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2010
11/27/10
Aloha
State BJJ
Championships: Final Conflict
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
11/6/10
X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Man Up & Stand Up Kickboxing Championship
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
10/23/10
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H.S. Gym)
10/15-17/10
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS: GI/NO-GI tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai)
10/16/10
DESTINY: Undisputed
Beyer vs Manners II
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
10/2/10
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu
9/11/10
X-1: Heroes
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
9/10/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/4/10
DESTINY:New Era
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/28/10
Big
Island Open
(BJJ)
(Hilo Armory, Hilo)
8/14/10
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & No Gi)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
USA Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Lihue Convention Hall, Lihue, Kauai)
8/13/10
Battleground Challenge 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
8/7/10
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
8/6/10
Mad Skills
(Triple Threat/Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
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)
(99 Market Shopping Center, Mapunapuna)
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)
4/28/10
Chris Smith BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Hilo)
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)
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October
2010 News Part 1
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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
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Slavens!
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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
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He
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three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
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We
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Click here for pricing and more
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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 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 Knife & 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?
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If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
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Diaz
Outboxes Noons, Retains Title
by Mike
Whitman
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Nick Diaz finally got his revenge.
The
Cesar Gracie product earned a unanimous decision over K.J. Noons,
retained his Strikeforce welterweight title and avenged his 2007
loss to the former EliteXC lightweight champion in the Strikeforce
“Diaz vs. Noons 2” main event on Saturday at the HP
Pavilion. Scores were 48-47, 49-47 and 49-46 for Diaz, who won
his eighth consecutive fight.
“I
can beat this guy in a boxing match,” Diaz said. “I’ll
also tap him out on the ground. This is mixed martial arts. I
can do it all.”
Diaz
exhibited a noticeable change in strategy from their first fight
by coming out orthodox and using his reach to keep Noons at a
distance. Early in the first round, Diaz buckled Noons with a
beautifully timed straight right hand and pushed Noons into side
control on the ground. Noons’ long hair appeared to hinder
him, as he constantly needed to wipe it from his eyes.
In
round two, Noons evened the score and opened a cut over Diaz’s
right eye. Both men began to talk trash, standing in front of
each other and winging punches. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black
belt stole the momentum back in round three, however, as he frustrated
Noons with straight punches, causing him to swing out of frustration.
Diaz countered off of those shots, bloodying his opponent’s
nose and taunting him even further.
The
championship rounds brought more of the same, as Diaz continued
to use his reach advantage to pepper the challenger. Though Noons
landed a few shots of his own, Diaz’s volume punching was
too much for him to handle. Chants of “Diaz” rang out
through the arena after he ate a nasty uppercut from Noons and
stormed back, landing a stout knee and a stiff one-two to end
round four. In the fifth, Diaz landed more strikes at a much
higher rate. The crowd stood and cheered the efforts of both
men as time expired.
“He
beat me fair and square,” Noons said. “He was the better
man.”
Thomson
Outpoints Cavalcante, Targets Melendez
Thomson
vs. CavalcanteIn a battle that could have gone either way, former
Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson took a significant
step toward regaining his title by earning what some saw as a
puzzling unanimous decision over stocky Brazilian Gesias “JZ”
Cavalcante. Unfortunately, the scorecards did not reflect the
closeness of the fight, as Thomson earned scores of 29-28, 29-28
and 30-27.
“I
felt like s--t in here,” Thomson said. “I left it in
the judges’ hands, and that’s not something I like
to do. JZ’s one of the hardest hitting guys I’ve ever
been in the cage with. I’ve got nothing but respect for
him.”
Both
fighters came out of the gate ready to get busy. After what looked
to be an accidental clash of heads, Cavalcante landed a massive
right hand, staggering the former champion. Thomson looked immediately
to shoot, but JZ locked up an arm-in guillotine choke and pulled
guard. With the strain on his face visible, Cavalcante tried
to finish. The partisan crowd cheered on Thomson and erupted
when he finally popped his head out of the submission. From the
top, Thomson landed some ground-and-pound and secured a submission
attempt of his own, cinching an arm-triangle choke and passing
to side control. Though the Brazilian was in trouble, he held
on to the end of the round.
In
round two, the two lightweights took a few minutes to recover
until Thomson pressed and scored a leg trip. After nearly taking
the Brazilian’s back, the American Kickboxing Academy standout
worked from the half guard, landing strikes and winning the round.
The
tide seemed to turn in round three, as Cavalcante executed a
powerful throw and landed in full mount. The Dream veteran failed
to inflict any punishment, however, as “The Punk” recovered
guard and postured for the cameras before scrambling to his feet.
Once there, heads seemed to accidentally clash once more, and
JZ jumped on the opportunity. The fight ended with Thomson attempting
submissions from his back. The win puts Thomson in position for
a potential rubber match with reigning Strikeforce lightweight
king Gilbert Melendez.
“Everybody
knows Gilbert and I are friends,” Thomson said. “I’m
knocking on the door to get my title back. Everybody’s wanting
to see the trilogy.”
Coenen
Dehtrones Kaufman
Coenen
vs. KaufmanDutch standout Marloes Coenen ended Sarah Kaufman’s
unbeaten streak and lifted her belt with a dramatic third-round
armbar in the women’s welterweight title fight.
The
match began with both women standing in the pocket willing to
trade. Coenen used her reach, as she fired off leg kicks and
right hand leads, trying to catch the shorter Kaufman coming
in. Coenen closed the distance and clinched, but the wily Kaufman
secured double under hooks and landed an elbow. The action was
methodical until the end of the second round, when Coenen unleashed
a beautiful throw that Kaufman immediately reversed, to the crowd’s
delight. From Coenen’s guard, the Canadian fended off submission
attempts while throwing hard punches as the round came to a close.
The
third frame began with another Coenen takedown, followed by another
Kaufman reversal. Once on top, the champion began to throw bombs
aimed directly at Coenen’s skull. The Golden Glory fighter
absorbed punishment from her back but never surrendered, locking
up Kaufman’s right arm. Kaufman tapped furiously at 1:59
of the third. The former Hardcore Championship Fighting 135-pound
champion mounted a small protest after the fight, evidently complaining
that Coenen did not release the hold soon enough. Coenen apologized
afterward.
“I
really didn’t know,” Coenen said. “Normally in
training, I know when to let go. The referee was a little late.”
Unbeaten
Woodley Blasts Galvao
Woodley
vs. Galvao Undefeated welterweight prospect Tyron Woodley opened
the show with a bang, as he scored a technical knockout over
Andre Galvao at 1:48 of round one.
An
All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, Woodley
used his wrestling pedigree to stuff his opponent’s takedown
attempts and batter him standing. Woodley credited his victory
to his preparation.
“I
had to dig down deep,” said Woodley. “I trained everything
hard for this fight. I had a lot of guys who helped me with my
striking. I had to mix things out, and it all came together.”
The
American Top Team product landed a stiff right hand to Galvao’s
jaw early on and never looked back, following up with a hard
body kick. Galvao, a seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion,
tried valiantly to score takedowns on several occasions, but
Woodley’s wrestling proved too much, as he landed vicious
hammer fists to a prone Galvao.
After
getting back to his feet, the Brazilian wobbled noticeably before
shooting one last time. Woodley met him again with a sprawl and
punches, and referee Josh Rosenthal had no choice but to stop
the contest to save Galvao from further punishment. With that,
Woodley staked his claim to title contention.
“I
think it’s obvious where I fit,” he said. “I think
I should be up next [for a title shot].”
David Blanco vs. Christian Buron
Round 1
Blanco runs across the cage to meet his opponent and catches
a Buron body kick. He uses the leg to land a right hand over
the top and drop Buron. He climbs on top and starts pounding,
but Buron recovers. Buron rocks Blanco with a right hand Blanco
gives up his back. Buron can't finish. Now both men are swinging
in the middle of the cage. They end up against the fence in a
stalemate as the round ends. 10-9 Blanco.
Round
2
Blanco
vs. BuronBuron throws a high kick, but it's blocked. Blanco is
moving around the ring and defending well. He charges, but is
met by a Buron flurry. Buron executes a nice hip toss, but Blanco
pops right back up. Blanco lands a stiff uppercut. Buron scores
a takedown, but it is immediately reversed. The round ends before
Blanco can do any damage. 10-9 Buron.
Round
3
Buron lands a left straight to start the round, but Blanco charges
forward. The pair clinch on the fence, and Blanco scores a takedown.
He's controlling Buron in side mount, landing shoulder butts
and choppy right hands to Buron's ribs. Buron recovers guard
and swivels for an armbar, but Blanco defends and lands shots
to Buron's face as the round expires. 10-9 Blanco.
Official:
Split decision for Blanco with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29.
Alan
Francis Perez vs. Johnathan Del Rosario
Round 1
The fighters touch gloves to open the round. Perez is working
his jab, and lands a nice body kick. The fighters clinch. Perez
bulls forward, but is thrown into the cage face-first for his
trouble. Relentless, Perez finally secures a takedown, landing
in side control. Perez is content to hold position. Del Rosario
recovers guard briefly and mule-kicks Perez off, but Perez is
right back on top. Now he has an anaconda choke. It looks deep,
but Del Rosario will not quit as the round ends. 10-9 Perez.
Round
2
Perez
vs. Del RosarioPerez charges forward immediately, but Del Rosario
stuffs his takedown attempt, landing on top himself. Perez is
going for a kimura from bottom, but has no leverage on the bottom
in side control. Del Rosario gains back control, but can't secure
the hooks. He finally sinks those hooks in, but time expires
before he can apply a choke. 10-9 Del Rosario.
Round
3
Both fighters exchange and end up against the fence. They exchange
punches until Perez lands a hard, clean shot, and Del Rosario
crumples to the mat. The referee calls a stop to the fight at
0:48 of round three.
Hess
vs. Faria
Jared Hess vs. Eric Faria
Round 1
Both fighters are staying on the outside until Hess shoots in.
Faria stuffs it, but Hess grinds him up against the cage until
he can finish the double-leg. Faria is defending well, using
a high guard to avoid punishment with his head against the fence.
Faria tries for an armbar to end the round, but it's not even
close. 10-9 Hess.
Round
2
Hess lands a crisp jab to start the round. Faria lands a leg
kick and then a push kick. Hess initiates the clinch and secures
a takedown. Hess is working for an arm-triangle from the top.
It looks deep. Faria submits at 1:13 of round 2.
Jonathan
Chaplin vs. Ben Ernest
Round 1
Chaplin lands a right hand that doesn't hurt Ernest, but drops
him to his butt for a just a moment. Chaplin is working his jab.
Ernest lands a sharp hook to the liver and then a leg kick. Ernest
gets the leg trip, but Chaplin reverses it, getting back to his
feet. Ernest again grabs him by the collar and pulls Chaplin
down, but again Chaplin reverses the position. 10-10.
Chaplin
vs. Ernest
Round 2
Ernest lands another leg kick to start the round, but Chaplin
shoots a double and takes him down against the fence. Chaplin
passes to side control and starts to land some forearm strikes
that look dangerously close to elbow strikes. Chaplin is in total
control. 10-9 Chaplin.
Round
3
Chaplin again fires off his jab to begin round three. He follows
up with a left hook that drops Ernest against the fence. Heavy
ground and pound is coming from Chaplin, now, and the ref is
taking a long look at Ernest's defense. Somehow, Ernest survives,
though he is trapped under Ernest's mouth.
Incredibly,
Ernest rolls him over and reverses the position. Now Ernest is
landing shots from the top, and the referee is close to stopping
it again. Chaplin survives and holds on from guard to end the
round. 10-10.
Official
scores: unanimous decision for Chaplin 29-28 (all three cards).
Justin
Bronson vs. Robert Johnson
Round 1
Johnson charges in, but Bronson reverses, using a front headlock
to control Johnson. Bronson sprawls on a Johnson takedown and
swivels around, nearly taking Johnson's back. Bronson is looking
for an armbar from back control, but
the round ends. 10-9 Bronson.
Johnson
vs. Bronson
Round 2
Bronson charges ahead and clinches, but it's Johnson who reverses
this time. Bronson is relentless, however, and scores a pretty
hip toss. He transitions into back control, but Johnson turns
into him, landing in Bronson's guard. Bronson again reverses,
but Johnson is looking for a guillotine. Bronson is out of it
and ends the round on top. 10-9 Bronson.
Round
3
Johnson moves forward, but Bronson turns him around. Johnson
escapes, and Bronson now looks extremely tired. Johnson is landing
shots on the feet, and Bronson is not responding. The referee
steps in to save Bronson from further punishment at 1:20 of round
three.
Jess
Bouscal vs. Luis Mendoza
Round 1
Bouscal comes out aggressive, throwing a front kick and initiating
the clinch. He gets the body lock and scores a takedown. Mendoza
goes for an armbar on bottom, but Bouscal shrugs him off and
lands a nasty hammer fist. Bouscal is doubling up on his punches
now, landing to the body and the head. Mendoza is still holding
on, but gives up his back. Bouscal locks in the rear-naked choke
that looks more like a neck crank and tries to turn it into an
arm triangle. Somehow, Mendoza escapes, ending up in Bouscal's
guard. Now Mendoza is trying some ground and pound, but Bouscal
pushes him off and gets back to his feet. Mendoza catches him
coming in, and throws him with a hip toss. Bouscal is back to
his fee, and landing knees from a front headlock. Now both men
are back to their feet, slugging in the center of the cage. Bouscal
clinches and scores another takedown. Bouscal is taking some
heavy breaths from top position. Now Bouscal is landing more
strikes from top. The round ends in Mendoza's guard. 10-9 Bouscal.
Bouscal
vs. Mendoza
Round 2
Mendoza throws a heavy uppercut but catches a kick to the face
for his troubles. Bouscal takes him down. Mendoza looks for a
heel hook, but Bouscal escapes and lands a huge shot that looks
to knock Mendoza unconscious. Mendoza recovers quickly, but it's
unclear if he just went to sleep for a split second. Bouscal
continues to control from the top, landing shots to Mendoza's
face. Bouscal passes to half guard and then to north-south. He's
dropping leather and secures the full mount. Here come the shots.
Bouscal locks up an arm-triangle and cinches it for a few seconds
before Mendoza finally taps out at 3:00 of round two.
Ron
Keslar vs. Josh McDonald
Round 1
Both fighters come out cautiously, with McDonald landing a couple
of leg kicks. The fighters clinch, and both men are active, landing
short punches and knees. Mendoza presses Keslar against the fence,
but he escapes. The two reset in the center of the cage. McDonald
tries a double-leg, but Keslar's defense is sound. Both men work
from the clinch, and Keslar lands a nice knee to the body as
they break. McDonald lands a switch-kick to the body, then a
sharp leg kick followed by a nice left hook. Keslar comes storming
back, however, landing a right hand and a high kick. He's throwing
everything with bad intentions. McDonald shoots the double, but
Keslar counters with a guillotine. He can't secure it and the
pair again reset. McDonald is way off with a spinning backfist.
Keslar charges, and McDonald whiffs on an uppercut. Neither man
can land to end the round. 10-9 Keslar.
Keslar
vs. McDonald
Round 2
McDonald is going back to the leg kicks to start the round. He
shoots a double, but Keslar stuffs it. Keslar lands a nice lead-right
hand and locks up a Thai plum, landing knees to the body of McDonald.
Keslar barely misses with a head kick and rushes forward. He
again locks up the clinch, but eats and short right hand for
his efforts. Both men are sizing each other up from the outside,
now. Neither is willing to engage. McDonald land a stiff leg
kick followed by a right uppercut. Keslar doesn't appreciate
it and fires back. McDonald throws a high kick, but it's blocked.
Mendoza wings a right hand, but it doesn't land. With less than
a minute to go in the round, McDonald plows ahead and scores
a double-leg. He ends the round in top position. 10-9 McDonald.
Round
3
McDonald lands a pair of leg kicks to start round three. Both
men look a little tired, now. Keslar takes the center of the
cage, but not a ton is happening. McDonald lands a left hook
at the same time Keslar lands a jab. McDonald stings his opponent
with a sharp leg kick. Both men are swinging and hitting nothing
but air. McDonald is moving around the outside, circling to his
left. McDonald throws a high kick, but it's blocked. Keslar fires
off a one-two, but it hits nothing. McDonald again stings him
with a pair of leg kicks. Keslar is finally pressing the action,
but he's still not landing. 10-9 McDonald.
Official
scores: McDonald takes the unanimous decision with tallies of
29-28 across the board.
James
Terry vs. David Marshall
Round 1
Terry lands a stiff left jab followed by a leg kick. Terry lands
a hard right hand. Marshall looks out of sorts on his feet, as
he gets popped with another jab and then a wicked superman punch.
Terry lands a hard right hand as Marshal comes in. It's unbelieveable
that Marshall's knees haven't buckled yet. Terry lands a massive
leg kick. Marshall looks to be settling in, but he's still taking
heavy punishment, including a colossal left hook that lands flush
on Marshall's cheek. Terry lands another left hook and then a
high kick. Marshall's only weapon is the leg kick. Terry accidentally
pokes him in the eye. Once Marshall is recovered, Terry again
stings him with a superman punch. Either Marshall's chin is amazing,
or Terry's power is suspect. 10-8 Terry.
Terry
vs. Marshall
Round 2
Marshall clinches immediately, but Terry spins off the cage and
reestablishes distance. The fighters trade leg kicks. Terry lands
a right hand, followed by a left hook to the body and then the
head. Terry lands a right to the body. Marshall is bleeding from
the face visibly. Marshall tries a right hand, but there's no
power to it. Marshall shoots a single, but Terry slips out easily.
Terry is landing at will. He connects with a sharp right hand
and a thudding leg kick. Marshall sighs heavily at his inability
to score. Terry lands yet another superman punch, this time dropping
Marshall just as the round ends. 10-8 Terry.
Round
3
Marshall comes out for the third round valiantly. He stuff's
a Terry takedown and tries to land a knee. Terry is keeping his
distance until Marshall initiates the clinch and jumps into guard.
He lets it go, but pulls guard again moments later, this time
pulling Terry down with him. Terry escapes as soon as Marshall
opens his guard. Back on the feet, Marshall is doing slightly
better, though he's still getting the worst of the exchanges.
Marshall lands another superman punch and a crisp leg kick before
hitting Marshall with a lead-leg high kick that slaps against
Marshall's cheek. Terry catches a low kick and fires off a right
straight. Another superman punch from Terry, followed by a left
hook, a high kick and a flying knee to end the round. 10-8 Terry.
Official
scores: 30-27 (twice) and 30-26 for Terry, who takes the unanimous
decision.
Steve
Dickey vs. Justin Willis
Round 1
Dickey charges forward, but Willis changes levels and takes him
down. Dickey struggles to his feet, but he eats some big shots
for his trouble. He's cut above his left eye. Willis tries a
belly-to-belly suplex, but Dickey posts an arm and secures the
mount. Willis rolls over and Dickey transitions to back control.
Willis escapes and struggles to his feet, with both men now engaged
in the clinch. Dickey catches a knee low just before the round
ends. 10-9 Dickey.
Dickey
vs. Willis
Round 2
Willis lands a hard inside leg kick, knocking Dickey down. Willis
again sweeps him with that inside leg kick. Dickey lands a foot
stop from the clinch. Both men are trading, but Dickey is getting
the worst of it. He's moving forward, but Willis is punishing
him for doing so. 10-9 Willis.
Round
3
Willis leads with a left hand, but Dickey counters with a spinning
back fist. The fighters clinch, and Willis is now landing heavy
knees to Dickey's body. Willis takes him down, and Dickey pulls
guard. Willis passes to half guard, landing light shots in the
process. 10-9 Willis.
Official
scores: Willis takes the unanimous decision with scores of 29-28,
30-27 and 30-29.
Tyron
Woodley vs. Andre Galvao
Round 1
Woodley
vs. Galvao Referee Josh Rosenthal officiates the first televised
bout of the evening. The welterweights tag one another with jabs
to open up. Galvao shoots a high single-leg which Woodley easily
sprawls on, then delivers a flurry of short punches to the head.
Galvao stands and tries another takedown, and again Woodley slips
it. A third takedown attempt from Galvao yields nothing, and
this time Woodley lands a few hard right hands before Galvao
can get up. Galvao stands on rubbery legs and dives for Woodley's
leg once again. This time, Woodley catches him on the way in
and Galvao falls on his face. Rosenthal dives in for the save
at 1:48 of the first round.
Strikeforce
Women’s Welterweight Championship
Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen
Round 1
Dan Stell is the referee for this title bout. Both women circle
tentatively, Coenen throwing some hard punches which whiff and
some outside leg kicks which don't. Both beginning to open up
with combinations after 90 seconds. Kaufman is getting the better
of the exchanges, but Coenen still landing leg kicks. Coenen
initiates the clinch, but Kaufman gets underhooks and puts the
challenger's back to the fence. Stell doesn't like the clinch
work and breaks them up. Coenen lands a hard overhand right followed
by a left hook, then ducks inside for underhooks. Kaufman again
reverses and walks Coenen across the cage as the Golden Glory
product looks for knees from the Thai clinch. They stall out
against the fence, drawing boos, and Stell restarts them again.
They trade a few exchanges and clinch up again as the round ends.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Coenen
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Coenen
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Coenen
Round
2
Coenen
vs. KaufmanKaufman is looking for combinations, but Coenen using
her range well to avoid damage. They clinch, and again Kaufman
muscles Coenen's back to the fence. The pair trade low knees
in the clinch, but it's mostly jockeying for position. The crowd
lets them hear it and the ref breaks it up. Coenen lands a kick
to the body; Kaufman absorbs it and catches the leg, rushing
Coenen into the cage. They trade knees until Stell splits them
up with a minute remaining in the frame. Hard right straight
lands for Coenen. Kaufman charges in to clinch, but Coenen uses
a beautiful trip to send the champ to the mat. Kaufman winds
up on top, though, and it's Coenen trying an armbar from underneath.
Kaufman escapes just as the round expires.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Coenen
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Coenen
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-10
Round
3
Coenen scores another takedown early in the third, but Kaufman
quickly sweeps. The challenger angles for a submission and Kaufman
nudges her toward the cage. Kaufman postures up in Coenen's guard
and begins going wild with hammerfists. Coenen catches the champion's
right arm and straightens out an armbar as Kaufman stands. Referee
Stell jumps in for the stoppage at 1:59 of the third round, and
Marloes Coenen is the new Strikeforce women's 135-pound champion.
Josh
Thomson vs. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
Round 1
John McCarthy is the referee for this lightweight tilt. Cavalcante
lands a leg kick and rushes Thomson into the fence with over-unders.
"JZ" working for the takedown as McCarthy warns him
against holding the fence. They disengage and Thomson lands a
few teep and leg kicks. Cavalcante drops Thomson with a right
hand and Thomson shoots, dazed. The Brazilian grabs an arm-in
guillotine and jumps guard. The choke looks extremely tight,
but Thomson rides it out for what seems like half a minute and
works from Cavalcante's guard. Cavalcante works the rubber guard
and tries for a triangle, then an armbar, but Thomson extracts
himself. Thomson grabs a tight arm-triangle choke with less than
20 seconds left, but "JZ" survives.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante
Round
2
Thomson
vs. CavalcanteThe pair feel one another out for 30 seconds until
"JZ" rushes in with an uppercut and backs Thomson into
the cage. Thomson reverses and throws knees to the inside of
both of Cavalcante's thighs and knees. Midway through the second
and not much is happening in the way of offense as the lightweight
clinch along the perimeter. Thomson trips Cavalcante down and
takes his back, but Cavalcante gets to his knees and then rolls
over. Thomson with another arm-triangle attempt, then lets it
go to work from Cavalcante's half-guard. The American postures
up and throws a few hard shots before the bell.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Thomson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Thomson
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Thomson
Round
3
Cavalcante stuffs a Thomson takedown to open the final round,
and they're soon clinching again with Thomson pressing "JZ"
into the cage. Cavalcante stays vertical as Thomson tries to
trip him down, then lands a trip of his own. In the ensuing scramble,
Cavalcante finds himself in mount, but Thomson does well to limit
his offense with head-and-arm control. Cavalcante gets stuffed
back to half-guard, then full. Thomson pulls rubber guard and
showboats to the crowd. They stand with two minutes left in the
fight. Both men shoot simultaneously; it's Cavalcante who catches
Thomson changing levels and puts him on his back. "JZ"
is content pushing a sitting Thomson against the fence, not looking
to mount any sort of offense. Thomson trying to get busy late
with punches and upkicks, but Cavalcante maintains the position.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante (29-28 Cavalcante)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante (29-28 Cavalcante)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Cavalcante (29-28 Cavalcante)
Official
scores: 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for Thomson, the winner by unanimous
decision.
Strikeforce
Welterweight Championship
Nick Diaz vs. K.J. Noons
Round 1
Referee Josh Rosenthal is back in the cage for the main event
of the evening. Noons stalks across the cage, but it’s Diaz
landing early with slapping leg kicks. Diaz puts a jab in Noons’
face and Noons answers with a combination to the body. Right
hand from Diaz takes the legs from beneath Noons, and Diaz chases
him to the mat. Diaz passes to side control on Noons’ left
side and ties him up with head-and-arm control. Noons pushes
off and creates some space, then finds his way back to his feet
with two minutes left. Right hook connects for Diaz, and the
Californian begins pouring on more punches. Noons’ counter-punches
largely missing, but he does land a solid right to the body.
Diaz working his jab and jawing away at Noons, who’s still
missing with the bulk of his punches.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Round
2
Noons lands an overhand left and cuts Diaz open in the first
minute of the round. Diaz shoots a long shot and Noons runs from
the takedown attempt. Noons starting to string together combinations,
getting inside with his jab and digging to the breadbasket. Blood
is flowing into the right eye of Diaz as he tries to reestablish
his range. Noons looks far more comfortable than in the first,
walking right up to Diaz and landing hard combinations, effective
right hands, and jump knees to the body.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Noons
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Noons
Round
3
Diaz’ corner looks to have done good work on his cut between
rounds. He shoots early, but Noons anticipates and shirks it.
Noons continues to dig to the body with his punches, then goes
upstairs with a hard left hook. He’s beating Diaz to the
punch, but Diaz is still using his reach to slip his jab through.
Diaz taunts Noons, who rushes forward and gets popped for his
trouble. Diaz tries some kicks to the body, but they’re
not much. Noons aims his left hand at the cut on Diaz’ brow,
which is staying shut. Noons’ own nose is significantly
bloodied by the end of the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Round
4
Diaz showing an array of kicks -- axe kick, spinning back kick,
roundhouse -- to begin the championship rounds, but nothing lands.
He pops Noons with a few jabs and opens up the challenger’s
nose again. Noons continues to push the action, though, winging
overhand lefts as he gives chase and short rights to the body
when they clinch up. Right straight by Noons is followed by a
hard left hook. The clinch, and Diaz lands a single knee which
causes Noons to disengage. Noons blasts Diaz with a right, but
Diaz answers by grabbing the Thai plum and landing another knee,
then a follow-up right which appears to stagger Noons.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Round
5
Noons slips on a combo and Diaz tries to capitalize with an ankle
pick, but Noons slips it. Diaz putting hard punches on Noons
now, and adding some slapping head kicks to the face. They tie
up and each man pounds away with punches -- Diaz to the head,
Noons to the body. Noons leaps forward with a hard left hook
which finds its mark. After Noons comes over the top with a solid
right, Diaz tries to tie up. Noons, predictably, wants none of
it, and goes back to pouring on the combinations. Thirty seconds
left and Noons likely needs a finish here. He doesn’t get
it, but does land more shots down the home stretch.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Diaz (49-46 Diaz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons (48-47 Diaz)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Diaz (49-46 Diaz)
Official
scores: and 48-47, 49-47 and 49-46 for the winner by unanimous
decision, Nick Diaz.
Source: Sherdog
|
Punching
playbook: Nick Diaz says that KJ Noons beat him because of some
‘lucky shots’
By Zach
Arnold
This is an interview by Strikeforce with Nick Diaz. It’s
only five minutes long, but you must watch this (if you haven’t
already). Entertaining. He just buries KJ Noons and Mayhem Miller
here. You can tell he is really pissed about what Miller is doing
in Japan.
“I’m
just happy to get this show on the road, you know, and this guy’s
finally ready to fight me so… I just want a chance to actually
get a fair chance, you know, to fight. Like before, you know
I’m landing more punches. This guy… he lands some lucky
shots and opened up some cuts and they stopped the fight, but
I was far from done fighting so… you know, I’m just
happy to be able to, win or lose, I just want to fight for real.
If I’m going to lose, I’m going to lose for real and
I’m ready for my ass-whupping if I’m going to take
an ass-whupping, you know, I’m ready but let me take my
ass-whupping if that’s how it’s going to be, you know,
because I’m ready for it. I was born for it, so I’m
ready for that. I get paid for that and there’s plenty of
people out there who want to see me take an ass-whupping, so…
“That’s
the thing for me, even though we fought the first time, you know,
I wasn’t excited about that fight. That’s why I was
running in on him like that and I took those punches because
I was angry and I was careless and I was rushing in because,
you know, I’m used to fighting all really good opponents,
you know, I had no idea who this guy was and he wasn’t important
and it’s really embarrassing to me because they put a title
up and they say, here, fight this guy, and then he gets excited
and starts hitting me, running around in circles and it makes
me angry so I started running and chasing him around and like,
you know, he just had no business being in the main event of
a show anyways, who was he? Nobody knew who KJ Noons was. You
know, he got knocked out one time by one important guy that’s
not important, you know, got knocked out by Krazy Horse and I
beat guys that beat him so… that’s the thing, you know,
I’m not excited about fighting people who aren’t good.
That’s the thing about fighting (Mayhem) Miller, you know…
I have no problem taking a fight with Miller, you know, the thing
is just why does he get to fight me? Everybody thinks that, you
know, I don’t understand that because he just keeps losing,
you know, and then he gets to fight me because I’m not important,
right? So… you know… and like he goes to Japan, he
takes fights like with guys like just ridiculous opponents, you
know, and then makes a joke out of ‘em, he goes in there
and punches and hitting them, you know, for what? This guy’s
just trying to, you know, he’s got that warrior spirit inside
of him, he’s come out trying to do his best and you know
you can finish this guy, but you’re just going to hit him
and make a joke out of that whole thing, you know. I think that’s
[expletive], man, you know, like I’ve never took a fight
like that in my life. I’d never do that, it’d be embarrassing
for me, you know, and if something like that were to take place,
I would finish the fight, you know, and in a respectful manner
and just get the job done. He’s sitting in there wearing
zebra pants punching on the guy, acting like a fool, you know…”
As
for the Strikeforce show this weekend in San Jose, there’s
little to no buzz for the event. They couldn’t have picked
a worse time to run the show given the fact that the whole Bay
Area is in mania mode right for the SF Giants. All the oxygen
belongs to the Giants. (Just ask the Raiders, who drew 30,000
in Oakland on Sunday.) Wednesday and Thursday are playoff games
for SF at home, then they play Saturday in Atlanta. Strikeforce
has tried their best PR-wise on Comcast Sportsnet with multiple
Josh Thomson interviews and PR tie-ins (along with Showtime ad
buys), but this is a losing effort right now for getting the
attention of sports fans in the market.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
SPIKE
ANNOUNCES TUF 12 FINALE FEATURE BOUTS
Spike TV on Monday confirmed two co-feature bouts for the Dec.
4 finale of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck”
at The Pearl at The Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.
“The
Ultimate Fighter Season 1” alum Stephan Bonnar takes on
Croatian Igor Pokrajac in a light heavyweight bout, while Season
3’s Kendall Grove faces Demian Maia in a middleweight showdown.
Stephan
Bonnar (15-7) is no stranger to “The Ultimate Fighter”
finale. The “American Psycho,” fighting out of Las
Vegas, fought Forrest Griffin in the first “The Ultimate
Fighter” finale in April 2005 in one of the most memorable
bouts in the history of mixed martial arts. The veteran light
heavyweight is coming off of a second round TKO victory over
Canadian slugger Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 116 in July where
he earned “Fight of the Night” honors.
Igor
Pokrajac (22-7), fighting out of Zagreb, Croatia, was a longtime
training partner for UFC star Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,
but is rapidly making a name for himself in the UFC. Pokrajac
is coming off of the biggest win of his career, a first round
submission of James Irvin this past August.
Brazilian
Demian Maia (13-2) returns to the Octagon on a quest for another
shot at the UFC middleweight crown as he takes on Kendall Grove.
Maia recently defeated Mario Miranda at UFC 118 in August. Prior
to that, filling in for the injured Vitor Belfort, Maia went
the distance in a decision loss to UFC champ Anderson Silva in
the UFC’s first fight in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
at UFC 112. Maia, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Sao Paolo,
won his first five fights in the UFC, each one via submission
against such notables as Chael Sonnen, Jason McDonald, and Nate
Quarry. Maia also rebounded from a tough knockout loss to Nate
Marquardt at UFC 102 last August with an impressive decision
victory over Dan Miller at UFC 109 in February.
“The
Ultimate Fighter 3” victor Kendall Grove (14-7, 1 NC) is
coming off of one of the most important victories of his career,
a split decision win over Goran Reljic at UFC 116 in July that
reignited his hopes for an eventual shot at the middleweight
crown. And after the recent win over Reljic, “Da Spyder”
looks to use his impressive Muay Thai skills to defeat Maia.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
5
Questions for ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira
by Gleidson Venga
He
remains one of the most decorated heavyweights in mixed martial
arts history, with wins over 2006 Pride Fighting Championships
open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,
former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, two-time Olympian
Dan Henderson and UFC hall of famer Randy Couture.
The
legacy of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- the only man to hold heavyweight
titles inside Pride and the UFC -- is safe as he enters the twilight
of his career.
In
this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, “Minotauro”
discusses his recent knee surgery, Chael Sonnen’s derogatory
comments towards him and his twin brother and the upcoming matchup
between his longtime training partner, UFC middleweight champion
Anderson Silva, and Vitor Belfort.
Sherdog.com:
You had surgery on your knee recently. How are you recovering?
Nogueira: My recovery is excellent. I’ve been doing physical
therapy for a month. I am already walking without crutches, but
it is a surgery that takes a while to heal, so I will need about
five months to get back. I’m also doing a treatment on my
hip. There were two injuries that I had a few years ago. I wanted
to take care of them a while ago, but now I’ve decided to
stop everything and treat them all at once. I’m taking care
of myself. I think in six months I will be ready to fight.
Sherdog.com:
How is the gym that you opened in San Diego?
Nogueira: We had our first class yesterday. We made Sergio Moraes
our jiu-jitsu coach because we wanted a top instructor teaching
us. We will also have MMA, muay Thai and wrestling training.
The gym is quite large and has an Octagon that’s a little
bigger than the UFC’s. The gym has a professional ring,
and there are four areas of mats. The gym is huge. I want all
the best athletes on the team. The staff will always be giving
seminars here. It is our base here in the U.S.
Chael
SonnenSherdog.com: A topic of interest this week was the Internet
video in which Wanderlei Silva gave an earful to Chael Sonnen
for the comments that he made about Brazil and you and your brother.
What did you think of this video?
Nogueira: I loved it. I had to call to Wanderlei to congratulate
him. I always get along well with Wanderlei. Whenever we train
in Las Vegas, we go to his gym. Yesterday, I had to congratulate
the guy, because he has the right attitude. Sonnen is a kid who
does not know what he’s talking about, who thinks it’s
cute to do this type of marketing. Sonnen is a guy who never
practiced a martial art in his life. He doesn’t know what
respect or leadership is. He never respected any teacher, so
he said those things. He’s a guy who has no respect for
anything. Wanderlei gave him an earful at the right time, and
I was pleased. After the fight with Anderson, Sonnen has apologized
for the comments he made toward us. I think marketing yourself
is fine, but what he said indicated a real lack of respect toward
us.
Sherdog.com:
Based on what he said, he ended up picking a fight with every
Brazilian fan, didn’t he?
Nogueira: Sonnen was totally wrong. It was a great lack of respect
toward us. The guy talked too much, and even though he was doping,
he still lost to Anderson. Even with Anderson hurt and Sonnen
doped, Anderson still defeated him. God is just.
Sherdog.com:
This week, the fight between Anderson and Vitor Belfort was announced.
What do you expect for this fight?
Nogueira: I think it’s a good matchup, and it will be exciting
on the feet. They’re two great guys. Anderson fights very
well in the Octagon and handles his emotions during his fights
better than Vitor. Belfort is super explosive and very dangerous,
but I think Anderson is better. He is more consistent, more dangerous,
and he has more experience in the Octagon. Anderson hasn’t
had a career as long as Vitor’s, but he’s shown more
ring savvy since he’s been with the UFC. Anderson is the
more complete fighter.
Source: Sherdog
|
From
the ICU to the winners’ podium
by Marcelo
Dunlop
Black
belt teacher at Brazil 021 Carlos Henrique Rosa, 38, lived through
one of those moments that make one review their life, value each
moment with one’s family and strengthen one’s beliefs.
Even one’s faith in Jiu-Jitsu.
On
October 31, 2009, Carlos Henrique decided to stop by a marble
store in downtown Rio de Janeiro. “I needed to buy two marble
door frames for the bedrooms at home,” recalls the teacher.
Out
of the blue, an armed man entered the store and advanced on the
owner of the store, Edinei César. Desperately, the victim
who didn’t survive latched on to Carlos Henrique’s
neck. But the “human shield” knew Jiu-Jitsu, freeing
himself of the rear-naked choke and throwing him to the ground.
Even so, he took three bullets.
“When
the guy came into the store screaming, I turned around. That
was when the victim grabbed me in a rear-naked choke. I don’t
even know how I freed myself of the hold, I just know I got out
and threw him to the ground. Upon being shot, the owner of the
store landed on me; that was when I took three shots from the
thug, who kept shooting,” he recounts. Carlos was shot in
the spleen, diaphragm and spine, where the bullet is lodged to
this day.
“When
the bullet goes in it doesn’t hurt, at least it didn’t
hurt. I ran out of the store and passed out far away, where a
passing ambulance rescued me,” he says.
After
forty days in the hospital, seven in intensive care and four
minutes in nearly-fatal cardio-respiratory arrest, Carlos Henrique
won his private fight to survive. And he promised friends and
students he would return to competition.
At
the last International Master and Senior tournament on July 24,
there he was against Roberto Gordo in the black belt heavyweight/senior
1 divisional final.
“You
go on to value a lot of things in life, like a simple training
session, the air you breathe, and those hours your son calls
on you to play a video game and you say you’re busy,”
reflects the teacher and one of the leaders of Brazil 021, already
with thirty-three years of Jiu-Jitsu and more than twenty students
promoted to black belt.
Carlos
won his first match at the Tijuca Tennis Club by 2 to 0. However
exhausted, he returned for the final and lost to Gordo. The next
day, he didn’t settle for a W.O. and showed up in the absolute.
“He’s
a great example to us all. While still in the hospital, he would
always say that he would give himself the present of competing
again. There you have it, a side show: second place but feeling
like first,” says friend and student André Negão,
of Brazil 021.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MMA
Top 10 Bantamweights: Can Miguel Torres Get Back on Top?
By Michael
David Smith
During his year and a half as the World Extreme Cagefighting
bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres seemed to be head and shoulders
above the rest of the weight class, both literally and figuratively,
and it seemed like his title reign could last for years.
Instead,
Torres lost two straight fights, first to Brian Bowles and then
to Joseph Benavidez, and he dropped in the bantamweight rankings.
But
Torres looked much better at WEC 51, notching a solid win over
Charlie Valencia, and he said afterward that he's a different
fighter now that he's training under Firas Zahabi. He'll need
at least one, and maybe two, more wins before he'll get another
shot at the title, but I think Torres can get back to the top
of the bantamweight heap. See where he ranks right now below.
Top
10 Bantamweights in MMA
(Number
in parentheses is the fighter's rank in the last bantamweight
list.)
1.
Dominick Cruz (1): The bantamweight champion has a number of
good fights ahead of him: He'll return to the cage on December
16 against Scott Jorgensen, and if he wins that (which I think
he will) he'll likely take on the only man who's ever beaten
him, Urijah Faber.
2.
Joseph Benavidez (2): It's harder to find good match-ups for
the No. 2 bantamweight, because he's already lost to Cruz twice.
Until the WEC implements a flyweight class so Benavidez can drop
down to a more comfortable weight of 125 pounds, he'll be facing
bigger guys without much hope of fighting for a belt.
3.
Brian Bowles (3): The former champ will try to bounce back from
his first career loss, to Cruz, when he takes on Wagnney Fabiano
in November. That's a very dangerous fight for Bowles, who could
find himself tapping out if he isn't careful, but if Bowles is
healthy I expect him to win a decision.
4.
Miguel Torres (4): Despite the back-to-back losses to Benavidez
and Bowles, the 29-year-old Torres still presents all kinds of
match-up problems to anyone in the bantamweight division. He's
long and good at using his reach advantage in the stand-up game,
and he's capable of submitting anyone on the ground. I think
he's in store for a big year in 2011.
5.
Scott Jorgensen (5): At the moment I don't think much of Jorgensen's
chances against Cruz, but if he proves me wrong in December,
he'd have to go on the very short list of Fighter of the Year
candidates. He's already 3-0 in 2010, and adding a fourth win
while earning the world bantamweight title would be a major accomplishment.
6.
Masakazu Imanari (6): It's hard to know where to rank Imanari.
He's the only top bantamweight who's not in the WEC, and he fights
on Japanese cards that American fans can usually only watch on
YouTube. I think he'd do well against most of the WEC bantamweights.
I know I'd love to find out.
7.
Wagnney Fabiano (7): The WEC hasn't done much to promote Fabiano,
usually sticking him on the non-televised portion of the undercard,
but his fight with Bowles represents a major opportunity to make
a major statement that he's one of the truly elite fighters at
135 pounds.
8.
Takeya Mizugaki (8): If there's ever been a fighter stepping
into the cage for a fight his promoters hope he loses, it's Mizugaki
at WEC 52 in November, against Faber. Faber is still the WEC's
biggest star, and the WEC would love to see him win his bantamweight
debut and fight for the 135-pound title in 2011.
9.
Charlie Valencia (9): Like Benavidez, Valencia is stuck in the
wrong weight class. He's a handful for anyone at 135 pounds,
but he should really be fighting at 125. I hope the WEC gives
him the opportunity to do that some time soon.
10.
Antonio Banuelos (NR): His win over Chad George at WEC 51 moves
him narrowly ahead of Rani Yahya in the 10 spot. Also worth keeping
an eye on coming up is the Bellator bantamweight title fight
between Zach Makovsky and Ed West, both of whom could stake a
claim for Top 10 status with a win.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Boxing:
One-on-one with Showtime's Al Bernstein
by Damian Calhoun, OCVarsity.com since 2004
I had a chance to catch up with Showtime Boxing analyst Al Bernstein
at last Thursday's press conference to announce the Bantamweight
tournament. Here is what he had to say about the tournament and
the Super Six.
Q:
What do you think about the new Bantamweight Tournament?
Bernstein:
The thing that is interesting about this, and I made a point
at the end (of the press conference), …these are four really
skilled fighters and they’re different which is also fun.
They’ve made so many great matches already with each other.
In another sport, two teams that have played a great game already
during the regular season and maybe they’re going to be
rematched in a bowl game, which once in a blue moon happens,
you know it is going to be a great game. That’s really what
this is. We know these fighters match up well against each other.
They’re very good, skilled and exciting fighters. I don’t
know how it (the tournament) shouldn’t be good.
Q: If you could pick an early favorite, who would it be?
Bernstein:Wow.
This is tough. The only combination we haven’t seen is Darchinyan-Mares,
which is why I’m glad they made that in the first round
because I think that’s a fascinating fight. I don’t
think there is an early favorite. If you put a gun to my head
and said who’s going to emerge to the finals, honestly I
don’t know if I could tell you. This tournament is intriguing
to me.
Vic
Darchinyan and Abner Mares
Q: Give me your thoughts on Abner Mares vs. Vic Darchinyan?
Bernstein:You
got to have a left hook and if you don’t have a left hook,
it is very had to beat him (Darchinyan). Agbeko beat him without
having a great left hook, but that was a function of couple of
different things: Darchinyan moving up in weight and standing
in front of him. So Mares has certain skills that could be very
affective against Darchinyan, but Darchinyan has the power and
for Mares the key is to get past the first five or six rounds
Q:What
about Joseph Agbeko-Yonnhy Perez?
Bernstein:The
first fight that they did (fdgdfg) I said was one of the top
15 fights I’ve done in my whole career. So, that’s
an amazing fight. That was a wild fight.
Q:
What are your thoughts on the Super Six and the troubles it has
run into lately with fighters dropping out and fights being postponed?
Bernstein:
Some of that is a function of time and circumstance. If Jermain
Taylor goes another two minutes with Arthur Abraham, which he
easily could have done, he loses and 8-4 fight, which he performed
moderately well and he goes on to the next fight and we don’t
have to worry about replacing him. If Mikkel Kessler doesn’t
get his eye cut, he doesn’t have to be out … I think
what this speaks to is, that the longer something goes, the harder
it is… . That’s no brilliant statement it is just harder
to keep things together.
Q:
What do you think about the way the tournament has evolved through
everything?
Ken
Hershman
Bernstein:
I was just talking to Ken Hershman (Showtime Sports Executive
Vice President and General Manager) and I said ‘you’ve
had to glue it (the tournament) together for this last part.
From my standpoint, I think we’re still going to end up
having very good fights. I certainly hope so. And when all is
said is done and we end up with a winner, some of the hiccups
will have been shoved aside. But there’s no question and
it is obvious from this, that it is pretty darn hard to put together
this kind of tournament.
Q:
What do you think about the latest news of Glen Johnson replacing
Mikkel Kessler?
Bernstein:I
know it comes out of left field to some people, but if you think
about it, and I was surprised when I heard about it … I
was like, he’s a light heavyweight. Glen Johnson, if you
think about it, fights at 172, he can make 168 and I believe
he will be able to … I certainly hope so.
Q:
What about Johnson the fighter, at this stage of his career?
Bernstein:Here’s
a guy that barely lost to maybe the second best light heavyweight
in the world or third best (Chad Dawson), so if you think of
it in those terms, and I like Glen Johnson a lot … I think
you can see him making really competitive and interesting fights
with everyone of these fighters. Having said that, he’s
coming in the last minute … My feeling on Glen Johnson and
I think most people in boxing is, he has had such a earnest career
and he’s such a good guy and he’s had so many bad breaks,
that I think most people would say bravo because you know he’s
going to make good fights. So hopefully it will work out and
hopefully people will like the idea of it. He and Allan Green
should be an interesting fight and he still has an opportunity
to get into the semifinals.
Q:
Do you think we will see more of these tournaments in the future?
Bernstein:It
is a nice idea if you can do it. Ken (Hershman) made the point
that what it does is it gets you these really great match-ups
and it demonstrates, by far the fighters’ willingness to
fight. Except for the last eight months, for about six or seven
years, boxing really has made the matchups people have want to
see. Mainstream media has not covered them that much, but they’ve
come around. I understand why they didn’t because boxing
had an abyss where they weren’t making matches that people
wanted to see. These things (tournaments) mandate that you’re
going to have pretty good fights. The concept is one that makes
some sense. It is like anything else you have to fine tune and
find the ways it is manageable and ways it can work. Because
you’re dealing with different promoters, different managers,
different fighters and there are a lot of different elements
involved in this.
Source: Orange County
|
UFC
121 FIGHT CARD FILLS UP AT 11 BOUTS
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday confirmed the remainder
of its UFC 121 fight card, featuring UFC heavyweight champion
Brock Lesnar defending his belt against top contender Cain Velasquez.
To
bolster its return to the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the
UFC confirmed that the remaining bouts at UFC 121 include Court
McGee vs. Ryan Jensen, Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor, Mike Guymon
vs. Daniel Roberts, Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor, Chris Camozzi
vs. Dongi Yang, and Jon Madsen vs. Gilbert Yvel.
The
UFC hasn’t graced the Honda Center since UFC 76 in September
of 2007. The card featured Keith Jardine winning a decision over
Chuck Liddell in the main event and Forrest Griffin submitting
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the co-main event.
UFC
76 took place just prior to the economic collapse in America,
drawing 13,770 fans for gate receipts of $1.985 million. Like
that event, UFC 121 features one of the promotion’s premier
stars, so it should be an interesting comparison to see how the
Oct. 23 event compares to UFC 76 on that front.
UFC 121: OCTOBER 23, 2010
venue: Honda Center in Anaheim, California
Main
Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):
-Brock Lesnar (5-1; #1 Heavyweight)* vs. Cain Velasquez (8-0;
#4 Heavyweight)*
-Martin Kampmann (17-3; #7 Welterweight)* vs. Jake Shields (25-4-1;
#3 Middleweight)*†
-Paulo Thiago (13-2; #9 Welterweight) vs. Diego Sanchez (21-4)*
-Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) vs. Matt Hamill (9-2)
-Brendan Schaub (6-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5)
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Ryan Jensen (15-6) vs. Court McGee (10-1)
-Gilbert Yvel (36-15-1) vs. Jon Madsen (6-0)
-Patrick Cote (13-6) vs. Tom Lawlor (6-3)
-Sam Stout (15-6-1) vs. Paul Taylor (10-5-1)
-Mike Guymon (12-3-1) vs. Daniel Roberts (10-1)
-Chris Camozzi (13-3) vs. Dongi Yang (9-0)
*Based
on the MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings
†Welterweight Bout
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Why
is Hendo on the Shelf?
by Jake
Rossen
In
an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani last week,
fighter/industry analyst Dan Henderson blamed his inactivity
on Strikeforce partner CBS refusing to pull the trigger on another
network event.
“I
was wanting to get back in there pretty quickly, but I think
part of the problem was CBS…faltering on their commitment
to mixed martial arts,” he said. “Especially after
the little escapade in the cage after my last fight on CBS…
I don't quite understand that and they're definitely still wanting
to be involved in mixed martial arts and with Strikeforce, but
I think they're just gonna take their time on it a little bit
more."
Henderson’s
“escapade” refers to the in-cage bar brawl that broke
out when Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Henderson’s
opponent, Jake Shields, began bleating at one another. It was
an embarrassment, obviously, and I don’t think either Miller
or Shields’ teammate, Nick Diaz, deserve to be rewarded
with a fight that capitalizes on it -- but it was also a newsworthy
bit of footage that raised Strikeforce’s free-TV profile.
The smart thing would’ve been to exploit whatever attention
the show got by scheduling another as soon as possible.
That
was last April.
CBS
is in a confusing spot: as a mainstream entity with a mature
demographic -- this is the same channel that gives Andy Rooney
a few minutes every week to complain about not getting enough
fiber -- they want to make some kind of headway into what is
obviously becoming an increasingly large part of the U.S. sports
industry. The problem is that the sport frequently contains elements
that will cause a network to flinch. (Well, maybe not Fox.) There’s
gore, attitude, and unpredictability. MMA is not programming
for an executive faint of heart.
This
fence-sitting does Strikeforce no favors: they’ve already
got headaches relating primarily to their fighters having the
contractual freedom to fight elsewhere, which frequently disrupts
any rational matchmaking the company considers. Alistair Overeem
is busy in Japan; Fedor Emelianenko is allegedly considering
offers to fight there or in Russia at the end of the year. Can
you imagine Brock Lesnar refusing to fight Cain Velasquez this
month because he’s booked a match against Giant Baba in
Tokyo? Good grief.
Said
before, but worth repeating: in partnering with CBS, Strikeforce
has a venue that could create a real and credible alternative
to the UFC -- but only if CBS is motivated to do so.
How
Herschel Walker is fighting on Showtime in December and not broadcast
television is a mystery; how these companies can’t sit down
and figure out a multi-tiered business plan that aims for success
on basic, premium, and pay-per-view television is inexplicable.
I
want Strikeforce to succeed. Having two high-profile MMA promotions
keeps fighters’ values competitively high and creates alternatives.
But when you take a six-month layoff from a key broadcast partner,
you’re creating alternatives for fans. And none of them
benefit you.
Source: Sherdog
|
Upcoming
MMA schedule filled with title fights, contender bouts
Five years ago the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting
Championships combined weren't averaging two mixed martial arts
shows a month.
Now
it seems like there's live MMA on television twice a week. Whenever
someone brings up the concept of oversaturation around UFC President
Dana White, he responds by asking if there are too many baseball
games on TV.
The
question is disingenuous, since major team sports are broadcast
for free. Just as important, they have definable seasons, so
fans get a break for months at a time.
Meanwhile,
there's a constant flow of MMA these days somewhere on TV. The
current schedule calls for 80 live shows in 2010 between the
nationwide promotions in the United States and Japan, including:
•32
from Zuffa, the parent company of UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting
•15 from Strikeforce.
•9 from Dream and Sengoku Raiden Championships combined,
in a dilapidated Japanese market for MMA.
•24 from Bellator Fighting Championships' second and third
seasons.
That leaves out a lot, including frequent airings of regional
shows on HDNet, two 12-episode seasons per year of The Ultimate
Fighter, frequent re-runs of fights on Spike TV and Versus and
the occasional pay-per-view from would-be promotional giants
such as Moosin and Shine Fights.
But
give matchmakers credit. The rest of the year has several cards
featuring main events linked to championship belts or No. 1 contenders.
Many
of them can be seen without shelling out $45 or $55 for pay-per-view.
In fact, the first five noteworthy cards of the season are on
basic or premium cable channels.
Standout
cards for the fall include:
Oct.
9, Strikeforce (10 p.m. ET, Showtime): Welterweight champ Nick
Diaz defends his title on Saturday against the last man to beat
him, K.J. Noons, in the "Don't be scared, homie" rematch
that should have happened in 2008 under the EliteXC banner.
Aside
from the history between the two men, it's a match-up that promises
fireworks on the feet. Both men are skilled and eager boxers
by MMA standards, although it remains to be seen whether Diaz
can keep Noons on the outside this time; in their first meeting,
Noons tore him up at close range, leading to a stoppage on cuts.
Also
worth watching: Women's 135-pound titlist Sarah Kaufman faces
Marloes Coenen. Kaufman usually outboxes and overpowers her opponents,
but she might have a hard time doing either against Coenen, a
skilled veteran who is coming down from her normal weight of
145 pounds.
Oct.
14, Bellator 32 (FSN, broadcast times vary by region): Heavyweight
finalists Cole Konrad, a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion,
faces British knockout machine Neil Grove to crown Bellator Fighting
Championships' first heavyweight titleholder. Grove's only chance
is to land a good punch before Konrad can grab ahold of him for
a takedown.
Oct.
16, UFC 120 (9 p.m. ET tape-delayed broadcast, Spike TV): Not
really much at stake, but it's a chance to watch Sexyama himself,
Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama, for free on Spike TV. He blends
a gutsy, brawling approach with slick judo takedowns and submission
acumen, all of which should come in handy against the pitter-patter
attack of home country favorite Michael Bisping at the 02 Arena
in London.
The
card includes a potential barnburner in Carlos Condit vs. Dan
Hardy. Hardy has aggression in spades, while Condit is usually
a lock for an exciting and creative fight, win or lose.
Oct.
21, Bellator 33 (FSN, broadcast times vary by region): Consensus
No. 5 lightweight Eddie Alvarez faces UFC veteran Roger Huerta
in a match-up of straight-ahead bangers. Alvarez has more skill,
but no 155-pounder exceeds Huerta for sheer guts.
Welterweight
champion Lyman Good finally returns after a 15-month layoff due
to injury. He makes his first title defense against wrestling
stud Ben Askren, winner of Bellator's Season 2 welterweight tourney.
Oct.
22, Strikeforce Challengers (11 p.m. ET, Showtime): Undefeated
welterweight prospect Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker try again
after their May 21 clash ended in an unsatisfying technical decision
after Voelker accidentally poked Bowling in the eye. The show
includes unbeaten lightweight up-and-comer Billy Evangelista,
though his foe hasn't been named yet.
Oct.
23, UFC 121 (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view): A loaded card, led by
heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez, whose combination
of speed, wrestling and boxing skill gives him the best chance
of any challenger yet.
Former
Strikeforce champion Jake Shields makes his UFC debut against
top-10 welterweight Martin Kampmann. Don't be surprised if the
winner gets a title shot.
Brash
light-heavyweight ex-champion Tito Ortiz returns from an 11-month
layoff to face erstwhile protege Matt Hamill.
Oct.
28, Bellator 34 (FSN, broadcast times vary by region): Either
Megumi Fujii confirms her status as one of the greatest women's
fighters to date or Zoila Frausto displaces her as the queen
of the 115-pound division. Regardless of who wins, the clash
of styles suggests a thriller of a bout, between Frausto aggressive
striking and Fujii's slick-beyond-belief grappling.
Oct.
30, Sengoku 15 (HDNet): The chief rival to Dream in Japan wraps
up its tournament to crown a welterweight champion with semifinalists
Takuya Wada, Keitaro Nakamura, Taisuke Okuno and Yasubey Enomoto.
Nov.
11, WEC 52 (9 p.m. ET, Versus): Erstwhile featherweight champion
Urijah Faber makes his 135-pound debut against Japanese brawler
Takeya Mizugaki. Bantamweight ex-titleholder and consensus No.
2 Brian Bowles faces No. 7 Wagnney Fabiano.
Nov.
13, UFC 122 (pay-per-view): A likely title eliminator bout between
185-pounders Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami headlines UFC's
second appearance in Germany. History suggests the match-up of
two top-10 middleweights will be exciting fight if Marquardt
dominates, and a slug of a bout if Okami wins.
Nov.
19, Strikeforce Challengers (11 p.m. ET, Showtime): Vitor "Shaolin"
Ribeiro, a top-10 lightweight years ago, tries to rebound against
Justin Wilcox.
At
the other end of the career arc is lightweight Ryan Couture,
son of the UFC legend. He hopes to raise his professional fighting
record to 2-0.
Nov.
20, UFC 123 (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view): Light-heavyweight former
champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto "The
Dragon" Machida square off in the promotion's first show
in the Detroit area since UFC 9 in 1996, when Dan Severn and
Ken Shamrock circled each other for most of 30 minutes to produce
the worst main event in UFC history.
Jackson's
insistence on plodding forward to fire off hooks should make
this one a much more watchable affair, though he's not likely
to catch Machida, whose style is predicated on his ability to
evade damage and respond with pinpoint counterstrike. Machida's
more sophisticated all-around game could make it a long night
for Jackson.
The
co-main event features a welterweight rematch that should have
happened years ago between ex-titleholders Matt Hughes and BJ
Penn. They're not significant in the current title picture, but
they can still beat any ranked 170-pounder outside the top four.
Their previous two encounters suggest that the bout will bring
out the best in Penn, but if he has slowed down as much as the
Frankie Edgar fights suggested, he might find himself trapped
underneath Hughes again.
Dec.
4, Strikeforce (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view): Dan Henderson hopes
to rebound against Renato "Babalu" Sobral in a light-heavyweight
clash that could produce a challenger for the belt.
Top-10
welterweight Paul Daley makes his Strikeforcue debut against
fellow brawler Scott Smith, who is dropping to the 170-pound
division for the first time after a long career at middleweight.
Dec.
5, TUF 12 Finale: Demian Maia oozes jiu-jitsu prowess and opponent
Kendall Grove isn't bad in that department either. The last time
Grove fought a jiu-jitsu world champion, he nearly armbarred
Ricardo Almeida at UFC 101 last year, but for the most part Grove
could not do much about Almeida's ability to control things on
the ground.
And
of course, there will be the battle between lightweights to decide
the next TUF winner.
Dec.
11, UFC 124: It's the blowoff for the coaching rivalry on TUF
Season 12 when welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre tries
to defend his title against brash challenger Josh Koscheck. Don't
be surprised if it turns out to be a less-than-thrilling affair
-- in important fights, both men rely on a cautious, wrestling-based
style.
Dec.
16, WEC 53: Two titles will be on the line, as bantamweight kingpin
Dominick Cruz takes on Scott Jorgensen and lightweight titlist
Ben Henderson faces Anthony Pettis. It's WEC, so fast-paced action
is all-but-guaranteed.
Source: USA Today
|
KJ
NOONS TO NICK DIAZ: BRING MY BELT
by Damon
Martin
Just under three years ago when K.J. Noons defeated Nick Diaz
to win the EliteXC lightweight title, it appeared the young Hawaiian
was on his way to becoming one of the best fighters in his weight
class. A contract dispute, a company implosion, and a return
to boxing derailed that ascent, but now with Strikeforce, Noons
is perched to make another run at becoming one of the best in
the world.
Funny
enough, the fight that could get him to that spot once again
is a championship bout against Nick Diaz.
Now
the Strikeforce welterweight champion, Diaz has established himself
as one of the best fighters on the planet, but he hasn't forgotten
that Noons was the last fighter to put a loss on his record.
Even
though 155 pounds is his home, Noons says there wasn't even a
thought to turn down a rematch with the welterweight belt on
the line, and a chance to prove that their first go round was
no fluke.
"Easy
answer, yes," Noons told MMAWeekly Radio about his reaction
when Strikeforce offered him the fight. "He's the best at
170, and I get to kind of kill two birds with one stone. I get
to fight the best, and I get to move up and fight for a title
also."
To
say that Noons and Diaz don't like each other is almost like
stating Democrats and Republicans have slightly different philosophies
when it comes to politics. There is no love lost between the
two fighters both based out of California, but Noons knows that
too much emotion in a fight can cost you, so he leaves that outside
the cage.
"There's
motivation because no matter how much trash talk, this or that,
all the bad (expletive) I can say about Nick, he's still a good
fighter," Noons stated. "No matter how you look at
it, he's got the title, he's beaten a lot of good guys, and he's
the best at 170. You can't ignore that fact."
Diaz
has been able to play head games with many past opponents, and
he's pulled them right into his strategy time and time again.
It's that very mindset that Noons doesn't read too much into
because if he believes Diaz is only going to fight one way, it
could cost him come Saturday night.
"I
would have to be stupid to think that he's just going to come
out and stand and bang," said Noons. "I'm sure there
will be some emotion, but I've got my game plan too."
The
game plan the last time out was for Noons to stuff the takedowns
from Diaz, and proceed to punish his opponent with superior boxing
and punching power. To survive in mixed martial arts, fighters
are forced to get better or face the possibility of fading away,
so Noons understands that Diaz is probably better than three
years ago.
He's
just not that much different.
"He's
the same fighter as we fought back then. A little bit bigger,
maybe he got a little bit better, but so have I. You ask me,
he's the same fighter," Noons said.
He
insists, however, that he is a much better fighter than when
the two met last, and his message to Diaz is simple.
"Bring
my belt, that's all I'm saying," Noons said. "Bring
my strap."
Noons
and Diaz will square off Saturday night in San Jose, Calif.,
with the Strikeforce welterweight title on the line.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Strikeforce
CEO Scott Coker: Extra Security in Place for Diaz-Noons II
By Matt
Erickson
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said the promotion will have beefed-up
security for its Saturday main event rematch between Nick Diaz
and KJ Noons.
Coker
told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of "The MMA Hour"
that because of the heated nature of the rivalry between Diaz,
the Strikeforce welterweight champion, and Noons, the last man
to beat him, the promotion was taking no chances.
"I'll
tell you what – if we leave those two guys in a room alone,
I think you know what's going to happen," Coker said. "So
it's up to us – we're going to have a wall of security there.
We've brought extra police to handle the weigh-ins, the press
conference and pretty much a wall of people will be there for
the night of the fight. We have to take precautionary measures
because these guys have this big feud – and it's not just
them, it's their camps. We're going to make sure that we host
it properly, and part of that is adding extra security and police
officers, and it'll be fine."
The
two square off at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II on Saturday
at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card will air
live on Showtime.
In
their first meeting, in the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, a
knee from Noons opened up a cut on Diaz's forehead that would
eventually cause the ringside doctor to stop the fight, giving
a TKO victory to Noons.
Diaz
(22-7, 1 NC) sought a rematch with Noons (10-2) several times
after that, and though an infamous in-cage fracas broke out between
the two camps at an EliteXC event in Noons' native Hawaii, the
rematch didn't materialize until six weeks ago.
Diaz
and his brother, UFC fighter Nate Diaz, were involved in another
in-cage brawl after Jake Shields' win over Dan Henderson at Strikeforce:
Nashville in April after Jason Miller came into the cage during
Shields' post-fight interview.
Long
considered one of MMA's more rebellious fighters, Diaz last week
skipped a media call with Noons to promote the fight. Coker said
that's the nature of the beast when dealing with his welterweight
champ.
"It's
a little frustrating because this is not just good for us, it's
good for Nick," Coker said. "But Nick is Nick, and
it's part of the mystique about him – he's the bad boy of
MMA. It is what it is, and in the future maybe we'll handle it
a little bit differently."
Diaz
has won seven straight since the loss to Noons nearly three years
ago – all by stoppage with five TKOs and two submissions.
In January, he won the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt with
a first-round TKO over Marius Zaromskis. The bout with Noons
will be his first defense of the title. In May, at DREAM.14,
he submitted Hayato Sakurai in the first round.
Noons
is riding a six-fight winning streak and is 3-0 in 2010, 2-0
in Strikeforce. In August, he knocked out Jorge Gurgel early
in the second round in Houston in a bout that was controversial
for a late hit from Noons after the first-round bell.
That
win set up the title fight with Diaz, though some observers thought
Diaz would defend his title against Jason "Mayhem"
Miller, who had been campaigning for the fight. But Coker said
Noons desire to move back to 170 pounds from 155 played a factor
in the matchup decision.
"When
the fight (against Gurgel) was over in Houston, KJ told (Strikeforce
matchmaker) Rich (Chou) and Bob (Cook) and myself, 'I had a really
hard time making 155 and I'd really like to move up and take
this fight,' " Coker said. "And we just thought this
was a fight that should happen. And they have such a history
and bad blood, this fight should take place. So we put it together
and we feel good about it, and on Saturday I think you're going
to see fireworks."
Saturday's
card also features a women's welterweight title fight between
champion Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen and the Strikeforce
debut of Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante against Josh Thomson.
The promotion also has Challengers shows on Oct. 22 and Nov.
19, and a Showtime event on Dec. 4 in St. Louis featuring Dan
Henderson against Renato "Babalu" Sobral and the debut
of Paul Daley against Scott Smith.
But
Coker also said some of its biggest names in the promotion were
on the radar for the early part of 2011 – including Josh
Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem
and Fedor Emelianenko.
"You
can look forward to having Fedor come back in the first quarter
of 2011," Coker said. "(His opponent) is something
I'll be able to answer in two weeks. We have a couple opponents
in mind, and I'd like to finish that conversation with M-1 before
we say anything."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
cashes out in New York
By Jake Rossen
Governor's candidate Andrew Cuomo might be the key to unlocking
MMA in the state of New York.
According
to Monday's edition of the New York Post -- picked up by FightOpinion's
Zach Arnold -- the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, has dumped nearly
$75,000 into the campaign of governor's office candidate Andrew
Cuomo. You do not need a flow chart to understand that Zuffa
would like Cuomo to be its muscle in the state when legislation
for legalizing MMA comes up again. (It was shot down earlier
this year by the state assembly; New York remains one of only
two states with specific laws prohibiting MMA.)
Cuomo,
the state's current attorney general, is the Democratic nominee.
His rival, Republican Carl Paladino, has been under media scrutiny
for making unfounded accusations about Cuomo's fidelity during
a prior marriage. As usual, politics make MMA seem tame by comparison.
Is
this the final furlong in what's amounted to a 13-year struggle
to get the sport recognized in one of the most economically viable
states in the nation? Cuomo hasn't issued a statement revealing
his views on the subject one way or the other, and Paladino is
said to have "reservations" about MMA. Funding politicians
is no guarantee they'll be sympathetic to your cause. Polls show
Cuomo might have as much as a double-digit lead over Paladino.
Either
man would have to navigate around the efforts of Bob Reilly,
a state assemblyman who holds some influence over the assembly
and who has a draconian view of combat sports fed by a child's
understanding of the activity. Reilly's "Chicken Little"
act eventually will be tossed, although the state's MMA fans
might have to wait until he retires or moves to a new career.
Someone has to keep that Elvis off TV.
Source: ESPN
|
K-1
2010 World GP Best 8 tournament matches set
By Zach
Arnold
12/11
Tokyo, Ariake Colosseum
¦Alistair
Overeem vs. Tyrone Spong
¦Gokhan Saki vs. Daniel Ghita
¦Semmy Schilt vs. Kyotaro (Keijiro Maeda)
¦Mighty Mo vs. Peter Aerts
¦Mo/Aerts winner vs. Schilt/Kyotaro winner
¦Saki/Ghita winner vs. Overeem/Spong winner
¦GP finals
K-1 World MAX 2010 70kg World Championship Tournament final (11/8
Tokyo, Ryogoku Kokugikan)
¦(Gago)
Drago vs. Mohamed Khamal
¦Michal Glogowski vs. Yoshihiro Sato
¦Drago/Khamal winner vs. Glogowski/Sato winner
¦Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Albert Kraus
¦Mike Zambidis vs. Yuichiro Nagashima
¦Petrosyan/Kraus winner vs. Zambidis/Nagashima winner
¦Tournament finals
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Shamrock:
I Haven’t Been Fighting Enough
Ken
Shamrock doesn’t believe he should stop fighting. In fact,
he says his lack of success over the last few years is at least
partially due to not fighting enough.
“The
problem that I’m running into is the fact that I can’t
get enough fights,” Shamrock said during a recent episode
of “The Savage Dog Show” on the Sherdog Radio Network.
The
UFC Hall of Famer has lost six of his last seven. His lone win
during that stretch, which spans more than five years, came via
submission of an out-of-shape and overmatched Ross Clifton. Most
recently Pedro Rizzo stopped Shamrock with leg kicks and punches
in the first round of their July bout in Australia. It was the
46-year-old Shamrock’s only fight this year.
“It’s
hard enough for a guy in his prime to jump right into a fight,”
Shamrock said, “let alone somebody of my age, who needs
to be in there and actually take a little bit longer to prepare
for a fight. To have that long off and then go into a fight like
with a Pedro Rizzo, who has fought three times (recently) prior
to me fighting him … . So I have to get more fights and
I’ve got to be busier. That way I can be able to use the
things that I have and be able to get that timing in the ring
that I need to be successful.”
Although
there is no shortage of MMA promotions, Shamrock said it’s
been hard to find the right fit for someone like him who is out
of his prime but still brings selling power to the table.
“The
money wasn’t there, and there wasn’t enough organizations
around that could pay that kind of money,” he said. “All
day long you could get fights for $1,200 or $5,000, but you’re
not going to get them for anymore than that. They’re just
not there.”
However,
Shamrock believes he’s found a solution. He said he has
worked out a deal with veteran promotion King of the Cage, which
holds pay-per-views and also airs on HDNet, to fight regularly
and also use his popularity to build the KOTC brand.
“I’m
going to be able to fight a lot more often under a contract I’ll
have with them,” he said, “and I’ll be able to
get paid.”
The
17-year veteran of professional MMA acknowledged that he’s
had a rough couple of years. In addition to struggling inside
the cage, he lost a contract dispute with the UFC in April and
was ordered to pay the company $175,000 in legal fees.
“It’s
life,” Shamrock said. “You have to navigate through
it. Nothing is going to come easy. You’re going to run into
these certain challenges, and the worst thing that you can do
is to get frustrated and let down. I just keep pushing forward
and keep a positive attitude.”
That
attitude extends to the fans and media members who believe he
should end his MMA career.
“I
think that everybody should have an opinion and be able to express
their opinion,” Shamrock said. “But just because they
have an opinion doesn’t mean people have to agree with it.
There’s also a lot of people out there that appreciate being
able to see me fight.”
Next
up for Shamrock is an Oct. 16 encounter with Johnathan Ivey.
The bout will headline a USA MMA-promoted card at the Cajundome
in Lafayette, La.
Ivey
has a 29-42 record, according to the Sherdog Fight Finder, but
may be best known for throwing a crane kick against Ricco Rodriguez
and also landing a “People’s Elbow,” a la pro
wrestler The Rock, in another fight.
“He’s
going to try some crazy stuff, but when you do stuff like that,
you also put yourself at risk to get seriously hurt,” said
Shamrock, who added that as long as he takes Ivey seriously,
it should be a short night.
Fighting
Ivey is a long way from headlining UFCs against Royce Gracie
and Tito Ortiz, but that’s not Shamrock’s focus.
“It’s
not about Johnathan Ivey. It’s about me,” Shamrock
said. “It’s about me getting in the ring. It’s
about me performing in front of the fans. I love that. I get
a thrill from that.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Wallid
announces news for upcoming Jungle Fight
by Marcelo
Dunlop
It
was a Saturday like any other at Ibirapuera park. To Johil Oliveira,
it seemed Jungle Fight would be the setting for his farewell
to the ring and all else that entails.
It
was the 18thof the month, and Johil stepped up to the ring to
face Alexandre Zoio, a Chute Boxe fighter supposedly great on
his feet and clueless on the ground. Nothing of the sort. And
Johil ended up leaving the affair injured, with a nasty spinal
injury (C-4), according to the doctor who attended him.
“They
thought the guy was a Chute Boxe striker with a rookie’s
ground game. Major hoodwink, the guy was a Ryan Gracie student,
a tough Jiu-Jitsu brown belt,” Professor Celsinho Venícius
whispered to the reporter.
That
fight and others television viewers in Brazil will be able to
watch starting midnight on Sportv channel.
“It’s
the maiden broadcast of Jungle Fight on Sportv. Only the UFC
and Jungle are so privileged. That’s recognition for the
work we’re doing. After airing live on ESPN Deportes in
the USA, now we’re on Sportv. There’s a lot more to
come. We’re going to make history in the sport,” said
a jubilant Wallid Ismail, the event’s promoter.
The
Brazilian took the opportunity to announce three fights on the
card for the next Jungle Fight by Ortobom event, on October 30
in the city of Belém, Brazil. In the under-77 kg (welterweight)
GP, Gil de Freitas faces Erick Silva (Minotauro Team), while
at the other end of the bracket Mexico’s Francisco Ayon
(Combate Libre) faces Argentina’s Fernando Martinez.
Another
matchup announced is between Ildemar Marajó Alcantara
against Jacko Quintana, an Argentine. Ildemar is the brother
of Yuri Marajó, who won his fight at the last Jungle Fight
event.
“The
card is practically done, and during the coming week I’ll
announce further additions. I want striking in this show. For
example, Crocotá can lose ten times in our event: if he
fights the way he has been, the doors will always be open to
him. Edu Pamplona goes without saying, if he doesn’t get
called on to fight abroad, there’ll always be a place for
him at Jungle Fight,” says Wallid in praise, recalling the
stars of the best fight of the last Jungle event. “I owe
the success of the last event to Walter Feldman and Thiago Lobo,
who have a great deal to do with the growth of MMA in São
Paulo. And Jungle Fight will be back in São Paulo on November
20, at the Virada Esportiva arena,” he says in conclusion.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
10
QUESTIONS WITH SHAWN TOMPKINS
With only a couple days away from WEC 51, “The Coach”
Shawn Tompkins gives MMAFix a personal written interview from
his hotel room in Denver, Colorado as he prepares both Featherweight
Mark Hominick and Lightweight Chris Horodecki for the biggests
tests in their careers. Hominick is on a 3 win fight streak facing
Leonard Garcia and Horodecki is 1-1 in the WEC, looking to break
that even record with a win against Ed Ratcliff. And amidst his
already brutal schedule, Tompkins has another fight on his mind…just
the UFC Middleweight Championship fight with Vitor Belfort…
1.
What can you reveal to us of your knowledge on TapouT brand being
sold to billionaire Warren Buffett and does any of this positively
or negatively effect your position as Head Coach of TapouT Training
Center in Las Vegas?
Actually
the rumour of Warren Buffet buying Tap Out is untrue, this I
believe was something that started on a forum website and unfortunately
people tend to believe everything they read on these MMA Forums.
What really happened was a good friend of the Team Tompkins family
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jamie Salter purchased the company
along with SilverStar. Jamie is very much involved with and interested
in the Xtreme Sports business so to him MMA makes alot of sense.
It also helped that his son is not only best friends with Sam
Stout (my brother in law) but he is also a student of his. Ultimately
Jamie Salter got into the business to run it alongside his son.??The
purchase of the company really has no effect on the Tap Out Training
Center, I am sure somewhere down the road there will be some
collaboration but for now there are no changes. I personally
am very excited for the Salter family to be involved in our sport,
they have proven before to be leaders in the business world and
will do nothing but great for us all in the long run.
2.
You’re in Denver for WEC 51 and it seems this year more
than ever you have been traveling all over the world sometimes
every two weeks or less to corner fighters. Who’s running
pro-training classes at TapouT Training Center when you are away?
And have you had any food that did not agree with you on the
road?
My
traveling schedule has been very demanding lately. But I truly
love what I do, the people that I spend time with on the road
have become very good friends and I would not trade that for
anything. I am also blessed at Team Tompkins with a full support
training staff. Keebo Robinson has been by my side for 2.5 years
now, running training and focussing the Team’s ground skills.
I truly couldn’t do this without his backing. Next in is
Mike Cody who is also a Jui Jitsu Black Belt and has been involved
in the sport for many years, I call Mike my MMA Expert he really
has a great grasp on seeing the sport. Especially from the ground
up. The Team has shown its best year of competition since he
has been with us. Mike is also a guy that never stops supporting
the Team, he’s a very unselfish guy. Something that is not
easy to find. The wrestling portion of my program is headed up
buy Boise State Wrestling stand out Johnny “Boy” Nunez.
Johnny is also a fighter for the Team so it is great to have
someone who is not only a great wrestler, but also understands
wrestling for MMA. To round out my Team and a guy that has made
my fighters famous for being some of the best conditioned athletes
in the sport Robert McMullin. Robert is definately the Best in
the game when it comes to Strength and Conditioning. He is doing
things with my guys, that the sport has never seen. So as you
can see I have a great support staff, something I have worked
very hard to attain. These guys are really what makes everything
work and why we are a successful Team and family.
3.
Thursday night, your protégé Lightweight Chris
Horodecki faces off against Ed Ratcliff at WEC 51. Right now
Horodecki is 1-1 in his WEC career, In this current MMA climate,
many Zuffa contracted fighters may harbor the fear of being cut
in the back of their minds, how well do you think Horodecki can
deal with this kind of pressure?
To
be honest this is the first time the thought that Chris is 1-1
in WEC has ever crossed my mind. I have trained Chris since he
was 12 years old, and have been with him for over 30 fights.
Both Kickboxing and MMA. The kid is very good at winning and
probably the coolest head I have ever trained. He will have no
extra pressure on him in this fight. He will go out there and
do his best for me and I am sure we will find a way to succeed.
He is also only 23 year old, mark my words you have only seen
the beginning of Chris Horodecki.
4.
It’s a big night for you at WEC 51 Thursday night. You will
also be in the corner of Featherweight Mark Hominick as he faces
a notable opponent, Leonard Garcia. How have you prepared Hominick
known for his kickboxing to beat a striker like Garcia?
I
think that the Garcia and Hominick is one of the best match ups
in WEC history. You have a striking match up in its purest form,
brawler vs technician. For Mark in this fight, we really haven’t
changed his training up much. Just really alot of fine tuning.
I think where Garcia is gonna have trouble in this fight is that
he has never faced a fighter that is as disciplined as Mark Hominick.
This will be an awesome fight.
5.
Another fighter you have trained under Team Tompkins who will
be on the WEC 51 card is Featherweight George Roop who is facing
“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. How do you feel
about that match-up and what does Roop need to beat Jung?
I
love the George Roop vs Korean Zombie match up. I have said this
before, but I really think when it comes down to Roop is one
of the toughest guys in this division. I also fell that Jung
is over-rated. The Garcia fight that Jung became instantly famous
for, to me looked like two guys swinging purses at each-other.
Don’t get me wrong, I respect both fighters and it was an
exciting match. But the technical level of that fight was non-existant.
Roop I believe will give Jung a true test.
6.
Next month your brother-in-law Sam Stout faces Paul Taylor at
UFC 121 in Anaheim, CA. It will be almost a year since Taylor’s
last UFC fight which ended in a decision loss to John Hathaway.
He is also dropping down from the 170lb division to fight in
the 155lb division against Stout. Both fighters are aggressive
standing, but with Taylor’s possible ring rust and his first
time fighting in the Lightweight division, what, if any concerns
do you have with this match-up?
The
Paul Tayler and Sam Stout match up is another fight of the night
possibilty for us. Paul is a great striker, with an exceptional
reach and is willing to bang. I think it is a good match up for
us and we know he will come to fight us. Where the difference
in this fight is I believe is Sam’s ability to use true
mixed martial arts. I think this will be an exciting and skillfull
test.
7.
Paul Taylor was unable to achieve his weight cut to 155lbs when
he was suppose to face another one of your fighters, John Gunderson
at UFC 112. How much did it piss you off that you traveled all
the way to Dubai for that fight to be cancelled and would you
be less pissed off if he didn’t make weight in Anaheim,
California, which is only about an hour flight away?
To
be honest the whole Abu Dhabi trip was a bit taxing and very
expensive for us. But the country truly is beautiful and is a
place I think everyone should see at least once. As for Paul
not making weight, he actually did. Where the problem came in
was that the night after weigh ins he suffered from sever migraines
and was medically forced from the fight. We have absolutely no
ill feeling towards Paul, these are things that happen and were
out of his control. He is a proven tough guy and would have fought
us if he could. I just hope that he has things figured out now
and that the weight cut is a healthier result.
8.
How do you feel that Vitor Belfort is getting his chance at the
UFC Middleweight Championship belt because of Chael Sonnen being
forced out of a second go around with Anderson Silva due to his
year suspension for popping positive to high levels of testosterone?
I
have had a very exciting week, hearing that we will be getting
our title match up between Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva.
I do however hope that things work themselves out with Chael,
he is a very intelligent guy and I can’t help but think
that there is something else involved that we dont know about
yet. As for us, this couldn’t be better. We fight for the
title and it sounds like at home in Las Vegas. Nothing against
germany, but sleeping in my own bed before the biggest fight
in history is a good thing.
9.
If Chael Sonnen (allegedly) used PEDs in his fight at UFC 119
against Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and worked as hard
as he did for almost five rounds and still could not beat Silva,
how is Vitor Belfort going to beat him?
We
have been studying Anderson for over a year now, we have had
our gameplan in place and to be honest everytime Silva fights
he proves to us that we are on the right path. He is however
the P4P best in the world and we will not forget this. But I
can promise you this, I will bring the Best Vitor Belfort you
have ever seen into that cage come fight night.
10.
If you could travel for fun and not for work, where would you
go?
There
are a few places I have really enjoyed in my travels. I love
the relaxed college atmosphere and beer in Boston, San Diego
is heavenly and I have always loved Miami Beach, Florida definately
one of the coolest places in the world. Gotta tell you though
living in Las Vegas is a dream come true for this small town
Canadian boy….
Source: MMA Fix
|
Dan
Henderson Blames TV Politics for Strikeforce Absence
By Ariel
Helwani
If you're wondering why it's taken Dan Henderson so long to return
to action, the former PRIDE champion has a perfectly good reason
for his absence from the Strikeforce scene.
"It
wasn't [up to] me," Henderson said on Thursday's edition
of The MMA Hour. "I was wanting to get back in there pretty
quickly, but I think part of the problem was CBS kind of a little
bit faltering on their commitment to mixed martial arts, especially
after the little escapade in the cage after my last fight on
CBS.
"You
know, I don't quite understand that and they're definitely still
wanting to be involved in mixed martial arts and with Strikeforce,
but I think they're just gonna take their time on it a little
bit more."
Henderson
admitted that one of the main reasons why he signed with Strikeforce
late last year was due to the fact that the organization had
a broadcast deal in place with CBS, and he was a little upset
that his next fight, now scheduled for Dec. 4 against Renato
"Babalu" Sobral on Showtime, won't be airing on the
network.
"It
is disappointing [to not fight on CBS again], and the fact that
that could have been easily avoided with the guys not coming
into the cage after my last fight. It just gave them an out.
But I also think that if CBS had a big problem with it, they
didn't need to put it on their Web site, didn't need to replay
it a bunch of times."
There
was some hope that CBS would air one more MMA card before the
end of the calendar year, but that now seems like a long shot.
Regardless, Henderson believes the network is still committed
to the sport.
"I
don't know if they're trying to renegotiate or get a little bit
more out of the door, but I think they're definitely still going
to be on board. But that's kind of what they were waiting on.
[Strikeforce] wanted me to be on the next CBS card and CBS took
a while and finally [Strikeforce] just got tired of waiting.
I thought I was going to fight two, three months ago, but that's
the way it goes."
Henderson
lost his promotional debut to Jake Shields in April. That fight
was for the middleweight title, but his upcoming bout against
Sobral will be a light heavyweight fight.
The
40-year-old won't rule out fighting at 185 again but says the
weight cut prior to his last fight really affected him and he
would rather stick around at 205 for the time being.
As
for his experience working with Strikeforce thus far, Henderson
hasn't doubted his decision to jump from the UFC to the upstart
San Jose-based organization.
"They
definitely like to make sure they try to take care of the fighters,"
Henderson said of Strikeforce. "They're very similar to
a lot of other organizations. It's a nice outlet for these fighters
to come fight; they put on a great show and they're pretty organized,
as far as at the event. I've got no regrets, put it that way,
about moving there. It's a lot less of a headache, a lot less
red tape to deal with, as far as restrictions on what I can and
can't do, as far as sponsorships go."
Sobral
is coming off a win over Robbie Lawler in June. Henderson said
he was surprised that the Brazilian would call him out instead
of accepting a title shot, but Sobral explained that he wanted
to avenge a loss to Henderson he suffered in the finals of the
1999 RINGS Kings of Kings tournament.
But
even though they fought 11 years ago, Henderson won't even bother
look at the tape of the fight.
"It
was a different sport back then; I was a different fighter. I
was just a wrestler back then. I didn't really know a whole lot
and he was just a jiu-jitsu guy. It was in the finals of a 32-man
tournament. We had four fights to get to that point, and I think
I had three decisions and one kind of TKO thing, and I think
he submitted all four guys [Ed. note: Sobral submitted two opponents
and won two decisions]. So he was mostly a jiu-jitsu guy who
didn't stand a whole lot back then and tried to take guys down.
I avoided the takedown and won the fight, basically.
"I
don't even want to look back on that one. I will look at a lot
of his current fights and see what I can come up with as far
as a game plan."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CARWIN
RETURNS NEW YEAR'S DAY, NELSON POSSIBLE
by Damon
Martin
The layoff for Shane Carwin is almost over.
After
a near miss in his last fight that saw him almost take the UFC
heavyweight title from Brock Lesnar, the Colorado fighter is
ready to return to the Octagon, and he's targeting a New Year's
Day fight at UFC 125.
Carwin
made the announcement via his personal Twitter page on Tuesday,
saying that he had no opponent yet, but a report from Showdown.ca
states that "Ultimate Fighter Season 10” winner Roy
Nelson may be tapped to face him on the UFC 125 card on New Year's
Day.
Nelson
has been recovering from knee surgery following his last fight,
a loss to Junior Dos Santos in August. There has been no confirmation
that the Las Vegas based fighter would indeed be ready by a Jan.
1 date.
Since
his last fight, Carwin has undergone medical evaluations to pinpoint
the issues he dealt with in the Lesnar bout, which saw the mammoth
heavyweight’s power and cardio zapped as the first round
closed. Carwin, appearing on MMAWeekly Radio after the fight,
explained a condition called "lactic acidosis" that
caused his problems against Lesnar and noted that it was something
he wanted to fix before returning to the Octagon.
“I
have been spending a lot of time with (trainer) John Chamberg
and have committed to following his crazy strength and conditioning
routines,” Carwin wrote on his website on Tuesday. “I
can barely walk when we are done working out so I guess that
is a good sign.”
Now
healthy and back in the gym, Carwin is ready to make another
run at the heavyweight title and it appears that will start on
the first day of 2011.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Kitaoka
Taps Hironaka, Retires From Pancrase
by Tony
Loiseleur
TOKYO
-- Former Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka bested
current Cage Force lightweight ace Kuniyoshi Hironaka on Sunday’s
Pancrase Passion Tour 9 at Differ Ariake.
The
latest in Pancrase’s recent series of cross-promotional
bouts, the Kitaoka-Hironaka tilt seemed a significant affair
for both fighters. With setbacks in larger Japanese promotions
-- Kitaoka losing his lightweight title to Mizuto Hirota in Sengoku,
and Hironaka being knocked out by Deep lightweight champ Katsunori
Kikuno in Dream -- both men entered the ring with the understanding
that the fight was a do-or-die proposition.
“If
I lost this fight, I would have begun thinking about retirement,”
said Kitaoka, after the fight. “I think Hironaka might have
been thinking the same thing.”
Fans
were thus treated to an aggressive Kitaoka, who deviated from
his typical modus operandi of shooting for takedowns to look
for submissions with his crushing top game. The southpaw Kitaoka
attacked primarily with high kicks and swiping right hooks which,
though often blocked, forced Hironaka to fight defensively. Hironaka
popped off unchecked low kicks and stiff jabs, one of which eventually
opened a cut over Kitaoka's right eye.
Given
Kitaoka's history of deteriorating in fights that go beyond the
first round, Hironaka's early defensiveness seemed to indicate
that he would counter-strike his way to a decision victory. The
Cage Force champ even managed to steal top position off of two
rebuffed takedown attempts by Kitaoka. It was during one of these
botched attempts in the second period that Kitaoka gave up his
back to Hironaka, although the former Sengoku champ swiftly reversed
the position and applied a foot lock. Hironaka escaped, but soon
found himself contending with another of Kitaoka's specialities
in the guillotine choke.
Hironaka
fought the choke, but it was locked in too tightly to be denied.
Kicking his legs in the throes of the submission, Hironaka was
forced to tap out at 4:22 of the second round.
After
the fight, an emotional Kitaoka expressed his gratitude for Don
Quijote owner Takao Yasuda, Pancrase promoter Yasushi Sakamoto,
and J-Rock president and former World Victory Road head Takahiro
Kokuho, all of whom Kitaoka credited with supporting him following
his losses in Sengoku.
This
was followed by Kitaoka's surprising declaration that he was
“done with Pancrase.” In a post-fight interview, Kitaoka
expressed that he felt he had done all that he could in the promotion,
though there was still more to do in MMA. While he does not know
where he will go next, Kitaoka asserted hopes to fight again
on New Year's Eve.
When
pressed as to where he would like to fight, Kitaoka said, “I
can't talk about that now.”
Elsewhere
on the card, Sengoku Raiden Championship-sponsored prospect Shigeki
Osawa made quick work of Masaomi Saito, putting the Takada Dojo
product away with a first-round TKO. From the opening bell, Osawa
repeatedly teased the takedown by reaching out to paw Saito's
lead leg -- a pattern to which Saito caught on and almost put
a finish to with a knee to Osawa's face. Despite the risks, Osawa
continued to tease the takedown in an apparent attempt to lull
Saito into complacency. The tactic worked, as Osawa lunged immediately
after a knee, pawing with a big overhand left.
Taking
the punch on the ear, Saito dropped to all fours and turtled
up. Osawa promptly lunged to finish his prone opponent with a
barrage of punches before referee Kenji Kosuge jumped in for
the save at 1:42 of the first round.
After
the bout, Osawa expressed a desire to fight for the Pancrase
featherweight title, held currently by Marlon Sandro. As a relative
newcomer to the promotion however, Osawa acknowledged that he
must fight a Pancrase-ranked opponent before challenging for
the title.
In
a lightweight attraction, Takafumi Ito made quick work of Romanian
kempo champion Sabou Miruchya. After escaping a Miruchya guillotine
early in round one, the longtime Pancrase veteran racked up some
ground and pound from guard before scrambling to take his opponent's
back and sinking in a rear-naked choke. Miruchya fought the submission
by prying Ito's arms away, but the dogged Pancrasist would not
be denied, reapplying the choke until Miruchya tapped at the
3:19 mark of the first period.
In
other Pancrase news, the promotion announced bouts for its Dec.
5 card, which will feature triple championship fights. Former
Pancrase flyweight champion Mitsuhisa Sunabe will rematch current
title-holder Kiyotaka Shimizu, who took the belt from him in
their second meeting this past February. Having already defeated
Yuki Kondo at Sept. 26's Cage Force 19, Rikuhei Fujii will attempt
to do so again for Kondo's middleweight King of Pancrase title.
Yuji Sakuragi will similarly attempt to take Ryo Kawamura's light
heavyweight crown after pounding Kawamura out in a September
non-title affair. Also slated for the card is a women's bout
pitting “Windy” Tomomi Sunaba against Akiko Naito.
Other
Results:
Takenori Sato def Yuta Nakamura -- Submission (kimura) 0:34 R2
Hiroki Nagaoka def Ryosuke Togashi -- Unan Dec 5:00 R2
Yusuke Kawanago def Masaki Yanagisawa -- KO (Soccer kick) 0:51
R2
Katsuhiko Nomura def Kenichi Ogura -- Tech Sub (Armbar) 0:53
R1
Chikara Shimabukuro def. Tsukasa Arai -- Submission (Triangle)
4:49 R1
Sotaro Kojima draws Takamasa Kiuchi -- Time Limit Draw 5:00 R2
Source: Sherdog
|
KAUFMAN
HAPPY TO CO-MAIN EVENT MAJOR CARD
by Jeff Cain
Strikeforce 135-pound female titleholder Sarah Kaufman got what
she wanted. She’s the co-main event on the “Strikeforce:
San Jose” fight card headlined by the rematch between Nick
Diaz and KJ Noons on Oct. 9.
Heading
into her last outing against Roxanne Modaferri, Kaufman went
public with complaints that she should be on regular Strikeforce
cards instead of being featured on the organization’s “ShoMMA:
Challengers” series.
The
media and fans rallied behind the 25-year old fighter’s
cause, and she delivered by finishing Modaferri with a highlight
reel slam that rendered Modaferri unconscious. The highlight
was picked up by ESPN and shown on Sportscenter.
Now
that she’s showcased as a co-main event on a major Strikeforce
card, has it added any pressure to perform?
“For
me it’s just another fight. Always as a fighter you want
to win the fight, but also you have to be aware of the fans and
the fact that people want to watch exciting fights and they don’t
necessarily want to watch a super technical five-round, 25-minute
fight as good as those are,” Kaufman told MMAWeekly.com.
“It’s
a happy medium. You have to make sure that you fight a smart
fight, but also making sure that you’re not being what is
called boring and stalling a fight. You always want those exciting
fights.”
The
undefeated Kaufman defends her title for a third time, taking
on Marloes Coenen in Coenen’s 135-pound debut. Coenen is
coming off a loss to Strikeforce 145-pound female titleholder
Cris “Cyborg” Santos.
Strikeforce
held a tournament won by Meisha Tate to crown a contender to
Kaufman’s throne, but opted to give the title shot to Coenen
instead garnering criticism in the process.
“As
a fighter as long as I get to fight I’m pretty happy, and
I always like to fight new people, so I think that‘s great
as well,” Kaufman said about Coenen being granted the title
bout.
“I
do see where people are saying she’s never fought at 135,
which she hasn’t, so to get a title shot immediately is
something people have been definitely criticizing. I can see
their reasoning behind it. Why have a tournament and then have
someone else fight for the title before them? But I’m just
happy and I think she’s a great opponent. Hopefully she
proves everyone wrong and she’s going to stay at 135,”
added Kaufman.
Kaufman
isn’t concerned too much with Strikeforce matchmaking. She
knows her job is to win fights regardless who the organization
puts in front of her.
“She’s
been around the fight game for ten years, so that’s a lot
of experience. I’m pretty sure I’m going to bring enough
to bring that win home, but anything can happen,” said Kaufman.
“I feel really prepared for this fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Donald
Cerrone Wants to Complete Trilogy in Jamie Varner's Backyard
By Matt
Erickson
Donald Cerrone seemed to have so much fun in his grudge match
against Jamie Varner on Thursday night that he made no bones
about wanting to do it again.
In
fact, since the fight at WEC 51 took place in Broomfield, Colo.,
just 90 miles north of Cerrone's hometown of Colorado Springs,
he put aside the post-fight shoving and the between-round bird-flipping
against his heated and hated rival and did the gentlemanly thing
– he offered to rematch with Varner on his turf next time.
WEC
53 takes place Dec. 16 at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.,
a suburb of Phoenix – Varner's home. And after dominating
in a unanimous decision sweep of the scorecards, Cerrone took
to the microphone to offer up a chance to finish the trilogy,
now tied 1-1, in Varner's backyard.
WEC
general manager Reed Harris told MMA Fighting after the event
that, as usual, he and matchmaker Sean Shelby would sit down
to discuss potential upcoming matches, making no promises of
a rematch in Phoenix. But he made no secret that he wouldn't
stand in the way of another fight between the two lightweights,
regardless of when it takes place.
"I'd
have them fight every show, the way these guys fight," Harris
said. "I'm telling you, that was an absolutely exciting,
outstanding fight. And I'd love to see it again. But I'll sit
down with Sean Shelby next week and we'll talk about it."
Cerrone
and Varner first fought at WEC 38, with Varner winning a controversial
split decision that was cut short when he couldn't continue following
an illegal knee from Cerrone. Both that bout and the rematch
Thursday night were Fight of the Night bonus winners.
The
Cowboy came out with guns blazing from the opening bell and said
at the post-fight press conference he had no real gameplan, other
than to fight angry.
"It
was run at him and when I got there, I was gonna figure it out,"
Cerrone said. "I was having a good time out there. There
were definitely a couple times I could've finished him and I
didn't. I was stepping back, admiring my work, I guess you could
say."
Cerrone
said his personal problems with Varner aren't going away, even
though the two touched gloves at the start of the third round
"As
a fighter, I've got nothing to take away from the guy. So I was
giving credit where credit is due," Cerrone said. "But
then at the end of the fight, he came at me to try and hug me
or something, and I was like, 'Get away from me.' I don't know
what exactly went down – words were exchanged. I still don't
like the guy. Just because it's a good fight, the beef isn't
squashed. I still have ill feelings toward him. As a person,
I think he's got no backbone."
If
a Cerrone-Varner trilogy match were to take place at WEC 53,
it would likely find itself in the middle of the main card, which
already features two title bouts – a lightweight title fight
between champion Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis, and a bantamweight
title scrap between champ Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Galvão
wants to tap Woodley on Strikeforce
By Guilherme
Cruz
After
two wins on Strikeforce, André Galvão starts to
dream higher on the American event. Chosen to confront the unbeaten
Tyron Woodley, who have won most of his fights by submission,
the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt told TATAME he hopes for a
busy fight on October 9, and that he prefers the ground game.
“I think the opponents he had, at least most of them, came
from Wrestling and didn’t know much about the ground game,
but if he likes to play on the floor it’ll be a good thing
for me too because it’s a place I really enjoy being. If
God helps me, I’ll get a submission as quickly as I can”,
affirmed Galvão. Click here to read an exclusive interview
with the fighter, who talked about the possibility of fighting
on World Pro 2011 and the trainings with the Nogueira brothers
and Brandon Vera.
Source: Tatame
|
WEC
51 and the Fickleness of MMA Media
by subo
When someone breaks your heart - or, alternately, chains it to
a car bumper and fills up the tank - you really only have two
options. You can't go back in time and choose your match differently,
you can't retroactively change the venue, and you sure as hell
can't control anything beyond your own actions. So, you can cry
in your milk and dwell on the past, or you can get out there
and start looking for your next distraction.
I
wasn't as disappointed by UFC 119 as it seems most other MMA
writers were. I enjoy competitive fights in which the winner
is yet to be determined. I don't consider the fighters puppets
that I pay to see dance in a way that pleases me. I understand
that this is truly the oldest of sports, and that whereas previous
generations had to get off their asses and trek to an arena to
witness it, all I have to do is click a few buttons on my remote
or look up from the bar after paying a cover. And I'm happy -
thrilled - to do it. We all should be. That doesn't mean MMA,
or Zuffa, is perfect, optimal or beyond improvement. I'm just
sick and tired of the negativity that saturates the coverage
of this sport.
A
fighter that is in the conversation for best pound-for-pound
fighter on Earth is fighting tomorrow. A rematch of the fight
of the year (according to multiple critics) will happen tomorrow.
A fighter formerly in the pound-for-pound debate will be attempting
to rebound. The two participants in the front runner for this
year's fight of the year will be competing. Damacio Page, Antonio
Banuelos and, potentially, the most meaningful international
fighter in America today are on the fucking undercard tomorrow.
Me? I have a ticket, a group of people to go with and a personal
stake in the success of one of the fighters on the card. I've
been waiting for this card since it was announced, since it's
an hour away from me. But what about you? How would you guys,
even those of you that reliably check up on the scene, be aware
of this amazing card?
The
WEC just doesn't fail to deliver. While I accept that not every
fight/card can be a barnburner and that, sometimes, statistical
anomalies can and do occur, every single WEC card has multiple
redeeming qualities. It's uncanny. But the focus hasn't been
there - it's been on Mir/Cro Cop stinking, "I disagree with
a closely contested decision!" and, yes, the possibility
that there's just too much gosh darn MMA these days. I am so
sad to see the single worst argument put forth by Josh Gross
earlier this year making a comeback. I missed the Dark Ages,
but does no one remember them? Isn't that a more frightful possibility
than "oversaturation" (also known as "growth")?
As
a reader, I'm more interested in fight breakdowns, hypothetical
match making, behind-the-scenes news and Gabriel Gonzaga's YouTube
page. As a writer, it's both tempting and exhausting to simply
run around and put out fires, refuting bad argument after bad
argument. I vow to try to do better, and I'm going to do my best
to give you guys a killer write up of the event. The fighters
competing in Broomfield tomorrow deserve it.
Source: Fight Linker
|
Fitch
sounding definite on move to middleweight in near future
Jon Fitch has dropped more strong hints that suggest a move to
the middleweight division increasingly weighs on his mind. As
a welterweight fighting out of the American Kickboxing Academy,
he counts Mike Swick and Josh Koscheck as team mates, and is
loath to fight either.
Now
- with the prospect of Koscheck winning the UFC welterweight
title from Georges St. Pierre later this year, and Fitch having
climbed to the top of the contender’s pile - the UFC could
be on the verge of bringing heavy pressure on Fitch to fight
his team mate.
"We
have a philosophy at our gym that it would be much better to
have three belts at AKA than to have two belts, and then send
two guys to fight for the same belt. So I feel like I can beat
Anderson Silva, too, and GSP," Fitch told MMA Junkie.
Fitch
also addressed the possibility of Koscheck not beating St. Pierre,
leaving the way open for him to match the French-Canadian.
"GSP
is first on my list. But by the time I win the belt at 170, there
will be one or two fights left because I will have fought everybody
else, and I'll want to move up. That's just where my career will
progress… I've been chasing him (GSP) since the last loss,
and I'll continue to chase him until I beat him and get the welterweight
title and move up."
St.
Pierre and Koscheck will fight on December 11th, headlining UFC
124 in Montreal, Canada.
Source: Fighters Only Magazine
|
USAT/SBN
September 2010 MMA Consensus Rankings
by Kid
Nate
The
September USA TODAY/Sports Blog Nation MMA Consensus Rankings
are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of USA TODAY to
see them in print tomorrow.
Based
on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that
it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community
as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and
average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus
rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources
and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th
place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used
to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded
points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters.
This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number
of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to
rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible
points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More
details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE:
We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because
the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the
more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That
was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every
month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top
25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower
"signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that
is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like
it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion,
not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources
to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month.
We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish
top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always
we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve
the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
We
have further modified our formula to better account for fighters
who drift between multiple weight classes. We are now moving
to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings
in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes.
This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings
and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's
take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists
have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight.
On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average
(21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of
Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's
not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that
we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead
of the usual "normalization number" to provide points
from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question.
This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion
about which weight class they belong.
Heavyweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Brock Lesnar 99 UFC 1
2 Fedor Emelianenko 90 M-1 / Strikeforce 2
3 Cain Velasquez 87 UFC 4
4 Fabricio Werdum 87 Strikeforce 3
5 Shane Carwin 85 UFC 5
6 Junior dos Santos 83 UFC 6
7 Frank Mir 78 UFC 7
8 Alistair Overeem 75 Strikeforce 8
9 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 70 UFC 9
10 Josh Barnett 54 Impact Fighting Championship 11
11 Brett Rogers 50 Strikeforce 12
12 Antonio Silva 50 Strikeforce 10
13 Gabriel Gonzaga 42 UFC 13
14 Cheick Kongo 33 UFC 14
15 Mirko Filipovic 28 UFC 15
16 Andrei Arlovski 27 Strikeforce 16
17 Roy Nelson 24 UFC 19
18 Pedro Rizzo 23 Impact Fighting Championship 17
19 Aleksander Emelianenko 23 Azerbaijan Pankration Federation
17
20 Ben Rothwell 21 UFC 21
21 Tim Sylvia 20 Powerhouse World Promotions 20
22 Randy Couture 14 UFC 22
23 Stefan Struve 11 UFC 23
24 Mike Russow 11 UFC 25
25 Jeff Monson 10 Knuckle Up MMA 24
Light Heavyweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Mauricio Rua 100 UFC 1
2 Lyoto Machida 95 UFC 2
3 Rashad Evans 92 UFC 3
4 Quinton Jackson 86 UFC 4
5 Forrest Griffin 80 UFC 5
6 Ryan Bader 68 UFC 16
7 Jon Jones 62 UFC 9
8 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 62 UFC 6
9 Anderson Silva 60 UFC 7
10 Gegard Mousasi 52 DREAM 10
11 Thiago Silva 51 UFC 11
12 Randy Couture 48 UFC 13
13 Muhammed Lawal 46 Strikeforce 8
14 Rich Franklin 46 UFC 12
15 Dan Henderson 39 Strikeforce 14
16 Rafael Cavalcante 38 Strikeforce 15
17 Renato Sobral 28 Strikeforce 17
18 Matt Hamill 26 UFC 19
19 Vitor Belfort 25 UFC 18
20 Brandon Vera 20 UFC 20
21 Jason Brilz 14 UFC 26
22 Luis Arthur Cane 14 UFC 23
23 Tito Ortiz 13 UFC 24
23 Phil Davis 13 UFC 27
25 Chuck Liddell 13 UFC 21
25 Cyrille Diabate 13 UFC 25
Middleweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Anderson Silva 100 UFC 1
2 Chael Sonnen 94 UFC 2
3 Nate Marquardt 87 UFC 4
4 Jake Shields 84 UFC 3
5 Vitor Belfort 78 UFC 5
6 Demian Maia 78 UFC 6
7 Dan Henderson 74 Strikeforce 7
8 Yushin Okami 68 UFC 8
9 Jorge Santiago 64 WVR 9
10 Ronaldo Souza 57 Strikeforce 10
11 Robbie Lawler 48 Strikeforce 11
12 Michael Bisping 42 UFC 12
13 Chris Leben 41 UFC 13
14 Alan Belcher 41 UFC 15
15 Wanderlei Silva 35 UFC 14
16 Mamed Khalidov 27 KSW 16
17 Yoshihiro Akiyama 25 UFC 17
18 Hector Lombard 23 Bellator 20
19 Paulo Filho 22 Impact Fighting Championship 18
20 Alessio Sakara 20 UFC 19
21 Thales Leites 19 Powerhouse World Promotions 21
22 Patrick Cote 13 UFC 25
23 Kazuo Misaki 13 WVR 23
24 Tim Kennedy 13 Strikeforce 25
25 Rousimar Palhares 11 UFC 22
Welterweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Georges St. Pierre 100 UFC 1
2 Jon Fitch 96 UFC 2
3 Josh Koscheck 87 UFC 4
4 Thiago Alves 86 UFC 3
5 Nick Diaz 77 DREAM 6
6 Dan Hardy 76 UFC 7
7 Martin Kampmann 75 UFC 5
8 Matt Hughes 67 UFC 8
9 Paulo Thiago 65 UFC 9
10 Jake Shields 58 UFC 11
11 Paul Daley 56 Shark Fight 10
12 Mike Swick 39 UFC 12
13 Chris Lytle 39 UFC 23
14 Jay Hieron 38 Strikeforce 14
15 Carlos Condit 36 UFC 15
16 John Hathaway 35 UFC 16
17 Matt Serra 28 UFC 13
18 Ben Askren 27 Bellator 17
19 Jake Ellenberger 22 UFC 18
20 Anthony Johnson 16 UFC 19
20 Dan Hornbuckle 16 Bellator 20
22 Mike Pierce 15 UFC 22
23 Ricardo Almeida 12 UFC 21
23 Akihiro Gono 12 WVR 24
25 Dong Hyun Kim 12 UFC 26
Lightweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Frank Edgar 100 UFC 1
2 B.J. Penn 91 UFC 2
3 Gilbert Melendez 90 Strikeforce 3
4 Gray Maynard 88 UFC 7
5 Shinya Aoki 82 DREAM 5
6 Eddie Alvarez 82 Bellator 6
7 Kenny Florian 80 UFC 4
8 Tatsuya Kawajiri 58 DREAM 8
9 George Sotiropoulos 55 UFC 9
10 Sean Sherk 53 UFC 15
11 Jim Miller 47 UFC 12
12 Evan Dunham 46 UFC 10
13 Takanori Gomi 43 UFC 13
14 Ben Henderson 43 WEC 11
15 Mizuto Hirota 34 K-1 13
16 Tyson Griffin 30 UFC 16
17 Joe Stevenson 26 UFC 17
18 Kurt Pellegrino 19 UFC 19
19 Gesias Cavalcante 18 DREAM 21
20 Diego Sanchez 17 UFC 18
21 Josh Thomson 13 Strikeforce 20
21 Joachim Hansen 13 DREAM 23
23 Melvin Guillard 12 UFC 34
24 Clay Guida 12 UFC 25
25 Kazunori Yokota 11 K-1 23
Featherweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Jose Aldo 100 WEC 1
2 Manny Gamburyan 94 WEC 2
3 Mike Brown 87 WEC 3
4 Urijah Faber 86 WEC 4
5 Marlon Sandro 80 WVR 5
6 Bibiano Fernandes 75 DREAM 6
7 Michihiro Omigawa 74 DREAM 8
8 Hatsu Hioki 73 WVR 7
9 Josh Grispi 71 WEC 9
10 Masanori Kanehara 43 WVR 10
11 Joe Warren 39 Bellator 18
12 L.C. Davis 35 WEC 13
13 Deividas Taurosevicius 33 WEC 12
13 Leonard Garcia 33 WEC 14
15 Rafael Assuncao 33 WEC 11
16 Hiroyuki Takaya 30 DREAM 17
17 Yuji Hoshino 30 WVR 16
18 Diego Nunes 29 WEC 15
19 Chad Mendes 29 WEC 19
20 Mark Hominick 28 WEC 20
21 Kazuyuki Miyata 20 DREAM 24
22 Joachim Hansen 19 DREAM 22
23 Joe Soto 17 Bellator 21
24 Takeshi Inoue 15 DREAM 23
25 Chan Sung Jung 14 WEC 25
Bantamweight MMA
Consensus Rankings posted September 29, 2010
Rank Fighter % Promotion Last Rank
1 Dominick Cruz 100 WEC 1
2 Brian Bowles 95 WEC 2
3 Joseph Benavidez 91 WEC 3
4 Scott Jorgensen 88 WEC 4
5 Miguel Torres 84 WEC 5
6 Takeya Mizugaki 77 WEC 6
7 Wagnney Fabiano 62 WEC 9
8 Damacio Page 59 WEC 8
9 Masakatsu Ueda 54 Shooto 7
10 Charlie Valencia 51 WEC 11
11 Rani Yahya 48 WEC 10
12 Masakazu Imanari 46 DEEP 13
13 Brad Pickett 40 WEC 16
14 Eddie Wineland 39 WEC 15
15 Akitoshi Tamura 34 Shooto 14
16 Antonio Banuelos 33 WEC 17
17 Shuichiro Katsumura 32 Shooto 12
18 Michael McDonald 22 Tachi Palace Fights 19
19 Abel Cullum 21 KOTC 18
20 Zack Makovsky 16 Bellator NR
21 Darren Uyenoyama 15 Shooto NR
22 Ian Loveland 15 Wreck MMA 24
23 Kenji Osawa 14 DREAM 22
24 Jimmie Rivera 13 KOTC NR
25 Jeff Curran 11 Bellator 20
25 Cole Escovedo 11 DREAM 21
Source: Bloody Elbow
|
KENNY
FLORIAN TARGETING JANUARY RETURN
by Damon
Martin
Following a loss to Gray Maynard at UFC 118 in his hometown of
Boston, Kenny Florian was beyond motivated to get back in the
cage as soon as possible. He was so motivated that he returned
to the gym the following Monday to get back on track and wash
the taste of the loss out of his mouth.
Florian
heard all the talk about the lack of his wrestling game, so he
immediately started training to improve and come back a better
fighter. With that mindset, Florian wasn't focused on time off;
he was focused on getting back in the Octagon.
Working
to get back to the Octagon sooner rather than later, Florian
spoke to his agent, Malki Kawa, and the team started to prepare
his return, but in doing so he ended up with a slight injury.
"Kenny,
after he finished the fight, was so upset with the loss, and
realized the wrestling was something he just needed to really
concentrate on, he went back to training the very next Monday,"
Kawa told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "He didn't take a day
off. In doing so, he slightly pulled his hamstring."
With
fight cards filling up several months in advance, Kawa put the
call in to the UFC to get Florian back in the cage, but when
the opportunity arose to face B.J. Penn in November, they realized
that may have been just a little too soon.
"I
had texted (UFC president) Dana White letting him know we want
to take a fight, we want to get back in there as soon as possible,"
Kawa commented. "What ended up happening, Dana said, 'well
perfect, how about Nov. 20 against B.J. Penn?' and I didn't expect
them to do November. I thought for sure we were looking at January,
maybe early December return."
The
concern was compounded from the slight hamstring injury to the
fact that following his last fight, Florian would likely not
have time for a full eight-week camp to prepare for the former
UFC lightweight champion, and a fighter he battled in August
2009.
The
fight never came together, and Penn instead will remain on the
card and face Matt Hughes, while Florian continues to work in
the gym.
The
Boston native recently took a trip to Peru to work with kids
and do some seminars in the area, and now back home, he's eyeing
an early 2011 return to the UFC.
"What
we're hoping for is for a January return," said Kawa. "That's
what we're targeting, that's what we're hoping for. We don't
have an opponent; we don't have one on the horizon. That's a
conversation we'll have with Joe Silva, and we'll figure out
a list of names and who we can fight and when."
The
list of potential opponents for Florian will come together soon
enough with the lightweight division chock full of top talent.
Names like Jim Miller, Evan Dunham, and Sean Sherk, could fall
into place as Florian's next opponent, although the UFC hasn't
made any decisions at this point.
MMAWeekly.com
will have more information on Florian's return as it becomes
available.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Bad
judging continues to plague MMA, causing severe paranoia for
everyone
By Zach
Arnold
K-1’s
two shows this weekend in Seoul, South Korea are being taped
in 3D. Dan Herbertson has the details on the two shows coming
up here.
I
got a chance to watch both the WEC and Bellator events last night.
We saw real superstar aces in action (Jose Aldo, Megumi Fujii)
and a few intense brawls (Aguilar/Frausto, Cerrone/Varner), but
unfortunately once again the main storyline coming out of the
events was breathtakingly bad MMA judging. Mark Hominick was
the far superior striker in his fight against Leonard Garcia,
yet everyone was breathing a huge sigh of relief when Hominick
won a split decision. Yes, on one judge’s score card, he
lost the fight. However, the worst scoring by far last night
was in the Jessica Aguilar/Zoila Frausto fight. Frausto barely
made 116 pounds the day before and ended up in a stand-up war
where Aguilar simply took it to her. It was a 29-28 fight for
either woman. So, naturally we got one judge giving Aguilar a
30-27 score and two judges giving Frausto a 30-27 score. Poor
Jessica’s reaction after the announcement of the decision
was exactly my reaction and the fans were pissed at the event.
It’s a horrible outcome because Frausto ended up getting
hated by the fans (ala Sean Sherk at UFC 119) and the deserving
person ends up on the losing end of the stick. Megumi Fujii,
on the other hand, had no doubts raised in her victory over Lisa
Ward. Precise, efficient, brutal, and powerful in technique in
about a minute. Frausto’s a better striker and has size,
but the odds are definitely against her in the 115 pound women’s
tournament finals in Bellator.
I
was reading some press clippings in the Denver media about Jose
Aldo’s win over Manny Gamburyan and even the non-believers
or newbies figured out that they were seeing one of the best
pound-for-pound fighters in the world in Jose Aldo. Josh Gross
has Aldo #2 on his P4P list behind Anderson Silva. Aldo is going
to run out of opponents here pretty quickly if he can beat Josh
Grispi. The only one left would be his training mate, Marlon
Sandro, and unfortunately we won’t see that fight.
Melvin
Guillard admitted in a newspaper article that the fight he delivered
at UFC 119 was not what Dana White was expecting but that it
was exactly the methodical game plan that Greg Jackson wanted
to see.
UFC
UK boss Marshall Zelaznik is reiterating claims that UFC will
run several UK-based Fight Night shows in 2011.
Dan
Hardy says that training for his upcoming Carlos Condit fight
has been easy.
CB
Dollaway, Ryan Bader, and Aaron Simpson are ready to open a brand
new 25,000 square foot MMA gym that is being financed by Miami
Heat sharp-shooter Mike Miller.
Oscar
De La Hoya is drawing heat in the boxing business for indicating
that a UFC-type model might be needed to help build up the sport.
Just
a thought…
Amidst
the discussion about Chael Sonnen’s failed drug test in
California, the angle that drew the most heat is when Josh Gross
suggested that UFC cut fighters who fail tests as the least painful
way to send a message. A lot of readers thought that was too
extreme of a measure, especially since fighters lose the ability
to make sponsorship money if they aren’t fighting. Well,
what about this idea — if a fighter fails a drug test, they
are suspended for however long it may be and they are also banned
for one year from getting a title shot. Would that be a fair
or unfair punishment?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
From
the “Where’ve they been?” series: Alex Negão
by Mohamad
Jehad
He was a fixture at the grueling MMA training sessions at Brazilian
Top Team, where he was a top-notch sparring partner for Minotauro
& Co. He was a student of the late Carlson Gracie, with whom
he lived while still a blue belt. And he always figured on the
winners’ stand at the ADCC. A Jiu-Jitsu champion at nearly
all belt levels. A former volleyball player for Brazil’s
juvenile national team.
Yes,
the giant Alex “Negão” Paz was a great exponent
of Jiu-Jitsu early in the decade, but he went beyond that: he
was a witness to all the behind-the-scenes action in world MMA.
But what has he been up to, this figure who sticks out like a
sore thumb for his 115 kg (253 lbs) spread over a 1.92-meter
frame?
Living
in Abu Dhabi for the last year, Alex oversees MMA training at
Emirates Team and supervises Marcos Oliveira, Hassan Rumaiti,
Michel Maia, Maiky Reiter among others. Considered the foremost
authority of MMA in the Middle East, he tells what he’s
been up to and breaks down the stage at which the sport finds
itself in the region.
How
did you end up taking up MMA again, here in the Emirates?
I met Maiki here, who came in from Holland, and when I laid eyes
on him in training I knew he had enormous potential in MMA. Then
we started training together, but with no set plan. That was
when Hassan Rumaiti (Sheikh Tahnoon’s adoptive son), who
was watching the training session, asked to start his training,
as he was planning to make his debut in the style. After a few
months he debuted victoriously in Holland. Sheikh Mohamad Bin
Zayed was really happy and supported our training.
What
is the make-up of the team in this style?
Besides the Brazilian fighters, we started with the second generation
of Sheikh Tahnoon’s kids. There are about twenty youths
between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. We also have fighters
from other countries.
Is
the MMA market in Abu Dhabi growing?
Not just in Abu Dhabi. Here we have a very well-structured event,
the ADFC. In November we’ll hold one in Jordan where two
or three of our fighters will be on the card. In January we’ll
probably have another one in Egypt, where we’ll try and
get our fighters in there, as well.
How
is the team’s training going?
It’s been great to see. It’s been going off. Hassan,
in particular, has made a lot of progress. And to work with guys
like Marcão, Michel, Maiki and Luciano “Mutante”,
who just arrived, has been a real pleasure. The kids are responding
well to what’s demanded of them.
Aside
from Hassan, are there any others from the region you feel are
promising?
Khalid Walid of Syria and Gabriel Tayeh of Palestine should make
their debuts in Jordan. A lot will be said about those two. Khalid
is an excellent striker and Gabriel has really slick Jiu-Jitsu.
We also have an excellent boxer, Ali Salem, who is Hassan’s
brother, and there’s the heavyweight Yahya Mansoor, who
is a local Jiu-Jitsu hero. Not to mention the pleasant surprises
from the new generation Sheikh Tahnoon provided. There will be
a lot of talk about them.
Anything
else you’d like to mention?
I’d just like to give thanks to the people who taught me
so much, like masters Carlson, Murilo (Bustamante), Ricardo Libório,
Zé Mario, Bebeo, Cláudio Coelho and friends like
Marcelo Palermo, Ovidio de Abreu and Felipe Bronze. And two the
group at Emirates Team, mainly Jonver Bonini, Bruno Lopes, Orley
“Tartaruga”, Oscar Junior and Marcelo “Guardinha”
Motta, who always help out in training. And I’d like to
thank the unconditional support and vote of confidence of Sheikh
Mohamad and Sheikh Tahnoon for making it possible for us to carry
out our work here in Abu Dhabi.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
“RUTHLESS’’
ROBBIE LAWLER RETURNS TO CAGE AT SCOTTRADE CENTER IN ST. LOUIS
TO MEET MATT “THE LAW’’ LINDLAND
SATURDAY, DEC. 4, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
Dan
Henderson To Battle “Babalu” Sobral in Main Event,
Paul
“Semtex” Daley To Face Scott “Hands Of Steel’’
Smith,
Herschel Walker To Make Second MMA Start
NEW
YORK (Oct. 5, 2010) – Two fighters seeking a return to top-contender
status in the deep STRIKEFORCE middleweight division will clash
when “Ruthless “Robbie” Lawler (17-6, 1 NC) faces
2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland
(22-7) in a 185-pound match Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center
in St. Louis live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on
the West Coast).
Mixed
martial arts superstar Dan Henderson will take on former STRIKEFORCE
world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral at light heavyweight
(205 pounds) in the main event. In a battle of explosive hard-hitters,
Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England,
meets power puncher Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7,
1 NC) of Elk Grove, Calif., in a featured welterweight (170 pounds)
clash.
In
other bouts, football legend and unbeaten MMA fighter, the remarkable
Herschel Walker (1-0), will be opposed by an opponent to be determined
in a televised heavyweight bout and popular St. Louis native,
welterweight Jesse Finney, will take on a foe to be announced
in the top non-televised undercard scrap.
Southpaw
Lawler, who hails from the St. Louis area, in nearby Granite
City, Ill., is returning to middleweight after losing a close
decision to Sobral in a catch weight fight at 195 pounds in his
last start on June 16 in Los Angeles. The defeat, by the scores
of 29-28 three times, was only the second in ninet outings for
Lawler since September 2006.
The
athletic, well-conditioned 5-foot-11, 28-year-old Lawler is known
for his aggressiveness. The former two-time world champion’s
14 of 17 victories have come via knockout or TKO, including a
dramatic, come-from-behind 3:33, first-round KO over highly regarded
Melvin Manhoef on Jan. 30, 2010.
But
Lawler may have outsmarted himself against Babalu by feigning
an injury in a ploy to get the Brazilian to exchange. The strategy
backfired. It may not have cost him the decision, but Lawler
conceded afterward that he “could have done much more.”
Lindland
is coming off an impressive third-round TKO (punches) over Kevin
Casey in the headlining bout of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event
last May 21, in Portland, Ore. An All-American wrestler at the
University of Nebraska and the 1993 NCAA Big Eight conference
champion, Lindland captured the silver medal in Greco Roman wrestling
for the United States.
During
a stellar 13-year career, Lindland has fought and defeated the
best. He has been in with the famed Fedor Emelianenko, and has
triumphed over a number of all-time greats, among them former
UFC champions Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton.
Source: Strikeforce
|
VITOR
“SHAOLIN” RIBEIRO TO FACE
JUSTIN “THE SILVERBACK’’ WILCOX
IN MAIN EVENT ON FRIDAY, NOV. 19,
IN JACKSON, MISS., LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
Ryan Couture, Son Of MMA Legend, Randy,
Returns To The STRIKEFORCE Cage
San
Jose, Calif. (Oct. 4, 2010) – Lightweight star and Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro will take
on Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox of Cincinnati in
the headlining fight of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday,
Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE
on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).
In
a featured televised bout, unbeaten lightweight Ryan Couture
(1-0) will face an opponent to be determined. The son of legend
Randy Couture won his STRIKEFORCE and MMA debut with a 1:15,
first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark last
Aug. 13 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.
The
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy
Drink will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state
of Mississippi.
A
special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders”
begins this Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. CT and ends Thursday
at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider”
at www.STRIKEFORCE.com.
Tickets
go on sale to the general public this Friday, Oct. 8, at 10 a.m.
CT at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office
and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online
at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.COM.
Ribeiro
(20-4) is a decorated submission expert and one of the top 155-pounders
in MMA. He won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four
times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black
belt in consecutive years (1999-2001).
His
20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) and he has
defeated, among others, such notable fighters as Joachim Hansen,
Eiji Mitsuoka and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.
Ribeiro’s
losses have come against some of the division’s most talented
practitioners -- Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gesias "GZ" Cavalcante
and, Shinya Aoki, in the DREAM Grand Prix finals July 20, 2009.
Shortly
thereafter, Ribeiro, 31, underwent successful eye surgery. He
returned to the cage last May 15 and lost a controversial split
decision to undefeated Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm
in St. Louis, Mo.
Wilcox
(9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star and bodybuilder,
has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March
26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at
STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif.
A
member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome
fight teams in the world, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University
of Pennsylvania where he befriended teammate Josh Koscheck, who
turned his college wrestling buddy on to MMA and eventually brought
Wilcox into the AKA family.
Wilcox’
first most noteworthy victory came on Aug. 30, 2008 when he scored
a unanimous decision over Gabe Ruediger, a contestant on season
5 of Spike’s The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
The
younger Couture is a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme
Couture fight team. Before impressively winning his pro debut,
the 28-year-old compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 with all
five wins coming by submission.
Couture,
whose parents split up when he was in the sixth grade, spent
his high school years in suburban Seattle. With his father being
a former wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, Couture
naturally developed into a talented high school wrestler.
Following
high school, Couture enrolled in Western Washington University
in Bellingham, where he graduated in 2004 with a mathematics
degree. He worked at a local bank until he realized his desire
to work in the family business.
Couture
began MMA training in 2006, working diligently to mature into
a well-rounded fighter, adding Muay Thai and a dangerous submission
game to his repertoire. In January 2008, he moved to Las Vegas
to train with his father. He has had access to a who’s who
of MMA royalty as training partners and coaches, which, coupled
with a solid amateur career, has given him the background and
confidence to take his fight career to the next level
Source: Strikeforce
|
Miguel
Torres: I Still Have a Lot of Things To Do
By Matt
Erickson
BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Eighteen months removed from his last win,
and coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his
40-fight professional career, Miguel Torres made no secret that
something had to change.
For
the first time in a long time, Torres put his fighting life in
the hands of a coach, abandoning his pattern of self-training
that worked for years – right up until the point it didn't
work with losses to Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez.
So
it should come as a surprise to no one at WEC 51 on Thursday
night that when Torres began his walk to the cage, absent was
the mariachi entrance music that had become as much a trademark
for him as the relentless pace he would keep in fights.
"I
got a lot of slack from my family for (changing the music),"
Torres said after ending his slide with a submission win over
Charlie Valencia. "But the song that I came out to –
'I'm Back' (by T.I.) – I feel like I'm back. When I first
heard that a week and a half or two weeks ago, I hadn't heard
the song before. I heard it and it just embodied me. I feel like
I'm back. I really do. I still have a lot of things to do. I
have a long way to go. I'm a contender again, and I won't be
happy until I'm back on top."
To
start down that path, the former WEC bantamweight champ, considered
by many to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the
world before his losses to Bowles and Benavidez, moved to Montreal
to train at the Tristar Gym and coach Firas Zahabi.
Torres
said Zahabi taught him patience – something that he said
was lacking in his game, even in his wins.
"I've
been working a lot on controlling myself when I get in the cage,"
Torres said after submitting Charlie Valencia in the second round
Thursday night. "My setbacks in the past, like when I got
caught with Bowles, and even when I fought (Takeya) Mizugaki
and (Yoshiro) Maeda, I chased guys too much. I'm so excited to
put on a show for the fans that I hit a guy and I try to move
forward, or I get hit and I get crazy and go forward. It's the
bloodlust I have – just growing up in the 'hood, I guess.
But working with Firas and the guys at Tristar, that's one of
the main things I tried to control – just to be more calm
and wait for the opening to present itself."
At
38-3 and 6-2 in the WEC, Torres had long ago proved he could
be a handful for anyone. With back-to-back losses, the road back
to a bantamweight title fight was already an uphill battle. A
third loss would have been devastating toward that quest. But
Torres said he's not thinking about the belt yet, and he's comfortable
with the quest under Zahabi's leadership.
"My
last two losses put me in a better place," Torres said.
"I think if I would've won my last two fights, I'd still
be doing the same things I was doing before. Now I'm with a really
good team at Tristar. I've got a great coach. And mentally, I
think I'm in a better place. I think I have a lot of work ahead
of me, and I'm not worried about a title shot right now. I'm
just worried about being the best fighter I can be. I still have
a long way to go. I'm just happy to get back to training and
get back out there and be able to do what I do."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Can
Vitor Belfort make Middleweight in 2011?
Does he deserve a UFC title shot?
By Zach
Arnold
A
Cagewriter.com conversation on the topic
STEVE
COFIELD: “Big news last week, no doubt about it, with Chael
Sonnen and the positive test and the UFC’s made their decision.
They’re putting Vitor Belfort in a fight, you know, some
time in 2011 against Anderson Silva. Great fight, I’m excited.”
KEVIN
IOLE: “Ha ha. I’m gald you are, Steve. Um, heh. I don’t…
if it was a non-title fight, I have no problem with it. I think
it would be an exciting fight. My problem is, how has Vitor Belfort
earned a shot at the Middleweight championship? When he has he
fought Middleweight in the UFC? Tell me the last fight he’s
had in the UFC at Middleweight. I’ll tell you the answer
to that — he hasn’t. I think his last win at Middleweight
was over Matt Lindland. … Terry Martin and Matt Lindland,
if I’m not mistaken. To my way of thinking, you have to
win fights in the organization you’re in and against rated
contenders in order to get a shot at the championship and I know
the Sonnen thing, you know, caused a lot of problems for them
but I think, you know, the answer to this situation is (to) have
Vitor Belfort go ahead and fight Yushin Okami and then have that
winner fight Anderson Silva and re-arrange your schedule a little
bit. It’s not ultimately what they wanted to do and I think
that they wanted to get Anderson on one of the big shows, either
at the end of the year or Super Bowl weekend but I just don’t
like Vitor, I don’t think he’s earned the championship
shot in this particular division.”
STEVE
COFIELD: “So, for you, it’s more about fighting at
the weight rather than the promotion because I’ll draw a
comparison but obviously the guy’s very accomplished at
the weight, but if Fedor had come in to UFC without wins in UFC
he would have gotten Brock Lesnar, immediately.”
KEVIN
IOLE: “Yeah, and I mean you can’t argue that one because
number one that would have been the biggest fight in history
in terms of had it come before the Werdum loss, had he signed
with the UFC in ‘09 in the Summer of ‘09 when there
was talk about that. That would have been the biggest fight in
the history so from everybody’s standpoint people would
have wanted to see it, there was clamor around the world to see
that fight. I think Brock would have wanted it, certainly Fedor
would have wanted that fight and I don’t think anybody can
say, hey, Fedor needs to start at the bottom and fight Joey Beltran.
I mean everybody would have agreed that Fedor deserves to get
right in the mix but in Vitor’s case, you know, Vitor’s
kind of been a mixed bag in his career and he hasn’t proven
it. He has NOT MADE 185, so you know he fought that fight with
Rich Franklin at 195. I mean, what do we do if he comes in and,
you know, it’s been over two years since he last made that
weight, by the time will come it’s been over two years since
he made that 185 but if he comes up and all of a sudden finds
out that hey, I can’t make it, you know, not good. I don’t
think it’s right that, you know, you put a guy in a title
shot. I think you have to see that he can make the weight first
and beat somebody in the division, you know maybe he can make
and he could be totally depleted, we don’t know what kind
of Vitor we’re going to get because we’ve never seen
him at this weight, especially at this age.”
STEVE
COFIELD: “So, do you feel like Nate Marquardt got screwed
here?”
KEVIN
IOLE: “You know, I don’t want to say that he got screwed,
you know, because if we say we don’t take the Vitor fight,
now you say you know you’re Dana White or you’re Joe
Silva talking to me, OK, smart guy, who do I put him in with,
right? And then it’s not so easy because, you know, well
Nate Marquardt not only lost to Anderson Silva but he lost to
Chael Sonnen, you know do you put Yushin Okami back in there?
He just got beat by Chael Sonnen, so there’s no, you know,
obvious logical guy to go in. That’s why I say, hey, you
know what? Just push Anderson’s title defense back a little
bit and then we go and we create a contender by having a fight.
That’s how I would do it, you know, I think that would be
the more favorable thing to do. I understand that, you know,
maybe from a business standpoint it’s not the greatest thing
to do but from a competitor’s standpoint, the UFC’s
done such a great job of keeping the value of their titles high
by not giving unfair title shots and I think this is one in the
way that you could say is an unfair title shot.”
STEVE
COFIELD: “What are the odds of the fight actually happens?
Because Belfort had to bail out of a lot of fights and already
we heard from the Silva camp, you know, the elbow, you know,
might not be ready for January 1st so, I mean is there a possibility
that we could have a little drama before this fight any way and
maybe Marquardt with a win gets pushed forward?”
KEVIN
IOLE: “Yeah, I mean, I expect the fight to go forward to
be honest with you, but I think, you know, Ed and Anderson will
take the fight. I think (if) they’re healthy and there is
no issue, they will take the fight. Now, can Vitor make it to
the post? You know, I mean, you certainly bring up a good point.
He’s had a history of falling out of fights and, you know,
so until you see Vitor walking down the aisle and climbing up
the steps, you know, you never know if the fight’s going
to go off. I think it will happen, you know… my question
is, is it going to be a title fight when it happens because,
you know, I just have this really nagging feeling that when Vitor
goes and tries to cut those final 10 pounds to get from 195 to
185, it’s going to be a lot different.”
The
idea behind Silva/Belfort, on paper, makes sense. Belfort vs.
Okami, on paper, was in general a bad match-up for Vitor. If
you don’t want Okami to get a title shot, then they had
to move Belfort into the title match to ensure that Vitor gets
a crack at the belt.
Meanwhile,
Marquardt can continue his climb back up by beating Okami. If
Okami beats Marquardt, then he’s primed to face the winner
of Silva/Belfort (unless another Middleweight comes into the
picture) and UFC will have to give in on booking such a fight.
The only detour for Okami is if Sonnen can somehow get his suspension
reduced in California, then you would see Okami/Sonnen paired
up again. Otherwise, not happening.
I
think Anderson/Belfort is going to be a real fun fight to watch.
They both have a common opponent in the UFC that they’ve
beaten (Rich Franklin) and we’ll see whether or not Anderson
can handle Belfort’s striking. I’m not sure if it’s
a fight that will appeal to the masses, but I largely don’t
have any problem with the fight itself being booked.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Latest
Kickboxing Schedule - Arlovski Out Of K-1 GPAriel Shnerer
Below
is a list of upcoming kickboxing events from around the world.
K-1
World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16
October 2, 2010
Olympic Gymnastics Arena
Seoul, South Korea
Tournament
Bouts:
-Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Edwards
-Jerome Le Banner vs. Kyotaro
-Semmy Schilt vs. Hesdy Gerges
-Ewerton Teixeira vs. Peter Aerts
-Errol Zimmerman vs. Daniel Ghita
-Gokhan Saki vs. Freddy Kemayo
-Ray Sefo vs. Tyrone Spong
-Raul Catinas vs. TBA
Super
Fights (3×3 mins, 1×3 mins ext):
-Chalid "Die Faust" vs. Dzevad Poturak
-Sergey Kharitonov vs. Takumi Sato
-Min Ho Song vs. Hyun Man Myung
Source: The Fight Network
|
World
champ approves Rashad’s black belt
Right
after beating Thiago Silva on UFC 108, Rashad Evans was graduated
a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black belt from the hands of Rolles Gracie.
The attitude created some controversy even between the family
members, but the BJJ world champion Bráulio Estima, who
trained with Rashad, assured the black belt of the former UFC
champion is legit. “When I knew Rolles have given him the
black belt I also thought about it for a while. But then I went
there and I saw it. He’s on a black belt level, he’s
good. Man, I can say for sure I’ve trained with over 50
black belts that he could actually kill. I swept, caught him,
but I’m on my best and I only do this. He knows how to sweep
and passes the guard very well, he’s very good”, Bráulio
told Sensei Sportv’s blog.
Source: Tatame
|
Nunes
comments on fight at altitude and already studies next opponent
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
With 15 wins and a single defeat to his name, Diego Nunes made
it to his fourth win in five fights for the WEC. His triumph
over Tyler Toner this Thursday in Colorado came by way of unanimous
decision. Now the fighter is eying his next challenge, likely
against Mark Hominick, who saw action at the same event and beat
Leonard Garcia convincingly.
Check
out what he had to say in this interview with GRACIEMAG.com:
What
are your thoughts on your fight with Tyler Toner?
I
tried to give it my best and I did what we had worked on as a
team. We had in mind exactly what ended up happening. We’d
drummed up a plan based on Toner as a world champion kickboxer.
He has a really heavy hand, but we did well standing and in taking
him to the ground. I think I won by a large margin, even though
some of the judges gave one of the rounds to him.
What
does your future in the WEC look like after this win?
Yesterday
I had a talk with Joinha (Jorge Guimarães, his manager)
and they told me they’d like to see me against Mark Hominick.
I know a bit about him and I’ll study him further when I
get back to Brazil. He’s a good striker, has great boxing.
He moves really well, so much so that Leonard Garcia couldn’t
find him in the cage. I feel it’s a great fight to further
improve my standing in the event, as he’s coming off two
good wins and his name carries weight.
You went to train at Nova União for this fight. What has
changed?
Everything’s
changed. It’s like I dove into new water and came out renewed,
purified. Everything I learned there I hadn’t trained before.
It’s a different training methodology and, thank God, it
fit in great. I have a lot more to learn from them and it’s
been a pleasure.
What
was it like fighting at altitude in Colorado?
We
did our planning with Dedé (André Pederneiras)
and Pedro “Cuban”, our wrestling coach. They did the
calculations just right as to how much time we needed to show
up in advance to acclimatize. The air really is drier and heavy,
you really feel it in your lungs. We wore out a lot, during the
first training sessions. But we stayed there another ten days
running and training and that made a difference. You can just
compare us to the other fighters on the same night. A lot of
them gassed out in the first round and José Aldo and I
fought really well. I was quite explosive and felt great.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
121 MARKS PROMOTION'S RETURN TO THEATERS
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to movie theaters
with UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on Oct. 23. UFC 121 will be
shown in more than 300 movie theaters nationwide at 10 p.m. ET
/ 7 p.m. PT.
Reigning
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will attempt to successfully
defend his title for a third-consecutive time, this time against
unbeaten Cain Velasquez, who is looking to take Lesnar’s
belt and become the UFC’s first Mexican-American heavyweight
champion.
Broadcast
live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., the much anticipated
fight card also features the light heavyweight match-up between
Tito Ortiz and his former “The Ultimate Fighter” protégé,
Matt Hamill.
“Throughout
fighting history, there has never been a Mexican-American heavyweight
champion, but at UFC 121, Cain Velasquez will try to make history
and become the first,” UFC President Dana White said. “To
do that though, he must defeat the baddest man on the planet,
UFC heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Also, fresh off his destruction
of Dan Henderson, Jake Shields enters the UFC, and he’s
got his sights set on the welterweight title, but he’s got
to get by Martin ‘The Hitman’ Kampmann first.”
In
addition to the highly anticipated main fight card, UFC 121:
Lesnar vs. Velasquez will also include the pivotal welterweight
showdown between 170-pound contenders Jake Shields, in his Octagon
debut, and Martin Kampmann, winner of four of his last five fights.
“The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub squares
off against Gabriel Gonzaga in a heavyweight showdown and Diego
Sanchez attempts to take out Paulo Thiago, a special ops police
officer who has defeated Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
“UFC
PRIMETIME: LESNAR VS. VELASQUEZ” PREMIERES ON SPIKE TV,
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 11:00 PM ET
New York, NY, October 5, 2010 – In anticipation of their
UFC heavyweight championship title clash at “UFC 121: Lesnar
vs. Velasquez,” UFC champion Brock Lesnar and challenger
Cain Velasquez will be featured on “UFC Primetime®,”
a weekly, three part series premiering Wednesday, October 6 at
11:00 PM ET/PT on Spike TV.
Enclosed
are some selected quotes from the first episode:
"At
any time it can be taken away from you. I don't take it for granted.
I just want to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. And keeping
whopping ass. And be the meanest son-of-a-bitch around"
- Brock Lesnar
"I
don't train to my strengths. I train to my weaknesses. What am
I not good at? How can I get better?" - Brock Lesnar
"I
don't worry about a guy like Brock Lesnar…I'm cautious…but
know what you can do…know what you are capable of."
- Cain Velasquez
"You
are going to see Brock Lesnar get exposed for the first time.
Here is somebody (Cain Velasquez) who is going to be a better
wrestler...better striker...better ground guy…in better
shape. And Brock is not going to have enough to deal with him."
– Bob Cook (Cain’s Strategy coach at AKA)
“UFC
Primetime,” produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
(UFC®), is a look into the lives of heavyweight king Lesnar,
and the challenger, Velasquez. As the two prepare for their meeting
in October, Spike TV will present three special weekly installments
that will take viewers from rural Minnesota as Lesnar trains
with the DeathClutch/Minnesota Martial Arts Academy to San Jose,
CA, as Velasquez trains with the renowned American Kickboxing
Academy team. “UFC Primetime” delivers an extraordinary
amount of access to two of mixed martial arts’ best, as
they head into what could be the signature fight of the year.
UFC
PRIMETIME: LESNAR VS. VELASQUEZ
Premiere Episode #1 - Wednesday, October 6 at 11:00pm
Premiere Episode #2 - Wednesday, October 13 at 11:00pm
Premiere Episode #3 – Wednesday, October 20 at 9:30pm
Christopher
Martello of Spike TV serves as executive in charge of production
of “UFC Primetime.”
UFC 121 will air live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, October 23 from
the Honda Center, in Anaheim, CA at 10:00 PM ET/ 7:00 PM PT.
Spike
TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV
Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is
one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content
across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address
is www.spike.com
Source: UFC
|
Aldo
Ponders Future at 145
by Mike
Whitman
If there were any questions surrounding featherweight champion
Jose Aldo after a dominating first title defense against former
champion Urijah Faber in April, they were put to bed Thursday
night at WEC 51 in Broomfield, Colo.
Aldo
destroyed challenger Manny Gamburyan with a second round knockout,
earning the Nova União product his 18th career victory.
“I
did everything I trained for. I had a clear mind, and thankfully,
I executed my game plan,” said Aldo.
After
a slow-paced first round, the crowd became uneasy and let the
fighters know with a spattering of boos.
“I
think [the crowd booing] is normal if the fight is a little stale,”
stated Aldo. “But I think they were happy with end.”
The
fight picked up in the second round, as Gamburyan became more
active with his hands, and the champion responded with sharp
leg kicks and counter punches. Although Aldo holds several first
round knockouts to his credit, the formula of using the first
round as a feeling out process may be something fans see out
of the champion more often in the future.
“The
same thing happened against Urijah [Faber]. I try to study my
opponent in the first round, and then in the second round I execute
my game plan,” said Aldo. “I saw what Manny was doing,
and I wanted to take the shortest route to end the fight.”
When
asked whether he would remain at 145 pounds to defend his title
or make the move to the UFC's lightweight division, Aldo indicated
he would most likely remain at featherweight for the time being.
“There
are a lot of guys who have earned a title shot. I'm there for
the WEC, whoever they put in front of me,” said Aldo.
WEC
General Manager Reed Harris gave Aldo high praise after the fight.
“Obviously
I was impressed. Manny is tough dude. Jose did what he needed
to do to win the fight. He’s the best pound-for-pound fighter
in world in my opinion,” declared Harris.
When
asked about the champion's future at 145 pounds, a smiling Harris
wouldn't divulge any specifics.
“We've
got a stacked division at featherweight. Lots of guys want him,”
said Harris. “I think he's got a few fights in front of
him [at 145], but I'll have to sit down next week with [WEC Matchmaker]
Sean Shelby.”
During
the discussion centered on Aldo potentially moving up to lightweight,
Donald Cerrone made a comment under his breath. Though difficult
to hear, it was certainly in reference to a possible match-up
between the two. Aldo responded in his native Portuguese.
A
smiling Harris responded jokingly to the banter between fighters
from different nations: “See, they can’t really talk
s--t, cause they don’t speak the same language.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Belfort
brushes up on muay thai to face Anderson in February
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
The fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort was already
confirmed, however, it won’t be in January. It looks as
though the “Spider” will need more time to recover
from injury and get in combat shape.
According
to Belfort, over Twitter, the bout is now set for February.
“My
fight will be on February 5. Dana (White) and Lorenzo (Fertitta)
said it won’t be any later than this date,” guarantees
the fighter.
Excited,
Belfort carries on in his preparations for the fight. And to
deal with Silva’s striking, Vitor counts on some vital help.
“I’m
on my way in my conditioning, I’m getting closer to my objective.
Tomorrow depends on how I do today. I’m training with a
world champion in muay thai. The guy’s a whiz, really good,”
he says.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Chael
Sonnen’s training partner Neil Melanson: It always seems
that positive test results happen mainly in California
By Zach Arnold
Watch
Neil Melanson Comments on Chael Sonnen’s Use of Performance
Enhancing Drugs on RawVegas.tv
A
very fascinating interview. Don’t just read the transcript
— watch the interview to catch some of the nuance. I’ll
leave a comment to this post to give you my response to what
he said.
INTERVIEWER:
“You trained Chael Sonnen before his Anderson Silva fight.
Were you surprised when you found out that he popped positive
for performance-enhancing drugs?”
NEIL
MELANSON: “I was really surprised but um… you know,
it seems like everybody that gets caught with something gets
caught in California and even Sean Sherk got busted in California
and he took a lie detector test to try to clear his name and
he passed a lie detector test and, you know, so now he’s
under, you know, what, did he really do it? Did he beat the lie
detector test? I think Chael’s kind of in that spot where,
you know, I just texted Chael quick just to say, hey man, whatever
happens, you know, you still have friends out there and he said
that this was basically B.S. and now he’s got to spend his
time, you know, clearing his name instead of fighting but he
doesn’t strike me as the type but you don’t know but
he’s… he’s a real hard-working guy. I don’t
know what he need, I mean unless he… I know he did have
a broken foot during that camp, so he trained that whole camp
with a broken foot but the guy’s an animal, he’s not
a crybaby. So unless he took something or he thought he got something
cleared maybe and it wasn’t cleared, I don’t…
they haven’t really come out with what it is was as far
as I know, if it was a steroid….”
INTERVIEWER:
“High levels of testosterone they said.”
NEIL
MELANSON: “Oh really? Well, I guess depending on the levels
if it was pretty high than maybe he did take something and…”
INTERVIEWER:
“Chael Sonnen is a very hard-working fighter. We saw that
performance, he never stopped working in that fight. He also
didn’t stop working when he was smack talking the entire
time, hyping up the event. Do you think that maybe when you’re
hyping up a fight that much you put too much pressure on yourself
and that could be a reason why he popped positive?”
NEIL
MELANSON: “I don’t know if he felt a lot of pressure.
I know that he wanted to win and maybe he, I thought he was trying
to get in Anderson’s head and make Anderson emotional by
trying to make it sound like it was personal and going after
him and trying to break him a little bit. So… I thought
it was just a tactic but I guess he’s been kind of doing
it on everybody so it’s kind of become more a spectacle
and a comedy show but, you know, I don’t really… when
people talk like that, you can’t really read into it because
they’re just having fun, I don’t think they’re
really trying to make a statement or anything, he’s just
trying to entertain.”
INTERVIEWER:
“When I found out about the positive test, it worried me
because people already ask me how legitimate this sport is. Do
you think that something like this can damage the reputation?”
NEIL
MELANSON: “I don’t think this is as damaging as others
think. I think, you know, all athletes, you know, in all sports,
there’s always some athletes get caught with some type of
drug so I mean performance-enhancing, it’s a very physically
demanding sport. I think the thing that can hurt the sport is
that the fact that anybody can do it, so there’s times where
people are fighting that… they don’t mean to try to
hurt the sport but it’s like… I never played football
in my life but if I just started to train football one day you
think I’d be able to get in the NFL? Not in a million years,
but some of these guys that play football all of a sudden they
just want to fight and they train for a year and next thing you
know they’re in the cage or even less and it kind of makes
it look like anybody can do it and because anybody can walk in
there. I think is that that’s bad for the sport because
people see ‘oh this guy is a big athlete or he’s a
stud and he’s out there’ and the fight is ugly and
they think, wow, this is what MMA is and then you end up watching
really good fighters and you see, wow, this is a lot different
and unfortunately sometimes the technical, the good fighters…
they get a lot of attention, which is a good thing, but these
other guys that have no ability but they have the name or whatever,
they get a lot of attention.”
INTERVIEWER:
“I understand that, but Chael Sonnen is a very high-profile
fighter and so when he pops positive, does that damage the reputation
of MMA?”
NEIL
MELANSON: “I don’t think it does. I really don’t.”
INTERVIEWER:
“A lot of MMA media figures, including Josh Gross, have
been saying that there should be zero tolerance from fight promoters,
that once a fighter pops positive, cut him. But Dana White himself
disagrees and says that the year-suspension and a year of not
being able to earn an income and just the personal damage it
does to their own reputation is punishment enough. How do you
feel?”
NEIL
MELANSON: “I agree with Dana White, you know, it’s…
You know… If you want to know how to run a successful promotion
or a successful business, ask people that run successful promotions
and businesses. Dana White is successful at what he does. I think
when he forces an opinion about something, especially like that,
then you should take that into consideration because he’s
obviously making a ton of money and he’s basically…
the Godfather to the sport at this point and, uh, you know, a
lot of these columnists and I’m not disrespecting, you know,
Josh Gross, if that’s his name because it’s good to
have other opinions and other thoughts, but I think it’s
good to have that devil advocate and that media that kind of
brings up that other side but the reality is, you know, talking
about people… that’s like saying you hate fat people
because you’re skinny you’re whole life and then, you
know, you don’t realize what it’s like to be hard to
be fat and it’s not easy to lose weight. You’re judging
something that you have no experience or really no knowledge.
These guys that get popped for steroids maybe once in their career,
maybe it was the one time they screwed up and they deserve a
second chance because maybe they did it because they’re
injured or whatever it was and they shouldn’t be demonized
for the rest of their life and be forced to give it up. To me,
that’s very unfair. I mean… it’s ridiculous, I
mean… Nick Diaz got busted for being high on marijuana,
should he be completely demonized as a fighter when he’s
putting on great performances? He’s one of my favorite fighters
to watch, you know, to me it’s like if he wants to do something,
who’s he hurting? It’s like, yeah he should be clean
the day of the fight, OK, fine, suspend him but don’t tell
me he’s got to go find another job, you know, a whole another
career. I think that’s ridiculous.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Win
over 'Lil Nog' elevates Bader in USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus
rankings
Recommend If a mixed martial arts dictionary existed, Ryan "Darth"
Bader's picture would illustrate the phrase "meteoric rise"
these days.
Beating
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last weekend vaulted Bader to No. 6
in the latest edition of the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings
for light-heavyweights. He previously occupied the No. 6 slot.
Bader
had yet to officially compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
less than two years ago. Five fights later, he's likely no more
than one bout away from a title shot following a cautious decision
victory over Nogueira at UFC 119 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
The
consensus rankings are updated monthly, based on a distillation
of ratings from several prominent mixed martial arts websites
and journalists. USA TODAY and Bloody Elbow believe it's the
most accurate reflection of the overall MMA community's views.
As
always, please note that doesn't mean the community is always
right.
Some
readers might wonder why Chael Sonnen continues as No. 2 among
middleweights despite the prospect of a one-year suspension following
testing that showed him with an abnormally high level of testerone
in August at UFC 117. Others (read: UFC President Dana White)
take issue with the rankings' retention of Fedor Emelianenko
and Fabricio Werdum in the top-five for heavyweights.
To
which Fighting Stances taps out and sidesteps the entire issue
by saying: Don't blame us. We publish the consensus rankings,
but we don't vote in them.
You
can find a complete list of our sources by visiting Bloody Elbow's
rankings site and clicking on one of Kid Nate's analyses.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Frank
Mir in the guillotine?
By Jake Rossen
Ed Mulholland/ESPN
Frank Mir's man-hugging exhibition at UFC 119 won him no points
with the UFC's front office.
In
a post-UFC 119 interview with ESPN contributor Michael Woods,
UFC foreman Dana White indicated he would be well within his
rights to dismiss Frank Mir after Mir's woeful performance against
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic on Saturday. (If you didn't
see the fight, don't bother; if you did see the fight, you still
didn't see a fight.)
"Sure
[I'd consider cutting him]," White said. "You really,
really need to show up and deliver. This is a job. Once 'Cro
Cop' stuffed his takedown attempt, [Mir's] heart fell out on
the floor.
And
on the subject of respecting athletes who risk their necks: "When
people say, 'Hey, these guys put their lives on the line,' that's
a crock of s---. This sport is so safe. These guys have chosen
to be fighters!"
Last
thing first: Although mixed martial arts is far and away the
safest of all combat sports -- football included -- that's not
to be confused with "safe." No activity that gets your
brain bounced around like a pingpong ball can be equated to picking
flowers. But White is correct in that MMA is a voluntary activity
-- and if you volunteer for a dangerous job, it's on you.
The
Mir threat follows White's condemnation of Anderson Silva after
a repugnant performance in Abu Dhabi against Demian Maia in April.
The message: No one is so big or important that he can't be clipped
for putting on a horrible climax to an otherwise solid program.
The problem is that Mir's results -- he remains the only man
to beat Brock Lesnar -- and gift for hyping bouts would be of
service to competing promotions. The price for White making an
example of Mir would be CBS grabbing attention with a Mir-Fedor
Emelianenko proposal. Cutting fighters loose after a win doesn't
give you a lot of leverage.
Mir
had a bad showing. It happens. MMA is a job, and you're allowed
the occasional bad day at the office. Before "The Ultimate
Fighter" boosting business in 2005, the UFC had many of
them.
Source: ESPN
|
Coach
sees Paulo Thiago ready for Sanchez
By Guilherme
Cruz
Leader of Constrictor Team, the black belt of Ataíde Jr.
is confident of the success of Paulo Thiago, athlete who will
face Diego Sanchez on UFC 121, which happens on October 23 in
California. “Diego is a really tough guy, he’ll test
Thiago in a way he hasn’t been tested yet”, believes
Ataíde, commenting on his expectations for the fight and
the situation of Rani Yahya, who does not have his return set
for WEC since his last fight, when he lost in April this year.
“Rani has an existing contract with WEC, any moment he can
fight again”, explains, on the interview which you check
here below.
What are the expectation for the fight between Paulo Thiago and
Diego Sanchez?
We have a great expectation for this fight. Paulo is going to
Las Vegas now, he’s going with another guy from the team.
They have an appointment there with Ultimate, that expo with
the sponsors, and they’ll spend three days training in Los
Angeles and three more in Las Vegas, and then they come back
to Brasília to finish the training here.
Diego was fighting on the division below and now he’s back
on the welterweight division. How do you see this fight?
I think Diego is a really tough guy, he’ll test Thiago in
a way he hasn’t been tested yet I believe that in all fights
of Thiago on Ultimate were good to test him, since the beginning
there was no easy one, and Diego is another one who’ll make
Paulo spin around and, on that spin, we’ll see if the trainings
will work. We’ve been training so that their game matches.
Diego trained for a while with Saulo Ribeiro and is currently
training with Greg Jackson. Do you think he will want to fight
Thiago standing up or on the ground?
I think he’ll keep his game plan, he’ll try to punch
and then go for the legs, try to take him down with a single-leg
like we’ve seen on his fights. He has one of the best coaches
in the world right now, and Saulo Ribeiro gave him a great base…
I think Diego’s top, it’ll be a great fight and we
cheer for Paulo Thiago to win.
Rani Yahya fought on WEC in April and they did not comment anything
about his comeback…
Rani
is taking some time in Brazil, supporting the guys who are starting
now on the gym. We have a new training center, World Gym, which
is a branch of the American gym, and now we have everything we
needed about this contact with Rani, who’s an international
athlete, and Paulo Thiago, with the younger athletes. We have
that exchange. Rani has an existing contract with WEC, any moment
he can fight again, but, for now, he’s off for a while.
Source: Tatame
|
MCKEE
MAKES UFC DEBUT VS VOLKMANN JAN 1
by Damon Martin
After a long and successful career outside the Octagon, Antonio
McKee will finally make his UFC debut on Jan 1 as the wrestling
and grappling stand-out will head to UFC 125 and take on Minnesota
fighter Jacob Volkmann in a lightweight bout on the card.
The
news of the fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close
to the bout on Saturday. The fighters have verbally agreed to
the contest, but no bout agreements have been issued yet.
Having
gone undefeated since a 2003 loss to Karo Parisyan, Antonio McKee
(25-3-2) has gone on a tear through organizations like the IFL
and most recently the MFC, where he became the Canadian promotion's
lightweight champion. While McKee has been dominant, his style
has been less than exciting which prompted the fighter to guarantee
a stoppage in his last fight or he would call it a career.
The
gamble paid off.
McKee
sliced open Luciano Azevedo with a vicious elbow strike earnging
him the win in their fight September 10, and just days later
the California fighter known as "Mandingo" got the
call to come to the UFC.
Trying
to stop McKee's win streak will be Minnesota fighter and former
Minnesota Golden Gopher's wrestler, Jacob Volkmann (11-2) who
has remained unbeaten himself since dropping to 155lbs two fights
ago.
After
a rough start in the UFC, Volkmann decided to make the move to
lightweight and since that time he's racked up wins over Ronys
Torres and Paul Kelly. He will look to make it 3 for 3 when he
faces McKee in January.
There's
been no official word from the UFC about the upcoming card on
Jan 1, but lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is expected to
defend his title against Gray Maynard in the main event for the
Las Vegas card. More fights should be confirmed in the coming
weeks for the first UFC event of 2011.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JONES
VS. BADER IN THE WORKS FOR EARLY 2011
by Damon
Martin
It's a rare occasion when two top prospects both work their way
into contender status. It's even rarer that the two young lions
square off in a fight, but the UFC has decided to do just that
as they will pit Jon "Bones" Jones against "Ultimate
Fighter" season 8 champion Ryan Bader in early 2011.
The
bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the match-up
stating the fighters have been offered and the potential bout
is in the works. The date of the fight has yet to be determined,
but Jones' agent Malki Kawa commented that for their side regardless
of who the opponent is, the New York native is hopeful for a
Jan 1 return to the Octagon.
In
sports there always those great moments when an athlete shows
up and just about everybody understands how phenomenal their
potential could be. Jon Jones (11-1) seems to be a perfect case
scenario for that in MMA.
Coming
from athletic roots, Jones has blown through the competition
so far at 205lbs in the UFC, most recently putting on a clinic
against former IFL and Affliction competitor Vladdy Matyushenko
in August. UFC president Dana White hinted at Jones facing the
winner of the September fight between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
and Ryan Bader, and it looks like the boss was a man of his word.
Looking
to derail the Jon Jones express will be Ryan Bader (12-0) who
is one of the few fighters seemingly able to match the 205lber
notch for notch when it comes to talent and future commodity.
Since his time on the "Ultimate Fighter", Bader has
gone 5-0 including the win over Vinny Magalhaes to give him the
reality show title back in 2008.
In
his last fight out, Bader controlled the action against current
top ten ranked fighter Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, to get a unanimous
decision win and poise the former Arizona State All-American
in a fight against Jones, with future title implications likely
on the line.
The
only caveat to the Jones vs. Bader fight currently is the timing
of when the bout will take place. Bader stated when appearing
on MMAWeekly Radio last week that he will be getting married
at the end of October, and would likely prefer to take a fight
Super Bowl weekend if possible.
The
bout will take place either Jan 1 during the New Year's Day card,
likely in a co-main event, or during the Super Bowl weekend card
in early February with the fight gaining much the same status
for that card as well.
MMAWeekly.com
will have more information on the date of the bout when it has
been determined in the coming days.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Falling
Action: Best and Worst of WEC 51
By Ben Fowlkes
It seems like every time the UFC has a mediocre pay-per-view
that sets fans to complaining, that's the WEC's cue to bring
its entertaining brand of little guy fighting back to Versus,
if only to show us that you can still get something for nothing
(as long as you have a decent cable TV package).
It
happened again on Thursday night. Fresh off of a disappointing
UFC 119 main event, WEC 51 delivered from top to bottom, and
did it all without the hefty price tag of a pay-per-view. With
the money we all saved, we can now finally afford to buy some
UFL merchandise. Do they sell merchandise? It doesn't matter.
Now
that the fights are in the books, let's look at the biggest winners,
losers, and everything in between from WEC 51
Biggest
Winner: Jose Aldo
You thought he was just coasting in round one? Naw, playa. Turns
out Aldo just likes to take the opening frame to see what his
opponent is up to, assess the holes in his game, and then utterly
destroy him in the next round. Once again, it's Aldo's speed
that makes him such a problem. When Gamburyan went to unload
on him, he wasn't there. He deftly avoids engaging until it's
on his terms, and then he does so with such force and ferocity
that you're probably going to fall down as soon as he lands a
solid shot. A champion with that kind of power and speed, I tell
you, it just doesn't seem fair.
Biggest
Loser: Chan Sung Jung
I realize that zombies – Korean or otherwise – are
not known for their spectacular defense, but I have to wonder
what he thought would happen when he began plodding forward with
his hands down low. In a movie, maybe George Roop would have
been foolish enough to lock himself in an enclosed space or go
up to the attic to investigate a noise, and then boom, you've
got him. But in real life Roop was smart enough to keep moving
and keep taking shots at Jung's head until he connected with
the kick that put the zombie to rest. Jung's style is fun when
he meets another wide-open brawler, but it's not made for long-term
success.
Most
in Need of Couples Counseling: Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner
They beat each other up, pour out all their emotions, seem right
on the verge of showing each other some modicum of respect, but
each guy just has to get that last little shove in. They're like
one of those couples that seems to genuinely enjoy arguing in
public and making everyone else uncomfortable. Cerrone seemed
way more excited about the prospect of a rematch than Varner
did, so who knows if that'll ever happen. Even if it doesn't,
eventually these two need to realize that you can't hate someone
this much without also loving them a little bit. My point is,
at least act civil towards one another, because the rivalry is
starting to feel kind of creepy.
Most
Predictable Comeback: Miguel Torres
After two straight losses he gets an opponent who he is an overwhelming
6-1 favorite against, and he makes the oddsmakers look smart.
It's always great to get back in the win column with a dominant
victory, but what's more encouraging for Torres' future prospects
is that he was willing to go to Montreal to change up his training
when he saw that what he'd been doing lately wasn't working for
him. This victory alone is not terribly impressive, due to the
quality of the competition, but a motivated, refocused Miguel
Torres is still pretty terrifying.
Most
in Need of a Style Makeover: Leonard Garcia
I love a good slobberknocker as much as the next guy (unless
the next guy is Jim Ross), but Garcia's loss to Mark Hominick
showed that it's an approach with serious limitations. His lunging
hooks and off-balance haymakers didn't even come close to threatening
a sound technical fighter like Hominick, who could have picked
him apart at his leisure all night long. You have to respect
Garcia's ability and willingness to take a beating, but it would
be nice to see him develop a little more technique to go along
with it.
Best
Source of Premature Excitement: Tiequan Zhang
Let's be honest, if Zhang was some guy from Orlando with an undefeated
record against fighters we'd never heard of, and if he made his
WEC debut with a submission win over some other fighter we'd
never heard of, we wouldn't care. But Zhang's not from Orlando.
He's from China, which is pretty novel in the MMA world, so this
feels like a big deal. I'm not saying it isn't. I love that MMA
is a sport with such international appeal, and the more nations
we see represented in it, the more the sport grows and the more
a world championship title actually becomes just that. But for
now, let's keep this in perspective. We're excited about what
we think Zhang represents. We still don't know for sure what
he can do.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
The
UFC’s latest pugilist: “If he stands and trades he’ll
take a beating”
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
With an MMA record of 17 wins and three losses, as well as an
extensive amateur and professional boxing record, Fabio Maldonado
will make his UFC debut against James McSweeney on October 16
in London. In the GRACIEMAG.com interview with the Brazilian
boxing specialist below, you will learn a bit more about the
fighter promising UFC fans heaps of actions. So don’t be
surprised if you see him asking his opponent to punch him in
his face. That’s the way Maldonado likes it: brutal throwdowns.
You
say you’re a specialist in boxing. How did you start out
in the style?
I
started the same year as Anderson Silva and the boxer Kelson
Pinto, 1997 in Bragança Paulista. I did Olympic boxing
up until 2001, with 45 wins, 40 losses and 27 knockouts. I participated
in 19 tournaments and won 16 of them, having made it to the final
of them all. The guy who would beat me the most was Claudio Aires,
until I dropped down in weight because of him. I also lost once
and then won against Chumbinho, who’s beaten Vitor Belfort
in boxing in the past. Then I moved up in weight again and beat
Claudio Aires, which was a breakthrough in my life. I’m
also three-time champion of Brazil and I’ve won other important
tournaments. I had a fight abroad once, but lost by decision.
In
MMA, you tend to go for standup exchanges…
Boxing
is my mainstay. Our hands are really skillful. You can bring
in the most skillful guy in kicks around, but they won’t
be better than my hands. Of course I believe in kicks, but I
avoid them because I really don’t know how to kick well.
Any fight I’m in, regardless of who I’m up against,
I’ll keep it standing. I’m proud of that. Of course
pure boxing won’t get you anywhere in MMA, as we saw with
James Toney (Toney was dominated by Randy Couture), a fighter
I’m a fan of. But I felt sorry for him in MMA. Boxing alone
in MMA is lacking. We’re good with our hands, but we can’t
let ourselves be limited in defending kicks and takedowns. I
feel boxing and muay thai complete each other, as do the other
styles.
Maldonado
win his fight at Memorial Fight via submission. Photo: Carlos
Ozório
Speaking of which, how is your ground game? Do you feel your
Jiu-Jitsu is good enough for the UFC?
I’ve
been a brown belt since December 2008, but I don’t consider
myself a great brown belt. I’ve never competed in the gi,
but I have eleven no-gi matches under my belt and I won ten of
them. I believe that if I’d had more ground matches it would
be better for me in MMA. I’d like to have competed more
in JIu-Jitsu. I get even tenser in those matches than I do in
MMA. Jiu-Jitsu is really hard. My training partner, Thiago Tavares,
says I’m a good blue belt on the bottom, but on top I’m
a good brown belt. But he’s my friend (laughs)!
And
how do you feel the fight with James McSweeney will go?
I’ll
go into the fight with good boxing. I know the guy’s a standup
fighter, but I feel that, come fight time, he’ll turn into
a grappler. He won’t want to stand with me. If he decides
to keep it standing he’ll take a beating and change his
plans. I want my debut fight to be entirely on the feet.
How
did this big career move of signing with the UFC come about?
It
all happened at once. I was bummed out about not having made
it into a big MMA event yet and was about to return to boxing.
I was going to do an international bout where I would have made
double of what I’ll make at the UFC. I was going to face
former world champion Jean Marc Mormeck, but now I’m happy.
I’m in Florianopolis to brush up my ground game with Thiago
Tavares and I have some good sparring partners to train standup
with. I’ll be in shape for the 16th. I am very thankful
to the events in Brazil that gave me my opportunities. I am very
thankful for the chance Amaury (Bitetti) game me at Bitetti Combat.
I know those fights helped bolster my record to help me sign
with the UFC.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Werdum:
“I’ll comeback at 200 per hour”
By Guilherme Cruz
Recovering from an elbow surgery, which happened after the win
over Fedor Emelianenko, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Fabrício
Werdum is thinking about his return to Strikeforce. “I had
a surgery on my arm and I’m already back for the trainings.
I’m not 100% yet, but I’m training”, told the
Brazilian to TATAME. “I do physiotherapy workouts for two
hours every day and then I go to Affliction’s gym, with
Rafael (Cordeiro)”.
While his next bout is not confirmed, Werdum follows the mess
that the heavyweight division has become. Champion of the event,
Alistair Overeem ignored Strikeforce and decided to fight on
the GP of K-1, which happens next Saturday(2), while Fedor Emelianenko,
Antônio Silva and the newcomer Josh Barnett are waiting
for an opponent. Without wanting any more mess, Werdum tells
that his opponent will be Overeem or Fedor.
“They prefer Overeem, they want me to fight for the belt,
but there’re nothing confirmed. I can have a rematch with
Fedor or it’ll be Overeem”, tells, discarding a fight
with Barnett, former
UFC champion. “Josh is a good guy, but I wouldn’t like
to fight him because he just got here, it doesn’t make much
sense, it’s like moving backwards. I’m not underrating
him, but it doesn’t make any sense”, explains.
Independently of the opponent, Fabrício wants to be completely
recovered for his comeback. “I’ll come back next year
only, and I’ll be like 125 miles per hour because even after
the win (over Fedor), there’re those who don’t take
me seriously, don’t believe in me”, tells upset, changing
his tone when it comes to the harassment of the fans on the United
States.
“I get like 20 letters a day… The guys send pictures
with the envelope sealed for me to autograph and send them back…
The photo they send me the most is the one of me fitting the
triangle (laughs)… Everybody ask me to sign my name. I spend
like half an hours each day only answering the fans”, said,
revealing he prepared many autographed posters, which he send
to his fans.
RED CARPET AND ON-LINE SEMINAR
The win over Fedor didn’t put Werdum only on the spotlights
when it comes to MMA. “Yesterday I did a photo shooting
for a fashion magazine here on the United States, Runway. It
was cool, they make miracles because it’s hard for me to
look nice (laughs), jokes the Brazilian, who will be on the next
edition of the magazine. “I won’t stop, I can’t…
I have a PR now (laughs)”, said Werdum, revealing that he’ll
do an on-line seminar live this Saturday (2).
“On October 2 I’m minister a seminar online live…
It’ll be the first live seminar on the internet, and there’re
over a thousand persons wanting to join me”, reveals Werdum,
on a chat with TATAME. “After ADCC live, my managers Lucas
and Gilberto had the idea of taking advantage of the moment,
since I’m on the spotlights, to do this seminar”. Click
here to know more about the online seminar.
Besides the class on the internet, the black belt told us he
has an entire agenda to follow, filled with seminars around Europe
and Asia. On the days 14 and 15 of October, the classes will
be on Zaragoza (Spain). The big class on the 16th, in Madrid,
will be special. “It’ll be on a nightclub. Then we’ll
have a barbecue and a party, it’ll be awesome (laughs)”,
tells.
The seminar of 18th will be in Bordeaux, in France. On the break
between the classes, Fabrício will go to Abu Dhabi to
help Marcos Oliveira and Luciano Mutante, Brazilians who will
fight MMA on the Arab Emirates. “On October 27 I’ll
go to Croatia, where I’ll stay until the 29th. On the 30th,
I’ll minister a seminar in Seville, and on the following
day in San Sebastian, then I’ll go back to Madrid”.
The
Euro tour is not the end of the road to Werdum, who will go to
Japan later. On a country where he got used to shine on Pride,
the heavyweight plans great seminars. “On November 7 I’ll
minister my first seminar in Japan, then there’ll be another
one on the 9th. The guys there are preparing it for a long time.
I’ve always liked the Japanese fans”, explains.
Source: Tatame
|
10
October Tussles Worth Watching
by Tim Leidecker
Mixed
martial arts has become a worldwide phenomenon, with notable
events not only in American and Asia but in Europe and Australia,
as well.
Further
proof of the expansion comes in this monthly feature, as, for
the first time, “10 Tussles” showcases 10 bouts from
10 different countries. The sport needs only to break through
on the African continent before it completes its globalization.
How about the UFC in South Africa? Judging by the current growth,
it many only be a matter of time.
As
always, this list does not focus on the well-promoted main event
bouts you already know to watch but rather on fights from all
over the planet that are worth seeing. The UFC, Strikeforce,
WEC, Dream and Sengoku Raiden Championship are excluded by design.
10.
Piotr Hallmann vs. Christian Eckerlin
German MMA Championship 2 “Continued,” Oct. 9 -- Herne,
Germany
Poland’s
top welterweight prospect will face off with an undefeated German
newcomer for the vacant GMC European title. Hallmann, a Jakubowski
student, used vicious ground-and-pound to knock out Kerim Abzailov
in his last outing. Eckerlin, a Daniel Weichel sparring partner,
did the same to seasoned veteran Sebastian Baron last month.
One of them will get strapped and continue to face strong opposition,
as German MMA Championship, Deutschland’s premier domestic
promotion, has invested heavily in promoting up-and-coming talent.
9.
Jason Young vs. Sergej Grecicho
CWFC 38 “Young Guns,” Oct. 1 -- London
Cage
Warriors Fighting Championships will return to the capital for
the first time in almost eight years with its stacked “Young
Guns” lineup. In the marquee matchup, Young, the hard-hitting
Londoner, will face off with Grecicho, a Lithuanian submission
machine. Young was originally supposed to meet German high flyer
Alan Omer, but the former British Association of Mixed Martial
Arts champion had to pull out with a knee injury. Grecicho, a
sambo specialist, jumped at the chance to fight for Cage Warriors
and took the 149-pound catchweight bout on short notice.
8.
Blagoi Ivanov vs. Svetoslav Zahariev
Real Pain Challenge “Collision,” Oct. 9 -- Sofia, Bulgaria
Two
broken hands -- suffered in his win against the notoriously hard-headed
Kazuyuki Fujita in August 2009 -- have kept Ivanov, the 2008
combat sambo world champion, out of action for more than a year.
In his comeback at Real Pain Challenge “Collision,”
he will face Zahariev, a European grappling champion. The CBS
Respect rep trains with his brother, Emil, in Ruse, near the
Romanian border, and has won his last five fights. The fact that
he has never gone past the first round promises an exciting fight.
7.
Brett Rogers vs. Ruben Villareal
W-1 MMA 6 “New Ground,” Oct. 23 -- Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada
Villareal,
the makeup-wearing Native American, has made a name for himself
fighting anybody at any place in true samurai spirit. The 40-year-old
professional wrestler is enjoying his best run in six years,
winning three out of his last four starts. He will now face Rogers,
a formerly world-ranked heavyweight on the comeback trail after
two knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem.
His showing in the Emelianenko loss raised his stock, but the
beating he suffered at Overeem’s hands set back Rogers.
He needs a convincing win if he hopes to return to a major promotion.
6.
Yoel Romero Palacio vs. Michal Fijalka
IFF “Poland vs. Germany,” Oct. 8 -- Dabrowa Gornicza,
Poland
One
can count athletes coming into MMA with better wrestling credentials
than Palacio on one hand. Medaling more than 20 times on the
world stage -- including gold at the 1999 World Championships
and silver at the 2000 Olympics -- Palacio’s freestyle wrestling
chops are legit. His first MMA fight ended by knockout in a mere
48 seconds. Fijalka, an iron-headed Polish grappler nicknamed
“Barbell,” is rated as a borderline top 10 light heavyweight
in Europe. He will confront the Cuban wrestler and figures to
test his submission defense. Fijalka defeated three men, submitting
two of them, in a single night two years ago.
5.
Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Victor Kuku
M-1 Challenge 21, Oct. 28 -- St. Petersburg, Russia
“Tiger”
Sarnavskiy, recently championed by Sherdog.com as the top undefeated
European prospect, will try to back up his hype when he takes
on Kuku, a human highlight reel. “Tigri,” a Dutchman
of Surinamese descent, has emerged as one of the most creative
strikers in the lightweight division.
Sporting
an unblemished 20-0 kickboxing record, the flamboyant Kuku made
the transition to MMA in 2007 and has not looked back. Is his
game well-rounded enough to withstand Sarnavskiy’s submission
skills?
4.
Roan Carneiro vs. Luis Ramos
Glory “World Series,” Oct. 16 -- Amsterdam, Netherlands
Glory,
the promotion that emerged from the Dutch Shooto branch headed
by Martijn de Jong, has come up big with its World Series events.
Fighters will compete in eight-man tournaments in heavyweight
kickboxing and welterweight MMA. The highlight of the MMA portion
of the card will be the Brazilian clash between UFC veteran Roan
Carneiro and Shooto middleweight champion Luis Ramos. “Beicao,”
the latest product of Nova Uniao’s seemingly unlimited talent
forge, has been on a roll lately, winning seven of his last eight
fights.
3.
Usama Aziz vs. Joachim Hansen
Superior Challenge 6 “Lion’s Den,” Oct. 29 --
Stockholm, Sweden
The
only major European promotion to up the ante in each of its previous
five offerings, Sweden’s Superior Challenge has done it
again. It has secured the services of Hansen, the Dream lightweight
grand prix winner and former Shooto champion, to face its superstar,
Aziz, in the “Lion’s Den” main event. Aziz, a
two-time Olympian for Sweden in Greco-Roman wrestling, remains
one of the premier featherweight fighters in Europe. Coming off
back-to-back losses, “Sami” will need to bring his
“A” game against Hansen, who once again was on his
most brutal behavior against Hideo Tokoro at Dream 16.
2.
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
Pancrase “Passion Tour 9,” Oct. 3 -- Tokyo
Traditional
promotion Pancrase, which endured perhaps the roughest patch
of its 17-year history in 2008-09 due to funding shortages, has
slowly started to put together quality matches again. Its revival
coincided with the return of longtime ace Kitaoka from Sengoku.
“The Koala” also returned to his winning ways against
Nova Uniao’s Jorge Rodrigues in June. Now, he takes on reigning
Cage Force champion and UFC veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka, who went
2-2 in Dream following his release from the UFC.
1.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta
Bellator 33, October 21 -- Philadelphia
With
Season 2 Bellator lightweight tournament winner Pat Curran on
the sidelines with a shoulder injury, the promotion instead made
the fight it was looking to promote all year long. Huerta will
challenge Alvarez in a non-title matchup in his own backyard.
Despite a stellar record, Huerta will come into the fight with
Alvarez as the heavy underdog. The reigning Bellator lightweight
champion, Alvarez holds notable wins over Hansen and Tatsuya
Kawajiri. He has submitted his last five opponents with chokes.
Source: Sherdog
|
Women
– Independent World MMA Rankings (September 24, 2010)
By Zach
Arnold
From the office of the Independent World MMA Rankings
The
September 2010 Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings have
been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA
media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple
MMA web sites, as well as www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.
The
members of the voting panel for the Women’s Independent
World MMA Rankings are, in alphabetical order: Nicholas Bailey
(MMA Ratings); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist
Blog); Yael Grauer (MMA HQ); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert
Joyner (Freelance); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA);
Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); and Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion).
Note:
Jamie Seaton is temporarily ineligible to be ranked, due to the
fact that she has not fought in over 12 full months.
September
2010 Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on September 21, 2010
Featherweight
Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (10-1)
2. Marloes Coenen (17-4)
3. Yuko “Hiroko” Yamanaka (10-1-1)
4. Cindy Dandois (4-0)
5. Shana Olsen (4-0)
6. Amanda Nunes (5-1)
7. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
8. Ediane Gomes (5-1)
9. Yoko Takahashi (14-11-3)
10. Kaitlin Young (4-4)
Bantamweight
Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Sarah Kaufman (12-0)
2. Roxanne Modafferi (15-6)
3. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
4. Miesha Tate (11-2)
5. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
6. Shayna Baszler (12-6)
7. Takayo Hashi (12-2)
8. Jennifer Tate (6-1)
9. Julie Kedzie (14-8)
10. Vanessa Porto (10-4)
Flyweight
Rankings (116 to 125 lbs.)
1. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
2. Rosi Sexton (10-2)
3. Aisling Daly (9-1)
4. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
5. Rin Nakai (7-0)
6. Sally Krumdiack (8-3)
7. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
8. Jeri Sitzes (3-1)
9. Monica Lovato (5-2)
10. Carina Damm (15-4)
Junior
Flyweight Rankings (106 to 115 lbs.)
1. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
2. Lisa Ward (14-5)
3. Yuka Tsuji (22-2)
4. Mei “V Hajime” Yamaguchi (6-2)
5. Jessica Aguilar (9-3)
6. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
7. Kyoko Takabayashi (11-4)
8. Jessica Pene (7-1)
9. Angela Magana (8-4)
10. Emi Fujino (8-4)
The
Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated and
published on a monthly basis, with fighters receiving ten points
for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote,
and so on.
The
rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the
voting panel, with nobody’s vote counting more than anybody
else’s vote, and no computerized voting.
The
voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters’
actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition
that they’ve actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective
perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical
match-ups.
Inactivity:
Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible
to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time
they fight.
Disciplinary
Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary
suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test
or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.
Changing
Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that she is leaving
one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the
fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class
until her first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
Catch
Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are
in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are
considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits
for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for
each weight class.
Special
thanks to Eric Kamander, Joshua Stein, and Yael Grauer for their
invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett
Bailey for designing our logo.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
A
Sad Goodbye, and Some Thoughts
By Josh
Stein
There
are a handful of writers who have influenced and mentored me
as I was a younger guy (literally, a boy) coming up writing about
the sport. Early this year, I said goodbye to a dear friend,
and (while this is a bit different) it still bears a sort of
significance in that I will be a little more independent of the
opinions and originative minds that shaped me, and my writing.
Ivan
Trembow, the mastermind behind the Independent World MMA Rankings,
and one of the best independent bloggers in the sport announced
his decision to abstain from watching MMA, a decision that he
did not come to lightly. The decision (I recommend reading his
arguments yourself, as they are powerful) is one that startled
me, as it left me largely responsible for the rankings, and it
marked the departure of an interesting, thoughtful writer who
I looked up to, forcing me to stop and think.
I
revisited my position over and over again on this issue, and
I found this: I don’t agree with Ivan’s decision to
leave. I respect it. He’s entitled to his thoughts, his
feelings, and they have merit. They are not my feelings. But
they do iterate thoughts that ought to come to the forefront
of MMA, that we don’t discuss in the wake of event previews
and matchup speculation.
Ivan
expressed a number of thoughts on the health risks of MMA. We
cannot pretend that MMA is without its dangers to those athletes
who choose to participate. Ivan’s thought is one that should
resonate for those who share the collective delusion that there
are not serious risks of brain trauma (I don’t know how
many people that constitutes, or how embedded they are in my
readership; but, either way, it’s a worthwhile point):
Yes,
MMA is “safer than boxing,” but I think I must have
been kidding myself to ever think that “safer than boxing”
meant “relatively safe,” no matter how much the athletic
commissions and MMA promoters deny or downplay the long-term
brain issues associated with MMA.
This
sport is dangerous. We know that.
The
question, I suppose, for me, is “What post hoc rationalization
am I going to use to justify the enjoyment I take in what may
be a very dangerous activity for those participants?”
There
is no easy answer. It may very well be that there is no good
answer. But the one I have held for years seems sufficient, still,
now. There are risks for all sports, inherently, but the venue
it presents for those participants to discipline themselves,
to pursue a better life, and to test what skills they cultivate,
is still a thing that I want to be a part of. We should try to
make it as safe as possible, even if the reality is that it will
never be as safe as some would hope.
But
that isn’t the real point that I think bears reiteration.
However,
the facts remain that when you combine the issue of painkiller
abuse in MMA with the lack of collective bargaining, medical
insurance, pension plans, or any athletic commissions that have
the ability (or the desire) to conduct drug testing that is even
remotely close to the standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency,
and you combine all of that with the avalanche of emerging science
about concussions, CTE, Alzheimer’s-like syndromes, and
even ALS-like syndromes, it adds up to a recipe for disaster
in the years to come, and I just can’t watch it anymore.
This
is, functionally, only a concluding endnote for Ivan. But, for
me, it is a mantra that bears constant repeating, and I have
been discussing this for years with managers, fighters and other
writers.
There
is no safety net for fighters. The fighters who need medical
help (whether it is the painkiller issue or issues with depression
and other treatable mental conditions) often can’t get it,
because no one wants to place premiums on a professional fighter.
The job necessitates a high risk of injury, and because of that
high risk, there can be no insulation against injury. This is
the paradox of health-insurance: Those who are most exposed often
cannot get reasonable treatment.
I
don’t have a solution, but I have heard many other ideas
on the subject, and it is worthwhile to discuss at length. Certainly,
for those of us who (unlike Ivan) accept and partake in the sport,
instead of walking away, after acknowledging the reality of the
circumstances surrounding the health of the fighters, there is
a particular imperative to ensure that those fighters who we
so admire (and even those that we love to hate) are not simply
left in the gutter as they age. The acknowledgement of that imperative
necessitates a discussion on what it means to protect these fighters,
and how we ought to go about it.
Source: MMA Opinion
|
The
Passing of A Grandmaster
In Memoriam
Grandmaster
Ben T. Largusa [1926 - 2010]
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Grandmaster
Ben Largusa.
Grandmaster
Ben Largusa entered eternal rest on October 3, 2010. We will
remember him fondly, not only as a great martial artist but also
as a great friend, husband, father and grandfather. He is preceded
in death by his son, Lane and is survived by his wife, Philomena,
daughter, Lois and sons, Jerry and Lindsey.
You
may leave your condolences on the In
Memoriam page.
Source: www.villabrillelargusakali.com/
|
BARNETT
TALKS STRIKEFORCE VS UFC HEAVYWEIGHTS
by Damon
Martin
Josh Barnett's addition to the Strikeforce heavyweight division
gives the promotion yet another top caliber fighter to their
already impressive roster. With former heavyweight king Fedor
Emelianenko; the man who defeated him, Fabricio Werdum; Antonio
"Bigfoot" Silva; Sergei Kharitonov; and heavyweight
champion Alistair Overeem all under their banner now; Strikeforce
has built a formidable heavyweight division.
It
was just a few years ago when the heavyweights in the United
States were decimated. The top big men in the sport were mostly
competing in Japan for Pride, and the UFC was shuffling its roster
to find top quality opponents for its champion at the time, Andrei
Arlovski.
The
heavyweight division in 2010 is littered with top-notch fighters.
The UFC has no shortage of great talent with No. 1 ranked Brock
Lesnar leading the way. Now that Strikeforce has Barnett, does
it start pushing its heavyweight division ahead of the UFC's?
"The
Strikeforce heavyweight division is really phenomenal right now,"
Barnett told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I guess one way
to look at it would be look at me, Fedor, Alistair, Bigfoot,
Arlovski, and Werdum, and look at our records and stack them
up. If you count all the wins that we have under our belts that
far surpasses the top five guys in the UFC's amount of fights
even.
"Granted,
just because you don't have a lot of fights that doesn't mean
you're not a great fighter, but I definitely think we've got
a big edge with that kind of veteran, international talent."
The
UFC has rebuilt its heavyweight division over the last few years,
and besides Lesnar, young talented fighters like Cain Velasquez
and Junior Dos Santos have made waves of late. Tack on to that
list fighters like Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, and Roy Nelson, and
the world's biggest MMA promotion has plenty heavyweight talent
to go around.
Barnett
believes his addition helps push Strikeforce ahead of the UFC,
and that experience and time spent in the cage will play a large
part in why people are going to pay attention to what they're
doing.
"With
that kind of time spent in the ring and the cage, we've fought
under all kinds of different rules, we've been in all kinds of
different wars, and I think it's going to pay off when the people
tune in to go and watch us fight," Barnett said.
As
happy as he is to point out Strikeforce's loaded heavyweight
roster, Barnett is also cautious to deem anyone truly the top
dogs when it comes to a single division. Much like what happened
with the Pride heavyweights a few years ago, things happen and
upheaval is a big part of MMA. He also knows that no matter how
great someone has been, or looks to be right now, that can all
change with one fight.
"At
any moment things can swing around," stated Barnett. "Guys
you would expect to excel sometimes, sometimes don't, and sometimes
somebody steps into the limelight and really shines."
One
thing Barnett is quick to guarantee is his own performance.
"I’m
going to bring the same kind of ferocity and relentless, merciless
kind of fighting in the ring," Barnett commented about his
fights in Strikeforce. "No one's going to be disappointed
in my entry."
There
has been no timetable for Barnett's entry into Strikeforce, but
it's likely to happen before the end of 2010.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
K-1
2010 World GP Final 16 in Seoul
By Zach
Arnold
K-1
ran the first part of their “Double Impact” two-day
event series in Seoul, South Korea at the Olympic Gym. A very
interesting show on several fronts. First, the TV networks broadcasted
the event in 3D mode. Second, Jerome Le Banner walked out after
three rounds of his fight with Keijiro Maeda (Kyotaro) and, from
the sounds of it, won’t get penalized. It appears he will
get a chance for a ‘reserve fight’ in the GP Tournament
when K-1 runs the Best 8 event at Ariake Colosseum. Third, Sadaharu
Tanigawa noted that it isn’t a reality to run a DREAM event
in South Korea because they don’t have the sponsorship money
to make it a financial reality. It’s truly amazing to hear
a promoter actually speak the truth (partially?).
¦Tyrone
Spong (Suriname) defeated Ray Sefo (New Zealand) after 3R by
a 3-0 judges’ decision.
¦Gokhan Saki (Turkey) defeated Freddy Kemayo (France)
in R1 in 2'14 by KO.
¦Daniel Ghita (Romania) defeated Errol Zimmerman (Curacao)
in R2 in 18 seconds by KO.
¦Kyotaro (Keijiro Maeda) defeated Jerome Le Banner (France)
by count-out after 3R. Two judges scored the fight a draw, one
gave it to Le Banner. He and his corner got angry and left.
¦Peter Aerts (Holland) defeated Ewerton Teixeira in OT
by a 2-1 judges’ decision.
¦Mighty Mo (America) defeated Raul Catinas (Romania) after
3R bya 3-0 judges’ decision. Mo took the slot of Andrei
Arlovski, who got hurt during sparring in the week leading up
to the fight.
¦Semmy Schilt (Holland) defeated Hesdy Gerges (Holland/Egypt)
after 3R by a 2-1 judges’ decision.
¦Alistair Overeem (Holland) defeated Ben Edwards (Australia)
in R1 in 2'05 by KO.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
WEC
51 Postmortem: Eight not Enough for Aldo, Torres Revived
by Jake
Rossen
Every
time I see Jose Aldo perch himself on the top of the cage and
perform a back-flip, I cringe.
It
would be an incredible waste of ability to see the guy trip,
fall, or land in a way that interrupts what’s becoming a
very notable career. The commissions might want to consider fixing
that, possibly by shooing offenders off with brooms.
Maybe
Aldo is putting himself in a little bit of trouble with the acrobatics
because he’s not getting too nervous in the fight itself.
For the eighth consecutive time in the WEC, Aldo more or less
made a meal out of an opponent, stunning Manny Gamburyan with
an uppercut Thursday and then knocking him unconscious with ground
and pound. Gamburyan had no chance of getting him down and failed
to discover any tricks for getting inside Aldo’s range.
Has the guy ever even been in radical trouble? If he has, it
hasn’t been worth remembering.
Every
time a dominant champion is established, the same question comes
up: do audiences like seeing a man operating clearly above his
competition, or do they grow bored if the suspense is leaking
out of the bouts? Considering the purpose of titles is to find
the best, it makes more sense that people would enjoy a clear
and concise answer. Aldo is providing it.
The
follow-up: when champions are this dominant, do they get too
complacent? Anderson Silva, with 12 wins in the Octagon, has
turned in several bizarre performances; Georges St. Pierre walked
into a fight with Matt Serra giving him only the same respect
fans did, which wasn’t much. If Aldo ever develops similar
boredom, he’s vulnerable. If he insists on using the cage
as a pommel horse, he might one day feel very stupid. Either
way, Aldo’s biggest threat in the WEC’s featherweight
division will probably remain himself.
Next
for Aldo: Josh Grispi, a 14-1 athlete who faces Erik Koch on
Nov. 11 at WEC 52.
Next
for Miguel Torres: Urijah Faber if he gets past Takeya Mizugaki
in November -- that fight sells pay-per-views.
Next
for Donald Cerrone: Chris Horodecki; deleting his Twitter account.
Is
Aldo running out of options?
In
blitzing Gamburyan, Aldo took out one of the few remaining challenges
for him in the WEC. Grispi remains a standout performer, as does
Mark Hominick; Chad Mendes may have the wrestling to give him
issues. But there’s no one defining fight left for Aldo
-- unless the WEC is able to capture the services of Joe Warren,
a fairly tenacious wrestler who makes up for his lack of technical
ability by being relentless.
There’s
always talk of Aldo moving up a weight class, and the UFC could
certainly provide a better living in award bonuses alone. But
Aldo is only 24, which gives him years to grow into a bigger
frame that might be better suited for the steamrollers of that
division. There are potential challenges left at 145. Aldo should
be interested in cementing a legacy in one class before rushing
into another.
Is
Leonard Garcia being unkind to his own career?
Leonard
Garcia is a take-three-to-give-one kind of fighter, which translates
into an entertaining style for fans but doesn’t stop to
consider Garcia’s longevity as an athlete. Against Hominick,
Garcia winged strikes with such unnecessary momentum that he
left himself vulnerable; he was also wildly winded by the third
round. Most of his losses are decisions -- stretches of time
where he puts himself through the grinder. 11 years in, he’s
one of the guys to worry about.
Is
Tie Quan Zhang a sign of things to come?
Tie
Quan Zhang, the WEC’s first Chinese fighter, put Pablo Garza
to rest with a guillotine choke Thursday along with concerns
that Chinese-bred fighters were far behind on the ground game.
While it’s still one win in one fight, Zhang’s display
couldn’t have been better for an industry increasingly looking
at China as the next big port of expansion.
Was
Cerrone/Jamie Varner one of the better first rounds in recent
memory?
In
a sport where grudges are often manufactured to drive ticket
sales and attention, there’s a genuine and obvious dislike
between Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner. And while most of these
“bad blood” fights rarely spill a drop in the first
round, the two went at it like alley cats for the first five
minutes of their bout. It’s nice to see there’s still
some authentic rivalries alive and kicking.
Source: Sherdog
|
Rogério
Nogueira
By Guilherme Cruz
After the fight against Ryan Bader, which happened last Saturday
on the United States, Rogerio “Minotouro” Nogueira
talked to TATAME about the bout, the co-main event of UFC 119.
“There’re many things I should work on… I took
much time to warm up the fight, I only got in on the middle of
the second round and on the beginning of the third… He was
good, has excellent coaches, is tough, but I think I had more
initiative on the fight”, said, believing he deserved the
win. Check below the exclusive interview with Minotouro, who
talked about the “overvaluation” of the takedowns on
the score of MMA fights.
What did you think of your fight against Ryan Bader?
I thought he was better on the beginning, there’re lots
of things I should work on… I took much time to warm up
the fight, I only got in on the middle of the second round and
on the beginning of the third… He was good, has excellent
coaches, is tough, but I think I had more initiative on the fight,
but he got two or three takedowns, made it cooler. When I went
forwards, he took me down, but he didn’t do a thing on the
floor. He was good at the beginning, tried to be objective, punched
me like four times, fit some elbows, but then he just tried to
hold me all fight long.
What did you think of the result? Do you think he deserved to
win or you think it could have gone both ways?
Yeah, I’d have won. The way I see, I won the second and
third rounds, and he won the first. When it comes to scoring,
who did more damage on the opponent, I think it was me.
Analyzing this fight with Bader and your last one, against Jason
Brilz, what do you think you are lacking in order to have those
great presentations again, just like you did on Pride and on
your debut on UFC, when you faced Luis Cane?
Actually, UFC is different than Pride. They worship a lot the
takedowns, but the guys don’t do much on the floor and don’t
even try to submit of knock us out. What happened was that he
kept trying to take me down and I wanted to keep the fight standing
up, to get the knockout. I have to improve to fight like I used
to fight on Pride, that is something everyone can tell, I have
to improve my takedown game, and keep me standing up or, in case
I go to the floor, I have to try to fall on top of the guys to
pass their guard and try to submit them. When they’re on
top you…
There’re lots of people that say: “Nogueira didn’t
do the ground game he should have done, he didn’t use his
Jiu-Jitsu…”, but if the guy falls on top of you and
decide not to punch you, there’s no way you can submit him.
On the first round I felt with my head on the grid, so I couldn’t
do anything. Only who gets MMA knows that, when you have your
head on the fence, you can’t move your hip. What was I supposed
to do there? In fact my performance on the ground wasn’t
that surprising, but on the positions on which I felt it was
hard because he was half out, or I had my head on the grid. What
I could do from there was to stand up and that was what I did.
On the very end he held my leg and I couldn’t stand up.
There were like forty something seconds on the guard, he didn’t
punch me, he didn’t do anything, so it’s difficult…
You can’t say that if the guy goes to the floor, he’ll
try to submit you. What I have to work on is work on my takedown
defenses, which I think I improved a lot since my last fight,
but I still have a lot to do. I have to keep me standing up,
try to knockout, or try to fall on top of them, pass the guard
and submit.
What do you expect for your future on the division? Do you think
you will fight again this year?
If they wanted me to fight again, I’d be ready (laughs).
I didn’t want to lose my good shape. I think it’s impossible,
I can’t fight now, but if I could, if I had that power,
I’d fight again soon… The fight was tied, and it could
have gone both ways. The guy is to be congratulated, he’s
a young guy, proved himself to be good, showed he can take people
down, but I want to come back as soon as possible, try to win
and fight again to be among the top 5.
They said that the winner of this fight would face Jon Jones.
What do you think of this duel?
Well, I don’t know. I really don’t know. Whoever is
better on Wrestling will win. The better one on this fight will
win.
Do you think it’s becoming a new trend for the future of
UFC, this scoring more the takedowns?
Man, it’s not easy to takedown. It’s really hard, but
the guys are good at it, they’re managing to keep the fight
there for a while, so it’s different. If you look at the
fight of Sean Sherk, I think he lost that fight… The judges
don’t get much about the ground game, if it’s not that
strong Jiu-Jitsu, they give it for who has more takedowns. I
think they should give point for the takedown defenses too. Once
the guy defended a takedown, he should get a point too. Not only
the takedown, but its defense as well.
Will you stay on the United States or will you come back to Brazil?
We’re launching a new gym in San Diego, so I’ll stay
here for a while to see how things turn out on the new gym. I’ll
give classes there on the weekend too. We’re closing a deal
with Sérgio Moraes so he comes here and help on the Jiu-Jitsu.
It’s a nice contribution, huh?
For sure, and it’s also good for him, so that he can improve
on MMA too…
Well,
the kid’s good, he’s from a nice family, he’s
a nice guy, it’ll be good for him. He has a top Jiu-Jitsu…
For us, for sure, it’ll be great.
Source: Tatame
|
On
heels of upcoming big fights, Bellator faces scrutiny
By Zach
Arnold
With Neil Grove vs. Cole Konrad and the semi-finals of the women’s
115-pound tournament coming up, you would think Bellator would
be in good position to garner some positive attention. Throw
in next month’s fight between Roger Huerta (of TMZ fame
now) and Eddie Alvarez and life’s not so bad.
Unfortunately,
MMA Payout has a report claiming that the FBI is investigating
the alleged main financial backer of Bellator. Read the report.
Take
that information, put it into context as far as how Bellator
is doing business-wise, and read the comments that both Roger
Huerta and Eddie Alvarez have made about their upcoming fight
in Philadelphia. Will long-term financial problems put an end
to some of the unique matches that Bellator is making that Strikeforce
simply hasn’t done?
EDDIE
ALVAREZ: “I’m wearing my Philadelphia Eagles jersey
today because the fight’s going to be in my home town. My
first fight in Philadelphia. I couldn’t be more happier
with Bellator. They’re giving me the match-up I want, in
the place I want, and I’ve been doing well by them so I
think I earned it and I’m excited. There’s no one more
than I want to fight in Bellator than Roger, so…”
KENNY
RICE: “And that is, why? You want to fight Roger…”
EDDIE
ALVAREZ: “I believe that he’s… one of the last
match-ups left for me to fight as far as good guys, guys who
have names as well as I just want to challenge myself and I just,
I think the match-up is amazing. It’s what people want to
see. It’s been on the Internet for the past two or three
years, how do you think Eddie Alvarez would do against Roger
Huerta, how do they think they match up, and everyone seems like
they are very opinionated about it. The Roger fans think he’ll
win, my fans of course think I’ll win so we’ll see
on October 21st.”
KENNY
RICE: “Roger, what about fighting and not just fighting
Eddie but fighting him in Philadelphia? This guy has never lost
in the U.S. and now he’s going to be fighting on home turf,
to boot.”
ROGER
HUERTA: “Um… We’ll see. Everybody’s different.
You know I took it differently when I fought in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. I fought Kenny Florian there and it was overwhelming
for me but Eddie’s Eddie. I mean he’s definitely going
to come in fully ready, I believe, and I’m preparing for
the best Eddie Alvarez ever. I respect this man next to my left
here and, you know, he’s going to bring the best out of
me, for sure, that night and we’ll see what happens.”
BAS
RUTTEN: “Two technical guys, one brawler and the other one
more compact. It’s going to be fun for us to watch.”
KENNY
RICE: “That’s going to be a really great match-up for
Bellator. We asked you in our Inside MMA Junkie poll this week,
who is going to win it and how they are going to win it? There
you see and here’s what you said… you said Alvarez
wins by decision, Alvarez wins by way of knockout, Huerta wins
by way of knockout, so nobody else is giving you guys any credit
to either one of you that you’re going to win it by submission.
If you look only 13% total say it’s going to end by submission
one way or the other. What do you think about that poll, Roger?
Eddie?”
EDDIE
ALVAREZ: “I can’t believe that the Underground that
it’s going for a decision, that the majority of the people
would say it’s going to a decision. I’ve got over 90%,
I believe 90% finish ratio. Why they think I would ever take
a fight to a decision against any one is beyond me and Roger,
Roger’s been known to bring it, too. You have a lot of decisions?”
ROGER
HUERTA: “The last couple ones I guess they went to decisions
but… it doesn’t really go to my favorites so I’m
not prone to that.”
BAS
RUTTEN: “Yeah, you’re going against top, top guys also.”
EDDIE
ALVAREZ: “I think that the style match-up that Roger has
is real resilient. He doesn’t give up, he’s always
sticking in there against really good guys. I match-up really
well against guys like that. Every guy I fought who’s known
to be stick-around-and-not-go-away-and-have-a-big-heart, I’ve
did my best against guys like that. So I really love this match-up
and I want to challenge Roger to make it Fight of the Year, let’s
go after it and make another Fight of the Year. 2008 I had one.
I’d love to have one again in 2010.”
KENNY
RICE: “I think you’re up to that challenge. …
Were you really in a street brawl? I don’t think anything
upsets you. Nothing upsets you, does it? That’s good.”
At
the end of the video, Bas Rutten compares Roger Huerta’s
relaxed nature on the show to that of Prince on Oprah Winfrey…
and he does a Prince singing impersonation that you have to watch
to believe.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Bellator
Investor Subject of FBI Investigation
According to a report published by Fortune Magazine, Plainfield
Asset Management (PAM) is the subject of a FBI investigation
concerning allegations of fraud:
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing whether Plainfield
Asset Management, a hedge fund that once had $5 billion in assets
under management, committed fraud by overstating the value of
some of its investments and charging management fees based on
those inflated assets.
The
firm was profiled by the magazine in January in a piece entitled:
“The Fall of a Hedge-Fund Wunderkind”
Payout
Perspective:
MMAPayout.com
has confirmed PAM’s status as Bellator’s majority shareholder.
According to an SEC filing on February 26, 2010, Plainfield Direct,
an investment fund managed by PAM, holds a 51.6% majority stake
in Bellator Sports Worldwide LLC. The common stock position represents
an investment of roughly $2.25M. As of the date of the filing,
Plainfield also held nearly $2.92M in senior debt.
In
2009 Bellator CEO and Founder Bjorn Rebney told MMAPayout.com
that Bellator had met all of its capital requirements with the
backing of “hedge funds,” but declined to provide any
specifics.
Chris
Carey of ShareSleuth.com contributed to this report.
Source: MMA Payout
|
Frankie
Edgar to Defend Title Against Gray Maynard at UFC 125
By Mike
Chiappetta
Gray Maynard clinched his shot at the UFC lightweight title with
a win over Kenny Florian in August. On the same night, Frankie
Edgar defended his division championship by defeating BJ Penn.
Now the two will share another date, this time with gold on the
line.
The
UFC lightweight stars will square off for the 155-pound championship
at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas during the New Year's
Day UFC 125 event, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed
to MMA Fighting.
The
bout will be a rematch of their April 2008 fight, won by Maynard
in a unanimous decision. It remains the only loss on Edgar's
record, as the New Jersey fighter has since won five in a row,
including two straight wins over the legendary Penn in establishing
himself at the top of the world's lightweights.
Nicknamed
"The Answer," Edgar (13-1) easily outpointed Penn at
UFC 118 in Boston on Aug. 28, winning all five rounds on all
three judges scorecards.
Meanwhile,
Maynard has still yet to taste defeat in his pro career, boasting
a 10-0 record with one no contest. Known for powerful takedowns
and a grinding, physical style that led to his "Bully"
nickname, Maynard has been considered a future contender from
his early days with the promotion.
Still,
he was bypassed for a possible title shot in favor of Edgar earlier
in 2010.
In
their first bout at UFC Fight Night 13 in Broomfield, Colorado,
Maynard largely controlled Edgar with his wrestling game en route
to the victory, as all three judges scored the bout 30-27 in
his favor. Despite his recent run of success, Edgar has been
installed as the early underdog by oddsmakers, with Maynard a
slight favorite.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Just
Scrap In Hilo
Hilo Civic Center, Hilo, Hawaii
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Source: BJ Penn.com
|
EDGAR
VS. MAYNARD SET TO HEADLINE UFC 125
by Damon Martin
New Year's Day will bring the start of 2011. It will also be
the day that UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar next defends
his belt. He will face number one contender Gray Maynard on Jan.
1 in the main event of UFC 125.
Sources
close to the negotiations stated that the 155-pounders have agreed
to meet on New Year's Day, as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday.
The date of the bout was originally reported by MMAFighting.com.
The
two competitors have met before as Maynard handed Edgar the only
loss of his professional MMA career. In 2008, Maynard was able
to outwork Edgar to get the nod by unanimous decision. He'll
see if he can go two for two when he gets the rematch with the
UFC lightweight belt on the line this time.
Edgar
has gone undefeated racking up five wins in a row since they
first met, including back-to-back victories over former UFC lightweight
champion B.J. Penn.
For
his part, Maynard has yet to actually taste defeat in his career,
and just recently won a decision over Kenny Florian at UFC 118
to earn the title shot.
The
bout between Edgar and Maynard is set to headline the Jan. 1
card, which all but locks up that UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva's next title defense, against Vitor Belfort, will likely
take place during the UFC’s annual Super Bowl weekend card.
Silva's
ribs are still healing after his fight against Chael Sonnen,
and his manager Ed Soares told MMAWeekly.com prior to UFC 119
that the Brazilian wanted to make sure he was healthy before
stepping back into another fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Paul
Kelly predicts ‘domination’ on UFC 123
By Guilherme
Cruz
With four wins in seven fights on UFC, Paul Kelly wants to return
to the good sequence he kept before signing with the greatest
event on earth, when he had seven wins in a row. Excited about
UFC 123, which happens in November, Paul talked to TATAME and
showed extra confidence for his fight against Gabe Ruediger.
“I’m anxious about this fight, I’ll be on the
best shape I’ve ever been. He is a tough fighter, well rounded.
But I can see myself dominating the fight”, guarantees Paul,
who pointed out the Luta Livre as a good way for winning.
How are the training for your fight against Gabe?
Training is going very well, hard as always. I am looking forward
to this fight as I will be in the shape of my life.
What are your thoughts about him?
He is a tough fighter, well rounded. But I can see myself dominating
the fight.
He already fought in the UFC and WEC a long time ago and is back
after six wins, but lost again in the debut. Do you think this
“instability” can be an advantage for you?
Not really, that are many different things that can interfere
in a fight result. I respect him and I think that my only advantage
will be the amount of effort I am putting into training.
Two of his losses came by submission. Are you focusing in the
Luta Livre training for this fight?
Yes of course, Luta Livre is a very important part of my training
and I think it will make the difference on this fight.
When did you start training with Marcelo Brigadeiro and the Luta
Livre coaches? How does it help in your game?
I started training under Marcelo Brigadeiro in November 2009.
It has helped me a lot for sure. Brigadeiro is a great coach
and is amazing to see how the standard of the team has improved
with him ahead of the ground game. He has shown me things I did
not even imagine that could be possible to be done.
Do you think about coming to Brazil to train one day?
Yes for sure. Brazil is a place I want to know, some of my friends
have already been there and told me how good and beautiful this
country is.
You couldn’t set a good win streak in the UFC yet. What’s
missing?
I think that I am getting more mature as a fighter and I fell
like I am improving everyday so I think that I have already sorted
what was missing. Anyway it does not bother me very much because
my main goal is go there and put on an exciting performance making
the crowd and fans happy and excited about it.
What do you expect for your future in the event?
I
expect great fights and great performances, I am very happy in
the UFC and I will always give my best to make the UFC and the
fans happy with my fights.
Source: Tatame
|
TUF
12 EPISODE 3 DRAWS 1.8 MILLION VIEWERS
The word of mouth about the 12th season of the "Ultimate
Fighter" seems to be paying off in the ratings as the show
reached it's highest point in three episodes with an average
of 1.8 million viewers for Wednesday night's episode.
The
steady climb has increased with each episode shown so far this
season, and with an average household rating of 1.3, with an
impressive 1.9 rating among males 18-34, the "Ultimate Fighter"
appears to be on the rise.
The
12th season of the reality show features UFC welterweight champion
Georges St. Pierre opposite top contender Josh Koscheck as coaches,
with lightweights filling the role as competitors this season.
Wednesday
night also marked the TUF debut of former world heavyweight boxing
champion Mike Tyson, who made a special appearance at the request
of St. Pierre, speaking to his team prior to the second elimination
fight of the season.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fabio
Maldonado to Make UFC Debut at UFC 120
By Ray
Hui
Team
Nogueira's Fabio Maldonado is set to make his UFC debut at UFC
120 on Oct. 16 at the O2 Arena In London.
Maldonado
is stepping in for Tom Blackledge in a light heavyweight bout
against James McSweeney. Sherdog.com was first to report of the
matchup and MMAFighting.com has since confirmed with sources
close to the fight that bout agreements have been signed.
Maldonado
is a 30-year-old out of Brazil who has been fighting in the Brazilian
MMA circuit since 2000 and is currently riding a ten-fight win
streak since December 2007. According to BoxRec, Maldonado is
22-0 in professional boxing bouts against sub-par competition.
McSweeney
of London, England, arrived in the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter
10 television show. As a member of the UFC roster, McSweeney
is 1-1. His last fight was a June loss to Travis Browne by first-round
TKO. At UFC 120, McSweeney will make the drop to light heavyweight.
McSweeney trains out of the Grudge Training Center with coach
Trevor Wittman in WheatRidge, Colo.
Maldonado
vs. McSweeney will take place on the preliminary portion of the
card. UFC 120, headlined by Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
and Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit, airs on same-day, tape-delay
on Spike TV in the U.S.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Frank
Mir says… something… about drug-related MMA suspensions
By Zach
Arnold
Audio cut clipped by Steve Cofield for Yahoo Sports
CHAD
DUKES: “I got to ask you, of course, about the elephant
in the room with MMA right now with what happened with Shane
Carwin, with what Chael Sonnen’s going through right now
and about performance-enhancing drugs, it’s in all sports.
And you got a guy, I love Chael Sonnen’s smack talk going
into the Anderson Silva fight but he was doing all of that while,
you know, it looks like taking a steroid. You’re a guy that’s
very good with words, you’re a guy that can go out there
and promote his own fight and sell himself. What do you make
of all of that, you know, bluster and now we know this about
him with the positive test, what do you think the ramifications
should be for a guy in your sport that tests positive for a PED?”
FRANK
MIR: “Well, I think, honestly, I mean, I think it’s
going to depend on what it was.”
CHAD
DUKES: “Right.”
FRANK
MIR: “As far as what I’m hearing right now, it’s
just… you know, it’s a performance-enhancing drug,
a PED. Well, does that mean he took an aspirin? I mean, that,
you know… you can take certain supplements, you know, they’re
very strict with our drug testing so I’m aware that, you
know, if you were to take an over-the-counter cough medicine
could be a problem if we don’t tell the doctor we’re
taking it.”
CHAD
DUKES: “Right.”
FRANK
MIR: “Does it fall under that qualification? So, that’s
why like I’m kind of waiting before I pass any kind of judgment.
I just want the full story and so far I’ve heard the PEDs
are such a broad spectrum of substances, I mean he could have
took a mushroom plant that’s, you know, from China that,
you know, had too much caffeine in it. Well, that’s you
know, PEDs, like whoa. That’s not kind of what first comes
to my mind when someone talks about, you know, a performance-enhancing
drug. I tend to think like everybody else, well I’m going
to think it that it’s steroids or some sort. But so far
I think if it had been that, again I’m not up to date completely
this week just from what’s going on in my career you know
I’m fighting this weekend, so if you guys know any thing
differently, so far I’m just hearing a little broad, you
know, what’s really going.”
CHAD
DUKES: “Well, I mean the latest I heard that it was at first
it was thought to be a natural steroid and now they’re saying
is an unnatural steroid. He has not addressed it yet but, I mean
Jordan (it’s Josh, Chad…) Gross said that there should
be a zero tolerance policy with the UFC and steroids. I mean
if it comes out like if they got proof that he pops positive
for a steroid, would you be in favor of something that drastic?”
FRANK
MIR: “Um, as far as … what do you mean?”
CHAD
DUKES: “Like a zero tolerance, like if you pop positive
for a steroid, you’re not going to fight in the UFC any
more?”
FRANK
MIR: “Um… you know, I don’t know, I think it has
to be a case-by-case situation just like… that’s why
I mean we have laws on the books even in our civilian life, they’re
not completely cut-and-dry, you know. … It kind of depends
on the circumstances. I’m a very liberal person, so I have
to see the situation like if he’s like, yeah, you know,
I had an injury and I went to the doctor and, you know, it was
a situation of not fighting, not fighting and my competitive
nature got a hold of me, you know, I don’t know if that
really would justify it to me ending someone’s career. If
it was purely … and some guy comes on and says, yeah I took
this so that way I could smash holes and I’m nuts, you know
I’m like, well OK, that guy we need to go ahead and…
He’s in a different category than a guy who’s wanting
to hurt or you know otherwise had to pull out and I just, I couldn’t
handle that mentally, it was my title shot, I get to fight the
best fighter in the world, you know what I mean? Those are two
different versions, so it’s like I don’t know where
he falls on that spectrum.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
JOE
SOTO'S CAREER ON THE LINE WITH EYE INJURY
by Ken
Pishna
Joe Soto lost his mother to a road accident on Christmas. He
then lost his Bellator featherweight title and unblemished record
to Joe Warren at the beginning of September.
Now
he’s battling for not only his career, but also his eyesight.
Soto,
likely in the fight with Warren, though they’re not certain,
suffered a detached retina and was undergoing surgery at the
time of publication of this article.
Following
the knockout loss to Warren, Soto started to develop black spots
before his eyes, smaller at first, but growing larger as the
days went by, according to his manager, Tom Call. Luckily, his
fight team’s doctor, Gary Furness, immediately pressed him
to go see a specialist.
That
he did on Wednesday, and less than 24 hours later, on Thursday
morning, Soto was rushed into surgery to repair a severely detached
retina.
Sounds
simple enough, but it’s not.
Doctors
warned that Soto would likely have to sit on the sidelines for
roughly a year after this initial surgery and then be faced with
a follow-up procedure due to the severity of his injury. Following
the second surgery, there is a window of recovery of about six
months, then he’ll know whether or not he can continue fighting
or not.
That
is the scenario that Soto has been dealt.
Before
the loss to Warren, Soto had gone on a tear up the ranks, amassing
a 9-0 professional record, finishing every one of his opponents,
and capturing the first-ever Bellator featherweight championship.
Now
he’s fighting to save his vision.
“The
focus right now has just been on saving his vision and following
the process,” Call told MMAWeekly.com on Thursday. “Then
eventually we'll get to the point where some decisions will have
to be made regarding his future, but he hasn’t even had
time to think about that right now.”
Soto
went from an appointment with a specialist at 2 p.m. on Wednesday
to rushing into surgery by about 11 a.m. Thursday. It’s
the latest in a chain of events that have tested the 23-year-old’s
resolve.
“His
mom died at Christmas, then he lost to Warren, and now this,”
said Call.
“It's
been a rough year to say the least.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Matches
to Make After WEC 51
by Tomas Rios
There
will be no discussion of whom reigning WEC featherweight champion
Jose Aldo should fight next. Mainly because it doesn’t matter
-- the WEC has captured lightning in a bottle with the Brazilian
and they should just keep on feeding him whoever earns a shot.
However,
there are many fantastically violent matches just begging to
be made now that the blood has dried from WEC 51.
Donald
Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner III
Fans,
media and anyone else with a functioning pair of lungs would
love to watch Cerrone and Varner bring out the best and worst
in one another.
After
two brutal fights defined as much by the violence that took place
inside the cage as the vitriol that was spewed outside it, there
is still no resolution. Varner and Cerrone are tied 1-1 and are
more than capable of delivering another co-main event bout of
supreme quality.
After
all, if the sheer hatred Cerrone feels for Varner was enough
to get him work on his wrestling, just imagine what a third bout
would bring out of both men.
Miguel
Torres vs. Brad Pickett
The
man with MMA’s very best mullet is in a unique position.
Torres is a former champion with a considerable following and
obvious world-class skills. However, he has yet to prove he can
beat the top-flight converted wrestlers currently strangling
the division.
Pickett
isn’t quite in the upper echelon of bantamweight takedown
monsters, but his wrestling has grown by leaps and bounds since
training with American Top Team. Combined with his already fearsome
front headlock skills, he poses many of the same stylistic issues
that Joseph Benavidez used to slash and tap the Mexican-American
hero.
Of
course, they could both indulge their shared masochistic tendencies
and resolve matters standing. Either way, you’re looking
at a burner of a fight and one that would help clear up a cloudy
bantamweight division.
Mark
Hominick vs. Diego Nunes
From
here on out, anyone being built towards a featherweight title
shot has to be exposed to as many challenging opponents as possible.
It’s the only way to have any modicum of preparation for
the human buzzsaw that is Aldo.
Hominick
and Nunes are building title shot-worthy resumes, but are a long
way away from proving that they have the bulletproof game to
be anything more than a human sacrifice to Aldo. Matching them
against each other gives Hominick a chance to prove that he can
stop a competent wrestler with real grappling skills -- a poisonous
style clash for him in the past.
Should
Hominick stuff those shots however, seeing how Nunes handles
himself on the feet against “The Machine” would be
compelling to say the least. Sooner or later, someone has to
fight Aldo. It’s up to the WEC to make sure that someone
is ready.
Mike
Thomas Brown vs. George Roop
After
proving that the best way to kill a zombie is with a clean headshot,
Roop deserves to take on a next level featherweight. Few match
that description like Brown, a former 145-pound champion with
versatility to spare and the kind of punching power that borders
on unfair. This is the kind of fight that makes itself and fits
in perfectly with the WEC’s ongoing narrative.
Demetrious
Johnson vs. Charlie Valencia
Johnson
and Valencia should both be fighting in the flyweight division.
If this bout is made as a bantamweight encounter so be it, but
it should be a 125-pound fight. Justice is a rare element in
MMA; let’s hope the WEC tilts the scales by giving these
guys the right stage for their talents.
Source: Sherdog
|
MAD
SKILLS TONIGHT!
SAT OCT 2
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
PELETI
FAUMUINA
160
HAYZON LINKEE
VINNIE FOWLER
185
FRANK LUCERO
ROBBIE OSTAVICH
155
PETER VIERRA
MARLEY TAU
200
AARON PUAHALA
ISRAEL LOVELACE
120
ELIAS VELASCO
MIKE ELI
185
GAVIN PAGUYO
JOEY BALAI
135
CODY FABINAL
KAYLEN STAFFORD
140
LYNO ORTIZ
KALAI MCSHANE
125
JAN QUIMOYOG
MATT SABALA
120
JAIREN LONGBOY
KEVIN GUINA
200
KALA HONDA
VINCE LAGUANA
145
CODY SANTOS
LAWRENCE COLLINS
175
ROB JOSEPH
TBA
170
MICHAEL EGUIRES
WAYAN JOSUE
130
JOEY SCHIPPER
ROB BAKER
140
ROBERT PEREZ
JARED FERREIRA
170
KEO ALO
KEKE KEALOHA
155
SHAWN CHEVEZ
MAKANA WIGGLESWORTH
145
KEONI KINOWIN
BRANDON CARVALHO
155
PAUL BOTER
CHANTE STAFFORD
115
MATT AUSTIN
VAL SCHMIDT
145
JOHN CABASAG
LINK MERRITT
135
EDDIE ROBINOL
JESSIE LINDLEY
190
KAAHU ALO
ALIKA KUMUKOA
115
DONOVAN CALLURUDA
JENNIFER SYLVA
125
LENA COOK
DUSTIN SCHELMMER
165
ETHAN KERFOOT
SOFA TAISALI
220
CARLOS PEREZ
TONY LASSIT
185
ROBERT
ANDREW QUIZON
160
ERIC CHUCK
All
matches & participants are subject to change.
Source: Derrick Bright
|
$10,000
BONUS CHECKS AWARDED AT WEC 51
by Jeff
Cain
World Extreme Cagefighting awarded $10,000 bonus checks for in-cage
performances at WEC 51 in front of 5,100 spectators at the 1stBank
Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
The
bonus money recipients were Miguel Torres, George Roop, Donald
Cerrone and Jamie Varner.
Submission
of the Night went to former WEC bantamweight titleholder Miguel
Torres for his second round rear naked choke submission of Charlie
Valencia.
Knockout
of the Night was awarded to George Roop for his highlight reel
knockout of “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung, by
high kick.
Donald
Cerrone and Jamie Varner went to war in the main event earning
Fight of the Night honors. Cerrone defeated Varner by unanimous
decision in the rematch, settling the score with former champion.
Total
bonus money awarded at WEC 51 was $40,000
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
119 OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE AND GATE RECEIPTS
The
Indiana Gaming Commission on Wednesday confirmed the official
attendance and gate receipts for UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop.
Andrew
Means, director of the Gaming Commission’s athletic division,
upheld the initial reported attendance of 15,811. He added that
2,028 of those in attendance were complimentary tickets issued
by the UFC.
The
13,783 in paid attendance accounted for official gate receipts
of $1,588,163, slightly lower than initial estimates of $1,613,337.
That amounts to an average ticket price of $115.23 at the Conseco
Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FCF
Exclusive: Ring Hoping for Octagon Return in 2011
By Kelsey
Mowatt
2010
began with much promise for Nick Ring; after being a well known
commodity in Canadian MMA circles for years, the middleweight
introduced himself to much of the wider world, by earning a spot
on the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Despite
scoring wins over Woody Wetherby and the show’s eventual
winner, Court McGee, however, not only did Ring’s run on
the show come to a premature end, so did his 2010 fighting campaign.
“Rehab
on my knee has been going good,” Ring told FCF recently,
when asked to provide an update on the injury which forced his
removal from the TUF tourney. “I am 5 months out of my surgery
and I am looking forward to getting back to training; I have
not even trained martial arts since February. My injury was a
full-rupture of my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and yes
an ACL rupture is a serious injury. The ACL is the ligament that
connects the back of a person’s femur bone to the front
of their tibia bone, it is one of the ligaments that allows a
person to twist and pivot and without it you can’t fight,
despite what they try to say on TV – it is every bit as
serious as having a broken bone.”
“I
would like to be back to competing in 2011, which sounds kind
of vague and far off right now at this point, but I’m old
and us old people are really slow and our thinking is muddy,”
the charismatic fighter added. “So I’m afraid that
this is the best answer you will get from me at this point until
I gets my prescriptions filled up.”
As
Ring revealed on the television program, the undefeated fighter
has had knee injuries before, which has prevented the fighter
from competing more often in recent years. As a result, Ring
decided to withdraw from the competition, in an effort to prolong
a MMA career which dates back to 2002. In the episode where Ring
announced his decision to exit from the tourney, it appeared
to some, that UFC President Dana White was disappointed in his
decision.
“I
think that Dana was probably disappointed with my decision but
I knew he understood, it was made to look alot more harsh on
T.V. than it actually was though,” Ring noted. “When
Dana and I were talking outside he was being compassionate with
me and I didn’t feel like we were having a bad talk –
I think that he just wanted to know if I was in or I was out.
It was an unfortunate situation for me and it was a hard decision
to make but trying to fight in that condition was not going to
end in anything good – I knew that if I took that fight
with Court, it would have been my last one ever so I pulled out
of the competition so I could live to fight another day. As shitty
as it was for me at the time, I knew that pulling-out was the
only choice I really had and I am happy to say that because of
that decision I will be back to fighting again in the future.
I haven’t talked to Dana since the show but I’m sure
we will cross paths again at some point, I am far from done."
While
Ring was picked first overall by coach Tito Ortiz, after stopping
Wetherby to earn a spot in the TUF 11 house, the Bellator vet
doesn’t feel like he was able to fully demonstrate his capabilities
as a fighter. Ring was awarded a Majority Decision win over McGee
in episode six, but was forced to withdraw before their quarterfinals
rematch took place (McGee had been brought back into the tourney
as a replacement for the injured Rich Attonito).
“Looking
back on the fights I had in season 11, I would not say I was
really fighting to my full capability but oh well – too
bad, so sad,” Ring noted. “I have been a competitor
for a long time and I realize that I am going to have both good
days and bad days, the TUF show is just a small little micro-snippet
of my 15 years as a fighter and I’m not really too focused
on it - it was merely a short period of my career. Right now
though, it is time for me to move forward and I’m just excited
to start fighting again. The time I’ve taken away from being
a competitor has been fun and it has actually been really rejuvenating,
but I am going to comeback more focused than I ever have been
before. Sometimes it just takes some serious time off martial
arts to make you realize that you would just rather be hitting
someone in the face...If I have learned anything in my time off
it’s that talking to people is way over-rated.”
And
in terms of how Ring feels he was portrayed on TUF?
“Yes
I watched the TUF season I was on and I thought they were relatively
accurate in their portrayal of me despite making me look like
a raging homosexual...” Ring said. “Either way, the
show was still a good chance for us to showcase ours skill and
let people laugh at our idiosyncrasies - it was all in good humour.
I had a lot of fun being there and while I may not have walked
out looking like the most macho guy in house I would still say
that I left a good impression on the viewers. My friends back
home still laugh at me about the show, but it doesn’t bother
me one bit - I was honored to be a part of it.”
“Life
in Calgary “post TUF” is pretty much the same as it
was “pre TUF”. I’m still driving a beat-up 1989
Saab 9000 turbo whose lights don’t work and stalls like
crazy, my bosses still yell at me for being late for work, I
still tell stories to friends about homeless people that I have
fought with and almost won against, and girls still give me dirty
looks for being creepy," the often joking Ring added, when
asked if he gets more recognized now on account of his UFC experience.
"Things have been very much the same in my life but the
only thing that has changed is that people recognize me way more
than they used to, and some of those people even gave me a cool
nickname... “Hey Faggot”.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Josh
Gross: UFC should cut fighters who fail drug tests to help clean
up the sport
By Zach
Arnold
Josh
Gross wrote a column on SI expanding on this idea. (Anthony Pace
has a rebuttal here. Larry Pepe has a defense of Chael Sonnen
that you should read.) He then appeared on Jim Rome’s radio
show to talk about it. Here’s a transcript of today’s
appearance by Josh Gross on Jim Rome’s radio show:
JIM
ROME: “Josh Gross joining us, he’s an MMA reporter
for SI.com. Hey Josh, where you come out on this — for instance,
when this first came up in terms of baseball, people would call
up and say, great, so maybe they add some help, but it’s
not going to make you a Major Leaguer and I would always argue
that no, certainly not, you can’t pull a guy out of a Gold’s
Gym and then load ‘em up full of roids and expect him to
play Major League Baseball, but it could take a good player and
make him a great, a great player and make him a Hall of Famer,
a Hall of Famer and make him the best ever. What about MMA? I
mean, this guy was a largely anonymous fighter not long ago,
did they make him a great fighter?”
JOSH
GROSS: “Uh, look, I mean you have to question his performance
against Silva. He got so much credit for the way that he handled
Anderson Silva in that fight. He dominated for 23 minutes. This
was… nobody’s done that to Anderson Silva. Anderson
Silva’s great and I think you have to really wonder if it
played a part and I don’t think there’s any doubt,
I mean it’s performance-enhancing for a reason. And, you
know, I think people like to compare sports and talk about baseball,
I got so many people e-mailing me and my Twitter feed, it’s
like, who cares if these guys do that? This is not baseball.
This is not a game. They’re punching each other in the face.
This sport is inherently dangerous. To add testosterone and guys
that are brimming with this stuff, it’s just a mix that
you cannot have. So, you know, it’s a pretty big issue.”
JIM
ROME: “Now, let’s finish that thought, it’s a
great point. I mean, in baseball, if you’re bigger, stronger,
and faster, you’re going to kill the ball. Here, if you’re
bigger, stronger, and faster, somebody might really get killed.”
JOSH
GROSS: “Certainly, and you know people talk about steroids,
oh it’s a health & safety issue, I couldn’t care
less if these guys put their health & safety on the line
if they’re going to do this. Quite honestly, stepping into
the Octagon and stepping into the cage they’re doing that.
It’s the danger to the opponent and that’s really what
the state athletic commission, that’s what their job is
to regulate and to make sure the healthy & safety issues
are not compromised in any kind of way and that’s why you
need to eradicate this stuff.”
JIM
ROME: “All right, so when we talk about how this compares
to other sports, talk about the UFC. How committed is the UFC
to addressing this problem as compared to other sport leagues?”
JOSH
GROSS: “Well, I think, I mean, you can’t really compare
them to other sports leagues. I mean, the thing about the UFC
and people like to frame it this way that they’re a league,
they’re not a league. They’re a fight promoter. They
frame themselves in a certain way and they couch themselves as
a league but they don’t have any collective bargaining agreements
with the athletes. There’s no policy in terms of PED usage.
This is not the NFL. There’s no clear-cut way for these
guys to do it. Now, the UFC has done some really good things
in terms of policing themselves when they go out to jurisdiction,
when they go out of the country to the UK or Abu Dhabi, they’re
treating their guys. Two guys have tested positive from UFC testing
so I mean there is something legitimate to that. But I think
they need to go much further. Much further. And I wrote this
week that there should be zero tolerance, you know, it’s
one thing… the UFC does not have to promote steroid users.
They don’t have to do it, it’s pretty simple. But they
choose to do it. Not only have they done that, 2003 Tim Sylvia
tested positive, gets a title shot in his next fight. Sean Sherk
‘07 tests positive, ‘08 gets a title shot in his next
fight. So, it’s not like you know they’ve done some
stuff but they really haven’t gone as far as I think they
should.”
JIM
ROME: “Now, for instance, if they have a zero tolerance
policy and this is something you’ve already addressed but
I’ll ask you the question here… if Dana White were
to cut or fire anybody that tested positive and enable them to
go across the street to a rival promoter, what would that do
to Dana White’s business?”
JOSH
GROSS: “I don’t think it effects his business in any
way. UFC’s operated under the idea that it’s the UFC
brand that’s selling in particular. Yes, certain fighters,
Brock Lesnar, GSP, guys that sort of transcend the brand, but
they’re few and far between. For the most part, the UFC
has operated as you know the three letters mean more than anything
else and I don’t think it makes a difference. Quite honestly,
I think they come out looking good if all of a sudden they’re
doing everything they can to make sure that their league, their
organization, their promotion, however you want to frame it is
steroid-free, performance-enhance-drug-free, at least the best
to their ability that you’re doing everything you can. I
don’t see how that’s a negative for them.”
JIM
ROME: “No, I think that’s good PR, that’s good
PR, that’s good business. Josh, where do you come out on
this — I mean, for instance, anything short of zero tolerance,
you know how these guys operate. You know what they’re thinking.
They’re always going to believe that the risk is going to
far outweigh or the reward is going to far outweigh the risk.
How in the world can you ever get in front of this and address
it when guys just don’t care, they’re going to keep
doing it because they know what the reward is if they succeed?”
JOSH
GROSS: “Well, that’s why I think there needs to be
a zero tolerance policy. if the UFC says today that Dana White
comes out and says today, anybody who tests positive for steroids
or PEDs moving forward will not be in the UFC, you don’t
think that’s the loudest, I think it’s the least invasive,
the least expensive, the biggest message that they can send to
anybody and not only to fighters in their organization right
now but the young kids coming up who see Chael Sonnen, Sean Sherk,
Hermes Franca testing positive on a fairly regular basis in the
biggest Mixed Martial Arts show in the world, they’re going
to say I have to do this stuff or otherwise I won’t be able
to compete. If the UFC lays down the gauntlet and says you cannot
compete here if you test positive, I don’t see how that
doesn’t help in changing the culture, at least the drug
culture in MMA.”
JIM
ROME: “How prevalent do you think the use is in the UFC
and MMA or drugs?”
JOSH
GROSS: “You know, I’ve heard estimates anywhere from
30% to 70%. Talking to people in gyms this week, you know, in
the wake of the Chael Sonnen thing, I think it’s certainly
prevalent and it’s not the way that it was in the early
2000s even 2002 when state regulatory commissions started testing
this stuff but they do it by jurisdiction and the way they test
in California is not how they test in Nevada or how they test
in Texas, so it’s sort of you’re going from one place
to another. Guys can get by it. it’s not that difficult.
I grew up with a buddy who ran high-level track internationally
and he says, you know, if you want to do it you hire an endocrinologist
and you can do this stuff and it’s not an issue to get around
and until and unless they adopt WADA-quality testing, Olympic-style
testing on a wide scale, I don’t think anything is going
to change which is why I think the UFC has to take a stand.”
JIM
ROME: “I mean it’s always going to be that way. I mean,
to your friend’s point, the guys who are using are always
going to be one step ahead of the guys trying to run them down
for the reasons you and I talked about, the rewards are so great.
I don’t see that ever changing.”
JOSH
GROSS: “No, certainly not. Guys are going to take the risk
because the rewards are great. But if you make it so that the
consequences are so dire, you cannot compete in the UFC which
is clearly the preeminent organization in Mixed Martial Arts,
I think some guys are going to take a second look at this. I
think that would do more than anything that’s been done
at this point to really change the mindset amongst Mixed Martial
Artists who are thinking about using this stuff.”
JIM
ROME: “Do you think an athlete would take one look at this
and change their mind? I mean, short of a guy dropping dead or
sort of a guy having his career ripped from him, will guys really
take a second look?”
JOSH
GROSS: “Yeah, see, I don’t think a guy dropping dead
or a guy, you know, coming down with cancer affects these guys
in any way, they’re all untouchable in their own minds,
right?”
JIM
ROME: “Right.”
JOSH
GROSS: “I mean these guys are athletes first and foremost
and then fighters. So, nothing is going to hurt them. I just
think it has to come down from the people calling the shots and
people calling the shots largely in MMA are the UFC and to this
point, I would like to see them at least adopt a drug standard,
some performance-enhancing policy that, you know, is pretty clear-cut.
A guy tests positives for steroids, something is going to happen
internally in the UFC, to just rely on the government bodies,
the regulatory bodies… you know, it hasn’t worked so
far. So I think something needs to change.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Gesias
all set to get back to the top
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Gesias Cavalcante is all set to face Josh Thomson at the October
9 Strikeforce show in San Jose, California. The fighter spoke
of the fight at the promotional press conference and promises
to show all the heart and technique that put him at the top of
the lightweight pecking order, winning the K-1 Hero’s Grand
Prix twice over. Check out the interview with Cavalcante by our
correspondent Nalty Jr.
How
do you feel about fighting in the United States?
I
want to thank Strikeforce and Scott Coker for getting me back
to the USA. It’s been a while since I fought here. It’s
a pleasure to me, even more so because Josh is a former champion
and this will be a tough fight. It’s no easy task, but life’s
not easy. I like challenges and I think the fans want to see
this fight. As the fans want to see the fight, I’m happy
to be fighting in the USA at Strikeforce.
Do
you feel any pressure for this fight?
I
don’t feel any pressure, especially because people here
don’t know me and don’t know what to expect. So there’s
no pressure at all. There’s more pressure when people know
you and expect you to do well. I’ve been through situations
where I felt pressure from the fans, who create a lot of expectations.
I’m not putting any pressure on myself to do well. I know
what I’m capable of. I know I train hard and have an excellent
training camp, one of the best in the world. I have a great team.
I just need to keep focused, in control and balanced.
My
game works well in the cage, even better than in the ring”
Gesias
You’ve
only been fighting in the ring lately. What are your thoughts
on making the move to the cage?
I
train in the cage a lot. Most of my teammates fight in the cage,
so I train with them. My game works well in the cage, sometimes
even better than in the ring. I feel there are pros and cons
to the cage and ring, but I always see the pros in my favor.
I’m working hard and nothing is different. A fight’s
a fight wherever it may be.
Will
you be going for the finish?
I’ll
have my eye on everything. We’re both complete fighters
and the fight could play out standing or on the ground. So I’m
not focused on any one thing in particular. My concern is fighting
hard for 15 minutes. If he makes a mistake, I’m going to
capitalize on it and win.
Do
you feel better now, after suffering so many injuries?
I
feel fine. I fought in July. It was a good fight, lasted 15 minutes,
but I felt a bit rusty due to injury. But now I’m healthy,
much more confident mentally and physically. I’m training
well, thank God.
Is
it harder to fight in your opponent’s backyard?
I’m
always fighting in someone else’s territory. I know it’s
different in Japan, where everyone is more calm and respectful.
Here people shout and boo. But a fight’s a fight. I’m
fine with that.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Fujii
Defying History, Convention One Fight at a Time
by Tony
Loiseleur
Japan’s Megumi Fujii is considered by most the best pound-for-pound
best female mixed martial artist on the planet. It’s a distinction
earned by the dominant way in which she has amassed a flawless
21-0 record. However, the undefeated streak has taken Herculean
effort to achieve in and of itself.
Female
MMA as a second-class “other” sport is not a new narrative,
just as the fact that audiences judge female fighters through
a gendered lens is not unique to Japan. However, a more particular
kind of bias has impeded women’s MMA in Japan and made it
difficult for women to pursue prizefighting. It is a combination
of history, social tendency and resistance to change that makes
women’s MMA a niche sport. Despite some casual notions that
women’s MMA is both accepted and flourishing in Japan, women’s
opportunities to make a career of professional MMA both domestically
and abroad have been slim to none.
Though
Gina Carano is now more movie star than MMA fighter, Miesha Tate
is willing to do sexy spreads for fight magazines and Cristiane
“Cyborg” Santos was reportedly considering Playboy,
the gendered differences in western MMA have not completely hindered
women’s ability to earn significant paydays and athletic
distinctions. These women have acquitted themselves in the cage,
fighting under -- for the most part -- the same rules as their
male counterparts and have reaped financial and critical success
that no woman in Japanese MMA’s long history has ever achieved.
Watch
a women’s MMA fight in Japan, and the paternalistic compromises
are clear: shortened fights, some are three three-minute rounds
while most are two five-minute rounds; awkward, oversized gloves;
over-officious referees who are quick “save” women
from harm before submissions are fully applied or when strikes
are not even landing. Ground-and-pound -- an essential element
of MMA -- is almost entirely verboten, save for a few marquee
bouts.
Titillating
pictorials overtly sexualize Western female fighters, but the
cosmetics and bikinis are traded in for cornrows, board shorts
and rash guards when they step into the cage. In Japan, MMA panders
to gender-normative stereotypes of femininity with its in-ring
dress and promotional aesthetics. Pre-fight promotional videos
typically focus on a fighter fabricating her colorful costume,
styling her hair, getting her nails done or working at her day
job -- implying prizefighting is only an eccentric hobby -- rather
than focusing on training, fighting or any athletic narrative.
Take
for instance former Deep champion Hisae Watanabe, one of the
Japan’s biggest female fighting stars. In spite of her extensive
fight experience, Watanabe – who has actually fought with
make-up on for most of her career -- has been routinely shown
in pre-fight vignettes going to hair and nail salons, shopping
for clothes or semi-suggestively eating a strawberry sundae.
“[Our
promotion] is about conveying the charm of women doing MMA,”
says a public relations representative with the Japanese women’s
MMA promotion, Jewels. The implication is clear -- appeal is
drawn from the spectacle of women engaged in an otherwise masculine
pursuit, rather than showcasing athletes competing earnestly.
Roots
Take Hold
The
root of this viewpoint lies in Japan’s history with professional
wrestling. Men’s pro wrestling became a mainstream fixture
in post-World War II Japan by showing the hometown audience that,
though they may have lost the war, the indomitable Japanese fighting
spirit could still defeat any Westerner in single combat. Pro
wrestlers such as Rikidozan -- who was ironically an ethnic Korean
-- were hyper-realizations of Japanese identity, defeating foreigners
through martial prowess and fair play, two attributes that “dirty-fighting”
Western wrestlers were imagined to be devoid of, thanks to the
theater of pro wrestling.
From
a physical and, perhaps more importantly, moral standpoint, professional
wrestling celebrated an edifying self-characterization of the
Japanese, bolstering pride and reaffirming national identity
at a time when the country needed it most. As sports sociologist
Lee A. Thompson claims in citing cultural anthropologist Clifford
Geertz, pro wrestling was meta-social commentary to the Japanese
-- “a story they tell themselves, about themselves.”
Though
its message differed, women’s pro wrestling was a similar
social project in being demonstrative of femininity. Its heroines
and villainesses were archetypal caricatures of pro- and anti-womanhood.
The “faces” fit the heteronormative understanding of
what the Japanese perceived to be properly feminine -- young,
nubile and morally pure -- while the “heels” were aberrations
of that model -- physically imposing, butch and aggressive.
This
essential structure of women’s pro wrestling was founded
upon Japan’s cultural and social understanding of sexual
characteristics and responsibilities. In Vera Mackie’s “Feminism
in Modern Japan,” Mackie notes the lack of a native term
for “gender,” and that before its introduction in the
1970s, Japanese understanding saw “two categories of people
-- men and women -- who had bodies distinguished purely by their
reproductive capacities.” This understanding led to a dichotomous
conception of behaviors and responsibilities exclusive to sex.
Note the National Eugenic Law, which during Japan’s Imperial
period exerted state control over the reproductive body, regulating
female responsibility as the nation’s reproductive force.
Intense
state control over the female body diminished in the post-war,
but social sentiment remained largely the same. According to
Atsuko Suzuki’s “Gender and Career in Japan,”
when post-war Japan achieved economic prosperity, the “ideal
household” recast female responsibility from that of broodmare
to domestic homemaker. Husbands were shouldered with the financial
responsibilities of a family, “freeing” women from
having to enter and remain in the workforce. Though less severe
a distinction, the life trajectory of women in post-war Japan
remained the same, leaving little room for careers that did not
terminate upon marriage or activities that did not prepare women
for the roles of “wife” and “mother.”
Women’s
pro wrestling was made keenly aware of this when the growing
domestic television audiences of the 1960s protested that pro
wrestling was not a proper feminine pursuit and was thus unfit
for public consumption. It was not until the 1970s when teenage
wrestlers-stroke-pop singers like the 16-year-old “Mach”
Fumiake Watanabe and the similarly young Jackie Sato-Maki Ueda
tag-team “Beauty Pair” became crossover, mainstream
celebrities that women’s pro wrestling gained any kind of
traction. Promoters further continued to ensure that proper gender
roles were adhered to: until the 1990s, women’s pro wrestling
in Japan maintained a mandatory retirement age of 26, out of
consideration for future marriage and family-raising.
Stunted
Growth
Japan’s
longstanding ties to the pseudo-sport thus made it impossible
to disentangle MMA from its pro wrestling roots. In speaking
with promoters of today’s most prominent Japanese women’s
MMA promotions -- Deep, Valkyrie and Jewels -- all admit that
this connection to professional wrestling and the social conventions
it supported is what has kept women’s MMA from growing over
the past decade.
However,
none of them are ready or willing to commit to pushing an agenda
of change, though they promise that, depending on their audience,
things may be different in the future. They maintain their staunch
adherence to the promotional model and practices of women’s
pro wrestling since it has a proven history of success. Deep
promoter Shigeru Saeki was himself a pro wrestling promoter,
as was Daiki Shinosaki, the man that created the now-defunct
landmark promotion Smackgirl.
Furthermore, most of the women who blazed a trail for MMA in
Japan, such as Megumi Yabushita, Yoko Takahashi and even the
famous “Lioness Asuka” Tomoko Kitamura, are pro wrestlers.
Further speaking to this deep-rooted wrestling traditionalism,
the first promotion in Japan to even occasionally promote women’s
MMA was Ladies Legend Pro Wrestling. Yabushita and Takahashi
-- in addition to Fujii -- remain the most important and influential
pioneers and role models for female fighters in Japan. Although
Fujii is the odd one out in that trio, as she was not trained
as a pro wrestler, the fact she herself dabbled in pro wrestling
before she debuted in MMA is telling.
When
faced with the prospect of going against the norm and risking
social stigma, female fighters typically half commit themselves
to prizefighting, only to eventually opt out just in time to
“do the right thing” and get married. As pointed out
to me by local MMA commentator and journalist, Shu Inagaki, many
women still fear suddenly finding themselves 30-something and
unwed, thus becoming what author Junko Sakai has dubbed “make-inu,”
or a “loser dog.”
Japanese
promoters cannot provide both a lucrative and athletically satisfying
industry for female fighters in Japan. In terms of developing
committed fighters with the skills necessary to make their mark
on the international scene, women’s MMA in Japan loses out
and thus maintains its underground profile. Japanese female fighters
therefore rarely train full-time -- in some cases, they do not
have the facilities or support to do so -- nor do they have an
impetus to train for full-rules MMA bouts. Naturally, the lack
of money and resources mean that even if fighters gain the opportunity
to fight abroad, they still lack the proper foundation to have
a successful international career.
Exception
to the Rule
Fujii
is the exception. She is one of the few women in Japanese MMA
that has leveraged her successes against promoters in an attempt
to conduct her career in a manner that largely reflects men’s
MMA careers. She is personally fueled by the notion that MMA
is a global sport, actively seeks to face her best contemporaries
and feels she deserves to be paid for it.
Since
her MMA debut in 2004, Fujii has steadfastly campaigned for women
to fight under full MMA rules, so much so that she has occasionally
brought about the ire of promoters for whom she fought. In her
July 2009 bout against Saori Ishioka, Jewels’ staff had
to keep the fact that the fight would be contested under full
MMA rules a secret from event advisor and Deep promoter Shigeru
Saeki, a staunch opponent of ground-and-pound in women’s
MMA.
“MMA
is only MMA because everything is possible,” Fujii says.
“When promoters say, ‘I don’t want to see girls
get hit’ or ‘if people see women getting hit, they
won’t want to come out,’ I want to ask them, ‘Well,
what are you expecting? What do you think we’re doing here?
What are you hoping to show if it’s women’s MMA?’”
Fujii
claimed that even in its beginning, critics of MMA were horrified
that men were allowed to hit each other on the ground. Time passed
and feelings changed, however. She reasons that if feelings could
change for men, why not for women, as well?
“If
men weren’t allowed to do full MMA rules, too, then there
would be a big difference in skill [compared to fighters abroad],
wouldn’t there?” she asks. “We don’t want
that difference to be there when we go out and fight abroad.”
Between
fighting for ground-and-pound and demanding purse parity with
males, Fujii has actually become a thorn in the side of Japanese
promoters because of her demands in an environment that has little
room for their accommodation. However, her ongoing successes
in Japan and abroad, in particular, have made her voice an irresistible
one.
Fujii
nets purses between $1,000 and $2,000 per fight in Japan, while
most women earn in the hundreds of dollars. In Bodog Fight, where
she defeated Lisa Ward -- her opponent in the Bellator Fighting
Championships 115-pound tournament semi-finals at Bellator 31
on Thursday in Lake Charles, La. -- she made more than $10,000.
“For
women to keep fighting in MMA,” Fujii, says, “it’s
important that they receive enough money to survive and make
it worthwhile to pursue fighting as a career.”
Irresistible
Voice
As
both the highest paid -- which is a pittance when collectively
compared to the purses Carano and Cyborg have earned -- and most
achieved Japanese female fighter, Fujii has become a role model
and a symbol for women looking to make a career of fighting in
Japan. Her recent place in the Bellator women’s 115-pound
tournament only further accentuates her importance.
“By
fighting in Bellator and being successful, I think it’s
quite possible that promoters and female fighters in Japan will
change their thoughts on women’s MMA,” says Fujii,
who claims she has received more attention than normal since
entering Bellator. “It will show them that there is something
bigger, beyond just MMA in Japan.”
Her
Bellator run will largely determine her legacy. It is her first
real introduction to a Western audience, which has been lectured
about her greatness but has yet to see it firsthand. However,
more importantly, it is also shaping up to be a testament of
the possibilities open to female fighters in Japan.
“The
U.S. is the leading nation for MMA, and by fighting there, it
would show female fighters that maybe they can do the same thing
too, especially for those who have the passion and motivation
to become a full-time professional fighter,” Fujii says.
“It would give them hope. The same goes for promoters, I
think.”
She
may not get rich in Bellator, but Fujii is blazing a trail. Success
in Bellator will further prove to Japanese promoters and fighters
alike that women can indeed have a fruitful career in MMA, and
that there is a life trajectory beyond domesticity, a world where
women can dare to be winners without the fear of being “loser
dogs.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Thiago
Tavares
By Guilherme Cruz
Right after submitting Pat Audinwood with a standing guillotine,
on UFC 119, Thiago Tavares hold his opponent’s leg and arm,
making it up with himself after eight months away from the octagon.
This morning, Thiago chatted with TATAME and celebrated the great
act. “Just when the fight was over, UFC’s match maker
(Joe Silva) said this is the Thiago Tavares they want to see...
I mean, they are used to this now (laughs)”, celebrates,
revealing he wants to be back on the months to follow. Check
below the exclusive interview with the lightweight, who also
commented the loss of Rogério Minotouro to the American
Ryan Bader.
What did you think of this win on this comeback to UFC?
Man, it was a reward for the work I’ve been done. For a
long time I’ve been training and my fights were cancelled,
my last one was postponed because of an injury… I’m
coming from a great evolution and it’s a reward of a serious
work I’ve been doing… It was just a win. I needed this
win, to have a nice win again, so it was great. Just when the
fight was over, UFC’s match maker (Joe Silva) said this
is the Thiago Tavares they want to see... I mean, they are used
to this now (laughs).
That’s good for me, this charge is good for me because it
demands me more, I have to evolve each time more and more constantly
because they demand it of me, directly my boss demands. It was
a simple win, an important one, a win that seals the work I’ve
done. It was great and now I have to come back for the trainings.
I hope I’ll be back in October. The important of it all
is to keep the trainings so I can fight next month, take advantage
of the fact I didn’t get injured on this fight, didn’t
hurt myself, and I can fight again.
Was your strategy to use your Jiu-Jitsu, since you did not know
about your opponent?
I confess I wanted to exchange while standing up, but when I
got there I saw he was much taller than me, than the game plan
to exchange with him was replaced. In the end I exchanged a bit,
focusing on the opponent, hit him with a crossed jab, it got
him and he was on the grid, so I started playing on the short
distance because on the long distance he’d catch me. He
couldn’t move because he’s much taller… Well,
I’ve never fought with a guy that tall, he looked like a
pole right in front of me (laughs).
I was anxious to exchange with him, but the guy was too tall,
I punched him about two times, put some speed on it, connected
well the coups and then I took him down, grabbed the chance I’ve
got. Well, I’m a MMA fighter, I’m not a Jiu-Jitsu fighter
or a boxing fighter, so I have to take every single opportunity
the guy gives me, used my speed to take him down with a double
leg, and that was it. I continued on the ground and pound game
until he gave me his “little” neck”.
What is your next move on the division?
Man, I’m gonna tell you the truth. I wasn’t punch,
so if they propose tome to fight next week, I’m on it, I’m
ready, get it? Since I worked very hard to improve and I’ve
been working for a long time, I wanna fight pretty bad. I was
glad that finally I was going to fight… It’s like a
doctor who studied all his life and don’t be able to do
a surgery. I also studied my whole life and I wasn’t fighting.
Yesterday I was on the flood of happiness because I was working
again. When the fight ended I talked to Alex Davis, my manager,
and told him to do his job and get me another fight. He said
that to the match maker of UFC to check the availability.
Any fighter, you can call. You can call me on the next weekends,
if anyone is down, if they have a stand by guy, I can fight him.
Otherwise, of course I’ll have to wait for my call and it’ll
probably be on December or January because they make the guys
to fight every 3 or 4 months, so it’s nice too. If that’s
what happens, I’ll be more prepared than now. I want to
work. I’m training since I was five years old and not fighting
is frustrating. Today is one of the happiest days of my life
because I’m fighting again, going for the event very happy.
The fight had just ended and I asked to Alex: “find me another
fight, please. Try to fit me on an event because I want to work”.
Last week you earned some money by betting on Charles Oliveira.
Did you bet on your own self yesterday?
No, man. I can’t bet on myself, but my father won a lot
of money because of me (laughs). My father called me and said
he earned a large amount of money… My father and another
friend of mine, Marcelo. UFC asks its fighters not to bet on
themselves to avoid any problems. I won’t tell you how much
was it, but my dad earned a lot of money (laughs), Marcelo too.
Even if it sounds unbelievable, I earned some money yesterday
on UFC because of Sean Sherk and CB Dollaway, but unfortunately
I lost some because of our Rogério (Nogueira).
What did you think of this fight between Rogério and Ryan
Bader?
Man,
honesty I think that Rogério lost the first round. The
second one was tied, but I could see a small advantage for Rogério
and on the third he undoubtedly won. What happened? The judges
scored the three rounds to Bader. In my opinion, I’d give
the second and third rounds to Rogério, but independently
of it, it was a very tied fight, Ryan Bader is a great opponent,
he’s a very strong guy in there, so it was a hard fight.
Anyway, it could be a draw or a win to Rogério because
if the first round was won by Bader, the second being a draw
and the third of Rogérios, he’s win it or it’d
be a draw. Since my opinion doesn’t matter to anyone and
is not the one which decides who shall win or lose, that was
what happened, unfortunately.
Source: Tatame
|
Paul
Daley vs. Scott Smith Official for Dec. 4 Strikeforce Event
By Ray
Hui
In a matchup with fireworks written all over it, kickboxer Paul
Daley will take on slugger Scott Smith on Dec. 4 at Strikeforce:
Henderson vs. Babalu in St. Louis.
First
reported as in the works by CSNCalifornia.com, MMAFighting.com
on Tuesday received confirmation from Strikeforce that the welterweight
bout is set to go.
A
crowd-pleasing fighter known for a trio of incredible come-from-behind
wins, Smith (17-7) will be dropping down to welterweight after
fighting the majority of his career at middleweight. Smith is
3-2 with the Strikeforce organization and is coming off a TKO
loss to Cung Le in June.
Meanwhile,
Daley (25-9-2) fought earlier this month and defeated Jorge Masvidal
in a close decision at Shark Fights 13. Shortly after the win,
Daley signed a multi-fight contract with Strikeforce. Daley,
who this year was a fight away from challenging for the UFC welterweight
title, is on a two-fight win streak since his loss to Josh Koscheck
at UFC 113 in May.
The
Dec. 4 Strikeforce show features Dan Henderson taking on Renato
"Babalu" Sobral in the main event as well as the return
of former NFL star Herschel Walker. Tickets for the event at
the Scottrade Center go on sale to the general public Friday.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
TORRES
AND ROOP GET FINISHES AT WEC 51
by Jeff Cain
Former WEC bantamweight titleholder Miguel Torres snapped a two-fight
losing steak with a submission win over Charlie Valencia at WEC
51.
For
the first time in his career, Torres entered the cage coming
off back-to-black losses. He had changed training camps to the
Tristar Gym in Montreal and refocused, returning to the role
of student and it looked to have paid off.
Torres
showcased a new stance and used his 76 inch reach to establish
his jab and set up combinations. In the final moments of the
first round Torres pushed an off balance Valencia to the ground
and unleashed a barrage of punches. Valencia improved his position
and was getting back to his feet as the bell sounded but Torres
clearly won the opening segment.
Torres
went back to his jab and combinations in the second round forcing
Valencia to wilt against the fence. Torres took his opponent’s
back and finished with a rear naked choke.
Torres
attributed his win to his new camp and training partners. Asked
what he‘s learned most from his time preparing in Montreal,
Torres said, “to have patience no matter how long it takes
and to learn how to wrestle better.”
In
featherweight action George Roop delivered a left high kick early
in the second round of his bout with Chan Sung Jung, putting
“The Korean Zombie” to sleep.
Roop
utilized his reach and variety of leg kicks to keep Jung on the
outside in the first round. Outside of flurry by Jung, Roop controlled
the opening period.
Jung
came out aggressive in the second round but Roop’s length
presented him problems.
At 1:30 in round two, Roop caught Jung with his hands down and
landed a left high kick to the jaw of the Korean rendering him
unconscious before he hit the canvas.
“I’m
a long fighter and I knew he was going to come in really aggressive.
He’s a brawler. I thought that my percussion striking was
going to definitely win the fight,” said Roop following
the knockout.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MAD
SKILLS Tomorrow
SAT OCT 2
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
PELETI
FAUMUINA
160
HAYZON LINKEE
VINNIE FOWLER
185
FRANK LUCERO
ROBBIE OSTAVICH
155
PETER VIERRA
MARLEY TAU
200
AARON PUAHALA
ISRAEL LOVELACE
120
ELIAS VELASCO
MIKE ELI
185
GAVIN PAGUYO
JOEY BALAI
135
CODY FABINAL
KAYLEN STAFFORD
140
LYNO ORTIZ
KALAI MCSHANE
125
JAN QUIMOYOG
MATT SABALA
120
JAIREN LONGBOY
KEVIN GUINA
200
KALA HONDA
VINCE LAGUANA
145
CODY SANTOS
LAWRENCE COLLINS
175
ROB JOSEPH
TBA
170
MICHAEL EGUIRES
WAYAN JOSUE
130
JOEY SCHIPPER
ROB BAKER
140
ROBERT PEREZ
JARED FERREIRA
170
KEO ALO
KEKE KEALOHA
155
SHAWN CHEVEZ
MAKANA WIGGLESWORTH
145
KEONI KINOWIN
BRANDON CARVALHO
155
PAUL BOTER
CHANTE STAFFORD
115
MATT AUSTIN
VAL SCHMIDT
145
JOHN CABASAG
LINK MERRITT
135
EDDIE ROBINOL
JESSIE LINDLEY
190
KAAHU ALO
ALIKA KUMUKOA
115
DONOVAN CALLURUDA
JENNIFER SYLVA
125
LENA COOK
DUSTIN SCHELMMER
165
ETHAN KERFOOT
SOFA TAISALI
220
CARLOS PEREZ
TONY LASSIT
185
ROBERT
ANDREW QUIZON
160
ERIC CHUCK
All
matches & participants are subject to change.
Source: Derrick Bright
|
WEC
51 LIVE RESULTS, PLAY-BY-PLAY
World Extreme Cagefighting on Thursday makes its first foray
into Colorado for WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan at the 1stBank Center
in Broomfield.
WEC
featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his belt against Manny
Gamburyan in the main event with former lightweight champ Jamie
Varner rematching Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a co-main
event grudge match.
MMAWeekly.com
is live at cageside to bring full round-by-round action and photos
from the entire event. The first preliminary bout is scheduled
to start at approximately 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET with the main
card live on Versus at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET.
Refresh
your browser window frequently for the latest results and photos...
WEC
51 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
MANNY
GAMBURYAN VS. JOSE ALDO
R1
– Gamburyan lands a solid jab that staggers Aldo, but he
immediately recovers and finds his range with a knee to the body.
About a minute and half into the fight and Aldo starts landing
that chopping leg kick, but is using it sparingly. Gamburyan
is using a lot of movement, trying to make himself a hard target,
and has for the better part of the round, but also has mounted
much of his own offense either. Aldo lands another solid leg
kick, staggering Gamburyan with just under a minute left in the
round. Gamburyan shoots at the 10-second clacker, but gets nowhere
with it.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Aldo
R2
– Aldo moves in, feinting a kick, but eats an overhand right
counter. A few moments later and he lands another thunderous
leg kick. Aldo catches Gamburyan with an uppercut as he shoots
for a takedown, dropping him to the mat. He follows Gamburyan
down, takes his back and pounds him into unconsciousness.
Jose
Aldo def. Manny Gamburyan by KO (Punches) at 1:33, R2
DONALD
CERRONE VS. JAMIE VARNER
R1
– Cerrone storms across the ring, but Varner immediately
clinches. Cerrone separates and starts throwing heavy blows.
Varner backs away and Cerrone flies at him with a jumping knee
that misses. Cerrone isn’t starting slow in this one folks.
He catches Varner with a solid left hook, right leg kick combination.
Varner moves in with punches and a takedown attempt, but Cerrone
shucks it off. Varner moves in and Cerrone slings him to the
mat, but Varner is immediately back to his feet. Varner connects
with a solid right-left combination that snaps Cerrone’s
head back, but Cerrone keeps coming forward. Varner catches Cerrone
with a solid left hook, but Cerrone fires back in short combinations.
Cerrone drops Varner with a left jab, but can’t amass much
damage before they’re back on their feet and in a flurry
before the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Cerrone
R2
– A couple good exchanges to start off the round. Varner
looks like he’s gaining confidence in his boxing, but each
time he gets it going Cerrone answers with a punch-kick combination.
Varner lands a strong overhand right, but Cerrone shoots and
takes him down. Varner latches on to a guillotine, but Cerrone
quickly jumps to side control. Good move by Varner to escape
to his feet, but eats a head kick from Cerrone. Cerrone lands
a jumping knee to the body and follows with a punch combination.
They dance around for a bit before Cerrone lands a leg kick that
nearly takes Varner’s leg out from under him and leaves
him staggered. Varner has blood around his left eye and looks
extremely tired. He shoots, but Cerrone easily shakes it off
and raises his arms, playing to the hometown crowd.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Cerrone
R3
– Varner looks to have recovered a bit between rounds, but
Cerrone looks like he’s figured out the timing on Varner’s
punches, evading nearly everything he throws, answering back
with his own combinations that are landing. Varner does land
a good one-two combination, but Cerrone stays with him and answers
back with a mixed bag of strikes, including some strong knees
to the body. Varner’s face is becoming a bloody mess. Cerrone
lands a head kick and then follows with a takedown, ground and
pounding from Varner’s guard, driving punches and elbows
to the head. Varner somehow manages to scramble and get back
to his feet. As much as Cerrone appears to be winning this fight,
Varner has should tremendous heart, digging deep to try and finish
this fight. Varner’s tank is just about on “E,”
while Cerrone is still going, landing his patented punch-kick
combination. There’s a little bit of pushing after the bell,
but nothing too serious before they separate.
MMAWeekly
scores round three 10-9 for Cerrone and the fight 30-27 for Cerrone
Donald
Cerrone def. Jamie Varner by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
30-27), R3
CHARLIE
VALENCIA VS. MIGUEL TORRES
R1
– Both fighters spend the first half of the round trying
to find a good striking distance before Torres rushes in with
a flurry that hurts Valencia a bit. He presses Valencia to the
cage briefly before they return to the center of the cage, each
fighter searching for an opening. Valencia takes a low blow that
halts the action. They restart, and after a long lull, Torres
rushes in and knocks Valencia to the ground, pouring down punches,
but can’t finish before the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Torres
R2
– Valencia lands a jumping round kick to the head to start
the round, but it doesn’t have much impact. Torres rocks
Valencia with a right hand, follows up with a kick, and then
follows him down to the mat. Valencia gets up and Torres drives
him back down with knee. Torres follows and works to Valencia’s
back, locking on a body triangle. He peppers him with punches
before securing a fight-ending rear naked choke.
Miguel
Torres def. Charlie Valencia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 2:25, R2
GEORGE
ROOP VS. CHAN SUNG JUNG (aka The Korean Zombie)
R1
– Zombie takes command of the center of the cage, moving
Roop around. He lands a few good leg kicks early, but Roop is
using his reach well, tagging Zombie with his jab and a few leg
kicks of his own. They trade a few shots before Zombie presses
Roop into the cage, but Roop reverses and they separate, again
working their way around the cage. Towards the end of the round,
Zombie breaks through with a strong punch combination, but recovers
quickly.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Roop
R2
– Roop getting his jab going more this round and lands a
high kick, but Zombie has a good flurry that had Roop in trouble
briefly. Roop does a great job using his range in the round,
getting his kicks going, and then out of nowhere lands a left
kick to the head flush that floors Zombie. The Korean is out
cold on the mat, referee Tom Johnson stepping in before Roop
can follow him down. Zombie is motionless on the mat for several
minutes before finally sitting up.
George
Roop def. Chan Sung Jung by KO (High Kick) at 1:30, R2
MARK
HOMINICK VS. LEONARD GARCIA
R1
– Garcia headhunting right away with the high kicks. Both
fighters throwing early, but Garcia edging ahead in the first
minute or so, a little busier and landing more. Hominick is patiently
stalking Garcia though, moving him around the ring and stinging
him with a few well-timed jabs. Midway through the round and
Garcia is really pushing the pace. Hominick keeps pressing back
with the jab, while Garcia is swinging for the fences, rocking
Hominick on occasion. Garcia lands a solid leg kick, but eats
a hard right hand at the end of the round.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Garcia
R2
– Garcia comes out firing again, looking to get his jab
going, but still swinging high. Hominick is more accurate with
his punches, while Garcia is busier. This could pay off for Hominick
if Garcia starts to tire and get sloppy. Hominick doing a much
better job of avoiding Garcia’s strikes and landing his
own about midway through the round, picking up his own pace quite
a bit. Hominick really starting to utilize his speed in the last
minute, stinging Garcia with punches, and using good head movement
to avoid any punishment.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Hominick
R3
– Garcia attacking early again, mixing up his power punches
to the body and head and throwing in kicks. Hominick remaining
patient though; not getting into a slugfest, content to pick
and choose his shots. Garcia keeps pressing though, diving into
his punches. Much like round two, Hominick starts to pick away
at Garcia, staying away from his power shots and countering when
Garcia over-commits. Garcia’s face starting to swell up
as the fight winds down. Hominick continues to pick away as Garcia
goes all-in on every punch to the bell.
MMAWeekly scores round three 10-9 for Hominick and the fight
29-28 for Hominick
Mark
Hominick def. Leonard Garcia by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28), R3
PABLO
GARZA VS. TIEQUAN ZHANG
R1
– They clinch early and Garza drags Zhang to the mat. Zhang
stands up and locks on an arm-in guillotine briefly, but gives
it up and tries to get some ground and pound going. Garza climbs
his back with his legs, looking for an armbar. Zhang pulls out
and passes to half guard, again putting on a guillotine choke.
He rolls to his back and locks the choke, causing a quick tap
from Garza.
Tiequan
Zhang def. Pablo Garza by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:26,
R1
COLE
PROVINCE VS. MIKE BROWN
R1
– After a few brief exchanges, Brown drops Province with
an uppercut. He follows him to the mat, where Province is covered
up, Brown firing away until the referee, Eric Heinz, steps in
to stop it. To be fair, Province looked like he was defending,
lifting his feet up to try and put some distance between them,
but the fight was stopped.
Mike
Brown def. Cole Province by TKO (Punches) at 1:18, R1
ED
RATCLIFF VS. CHRIS HORODECKI
R1
– Ratcliff firing off punches to the body early. Horodecki
having trouble breaching Ratcliff’s reach advantage. Ratcliff
starting get his jab going about a minute and a half into the
fight. They trade some errant strikes for the next couple minutes
before Ratcliff lands a hard right hand to Horodecki’s jaw,
but the Canadian doesn’t waver. Horodecki starts pushing
the pace in the last minute, landing a spinning back-kick and
a few punch combinations.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Horodecki
R2
– Horodecki seems to be finding his range with leg kicks
and opening up with his hands more, diving into his punches more
than the first round and landing frequently. Ratcliff is backing
up a bit more. Horodecki lands a kick midway through the round,
but gets put on his butt with a counter right hand from Ratcliff,
who lets him back up to start trading strikes again. They start
another heavy exchange and Horodecki lands kick to the groin,
causing a break in the action. They start back up and Horodecki
continues to press the action, Ratcliff looks like he’s
still feeling the low blow. Horodecki eats a punch and gets staggered
as he moves in, but keeps coming, pushing the pace.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Horodecki
R3
– Horodecki continues to press forward. Both fighters are
landing, but Horodecki seems to be a half-step ahead, winning
most of the exchanges. He’s starting to mix up his combinations
more in this final round, following his punches with kicks or
vice versa, whereas Ratcliff is throwing a lot of single punches.
Ratcliff appears to be a little out of his rhythm as the round
wears on, trying to find that one punch to take Horodecki’s
head off with, but the Canadian keeps him guessing by mixing
up his strikes. Horodecki knocks Ratcliff down with about 20
seconds left, but can’t do much from his guard before the
bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round three 10-9 for Horodecki and the fight 30-27 for
Horodecki
Chris
Horodecki def. Ed Ratcliff by Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27),
R3
DIEGO
NUNES VS. TYLER TONER
R1
– Nunes immediately shoots a double-leg and puts Toner on
his back, landing in full guard. Nunes quickly passes to side
control, but gets put in half guard s he starts striking. He
locks on an arm-in guillotine choke from top position. It looks
deep, but Toner remains calm. Nunes eventually gives up the choke
and starts working from half guard. Nunes throws a few strikes
then passes to side control, repeatedly dropping elbows on Toner’s
head. Toner tries to escape, but Nunes ties him up, forcing a
restart. Nunes quickly shoots again, but Toner locks him up and
lands a couple knees to the body. Nunes escapes and lands a spinning
backfist as the round ends.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Nunes
R2
– Nunes starts things off with a spinning back-kick then
pounces on Toner and locks on another arm-in guillotine. Toner
is in a sitting position, back to the cage, Nunes working him
over, but Toner eventually escapes to his feet. Nunes has Toner
pressed to the cage for a time, but then takes him down, landing
in his full guard. Toner lands a few strikes from his back, but
Nunes stands up and drops down some heavy punches. They tie up
briefly before referee Eric Heinz stands them up. They hit the
mat right away, Nunes in top position, again trying to find the
choke. He slaps on a guillotine. Toner posts, trying to alleviate
the pressure, and somehow survives the final 25 to 30 seconds.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Nunes
R3
– Toner is pressing, knowing he has to get a finish to win
this fight. Nunes again tries a spinning back-kick, which misses,
then presses Toner to the cage. Toner lands an uppercut that
back Nunes up then puts on a front choke. Nunes is quickly out
and up, pressing Toner into the cage once again. Nunes takes
Toner down, landing in top position in full guard, grounding
and pounding with just over two minutes left. Toner gets up to
his knees, but Nunes goes for a Kimura and pulls guard. Toner
defends the hold four about 30 seconds before Heinz stands them
up. Toner immediately attempts flying knee, but gets taken down
again, Nunes working from his full guard to finish the fight.
MMAWeekly
scores round three 10-9 for Nunes and the fight 30-27 for Nunes
Diego
Nunes def. Tyler Toner by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27),
R3
CHAD
GEORGE VS. ANTONIO BANUELOS
R1
– Neither fighter is quick to commit, each trying to find
his range and get a read on the other’s timing. George lands
a couple of exploratory low kicks midway through the round, but
nothing significant yet. Banuelos starts throwing hands with
just under a minute left, George shoots, but gets caught briefly
in a guillotine for his trouble. George though turns the tables
with 10 seconds left, locking on the beginnings of an D’arce
choke, but can’t finish it before the bell. Banuelos looked
like he lifted his hand, about to tap, but made it to the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for George
R2
– Both fighters are again slow to engage, though Banuelos
tests the waters a bit with some single punches and single kicks,
but we hit the midway point of the round without any serious
action. Banuelos finally presses in and George drops down. Banuelos
is immediately on him working from guard, moving to his back,
and then to side control. Banuelos drops a few short elbows to
the head, as George tries to lock up his arms in defense. Banuelos
maintains side control to the end of the round, driving home
a knee to the ribs just before the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Banuelos
R3
– George lands a solid kick to Banuelos’ midsection,
but again, they are slow to commit to anything more than individual
strikes. George moves in with a body punch, but Banuelos ducks
down and takes him down, moves to side control, and starts ground
and pounding. George does a good job tying Banuelos up, not letting
him mount much offense, but he can’t get out from under
him. They scramble a bit, but Banuelos maintains top control
in half guard, neither mounting much offense before the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round three 10-9 for Banuelos and the fight 29-28 for
Banuelos
Antonio
Banuelos def. Chad George by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
30-27), R3
NICK
PACE VS. DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON
R1
– Pace comes out going high with his kicks, but can’t
land them. Johnson clinches and presses Pace to the cage, controlling
position and landing the occasional knee. Pace takes control
of the clinch, pressing Johnson, but Johnson is doing a good
job with knees to the body. Pace pulls Johnson to the mat with
just under two minutes left in the round, but Johnson reverses
into his guard. Pace does a good job tying Johnson up so he can’t
mount much damage. They eventually work back to their feet where
Johnson lands a couple more knees, takes Pace back down, and
peppers him with a few more strikes before the bell.
MMAWeekly
scores round one 10-9 for Johnson
R2
– Johnson comes out quick landing a high kick-punch combination
before Pace clinches. Pace is controlling the clinch, but Johnson
is again landing knees and short hooks to the body. Johnson moves
out behind Pace and starts lighting him up with strikes, mixing
knees and punches, then scores a double-leg takedown, winding
up in Pace’s guard. They stall on the mat and referee Eric
Heinz stands them up. Johnson immediately starts scoring again
with his strikes before pressing Pace into the cage and kneeing.
Johnson scores another double-leg takedown and starts working
from half guard, quickly moving to mount. Pace manages to gain
his full guard back with less than a minute left in the round.
Johnson starts punching to the body and mixing in elbows to the
head to the end of the round.
MMAWeekly
scores round two 10-9 for Johnson
R3
– Pace looks bewildered as Johnson runs him down, kicking
all the way, mixing low and high kicks. Pace has no answer for
anything Johnson is doing at this point. Johnson is full of confidence
at this point, landing leg kicks almost at will, and lighting
Pace up with punch combinations. Pace tries to mount some offense,
but Johnson clinches and starts kneeing to the legs and body.
Johnson drops down for a double-leg, scoops Pace up, runs him
across the ring, and tries to slam him through the mat. Pace
manages to work back to his feet and gets a single leg takedown,
taking Johnson’s back on the mat. He manages a few punches
before the bell, but it’s likely too little, too late.
MMAWeekly
scores round three 10-9 for Johnson and the fight 30-27 for Johnson.
Demetrious
Johnson def. Nick Pace by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27),
R3
WEC
51 RESULTS:
Main
Card:
-Jose Aldo def. Manny Gamburyan by KO (Punches) at 1:33, R2
-Donald Cerrone def. Jamie Varner by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), R3
-Miguel Torres def. Charlie Valencia by Submission (Rear Naked
Choke) at 2:25, R2
-George Roop def. Chan Sung Jung by KO (High Kick) at 1:30, R2
-Mark Hominick def. Leonard Garcia by Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28), R3
Preliminary
Card:
-Tiequan Zhang def. Pablo Garza by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 2:26, R1
-Mike Brown def. Cole Province by TKO (Punches) at 1:18, R1
-Chris Horodecki def. Ed Ratcliff by Split Decision (28-29, 30-27,
30-27), R3
-Diego Nunes def. Tyler Toner by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
30-27), R3
-Antonio Banuelos def. Chad George by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 30-27), R3
-Demetrious Johnson def. Nick Pace by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ALDO'S
WORLD: CHAMPION CRUSHES GAMBURYAN
by Damon Martin
If you're a featherweight right now, it's Jose Aldo's world and
you're just living in it.
It
was a slow start, but a vicious finish for the WEC featherweight
champion, who put Manny Gamburyan away with a flurry of punches
on the ground to retain his 145lb title at WEC 51 on Thursday
night in Colorado.
The
early going was not indicative of the whole fight as Aldo seemed
cautious and sat back waiting for Gamburyan to engage. The reality
was Aldo was like an animal stalking his prey, and at just the
right moment he decided to unleash his attack.
Getting
his timing and reach down towards the end of the first round,
Aldo started to pepper Gamburyan's lead leg, similar to what
he did to Urijah Faber just a few months ago, and the methodical
undoing of the Armenian started to unfold.
The
second round saw the caged animal inside of Jose Aldo released.
The Brazilian started moving forwad, and with a quick right hand
followed up by a vicious uppercut, it was the beginning of the
end of the former "Ultimate Fighter" finalist.
With
Gamburyan clinging to one of Aldo's legs hoping to hold on, the
champion launched his attack and began to absolutely batter Gamburyan
about the head, before swinging a few more crushing blows on
the chin as his opponent went limp.
"In
the first round I was just studying to see what he was going
to do," Aldo admitted after the fight. "When I came
back in the second round I just put all the work we've been doing
in the gym into the cage, and I was able to knock him out."
He's
been called the 145lb Anderson Silva, but it's likely now that
Jose Aldo has gained his own audience and following, and a moniker
all his own. The champion isn't shy about declaring that he's
like to remain at the top for as long as possible too.
"If
it's up to me, my reign will last forever," Aldo stated
after another emphatic win.
Now
begins the hunt for the next challenger to step in the cage with
Aldo. The top contender would seem to be Josh Grispi, who next
fights in November, but it's not likely anyone is chomping at
the bit to try their luck after what Manny Gamburyan just experienced
at the hands of Jose Aldo.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
COWBOY
PUNISHES VARNER IN GRUDGE MATCH
by Damon
Martin
It's quite apparent that Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has
never heard the phrase "revenge is a dish best served cold."
In the mother of all grudge matches, Donald Cerrone exacted his
revenge with an emotional charge leading the way as he dominated
Jamie Varner on his way to a unanimous decision win on Thursday
night.
Sometimes
when too much anger clouds a fighter's mind heading into a fight,
it can backfire in the worst way, but it lit a whole new fire
under Cerrone, who was fighting in his home state of Colorado
as well. Coming out of the gate like a bull charging a matador,
Cerrone lit Varner up with devastating power, dropping the former
champion twice in the opening round.
In
a big exchange during the first five minutes, Cerrone rocked
Varner with a huge knee strike, but the former champion was able
to recover, but just never got his timing right during the fight.
Using
his reach advantage, Cerrone clocked Varner time and time again
with his lead punch, mixing in a few kicks, and actually showing
off his new and improved wrestling, taking his opponent down
several times during the fight.
With
Varner's face a bloody mess at the end, there was no doubt that
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone got the best of the rivalry
in round two. Following the win, Cerrone quickly offered up round
three to take place in Varner's home state later this year.
"Jamie,
you asked for a rematch in Arizona, I'd be much obliged to give
that to you," Cerrone said after the win.
With
such a heated rivalry for the past almost 2 years, Cerrone and
Varner seemingly would have buried the hatchet after another
instant classic, but the Colorado fighter was quick to put water
on that idea.
"Hell
no, no way," Cerrone answered when asked if the score with
Varner was settled. "I want to be one up on him, I'm going
to even the score."
Varner
paid Cerrone a compliment for coming in a much better fighter
for their second go round, and he gladly accepted a third fight
between the two lightweights, possibly in December at WEC 53.
"Arizona
is my hometown, gave you guys one hell of a fight here, I wouldn't
mind settling the score there," Varner shouted.
Hate
may fuel the rivalry between Cerrone and Varner, but ultimately
it was skill shown in the cage on Thursday night. If you're scoring
at home, it's Cerrone – 1, Varner – 1. Who's ready
for round 3?
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Will
Randy Couture Fight Again? His Lawyer Casts Doubt
By Mike
Chiappetta
In the midst of a three-match win streak as well as a Hollywood
career that is quickly generating momentum, multi-time UFC champion
Randy Couture could soon be faced with a decision between his
two professional worlds.
The
legend's enviable future dilemma was best exhibited during the
month of August. On the 13th, Couture helped open Sylvester Stallone's
"The Expendables" to the No. 1 spot in the US box office.
To date, the film has made over $100 million domestically and
around a quarter-billion dollars worldwide. Then, on the 28th,
he moved back to the realm that made him famous, and submitted
boxer-turned-mixed martial artist James Toney in a bout that
received major mainstream media buzz.
So
what's next for the 47-year-old Couture? Though no firm offers
have been made and nothing has been set in stone, both the UFC
and Hollywood remain viable options.
"We're
sorting through things right now," Couture's lawyer Sam
Spira told MMA Fighting.
Couture
-- who has three fights left on his current UFC deal -- remains
open to possibilities in both film and sport, but another possibility
exists for fight fans: that they may have seen the last of the
legend in the octagon.
"It's
possible," Spira said. "I'd say right now it's a toss-up.
If something came up that was interesting, he would fight irrespective
of whether he got a meaningful Hollywood role. But there's other
stuff for him to do that's MMA-related. I think many would be
surprised at some of the things we are working on. So he doesn't
have to be actively fighting in the ring to remain active. Is
it possible he may not fight again? Yeah, it's possible. I'd
say it's a toss-up."
By
all accounts, Couture's body is holding up well enough to continue
on with his MMA career, but he may soon be forced with a difficult
decision about his fight life based on other considerations.
Rarely a day goes by without some commitment, and his show business
opportunities continue to grow.
If
he does return to the cage, it may be a while. Couture in recent
months has noted that he was most likely to entertain offers
for "interesting" fights.
That
approach has been exemplified in his recent fight history. After
losing the heavyweight championship to Brock Lesnar in Nov. 2008,
he stayed in the division to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Then
he moved to light heavyweight to face Brandon Vera and later
Mark Coleman, before lobbying for the match with Toney in what
was predestined to be a major gate attraction. That fight was
originally designed at a catch weight before being officially
sanctioned as a heavyweight tilt.
"I'm
not sure that Randy is focused upon whether or not he has another
run at the title," Spira said. "If they said, 'Will
you fight Shogun [Rua] for the title?' I think he would, but
the title itself is not as important as the fight he's offered."
Amateur
matchmakers have tried to figure out Couture's next move based
upon current UFC conditions, but many of the current top contenders
-- fighters that would probably most stoke Couture's competitive
fires -- are already locked into fights.
Division
champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will be facing Rashad
Evans upon his return from injury. Lyoto Machida and Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson will square off in Detroit in November.
Rich Franklin remains on the shelf while rehabilitating an injury.
Because
of that, along with rapidly filling cards, it seems unlikely
that Couture will return to the Octagon in 2010, despite coming
out of his UFC 118 match with little damage.
But
another, more remote possibility exists, the possibility that
the ageless wonder may have finally seen his last battle in the
Octagon.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Storylines
That Emerged From UFC 119
by Tomas
Rios
Mirko
"Cro Cop" Filipovic file photo | Sherdog.com
UFC
119 “Mir vs. Cro Cop” was one giant contradiction at
the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Brilliant performances
went unrewarded, boring fights ended with spectacular violence
and a supposed “Fight of the Year” candidate came and
went with a whimper. The aftershocks of the night have produced
many stories about which fight fans are being told to care. Here
are those to which one should be paying attention.
Left
Leg, Cemetery
It’s
time to thank Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic for all the
memories and to put those memories in a box. The days of Filipovic
high kicking the universe are long gone, and hope of a renaissance
died a slow, painful death in his loss to Frank Mir.
For
nearly three full rounds, Mir was a mostly immobile target and
was awfully heavy on his lead leg. Instead of chopping the man
in half, Filipovic chatted with him in the clinch and basically
wasted a lifetime’s worth of kickboxing skills.
Given
how badly the UFC’s heavyweight division needs solid gatekeepers
who can separate the wheat from the chaff, Filipovic is a natural
for that role. Envisioning the Croatian Jack Bauer as a doormat
to future stars may seem sad, but it’s even worse to think
he may not last very long in that role.
Slave
to the Grind
Is
Bader ready for Jon Jones?One of the more frustrating aspects
of following a prospect’s career is when it becomes clear
that he will never get the chance to polish his game against
middling veterans and unheralded up-and-comers. Ryan Bader can
obviously beat world-class light heavyweights, but he’s
not ready to contend for the title.
The
boxing technique is not quite there yet, and his cardiovascular
conditioning needs improvement. Unfortunately, Bader is being
positioned for a title eliminator against fellow mega prospect
Jon Jones. The difference between them is that Bader is not making
the effortless quantum leaps in skill that Jones so routinely
shows off.
Prospects
are a valuable commodity, and they do not all evolve along parallel
timelines. However, the UFC’s loaded schedule creates constant
turnover, and not even a “The Ultimate Fighter” winner
like Bader will be exempt from those scheduling demands until
the promotion decides to make a more concerted effort to groom
its prospects.
In
the Mouth of Madness
Sean
Sherk won a split decision over Evan Dunham thanks to some, frankly,
horrific judging. The only upside here is that everyone acknowledges
that Dunham deserved the decision and needs to keep being built
towards a title shot.
More
importantly, he showed an ability to come from behind against
a version of Sherk for which everyone had been waiting. When
Sherk combines his boxing with his wrestling, he remains a brutal
style clash for anyone in the division, and Dunham learned that
lesson early after a sharp elbow turned his brow into a crimson
faucet.
Watching
Dunham respond to the adversity by dragging Sherk into the woodshed
was easily the high point of a flat evening. Fight sport holds
no place for moral victories, but let us hope Dunham gets treated
the way any fighter should after pure madness from the judges’
table negates a brilliant performance.
Cheap
Shots & Quick Thoughts
The
Ballad of Meathead: If Matt Mitrione was 10 years younger, he
would easily be one of the best prospects in the heavyweight
division. That said, he’s picking up the game at a rate
that allows him to beat far more experienced competition than
he should. Here’s hoping some borderline NFL prospects build
on Mitrione’s example by skipping the NFL altogether.
Caldwell,
UFC 119 MVP: Judge Kevin Caldwell’s work at UFC 119 was
overshadowed by the crimes against humanity committed by his
colleagues. While his judging proved to be for naught, he deserves
credit for being the man who had both Dunham and Jeremy Stephens
winning their respective fights. The next time the UFC rolls
into Indianapolis, one can only hope Caldwell will be teamed
with judges more capable of following his lead.
Source: Sherdog
|
FCF
Exclusive: Fernandes “Playing Things by Ear” According
to Manager Mahood
By Kelsey
Mowatt
After Bibiano Fernandes had a break-out MMA campaign in 2009,
going 4-0 and winning Dream’s featherweight championship,
it looks as though the decorated jiu-jitsu competitor may go
through 2010 having fought just one once. After earning a split
decision win over Joachim Hansen at Dream 13 in March, Fernandes
did not get paid for the bout until just recently, leading many
to speculate as to what’s next for the 8-2 fighter.
“At
this point Bibbi (Bibiano) doesn’t have anything booked
with Dream or any other organization,” said UFC veteran
Bill Mahood, who helps guide the career of Fernandes (pictured
above) through Epic Fight Management. “He’s kind of
just playing things by ear. Bibbi’s a very, very, faith
bound guy; he believes God has a plan, and he believes that when
God wants him to do something he’ll reveal his plan. So
for now he’s just chilling out and training, coaching his
classes with Revolution; he’s the main jiu-jitsu instructor
there.”
“He
believes God has a plan and when he feels the urge to go back
and compete, then Bibbi will make the decision as to when and
who,” Mahood added. “I don’t think he’s ruling
out anything. He loves it in Japan; he really does, he loves
competing in Japan. He loves the weight class, competing at 138;
for him that’s the perfect weight class. Bibbi could fight
at 135 and he could make 145, but, he really likes 138 as I guess
it’s the same weight class that they do in the world jiu-jitsu
championships.”
While
Mahood is understandably happy that Fernandes finally received
payment from Dream, and despite the fact the featherweight evidently
still wants to compete in Japan, there’s no denying it’s
been a troubling few months.
“Well
it’s always frustrating when you finish doing your work
and then you have to wait to get your pay check,” said Mahood,
when asked to comment on Dream. “It also doesn’t help
that there’s a lot of speculation about what’s going
on there, and you would obviously hate to be the one guy whose
owed money, if in fact something bad happened and the company
was to fold. Like I say though, Bibiano always has a lot of faith
in God, so I don’t think he was ever that stressed about
it.”
As
it looks now, Dream’s parent company, FEG, will not be promoting
any more MMA events in 2010 until New Year’s Eve. The annual
December 31st Dynamite card has historically featured many of
the promotion’s top fighters.
“Yes,
they’ve made some rumblings in that they might like to see
him in there for their New Year’s Eve show,” said Mahood
when asked about the possibility of Fernandes fighting on the
Dynamite card. “But at this point, there hasn’t really
been anything firmed up or anything solid offered.”
So,
while speculation continues as to the financial stability and
future of Dream, it also remains to be seen when in fact Fernandes
will fight again.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
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The
obligatory transcript of Jim Rome sounding off on Chael Sonnen
and steroids in UFC
By Zach
Arnold
(Audio
clip from Steve Cofield and company at Yahoo Sport’s MMA
sub-site.)
“What
about Chael Sonnen? Chael Sonnen, of course, made a lot of noise,
made a lot of waves, caught some attention to himself. The guy
went from being an anonymous MMA’er to a guy that everybody
was talking about and part of that was for all the junk that
he was talking and part of that was for saying that Lance Armstrong
gave himself cancer and part of that was for him coming on this
show and denying that it was him who said it. Part of that was
for the way he showed up and was beating Anderson Silva down
for four-and-a-half rounds before losing. So, there was all that
going on and he was a major topic on this show for several weeks.
Then comes word that he reportedly was popped for roids. Sherdog.com
reported that he flunked a post-fight urinalysis after that loss
to Silva in the main event of UFC 117. So we have to wait and
see what’s true and what’s not. If in fact that’s
true, this guy’s got major problems. That’s a bad deal
for him. Bad for him, bad for the sport, but mostly bad for him.
If he did test positive, then he’s probably looking at a
lengthy suspension. A suspension that could run 9 months to a
year and that’s at the worst possible time. Never good to
be suspended for a year, but this guy couldn’t be any more
prominent, couldn’t be any hotter, couldn’t be any
more prevalent, this is his time to strike, to get paid, to continue
to make a name for himself, to get a belt. And he could get shut
down for 9 months to a year. That would mean no rematch with
Silva and the guy’s going to be fined and lose money that
he would have made during his suspension. Not to mention, he’s
going to lose that rematch with Silva if it’s true.
“And
Dana White said, look, how much is too much? I mean, do you expect
me to come down on top of what’s going to happen and hammer
the guy again? That remains to be seen. The problem is, and this
has come up, I’ll take ire with what who’s always into
me about this is boxing writer Chris Mannix. Mannix tweets and
hits me with, yeah, what about the drug problem? What about the
drug problem? Every sport has one and I’m not going to say
that MMA and the UFC doesn’t have issues. Now I will say
this — they don’t have their head in the sand. Dana
White has spent some money and they’re doing their best
to eradicate it but it’s nearly impossible, it’s nearly
impossible to do. Testing is very expensive. Educating the fighters
is very expensive and especially if they don’t care and
they’re not listening and they don’t want to hear it.
Unless they police themselves, it’s probably not going to
happen because you really can’t police these guys. Say for
instance Chael Sonnen did it. I don’t know if he did, I
don’t know if he didn’t. I don’t know if he tested
positive or not, that’s the report. Say he did do it. Does
that look or sound like a guy that you’re going to reason
with? Does that look or sound like a guy that you’re going
to pull aside and say, hey Chael, I’m just using him as
an example. You can take any number of guys who are using. Does
that look and sound like somebody that could pull aside and say,
hey listen, you don’t want to do that. You don’t know
what those things are doing to your body. You don’t know
what you could do to somebody else who’s not on those things.
You could seriously injure them. Do you really think those guys
want to hear that? You can bring in experts from all over the
world at an unbelievable cost, do you think that’s what
they want to hear or that’s what they’re going to listen
to? I’m guessing they already had a conversation with them
self and I’m guessing the conversation went something like,
‘All right, I can use this stuff and get bigger and stronger
and faster and more dominant and win and get paid and I’m
not going to get caught. And maybe there is a chance to get caught,
but the reward is so much greater than the risk. Bring it on.’
“You
know, a number of you have e-mailed me and saying, look at him
Rome. I’ve always been careful not to visually indict guys.
I’ve always been careful not to look at the picture of the
guy and say, UFC 92, then the picture of the guy in UFC 106,
then the picture of the guy in UFC 118. I get those e-mails a
lot. ‘LOOK ROME, WAKE UP. Look how ripped he is. Look at
his backne! What do you think is going on?’ My thing is,
I don’t visually indict guys but I’ll look at that
and I think you can consider that but to me at the end of the
day, MMA, UFC, they’re facing the same issue that every
single sport faces. Guys are looking for an edge. Guys are looking
to get over and as long as they think that the reward outweighs
the risk, they’re going to do it! And I think in almost
every single case guys will convince themselves that the reward
outweighs the risk. I don’t know if Sonnen did it or not
but he was a rather anonymous figure not long ago. I think part
of this is the way he ran his mouth. The guy talked himself into
being a household name. The guy talked himself into popularity.
But it wouldn’t have meant anything if he didn’t back
it up and the guy was fighting lights out. He was not highly-regarded
and then all of a sudden he started to fight lights out. Fought
a great fight, got a title shot. Made the most of the title shot,
had that fight won before getting into trouble late and losing.
So I’m not sure.
“And
by the way, the guy’s still talking. Still talking. You
heard him last week. You heard those sound bites that I played
where he was going on and on about ‘I’m Brock Lesnar!’
(sound
clip plays of ‘I’m Brock Lesnar! I got this $5 haircut
and a knife tattoo on my chest! Well I’ll shove up through
your face if you get in Chael Sonnen’s way.’)
“I’m
Brock Lesnar!
(sound
clip plays of ‘I’m Brock Lesnar! I got this $5 hair
cut and a knife tattoo on my chest! Well I’ll shove up through
your face if you get in Chael Sonnen’s way.’)
“I’ve
got a $5 hair cut and a knife tattoo but I’ll shove it up
into your face if you get in Chael Sonnen’s way? Did you
hear what he just said?
(sound
clip plays of ‘I’m Brock Lesnar! I got this $5 haircut
and a knife tattoo on my chest! Well I’ll shove up through
your face if you get in Chael Sonnen’s way.’)
“This
guy’s nuts! And may have tested positive for roids. So,
if that’s the case, he’s on the clock and his 15 minutes
are moving fast. But we have to wait and see if in fact that’s
the case. But if he did, he’s not the only guy doing it.
And there’s no easy solution for the reasons I mentioned.
The reward to use is always going to outweigh the risk to these
guys. I’m not saying you stop trying. if I’m Dana White
or I’m any sport, I’m not saying you stop trying. You’ve
got to educate these guys. You’ve got to let them know.
You’ve got to penalize these guys. There’s got to be
a deterrent. But they’re going to do it. The stakes are
way too high. The rewards are way too great. Guys will always
cheat. Guys are not going to stop cheating.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Alan
Belcher comments on current predicament
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Alan
Belcher with coaches Daniel Moraes and Helio Sonequinha at Rio
Open. Photo: Gustavo Aragão
Alan Belcher is going through the most delicate moment of his
career so far. The fighter was in Brazil preparing for his fight
with Demian Maia, which would have taken place at UFN 22, had
to rush home to the USA due to a detached retina in his right
eye, which pulled him from the fight and, after two surgical
procedures, has his future hanging in the balance.
“Since
the second surgery, they’ve really given no timetable. I’ve
gotta get out of the woods. The doctor hasn’t given me any
expectations on when I’ll be back or anything,” he
told MMAJunkie.com.
Precautions
must be doubled. Should he return to combat without proper care,
the fighter could lose his sight. Should he go blind in one eye
and suffer a detached retina in the other, after taking a hit,
Belcher faces the grim possibility of being left completely without
sight.
“The
biggest problem we’re looking at is if my eyesight doesn’t
get better, and if my other retina detaches, then I’ll basically
be blind in both eyes instead of just one. That’s the main
thing I’m trying to do – is getting my eyesight better
in my right eye where I’d be able to depend on my right
if I lost my left,” he further elaborated in the article.
So
now Alan is patiently following through with treatment and doing
what he must to get well:
“Right
now, I’m taking it one day at a time.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Moraes
to teach BJJ at Team Nogueira
Report
by Eduardo Ferreira
Two-time world champion of Jiu-Jitsu, Sérgio Moraes called
TATAME directly from Finland, where he is ministering a series
of seminars, full of good news to tell us. “(Rodrigo) Minotauro
called me and said he’d like me to teach on the gym he’ll
open in San Diego… I’m thrilled with the invitation”,
celebrates Sérgio, excited with the opportunity.
“Rodrigo is giving me a unique opportunity, of coaching
the best teams of MMA and Jiu-Jitsu of the world”, said,
making it clear that he still is an Alliance athlete. “I’ll
go there in three weeks, but I’ll still represent Alliance…
Many people from Alliance will want to train with me and they’ll
have a place to stay… They won a new headquarters on the
United States”, guarantees, revealing that the brown belt
Dimitri Souza will replace Sérgio on theclasses he used
to give on Cohab, Sao Paulo.
The change, besides the chance of training with some of the best
athletes of MMA world, brings him one step away of the main competitions
of the mat. “World and Pan will be like our backyard (laughs)”,
jokes. Sérgio’s smile only changes when he realized
he will have to leave his daughter and girlfriend, pregnant of
3 months, in Brazil. “It’s sad because my girl and
daughter will stay in Brazil… I’ll miss my child, but
it’s the best for her future”, explains.
NEW HORIZONS ON MMA
With
six wins in seven MMA fights, Moraes believes that this new training
phase on the United States will bring great results on his future.
“I’ll train with the best in the world and I hope to
have new opportunities”, said, telling us he postponed his
next fight due to the invitation made by Minotauro. “I’d
fight on Jungle Fight in the end of the year, but I’ve talked
to Wallid (Ismail) and he was thrilled too”, concluded,
focused on the recover from an injury on his wrist, which will
force him to stay out of World No-Gi.
Source: Tatame
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