking about a joke
signing along the lines of James Toney signing for the UFC at
118, I mean… these older guys with very little of any experience
in regards to Mixed Martial Arts, I mean, you just kind of shrug
your shoulders and clearly if this signing is made and there,
like you said, there are conflicting reports as to whether or
not that actually has, if it is made then it’s just a joke
popularity push thing grab. That’s really all they’re
trying to do and sure, it’ll probably succeed in the short
term, yeah, you’ve outlined on many occasions how popular
the wrestling fans, the wrestling guys, the wrestling people
that come over are with a lot of MMA fans but I mean it’s
a joke signing if it does in fact happen and at this point I
really shouldn’t be surprised any more, anything that happens
in MMA.”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Right. Yeah, I can’t disagree with you,
I mean the word is that he’s been training at the Affliction
Gym in California for a while, he just left the WWE kind of the
top of his game. I mean he was headlining every single PPV, he
was really one of the top names they had and he walked away.
Kind of like what Brock Lesnar did and Lashley when he walked
away hadn’t quite made it as a top guy but was certainly
being positioned that way so, it’s an alarming trend I think
for the WWE not to go too far down that road that these guys…”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “Is this move more in response to if they do
make it more in response to all right, we failed with Lashley
or they’re kind of cutting their losses their Lashley and
then we’ll see whether or not we can strike it big with
this next big Lesnar-esque type character and try to see if we
can get Batista in the fold?”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Yeah, you know, I wouldn’t say that because
Lashley was already in the game before Strikeforce signed him.
You know, it’s not like Strikeforce did what they did with
Herschel Walker which is usher him entirely into MMA, you know
what I mean? Lashley would be fighting elsewhere if Strikeforce
hadn’t signed him. He wants in and he wants to pursue it
as a career whereas as Batista they would be completely rolling
the dice with a guy who has no MMA experience, no real fight
experience, and you know would clearly be just a piece to draw
interest if they thought that that’s what they would need
down the road but…”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “That’s the impression. No, that’s
exactly the impression that I get, it’s more… if we’re
going to take this shot, we’re going to try and do it with
one of the biggest stars that they have that would be willing
to come in just to see how much we can get in terms of popularity
from, in terms of more eyeballs because these WWE fans come over
and say hey, I remember this guy, and might as well watch Strikeforce
so.”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Right. Considering how recently Batista was
in the public eye for the WWE and how recently he was a big deal
to that audience, if someone here sees he’s going to be
in a real fight on Showtime or on CBS or even on PPV, I think
there’s going to be some scratch in play, I think there’s
a big boost there but it’s a one-time boost, make no mistake
about it. I don’t see any long-term future in using Dave
Batista in Mixed Martial Arts unless he’s been training
in the same secret dungeon that Kurt Angle’s been training
in, who claims that he’s just so brushed up he knows stuff
that the top guys don’t know but you know he’s not
going to fight.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Mark
Hominick Talks Recent Win; Wish to Fight Leonard Garcia
By Kelsey
Mowatt
Heading
into the recent June 20th World Extreme Cagefighting card in
Edmonton, Alberta, the featherweight tilt between Canadians Mark
Hominick and Yves Jabouin was billed as a striking clinic guaranteed
to entertain. What transpired at WEC 49 was exactly just that,
and after several memorable exchanges during round one, Hominick
managed to stop Jabouin with a flurry of strikes in round two.
“I think it was the first time in my career that I really
got to showcase who I am as a fighter,” Hominick recently
told FCF. “Fighting another striker gave me the opportunity
to illustrate my offensive striking game as opposed to a defensive
one against another grappler. As well, with getting dropped by
the one punch I was given the opportunity to show that I can
fight with my back against the wall, recover and prevail.”
Hominick
mentioned his ability to recover, as after being sent to the
mat by a Jabouin right hand, the Shawn Tompkins’ trained
fighter swept his opponent and finished the fight with strikes
from full mount. Right before the bout’s final and dramatic
moments, however, Hominick had been dominating the action, due
to a crippling left hook he had landed to Jabouin’s body.
“It
is very rare to see effective body attacks in MMA for sure, but
it is one thing we really stress under Shawn Tompkins training,”
said Hominick when asked if such techniques are sometimes overlooked
in MMA. “If you watch my teammate Sam Stout or Chris Horodecki
they utilize them as well and they always pay dividends. With
the 4 oz gloves any shot can do damage, and when you hit the
liver especially, you can take guys out of their game and often
take them out of the fight. It takes time to develop set ups
to hit the body, but it is a technique I think many overlook,
since they are always looking for looping overhands in MMA.”
The
win was not only the UFC veteran’s third straight and eighteenth
of his career, it marked the first time Hominick had fought in
front of a Canadian audience in some time.
“I
felt not only honored to be back on Canadian soil, as it has
been over 4 years since I have been back, but always so pleased
that the WEC took a chance with two Canadians to co-main event
their card,” said Hominick. “I honestly was so happy
to be back.”
During
his post-fight interview with WEC commentator Kenny Florian,
Hominick mentioned that he was hoping for a bout with Leonard
Garcia, and several days removed from the event the 27 year-old-fighter
hadn’t changed his mind.
“I
really do hope that the Garcia fight takes place, due to the
fact that he just came off a big win, he likes to strike and
has fought for the title and has been consistently ranked in
the top ten,” Hominick told FCF. My goal by the end of the
year is to be ranked in the top ten.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Sityodtong
Muay Thai heads to Brazil
by Graciemag Newsroom
The foundations of Rio de Janeiro’s fight scene are about
to be rattled, as Thailand’s legendary Sityodtong Muay Thai
school is setting up shop at Gordo/Evolve academy.
Headed
by the man known as the Godfather of modern muay thai, Kru (“teacher”
in Thai) Yodtong Senanan, Sityodtong has produced more muay thai
champions in Thailand than any other camp and is proven in MMA
for such alumni as UFC fighters Kenny Florian, Patrick Cote,
Mark Dellagrotte, Stephan Bonnar, among others.
Following
the lead of younger brother Rafael “Gordinho”, who
has ten Sityodtong muay thai champions as full-time instructors
at Evolve academy in Singapore, Roberto Gordo called on Kru Toy
Sityodtong to help Rafael dos Anjos polish up his muay thai for
his upcoming fight with Clay Guida at UFC 117.
Toy
Sityodtong is the son of Grandmaster Yodtong Senanan himself
and the first Sityodtong master to visit Brazil. The move marks
a new chapter in the story of Gordo/Evolve academy in MMA.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Advice
from New Jersey State Athletic Control Board on dealing with
staph
By Zach
Arnold
When
I wrote a detailed article about the doctors who cleared Matt
Hamill to fight with the mark on his back last Saturday, it was
a revealing article in many ways. Some good things and some bad
things.
The
good is that for those of you who read it, I got great feedback
from you about the topic.
The
problem is that people largely weren’t interested in reading
the article or discussing it. I learned a long ago time as a
writer that in order to gain traction with a story, you need
to have the following three factors:
1.Feed
the beast. (A new story or taking a known story and giving it
life with new information.)
2.Media interest in talking about your story.
3.Reader interest in your story.
In the case of the examination we did about the medical background
of doctors who cleared Matt to fight, we did feed the beast but
the media largely ignored it (outside of a couple of outlets
like MMA Torch) and the readership interest wasn’t there.
I found the latter to be highly ironic because at times on both
this site and on other MMA sites or message boards, you often
hear the criticisms that there isn’t good writing or good
journalism going on in the online MMA world. However, once something
does meet their standards, suddenly they don’t want to read
or comment on it and instead choose to surface on another topic
that they deem to be of lower standards. Amusing.
When
I addressed the issue of staph in MMA, it’s obviously a
topic that I think everyone should take very seriously because
we don’t need the fighters having nasty diseases and fighting
in unsafe environments. Which brings me to a couple of articles
I recently received about what Dr. Sherry Wulkan of the NJSACB
wrote on the topic and what fighters, trainers, and others can
do to prevent outbreaks of staph and what to do if you do get
some sort of infection.
Dr.
Sherry Wulkan (NJSACB)
THINGS
YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR ATHLETES FROM MRSA AND OTHER GYM INFECTIONS
Have
a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance to each locker room
and encourage use prior to entering the gym. If you cannot install
a hand sanitizer dispenser, follow proper hand washing technique.
Proper
technique for washing includes manual rubbing or scrubbing hands
for about 15 seconds, drying with a clean, disposable towel,
and using a towel to turn off the water faucet. Hand sanitizer
solution can be used in place of soap and water, but the cleanser
must contain minimum of 62% alcohol or equivalent strength disinfectant.
Wash
mats with bleach and water (one part bleach to four parts water)
twice daily. Allow to dry. Rinse with clean water. Clean all
communal equipment in the same manner ( bags, kicking shields,
speed bags etc.). RINSE MOP AND BUCKET THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND
WATER AFTER EACH CLEANING.
Avoid
sharing towels, water bottles, Vaseline, and personal items such
as razors, nail clippers and hand wraps.
Encourage
athletes to keep nails clipped short and filed.
Do
not allow athletes with any open skin wounds, rashes or boils
to roll and /or spar or take class. Have the competitor get medical
clearance prior to return to active training. Emphasize that
the athlete is not the only one at risk; their family members
will also be exposed. Young children, diabetics, the elderly
and people with heart or other chronic health conditions are
particularly susceptible to infections, and may have worse outcomes
than otherwise healthy young athletes.
Encourage
athletes to wipe down exercise equipment with a clean towel after
use. Personal equipment (gloves, thai pads, punch mitts) should
be cleaned after each use first with a Clorox wipe and then with
a hand wipe. Place cleaned equipment directly into your equipment
bag; do not put your clean equipment down on the floor of the
cage or ring, or on the mats.
Clean
handrail/handles/seats of exercise equipment daily with a product
that contains a minimum of 10% bleach or an equivalent cleaning
solution that can kill staph bacteria. Disposable wipes are acceptable.
In
the event an athlete gets cut during sparring, or in the event
of vomiting after a difficult workout, the following precautions
should be taken.:
¦Step
1: WEAR GLOVES
¦Step 2: Spray the spill with an appropriate germicidal
solution, for example, bleach and water (one part water to four
parts water).
¦Step 3: Spray the mat surface with germicidal solution
and let the solution sit for a few minutes.
¦Step 4: Wipe the germicidal solution off the affected
surface with disposable towels.
¦Step 5: Dispose all used towels, THEN your Protective
Gloves, into properly labeled red biohazard bags.
¦If you haven’t been vaccinated against hepatitis
A and hepatitis B, do so.
“I Feel Fine Doc, Why Can’t I Train”?
Common Gym Scourges and How to Avoid Them
By Dr. Sherry Wulkan MD, NJSACB ringside physician
Your
gym is running smoothly, training sessions for your fight team
are on schedule, and remarkably, no one’s been injured this
time around. Then one of your top fighters pulls you aside and
says, “hey coach, what the “F’ is this on my arm”?
Doesn’t look like much, maybe an ingrown hair or something,
so he goes home. Two days later, he calls to tell you he’s
not feeling well. His sparring partner and three other fight
team members all have the same rash. MRSA. You’ve lost at
least one week’s training time.
Sounds
all too familiar I’m sure.
Now
you have an idea about what this article’s about. Hopefully
it will provide you with some practical guidelines to prevent
the spread of infectious disease, to help you suspect a serious
infection and circumvent its spread, and to give you some insight
into what the team doctors’ concerns might be about some
common gym ailments.
Let’s
start with an annoying, although non-life threatening problem:
TINEA
CORPORIS (Ringworm)
Ringworm
is a fungal infection of the skin. It may initially appear as
a small pimple-like lesion, and then grow into an area with central
clearing with a scaly raised, red, border. It may be itchy. It
is highly contagious, but not dangerous, (except potentially
to those who are immunocompromised), although it is sure to turn
off your significant other. It is most frequently spread throughout
the gym from dirty mats, and between wrestlers, jujitsu practitioners
and those repping the Thai clinch; the close proximity between
workout partners and the open pores of sweating competitors provide
a perfect breeding ground for this opportunistic infection. There
are a lot of creams that cure ringworm. The most effective require
a prescription. For those of you who are uninsured, or are on
a tight budget, a quick trip to the vag – itch isle (sorry
guys) for chlortrimazole cream (1%) mixed 1:1 with hydrocortisone
cream (1%) is the equivalent of Lotrisone and is a lot cheaper.
In
my experience, most people treat this illness incorrectly. They
apply the cream four times daily while they see the problem,
but forget to continue treatment for the two weeks after the
ring(s) disappear. Why bother? Because if you don’t, it’ll
definitely be back, larger, stronger and more annoying than before;
you’ll have to start the whole process over again, and take
another few days off from training. For those of you who are
curious, there are five cell layers in the most superficial portion
of the skin (or epidermis). The cell layers are seated upon each
other roughly like a pile of neatly stacked bricks. The middle
layer or dermis is composed of connective tissue, and the deepest
layer, of subcutaneous tissue. The fungus has roots analogous
to those of a plant that reach the lowest skin cell layer of
the epidermis (outermost skin layer). As the skin cells age,
the top layers are shed. New skin cells form from the bottom
layer. The migration of the bottom layer of the skin to the surface
takes approximately two weeks. Therefore, to literally and figuratively
get to the root of the problem, you need to treat this infection
for two weeks after the lesions disappear.
There
are some simple precautions one can take to prevent the spread
of ringworm:
Use
one of the many barrier creams marketed for this purpose. The
cream should be applied to all areas of exposed skin. Read the
directions on the product you’re using; some may be applied
safely to the face, others not.
Wear
a long sleeved rash guard.
Wash
your gym clothes after each use.
Use
soap and a little bit of water to wash the exterior surface of
your gloves and other equipment after each use.
Keep
all open wounds (blisters, scratches) covered.
Wash
all gym attire at very high heat. (140-160 degrees).
HERPES
LESIONS
Some
of you may remember that Paul Bradley had to be sent home during
the filming of Spike’s Ultimate Fighter 7 series because
of an outbreak of Herpes gladiatorum. The illness is very contagious,
and can potentially be extremely harmful. It is really common
among wrestlers (transferred by skin to skin contact): an estimated
20% of all grapplers carry the virus. It is predicted that combat
athletes have a 33% chance of contracting this skin infection
while sparring with an infected competitor. (transferred by sweat
or contaminated equipment). (Anderson ,2003).
The
infected athlete typically describes a stinging or burning sensation
before developing a small lesion that may be mistaken for a pimple.
If suppressive doses of the prescription drug valcyclovir are
taken at the onset of these symptoms, the lesions can usually
be avoided, and the risk of spreading infection to a gym partner
is much less. After the initial stage, a small cluster of red
lesions with blister like apices (vesicles) occur. At this stage,
the competitor is highly contagious. The rash eventually scales
and forms a crust. Without medications the outbreak may last
anywhere from 7-14 days, since new crops of vesicles may appear.
Once
you have acquired the herpes virus you can never get rid of it,
but there are some medications that can suppress it. Fortunately,
the longer you have the virus, the fewer the number of eruptions
per year. Unfortunately, both stress and very intense workouts
can precipitate an outbreak, since both situations can cause
mild immunosuppression. As an aside, if you’re a fan of
tanning before a fight and you know you have Herpes, you might
want to reconsider, since this activity can activate a dormant
virus.
Why
are doctors so worried about this illness?
The
lesions look a little nasty, but that’s not why. What concerns
us most are the very real, and very potentially life altering
consequences of transferring this infection during sparring sessions
or mixed martial arts competition. Meningitis, arthritis or severe
eye infections that can result in blindness, are just some of
the conditions that concern us. It really bothers ringside physicians
to have to scratch an otherwise well-prepared fighter during
the pre-fight physical for this issue, but now you’re aware
of our reasoning.
How can we minimize the spread of this illness?
Keep
away from the gym if you know you carry Herpes and are prodromal
(suspect you may have an outbreak). If you have a lesion or lesions
stay away from the gym until it (they) have completely crusted.
Clean your equipment after each use.
Wear
long sleeved, sweat-wicking rash guards
Wash
all gym clothes after each use.
Keep
all scratches covered.
Bacterial
HEADLINERS: MRSA (Methicilln –resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
Initially
found only in hospital settings, MRSA has recently been making
headlines because of its spread into the general community and,
as its name implies, because of its resistance to previously
effective antibiotics. MRSA can have devastating effects; serious
infections have been occurring in otherwise healthy people in
the community, notably athletes who share equipment or personal
items. . A seemingly benign (mild) condition can become life
threatening in a short period of time if treatment with the appropriate
medicine is delayed.
It
is estimated that 33% of the population carry staph on the skin
or in their nostrils. People who are colonized with staph, but
who are asymptomatic (aren’t sick) are known as “carriers”.
The bacteria may be transferred from a carrier to a new host
by skin-to-skin contact: an abrasion, or the open pores of a
perspiring competitor facilitate the transfer of bacteria from
a carrier to a new host.
The
lesions initially look like pimples, boils or even spider bites,
but they can rapidly turn into painful abscesses that require
surgical intervention. The bacteria sometime spread throughout
the body, potentially resulting in the destruction of joints
or in life threatening illnesses of bones, lungs, or heart valves.
Once
again, there are some simple precautions you can take to minimize
your risk of infection, or to contain an outbreak if it occurs.
1.Stay
away from the gym until your private doc or the team’s physician
sees you if you have a draining wound, or one that’s red,
swollen, painful and warm to the touch. Do not return until the
lesion(s) has (have) healed. Use bleach and the hot water cycle
to sanitize clothes and linens.
2.Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a disposable towel
to dry your hands and another to shut the faucet. Carry a hand
sanitizer with a minimum content of 60% alcohol.
3.Shower as soon as possible after athletic competitions or practices.
4.Keep cuts and abrasions covered.
5.Avoid sharing towels, razors, clothing or athletic equipment.
6.Ask your doctor if you should be tested for MRSA if you have
a skin infection that requires prescription therapy.
It is advisable to have nasal swabs done on all team members
and sparring partners to see whether they have become MRSA carriers
if someone has tested positive in your facility. Simple treatment
with
intranasal Bactrobam ointment can alleviate the carrier state
and avoid future outbreaks in most instances.
What’s
new in the fight against MRSA?
Investigators
have recently developed an intranasal vaccine that protects laboratory
mice against MRSA lung and skin infections. It is therefore likely
that a human vaccine is probably just a few years away.
Hepatitis
B, C and HIV
Save
yourself a lot of time, headache and a potential lawsuit; suck
it up, dish out the money and get vaccinated against hepatitis
B if you haven’t already done so. The risk – benefit
ratio is a no-brainer. N.Y.State began mandating hepatitis B
vaccinations for all elementary school children as of 1999. Check
with your physician if you’re not sure whether you’ve
had this series. A booster is required approximately every 10
years. If you’re a fighter, you will probably not need to
check immune status as often; check with your Athletic Control
Board to determine how often you’d need to demonstrate immunity
once you’ve undergone the immunization. This will probably
save you some money in the long run.
Hepatitis
literally means “inflammation of the liver”. There
are many subtypes of this virus, some of which cause mild illness
and some of which cause potentially life-threatening ailments.
For example, Hepatitis A usually causes a relatively mild illness.
In fact, the majority of people who contract this illness rarely
seek medical advice.
Hepatitis
B, on the other hand, manifests completely differently. It is
estimated that 400 million people in the U.S. are infected with
hepatitis B.
10%-20%
of people with hepatitis B infection develop a chronic carrier
state and ultimately, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). Of the
10%-20% with chronic infection, 10% develop liver cancer. Hepatitis
C also has similar devastating consequences.
Hepatitis
B and C are very strong; they can “survive” on mats
for approximately two weeks. Transmission is usually via blood
borne contact in gym settings, although the sharing of needles
for illicit steroid injections. or for B12 injections may also
spread this disease. Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue,
muscle aches and pains, and possibly the sensation of abdominal
fullness. Some patients develop jaundice (yellowish discoloration),
which is most easily noticed in the sclerae (whites) of the eyes.
Urine may appear dark, even if you are well hydrated, and stools
appear light (clay colored).
I
would strongly recommend that any owner of a mixed martial arts
school require all sparring participants to submit the results
of hepatitis B, (if not vaccinated), C and HIV 1 and 2 annually.
HIV
1 and 2 are chronic, devastating viruses that destroy the cellular
immunity of the host predisposing the victim to any one of a
myriad of bacterial, fungal and protozoan infections. Although
there has never been a well-documented case of gym transmission
in either boxing or MMA, I would not recommend risking the chance
of being first in this instance.
Mats
should be washed two- three times daily, depending on the number
and types of classes. (bleach: water – 1:7-1:10).
Try
to avoid throwing sweaty rash guards on the floor while changing;
put it on your bag and take it home to be laundered.
All
sparring participants should undergo the hepatitis B vaccination
series. It’s worth the initial expense, since a booster
is not required for 10 years, and you will save yourself the
worry about whether you might have contracted this illness. There
is an added benefit to obtaining the series if you are a fighter;
you should not need to repeatedly prove immunity to hepatitis
B once immunity has been established after vaccination; in the
long run this will save you a good sum of money.
From
the individuals’ point of view, good personal hygiene helps
a lot.
1.Try
to keep fingernails and toenails short. Keep a clipper and a
file in your bag. Avoid sharing these items with friends.
2.Shower as soon after your workout as possible.
3.Wash wraps and gym clothes after each use.
4.Carry a hand wash with at least 60% alcohol content.
Hopefully, by following these simple guidelines, everyone will
benefit; fighters by preventing lost time from training, or loss
of income and, worst case scenario, their career, and gym owners,
by maintaining their reputations by providing safe, effective,
and healthy environment in which to train.
PROACTIVE
MEASURES THAT HELP PREVENT GYM INFECTIONS
Most
of the following recommendations will seem obvious to you once
stated. They’re not terribly time consuming, and not difficult
to implement once you’re aware of them.
1.Avoid
using one towel to remove sweat or blood from multiple sparring
partners.
2.Wear gloves in the corner during sparring sessions in your
own gym.
3.Vaseline should not be communal (shared) either, unless removed
from the container with a tongue depressor (new one for each
athlete). Vaseline containers should be closed immediately after
each application.
4.Communal headgear should be sanitized after each use, as should
shin guards. Weights, cardio- conditioning equipment, and core
strengthening equipment should be cleaned at least 2-3 times
per week.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
FEDOR
DETHRONED: WERDUM TOPPLES LAST EMPEROR
The "Last Emperor" has been dethroned. The king has
fallen.
In
an improbable turn of events, heavy underdog Fabricio Werdum
did the impossible and submitted Fedor Emelianenko in the first
round of their main event match-up in a Strikeforce and M-1 Global
co-promoted event on Saturday in San Jose, Calif.
There
were few picking Werdum to beat Fedor, and probably even more
thinking that the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace wouldn't make it out
of the first round with the Russian destroyer. The actual fight
didn’t go anything like what was predicted.
Fedor
came out aggressive and looking for a knockout early, swinging
his sledgehammer like fists at Werdum, and trying for the finish.
A glancing blow sent Werdum backwards, and for a moment it looked
like it might be the end of the road for the grappling champion.
Usually
a master of getting out of submissions, Fedor was caught early
with an armbar attempt from Werdum, but wiggled his way free
and looked to drop bombs from above. A tactical mistake from
the usually impeccable Emelianenko soon saw his head and arm
trapped between Werdum's legs, as the Brazilian tightened up
a textbook triangle choke.
The
moment Fedor became trapped it was apparent that this was not
the calm Russian most are used to seeing when he's in a bad position.
He wiggled and moved quickly trying to get out of the precarious
position. Werdum tightened his vice-like grip on the choke, and
as Fedor's right hand came in to slap his opponent's leg signaling
a tap, it was apparent that the best heavyweight fighter in the
world had been defeated.
A
top fighter in his own right, Werdum did the impossible on Saturday
night, as he is the first competitor ever to finish the Russian
juggernaut. Humble in his victory, Werdum still gave credit to
Emelianenko as the best in the world.
"I
believe in this victory because of my hard training," said
Werdum. "I'm so happy. Thank you Fedor for the opportunity.
Fedor is the best in the world, this night I beat Fedor, but
Fedor is the best."
Werdum
will undoubtedly launch up the heavyweight rankings while Fedor
will fall out of the top spot in a division he's ruled for several
years. A bout with Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair
Overeem looms on the horizon for Werdum, but he says he's first
going to give Fedor another shot.
"Next
time, I want to one more time for a rematch for Fedor,"
Werdum commented. "Maybe here, maybe in Russia, no problem."
Already
holding a submission win over Overeem in 2006, Werdum didn't
forget the Dutch champion, issuing him a warning for when they
meet again.
"(Alistair)
Overeem is no problem, next time Overeem, the champion,"
Werdum stated. "Overeem, give me my belt please."
Much
like the rest of the crowd in San Jose, champion Alistair Overeem
had a shocked look on his face as well, but didn't react much
to Werdum's comments.
As
for Fedor, while as great as he has been, he's always been a
humble fighter, and once again the Russian showed tremendous
humility in defeat. Something he hasn't tasted since 2000 when
Tsuyoshi Kosaka defeated him due to a cut.
"Frankly
nothing," Fedor commented when asked what was going through
his mind after the loss. "Because the one who doesn't fall
doesn't stand up."
A
magnanimous fighter in every sense, Fedor Emelianenko walks out
of an MMA arena with a loss on his record, but still the undying
support from a legion of fans, while Fabricio Werdum picks up
not only the biggest win of his career, but possibly one of the
biggest wins in MMA history.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
KENDALL
GROVE BASHES
TUF, TALKS HIS WAY OFF SPIKE TV
“The
Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Kendall Grove publicly criticized
the Spike TV reality show, then apologized, but not before the
television network reacted and pulled his “UFC 116: Lesnar
vs. Carwin” preliminary bout off the network’s telecast
set for July 3.
In
an appearance on TapouT Radio, Grove criticized “The Ultimate
Fighter,” which is heading into its twelfth season.
“Like
anything (‘The Ultimate Fighter’) evolves, but it evolved...
I’m not badmouthing it, but calling it like I see it. It’s
just my opinion, but it’s all about picking the cast. Like
a lot of the cast members now, and you see it, and I’ve
been saying this for the last five seasons, guys get on there
just to get their face on TV and act stupid in the house,”
said Grove.
“I
hate saying it, but using myself as an example, I knew why I
was there. I was there to become a fighter and fight for the
biggest organization in the world. I knew I wasn’t the best
fighter there at the time, but I knew I could be. And I took
advantage of every time I had with my coach and the better people
on my team. I’m not bragging, but I’m a good example
of what the show can do to somebody’s career.”
Grove
criticized the motives of cast members and said he hasn’t
watched the popular reality show since it’s sixth season.
“Right
now, there’s great fighters that go on the show, but it
seems like they’re not there to be fighters. They’re
there to be actors, or they’re there to get their 15 minutes
of fame. I could be wrong, but that’s just what I see. And
that’s why I hardly watch ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’
I couldn’t tell you who was the winner of the last five
seasons,” said the 27-year-old.
“I
might know one or two of them, but I haven’t followed the
seasons because of that reason. I followed the first season,
the second season, the third season for obvious reasons, the
fourth season, the fifth season. After the sixth season I kind
of lost that drive to watch it. I know it’s kind of sad
to say because I’m an Ultimate Fighter alumni and an Ultimate
Fighter winner. I should support it, but it’s hard to support
something that... If I’m not interested in watching it,
why should I fake and say, ‘oh yeah, go watch it. It’s
a great show.’ To me, it’s kind of losing its drive.”
Grove
didn’t stop there. He questioned the selection process and
Spike TV’s influence over the show.
“It’s
a business. Before they used to pick, like in the first couple
of seasons, they’d pick up and comers who just hadn’t
had their shot yet. The Joe Stevensons, the Diegos, the Forrests,
the Koschecks. Most of the first season’s staff, a lot of
them are hanging strong. A lot of them are top contenders,”
commented the Hawaiian.
“It’s
a business to these guys, to Spike TV. That’s who runs it,
Spike TV. Dana (White), this is just a theory of mine, but Spike
TV pretty much runs everything for The Ultimate Fighter. I guess
they could be subleasing the UFC name. I’m sure the UFC
is getting a nice little paycheck from Spike, but other than
that Spike runs the thing. It’s not Dana who chooses who
is going to be on the show. It’s Spike executives. And from
when even I was on there they were picking more fighters and
maybe a couple of guys to be the scape goats and be like the
couple of funny guys, the personalities.”
Grove
added that “it’s all about ratings” and alleged
that Spike TV doesn’t care about the fighters or their careers.
“I
admit. I’m pretty sure I got on there not just because of
my good looks, but because of I had a pretty good personality
and a funny personality. Everything is ratings to these guys
and what’s going to sell ratings,” said Grove. “They
could care two-(expletive) about our career. They just care about
the time we’re there and the six weeks that they’re
shooting and trying to get as much drama and stupidity out of
us. That’s all we are to them, just cattle and sheep.
“The
way they run things, they’re slowly controlling us to be
like that.”
Grove
went so far as to classify the reality show as “corrupted.”
“For
The Ultimate Fighter show, any Tom, Dick or Harry can sign up
and say they‘ve been fighting. If you can edit a damn good
video of you shadow boxing in your garage and punching a bag
in your garage and have one amateur fight and get on and possibly
win The Ultimate Fighter. That’s just the way it is,”
said the Season 3 winner.
“I
think during my season, I think one or two of those guys would
get on the show and the rest were all known fighters, guys who
had accomplished stuff in this sport. Now I don’t want to
say it, it’s not a joke because there are good fighters
that come on The Ultimate Fighter still today. There’re
are good fighters and great fighters, but the rest of them are
spoiling it for us. And it sucks. I’ll say it and I’ll
spit in the guy’s face if they want to come up and question
me on that.”
Grove
later retracted his comments and apologized, but not before ruffling
the feathers of some influential people who decided to bump his
UFC 116 bout with Goran Reljic off the Spike TV “UFC 116
Prelims Live” telecast and replace it with Seth Petruzelli
vs. Ricardo Romero.
“First
off all I’d like to say, a lot of it wasn’t fact,”
said the apologetic Grove. “I’d like to apologize if
I rubbed anybody the wrong way or disrespected or insulted anybody
from Spike TV or the UFC. After all, I wouldn’t be here
if it wasn’t for them, Spike TV giving me the shot on ‘The
Ultimate fighter’ and the UFC for keeping me around to fight
my eleventh fight this weekend. If I insulted anybody, if I disrespected
anybody in the wrong way in what I said... after all it was just
a theory, an assumption.
“I’d
like to send out my deepest apologies to the producers of Spike,”
continued Grove. “The show does wonders for careers and
it did for mine. I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect. After
all they gave me my shot, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t
for them.
“I
hope they can accept my apology,” he added. “I’m
very sorry, and I probably won’t be doing any interviews
anytime soon.
“Once
again, I’m sorry Spike producers, the UFC, Joe Silva, Dana
White, if I offended anybody. My intentions weren’t towards
that. And hopefully you guys can find it in your heart to forgive
a Hawaiian.”
The
situation is most unfortunate for Goran Reljic, who was caught
in the middle, and whose fight will likely not be seen unless
he's able to pull off a spectacular finish.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Emelianenko’s
loss rocks MMA world
SAN
JOSE, Calif. – Fabricio Werdum was fully cognizant that
the greatest moment of his life took place in front of a crowd
of 12,698 at HP Pavilion on Saturday night, even if he couldn’t
fully remember all the details of a fight that went only 69 seconds.
Werdum
(14-4-1) was knocked down in an opening flurry against Russia’s
Fedor Emelianenko, generally considered the greatest MMA fighter
in history. Werdum had no idea he even was punched but did recall
locking on a combination triangle choke and armbar leading to
what may go down as the most famous tapout in the history of
the sport.
“I
don’t remember the fight right now,” Werdum said. “I
have to watch the fight. I like to watch my fight 15 times. Fedor
punched me? I don’t remember. Maybe the punch affected my
mind.”
Emelianenko
(32-2, 1 no contest) had gone 28 straight fights without a loss
since a fluke December 22, 2000, loss to Tsuyoshi Kosaka, on
a match stopped when he was cut in 17 seconds by an illegal elbow.
“The
one who doesn’t fall never stands up,” said Emelianenko,
the former PRIDE heavyweight champion, through an interpreter.
“It happened that people made me an idol. But everybody
loses. I’m just a human being. And if it’s God’s
will next fight, I’ll win.”
Emelianenko
said after the fight it was the triangle, not the armbar, that
did him in.
“At
the very beginning of the round, I hit him and I wanted to finish
as soon as possible,” he said. “At that moment, I made
a mistake. I would like to have a rematch with Fabricio if he
was to agree. I’d love to do that.
“There
were several moments when I could escape, but I relied on myself
too much and that’s why I paid for it. At the very moment
when I had to escape, I stopped, and that moment was used for
Fabricio to lock it on.” The win changes the face of the
world heavyweight rankings, which were controversial enough since
Emelianenko largely had been considered No. 1 in the world since
a 2003 win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
He
dominated PRIDE from 2003 to 2006 when the best heavyweight talent
in the world fought in the Japanese promotion. But the axis of
power shifted in 2007 when fighters like Nogueira and Mirko Cro
Cop were signed by UFC, and even more so in recent years with
the emergence of a new breed of American wrestling powerhouses
like Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, as well as
Brazilian striker Junior Dos Santos.
But
since Emelianenko’s long win streak continued, and he had
been the established No. 1, it was hard to say another fighter
was better, even though many questioned Emelianenko’s level
of competition in recent years.
“I’m
really very sorry and it’s a pity that I disappointed people
who believe in me and trusted in me,” said Emelianenko.
“But everything in this life happens for some reason. If
God decided this is what should happen, then it’s the best
thing for this very time.”
Werdum’s
career high point came less than two years after its nadir. The
Brazilian heavyweight, who was 2-2 in the UFC, was cut from the
company after Dos Santos, a huge underdog himself, KO’d
Werdum in just 1:21 on Oct. 25, 2008, in Chicago.
“I’m
so happy,” said Werdum, who came into Saturday’s fight
as a 6-to-1 underdog. “Fedor’s the best in the world.
This night I’m the best guy, but Fedor is the best in the
world, he went 10 years with no losses. I idolized Fedor from
when I saw him in PRIDE. Now I beat my idol. Can you imagine
how I feel?”
Werdum
said he wanted the fight on the ground, where as a two-time Brazilian
jiu-jitsu world champion, he felt he had the edge. But he also
felt it was imperative if finishing to do so quickly.
“I
think it had to be in the first round because you don’t
have so much sweat,” he said. “Maybe the second round
it wouldn’t be possible because of a lot of sweat. The first
round was better for me.”
For
the promotional parties involved (Strikeforce, Showtime, Emelianenko’s
handlers in M-1 Global and possibly even CBS), the question becomes
what to do next. The most anticipated potential match in the
promotion was Alistair Overeem defending the Strikeforce title
against Emelianenko, provided the latter won Saturday. Doing
that match anytime soon would seem out of the question.
So
do you go with Overeem defending against Werdum or a Werdum vs.
Emelianenko rematch, with the winner then facing Overeem? As
an added twist, Werdum defeated Overeem via submission with a
Kimura on May 5, 2006, although that was an Overeem who was more
than 25 pounds lighter than this year’s model.
Of
the three, Emelianenko still is going to be the biggest business
draw by far, so the best business would be the rematch, and whoever
wins that gets the shot at Overeem.
Emelianenko’s
loss would seem to make Saturday’s Brock Lesnar-Shane Carwin
UFC heavyweight title match in Las Vegas a battle for the No.
1 heavyweight position. Overeem has looked impressive in his
recent series of quick wins, but the toughest guy he has beaten
under MMA rules was Brett Rogers.
Werdum
has had three wins since being let go by the UFC. Before Saturday
night, he scored a victory against journeyman Mike Kyle and a
three-round decision where he recovered from an early disadvantage
to beat Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, a strong second-tier
heavyweight.
Emelianenko’s
loss goes beyond the effect on rankings and goes straight at
the power structure of the sport. The UFC deals most of the cards,
but M-1 Global had quite a bit of power because of the perception
by many of Emelianenko as the best heavyweight fighter. They
used that to leverage major demands for years and turned down
major UFC money offers in asking for co-promotional rights, which
UFC would not agree to.
Strikeforce,
looking to make its place as a strong No. 2 group on the worldwide
scene, made the deal with Emelianenko and M-1 when UFC couldn’t
seal the deal last summer. But whatever M-1’s leverage might
have been in playing both sides when his Strikeforce contract
expires after the next fight went down considerably with the
loss.
Even
if he were to face Werdum next and beat him impressively, and
he still would make for intriguing fights against UFC heavyweights,
M-1 has lost leverage. It is doubtful UFC would be willing to
offer the kind of money it would have if Saturday’s result
had not happened.
An
Emelianenko vs. Werdum rematch would be significantly bigger
than the first match, but Emelianenko’s appeal was based
both on the aura of invincibility he had and the mystique surrounding
it. The nature of the loss doesn’t indicate that he’s
washed up or even slipped, as he rocked Werdum hard with the
opening barrage.
In
fact, in many ways, the finish was the experienced fighter’s
version of the rookie mistake Lesnar made in his 2007 loss to
Frank Mir, a fight when he rocked Mir, made a mental lapse and
got caught in a submission. Lesnar dominated that rematch and
at least until Saturday is now the top heavyweight in the game.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
FEDOR
VS WERDUM ATTENDANCE AND GATE RECEIPTS
Strikeforce officials say that an estimated 12,698 people were
at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday night to
bear witness to the unthinkable: a Fedor Emelianenko loss!
Yes,
it’s true, Fabricio Werdum overcame the odds and defeated
the man widely considered – prior to the fight – the
number one heavyweight fighter on the planet. Just one minute
nine seconds into the opening round, Fedor tapped out to a combined
triangle choke/armbar submission.
Strikeforce’s
unofficial estimates – the California State Athletic Commission
will release the official numbers in a few days – are that
the 12,698 fans in attendance were responsible for gate receipts
totaling $1,066,739.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FEDOR
VS. WERDUM LIVE RESULTS & PLAY-BY-PLAY
The world’s top ranked heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, steps
back in the cage on Saturday night to face No. 9 ranked Fabricio
Werdum at the Strikeforce and M-1 Global co-promoted “Fedor
vs. Werdum” event in San Jose, Calif.
MMAWeekly.com
is live cageside to bring you all the action in round-by-round
coverage, from the preliminary bouts to the main event. The first
preliminary bout is scheduled to begin at approximately 5:00
p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET.
Refresh
your browser frequently for the latest results...
FEDOR
VS. WERDUM PLAY-BY-PLAY:
FEDOR
EMELIANENKO VS. FABRICIO WERDRUM
R1
- Fedor drops Fabricio with a big right hand and rains down punches
standing in Fabricio's open guard. Fabricio catches an arm and
attempts an armbar but Fedor breaks free. Fedor again delivers
big blows but Fabricio catches Fedor's left arm this time and
attempts a triangle. The triangle appears deep, and Fabricio
pulls the arm into an armbar as well and Fedor taps out (apparently
due to the triangle, not the armbar given that the arm wasn't
over extemded but the triangle was very deep and held for a long
time).
Fabricio
Werdrum wins by submission (triangle) at 1:09 of the first round.
CUNG
LE VS. SCOTT SMITH
R1
- Smith charges earlier but is immediately dropped with a right
hook by Le. Smith recovers quickly and pushes Le against the
cage. Smith lands some punches to the gut of Le against the cage
before both fighters are centered again. Smith misses with a
violent, powerful overhand right that Le counters with a jab.
Le connects with a solid straight combo that dazes Smith. A stunned
Smith goes for the takedown but Le sprawls. From the sprawled
position, Le lands multitudinous blows to Smiths exposed midsection.
Smith squirms to his feet and and lands a body kick before they
center. Le again lands a few blows that drop Smith and follows
with some more body shots to end the round.
R2
- Le picks up where he left off with combinations of straights
that connect sharply. Le lands a spinning back kick to Smith's
stomach and follows it with big straights that drop Smith. Upon
being centered after a stoppage for a low blow, Le connects with
several more big blows and a spinning backfist that drops Smith.
Le continues to pound away before the referee stops the fight.
Cung
Le wins by technical knockout at 1:46 of the second round.
CRIS
"CYBORG" SANTOS VS. JAN FINNEY
R1
- The two throw a flurry of punches to open the fight, with Cyborg
landing the stronger, cleaner shots before grappling Finney to
the cage. After they center again, Cyborg drops Finney with a
combination of straights. Finney still swings back from her knees
and gets Cyborg in the clinch. Cyborg breaks the clinch by pushing
Finney against the fence where Cyborg drops Finney with a series
of punches again. Finney grabs Cyborg's leg and barely survives
before the ref stands them up. The fight is stopped momentarily
Cyborg is deducted a point for illegal strikes to the back of
Finney's head while she held on to Cyborg's leg. Cyborg grapples
Finney to the cage again and lands some big knees before dropping
Finney again with a combo of straights. Finney stays on the ground
and refuses to engage as she keeps a closed guard for defense
of her head while Cyborg relentlessly drops blows to end the
round.
R2
- Finney immediately lands two hard straights before Cyborg responds
with straights of greater power that send Finney to the cage.
Finney falls to her back and keeps a high closed guard again
as Cyborg drops knees and punches from a standing side control.
The referee stands them up where both fighters trade shots with
Cyborg again landing more powerfully and sending Finney to the
cage. Cyborg lands heavy blows that connect cleanly but Finney
remains standing against the cage before clinching. The referee
centers them where Cyborg lands a combination of big straights
and a knee from the clinch that connects to Finney's head and
drops her. Cyborg follows it up with a series of big punches
before the referee stops the fight.
Cyborg
wins by technical knockout at 2:56 of the second round.
PAT
HEALY VS. JOSH THOMSON
R1
- Thomson gets the double leg takedown to open the fight. Healy
gets up quick and pins Thomson against the cage. Healy gets a
leg and attempts to drag Thomson down, but Thomson latches onto
the arm in an armbar attempt. Healy narrowly escapes and attempts
to punches from standing, but again Thomson catches an arm and
attempts a triangle. Healy breaks free and wrestles Thomson back
to the ground after he tries to stand. Healy gets a back mount
but Thomson escapes quickly and attempts a kneebar. Healy defends
the kneebar and the fighters get to their feet. Healy pushes
Thomson against the cage but falls victim to a takedown by Thomson
to end the round.
R2
- Healy gets an early takedown and works Thomson into the cage.
Healy almost gets Thomson's back before settling in an open half
guard against the cage where he lands many minor strikes against
Thomson. Thomson gets to his feet but Healy holds onto a leg
and gets a slam. Thomson catches an arm and attempts an armbar.
Healy escapes and responds with a kneebar attempt. Thomson breaks
free and Healy takes his guard where he is almost caught by another
armbar attempt from Thomson. Healy finishes the round from the
top position of Healy's closed guard.
R3
- Thomson misses a big overhand right but connects with a short
left straight to follow. Healy swings strongly but misses a few
combos before getting tagged with a straight right counter from
Thomson. Thomson lands a few jabs but Healy responds with a combo
of jabs that also connect before missing a big right. Healy gets
Thomson against the cage where Thomson defends a slam attempt
before finally getting dragged down. Healy tries to get Thomson's
back but is flipped over Thomson's head where Thompson is able
to get Healy's back. Thomson locks in a body triangle and gets
a rear naked choke locked in. After a minute, Healy finally taps,
as Thomson wins by submission via rear naked choke at of the
third round.
Thomson
wins by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:27 of the third round.
DERRICK
BURNSED VS. BOBBY STACK
R1
– Stack is stalking Burnsed before Burnsed misses with a
takedown attempt. Burnsed connects with a solid right then a
leg kick. Burnsed catches a kick and gets the takedown. Stack
gets up quickly and gains an advantageous position against the
cage. Stack connects with a series of effective knees while pinning
Burnsed against the cage. The referee breaks them up and centers
them. Burnsed checks a kick and connects another big right that
rocks Stack momentarily before Stack gets the takedown. Stack
gets out of the open guard and Burnsed scrambles to his feet.
Stack gets another takedown and into full guard. Burnsed attempts
an armbar unsuccessfully before the round ends.
R2
- Burnsed gets a big knockdown with a strong right hand to open
the round. Stack recovers quickly and is able to scramble to
top position where he gets in Burnsed's guard. Burnsed attempts
a guillotine unsuccessfully. The fighters scramble to their feet
where Stack pins Burnsed against the fence. Stack gets another
takedown before Burnsed gets to his feet again quickly but pinned
against the cage. From a sprawl position against the cage, Burnsed
gets Stack's back before transitioning into side control. Burnsed
attempts an arm triangle from the half guard before releasing
and getting the mount. Burnsed delivers a few blows before locking
in another arm triangle that Stack survives through to end the
round.
R3
- Both fighters seem tired as strikes are getting thrown in less
bunches. Burnsed stuffs a takedown attempt by Stack and transitions
to the closed mount from atop. Stack uses his feet against the
cage to get a better position that sees Burnsed lose his mount
and into half guard. Burnsed gets the mount again and into a
back mount. Stack delivers a successful sweep and lands atop
into Burnsed's guard. Burnsed catches an arm and nearly locks
in an armbar. Stack narrowly escapes and they both get to standing.
A visibly gassed Stack gets hit with another hard right by Burnsed.
Burnsed backs him to the cage where Stack gets a takedown and
lands atop. Stack transitions to open guard against the cage.
Both fighters struggle from this position to end the final round.
Scorecards
read: 29-28 Stack, 30-27 Burnsed, 29-28 Stack. Stack wins by
split decision.
GARETH
JOSEPH VS. YANCEY MEDEIROS
R1
- Joseph opens the fight with a couple of strong leg kicks. Medeiros
pushes the pace to cornering Joseph against the fence where he
connects a few straights while both men swing in flourishes.
Joseph is able to reverse the position and push Medeiros against
the fence. They break to standing where Medeiros again stalks
Joseph. Medeiros lands two effective rights while Joseph misses
counters. In the center again, Joseph lands a strong leg kick
before avoiding a counter head kick by Medeiros. Medeiros continues
to push the pace while Joseph keeps his distance with counters
to end the round.
R2
- After backing up, Joseph dashes inside with a combination of
punches that don't land. Joseph gets his distance before backing
from Medeiros again. Medeiros lands a strong leg kick against
the fence and then connects with a right hook that drops Joseph.
Medeiros connects with three big punches while Joseph is rocked,
kneeling against the cage. The referee stops the fight, as Medeiros
wins by technical knockout at 1:19 in the second round.
Medeiros
wins by technical knockout at 1:19 in the second round.
BRET
BERGMARK VS. VAGNOR ROCHA
R1
- Bergmark lands a counter right early that momentarily rocks
Rocha. Rocha lands a left hook of his own but Bergmark isn't
fazed. Rocha attempts a takedown after dodging a big overhand
right by Bergmark, but Bergmark sprawls. Rocha is able to get
hold of a leg and slam Bergmark for the takedown. From the open
full guard, Rocha lands a series of strikes before Bergmark closes
the guard and then gets to his feet. Standing and centered, Bergmark
lands a straight right before Rocha gets the takedown and into
full guard. Rocha lands a pair of hammer fists t end the round.
R2
- Bergmark catches a leg kick early but misses the follow-up
straight right. Bergmark lands a strong leg kick before getting
tagged by a right by Rocha. Rocha attempts a takedown but ends
up on his back where Bergmark lets him up. Bergmark lands a counter
right and then sprawls to defend a takedown attempt by Rocha.
Against the cage. Bergmark lands a big knee to Rocha's gut that
drops him. Bergmark slams Rocha and tries to land punches from
a standing full guard. Rocha's nose is bleeding, Bergmark lets
him stand. Rocha attempts a takedown but again ends up on his
back. Bergmark lands a few minor blows from the full guard before
letting Rocha stand. Rocha looks rocked as Bergmark pushes the
pace and lands a few solid hooks to end the round.
R3
- Rocha attempts a flying armbar but gets slammed by Bergmark
to open the round. Bergmark lets Rocha stand again. Many faints
and punches being thrown, but neither fighter connects. Rocha
attempts a takedown but Bergmark sprawls and attempts an arm
triangle. Rocha breaks free and pulls guard before Bergmark lets
him stand again. Bergmark lands a nice left hook, right straight
combo to the dazed Rocha. Another combo of hooks find their target
as Bergmark is teeing off on Rocha. Rocha attempts to pull guard
again but Bergmark lets him up. Bergmark lands another big overhand
right and follows it with a flurry to almost stop the fight before
Rocha unsuccessfully attempts to pull guard again to close the
fight.
Scorecards
read 29-28, 30-27, 30-26 for the winner by unanimous decision,
Bret Bergmark.
CHRIS
COPE VS. RON KESLAR
R1
- Keslar gets a single leg takedown and quickly transitions to
a closed full mount. After a few hammer fists, Keslar gets Cope's
back and locks in a body triangle. Keslar peppers Cope with punches
as he tries to lock in a rear naked choke. Cope effectively defends
from the choke and the few strikes Keslar attempts from for a
few minutes before the round closes.
R2
- Keslar again opens the round with a single leg takedown and
nimbly gets Cope's back. After locking in the body triangle,
the struggle for the rear naked choke again ensues before Cope
twists free and into Keslar's guard. Keslar is able to stand
and after a brief period against the cage, both fighters are
centered. The fight is stopped momentarily after a low blow is
delivered to Keslar from Cope. Cope's forehead is gashed as he
gets inside Keslar and pins him to the cage. Cope sprawls a takedown
attempt by Keslar and delivers some big blows to the side of
Keslar's head. Keslar stays firm and holds on to the single leg
of the sprawled Cope. After relentless blows from Cope, the referee
stops the fight.
Chris
Cope wins by technical knockout at 4:32 of the second round.
FEDOR
VS. WERDUM QUICK RESULTS:
Main
Card Bouts (On Showtime):
-Fabricio Werdum DEF Fedor Emelianenko by submission (triangle)
at 1:09 R1
-Cung Le DEF Scott Smith via TKO at 1:46 R2
-Cris "Cyborg" Santos DEF Jan Finney via TKO at 2:56
R2
-Josh Thomson DEF Pat Healy via submission (rear naked choke)
at 4:27, R3
Preliminary
Card Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Chris Cope def. Ron Keslar via TKO at 4:32, R2
-Bret Bergmark def. Vagner Rocha via Unanimous Decision
-Yancey Medeiros def. Gareth Joseph via TKO at 1:19, R2
-Bobby Stack def. Derrick Burnsed via Split Decision
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CUNG
LE EXACTS REVENGE WITH TKO OVER SMITH
It was a rematch that Cung Le wanted since suffering the first
loss of his career last December, and he made the most of it.
He TKO'd Scott Smith in San Jose, Calif., in the second round
of their middleweight contest at “Fedor vs. Werdum”
on Saturday night.
In
their first fight, Le controlled the action with an arsenal of
kicks and strikes on the ground that had Smith on the defensive
from the moment the bell sounded. The only problem was Le didn't
finish Smith and the "Comeback Kid" did exactly that
with a dramatic third-round knockout.
Le
learned from his mistakes and left nothing to chance for the
second go round.
Prior
to the fight, Smith had said that he believed the key to beating
Le was to be aggressive and not let him stay on the outside and
work with his deadly kicks. Smith did exactly that by rushing
across the cage and throwing bombs at Le before getting into
the clinch.
While
Smith's signature knockout punches were flying, none of them
were landing, and it seemed that Le was just waiting for the
right moment to unleash, and unleash he did.
A
spinning back kick rocketed into Smith's midsection, and he was
sent reeling from the strike, falling against the cage. Le followed
up with a few more big strikes, and Smith had no comeback in
him for the rematch as the referee rushed in for the stoppage.
Expecting
a different fight from Smith the second time around, Le said
he and his coaches had strategies ready for all contingencies,
and it paid off.
"We
went over two game plans: we went over that he was going to come
at me and I was going to sharp shoot, pick my shots, or he was
going to let me beat on him for another two and a half rounds
and come back," said Le. "So this time I fought smart,
let him come in, and he came into the power, and he got caught."
With
the win, Cung Le is now 1-1 against Scott Smith, although being
fairly dominant through most of both fights. It was stated before
the bout that if Le won, there was likely to be a rubber match
between the fighters.
"Whatever
Scott Coker wants, he's the boss," Le commented when asked
about a possible third fight with Smith.
It
remains to be seen if Le and Smith will meet again, but for now
Le gets his revenge for the only loss in his MMA career.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FRANK
SHAMROCK RETIRES AFTER HISTORIC CAREER
A legend first in Japan then in the Octagon, Frank Shamrock has
been one of the greatest champions to ever set foot in the world
of mixed martial arts. On Saturday night, Shamrock called it
a career, as he announced his retirement from the sport of MMA.
Shamrock,
debuting in Pancrase in 1994, was one of the first true hybrid
fighters to combine his love for striking, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu
into one fluid style. Giving credit to his brother for getting
him involved in the sport, he says he will walk away from the
sport now simply because the time has come.
"When
I was 22 years old, my brother gave me two important things.
He gave me an ass whooping, and he gave me my love of mixed martial
arts. Since that time I've traveled the world teaching mixed
martial arts, preaching mixed martial arts, and dragging my poor
family with me from country to country, and city to city. I'm
37 years old now, and my time has come," said Shamrock.
"Tonight
I announce my retirement, and I say that this will be the last
time I walk into this cage as a fighter."
The
California based fighter made his move to the UFC in 1997 after
spending several years fighting all over Japan, and made an immediate
impact. Undefeated in his career with the promotion, Shamrock
may be most remembered for his epic fight against Tito Ortiz
in 1999.
A
tactical war throughout, Shamrock eventually used one of his
biggest weapons to finally wear Ortiz out. Tremendous cardio
from Shamrock made Ortiz a target in the fourth round, where
he finally finished the fight with strikes.
Returning
to his roots in San Jose, Calif., late in his career, Shamrock
fought for Strikeforce, launching the promotion into mixed martial
arts, to close out his historic career before saying goodbye
on Saturday night.
"It
was an honor to bleed for you, to break my bones for you, and
to entertain you," said Shamrock to the San Jose crowd.
Frank
Shamrock retires from the sport with a career record of 23-10-2,
and a legendary status that makes him a Hall of Famer in anyone's
book.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CYBORG
CRUSHES FINNEY; THOMSON SUBS HEALY
Cris “Cyborg” Santos’ latest Strikeforce women’s
middleweight title defense, at the Strikeforce and M-1 Global
co-promoted “Fedor vs. Werdum” event on Saturday night,
started the way everyone expected. Both fighters came out swinging
with Cyborg quickly establishing her dominance, rocking Jan Finney
with a right hook and driving a knee right up the middle to her
chin.
Most
forecasts would have predicted as much, followed by Cyborg storming
in to finish Finney in a flurry. One problem, Finney wasn’t
present for those forecasts. The one that said she was supposed
to go down and stay down didn’t make it onto her radar.
Make
no bones about it, she was barely ever in a position to do much,
if any, damage to Cyborg, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
She continued fighting back, even when Cyborg was on top of her
on the mat, dropping down bomb after bomb.
Cyborg
was deducted a point late in round for hitting Finney in the
back of the head while she was curled up on the mat, but even
the recovery time from that was not enough for Finney, who barely
managed to make it to the first bell.
Finney
fired a desperate right hand to open the second round, but after
all the punishment she took in the opening stanza, she just didn’t
have enough steam to withstand Cyborg’s swarming punches.
Backed to the cage courtesy of another Cyborg flurry, a knee
to the solar plexus put Finney down, and a couple follow up punches
ended her night.
Finney
showed a tremendous amount of heart and toughness, but Cyborg
showed why she is the champion and regarded as one of the most
dangerous female fighters on the planet.
If
they can nail down the details, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on
Friday said that Erin Toughill is likely next up for the destroyer
known as Cyborg.
In
the main card’s opening on Showtime, Josh Thomson took all
but the full time limit, but he managed to finish a stubborn
Pat Healy in the final round, just before time ran out.
Thomson
came out with a strong opening round transitioning from armbar
to triangle choke and back to armbar, but he just couldn’t
put Healy away. The Team Quest fighter turned the tables a bit
in round two, taking Thomson down numerous times, often dictating
where the fight would take place.
But
in round three, Thomson peppered Healy on the feet for a bit,
but showed his submission prowess late in the round when he turned
a Healy takedown into a body triangle with a rear naked choke
for the finish.
Thomson
has said repeatedly that he didn’t want just one win and
then start calling for a rematch with Gilbert Melendez, who took
the Strikeforce lightweight title away from Thomson in December.
But the win over Healy proved that he’s still a force to
be reckoned with in the Strikeforce lightweight division.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 9:
Mayhem at the Mansion
Today!
Garden Island
Cage Match 9
Kilohana Carriage House, Gaylord’s Mansion, Kauai, Hawaii
June 26, 2010
3-2
min 125 lbs (Women’s Kickboxing)
Lisa Ha (HMC) vs Danielle Majewski (Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Carlos Lave (Team Hakuilua) vs Alex Sosa (QuickSilva, Texas)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Geary Udagawa (HMC) vs Isaac Hopps (O2 Martial Arts Academy)
3-3
min 185 lbs (MMA)
Justin Barit (North Shore MMA) -vs- Isaac Worth (Freelance-Kauai)
3-3
min 143 lbs (MMA)
Robert Anduha (North Shore MMA) vs Beldon Gacayan (Kamole)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Daniel Asuncion (Bulls Pen) vs Ryan Tampon (Hawaiian MMA)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Adam Rivera (Hakuilua) vs Domenick Ansagay (Freelance Kauai)
Intermission
3-3
min 125 lbs (Women’s MMA)
Cara Machado (Bulls Pen) vs Vernadine" Vee" Vickers
(Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-3
min 135 lbs (MMA)
Bill Takeuchi (Bulls Pen) vs Daniel Deanda (Kamole)
3-3
min 145 lbs (MMA)
Kolten Choy Foo (Bulls Pen) vs Tyson Hawelu (Kamole)
3-3
min 160 lbs (MMA)
Alex Brooks (Hawaiian Fighting Arts, Las Vegas, NV) vs Kapena
Abiley (Hawaiian MMA-Hilo)
3-3
min Kauai Harley Davidson Co-Exhibition Main Event 165lbs
Brett Malphrus (C3 Fighters Seattle, Wa) vs Pono Pananganan (Kauai
Technical Institute, Kapaa HI)
3-3
min Ainofea/RK Sports Co-Exhibition Main Event 170 lbs
Dan "Bombero" Barrera (Barrera Fighting Systems, Hilo
Hi) vs. Kolo Koka (Team MMAD Honolulu HI)
*
Fight card subject to change
Source: Event Promoter
|
50th
State Fair “50th State BJJ Championships”
Friday,
June 25 & Saturday, June 26
ITINERARY:
Friday,
June 25th
5:00pm
Weigh-ins begin
5:30-6:00pm 1st seminar / exhibition
6:15-6:45pm Rules Meeting
7:00-7:30pm 2nd seminar / exhibition
8:00pm End of weigh-ins
Saturday,
June 26th
8:00am Staff Meeting
9:00am Keiki matches start
11:00am Women’s matches start
1:00pm Men’s matches start
6:00pm Tournament ends
PRICE:
Pre-registration
(before June 18th)
$60 per adult / $35 per keiki (12 & under)
Regular
Registration (June 18th-June 25th)
$75 per adult / $50 per keiki (12 & under)
Walk-Up
(day of tournament)
$100 per competitor
Door
- $10.00
Source: Egan Inoue
|
Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Werdum Breakdown
Ariel Shnerer
The
world's most dangerous fighter returns this Saturday night for
his second test in the Strikeforce cage.
After
defeating Brett Rogers in his promotional debut, WAMMA heavyweight
champion Fedor Emelianenko will battle BJJ phenom Fabricio Werdum
this Saturday night on Showtime.
Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Werdum is set to emanate from the HP Pavilion in San
Jose, Calif.
Here's
a breakdown of the main card action:
-Fedor
Emelianenko (31-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)
The
33-year-old Emelianenko has been facing substantial criticism
from the MMA community, namely UFC President Dana White, for
his lack of quality opponents in recent years.
However,
Emelianenko recently vanquished two former UFC heavyweight champions
in Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, in addition to myriad past
career accomplishments, including victories over Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman,
Renato Sobral, Semmy Schilt and Ricardo Arona.
"The
Last Emperor," a Judo black belt and multiple-time Combat
Sambo gold medalist, knocked out his last two opponents after
six straight submission triumphs.
While
some observers are quick to assume Emelianenko's best years are
behind him, the Russian juggernaut is only getting better. But
the same goes for the calibre of heavyweights currently gaining
prominence in the sport, which leads fans and pundits alike to
wonder what would happen if Emelianenko fought Brock Lesnar,
Shane Carwin or Cain Velasquez.
The
myth surrounding Emelianenko has been overblown. Despite being
the consensus best heavyweight in the sport, the former Pride
heavyweight champion is not unbeatable.
Rogers
rocked him with punches on the mat in their November 2009 meeting
and Hong Man Choi used his massive frame to punish Emelianenko
in 2007 before succumbing to an armbar. Additionally, Emelianenko
was stunned in his bout with Kazuyuki Fujita, he was dropped
on his head by Kevin Randleman, he gave up his back against Coleman
and he struggled in his fourth pro bout against Arona.
No
stranger to dangerous situations, Emelianenko prevailed in each
of the aforementioned bouts. Barring the occasional precarious
predicament, Emelianenko masterfully capitalizes on any errors
or openings.
Facing
seemingly insurmountable odds, Werdum must be at his best to
prevail on Saturday night.
A
black belt in both Judo and BJJ, Werdum is one of the heavyweight
division's most decorated submission specialists. He is coming
off back-to-back victories in the ADCC competition, the world's
most prestigious grappling tournament.
After
a shocking first-round knockout loss to Junior dos Santos at
UFC 90, Werdum joined the Strikeforce roster where he has since
compiled successive wins over Mike Kyle and Antonio Silva.
The
Pride veteran holds two wins over former UFC heavyweight title
challenger Gabriel Gonzaga, in addition to a submission of current
Strikeforce heavyweight king Alistair Overeem in 2006. If he
does the seemingly impossible and defeats Emelianenko, Werdum
would likely face Overeem in a rematch for the title.
Meanwhile,
Werdum has dropped decisions against Sergei Kharitonov, Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Andrei Arlovski.
Saturday's
tilt will be a grudge match-up as Werdum also submitted Fedor's
brother Aleksander Emelianenko in 2006.
For
the first time in his career, Werdum is finally training as a
complete mixed martial artist. To prepare for the stiffest test
of his eight-year career, Werdum acquired the services of a nutritionist,
a conditioning coach and a Muay Thai coach.
With
training partners like Strikeforce light heavyweight champion
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Werdum has been diligently
working on his wrestling to ensure he can bring Emelianenko into
his comfort zone on the mat.
If
Werdum is unable to turn this encounter into a grappling contest,
he is in for a short night. Emelianenko's power, explosiveness
and accurate striking will give him a considerable edge against
Werdum standing. Moreover, Werdum has been rocked on numerous
occasions, which leaves some doubt about the quality of his chin.
On
the other hand, Werdum has a chance of overcoming "The Last
Emperor" if this fight takes place on the mat. Werdum's
control, ground-and-pound and submission prowess are a legitimate
threat to Emelianenko, although the Russian has proven submission
skills of his own.
Given
his vast superiority in the striking department, Emelianenko
should be heavily favored heading into Saturday's clash. If he
underestimates Werdum, which is unlikely given his dedication
to the game and his grueling training camps, the Brazilian could
pick up the biggest win in MMA history. The likelier outcome
is a first or second-round knockout for Emelianenko, who will
subsequently enter negotiations for a blockbuster title bout
against Overeem on pay-per-view.
Verdict:
Emelianenko via KO, Round 1
-Cristiane
"Cyborg" Santos (9-1) vs. Jan Finney (8-7)
The
undisputed queen of MMA returns against a questionable opponent
in the most lopsided bout on the card.
Known
simply as "Cyborg," the 24-year-old female wrecking
machine is a purple belt in BJJ. Initially trained at the famed
Chute Boxe Academy under Rudimar Fedrigo and now anchored at
The Arena team in San Diego, Santos has crushed all comers since
being submitted in her first pro fight back in 2005.
"Cyborg"
trounced Gina Carano to claim the inaugural female middleweight
title last year and has since defeated Marloes Coenen to retain
the gold.
A
talented Muay Thai practitioner with heavy hands, "Cyborg"
has unquestionably outmatched her last nine foes. The outcome
will likely be the same against Finney, an 8-7 prospect who has
competed at 135 pounds for the majority of her career.
Tasting
defeat nearly as many times as emerging triumphant, Finney is
hardly the best match-up for "Cyborg." Despite compiling
an impressive four-fight winning streak, Finney has dropped three
bouts to Julie Kedzie, in addition to losses against Shayna Baszler,
Miesha Tate and Erin Toughill.
Finney
is a well-rounded competitor with solid punching power, but her
options will be limited against the Brazilian powerhouse. When
considering Santos' crushing stoppage of Finney's conqueror Baszler
in 2008, Finney will be lucky to survive the first round.
Verdict:
Santos via KO, Round 1
-Cung
Le (6-1) vs. Scott Smith (17-6)
In
a thrilling rematch from their showdown last December, Le is
looking to erase the memory of his first professional loss against
"Hands of Steel."
The
Vietnamese-born Le is a Tae Kwon Do and Sanshou specialist whose
biggest victory was a third-round stoppage of Frank Shamrock
in 2008.
After
putting his MMA career on hold to pursue acting, Le showed signs
of a potentially exploitable chin in his return against Smith
last December. At 38 years of age, Le's durability may not be
what it once was.
When
they collided at Strikeforce: Evolution, Le utilized a plethora
of kicks to punish Smith throughout rounds one and two. In the
third, Smith caught Le with a flush right hand, which lead to
a dramatic knockout late in the fray.
Smith,
31, lived up to his nickname "The Comeback Kid" yet
again. The UFC veteran has made a career of stopping opponents
in spectacular fashion. Benji Radach had him on the verge of
breaking in their 2009 fight, but Smith connected with a punishing
right hand in the third round to win by knockout. Kyle Noke was
having his way against Smith in their 2008 bout until Smith landed
a beautiful punch in the second stanza. In what was perhaps the
most spectacular come-from-behind knockout of his career, Smith
stopped Pete Sell in their 2006 UFC battle.
Given
his track record, it would be unjust to count Smith out. The
former WEC light heavyweight champion is far more experienced
than Le and he is no stranger to overcoming adversity.
Conversely,
Le put forth an impressive performance against Smith in their
first meeting. If he can continue to land accurate body kicks
and defend intelligently against Smith's heavy hands, he should
be able to rebound in a pivotal middleweight fight. In all likelihood,
the winner will be entered into a tournament to crown a new Strikeforce
middleweight champion.
Winner:
Le via TKO, Round 3
-Josh
Thomson (16-3) vs. Pat Healy (23-15)
This
intriguing lightweight bout is not quite as one-sided as some
oddsmakers might lead you to believe.
The
American Kickboxing Academy product Thomson will be favored on
paper. Formerly the Strikeforce lightweight champion, Thomson
lost his belt to Gilbert Melendez in a classic rematch last December.
With
wins over Melendez, Hermes Franca and Duane Ludwig, Thomson is
a world-class wrestler and kickboxer. Dangerous wherever the
fight goes, the experienced UFC, Pride and Strikeforce veteran
will be looking for his 17th career win.
Healy
is also a seasoned veteran, having defeated the likes of Dan
Hardy, Paul Daley, Carlos Condit, Mike Guymon and Canadian prospect
Ryan Ford. Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, the
Northwest Elite product is looking to make his case for a Strikeforce
lightweight title shot.
Much
like his opponent, Healy is a threat in all aspects of the game.
While Thomson is expected to have superior wrestling, Healy could
hold his own in the striking exchanges.
After
three exhausting rounds, Thomson will likely prevail on judges'
scorecards, although a victory for Healy will be within reach.
Verdict:
Thomson via Unanimous Decision
Source: Fight Network
|
UFC
115 Salaries: Chuck Liddell Collects $500,000
By Ray
Hui
In what UFC president Dana White has called Chuck Liddell's final
UFC fight, the former UFC light heavyweight champion earned $500,000
in his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 115 two weeks ago in Vancouver,
according to disclosed salaries the commission provided Thursday
to MMAFighting.com.
Franklin,
who scored the first-round knockout over Liddell, made $225,000,
which includes his $85,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night. Franklin
was listed for $70,000 to show with a $70,000 win bonus.
UFC
115 drew 17,669 in attendance with $14,621 tickets sold, recording
a gross gate of $4,221,787.00.
Preliminary
Bouts
Mike Pyle $38,000 ($19,000+$19,000) def. Jesse Lennox $7,000
Claude Patrick $12,000 ($6,000+$6,000) def. Ricardo Funch $5,000
James Wilks $30,000 ($15,000+$15,000) def. Peter Sobotta $4,000
Mario Miranda $12,000 ($6,000+$6,000) def. David Loiseau $12,000
Share
Spike TV Bouts
Matt Wiman $28,000 ($14,000+$14,000) def. Mac Danzig $24,000
Evan Dunham $26,000 ($13,000+$13,000) def. Tyson Griffin $28,000
Pay-Per-View
Bouts
Carlos Condit $137,000 ($26,000+$26,000+$85,000 FOTN) def. Rory
MacDonald $93,000 ($8,000+$85,000 FOTN)
Ben Rothwell $100,000 ($50,000+$50,000) def. Gilbert Yvel $30,000
Martin Kampman $50,000 ($25,000+$25,000) def. Paulo Thiago $18,000
Mirko Filipovic $235,000 ($75,000+$75,000+$85,000 Sub) def. Pat
Barry $11,000
Rich Franklin $225,000 ($70,000+$70,000+$85,000 KO) def. Chuck
Liddell $500,000
Source: MMA Fighting
|
JOSH
THOMSON FIGHTING HIS WAY BACK TO THE TOP
by Samantha
L. Johnson
It has been six months since Josh “The Punk” Thomson
(16-3, 1 NC) lost to Gilbert Melendez in their battle for the
Strikeforce lightweight championship. After sustaining a hand
injury during the fight, Thomson is now healed and ready to face
Pat “Bam Bam” Healy Saturday evening in San Jose, Calif.
For
the casual MMA fan, Pat Healy (23-15-0) may seem like an easy
opponent for the former champion; however, Healy has wins over
some of the top welterweights in the world. Thomson knows that
a win over Healy is a step in the right direction on the path
back to the title.
“To
me, honestly, deep down, I know that if I beat him that I’m
working my way back up the hard way,” said Thomson. “Beating
somebody like him, that’s not only a seasoned veteran and
has all this experience, but is actually a well-rounded fighter.
He’s a mixed martial artist; his wrestling, he’s got
good hands, he knows how to use his reach.”
Thompson,
who has only fought three times in the last 24 months, is more
than ready to meet Healy in the center of the cage Saturday evening
and give the Spokane, Wash., native the best he has to offer.
Heading into the Melendez fight, Thomson had been off for 15
months due to a lingering leg injury. Though he lost a decision
to Melendez, Thomson looked fresh with no signs of ring rust
during the five-round war.
Assuming
he defeats Healy and gains another “W” in San Jose,
Thomson could potentially meet Melendez for a third time next
year on the rumored Strikeforce pay-per-view. In the meantime,
Thomson plans on fighting at least two more times this year,
though he’d fight more if the opportunity arose.
“I
know there will be another show (in San Jose) in September from
what I’m told,” said Thomson. “I do want to expand
out of San Jose after that fight. I do know there will be a November
or December fight, so I want to try and stay as busy as possible…
of course I’d like to fight four times. I just don’t
see it physically happening this year.”
Not
looking past the challenge that is Pat Healy, Thomson has planned
for a three-round fight that will test every aspect of his game.
Healy has been competing professionally for nine years, and with
that experience there is no room for error on Thomson’s
side. Holding wins over the likes of Paul Daley and Mike Guymon,
Healy is unpredictable and multi-faceted.
“This
is one of those fights where I’m like, this is going to
be a hard fought fight!” proclaimed Thomson. “With
Pat, I have to worry about his hands, gotta worry about his wrestling,
gotta worry about him getting on top of me. He’s a big guy!
I have to worry about him clinching on me and hanging on me…
not to mention all that stuff combined with his experience.”
Strikeforce
has recently signed a slew of new talent from the Japanese market.
Thomson has said he would like to face some of these fighters
who he feels are contenders for the belt, such as Gesias “JZ”
Cavalcante and Tatsuya Kawajiri, but first he must square off
against Healy.
“I
can’t look past Pat and I have to make sure I stay focused
on this,” said Thomson. “I’m not looking to Kawajiri
or JZ or KJ (Noons); I’m not looking to them at all yet.
I’ve got one of the toughest guys I’ve ever fought
in front of me next Saturday.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Georges
St-Pierre, Frankie Edgar Nominated for ESPY Awards
By Ariel
Helwani
 
The UFC will be well-represented at the 2010 ESPY Awards, as
two of the organization's champions were announced Thursday as
nominees for two separate categories.
UFC
welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was nominated for Best
Fighter, while lightweight champion Frankie Edgar's UFC 112 win
over then-champion BJ Penn is a finalist for Best Upset.
The
18th annual ESPY Awards ceremony will air on ESPN live from the
Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 9PM
ET.
GSP and Edgar are the only two MMA fighters to be nominated for
an award. It's also interesting to note that both fighters are
represented by the same agent: Shari L. Spencer.
In
his only fight of 2010, St-Pierre defeated Dan Hardy via unanimous
decision. The win marked his fourth consecutive successful title
defense.
GSP
is currently serving as a coach on the 12th season of The Ultimate
Fighter, and will defend his title against opposing coach Josh
Koscheck in December. Also nominated for Best Fighter is boxers
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquaio.
Edgar's
win over Penn is considered to be one of the biggest upsets of
the year in MMA. The loss marked Penn's first as a lightweight
since 2002. But the native of Toms River, N.J., will have to
prove that his win was no fluke at UFC 118 in August against
Penn in a rematch.
Edgar's
competition for this award is the University of Hawaii's women's
softball victory over No. 1 Alabama, Northern Iowa defeating
Kansas in the NCAA tournament and 110th-ranked Y.E. Yang defeating
Tiger Woods in the PGA championship.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Fabricio
Werdum, Not Alistair Overeem: The Right Opponent for Fedor Emelianenko
by Jonathan
Snowden
I've
seen plenty of prattle online about Fedor Emelianenko "ducking"
the mighty Alistair Overeem and taking an easier fight with jiu
jitsu wizard Fabricio Werdum. Nothing could be further from the
truth. The fact is, among heavyweights not in the UFC, it's hard
to argue that anyone who is licensed to fight in California deserves
a shot at the best more than Werdum-and certainly not Overeem,
a man more media myth than top contender.
Since
2008, Overeem has a handful of wins in MMA, almost none of them
over top 10 opponents, almost none of them meaningful in the
grand scheme of things. He's beaten Mark Hunt long after Hunt
stopped trying, James Thompson (post Kimbo and in the middle
of losing 7 of 8), and the 39 year old shell of Kazayuki Fujita.
None of this was particularly impressive. What is so great then
about the Dutch behemoth? Hulking muscles. Incredible mass. Veins.
MMA promoters and fans have had a hard on for muscular physiques
since Royce made Ken tap the mat way back at UFC 1. Nothing has
changed.
Werdum,
on the other hand, doesn't look like he has just come out of
a GNC with a bag the size of a Mini Cooper. He's just a solid
professional fighter. In the last five years he's lost a handful
of times, but only to the very best. Nogueira. An Arlovski who,
while the world's biggest metrosexual, was also the second best
heavyweight in the UFC. And finally, the top young prospect in
the world, Junior Dos Santos. He impressed everyone with his
tough fight against Antonio Silva at Strikeforce in Chicago last
year and has wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera-back
when those two men mattered.
And
then, there's the head to head battle. Even assuming all things
are equal (and I'd argue Werdum has the more impressive resume
as a heavyweight MMA fighter) Fabricio has the ultimate chit-a
head to head win over Overeem a few years ago in Pride. Werdum
made him tap to a kimura, the first and last time Overeem was
ever submitted by a hold, choke, or lock in his ten year MMA
career.
That's
what makes Werdum a worthy test for Fedor (or anyone else for
that matter). It's the submission pedigree that earned the Brazilian
two ADCC titles and two Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championships. This
is a very dangerous man. At 6-4 and a solid 240, he has the size
to submit Fedor in the right circumstances. If the Russian is
as bored and out of shape as he looks, if he's been enjoying
married life at the expense of training, if he's looking too
far forward into a blissful retirement, Werdum could pull off
the ultimate upset. If he does, he will have earned the opportunity.
In an ideal world we'd see Fedor against Lesnar, Carwin, and
Dos Santos. We don't live in that world. Werdum is the best available
fighter out there. He's also the guy with the best chance of
beating the "Last Emperor." He deserves the shot.
Source: SB Nation
|
Batista
tells TMZ he has a deal with Strikeforce; Former WWE star Batista
is hot on MMA and not-so-hot on professional wrestling
By Zach
Arnold
Update (6/21): He’s telling TMZ he reached a deal with Strikeforce
and is lining up a first fight.
June
17th
From
this morning’s Observer radio show on the Strikeforce show
last night in Los Angeles. I’m writing this passage first
because it’s the one that will garner most of the headline
attention. (There’s another passage to come that’s
far more important and interesting to me.)
DAVE
MELTZER: “At the show tonight, I talked to Dave Batista
and I… you know… he said that, you know, the reason
he left (WWE) was because he was sick and tired of the direction
of WWE. He said it was not the wrestling that he grew up liking.
He was not enjoying wrestling and he just felt he needed to get
out. He didn’t, um… he said that the wrestling of Steve
Austin and The Rock and all that stuff that he really liked doesn’t
exist there any more and he just felt that he needed to leave.
I was surprised. I thought that you know he was going to say
that ‘I wanted to be an actor’ and it wasn’t that.
He said he wanted to go out. I asked him if he was interested
in coming back like (Chris) Jericho did and his reaction was,
‘just don’t compare me to Jericho.’ And he didn’t
give like he didn’t rule out coming back, but he sure didn’t
act like he wanted to and I asked him like what he’s doing
and he said ‘I’m unemployed and I’m working for
work, that’s why I’m here in Los Angeles.’ So,
he’s an unemployed wrestler looking for, him and Scott Hall.
Looking for work, obviously looking for acting work and looking
for, I mean, he talked to Scott Coker, you know, you can make
of that what you will. You know I mean he was talking to Scott
Coker and Scott came up to me and just goes, he goes, ‘you
know we haven’t signed a deal yet, so don’t start saying
that we have.’ So, um, I mean, I can’t imagine him
doing MMA. The idea of it is… is ridiculous. Nevertheless,
he was talking to people you know like he was intrigued and interested
in doing it. I mean it was funny, he’s like, he said that
he’s been a fan of MMA for 25 years, which is… amazing.
You know, think about it. Since it didn’t exist in this
country 25 years ago… …you know people were asking
him MMA questions. He clearly is a big fan, you know a lot more
than some people in wrestling who you know their fans, he’s
at a different level, I mean when he was talking about his favorite
fighters I mean he mentioned you know Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez,
and Nick Diaz, which is not exactly you know that means he’s
more of a fan than many. And you know people were asking him
about you know, it was funny, they’re going you know like
you know comparing and coming from and it’s so you know
he was just like you know what I did in pro-wrestling has nothing
to do with MMA. It was entertainment, this was sport, and he’s
just putting over the MMA guys and you know not… I don’t
know, I mean he was… he was more negative on pro-wrestling
than I expected him to be, put it that way. A lot more, almost
stunningly you know as far as I just wanted to get out there
type of thing. Man, you know, I mean, my advice to him is he’s…
he’s 41 years old or older and he was making you know $2
million a year or more in WWE and I would not give up these later
prime years if that’s what they are you know because he
ain’t going to be an MMA fighter and… you know, if
he’s going to be an actor, he’s not going to be, you
know what I mean? 15 years from now he may want those $4 million
dollars from the next two years if he gives up these two years
and then tries to go back in his mid-40s, but anyway that’s
his thing. He’s also a lot smaller than he was as a pro-wrestler
and he is training at the Affliction gym and you know he’s
lost a lot of weight. I don’t know… I mean, you know
obviously he’s a still good-sized guy but nothing, nothing
close to the size that he used to be.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Meaning 220 pounds?”
DAVE
MELTZER: “I would think he’s bigger than 220, but I
don’t think he’s 260. You know, he’s, you know,
if I’m going to guess a weight, 255? I mean he was…
you know, I would say every bit of 280, 285 when he was in wrestling
and obviously he’d been you know way over you know way over
300 you know years back when he was a lot bigger.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
'Ultimate
Fighter' finale pulls in 2 million viewers
2
Recommend Last weekend's finale for Season 11 of The Ultimate
Fighter averaged 2 million viewers for the entire broadcast and
peaked at 2.4 million for the main event of Court McGee vs. Kris
McCray, Spike TV said today.
The
co-main event of Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine attracted 2.3
million viewers, Spike said.
Although
it was Saturday's most-watched event in sports' key demographic
of men ages 18-to-49, its 1.9 rating in that group was down slightly
compared to earlier TUF finales.
Leaving
out last year's TUF 10, which was boosted by the unusual presence
of Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, most of the show's
season finales have broken the 2.0 ratings mark for men 18-to-49:
TUF
1 -- 2.7
TUF 2 -- 2.7
TUF 3 -- 2.9
TUF 4 -- 1.5
TUF 5 -- 2.6
TUF 6 -- 2.2
TUF 8 -- 1.64
TUF 9 -- 2.1
TUF 11 -- 1.9
Source: USA Today
|
Carwin
Overshadowed by Lesnar in UFC 116 Leadup, but Ready to Rumble
By Mike
Chiappetta
Brock Lesnar's illness and one-year layoff are the dominant storylines
heading into his UFC 116 heavyweight title matchup, but his opponent
Shane Carwin's life story is equally as compelling.
A
former collegiate football All-American and Division II wrestling
national champion, Carwin seemed on the way to a career in the
NFL before an injury derailed those plans. Years later, he picked
up MMA and proved a natural. To date, he's won all 12 of his
fights, never going past the first round. Still, he remains story
B for the media and the underdog by the oddsmakers. Yet despite
his soft-spoken nature and willingness to cede the pre-fight
spotlight to his opponent, with a single sentence, Carwin summed
up his ability to capture it back.
"If
I touch anyone with my hands," he said, "I can knock
them out."
Carwin's
overwhelming success is exceedingly rare among heavyweights.
In fact, among active heavyweights, Carwin's 12-0 start is unmatched.
Because of the size of the men in the weight class, combined
with MMA's small gloves, knockouts are a fairly common finish,
and one wrong move could lead to the end.
Carwin's
managed to avoid any major setbacks, though the one time he found
himself in trouble against Gabriel Gonzaga, he quickly regrouped,
rebounded and knocked him out.
In
Lesnar, Carwin -- who captured the interim UFC belt when he knocked
out Frank Mir in March -- faces a guy who is very similar to
him in build and skill set.
Both
men were collegiate wrestling stars, found MMA late in the life,
and quickly transitioned to become top-level heavyweights. Both
are powerful, cut a few pounds to make the 265-pound limit and
work with all-star camps.
"It's
such a great fight when two big heavyweights are athletic and
believe in themselves, when they both know they're going to win,"
he said. "These are the great fights you remember."
Clearly,
much of the interest in this fight is generated by the participation
of Lesnar. On Tuesday's media conference call, Lesnar fielded
33 questions, Carwin just 16. Yet it's impossible to hear Carwin
speak and not sense a level of quiet confidence.
In
some ways, Carwin has been preparing for this fight for nearly
a year. Last August, Carwin was pulled from a proposed fight
with Cain Velasquez to face Lesnar. Lesnar, however, was soon
to suffer from the diverticulitis scare that threatend his very
career. The fight was postponed and then scrapped as Carwin eventually
moved on to fight Mir.
Still,
Lesnar was always the gold at the end of the rainbow, and when
he announced his return in January and Lesnar pummeled Mir in
March, the meeting was inevitable.
"Shane's
got a lot of good things going for him," Lesnar said. "So
do I. I could go into a he-said, she-said thing with what he's
said in the past. I know what my credentials are, he knows what
his are. I think mine outweigh his. I know my hand's going to
be raised on July 3, and I'm sure he thinks the same thing. That's
the beauty of the sport.
After
seeing his opportunity fall away two previous times, Carwin is
now facing the reality that after his run to the NFL fell short,
after a second shot at pro sports dreams, and after a brilliant,
unmatched start to his fighting career, his shot at glory is
now directly in front of him.
"I
got that never quit attitude, a lot of heart and determination,"
he said. "I like to get in there, bang and I love to fight.
It's what I like to do. I'm passionate about it. I'm not in there
to eke out a decision. I love to fight. That's my mentality and
attitude."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
on Versus 2: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matuyshenko Odds
Current
UFC on Versus 2 Odds. Live on Saturday August 1, 2010 the San
Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California will host UFC on
Versus 2. The Main Event puts together fast rising light heavyweight
phenom Jon Jones (10-1) up against crafty veteran Vladimir matyushenko
(24-4). This will be a very good test for Jones and if he can
get by Matyushenko he will likely very soon be in the title hunt.
Matyushenko made his UFC debut back in 2001 taking out Yuji Kondo
via unanimous decision. Since then he has fought in numerous
shows putting together a very impressive record and thus far
going 5-2 under the UFC banner. In his most recent fight against
Eliot Marshall, Vladimir took a split decision victory. Jones’
last bout was against the very tough Brandon Vera, where Jones
made quick work in that fight winning via first round TKO.
Jon
Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Sportsbook.com
Odds
•Jones
(-600)
•Matyushenko (+400)
Betus.com Odds
•Okami
(-180)
•Munoz (+150)
John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger
Sportsbook.com
Odds
•Howard
(+130)
•Ellenberger (-160)
Sportsbook.com
Odds
•Stevenson
(-215)
•Gomi (+175)
The Co-Main event gives us strong wrestler Mark Munoz (8-1) taking
on Japanese star Yushin Okami (24-5). Okami has put together
an impressive 8-2 record with the UFC. Okami’s last fight
was a victory over Lucio Linhares via TKO and Munoz took his
last fight via TKO over Kendall Grove. Also on the card we have
the return of the “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (31-6-1)
against Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (31-11). Gomi’s
Octagon debut was less than stellar as Kenny Florian picked him
apart and won via rear naked choke. Can Gomi bring back the fighter
he once was or will Stevenson greet him back just as Kenny did?
Both fighters are coming off losses and will look to put on a
good to earn the W.
Check
back with us closer to the fight date as I will have updated
UFC on Versus 2 Odds plus Fight Predictions. And to add a little
excitement to your UFC on Versus 2 fight night, you can bet on
this fight at Sportsbook.com.
Source: MMA Betting Blog
|
Strikeforce
female title contender Jan Finney: All the pressure is on "Cyborg"
by Steven
Marrocco
Jan Finney (8-7 MMA, 0-0 SF) isn't rattled by bookmakers as she
heads into her co-main event title fight against Strikeforce
women's 145-pound champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos
(9-1 MMA, 3-0 SF) at "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum."
After
all, she's not the one who's supposed to win.
"It's
just gives me more motivation," Finney today told MMAjunkie.com
(www.mmajunkie.com). "It's great. There's no expectations
for me."
Most
current odds peg Finney at +800 to Santos' -2000, a smaller gap
between an earlier line in which the champion stood at -2500.
Finney,
who describes MMA as a "hobby" that compliments her
regular gig as a personal trainer, has faced many top female
competitors in almost six years of professional fighting, with
mixed results.
Usually,
she fights at 135 pounds, but she's fought as high as 150 pounds
for a November 2008 bout with Erin Toughill, who was widely expected
to fight Santos before contractual issues mired her return. Toughill,
a former boxer with heavy hands, beat her by unanimous decision.
Finney
sees a few similarities with that bout, but her experience going
into Saturday's fight has been wholly different. For one, she's
not fighting on three-weeks' notice, as she was against Toughill
(last-minute bouts and cancellations are all too common in women's
MMA). Finney has also remained active since January, when she
entered an eight-women women's bantamweight grand prix for Freestyle
Cage Fighting and bested her first two opponents by decision.
"Cuddles"
pulled out of the tournament to fight Santos and has had seven
weeks to prepare specifically for the bout. She won't be cutting
weight this week.
"I'm
a fairly strong girl, and I don't think people realize it,"
Finney said. "They just look at me as a 135-pound fighter.
But I'm a big 135-pound fighter."
The
Brazilian champion Santos, who cuts weight to make the 145-pound
limit, has won half of her fights in the first round by bulldozing
opponents early on with punches. Only two of them – Yoko
Takahashi and Vanessa Porto, considered to be among the toughest
female competitors in the business – have gone the distance
with her.
Despite
that impressive track record, Finney counters that most of Santos'
opponents give in before they start to fight.
"I'm
going to come right back at her," she said. "I'm not
going to cower away. I'm probably going to be one of the strongest
opponents she's faced. I'm not saying I'm as strong as her, but
you never know – I might be.
"I
think she tries to mentally break you. [She] just comes in aggressive
(and) tries to break you right off the bat in the first two minutes
– non-stop. The biggest thing is not just being able to
weather that, but counter it, and move. ... Don't just take it."
Finney
is coached by UFC veteran Mike Patt, among others, and spends
the bulk of her time training with men at Beavercreek Martial
Arts. She said the men don't hold back in the gym and hit harder
than her female opponents, which has enabled her to develop toughness
inside the cage.
"If
you're faced with that every day, it just becomes the norm, and
it's not such a shock when you get in the ring," she said.
Santos,
of course, is married to and trains with fighter Evangelista
Santos and shares his nickname. Famed MMA brawler Wanderlei Silva
is a big fan of her work.
Finney
knows what's coming, but she expects to be standing after the
storm passes.
"I
have a few tricks up my sleeve," Finney said of pulling
off the upset. "I would also say I've got a pretty nice
right hand."
If
she wins Saturday, MMA might become more than just a hobby.
"It
would be a dream come true, that all that work I've been putting
into MMA has finally come to fruition," she said. "It
may end up being more of a career."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
The
doctors who medically cleared Matt Hamill to fight while having
a (labeled) staph infection
By Zach
Arnold
Be
prepared to devote at least 15-30 minutes to reading everything
in this article to understand the full context of what is being
presented here.
This
past weekend on The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale that UFC presented
on Spike TV from The Palms, Matt Hamill fought Keith Jardine
in the co-main event of the show. Hamill noticeably had a mark
on his lower back, which was reportedly determined to be a staph
infection. (Read down below for comments from Matt Hamill’s
camp this morning on this.)
If
you have not read the background on this, please read these two
articles first:
¦Ben
Fowlkes – TUF 11 Finale post-fight bonuses and press conference
notes
¦Michael David Smith – Commission doctors examined
Matt Hamill, said staph was healing
In Ben’s article, Hamill is reported as saying that he would
start taking antibiotics the day after his fight. As Eddie Goldman
asked me, “Why do you need antibiotics if [the spot] is
healed and not infected? And don’t you get antibiotics by
prescription from one of the many doctors who cleared him?”
In
the article written by MDS, Matt Hamill’s manager was quoted
as saying that the Nevada State Athletic Commission was aware
that Hamill had a staph infection and that he was cleared by
a commission doctor to fight on Saturday night against Keith
Jardine.
I
contacted Duff Holmes, Matt Hamill’s manager, through Mohawk
Valley MMA and received this response in regards to what the
doctors examined:
“I’m
not sure what the doctor’s name was. More than one looked
at it and they all said it was in the healing phase and was hardened
and safely under the skin. It was never diagnosed as Staph. That
was an assumption made by Dr. Hamill. He has since started antibiotic
therapy.”
According
to Keith Kizer in an article at The Garv web site, he stated
the following about the mark on Hamill’s back:
“It
was hard, dry eschar. The NSAC doctor examined it and cleared
Hamill. Doctors sometimes make mistakes but I know of no evidence
that says she did so regarding Hamill. I stand by her.”
Mr.
Kizer’s quote makes note that it was a female commission
doctor who checked out Hamill’s mark. We will touch upon
this later in the article.
To
set up the story about Matt Hamill fighting with a staph infection
in UFC last Saturday night, let’s take a look at this passage
from Monday night’s Observer radio show between Bryan Alvarez
and Dave Meltzer:
BRYAN
ALVAREZ (reading e-mail question): “HOW WAS MATT HAMILL
ALLOWED TO FIGHT IN THE TUF FINALE WITH A STAPH INFECTION?”
DAVE
MELTZER: “You know, I was going to try to find that out
today and just, I was so busy with so many things that I did
not find out. What I can say is that they examined him before
the fight, they knew he had the infection and the doctor said
that it was not contagious and that he had recovered enough from
it, so they OK’d. I mean, that much I know. It wasn’t
like with Diego Sanchez where he didn’t know until after
the fight. He knew he had something wrong but he didn’t
know and then after the fight he was examined and found out that
he had staph infection. You know, I mean, Matt knew, he told
them, they examined it, and they cleared him.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Is it odd that they would say that he’s all
good to go and then later that night he said, well I’ve
got to go in tomorrow for the antibiotics?”
DAVE
MELTZER: “I know, I mean, I… It’s funny because
you would think that you know he wouldn’t be cleared.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Didn’t they kick a guy off Ultimate Fighter
because he had a staph infection?”
DAVE
MELTZER: “He had some kind of infection but that was contagious.
They had to. This one… they ruled it wasn’t contagious,
that was part of the thing.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Hmmm. I’m no doctor, but…”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Having a staph infection, shouldn’t that
weaken you to a point where it’s… even though, he did
end up winning the fight, so I guess maybe I’m wrong with
this, but in theory most of the time I’ve seen guys fight
with staph infections they fought like [expletive], most of the
time. Now he didn’t, but… that alone would tell me
that like he’s got a staph infection, I would certainly
think that you know you should pull out of your fight, you know…
But, I mean, it wasn’t as if you know like the doctors were
so bad that they didn’t even see it, I mean they knew it,
it was examined, and they cleared him, so that was all known
ahead of time.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Perhaps we can get somebody who’s actually
an doctor to answer if there’s such a thing as a non-contagious
open staph infection.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “And it closed.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “It closed, hmm.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Now, if it was open, I don’t think they would
let him fight.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “OK, but isn’t there a strong possibility
that it could be opened in a fight?”
DAVE
MELTZER: “That is one of the questions that I need to ask
and I don’t know. I was thinking the same thing. I mean,
I’m surprised, I’m really surprised at the way that
thing went down. I mean when I heard about it, it was like, wait
a minute… you know, that doesn’t make any sense but
the thing was it was closed and it wasn’t contagious and
but even if it wasn’t it’s like you would think that
he would be weakened, I mean you get an infection and you’re
weakened, you shouldn’t you know you shouldn’t let
a guy impaired fight. I mean, granted, he’s not drug-impaired,
but he’s physically not at his best and isn’t that
like… I, um… Yeah, I am… You know, it’s a
very valid question and I need to find out more about that myself.”
As
we have seen throughout the sports world, the issue of staph
infections (including MRSA) is a very serious health and safety
issue. There are different levels of infections, but it is especially
notable to discuss the issue of staph infections in relation
to the fight game. In an MMA fight, you have all sorts of factors
at play in terms of the transmission of bodily fluids —
blood, sweat, saliva. It is very easy to spread a staph infection
around in a ring or a cage. In the case of Matt Hamill, he fought
Keith Jardine and Jardine was a bloody mess during the fight.
After their fight, Court McGee and Kris McCray fought in the
same cage. Multiple people were exposed in the cage to an environment
where Matt Hamill fought with a staph infection mark on his back.
This
is the first half of the story that most of the media and the
fans have focused on. What hasn’t been addressed is the
medical history of the commission doctor in question who Keith
Kizer noted as the one who inspected the mark on Matt Hamill’s
back. That is the second half of the story that we will address
here in this article.
Kevin
Iole of Yahoo Sports reported that Matt Hamill received clearance
from his personal doctor, UFC doctor Jeff Davidson, and by a
Nevada State Athletic Commission doctor.
Dr.
Davidson, who has appeared on television in the past on The Ultimate
Fighter reality show, is an Emergency Medicine doctor who works
at Emcare (500 N. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 203 in Las Vegas). Here
is his medical background:
¦University
of Arizona / Tucson, AZ (Medical Doctor Degree), May of 1990
¦Maricopa Medical Center / Phoenix, AZ (Internship/Emergency
Medicine), June 1990-1991
¦Maricopa Medical Center / Phoenix, AZ (Residency/Emergency
Medicine), July 1991-July 1994
¦Emergency Medicine (American Board), June 1995 (Nevada
license number #7061)
When Keith Kizer noted that a female doctor examined the spot
on Matt Hamill’s back, he pinpointed which doctor it was
that examined Matt. The doctor noted by Mr. Kizer is Dr. Vicki
Mazzorana. As noted on the NSAC web site, she was one of four
ringside physicians who worked the UFC show for the commission.
Her background includes being an assistant professor at the University
of Nevada Medical Center EMR (Emergency Medicine Residency) program
in Las Vegas where she specializes in ultrasounds. Dr. Mazzorana
has worked with the Nevada State Athletic Commission as a physician
for a few years now.
Her
medical license number according to the Nevada State Board of
Medical Examiners is #11460 and she is involved in emergency
medicine. Her education is as follows:
¦Rush
University / Chicago , IL (Medical Doctor Degree), graduated
6/8/1991
¦UC Davis / Oakland, CA (Internship), one year from 1991-1992,
surgery/general
¦UC Davis (Residency), one year from 1992-1993, surgery/general
¦Medical College of Wisconsin / Milwaukee, WI, three years
from 1994-1997, emergency medicine
¦Emergency Medicine, (American Board), November of 1998
in Emergency Medicine
Dr. Mazzorana, in addition to working at the Med School in Las
Vegas and working as a physician for the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, also owned an abortion clinic in Las Vegas called
Clinica de Mujeres. located at 3700 E Charleston Blvd in a suite
alongside an office called Estrella Insurance. The office sign
was in Spanish. Clinica de Mujeres was a target of the anti-abortion
group Operation Save America. Here is a picture/article from
Operation Save America on Clinica de Mujeres. OSA had labeled
the clinic as an ‘abortion mill.’
Here
are several newspaper and media articles discussing what happened
when a local member of OSA contacted the state’s Board of
Health division and filed a complaint:
¦Las
Vegas Review-Journal (July 7, 2009) – State health officials
order clinic to stop performing surgeries
¦Las Vegas Sun (July 7, 2009) – Alleged unsafe abortion
prompts warning from state
¦KTNV ABC 13 (July 7, 2009) – Clinica de Mujeres
ordered to cease operations by the state health division
¦Las Vegas Review-Journal (July 9, 2009) – Public
health investigation: LV doctor suspicious (this article talks
about who filed the complaint and what happened to the clinic)
¦OSHA Healthcare Advisor (July 15, 2009) – Abortion
clinic feels the brunt of Vegas aftermath
¦Las Vegas Review-Journal (July 16, 2009) – Abortion
opponents protest outside Las Vegas clinic
The Nevada State Health Division put out this release last year.
Contact
Name: Ben Kieckhefer
Phone Number: 775-684-4024
Release Date: July 7, 2009
HEALTH
DIVISION ISSUES CEASE OPERATIONS LETTER to LAS VEGAS CLINIC PERFORMING
UNLICENSED SURGERIES
(Carson
City, NV) – The Nevada State Health Division’s Bureau
of Health Care Quality and Compliance today delivered a cease
operations letter to a Las Vegas clinic performing surgeries
without a license. The letter was delivered to the Clinica de
Mujeres at 3700 E. Charleston Blvd., which is owned by Dr. Vickie
Mazzorana.
After
receiving a complaint that the clinic was performing abortions
in an unsafe environment, inspectors with the bureau entered
the clinic today and found medical equipment, medications and
hand-out literature consistent with the complaint, along with
various infection control deficiencies, including breaches in
sterile packaging and no manual or policy for a sterilization
machine.
Although
the facility appears to be licensed as a clinic by the City of
Las Vegas, any facility performing surgeries for ambulatory patients
is required to be licensed as an ambulatory surgery center by
the State of Nevada, which Clinica de Mujeres is not.
Inspectors
also believe the clinic was dispensing prescription medications
without a license, and is forwarding that information to the
Board of Pharmacy. Findings from the inspection will also be
forwarded to the Board of Medical Examiners for review of the
physician who owns the clinic, as well as the Attorney General’s
office for review.
In
recent weeks the Bureau has issued cease operations letters to
three other facilities performing unlicensed surgeries. Health
Division Administrator Richard Whitely said the recent spate
of investigations at unlicensed surgery centers has revealed
a common theme.
“Across
the board, aside from performing surgeries without a license,
each of the facilities we’ve ordered to cease operations
has prominent infection control problems,” Whitely said.
“Infection controls are in place to protect each individual
patient, but also the public health in general. Rogue facilities
that are not following procedures pose a tremendous risk to patients,
and people should only receive care in appropriately licensed
facilities.”
The
Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance protects the safety
and welfare of the public through the promotion and advocacy
of quality health care through licensing, regulation, enforcement
and education. This mission is accomplished through the Bureau’s
two sections: Licensure and Certification, which regulates facilities
such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes,
hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and laboratories; and
Radiological Health, which evaluates and responds to hazards
from sources of ionizing radiation such as X-ray machines, sources
of radiation to treat cancer and mammography units.
You
will notice that Ben Kieckhefer’s name surfaces in that
press release and also in the articles linked up above covering
this story. Ben Kieckhefer is now running for state office in
Nevada and I contacted his representative for comment. No direct
comment was given and I was forwarded to Martha Framsted of Nevada’s
Board of Health. She issued the following statement on Dr. Mazzorana
and Clinica de Mujeres:
The
cease order was withdrawn later in the month due to insufficient
evidence that the doctor was operating an ambulatory surgery
center without a license.
I
was forwarded to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners.
I did not receive a response from them to my inquiry.
As
for Dr. Mazzorana, I was able to obtain contact information for
her from the state’s Board of Pharmacy, but I did not receive
a response from her in return. Here were some questions that
I asked her:
1.Was
[Hamill's] infection at a certain level in which it was believed
to be comfortable enough to allow him to fight in the cage without
the infection spreading to other fighters via blood or by touching
the canvas?
2.Does a doctor need to be a dermatologist or specialist to make
the correct diagnosis on such a condition?
3.Are you currently operating a clinic or a medical office at
this time?
As with all inquiries I made on this story, I allowed for at
least 24 hours for a response before publication. If any parties
respond to my inquiries after this article is published, I will
gladly integrate their comments into the article and alert all
the readers about any new responses I receive.
In
order to fully understand the situation, you have to read all
of the articles linked here. Otherwise, you will miss a piece
of the puzzle here, a piece there, and so on. This is a complicated,
detailed story.
The
reason I wanted to focus on this side of the story is because
of what the Board of Health determined when they sent inspectors
to Clinica de Mujeres. As noted in the OSHA article, Dr. Mazzorana
was cleared of any licensing issues a day after the inspection.
However, the same article noted that issues relating to sterilization
of packaging and documentation for a sterilization machine had
to be addressed before the clinic could re-open its doors.
Veteran
MMA writer Eddie Goldman touched upon this subject yesterday
on his radio show. This is his opinion on the subject.
“So,
we had a chance to communicate by e-mail with Dr. Margaret Goodman,
the former head of the medical advisory board of the Nevada State
Athletic Commission and really somebody that was known as one
of the fiercest defenders of health and safety for fighters in
both boxing and Mixed Martial Arts, which is one of the reasons
the promoters didn’t like her. So, since it was the weekend
and she was very busy, we got a written statement from her and
I’m going to read her comments on this, which I think are
very important and present a lot of interesting information.
And Dr. Goodman is also the medical correspondent on this show
and a practicing neurologist wrote:
‘I
applaud Dr. Benjamin for speaking out on this very serious issue.
I have seen the NSAC and UFC shut down their Ultimate Fighter
gym and their personal gym when there was evidence of a staph
infection. With that said, I know that if I had still been with
the Nevada State Athletic Commission, I would have had the fighter
cleared by a dermatologist and for him to submit a report from
his treating physician to the commission. I believe this is the
only true to determine the stage of the lesion and whether or
not it was contagious and I think it would be helpful to have
the fighter and/or the fighter’s doctor explain how the
abnormality was treated prior to the fight.’ That was the
quote from the e-mail we got from Dr. Margaret Goodman.
“And
what’s very interesting here, I don’t know whether
she saw this fight or not, but if she did she’s just watching
it on TV like a lot of people were, how can you tell so easily
that this was contagious or not? A lot of people suspect it was
contagious but that’s why you go to a specialist. Well,
who is the doctor that’s been criticized so much? The doctor
who cleared Matt Hamill to fight is named Dr. Vicki Mazzorana.
She’s been with the Nevada commission for about two years,
since June 2008, and she has been a physician for numerous fights
both boxing and MMA including some major fights such as the Pacquiao-Cotto
fight last November. But she is primarily an emergency room doctor.
She’s not a dermatologist, she’s not a specialist in
what was needed for this particular case with Matt Hamill. In
fact, there’s been a lot of controversy around Dr. Vicki
Mazzorana in the past. According to a news release by the Nevada
State Health Division that came out in July of 2009, Dr. Mazzorana
owned a clinic called Clinica de Mujertes at 3700 East Charleston
Blvd that was an abortion clinic and the Nevada State Health
Division’s bureau health care and compliance delivered a
cease operations letter because they were performing surgeries
without a license and you can search this, this is on the web
site and this is also referred in a number of news articles from
Las Vegas.
“According
to this news release after receiving a complaint that the clinic
was performing abortions in an unsafe environment, inspectors
with the bureau entered the clinic Tuesday, this was in July
of last year, and found medical equipment, medications, and handout
literature consistent with the complaint along with various infection
control deficiencies including breaches in sterile packaging
and no manual or policy for sterilization machines. Although
the facility appears to be licensed as a clinic by the city of
Las Vegas, any facility performing surgeries for ambulatory patients
is required to be licensed as an ambulatory surgery clinic by
the State of Nevada which Clinica de Mujertes is not. Inspectors
also believe the clinic was dispensing prescription medications
without a license and is forwarding that information to the Board
of Pharmacy. These are some pretty serious charges that caused
this clinic, the Clinica de Mujertes, to be closed down and again
this is owned by Dr. Vicki Mazzorana. I actually don’t have
any information on follow-ups with what has happened in the 11
months since it was closed down, but I think if you look at this
complaint and you look at what happened in the Matt Hamill fight,
you find that one of the reasons they closed it down among many
is according to this news release infection control deficiencies,
including breaches in sterile packaging and no manual or policy
for a sterilization machine.
“Now
we have a situation where as a fight physician for the Nevada
commission, Dr. Mazzorana was examining Matt Hamill before his
fight and there was evidence of an infection. Instead of going
to a specialist, a dermatologist, she just cleared him and told
people, again this is from the MMAFighting.com article, ‘that
it was healing and hardened to the point that it posed no threat
to Matt or anyone else inside the Octagon.’ Now you really
have to question how is Dr. Vicki Mazzorana qualified as an emergency
room doctor to make that decision without going to a dermatologist
and when one of the reasons that the clinic in which she owned
was closed down was because of infection control deficiencies.
What happened to safety first?
“If
they weren’t able to get Hamill cleared, of course he wouldn’t
been able to fight. It would have disrupted the card. Some people
would have been upset, but what was so important that this fight
couldn’t have been postponed? Just because they had this
card scheduled and they advertise it, if you fail the medical,
well guess what? They would have had to have gotten another main
event and that’s the way it is in the fight game, in the
sports world. But instead, he was allowed to fight and now many
people like Dr. Goodman and Dr. Benjamin are questioning what
the hell is going on with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
“A
couple of weeks ago, we had the complete mess with the New York
State Athletic Commission with the Miguel Cotto/Yuri Foreman
fight where Foreman’s corner threw the towel in and referee
Arthur McCanty basically threw it back and let the fight continue
even though Foreman could barely stand up, was a one-legged fighter.
Now we have this situation where a fighter with a staph infection
is allowed to fight by an emergency room doctor who works as
a ringside physician and there are questions about what she knows
or doesn’t know any way about the whole issue of infections.
“What
is happening with the combat sports is an absolute disgrace.
Fighter safety is being thrown out the window by these crazy
commissions who are working to please the promoters rather than
protect the fighters. It’s getting worse and worse and worse
with all these commissions and I’m telling you, it’s
getting to the point where it’s going to head to some kind
of tragedy. There aren’t a lot of people in the worlds of
Mixed Martial Arts and boxing talking about this but we could
be seeing, just like you have with BP in the Gulf of Mexico a
disaster there, we could be seeing a disaster in boxing and/or
Mixed Martial Arts because of the nonsense going on with these
athletic commissions. People have to speak up, people have to
speak up loudly and clearly or else somebody could be maimed
or die in one of these events. It’s happened before in boxing,
it’s happened much less frequently in MMA, but that could
be next.”
The
question raised here by Dr. Goodman is why a dermatologist wasn’t
used to examine Matt Hamill’s staph infection mark as opposed
to doctors from other fields, like emergency medicine.
To
close out this article, here is a passage from Sherdog radio
on Monday talking about the importance of this topic and the
overall importance of having competent medical evaluations by
the athletic commissions for fighters:
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Because you know all the time, you know I’ll
be watching fights with people who aren’t necessarily attune
to MMA and as soon as they blood shed, one of the first things
I always hear and this goes back to really the NBA and the action
they took after Magic Johnson contracted [HIV] is ‘what
about AIDS? what about blood transfusable infections? what about
the things that can happen when two guys are rolling around on
top of each other with open cuts?’ And you know my gut instinct
is that, yeah, that actually, there’s HIV testing, there’s
Hepatitis testing, there’s all these instances of fighters
who aren’t allowed to fight because you know there’s
even just rumors of them having these conditions if not you know
confirmation. It’s kind of private medical information,
so all we have to really work with is rumors about you know which
fighters have which problems with that kind of stuff. But, you
know, that calls into question, Lutfi. I’m sure there’s
going to be slips every time in to the system.
“But
I mean, I go back to the Tito Ortiz fight against Forrest Griffin.
I mean, how did that guy get cleared if he had compressed vertrabrae
in his neck? Is there no test along the way in the examination
that would detect that or I mean I know a lot of these guys are
good enough to beat it… Joe Soto, for instance, tells the
story of how before he won the Bellator tournament season one,
he suffered a big cut I think in sparring or in rolling around
pre-fight and they kicked in this emergency action plan where
they ended up at Macy’s or some make-up shop and they touched
it up with cover-up and whoever was the doctor that night didn’t
see it and he went into the fight with a cut that easily would
have cut him out of action had it been detected I think because
it was a significant gash but you know it paid off for him. He
ended up winning the Bellator title, walking in $175,000 and
the rest is history. But, yeah, I think there might be more slip-ups
at the medical examination phase than we would be comfortable
acknowledging sometimes, Lotfi.”
LUTFI
SARIAHMED: “It is… It is very disconcerting, especially
considering just… the big hole that they basically ran right
through there. I mean, it’s not necessarily Hamill’s
fault, it’s not Jardine’s fault, it’s not anybody’s
fault, certainly not Jardine’s fault, but it’s not
certainly Matt Hamill’s fault or anybody in his camp because
I mean the point is to fight, if you can get away with it I mean
you want to make your money and you want to move on, you can’t
blame him for wanting to make a living and not pulling out of
this fight at the last minute. Fighters don’t do that for
serious injuries and they make excuses about it afterwards. But
the issue is, this is supposed to be, things like this are supposed
to be in place to try to prevent that and… basically, Matt
Hamill and company drove a big truck right through that hole
and the doctor just missed it. I mean… you just kind of
throw up your hands and just try to figure out what exactly just
happened here because that’s a serious issue that needs
addressing. How, with Matt Hamill, this picture that’s on
Bloody Elbow right now, on it’s third page, just… gives
you the, uh, gives you the photograph of it. I mean, almost too
perfectly, it’s kind of disgusting. But, you see what’s
right there, you saw it on the screen, you saw it during the
fight. We all saw it. There had to be something wrong. Doctor
apparently cleared it. That’s an awful job by the doctor.”
JACK
ENCARNACAO: “Yeah, yeah, it’s something that…
something that you know just can’t be let go, something
that just can’t be you know dismissed as insignificant or
dismissed as you know people without all the facts making the
judgment calls or Internet… because I have to say, I mean,
it’s kind of sad sometimes how commissions react to criticisms
from… the media criticism is one thing but they really belittle
the MMA media in terms of when they come out at them, it’s
just ‘fringe web sites’ and ‘haters’ and
‘crazy people’ and ‘conspiracy theorist’
and stuff like that. I think that brush is used to paint too
broadly sometimes without actually evaluating you know and trying
t and making an effort to differentiate between criticism that
might be ham-fisted and criticism that might be you know well-reasoned
and meticulous. I can’t see here any level of outrage being
unjustified, I mean that’s just, that’s a danger to
everybody. I mean, not just Keith Jardine, but Court McGee and
Kris McCray who went on last…”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
50th
State Fair “50th State BJJ Championships”
Friday,
June 25 & Saturday, June 26
ITINERARY:
Friday,
June 25th
5:00pm
Weigh-ins begin
5:30-6:00pm 1st seminar / exhibition
6:15-6:45pm Rules Meeting
7:00-7:30pm 2nd seminar / exhibition
8:00pm End of weigh-ins
Saturday,
June 26th
8:00am Staff Meeting
9:00am Keiki matches start
11:00am Women’s matches start
1:00pm Men’s matches start
6:00pm Tournament ends
PRICE:
Pre-registration
(before June 18th)
$60 per adult / $35 per keiki (12 & under)
Regular
Registration (June 18th-June 25th)
$75 per adult / $50 per keiki (12 & under)
Walk-Up
(day of tournament)
$100 per competitor
Door
- $10.00
Source: Egan Inoue
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 9:
Mayhem at the Mansion
Tomorrow
Garden Island
Cage Match 9
Kilohana Carriage House, Gaylord’s Mansion, Kauai, Hawaii
June 26, 2010
3-2
min 125 lbs (Women’s Kickboxing)
Lisa Ha (HMC) vs Danielle Majewski (Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Carlos Lave (Team Hakuilua) vs Alex Sosa (QuickSilva, Texas)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Geary Udagawa (HMC) vs Isaac Hopps (O2 Martial Arts Academy)
3-3
min 185 lbs (MMA)
Justin Barit (North Shore MMA) -vs- Isaac Worth (Freelance-Kauai)
3-3
min 143 lbs (MMA)
Robert Anduha (North Shore MMA) vs Beldon Gacayan (Kamole)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Daniel Asuncion (Bulls Pen) vs Ryan Tampon (Hawaiian MMA)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Adam Rivera (Hakuilua) vs Domenick Ansagay (Freelance Kauai)
Intermission
3-3
min 125 lbs (Women’s MMA)
Cara Machado (Bulls Pen) vs Vernadine" Vee" Vickers
(Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-3
min 135 lbs (MMA)
Bill Takeuchi (Bulls Pen) vs Daniel Deanda (Kamole)
3-3
min 145 lbs (MMA)
Kolten Choy Foo (Bulls Pen) vs Tyson Hawelu (Kamole)
3-3
min 160 lbs (MMA)
Alex Brooks (Hawaiian Fighting Arts, Las Vegas, NV) vs Kapena
Abiley (Hawaiian MMA-Hilo)
3-3
min Kauai Harley Davidson Co-Exhibition Main Event 165lbs
Brett Malphrus (C3 Fighters Seattle, Wa) vs Pono Pananganan (Kauai
Technical Institute, Kapaa HI)
3-3
min Ainofea/RK Sports Co-Exhibition Main Event 170 lbs
Dan "Bombero" Barrera (Barrera Fighting Systems, Hilo
Hi) vs. Kolo Koka (Team MMAD Honolulu HI)
*
Fight card subject to change
Source: Event Promoter
|
UFC
117 Odds – Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
Current
UFC 117 Odds. Live on Saturday, August 7, 2010 the Oracle Arena
in Oakland, California will host UFC 117. For the Main Event
we have the current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
(26-4) taking on number one contender Chael Sonnen (24-10-1).
This will mark Anderson’s seventh title defense since 2007.
Sonnen is coming off a very impressive win over Nate Marquardt,
where he used his wrestling skills and continually took Marquardt
to the mat earning a UD. Silva is undefeated in the UFC with
11 straight victories. Silva’s last outing against Demian
Maia left UFC President Dana White very upset as he showed a
lack of respect for Maia and the fans. Silva danced around the
octagon and wouldn’t go for the kill and earned a five round
unanimous decision win. Sonnen has been very vocal about Silva’s
actions in the ring and has vowed to take him down and unload
some nasty ground & pound. We all know that’s easier
said than done, but I also didn’t expect him to do that
to Marquardt. I hope to see two motivated fighters and a good
main event come fight night.
Anderson
Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
Sportsbook.com
Odds
•Silva
(-500)
•Sonnen (+300)
Betus.com Odds
•Silva
(-450)
•Sonnen (+325)
Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
Sportsbook.com
Odds
•Fitch
(-110)
•Alves (-120)
Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson
For the Co-Main event we will see UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes
(44-7) up against Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida (12-3).
Hughes recently defeated Renzo Gracie, Almeida’s jiu jitsu
coach and is set on vengeance. Almeida is on a three fight win
streak and most recently defeated Matt Brown via rear naked choke
at UFC 111. Can Hughes take out another jiu jitsu ace or will
Almeida make him pay? Non the less it should be a good fight.
Also on the card we have two heavy handed sluggers in Roy Nelson
(15-4) vs. Junior Dos Santos (11-1).
Check
back with us closer to fight night as I will have updated UFC
117 Odds plus Fight Predictions. Also to add some excitement
to your UFC 117 fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com.
Source: MMA Betting Blog
|
WARREN
& SHLEMENKO WIN BELLATOR TOURNEYS
by Damon
Martin
Bellator
Fighting Championships closed the book on their second season
with two more tournament champions being crowed as Alexander
Shlemenko knocked out heavily favored fighter Bryan Baker in
the middleweight division, while Joe Warren battled back from
nearly being finished to defeat Patrcio "Pitbull" Freire
by split decision to win the featherweight tournament.
Heading
into Thursday night's Bellator finals, Alexander Shlemenko had
been a striker who had done well, but looked to run into a brick
wall facing grappling and wrestling stand-out Bryan Baker. Looks
like it's one for the strikers with this fight.
Shlemenko
came out firing everything in his arsenal at Baker, but eventually
connected flush with a big right hand followed by a knee to the
breadbasket, that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. The
Russian followed up with a barrage of strikes on the ground before
the referee came in for the save.
Now
the winner of the season 2 Bellator middleweight tournament,
Shlemenko will get the chance to face their champion, American
Top Team fighter Hector Lombard, later this year.
“This
victory means that strikers soon will be all over MMA and that
Bellator Fighting Championships will be owned by the strikers,”
said Shlemenko after the win.
The
other tournament final on the card saw former NCAA All-American
and 2012 Olympic hopeful Joe Warren cap off his season two run
with probably his toughest fight to date in Bellator as he defeated
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire.
The
win didn't come easy as Freire took Warren down in the first
round, and unleashed bombs and submissions on his opponent, nearly
finishing him, but could not before the round ended. The near
finish would come back to haunt Freire as his attacks slowed
for the rest of the fight, and Warren went on the offensive.
Warren
attacked in the second and third rounds with takedowns, followed
up with elbows and punches on the ground. When it was over, Warren
won a split decision over Freire and now awaits a likely August
showdown with Bellator featherweight king Joe Soto.
“I
feel tired but I’m very happy now. I fought a great fighter
in Pitbull and now I’m the champion. I’m the baddest
man on the planet," Warren proclaimed.
The
women of Bellator took to the cage on Thursday night with former
Strikeforce fighter Zoila Frausto destroyed previously top ranked
125lb fighter Rosi Sexton. A knee strike landed flush on Sexton's
chin, and Frausto didn't waste any time to follow up with punches
on the ground before the fight was stopped.
Also
on the card was Nik Mamalis who earned a spot in the upcoming
Bellator bantamweight tournament set to start in August, as he
defeated Albert Rios by TKO in the first round of their fight
on Thursday night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
118 Prelims Lauzon vs. Etim, Rivera vs. Sakara to Air Live on
Spike TV
By Ariel
Helwani
UFC 118 will mark the organization's first foray to the Boston
area, and when Spike TV airs its now customary prelim special
prior to the event, the featured fights will showcase some of
the most popular fighters to come out of Beantown.
The
lightweight scrap between Joe Lauzon, a native of Bridgewater,
Mass., and Terry Etim and the middleweight fight between Milford,
Mass., native Jorge Rivera and Alessio Sakara will air live on
Spike, the network announced Thursday.
Lauzon
(18-5) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Sam Stout at
UFC 108. Prior to that loss, The Ultimate Fighter 5 alum had
won his last two fights in a row. Etim (14-3), meanwhile, saw
his four-fight winning streak come to an end at UFC 112 when
he was submitted by Rafael dos Anjos.
Rivera
(18-7), a 38-year-old veteran of the sport, has experience a
resurgence in his career, as he's won his last three fights in
a row over the likes of Nissen Osterneck, Rob Kimmons and Nate
Quarry. Sakara has also won his last three fights in a row, most
recently defeating James Irvin via TKO in March.
UFC
118 is headlined by a triple main event featuring BJ Penn vs.
Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title, Randy Couture vs. James
Toney and Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard. The event will air
live on PPV from the TD Garden in Boston on Aug. 28.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
West
Virginia Law School presentation on MMA and potential for a fighter’s
association or union
By Zach
Arnold
Download
the presentation in PDF format here (5 MB) (Rob Maysey)
The
document is a couple of months old, but it’s definitely
worth going out of your way to read (as opposed to not reading
and replying immediately to this subject).
The
presentation starts off with talking about Zuffa’s dominance
(UFC & WEC) has essentially ‘distorted’ the marketplace
and how the athletic commissions are behaving these days.
(This
past weekend did inflict some damage on the perception of commissions.
I’m a believer in good governance and having effective athletic
commissions and right now neither is currently in play.)
The
PDF goes over how much UFC makes live (for casino shows they
do site fees), the PPV buy rate estimates, and how much fighters
make as a % compared to what Zuffa generates in revenue. There’s
no doubt that it costs more to pay real fighters as opposed to
the amount WWE pays professional wrestlers, but WWE does pay
royalty checks to wrestlers in certain areas that Zuffa does
not. (Think: Video game.) One point brought up in the presentation
is that boxing has a federal law requiring full compensation
disclosure whereas with UFC that doesn’t exist (there’s
shower room bonuses, etc.)
Several
pages of the presentation focus on Big John McCarthy and the
fallout he’s had since no longer working Zuffa events.
There
is plenty of focus on the Association of Boxing Commissions and
what ideas they have for getting involved in the MMA business
as far as weight classes, judging, and recruiting people into
the administrative side of athletic commissions.
Virtually
identical to boxing counterpart with 2 key differences: It does
not contain an equivalent “mixed martial artist’s bill
of rights” that is part of the boxing counterpart; and It
deletes out medical disclosures required by federal law in boxing.
Despite not providing any of the protections provided by Federal
law to boxing, the California State Athletic Commission Informs
Fighters Federal Law Requires National ID Card.
There
is a lot more to the presentation that, for the average fan or
for someone who doesn’t follow the MMA business, is a real
eye opener (including focus on Jeremy Lappen and how he managed
to wiggle his way into a position of overseeing amateur MMA in
the state, which is crazy.)
Go
out of your way to skim through the presentation and take a look
at the bigger picture of the industry.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Wanderlei
Silva off of UFC 116 card, Leben Stepping In
Fan favorite Wanderlei Silva was scheduled to take on Yoshihiro
Akiyama at UFC 116 on July 3rd. Ariel Helwani at MMA Fighting
is reporting that Wand is out due to fractured ribs suffered
in training. Akiyama will remain on the card and it appears Chris
Leben will be his opponent. If Leben does fight Akiyama it will
be the shortest turn around between fights in the history of
the UFC (barring the early tournament days).
Tough
break for Wand and MMA fans. This fight seemed to have the serious
firework potential. Hopefully Wand will recover quickly because
fractured ribs are no fun (and we all love watching him fight).
Source: By The Numbers
|
Strikeforce
looking ahead to life without Shields?
1
Recommend Strikeforce officials have all but made it clear: They're
ready to move on without their current middleweight champion.
Jake
Shields technically remains a free agent, but Strikeforce CEO
Scott Coker doesn't sound optimistic about re-signing the titleholder
of the promotion's 185-pound division. Instead, Coker already
is preparing for an eight-man tourney to crown a new top dog
for the weight class.
"If
you were to ask me today, I think we'll be throwing a tournament,"
Coker told MMAjunkie.com. "That's my personal opinion."
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has openly coveted Shields for
months. He has appeared at recent events with UFC President Dana
White, who vowed to either sign Shields or force Strikeforce
to pay an exorbitant sum to keep him.
Shields
won Strikeforce's middleweight belt with a virtuoso display of
ground control in taking a decision over Jason Miller in November
and used a similar approach to dominate Dan Henderson over five
rounds in April. That was the last bout of Shields' contract,
which Strikeforce picked up when ProElite sold EliteXC's assets.
He
was EliteXC's welterweight champion when the promotion went under
and likely would fight at that weight again if he signs with
UFC. Shields has been fighting middleweights lately to avoid
crossing paths with one of his training partners, Nick Diaz,
who is a natural welterweight himself. Diaz is Strikeforce's
170-pound champion.
Source: USA Today
|
FEDOR
SAYS THERE ARE STILL CHALLENGES AHEAD
by Damon
Martin
In the history books of mixed martial arts, one name that will
likely always be synonymous with greatness is Fedor Emelianenko.
The almost undefeated heavyweight has plowed through every opponent
he's faced, and reigns atop his division, but does the Russian
ever get complacent?
Does
a fighter who soars among the eagles ever look down at his competition
and think it all looks fairly pedestrian?
According
to the fighter himself, there are still challenges ahead and
the last thing he will ever do is look past an opponent, regardless
of how many people tell him that he's better than someone else.
As
Fedor heads into his showdown with Fabricio Werdum at the Strikeforce
and M-1 Global co-promoted event on Saturday night, he's once
again faced with the task of fighting a quality heavyweight,
but not a top-five ranked fighter, and not even the heavyweight
champion of the organization he competes in. The Stary Oskol
native says that there are expectations of him to keep fight,
regardless of competition, but he hopes to look back and see
great accomplishment when it's over.
"I
do feel that there is a pressure and a demand for me to keep
fighting and for me to keep getting back into the ring,"
said Fedor recently. "Right now I’m okay with that
and after each fight I balance whether I should continue or whether
I should stop. Until I feel that I am not effective or not getting
out of the sport what I want then I will make the decision to
stop.
"I’d
like to finish my career without any losses and at that point
we’ll see what God has planned for me."
Many
would say Fedor himself defines greatness in a fighter.
"I
think what defines a great fighter is someone who performs well
in the cage. Someone who makes the right decisions during fights;
fights fair and respects the sport and as a result gains the
respect and the admiration of true fans of the sport of mixed
martial arts," said Emelianenko. "Someone who shows
good skill and technique and preparation for a fight. Not someone
who just relies only on his strength and size, but also their
abilities in the fights.”
For
his upcoming fight with Fabricio Werdum, Fedor could easily take
a step back from his humble and soft-spoken behavior, and instead
turn his motives to revenge. Werdum submitted Fedor's brother
Alexander in 2006, but the Russian remains stoic.
"It
does not matter that he has a victory over my brother,"
said Fedor. "I feel no vengeance because of that. I plan
on fighting for myself and for my country.”
Fedor
will take on that challenge Saturday night when he faces Fabricio
Werdum in the main event on Showtime this Saturday night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Varner,
Shalorus Lead WEC 49 Medical Suspensions List
By Matt
Erickson
All fighters on Sunday's WEC 49 card in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
received medical suspensions from the Edmonton Combative Sports
Commission.
MMA
Fighting received the list of suspensions in an e-mail from Pat
Reid, the commission's executive director.
Main
event lightweights Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus, who battled
to a controversial draw, both received indefinite suspensions
due to broken bones. Varner will need a doctor's clearance before
he can fight again, plus X-rays on his broken right hand and
right foot, not to mention a clean bill of health on his left
ribs. Shalorus will also need a doctor's clearance before his
next fight and X-rays on both hands and his lower right leg.
Canadians
Mark Hominick and Yves Jabouin, whose co-main event bout won
Fight of the Night honors, each were handed 30-day suspensions,
as were WIll Campuzano and Diego Nunes.
LC
Davis, short-notice fighter Danny Downes and Anthony Leone were
given 21-day suspensions.
Raphael
Assuncao, Renan Barao, Chris Cariaso, Bendy Casimir, Waggney
Fabiano, Frank Gomez, Chris Horodecki, Rafael Rebello and Eddie
Wineland received 14-day suspensions.
And
Karen Darabedyan, Josh Grispi, Will Kerr and Erik Koch were suspended
for seven days each.
WEC
49 took place at Rexall Place in Edmonton and was the WEC's first
event in Canada.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CECIL
PEOPLES CALLED JAMIE VARNER VS. KAMAL SHALORUS A DRAW!
By Zach
Arnold
What!!!!
One
judge – 29-27 Shalorus (WHO IS THIS JUDGE?)
Cameron
Quwek was the judge who scored the bout 29-27 for Kamal Shalorus.
Remember that name and add it to your judging turd list. —
Jordan Breen
Second
judge – 29-27 Varner
CECIL PEOPLES – 28-28 DRAW
For
the record, I scored the fight this way: Varner 10-9 R1, Varner
10-8 R2, Varner R3 10-9 (30-26). Kenny Florian agreed with me.
The
ultimate irony is that Shalorus didn’t rely on his wrestling
but relied mostly on low and middle kicks and we know what judges
think about kicks (“leg kicks don’t matter”).
If
there had been no point deduction, Kamal Shalorus would have
won the fight on the score cards.
That’s
right, Cecil Peoples had Kamal Shalorus winning two rounds to
one over Jamie Varner.
Jordan
Breen:
29-27
Shalorus? Buhahahaha. What a turd in the punch bowl of otherwise
quality judging.
Also,
28-28 scorecard from Cecil Peoples must mean that he thinks leg
kicks do count for something. But still. Just dreadful.
Another
question: how doesn’t Shalorus lose a point for the third
low blow? That would’ve given Varner a split decision. Absurd.
Horrendous
judging ruined that main event.
Jamie
Varner… this guy always has controversy wherever he goes.
Breaks his right hand, gets kicked in the nuts three times, is
caught on TV negotiating with Josh Rosenthal to try to get a
second point deducted from Shalorus, and the Edmonton crowd chants
his name. Don’t they know he’s a heel? Now he’s
going to be out for an extended period of time, he got royally
screwed by the judges (what’s with Canada and famous screwjobs?),
and he’s probably stuck having to rematch with Shalorus
down the road.
Kamal
Shalorus… showed that leg kicks really work (some judges
need to be reminded of this on occasion), didn’t use his
strength at all in the match which is wrestling, and hulked up
twice after getting blitzed by Varner’s boxing skills.
Edmonton,
you are a fabulous crowd. Ignore Jordan Breen when he calls you
Deadmonton. He’s a bitter Canadian. You guys did great on
Sunday night at Rexall Place.
Shawn
Tompkins looked so happy out there and he had good reason to
be. Mark Hominick and Yves Jabouin was a war and Chris Horodecki
had to face a last-minute replacement and still looked good.
Plus, the undercard fights were terrific.
Kenny
Florian, some may downgrade your commentating style for being
too technical and not as energetic as Joe Rogan… but I like
your work on TV. You did a great job on both Saturday and Sunday
night. You are tailor made for this role once you retire. Thumbs
up.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 9:
Mayhem at the Mansion This Saturday!
Garden Island
Cage Match 9
Kilohana Gaylord’s Mansion, Kauai, Hawaii
June 26, 2010
3-2
min 125 lbs (Women’s Kickboxing)
Lisa Ha (HMC) vs Danielle Majewski (Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Carlos Lave (Team Hakuilua) vs Alex Sosa (QuickSilva, Texas)
3-2
min 145 lbs (Kickboxing)
Geary Udagawa (HMC) vs Isaac Hopps (O2 Martial Arts Academy)
3-3
min 185 lbs (MMA)
Justin Barit (North Shore MMA) -vs- Isaac Worth (Freelance-Kauai)
3-3
min 143 lbs (MMA)
Robert Anduha (North Shore MMA) vs Beldon Gacayan (Kamole)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Daniel Asuncion (Bulls Pen) vs Ryan Tampon (Hawaiian MMA)
3-3
min 125 lbs (MMA)
Adam Rivera (Hakuilua) vs Domenick Ansagay (Freelance Kauai)
Intermission
3-3
min 125 lbs (Women’s MMA)
Cara Machado (Bulls Pen) vs Vernadine" Vee" Vickers
(Submit Jiu Jitsu)
3-3
min 135 lbs (MMA)
Bill Takeuchi (Bulls Pen) vs Daniel Deanda (Kamole)
3-3
min 145 lbs (MMA)
Kolten Choy Foo (Bulls Pen) vs Tyson Hawelu (Kamole)
3-3
min 160 lbs (MMA)
Alex
Brooks (Hawaiian Fighting Arts, Las Vegas, NV) vs Kapena Abiley
(Hawaiian MMA-Hilo)
3-3
min Kauai Harley Davidson Co-Exhibition Main Event 165lbs
Brett Malphrus (C3 Fighters Seattle, Wa) vs Pono Pananganan (Kauai
Technical Institute, Kapaa HI)
3-3
min Ainofea/RK Sports Co-Exhibition Main Event 170 lbs
Dan "Bombero" Barrera (Barrera Fighting Systems, Hilo
Hi) vs. Kolo Koka (Team MMAD Honolulu HI)
*
Fight card subject to change
|
TUF
11 FINALE FIGHTER SALARIES TOP $400,000
MMAWeekly.com has obtained the fighter salary information from
the Nevada State Athletic Commission for “The Ultimate Fighter
11 Finale” featuring Court McGee and Kris McCray in the
season’s final fight. The finale took place on Saturday,
June 19, at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining
or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just
as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed
bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not
disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included
in the figures below.
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
-Court
McGee: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Kris McCray:
$8,000
-Matt
Hamill: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus) def. Keith Jardine:
$55,000
-Chris
Leben: $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus) def. Aaron Simpson:
$13,000
-Dennis
Siver: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus) def. Spencer Fisher:
$26,000
-Rich
Attonito: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Jamie Yager:
$8,000
PRELIMINARY
CARD FIGHTERS
-John
Gunderson: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus) def. Mark Holst:
$6,000
-Brad Tavares: $16,000 (includes
$8,000 win bonus) def. Seth Baczynski: $8,000
-Kyle
Noke: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Josh Bryant: $8,000
-Chris
Camozzi: $16,000 (includes $8000 win bonus) def. James Hammortree:
$8,000
-Travis
Browne: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. James McSweeney:
$8,000
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 11 FINALE DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $406,000
Source: MMA Weekly |
STRIKEFORCE:
BABALU VS LAWLER FIGHTER SALARIES
MMAWeekly.com has obtained the fighter salary information from
the California State Athletic Commission for Strikeforce Live
L.A., featuring Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Robbie Lawler
in the main event. The event took place on Wednesday, June 16,
at The Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining
or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just
as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed
bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not
disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included
in the figures below.
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS:
-Renato
Sobral: $100,000 def. Robbie Lawler: $85,000
-Evangelista
“Cyborg” Santos $10,000 def. Marius Zaromskis $5,000
-Tim
Kennedy $30,000 def. Trevor Prangley $30,000
-KJ
Noons $25,000 def. Conor Heun $4,000
PRELIMINARY
CARD FIGHTERS:
-Hugo
Sandoval $1,500 def. Marcus Kowal $1,000
-Jeremy
Umphries $1,500 def. RJ Clifford $2,000
STRIKEFORCE
LIVE L.A. DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $295,000
Source: MMA Weekly |
FEDOR
NOT WORRIED WHAT DANA WHITE, OTHERS SAY
The allure of Fedor Emelianenko as the top heavyweight in the
sport is undeniable. UFC president Dana White has said on several
occasions that he wants to sign the Russian fighter, but has
never been able to come to an agreement with his management company,
M-1 Global.
Words
from White have also blasted those who consider Fedor the top
pound-for-pound fighter in the world, while also stating he's
not even the best heavyweight fighter right now.
On
Friday, Fedor was in the United States answering questions from
the media prior to his fight with Fabricio Werdum, and he says
honestly he doesn't even pay attention to what White or others,
like Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, say about
him.
He's
got more important things on his mind.
"I'm
more interested in spending quality time in my everyday life
with my family and my friends than cruising the Internet, listening
to rumors, or callouts," said Fedor.
The
former Pride champion doesn't let White's comments get under
his skin, and ultimately, even if it was a compliment, he tries
not to listen to those sorts of things no matter who they come
from.
"As
far as my reaction, I don't have any reaction," Emelianenko
stated. "I don't really have reactions to any compliments
people tell me, nor criticism. It's not something that's that
important to me. I have more important goals in my life than
seeking out the Internet to see what people are saying about
me."
Fedor
admits that he does usually find out about the statements made
by the UFC president, or opponents calling him out, but it's
always second hand, and it's usually in one ear and out the other.
"I
often get second hand information, friends or somebody will tell
me about what people (say about me). I don't really pay attention
to it or seek it out," said Fedor. "That's usually
how I get information about what people are saying."
The
message is clear.
If
the world is talking about Fedor Emelianenko, good or bad, he's
simply turned a deaf ear to it all, and doesn’t really care
much to hear it anyways. That by no means the talk will stop,
but Fedor won't be the one listening or reacting.
Source: MMA Weekly |
KAMPMANN
HAPPY TO FIGHT HARDY OR SHEILDS
Out of all the fights at UFC 115, the one that arguably had the
most on the line was the welterweight bout between Martin Kampmann
and Paulo Thiago. As both sat positioned perfectly in the Top
10, Kampmann put on possibly his best performance in the UFC,
as he dominated Thiago on the feet and on the ground to win a
unanimous decision.
Suffering
a tough loss to Paul Daley in 2009, Kampmann has now bounced
back with two straight wins. The victory over Thiago puts him
in the perfect place for a big fight that could result in a title
shot.
Getting
ready for a slight summer vacation that will also include a trip
home to Denmark, Kampmann has a couple of names on his radar
for who he'd like to fight next.
"Dan
Hardy would be a great fight I think," said Kampmann on
MMAWeekly Radio Thursday. "Alves and Fitch are matched up,
and Hardy don't have an opponent right now. He's fighting right
around the same time I'd like to go.
"I'd
like to fight around October, maybe in November, so that fight
would be perfect for me. I'd be happy to take that fight for
sure."
Hardy
has been placed on an as yet unannounced October card in London,
England, but as Kampmann said, he has no opponent as of now.
Another
name that could pop up in the coming months is current Strikeforce
middleweight champion Jake Shields, who is all but expected to
end up in the UFC's welterweight division some time this year.
If Shields does end up in the Octagon, Kampmann says he'd be
happy to provide the welcome wagon for the Bay Area fighter.
"That
would definitely be a good fight as well," Kampmann said
about Shields. "He's tough and he's ranked real high in
the welterweight division. For good reason, I didn't expect him
to beat (Dan) Henderson, he's definitely good."
Whether
it's Shields or Hardy, it doesn't really matter to Kampmann.
"I'm
ready for whoever," stated Kampmann. "I just want to
fight guys that's ranked in the top ten, top five. The higher
the better."
Source: MMA Weekly |
BROKEN
BONES ALL AROUND IN VARNER VS. SHALORUS
Fighters always say to leave it all in the ring.
Physically
both Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus did just about that exact
thing as both fighters suffered broken bones during their three-round
war at WEC 49 on Sunday night.
In
between rounds, both Shalorus and Varner could be heard telling
their cornermen that a hand was injured. Following the end of
the bout, Varner winced in pain as his glove was taken off, and
was loudly protesting any movement of his hands and fingers when
putting on his t-shirt.
The
second round saw Varner break both his right hand and foot, landing
flush shots on Shalorus, but costing him two major weapons for
later in the fight.
"I
did my hand and my foot in the second round. I kicked him in
the head in the first round, and I'm like 'okay that kind of
hurt,’ and then in the second round when I kicked him I'm
like 'holy cow, not going to do that no more," said Varner
after the fight.
"My
right hand, he likes to duck his head a lot, and I knew that
coming into the fight. I was going to set up the right hand and
start throwing knees, but I was having so much success with my
punches I was hoping one of them would put him out, but I caught
the top of his hard head, and next thing I know my hand's broke,
my foot's broke, and I'm getting kicked in the nuts a lot."
The
groin shots that landed flush three different times in the fight
may keep Varner from sitting comfortably for a while, but the
hand and foot will sideline him for an undetermined amount of
time. Varner sat out the majority of 2009 after a fight with
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone resulted in a broken hand,
broken foot, and an eye injury.
Shalorus
didn't walk away unscathed either.
The
Iranian wrestler cracked his hand punching Varner, but he wasn't
sure when it happened exactly.
"I
think I broke my hand, and we'll see what happens. I don't know
(when it broke)," said Shalorus.
When
the doctor's reports come out in a few days more information
will be available for the severity of the injuries, and MMAWeekly.com
will continue to follow the recovery time for the fighters as
the information becomes available.
Source: MMA Weekly |
STRIKEFORCE:
BABALU VS LAWLER MED SUSPENSIONS
The California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday released
the Strikeforce Live L.A. medical suspensions. The event, featuring
a special six-bout fight card with Renato “Babalu”
Sobral and Robbie Lawler in the main event, recorded only four
medical suspensions.
Renato
“Babalu” Sobral was suspended for 60 days with no contact
for 60 days due to a left eyebrow cut unless a physician clears
him.
Marius
Zaromskis was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days
and needs a new physical before his next fight.
Conor
Heun was suspended for 60 days with no contact for 60 days due
to left and right eyebrow cuts and left and right cheek cuts,
unless a physician clears him.
Marcus
Kowal was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days due
to being knocked out. He was also suspended for 180 days with
no contact for 180 days due to a possible left knee injury unless
a physician clears him.
Source: MMA Weekly |
LESNAR:
FEDOR IS THE GREATEST IN HIS OWN WORLD
Top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko last week said he wasn't
a fan of the UFC. On Tuesday, UFC heavyweight champion Brock
Lesnar proclaimed that he's no fan of Fedor either.
The
reigning UFC heavyweight champ was asked during a media conference
call if he planned on watching the upcoming Fedor fight this
weekend as he takes on Fabricio Werdum. Lesnar appeared surprised
at the question.
"I
didn't even know he was fighting," he said.
Joking
or not, Lesnar pulled no punches when talking about Fedor's proclamation
that he was thinking about retirement from the sport, and walking
away as the greatest heavyweight to ever put on the gloves.
"Good
for Fedor, I hope he does retire." Lesnar commented. "He's
the greatest champion of all time. He's the greatest champion
ever, of all time, in his own little world. Good for him."
For
a fight that MMA fans may never get to see, Lesnar had no problem
stating that he'd have no issues facing Emelianenko, or defeating
him if they ever did meet in the cage.
"Absolutely,"
Lesnar answered when asked if he could beat Fedor. "I can
beat anybody."
Lesnar's
UFC 116 opponent, current UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane
Carwin, was a little more diplomatic with his approach to the
Fedor situation, but did say that he was disappointed the Russian
has thus far refused to step foot in the Octagon.
"I
think it's unfortunate he didn't join the UFC," said Carwin
about Fedor. "I'm not concerned with anything Fedor's doing
right now. I got Brock ahead of me, and that's all I'm focused
on. The UFC is the NFL of mixed martial arts, and the best of
the best."
UFC
president Dana White has stated on several occasions his desire
to land Emelianenko, but negotiations with his management company,
M-1 Global, have always fizzled out. As Fedor draws to the close
of his current deal with Strikeforce, free agency rumors and
a move to the UFC will likely heat up again later this year,
but for now it doesn't look like the top dogs in the UFC's heavyweight
division are worried about Fedor.
Source: MMA Weekly |
LESNAR
SAYS BATISTA JUST ANOTHER WANNA-BE
It takes the right kind of athlete to make a career in mixed
martial arts, and having the right kind of background never hurts
either. Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley are two former professional
wrestlers who have made their way into the world of professional
fighting. Both had extensive college wrestling credentials to
start their climb up the MMA ladder.
It
might be a little bit harder for a former bouncer, lifeguard,
and bodybuilder.
Those
are the credentials that back up former WWE Superstar Dave Batista
as he proclaimed he has left the professional wrestling arena,
and plans on fighting in MMA, possibly for Strikeforce.
The
41-year-old told TMZ.com that he was going to fight for the California-based
promotion, but wouldn’t name a time or opponent. Strikeforce
officials have gone on the record saying they have not signed
Batista to compete in their organization.
According
to UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Batista is just another
in the long list of pro wrestlers who want to try their hand
at fighting, with less than successful results.
"Get
in line. Everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting,"
Lesnar said.
With
the focus on Lesnar's return to fighting and a heavyweight title
fight against Shane Carwin at UFC 166, looming just over a week
away, the former WWE Superstar said there are more important
things to talk about than Dave Batista.
"We're
talking about a heavyweight championship fight and not some wanna-be,"
Lesnar stated.
It
remains to be seen if Batista will actually try to make his way
into the world of MMA, or if Strikeforce is indeed interested
in the former WWE wrestler.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WANDERLEI
OUT, LEBEN IN AT UFC 116
Wanderlei out, Leben in.
A
major change has been made to next week's UFC 116 fight card
in Las Vegas. Wanderlei Silva has been forced out of his bout
against Yoshihiro Akiyama due to injury and will be replaced
by Chris Leben, who accepted the fight just days after his TKO
win over Aaron Simpson.
Silva's
removal from the fight was first reported by MMAFighting.com.
Leben's placement in the fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com
by sources close to the fight on Tuesday.
According
to the report on Silva, the Brazilian suffered fractured ribs
that forced him out of the fight.
In
steps Chris Leben, who fought last Saturday night at "The
Ultimate Fighter" finale, and will do a quick turn for the
fight with Akiyama.
The
win was Leben's second in a row, as he put the first loss on
the record of the previously unbeaten Simpson. Leben had been
training and working with longtime friend Nate Quarry to get
ready for the fight. He sustained no injuries in the bout with
Simpson, so he'll be able to fight in July 3.
The
bout between Leben and Akiyama will maintain a main card slot
for the UFC 116, headlined by UFC heavyweight champion Brock
Lesnar returning to action to face interim titleholder Shane
Carwin.
Source: MMA Weekly |
CHAD
MENDES VS CUB SWANSON AT WEC 50 IN AUGUST
It appears that WEC 50 will be Team Alpha Male Day in Las Vegas.
The
latest addition to the August 18 card will be featherweight prospect
Chad Mendes, fresh off a win over Anthony Morrison in March,
taking on veteran WEC fighter Cub Swanson. Team Alpha Male fighters
Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez will also star on the card.
The
bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight
on Tuesday.
Undefeated
in his pro MMA career, Chad Mendes (7-0) has been a highly touted
prospect ever since signing with the WEC in 2009. The California
fighter has gone 2-0 under the promotion's banner, posting wins
over Eric Koch and Anthony Morrison.
Training
out of Urijah Faber's camp in Sacramento, Mendes is now the featherweight
representative for the camp in the WEC with Faber and teammate
Joseph Benavidez both competing at bantamweight now.
Returning
to action in August, Cub Swanson (14-3) will look to build on
his last win over John Franchi in November 2009, before an injury
knocked him out of his proposed bout with the "Korean Zombie"
Chan Sung Jung in April.
Swanson
currently sits at 5-2 in the WEC, and hopes to get back into
the contender's race when he faces Mendes in August.
It's
likely that the bout between Mendes and Swanson will make the
televised broadcast for the show airing on Versus August 18.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WEC
GM HAPPY WITH MODEST CANADIAN CROWD
World Extreme Cagefighting on Sunday night finally made its first
foray into the Great White North, following in the footsteps
of its sibling promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The two promotions are owned by the same parent company.
With
UFC 115 in Vancouver last week, the UFC has now made four trips
to Canada, with tremendous results.
The
WEC is admittedly on a much smaller scale than the UFC when it
comes to fan recognition. So even though WEC general manager
Reed Harris’ attendance estimate of 5,600 for Sunday night’s
WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus in Edmonton, Alberta, may not hold
a candle to the UFC’s 20,000-plus numbers in Montreal, it’s
all relative.
“We're
very happy,” said Harris at the post-fight press conference.
“This is the first time into the Canadian market for the
WEC.”
Harris
has been around mixed martial arts for a long time. He and partner
Scott Adams founded the WEC nearly a decade ago. So he doesn’t
only count total attendance as his barometer for success.
“I
was super, super happy with the crowd. They understood MMA. You
can't ask for more than that.”
Harris
did not have gate receipt estimates at the time of publication.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
HANDS OUT $100,000 IN TUF 11 BONUSES
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 finale drew an estimated
1,708 fans for gate receipts totaling $430,250, according to
UFC officials on Saturday night at The Palms in Las Vegas. The
promotion shared the wealth, issuing $25,000 post-fight bonuses
to four of the card’s fighters.
Keith
Jardine and Matt Hamill, whose fight was shuffled from the main
event down to the co-main event recently, pulled in Fight of
the Night honors. The two went toe-to-toe for all three rounds,
but it was Hamill that won a majority decision. Jardine’s
face was a crimson mask by fights end. Each fighter goes home
with an extra $25,000 in his pocket, although Jardine will be
left wondering about his future, losing his fourth straight fight.
Aside
from winning the title of “Ultimate Fighter,” Court
McGee also scored the Submission of the Night bonus. He was a
takedown machine, continuously putting Kris McCray on his back,
until McGee was able to secure a rear naked choke late in round
two.
Chris
Leben did a good job defending All-American wrestler Aaron Simpson’s
takedowns, taking him late into round two. As Simpson appeared
to tire, Leben opened up a flurry of punches that rocked the
wrestler and sent him stumbling across the Octagon before he
fell to the mat, the referee calling a halt to the bout.
The
UFC handed out a total of $100,000 in post-fight bonuses on Saturday
night.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Cristiane
Cyborg
Champion
of Strikeforce, Cris Cyborg is on the last phase of her preparation
for her second belt defense on the event, on June 26, against
Jan Finney. After a session of trainings with Rafael Alejara,
the tough girl talked to TATAME about her physical preparation,
the expectations for the combat, analyzed her opponent’s
game and revealed that Evangelista Cyborg, who is coming for
a win by knockout on the event, is a good example to follow as
a husband.
What
did you think of your husband’s win on Strikeforce?
Cyborg
has been training a lot, had the opportunity to show his work
here and thanks God everything went right… But we hadn’t
time to celebrate, because I’m the next one to fight…
Let’s celebrate later (laughs).
What
are your expectations for this fight?
I’m
well trained, on the last phase of my preparation. I’ll
stick to my game plan, always trying the knockout, but what I
want to do it a good fight, the win is just a consequence. I’ll
bring this belt home.
This
is your second belt defense on Strikeforce. Do you believe you
are more used to the event in comparison with the first fights?
I
feel the adrenalin in the same way every fight I do, the training,
what changes is the opponent. Adrenalin, responsibility and seriousness
are things I bring with myself in every single fight I do.
What
do you know about Jan Finney, who will do her debut on this event?
I
watched her fights standing, but I’m ready to fight that
way and if I have the opportunity to submit her on the ground,
I will. I don’t have a plan, I have to feel how things are
going during the fight.
Cyborg
joked after his fight, saying that now that you are a Champion
of Strikefore, he will have to bring the garbage outside on the
right time, otherwise you will fight him (laughs)…
At
home things get serious (laughs)... But Cyborg’s role is
not only to take the garbage outside, that just a small part,
right? (laughs). He has to help me more, but he’s cool and
helps me a lot. He just had a fight, but he will keep on his
diet Just to help me... After my fight we will eat the world
(laughs).
Source: Tatame
|
FEDOR:
I'M NOT A FAN OF THE UFC
There's no doubt that just about every MMA fan in the world would
love to see Fedor Emelianenko take on Brock Lesnar, or maybe
even Shane Carwin, but there's one person who sounds like he's
not a fan of the UFC or its programming.
That's
Fedor Emelianenko.
The
top rated heavyweight talked about his upcoming fight against
Fabricio Werdum, and while he did compliment both Lesnar and
Carwin's fighting abilities, and considers them top ten heavyweights,
he's just not a fan of the promotion they fight for.
"I'm
not a UFC fan," said Emelianenko. "I would invite all
the fans to watch our fight, that I believe is more important
because we're not in the UFC."
Fedor
expanded on that blunt comment further explaining his dislike
for the UFC, pointing mostly at the commercial side of how they
promote their fights.
"I'm
not a fan of watching their fights. Compared to a lot of the
commercials and the promotion in anticipation of their fights,
compared to a lot of the shows that I've seen, there seems to
be a negativity involved in a lot of their shows, so I'm just
not a fan of watching their programs," said Fedor.
Known
for always speaking well of opponents, and avoiding many controversial
comments, Fedor took an open shot at the UFC, and said he's just
not a fan of the promotional giant.
Fedor
has long been the great white whale to Dana White's Captain Ahab,
as the UFC president has long pursued the heavyweight, only to
come to a stall in negotiations with his management company M-1
Global over and over again.
M-1
Global and Fedor have one more fight on their current contract
with Strikeforce, and it's likely that once that time is done,
and assuming Fedor is still the nearly undefeated juggernaut
that he has been in his career, the UFC will probably come after
him again.
The
question now remains, will Fedor ever sign with the UFC and will
he ever be a fan of the UFC?
That's
a question will stay unanswered for the time being.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Mendes
at the top of the world and plays down rivalry: “Cobrinha’s
great”
After
giving a taste of what was to come at black belt in 2009, Rafael
Mendes definitively lived up to the expectations he created after
winning everything at all previous belts. The Atos representative
was the best in the under 66 kg division of the ADCC, at both
World Pro qualifiers, at the World Pro, at the European Championship,
Brazilian Nationals and most recently at the Worlds.
Rafa
spoke to GRACIEMAG.com about all that and much more in the following
interview:
Jiu-Jitsu
changed your life a great deal (travel, titles, fame)…
I
can say Jiu-Jitsu is changing my life for the better and I believe
there’s a lot more to improve, but all in due time. Thank
God the results of my efforts in training and the results from
competitions are opening doors for me. It really is great to
work doing what I love and still enjoy the good things the job
carries with it like travel, getting to know new places and people,
have my name recognized, win championships and have people appreciate
what I do. I’m really happy; I love training, competing,
testing myself, and I’m addicted to the feeling of victory.
Up
to what point can you carry on with this routine without wearing
out? How do you manage to balance everything?
Balance
is in the pleasure I feel in training, competing and the wear-and-tear
that comes with it. I didn’t used to ever take breaks; a
tournament would end and I’d be back training the next day.
I can’t go without training! But as time goes by you gain
experience, see that your body needs some rest and that, after
taking a break, you come back even better and restored. So I
look to make the first half of the year the most tiring; I compete
at as many tournaments as possible, train a lot, do physical
conditioning, ever all to be the champion. Now the Worlds is
out of the way, this time I rested for two weeks without putting
on the gi and now I’m back to training, but not doing physical
conditioning yet, nothing too heavy. But I’ll compete again
this year; I won’t take that much rest.
Rafa
faced his own brother at the Worlds. Photo: Luca Atalla
What’s
the biggest difference between competing at the Worlds and the
ADCC?
The
rules are totally different, so you need to train differently.
The focus in training needs to be on what you’ll encounter
in the competition; there’s no point in training in the
gi to compete at the ADCC or without the gi and competing at
the Worlds. It’s all different. The positions are different,
the grips are different, the rules are different… The only
thing the same is the objective: to be champion. But training
for either of them wears you out. Both competitions are really
high level and you can’t afford to make mistakes. You need
to be 100%.
Rivalry
with Cobrinha plays out at the Brazilian Nationals. Photo: Carlos
Ozório
Rubens
Cobrinha is your main rival at featherweight. What’s your
relationship with him like? Do you get along?
I
feel the media exaggerates the rivalry by exposing each other’s
opinions and comments. But I have nothing against Cobrinha and
this rivalry stays on the mat. We’re in the same division
and want to be at the same place, where only one can be. So we
have to go to war.
What
do you think of him as a fighter?
I
think he’s great.
I’ll
only do MMA once I’ve beaten Cobrinha and Royler in world
titles!” Rafa Mendes
Do
you ever think of doing MMA?
I
don’t know. I think it all depends on the circumstances;
but at the moment and for a good while longer, no. I’m only
20 years old and I just won my first World Championship as a
black belt. If I ever think of doing something in MMA, it will
only be after I’ve beaten Cobrinha and Royler in world titles
(laughs)!
What’s
your schedule like this year?
Guilherme
and I are in the USA; we have a series of seminars to teach and
then we’ll head to Canada, where we’ll hold three more
seminars. I’ll head home on July 6, where I’ll get
back to training. We have seminars in Guam and Switzerland in
August and the, if my Japanese visa comes through, I’ll
compete at the Asian Championship.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Fredson
faces submission wizard in the WEC
Three-time
black belt world champion Fredson Paixão has a date and
opponent for his return to the WEC cage. According to MMAJunkie.com,
Fredson will do battle with Bryan Caraway on August 18.
Paixão
is coming off a win in the promotion, while Caraway lost his
promotional debut in his last appearance. The matchup promises
grappling action. While the Brazilian is a black belt and gentle
art champion, Caraway has come by 11 of his 12 MMA wins by submission.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
The
day José met Helio
On
this day, June 18, 2010, at 87 years of age, Portuguese author
José Saramago, one of the greatest geniuses of the Portuguese
language, passed away.
A
translator, journalist, editor, atheist, ardent critic of the
Catholic church and Nobel Prize for literature winner in 1998,
Saramago had nothing to do with Jiu-Jitsu.
Or
did he?
Not
directly, it’s true.
But
if we look a little deeper, a connection can be found.
The
most obvious, of course, is the choice of Saramago’s native
Portugal as the host nation for the third most important championship
on the gentle art calendar, the European Championship.
The
pain of losing its greatest modern-day writer today overwhelmingPortugal
has brought the Jiu-Jitsu community to remember the painful loss
of another genius.
It
was on January 29, 2009, that the gentle art family was gathered
in Portugal and news of the passing of Grandmaster Helio Gracie
broke.
And
there are certainly parallels between these two great men of
the 20th century.
Saramago
revolutionized Portuguese prose with drawn-out phrases, abolition
of the paragraph and the use of commas to separate phrases, to
the detriment of periods.
Helio
revolutionized Jiu-Jitsu through the way he used his body, leverage
and use of opponents’ own force against them.
Both
the Lusitanian intellectual and the Brazilian teacher were masters
of phrase construction. Two examples:
“Death?
Why fear death? I need nothing, have nothing, want nothing. I
feel it’s stupid someone fear dying. They should be afraid
of being born. Hell is right here where we are.” –
Helio Gracie
“Everyone
knows that each day born is the first for some and the last for
others and, to most, it’s just another day” –
José Saramago
The
two of them, after changing their worlds, retreated. Helio went
to live in Itaipava, where he would receive visitors and from
where, now and again, he would send messages or, furthermore,
would go out to tell people how things should be done.
Saramago
isolated himself on the Spanish island of Lanzarote, from where,
where asked to, he would release his definitive sentences.
Helio,
who came close to 100 years of age, and José, bordering
on 90, won their battle with the meaning of death. To the two
of them, the end was just another moment in eternal existence.
The
Portuguese writer lives on – and is ever more present –
every time a book of his is cracked open.
While
Grandmaster Helio lives on in Jiu-Jitsu academies the world over.
Long
live the masters!
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
The
Weekly Wrap: June 12 - June 18
The
Weekly Wrap walks readers through the last seven days in MMA,
recapping and putting into context the week's top story, important
news and notable quotes.
Top
Story
It
had been 14 months since Chuck Liddell, arguably the most accomplished
light heavyweight in MMA history, suffered his fourth loss in
five fights. UFC President Dana White and, for a moment, Liddell
himself, who had been knocked out in the first round by Mauricio
Rua, conceded it was time to step away.
But
coming into UFC 115, Liddell never seemed more content, collected
and confident. This was despite a late change in opponent, from
sworn enemy Tito Ortiz to one of the sport’s most likeable
guys in Rich Franklin. Liddell’s girlfriend was credited
with steering his nutrition and lifestyle onto the straight-and-narrow,
evidenced by six-pack abs, pictures of which were bandied about
the Internet.
Despite
it all, Liddell was again left prone on the canvas on June 12
for what White again guaranteed would be the final time.
As
the first round was winding down in their UFC 115 main event,
and after a kick broke the ulna bone in his left arm, Franklin
uncorked a perfectly placed and timed short right as Liddell,
believing he had the former middleweight champion hurt, closed
in for the kill. The punch landed square on the button, again
producing the visual of a glassy-eyed, bloody-lipped Liddell
trying to process what had happened. Up to the finish, Liddell
had looked quicker to the draw and hit a takedown and several
kicks. Franklin, who took the fight when Ortiz fell out due to
neck surgery, will wear his broken arm in a cast for at least
three weeks to see if surgery can be avoided. Franklin collected
an $85,000 bonus for “Knockout of the Night.”
Post-fight,
White guaranteed Liddell was done with fighting after the loss,
the same promise he made after the Shogun defeat a year ago.
Liddell did not publicly comment; his girlfriend Heidi Northcutt’s
Twitter said he was “sad” but still game to hit an
after party. Liddell was on the last fight of his contract, and
an extension was reportedly set to be offered if he were to beat
Franklin.
The
memorable finish capped the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s
debut in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- a city whose
officials were slow to accept MMA. The card drew 17,000 fans
to General Motors Place for a $4.2 million gate, one of the higher
takes of the year for the company.
Local
media covered the event from several angles. The Vancouver Sun
reported police assigned an Integrated Gang Task Force to the
event, as MMA events in Vancouver have reportedly attracted gang
members in the past. The article noted that the gang unit is
also assigned to NHL hockey games and that T-shirts bearing the
Hell’s Angels and other gang-associated logos could be seen
in the crowd. A companion article pegged the crowd “well-behaved”
and reported there were “definitely more men than women
in attendance and most appeared to be under 40 with a large percentage
sporting tattoos and Affliction T-shirts.” However, a day-two
article attributed the assault of a gay couple outside of its
home near GM Place to the crowd drawn by the UFC.
There
were plenty of stories inside the arena. Liddell’s loss
furthered the narrative of his glory days getting further and
further out of reach. However, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
did not cede that ground, despite calls that his best days were
behind him after he was painfully shut down by Junior dos Santos
at UFC 103.
The
Croatian was dropped by two heavy right hooks in the first round
by admirer Patrick Barry, but he recovered to activate his punching,
clinch and ground game to impressive effect. Cro Cop took Barry’s
back and landed stiff uppercuts in offensive flurries that, by
the third round, had the New Orleans native on his knees and
prone for a rear-naked choke that drew the tapout. Barry broke
his hand and foot in the fight and will be wearing casts for
the next five weeks.
Cro
Cop’s UFC contract expired with the fight. He had said if
he came up short, he would not seek an extension and would retire.
Even with the win, an interview Cro Cop gave to the Croatian
Web site Vecernji.hr indicated he still may not seek an extension,
saying he felt too old during training camp and was not up to
the grueling regimen. White said Cro Cop assured him he would
finish his MMA career in the UFC. The usually stoic striker completely
rehabbed his stock at UFC 115, opening up in entertaining fashion
during interviews and not turning into his shell when hit with
hard shots.
UFC
115 also saw two welterweights establish themselves as contenders.
Martin Kampmann worked a solid jab and relentless back control
to shut out Paulo Thiago over three rounds. Afterward, as a guest
on MMAJunkie Radio, Kampmann expressed interest in fighting Dan
Hardy later this year.
Also
at 170, Carlos Condit overcame an early deficit against hyped
20-year-old Western Canadian product Rory MacDonald. Despite
dropping the first two rounds on most scorecards, Condit, as
is his custom, rallied in the third, landing hard punches on
a grounded MacDonald that busted up his face and swelled his
orbital, prompting referee Kevin Doran to step in with seconds
left. MacDonald may well have taken the fight had it gone to
the scorecards. MacDonald acknowledged the stoppage as necessary
in a post-fight interview. Both fighters collected $85,000 “Fight
of the Night” bonuses.
Also
picking up wins at UFC 115 were Ben Rothwell (unanimous decision
over Gilbert Yvel), Evan Dunham (split decision over Tyson Griffin),
Matt Wiman (first-round guillotine choke submission over Mac
Danzig), Mario Miranda (round-two TKO over David Loiseau), James
Wilks (unanimous decision over Peter Sobotta), Claude Patrick
(round-two submission over Ricardo Funch) and Mike Pyle (round-three
triangle choke submission over Jesse Lennox).
Dunham,
Wiman and Patrick’s wins were broadcast on the Spike TV
preliminary special, which drew an average of 1.3 million viewers
-- toward the lower end of ratings drawn for the pre-fight specials.
Anecdotal evidence also suggested the card did not draw well
in the 300-plus movie theatres in which it aired across the country,
the Wrestling Observer reported. The next UFC pay-per-view in
theatres will be UFC 118 on Aug. 28.
The
Spike TV broadcast got off to an inauspicious start, as referee
Yves Lavigne called off the Danzig-Wiman fight prematurely after
he assumed Danzig was out from a guillotine choke. Danzig was
using his arms to post and stay out of danger and popped up immediately
after the stoppage. The call earned Lavigne boos throughout the
evening.
Dunham
gave them something about which to cheer, however, as the fledgling
Oregon-bred prospect outstruck Griffin 254-100, according to
Fight Metric, and kept back mount for extended durations throughout
the fight in a standout lightweight performance.
Source: Sherdog
|
WEC
49: VARNER VS. SHALORUS POST-FIGHT BONUSES
World Extreme Cagefighting awarded $10,000 bonus checks for “WEC
49: Varner vs. Shalorus” in-cage performances to Josh Grispi,
Eddie Wineland, Mark Hominick, and Yves Jabouin.
Fight
of the Night honors went to Mark Hominick and Yves Jabouin. It
took eight years to put the match-up together and it was worth
the wait. Jabouin put in an extremely active first round with
constant movement and an array of punches, kicks, and elbows,
but the 31-year-old fighter expended a lot of energy.
Round
two was one of the best rounds of 2010. Jabouin’s pace slowed
and Hominick was hurting him with brutal hooks to the body, eventually
causing Jabouin to crumble to the canvas. Just as it looked as
if the fight was headed for a stoppage, Jabouin worked his way
back to his feet and dropped Hominick with a right hand. He went
in to finish his fellow Canadian only to be reversed, mounted,
and pounded into a technical knockout.
The
Submission of the Night bonus money was given to Josh Grispi
for his guillotine choke victory over L.C. Davis. Davis shot
in for a takedown at the midway mark of the opening stanza, elevating
and slamming Grispi to the canvas, but Grispi locked on a guillotine
choke and put the American to sleep.
Knockout
of the Night was awarded to Eddie Wineland for his technical
knockout win over Will Campuzano. After a competitive first round,
Wineland began to land heavier shots in round two. With a minute
remaining in the stanza, Wineland delivered a combination that
staggered Campuzano. The 24-year-old momentarily recovered, but
was folded over by a body shot and the referee stopped the fight
as he was tapping.
Total
amount of bonus cash handed out at WEC 49 was $40,000.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
McGee,
‘TUF’ alums survive
LAS
VEGAS – Few fighters in the history of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship know what it’s like to scrape themselves off
the deck and win an important bout as much as Chris Leben.
And
Leben, who stopped Aaron Simpson in the second round of his fight
Saturday on “The Ultimate Fighter Finale” at the Palms
Casino, knew the men sitting on each side of him had done just
as much.
To
Leben’s right was light heavyweight Matt Hamill, who made
it to the UFC despite being deaf. Hamill, who won a majority
decision over Keith Jardine in the co-main event that earned
each man a $25,000 bonus for Fight of the Night, had a series
of maladies bothering him on Saturday.
He
had a sore on his back that he said is a Staph infection. He
broke his left hand early in the first round. He was poked in
the eye. And he said he had a series of other injuries. “What
wasn’t hurt?” Hamill said, joking, after arguably the
most significant win of his career.
To
Leben’s left was Court McGee, who won the TUF 11 title by
tapping out Kris McCray with a rear naked choke in the second
round. McGee is a former heroin addict who was once declared
clinically dead.
McGee
broke up Saturday as he accepted “The Ultimate Fighter”
plaque from UFC president Dana White in the cage. Asked later
about his emotions, McGee said it was because of the struggle
he had to get to the top.
“That
was seven years all in one minute right there,” McGee said
of the moment when he broke down and cried. “I dedicate
that fight to anyone who’s struggling. If you came from
where I came from to get to where I’m at today, you’d
have done the same thing.”
Leben
shook his head knowingly as McGee spoke. Leben’s got enough
personal demons to fill a set of encyclopedias.
He
said all fighters are wired differently than the average person
and said that’s what makes them good at what they do.
“Fighters
are like strippers: They ain’t paying their way through
college,” Leben said. “If you don’t understand
what that means, you have to realize that there is always something
underlying with all of us. Nobody in their right mind, no normal,
sane person, goes ‘[expletive] college, screw my guidance
counselor. I’m going to put all my chips in one basket to
become a cage fighter so I can get the crap kicked out of me
in front of other people.’ Obviously, there is something
wrong going on there.
“This
guy (McGee) right here is the perfect example. It’s that
obsessive energy that we have that makes us different. It’s
that obsessive energy that, yeah, makes me cause a lot of problems
for myself in my life. But look, look at where he’s at now,
willing to do whatever it is. Most fighters I know do whatever
they do 110 percent.
For
me, it’s all or nothing,” he said. “It’s
either full throttle or nothing. Either I’m eating ice cream
and candy or I’m dieting 100 percent. I’m yin and yang.
If I go out and have a drink, I’m going to go out and get
[expletive] trashed. I know that. That’s why I’m not
going to do that tonight. It’s the same thing in the ring
and it’s that type of personality that makes all of us up
here in front of you, it’s what got us here. We all have
something like that in us.”
The
win for Hamill was probably the biggest of his career. He’s
coming off a victory over the highly regarded Jon Jones, but
that came by disqualification in a fight in which he was being
handled fairly easily.
On
Saturday, Hamill pushed the pace and outslugged Jardine in a
back-and-forth bloody fight in which guts and desire played as
big of a role as talent. Hamill got inadvertently poked in the
eye in the second round by Jardine and went to the mat in pain.
But
he wasn’t about to give in.
“I
fought my heart out,” Hamill said. “He poked me in
the eye and I thought I was going to be blind as well as deaf.
That’s two major handicaps. Bottom line is, I wasn’t
giving up. I was going to go all out.”
Jardine
went all out in an attempt to break a three-fight losing skein.
He came at Hamill hard, but never landed the huge fight-changing
punch he needed.
The
loss was his fourth in a row and the fifth in his last six fights.
White and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva are going to have a very difficult
discussion in the next several days about Jardine’s future
with the promotion.
He
laid it all on the line on Saturday, but he came up short again.
But
the theme of the night was overcoming odds. Leben did it, overcoming
a broken home, a drinking problem and an arm’s length of
other woes. Hamill did it, getting past deafness to become one
of the top mixed martial arts fighters in the world.
And
McGee, who was declared clinically dead, rallied from his addiction
to black tar heroin, among other things, to make something of
himself as a fighter. Even once he qualified for the show, he
did so with next-to-no money in his pocket.
“I
was only making about $100 more a month than I had to spend in
bills,” he said.
McGee
lost a controversial first-round fight to Nick Ring, but got
back into the competition when Rich Attonito broke his hand and
had to withdraw. He progressively got better each time out.
Like
Hamill, he’s going to become an inspirational figure for
those who are down and seemingly out.
“There’s
nothing too much to overcome if you really want it enough and
care enough,” McGee said. “I’m the perfect example
of that. I was as low as a human being could get, not that low
ago, and look where I am right now. Incredible.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
VARNER
& SHALORUS FIGHT TO BAFFLING SPLIT DRAW
Everybody is always happy with a good draw right? Oh wait, I
guess not.
But
a draw is what was served up for the efforts of Jamie Varner
and Kamal Shalorus in the WEC 49 main event on Sunday night in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and no one was happy. The fans booed,
Varner jerked away from referee Josh Rosenthal in disgust. Only
Shalorus, who was charged with three low blows during the fight,
had little to say on the matter.
“I’m
not gonna lie. I think that was bogus. I definitely think I won
the fight,” said Varner after the scores were read.
The
two went toe-to-toe for the duration, both getting their shots
in. Shalorus chopped away at Varner’s lead leg with low
kicks, while Varner outboxed the Iranian. But it was Varner that
repeatedly backed Shalorus up in the opening round, and staggered
him, Shalorus nearly going to one knee, in the second.
Shalorus
had a big third round, finally putting Varner on his back, grounding
and pounding him. Varner managed to escape back to his feet,
but neither was able to do much before the round played out.
But
that doesn’t tell the whole story. Shalorus twice kicked
Varner in the groin in round two. The first was a grazing shot;
the second was a clear infraction with referee Josh Rosenthal
deducting a point.
In
round three, Shalorus again used Varner’s groin for soccer
practice, but this time, inexplicably, Rosenthal did not deduct
a point. He only warned Shalorus.
“I
swear I’m not like that. I’m warrior. I don’t
cheat. But just accident. I try to cut down his speed, that was
my game plan,” said Shalorus after the fight, explaining
that he intended to use kicks to Varner’s legs to keep the
former WEC champion from moving so quickly.
When
the scorecards were tallied judge Cameron Quwek scored it 29-27
for Shalorus, judge Doc Hamilton scored it 29-27 for Varner,
and judge Cecil Peoples scored it 28-28, which equals a split
draw.
Varner
said after the fight, “I’m pretty sure I broke my right
foot, broke my right hand.” But even the pain of a broken
hand and broken foot doesn’t likely equal the disappoint
he felt when the scorecards were read.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
HOMINICK
WINS THE BATTLE OF CANADA AT WEC 49
The fight was eight years in the making. Mark Hominick and Yves
Jabouin looked to unleash that eight years all in the first round
in their battle for Canada at WEC 49 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
on Sunday night.
The
first round was fairly close. Jabouin stayed busier, mixing up
an array of strikes that varied from punches to kicks to knees
to spinning backfists, while Hominick was effectively counter
punching and working the body.
Round
two looked to be a rerun of the first, to the delight of the
fans in Rexall Place, but midway through the round, Hominick’s
body work paid off. He dropped Jabouin with a left hook to the
liver, but couldn’t finish his downed foe. Jabouin bounced
back, dropping Hominick with his own flurry of punches. Jabouin
dropped into Hominick’s guard, looking to ground and pound,
but Hominick swept him and landed in full mount. Hominick unleashed
an onslaught of punches that had the referee calling an end to
the fight.
“That’s
the first time in my whole career that I’ve had someone
live up to their word and go toe-to-toe with me. And that’s
the kind of fight you’re gonna get with me when you go toe-to-toe,”
said an elated Hominick after the fight.
As
always, the speculation immediately begins for who the winner
will face next.
Like
Josh Grispi, who won earlier in the night, Hominick’s name
is now mentioned alongside WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“Every
man in this division is so tough, but there’s nobody in
this division that can bring to the table what I bring to the
table against Jose Aldo,” Hominick stated, but he knows
he might have to wait for that shot, so he offered an alternative.
“I
think another great fight would be a fight between myself and
Leonard Garcia.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sengoku
13: Comments and Conclusions
Sengoku
Raiden Championship 13 is in the bag and although American audiences
haven't seen it yet, do we have a new number two featherweight
in the world?
It
took Marlon Sandro 38 seconds to capture the Sengoku featherweight
title but where does he go from here? Masanori Kanehara seemed
to do everything right for this fight but he still lost his belt
in brutal fashion. How does Kanehara recover from this?
Maximo
Blanco, Yasubey Enomoto, Shigeki Osawa, Hiroshi Izumi and Doo
Ho Choi all picked up wins but what can we take away from those
fights and what does the future hold for these young fighters?
After
the break I attempt to answer all the questions from Sengoku
13, analyze the winners and losers and see what comes next.
SRC Featherweight Title:
Marlon Sandro (won by KO over Masanori Kanehara in Round 1, 0:38):
It took 38 seconds for Sandro to crush SRC Featherweight Champion
Masanori Kanehara with his right uppercut. It took nine seconds
to do the same to Kanehara's sempai Tomonori Kanomata. The highly
under-rated Yuji Hoshino managed to last 2:33 before he fell
victim to Sandro. Nick Denis only lasted nineteen seconds. The
sole mark on his record is a split decision loss to Michihiro
Omigawa but that result is debatable.
With
his streak in Sengoku, Sandro is now the second best featherweight
in the world behind WEC Champ and teammate Jose Aldo. Uriah Faber
down to bantamweight, Mike Thomas Brown dropping two of his last
three and Manny Gamburyan only having three 145 lb bouts under
his belt make this a no-brainer for me.
Due
to the fact that Sandro and Aldo are from the same camp, I doubt
that Sandro will be moving to the WEC. As the two won't fight,
Sandro's love of belts will most likely keep him in Japan for
the moment and for that I am thankful as there is at least one
fight that need to happen.
Sandro
obviously deserves a rematch against Omigawa and with the Yoshida
Dojo fighter's recent run, it would be an easy sell.
Newly
crowned Shooto champ Hatsu Hioki was considered the number one
featherweight fighting in Sengoku and perhaps Japan until Sandro's
recent run. Hioki did drop the decision to Omigawa as well but
again, it was debatable.
Whether
either of those fights will happen is another matter.
Omigawa
is a J-Rock fighter and left Sengoku when J-Rock Boss Takahiro
Kokuho was fired from Sengoku. I don't see a return to Sengoku
for Omigawa and he will most likely be fighting under the DREAM
or WEC banner before the end of the year.
Hatsu
Hioki was another fighter brought in by Kokuho but not under
the J-Rock banner. He hasn't fought in Sengoku since his loss
to Omigawa and I don't believe that there is a contract in place
there. Hioki seems interested though. Hioki was ringside and
talking with him post fight all he could say was "Wow...
he is strong." multiple times.
World
Victory Road needs to get it's act together and get Hioki signed
(if he is not signed already) and fighting Sandro as soon as
possible and keep the champ busy. Within Sengoku I don't see
any other relevant challengers.
SRC
Featherweight Title:
Masanori Kanehara (lost by KO to Marlon Sandro in Round 1, 0:38):
When Kanehara was being stretchered out of the ring, I actually
thought he was dead. I'm not exaggerating. A neck and jaw brace
were in place, I couldn't see Kanehara breathing and when he
was stretchered out, the blanket was pulled over his face. My
stomach sunk. Thankfully, Kanehara recovered, did not suffer
any injuries other than a concussion and was able to give his
post fight interview. It sure made for some morbid pictures though.
Note to SRC doctors: A blanket over a body looks much, much worse
than someone in a neck brace. Don't do that again.
Post
fight, Kanehara commented that he didn't see the punch and in
fact, didn't remember any of the fight at all but in reality
what is there to take away from a 38 second knockout? Kanehara
did everything right in preperation for this bout, his camp with
Greg Jackson and most importantly (to me) his consultation of
Satoru Sayama but he got cornered and paid the price.
Sandro,
Jose Aldo are just on a completely different level to Kanehara
right now and I don't see him being able to reach them. What
Kanehara has going for him is his speed and cardio and I think
some time and one of Japan's top boxing gyms would help him better
use it. Kanehara got caught while cornered and some time at a
boxing gym will fix that. Kanehara's gym in Hachioji actually
only has three sides and perhaps that has led to his ring sense
being off.
Give
Kanehara a couple of months to recover and to learn to exploit
his natural abilities better and then give him an opponent that
will test him but not knock his head off. Kanehara should be
able to get another title shot eventually if he can avoid Hioki
and if Omigawa is out of the picture but he needs to work on
his footwork and angles to make sure he is never in a position
to receive a blow like that again. Even still, I'm not sure if
I ever see him beating this incarnation of Marlon Sandro.
Hiroshi
Izumi (won by TKO over Chang Seob Lee in Round 1, 4:37):
Chang Seob Lee is not a top flight opponent by any means and
was probably the easiest stylistic match-up for Izumi yet but
it was precisely what he needed. On the feet Lee and Izumi were
quite even. Evenly low. We didn't get to see the "Izumi
Shocker" and I don't think much of "special techniques"
in MMA unless it's Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Seichi Ikemoto
(I kid) but combining striking with his world class Judo is exactly
what Izumi needs.
Yoshida
Dojo boxing coach Katsuhisa Tashiro is well versed in teaching
judokas to strike. Izumi needs to pay a visit to Tashiro or at
least a top boxing gym to fix up his atrocious striking technique
and then with some more in ring experience and high level training
partners (namely not Yoji Anjo) to get his judo game to work
in MMA.
Yasubey
Enomoto (won by TKO over Sanae Kikuta in Round 1, 3:57):
Enomoto certainly looked impressive in his destruction of Sanae
Kikuta but the Grabaka boss gassed almost immediately which made
things easy for the Swiss fighter. A fight against someone like
Omar de la Cruz or Jae Sun Lee who were ejected from the Welterweight
GP with their losses would be good.
Sanae
Kikuta (lost by TKO to Yasubey Enomoto in Round 1, 3:57):
Kikuta is a wonderful coach and a very solid fighter but he gassed
way too quickly in his debut at welterweight. Kikuta doesn't
have the same dedication to fighting as the rest of the athletes
in the big leagues so unless he recommits himself to fighting
(and works out his conditioning issues at welterweight) then
he should focus on coaching.
To
be honest, when I heard about Kikuta and Akihiro Gono both cutting
weight, it struck me that Kikuta was doing this as an experiment
to help the Grabaka fighters. It was certainly a learning experience
for him if it was in fact the case.
Maximo
Blanco (won by TKO over Rodrigo Damm in Round 2, 0:45):
Rodrigo Damm was Blanco's toughest test to date and despite a
slow start, he did very well. Blanco's gameplan was to stay calm
through the first and then explode in the second and it was successful
but also concerning. Blanco's defense against low kicks was none
and his tendency to just jump at his opponents is going to lead
to him getting caught Fedor vs. Arlovski style one day. He needs
to fix those holes in his game. Still, it was a good test for
Blanco and although Damm didn't play to his strengths it was
a positive fight for the Venezuelan.
I
see him getting a shot at the SRC Lightweight Title after one
more fight. That next fight needs to be against a submission
fighter with good wrestling (which may be Blanco's weakness I
feel) or a more technical striker.
Rodrigo
Damm (lost by TKO to Maximo Blanco in Round 2, 0:45):
Rodrigo Damm is a world class BJJ black belt and one of the best
wrestlers in Brazil but you wouldn't know it when he fights.
Damm is another one of those fighters that try to showcase their
improving striking in every fight but he needs to stop doing
that and play his game, which is on the ground. Damm's striking
may eventually catch up to his mat skills but his record will
have at least leveled out to 50-50 by that stage.
Welterweight
GP:
Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura (won by TKO over Omar de la
Cruz in Round 2, 3:53):
Going into this fight I ruled K-Taro out and said that he was
done as a top flight fighter and boy, was I wrong. Although De
la Cruz's game plan was questionable at best, Nakamura looked
fantastic with his striking on the ground and his time training
at Yoshihiro Akiyama's Team Cloud Dojo has served him well. K-Taro
needs to go back there and continue learning and training with
what has quickly become the best training camp in Japan to get
ready for his fight with Wada, because it will be a tough one.
Welterweight
GP:
Takuya Wada (won by Split Decision over Jae Sun Lee):
Takuya Wada held Jae Sun Lee for the victory but to say it wasn't
inspiring is an understatement. The tournament participants aren't
finalized yet but Wada will probably take the tournament just
because he fights so safely. I've talked a lot about fighters
playing to their strengths in this article but Wada takes this
to a ridiculous degree. I'd really like to be surprised by Wada
but I think he will continue his tactic of clinching and takedowns
against Nakamura and advance to the finals.
Shigeki
Osawa (won by DQ over Katsuya Toida in Round 3, 1:35):
It's hard to take much away from this fight given the groin shots
that happened and eventually led to the end of the fight but
there are some things to note. Shigeki Osawa got tired. It was
before the first low blow in the second round, but for about
thirty seconds there, he was spent. To tell the truth, I think
it was a blessing for Osawa that he got hit low as otherwise
he would have continued to fade.
Osawa
needs to get back in the gym to fix his conditioning and keep
working at Watanabe Gym to try to find some striking and finishing
power. He is currently training MMA and wrestling equally with
Olympic wrestling dreams but I don't believe it is possible for
him to succeed both as his skill set in MMA is still too weak
and it needs more focus.
Do
Ho Choi (won by Split Decision over Ikuo Usuda):
Choi was a late replacement and had already fought earlier this
month in DEEP. His win over a quality opponent in Usuda displayed
the focus and solid execution of a strategy that is really exciting
to see in a young fighter. I'd like to see some more power from
Choi and he really reached for his punches too much but I think
he has a bright future. Choi handled it well but he was out-sized
in this bout. Some time in the gym is in order and then the power
should follow. Choi also sported a Kazuhiro Nakamura UFC era
haircut and gets major points for that.
Ryo
Kawamura (won by TKO over Hidetada Irie in Round 2, 3:00):
Kawamura finally gets his second consecutive win but Irie is
not a legitimate opponent. Please go down to middleweight. Please.
Kawamura's power at light-heavy doesn't finish fights and given
his style, he needs it to be. He should be able to KO middleweights
if he can retain his muscle, lose the excess fat and sharpen
his technique.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Varner
& Shalorus Draw in WEC 49 Main Event
Controversy
seems a constant companion for former World Extreme Cagefighting
lightweight champion Jamie Varner.
Varner
battled through hand and foot injuries, three illegal groin strikes
and a hailstorm of leg kicks from Kamal Shalorus, but his efforts
were not enough to sway the judges from a draw in the WEC 49
“Varner vs. Shalorus” headliner Sunday at the Rexall
Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Two judges scored the match
29-27 -- Nelson “Doc” Hamilton for Varner, Cameron
Quwek for Shalorus. Cecil Peoples cast the deciding vote with
a 28-28 draw, as the crowd bathed the cage in boos.
“I’m
pretty sure I broke my right foot, broke my right hand, but I’m
not going to lie: I think that was bogus,” Varner said,
his right hand hidden beneath an icepack. “I definitely
feel I won the fight. But you know what? Kamal Shalorus is now
the toughest guy you have heard of. I have much respect for this
guy.”
Varner
staggered Shalorus twice with right hands and beat him consistently
to the punch with quick and accurate power shots. One of his
straight rights connected to the top of the Iranian’s head
in the second round, as Varner winced and retreated in pain.
The leg kicks took their toll, too, though they proved problematic
for Shalorus. He was deducted a point for his second shot below
the belt.
“I
swear I’m not like that,” Shalorus said. “I’m
a warrior. I don’t cheat, but it was just an accident.”
With
his mobility limited by the heavy damage he absorbed to the inside
and outside of his lead leg, Varner succumbed to a takedown in
the third round and spent more than half of the final period
on his back. However, Shalorus exacted little damage from inside
Varner’s guard and did not advance his position until late
in the exchange. Varner ultimately returned to his feet and kept
his distance in the closing seconds, believing he had already
sewn up the decision. The judges thought otherwise.
Hominick
TKO Caps Barnburner
In
the riveting co-main event, UFC veteran Mark Hominick outlasted
Yves Jabouin en route to a second-round technical knockout. Jabouin
met his demise 3:21 into round two, as Hominick finished him
with strikes from the mount.
“He’s
a tough man,” said Hominick, a winner in five of his last
six bouts. “That fight was eight years in the making. This
was the most emotional fight I’ve ever been in.”
For
the better part of eight minutes, it was anyone’s match.
The two featherweights exchanged like madmen in the first round.
Left hooks and straight rights were Hominick’s weapons of
choice. Jabouin, meanwhile, threw almost every strike imaginable,
as he scored with kicks to the legs, body and head, quick jabs
and even a spinning backfist.
Round
two promised more of the same, until Hominick landed a crippling
left hook to the body that brought Jabouin to his knees. The
Haitian-born Canadian weathered the storm, however, and landed
a Hail Mary right hook that put Hominick on his backside. He
followed him into his guard, a position from which Hominick swept
straight into mount. Out of gas, Jabouin could not mount a defense
and ultimately succumbed to the onslaught.
“That’s
the first time in my whole career that I’ve ever had someone
live up to their words, saying they’re going to stand toe-to-toe
with me,” Hominick said, “and that’s the kind
of fight you’re going to get with me if you stand toe-to-toe.”
Afterward,
Hominick threw his hat in the ring as a potential contender for
WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s 145-pound throne.
“Every
man in this division is so tough,” he said, “but there’s
no one in this division that can bring to the table what I bring
to the table against Jose Aldo.”
Grispi
Choke Finishes Davis
File
Photo: Sherdog.com
Davis
(above) was choked out.
Featherweight contender Josh Grispi left L.C. Davis wide-eyed
and unconscious with a slick guillotine choke 2:33 into round
one of their main card encounter. The victory, Grispi’s
ninth in a row, moves the 21-year-old into clear contention for
the 145-pound crown held by Brazilian juggernaut Jose Aldo.
“I’m
ready to test my skills against anyone,” Grispi said. “Win
or lose, I want to fight the best and test myself. Whatever the
WEC wants, I’ll do.”
Grispi
had a surprisingly easy time with Davis. The two featherweights
traded early, as he used his height and reach to stay out of
range. Midway through the first round, Davis scored with a takedown
into side control but left his neck exposed, and Grispi capitalized.
He deftly maneuvered Davis into full guard, tightened the choke
and waited for the Sengoku veteran to drift off to sleep. With
that, Grispi answered questions regarding the effects of his
year-long, injury-related layoff.
“I’m
too young for ring rust,” he said. “I was so nervous
for this fight, but I came in here and did my thing.”
Horodecki
Notches First WEC Win
In
what can only be described as a clinical dissection, 2007 International
Fight League lightweight grand prix finalist Chris Horodecki
submitted promotional newcomer Daniel Downes with a rear-naked
choke 69 seconds into round three. The victory was Horodecki’s
first inside the WEC.
A
Shawn Tompkins protégé, Horodecki spent the first
two rounds thrashing Downes with takedowns and crisp multi-strike
combinations to the head, body and legs. The 22-year-old Canadian
grounded Downes twice in the first period and threatened him
with a pair of submissions, first with an arm-in guillotine,
then with a rear-naked choke. A late replacement for Ed Ratcliff,
Downes survived, only to meet with more punishment in the second
and third rounds.
Horodecki
varied his attack beautifully, as he controlled his previously
unbeaten foe in the clinch and rattled him with punches and kicks.
He took down Downes again in round three, transitioned to his
back without much resistance and sank the choke for the finish.
Horodecki still has never lost back-to-back bouts.
Wineland
Stops Campuzano
Former
WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland posted his third victory
in as many appearances, as he stopped Will Campuzano with a brutal
second-round barrage to the head and body. The end came 4:44
into round two.
Wineland,
out of Chesterton, Ind., found the range early with his straight
right hand, and Campuzano never adjusted. Spawned by the Duneland
Vale Tudo camp, Wineland planted his opponent on the seat of
his pants in the first round and picked up where he left off
in the second.
“Will’s
a scrapper,” Wineland said. “I knew he had long legs,
good kicks and knees. I tried to keep away from those, and I
think I did a pretty good job of that.”
A
pair of right hands wobbled Campuzano and sent him staggering
backward against the cage. Wineland nearly finished him there,
but Campuzano returned to an upright position and fired back
in desperation. The retort, which featured kicks and flying knees,
was short-lived. Wineland again backed up the Mexican-born 24-year-old
with punches, dropped him with a stiff right hand to the body
and polished off Campuzano with a ground strike to the head.
“I
thought when he dropped the first time, I thought I was going
to put him out,” Wineland said. “I was waiting for
the ref to grab me, but he didn’t grab me, so I just kept
on pummeling and hoped he’d pull me off.”
Source: Sherdog
|
WEC
49 LIVE RESULTS, PLAY-BY-PLAY & PHOTOS
Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus square off in the main event
of WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus, the promotion’s first foray
into the Great White North. The two will battle it out, hoping
for a shot at current WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson
in the near future. WEC 49 takes place at Rexall Place in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
MMAWeekly.com
brings you full preliminary results and round-by-round coverage
of the events main bouts. The preliminary bouts should kick off
at approximately 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET with the main bouts
live on Versus at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.
Please
refresh your browser frequently for the latest results and play-by-play...
WEC
49 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
-Jamie
Varner vs. Kamal Shalorus
R1
- Varner lands the first shot, an overhand right. Shalorus answers
with leg kicks. Varner presses the action and wins an exchange
ending it with a solid counter right hand. Shalorus attacks Varners
lead leg. Varner knocks Shalorus back with a right hand Varner
rocks Shalorus with a series of punches, but Shalarus fires back
and screams at Varner. Every punch is a power punch from both
guys. MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Varner.
R2
- They take the center of the cage. Shalorus continues his assault
with kicks. Shalorus lands a kick on Varner's cup and Varner
was given time to recover before the fight was restarted. Varner
lands back-to-back combinations. Shalorus lands another kick
to Vaner's groin and a point was taken while Varner recovers.
It's restarted with three minutes remaining in the round. Shalorus
lands two kicks to the body. Varner answers with a head kick
and right hand that staggers Shalorus. Varner with another right
hand but Shalorus refuses to go down and raises his hands to
the cheers of the crowd. Shalorus flurries at the end of the
round. Exciting fight. MMAWeekly scores the round 10-8 for Varner
with the point deduction.
R3
- Shalorus fires off a high kick. And again, Shalorus lands a
kick to Varner's groin. The replay shows the brutality of it.
The referee tells Shalorus he's not taking a point this time
but warns him about landing another one. It's the third low blow
of the fight by Shalorus. The fight continues after a few minutes.
Shalorus unloads high kicks but are blocked. Varner using a lot
of jabs as if he may have injured his right hand. With three
minutes remaining Shalorus gets a takedown, but Varner ties him
up. Shalorus landing body shots while Varner attepts to strike
off his back. Varner explodes back to his fee with less than
a minute remaining. With the sound of the ten seconds remaining,
Varner raises his hands and taunts Shalorus. MMAWeekly scores
the final round 10-9 for Shalorus.
The
judges score it a draw (29-27, 27-29, 28-28)
-Mark
Hominick vs. Yves Jabouin
R1
- Jabouin's speed displayed early as he fired kicks and was light
on his feet. Hominick pressed forward, but Jabouin's activity
with jabs and kicks didn't allow him to find his range. Jabouin
landed a spinning back fist. The amount of strikes he's thrown
is amazing. His pace has to slow at some point. And with a minute
remaining, it does. Hominick still moving forward and lands a
solid shot to the body but Jabouin takes the round 10-9 with
activity and more landed strikes.
R2
- Hominick finding more success in the opening of round 2. Jabouin
lands a spinning elbow, but Hominick not bothered. Hominick continues
to land left hooks to the body and one causes Jabouin to fold
over. Jabouin survives. He gets back to his feet and drops Hominick
with a right hand. Homincik reverses him on the gruond and finds
himself in the mount position. Jabouin taking punches. The referee
is watching closely and stops the fight. What a back and forth
battle. Hominick wins by TKO.
Mark
Hominick def. Yves Jabouin by TKO at 3:21, R2
-Josh
Grispi vs. LC Davis
R1
- Each careful in their approach. Grispi letting kicks fly and
Davis picking and choosing his punches well. Davis gets a takedown,
slamming Grispi to the canvas half way through the round but
Grispi applies a guillotine choke and LC Davis goes to sleep.
Josh
Grispi def. LC Davis by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:33,
R1
-Chris
Horodecki vs. Dan Downes
R1
- Downes putting his jab out there and after a couple of leg
kicks Horodecki gets a takedown and works for a guillotine choke.
Downes defends and gets back to his feet but Horodecki presses
him against the cage. They exchange knees along the fence before
Horodecki takes it to the ground again where he peppered Downes
with punches and advances to the mount position. Downes gives
up his back and Horodecki applies a rear naked choke. Downes
survives and takes Horodecki's back briefly before they scrambled
back to their feet. MMAWeekly.com scores the round 10-9 for Horodecki.
R2
- They stand and exchange with Horodecki landing a couple of
spinning back kicks to the body. Horodecki finds his timing and
begins to land punches to the face of Downes. Horodecki secures
a takedown but Downes scrambles back to his feet where he takes
more damage standing. Downes simply can't get anything going.
Downes looks fatigued likely due to taking the fight on short
notice. MMAWeekly scores the round 10-9 for Horodecki.
R3
- Downes comes out going after Horodecki but loses the exchange.
Horodecki powers him to the canvas and takes Downes' back wehre
he applies a rear naked choke that forced Downes to tap out.
Chris
Horodecki def. Dan Downes by submission (rear naked choke) at
1:09, R3
-Will
Campuzano vs. Eddie Wineland
R1
- Campuzano used leg kicks effectively throughout the round.
Wineland began timing the leg kicks and unleashing counter right
hands, knocked Campuzano down with one. Late in the round he
caught an outside leg kick delivered by Campuzano and landed
a couple of right hands sending Campuzano on his backside. Campuzano
was never in trouble but lost the round according to MMAWeekly
due to the takedowns and power punching of Wineland.
R2
- Wineland used footwork to move in and out and land punches
early, but as the round went on Campuzano found his range. With
just over a minute remaining, Wineland landed a combination that
hurt Campuzano. Wineland pounced on him trying to finish but
Campuzano worked his way back to his feet and began firing back.
Wineland hurt him again and ended it with a body shot that collapsed
Campuzano and the referee stopped the action. Wineland wins by
TKO.
Eddie
Wineland def. Will Campuzano by TKO at 4:44 R2.
WEC
49 QUICK RESULTS:
Main
Bouts (On Versus):
-Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus ruled a draw ((29-27, 27-29,
28-28)
-Mark Hominick def. Yves Jabouin by TKO at 3:21, R2
-Josh Grispi def. LC Davis by submission (guillotine choke) at
2:33, R1
-Chris Horodecki def. Dan Downes by submission (rear naked choke)
at 1:09, R3
-Eddie Wineland def. Will Campuzano by TKO at 4:44 R2
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Will Kerr def. Karen Darabedyan by Submission (Armbar) at 1:20,
R1
-Wagnney Fabiano def. Frankie Gomez by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Erik Koch def. Bendy Casimir by Submission (Triangle Choke)
at 3:01, R1
-Diego Nunes def. Raphael Assuncao by Split Decision, R3
-Chris Cariaso def. Rafael Rebello by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Renan Barao def. Anthony Leone by Submission (Armbar) at 2:29,
R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fair
or foul, Varner and Shalorus prove mettle
EDMONTON,
Alberta – All week long, Jamie Varner told anyone who would
listen that Kamal Shalorus was the toughest fighter no one had
ever heard of.
After
the two met in the main event of World Extreme Cagefighting’s
Canadian debut at Rexall Place on Sunday night, Varner had the
battle scars to prove it. Varner showed up to the WEC 49 post-fight
news conference with bruises on his face, a cast covering a broken
right hand and untold pain from three direct low blows.
Varner,
the former WEC lightweight champion, took Shalorus to a draw
after a raucous, foul-filled brawl. Nelson Hamilton scored the
fight 29-27 for Varner; Cameron Quwek 29-27 for Shalorus; and
Cecil Peoples scored it 28-28. Yahoo! Sports also had it 28-28.
“I’ll
tell you what, he’s a tough dude,” said Varner (16-3-1,
two no-contests). “The way he hits, I feel like I’m
lucky to be here. I’m lucky I didn’t come away with
more injuries.”
In
Shalorus (6-0-2), Varner was fighting an accomplished wrestler
who was looking to make an impression in his biggest career spotlight.
In
the eyes of most observers, Varner won the first round by fighting
with a smart game plan: Moving side to side, sticking and moving
with two-punch combos, and allowing Shalorus neither the range
nor the momentum to score a takedown.
Midway
through the second round, though, Varner winced and pulled back
his right hand after connecting with a punch. After his hand
broke, Varner was less active with his standup, and soon enough,
his woes mounted.
Low
kicks comprised the bulk of Shalorus’ offense, and Varner’s
lead leg was beaten raw from the onslaught. But Shalorus was
also less-than-pinpoint with his kicking, and he twice struck
Varner directly in the groin in the second round with left kicks.
Shalorus was deducted a point by referee Josh Rosenthal for the
second kick.
“When
he kicks, I’ve got a cup, but it pinches stuff to the side,”
Varner said. “Look at the guy’s legs. He’s got
tree trunks for legs. Whether he grazes me or hits me direct,
that’s a tough kick. It doesn’t matter if it was my
legs, my nuts – everything hurts.”
Shalorus
connected with a third direct shot to the groin early in the
third round. Varner, who has history with drama (think Varner
getting docked a point for running at UFC 62 against Hermes Franca,
or not continuing after a foul in his match with Donald Cerrone
last year) took nearly the full five minutes of injury time allowed
after a foul. This time, Rosenthal didn’t deduct a point.
Shalorus
said the strikes were unintentional, and they didn’t detract
from his game plan, as he continued with low kicks even after
the fouls piled up.
“I
am a warrior,” said Shalorus, a native of Northern Iran
who now lives in Austin, Texas. “I do not cheat. It was
not intentional.”
The
battered Varner continued on. But Shalorus managed a takedown
and kept Varner on the ground for much of the remainder of the
fight. When the bout was announced a draw, Varner didn’t
hesitate to share his thoughts on the decision.
“Minus
the low blows, I feel like I won that fight,” Varner said.
“I hit harder, I hit more often. I got taken down once and
I got back up and hit harder and stronger than ever. Even without
the docked point, I feel like I won that fight.”
Shalorus,
who for his part sported a cast on his right leg at the post-fight
presser, didn’t argue with the decision.
“It
was a great fight,” he said. “The judges know what
they are watching and they know what they see.”
It
is unclear whether the result will get in the way of a title
rematch between Varner and Ben Henderson, the man who defeated
Varner for the title in January. WEC promoter Reed Harris indicated
no decision has been made, but Varner still wants his crack at
the gold.
“That’s
the most disappointing part,” he said. “I had that
belt for almost two years, and I trained so hard for this. I
feel like I won the fight, and I hope I get the opportunity.”
In
the other bout of note Sunday evening, Josh Grispi stated his
case for a future featherweight title shot with a quick victory
over L.C. Davis. The 22-year old Bostonian, nicknamed “The
Fluke,” was on the sideline for a year after undergoing
surgery to repair a nagging ankle injury. But Grispi picked up
where he left off, submitting Davis with a rear-naked choke in
two minutes, 33 seconds.
Davis
went for a takedown and took Grispi for a ride, but Grispi appeared
to anticipate what was about to happen and stayed patient. As
soon as they hit the mat, Grispi applied the choke. Davis held
on, but finally tapped.
“I
knew once we hit the ground I’d have an opening,” Grispi
said. ” … I felt him go limp, and I told the ref ‘I
think he’s out,’ but he didn’t hear me, so I shook
[Davis’] arm so the ref would see it.”
Grispi
is now 4-0 in the WEC and 14-1 overall. All four of his WEC victories
were finished before the three-minute mark. The win puts Grispi
on the short list of top contenders, along with Manny Gamburyan,
for the next shot at Jose Aldo’s featherweight title.
“I’m
ready to fight anyone,” Grispi said. “Win or lose,
I want to fight the best.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
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SANDRO
KO'S KANEHARA TO WIN SENGOKU TITLE
It's pretty obvious that Nova Uniao knows how teach their fighters
to strike.
Current
WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has proven to be one of
the most dangerous fighters on the planet with his hands, knees
and feet, and now his teammate Marlon Sandro can join him as
a champion and fellow knockout artist as he finished off Masanori
Kanehara in only :38 seconds with a vicious uppercut at Sengoku
on Saturday night.
Sandro's
only career defeat came by way of split decision to Michihiro
Omigawwa last year, and apparently that loss left more than a
sour taste in his mouth as he's wiped out his last 3 opponents
by knockout in just over 3 minutes of total time.
Facing
Kanehara, Sandro came out strong tagging the Japanese fighter
early, before following up with a big uppercut that floored his
opponent, and left him unconscious on the mat. Kanehara was eventually
taken out on a stretcher in a scary moment after laying motionless
for several minutes.
The
Sengoku welterweight tournament opening round also kicked off
with two fighters making it through to the next round. Keita
Nakamura picked up a TKO win over Omar De La Cruz, while Takuya
Wada got the nod by split decision over Jae Sun Lee.
Lightweight
prospect Maximo Blanco dispatched of one-time Strikeforce lightweight
Rodrigo Damm with strikes in the 2nd round of their bout in Sengoku.
Also
on the card was King of Pancrase in the light heavyweight division
Ryo Kawamura who picked up an impressive TKO win over Hidetada
Irie in the 2nd round of their fight. The win was the 2nd in
a row for Kawamura.
SENGOKU
13 FULL RESULTS:
Marlon
Sandro def. Masanori Kanehara by KO at :38 seconds, R1
Keita Nakamura def. Omar De La Cruz by TKO at 2:53, R2
Takaya Wada def. Jae Sun Lee by split decision, R3
Maximo Blanco def. Rodrigo Damm by TKO at :45 seconds, R2
Ryo Kawamura def. Hidetada Irie by TKO at 3:00, R2
Hiroshi Izumi def. Chang Seob Lee by TKO at 4:37, R1
Shigeki Osawa def. Katsuya Toida by DQ (strikes to the groin)
at 1:53, R3
Yasubey Enomoto def. Sanae Kikuta by TKO at 3:57, R1
Doo Ho Choi def. Ikuo Usada by split decision
Kazuki Tokudome def. Yuma Ishizuka by TKO at 3:22, R1
Ye Won Nam def. Ikkei Nagamura by submission (rear naked choke)
at 3:03, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
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JOSH
GRISPI WINS, POISED FOR SHOT AT JOSE ALDO
Josh Grispi hadn’t been in the cage in more than a year
when he faced L.C. Davis at WEC 49 on Sunday night, but after
his stunning performance, he declared, “I’m too young
for ring rust,” dispelling any talk of time away being a
factor for him.
Davis
scored the first big move of the bout, scooping Grispi up and
slamming him to the mat. But the explosive offensive maneuver
would also be his downfall. Grispi cinched a guillotine choke
during the takedown, putting Davis to sleep.
Now
14-1, Grispi has to be on the short list for a shot at current
WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“For
sure. I’m ready to test my skills against anyone,”
Grispi said when asked if he was ready to challenge the champ.
“Win or lose, I want to fight the best and test myself.
Whatever the WEC wants, I’ll do.”
Fighting
on his home turf for the first time in four years, Canadian Chris
Horodecki took full advantage of late replacement Danny Downes,
thoroughly dominating the Duke Roufus trained fighter.
Horodecki,
known for his striking prowess, showed a new side of himself
in the opening round, quickly taking Downes to the mat, nearly
submitting him with a rear naked choke. In round two, he shifted
gears and picked Downes apart on the feet, showing why he is
one of the most respected strikers in the WEC.
Downes
charged out of his corner, desperately trying to mount some offense
in round three, but Horodecki put him on the mat for the final
time, quickly finishing the rear naked choke that he couldn’t
in round one.
“Danny
was super tough... thank you for stepping up to the plate,”
said Horodecki after the fight, acknowledging Downes stepping
in on just four days notice.
He
admitted it was tough to deal with a change in opponent so late
in the game, but added, “I’m just happy to fight here
in Canada for you guys.”
Will
Campuzano and Eddie Wineland lived up to expectations, unleashing
a furious striking battle from the opening bell of the televised
portion of the show, but it was Wineland’s less orthodox
style that paid off in the end.
Campuzano
continued to come forward all fight long, trying to find an opening
for his brutal kicks, but Wineland used his countering style,
superior head movement, and darted in and out to keep him off
balance. Wineland dropped the Mexican-born fighter twice in the
opening round, setting him up for the big finish in round two.
A
Superman punch followed by a furious punch combination sent Campuzano
staggering backwards late in the second stanza. Wineland pounced
on the downed fighter, but couldn't finish him. When he regained
his feet, Campuzano threw successive flying knees in desperation,
but Wineland hurt him with another flurry of punches before dropping
Campuzano for the final time with a right hook to the body.
“I’m
gonna keep doing what I got to do to get that hardware back,”
Wineland, the former WEC bantamweight champion, said after the
fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
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Maia
seeks evolution on training for Belcher
There
are still three months left for the next fight of Demian Maia
on UFC, but is wrong who thinks that the black belt is taking
some time off. With an eye on the really tough Alan Belcher,
his opponent on September 15, the Brazilian told TATAME he is
doing specific trainings of Wrestling in Chicago, United States,
with some of the best coaches on that modality.
“Wrestling
is a part of Jiu-Jitsu, but these guys are extremely focused
on this takedown part, so it’s excellent. You can train
with guys who know every single detail that is to know about
this technique”, says Demian, who is training with the coaches
of the American team who competed on the Olympics’ 2008,
in Beijing. “They have a high level training. Usually, the
trainings on the United States are done in colleges, but this
one is done in an specific gym”, explains.
The
more specific trainings on American lands are just a part of
his search for excellence, which also counts with Boxing training
with Luiz Carlos Dórea, the responsible coach for the
trade of punches of the Nogueira brothers and Junior Cigano.
“I always try to improve in all areas. This takedown part,
for the Jiu-Jitsu, is very important, and it’s my focus
now, because it still is far from my fight. I have to improve
even my conditioning, because if I get there to take him down
and I’m not prepared to do it, I’ll be screwed, so
it’s a search for improvement”, concluded.
Source: Tatame
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Maui
Jiu-Jitsu Open
July 17,
2010
BJJ & No Gi
Maui War Memorial, Wailuku, Maui
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 9:
Mayhem at the Mansion
Kilohana Carriage
House
June 26th 2010
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
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Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ Set for Aug 14
This
will be a gi and no-gi tournament and wil be held at Kaiser High
School.
Check out the website: http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com
More information
coming soon!
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