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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2011
12/9/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
11/11/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
November
Aloha
State Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
10/29/11
NAGA
Hawaii
10/7/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/2/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/20/11
POSTPONED
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Neal Blaisdell Center
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
8/12/11
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waterfront at Aloha Tower)
7/22/11
808 Battleground & X-1 World Events
Domination
(MMA)
(Waterfront at Aloha Tower)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
7/16/11
2011 Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous Sparring, MMA (Controlled), and Submission Grappling)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/8/11
Chozun 2
(Kickboxing)
(The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu)
Rener Gracie Seminar
O2 Martial Arts Academy
$65
7-9PM
7/1/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
6/25/11
Kauai Cage Fights
(MMA)
(Kilohana Estates)
6/17-19/11
Big Boys & MMA Hawaii Expo
Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/18-19/11
Hawaii Triple Crown
“State Championships”
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/18/11
Destiny: Fury II
(MMA)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/17/11
UpNUp: On The Rise
(MMA)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/10/11
Genesis “76 South Showdown Kickboxing”
(Kickboxing)
(Campbell H.S. Gym, Ewa Beach)
6/2-5/11
World
Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(California)
5/28/11
HUAWA Grappling Tournament 2011
Grappling Series II
(Submission grappling)
(Mililani H.S. Gym, Mililani)
Cancelled
Battleground 808
(MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/21/11
Scraplafest 3
(BJJ & Submission Grappling)
(Island School, Puhi, Kauai, behind Kauai Commuity College)
5/20/11
Kauai Knockout Championship II: Mortal Combat
(MMA)
(Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, Lihue)
5/14/11
Boxing Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Gym)
5/6/11
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
4/28/11
Destiny: Fury II
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/23/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Gladiators for God
(Amateur Muay Thai)
(Wet&Wild Water Park)
4/16/11
Hawaiian
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
4/15/11
Destiny
& 808 Battleground presents "Supremacy"
(MMA)
(Aloha Tower Waterfront)
4/9/11
Fight Girls Hawaii
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/2/11
Toughman Hawaii
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Ctr)
3/24-27/11
Pan
American Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA)
3/26/11
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
HUAWA Grappling Tourney
(Sub Grappling)
(Mililani HS Gym)
3/12/11
X-1:
Dylan Clay vs Niko Vitale
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/11/11
Chozun 1: "the Reckoning"
(Kickboxing)
(The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu)
3/5/11
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
2/25/11
808
Battleground Presents
War of Warriors
(MMA)
(The Waterfront At Aloha Tower, Honolulu)
2/20/11
Pan
Kids Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University, Carson, CA )
2/19/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
2/5/11
Garden Island Cage Match 10: Mayhem at the Mansion 2
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/4/11
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
1/29/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Battle At The Barn
(MMA)
(Molokai H.S. Gym, Molokai)
1/8/11
Hawaii Toughman
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
|
|
July
2011 News Part 3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi.
Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ
Dean, & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from
the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
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Want
to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here for pricing and more
information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
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O2
Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Shane Agena as well
as a number of brown and purple belts.
We also offer 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?
Our school is for you!
If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is
the place for you!
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Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
Lightweight
Champ Eddie Alvarez Faces Michael Chandler at Bellator 54
After
a spectacular run through the Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament,
Michael Chandler earned a world title shot. With victories over
Polish prodigy Marcin Held, submission specialist Lloyd Woodard
and explosive Brazilian Patricky “Pitbull” Freire,
Chandler’s dream to become the next Bellator lightweight
champion is a win away from becoming reality.
On
Oct. 15, from the Boardwalk Hall Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J.,
Chandler will get his chance against reigning Bellator lightweight
champion Eddie Alvarez. The fight will air live on MTV2.
“Fighting
this close to home on this big of stage is awesome,” said
Alvarez. “I’ve never lost a fight in the States, and
I certainly don’t plan on losing this one. I’ve never
had this much time to prepare for a fight, and you’re going
to see that preparation on display Oct. 15.”
Alvarez
brings a near perfect record into the fight, as the Philadelphia
native sports an incredible 22-2 professional record, with Bellator
tournament wins over Greg Loughran, Eric Reynolds, and Toby Imada
during his Season 1 Lightweight Tournament Championship run.
This
won’t be Alvarez’s first title defense, as he successfully
defended his title against current Featherweight Tournament Finalist
Pat Curran at Bellator 39. The two engaged in a five-round battle
that eventually ended with Alvarez securing a unanimous decision
victory. Having time to scout the competition, Alvarez is more
than ready to take on an eager Chandler.
“I
watched the Lightweight Tournament very closely, and was really
impressed with a lot of the competition,” Alvarez said.
“Knowing that Chandler is my opponent, I’ve already
gone back and started to watch film, and I’ll be ready.
He brings a really good pace, and it’s going to be a great
fight.”
Chandler,
an undefeated product out of Xtreme Couture, looks to be one
of the toughest tests that Alvarez has faced during his distinguished
career. Only 25, Chandler brings an impressive wrestling pedigree
with an improved striking game that was on display during his
Bellator Lightweight Finals appearance against Patricky Pitbull
at Bellator 44. Having studied Alvarez’s previous fights,
Chandler already feels prepared for what faces him at Bellator
54.
“Eddie
is obviously a world class lightweight, but in a lot of the fights
I have watched, no one has really pushed the pace against him.
I want to put him on his heels, and make him respond to what
I’m doing in the cage. I’ve got a few months to prepare,
and I’ll be more than ready for Oct. 15.”
“Anyone
that has heard me speak on the topic knows I feel Eddie Alvarez
is the best lightweight in the world,” said Bellator Chairman
& CEO Bjorn Rebney. “With that said, Michael’s
tournament run was one of the most impressive displays I’ve
seen from any fighter, and their title fight on Oct. 15 should
be an absolute war. As a fan of the sport, this is a fight I
can’t wait to see.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Nova
Uniao Bantamweight Marques to Join Dream Grand Prix
by Gleidson
Venga) and Chris Nelson
Brazilian
prospect Rodolfo Marques is set to take his place in Japanese
promotion Dream’s upcoming bantamweight world grand prix.
Marques’
trainer, Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, confirmed to Sherdog.com
that the once-beaten 135-pounder finalized his contract with
Dream on Wednesday.
The
27-year-old native of Resende, Rio de Janeiro, has compiled a
12-1 record in his five years as a professional. Known for his
leg kicks, quick hands and technical ground game, Marques put
himself on the radar in April 2010, when a pair of decisions
saw him win a one-night Watch Out Combat Show tournament.
Training
alongside UFC bantamweights Renan “Barao” and Wagnney
Fabiano, Marques holds notable victories over Shooto veteran
Matteus Lahdesmaki and fellow Brazilian prospect Marcos Vinicius,
whom he outpointed in May. His only loss came in a 2009 decision
to current Bellator signee Luis “Betao” Nogueira.
Marques’
participation in the Dream title tournament, which begins at
Dream 17, has not yet been announced, though the promotion has
officially named four participants for the field.
Hideo
Tokoro and Masakazu Imanari, the respective champion and runner-up
in Dream’s 2011 Japan bantamweight GP, have secured their
spots in the Sept. 24 quarterfinals, as has third-place winner
and WEC veteran Kenji Osawa. Additionally, Dream announced Wednesday
that former featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes will make
the drop to seek a new title at 134 pounds.
Source:
Sherdog
|
“Dana
White, King of MMA” – review of the tell-all biography
by Dana White’s mom
Dana White, the president of the UFC and most polarizing man
in MMA. If you are on his good side, you can be set for life.
Hit a nerve with him and consider yourself permanently banned.
I look forward to reading his autobiography when the day comes
for that book, but while we wait we have something possibly better.
DFW’s
mother, June White, has written her own biography about her son
titled Dana White, King of MMA, and for lack of a better term,
leaves it all in the cage. This tell-all book pulls no punches,
but is this thing legit or hard to swallow? Even if it’s
believable, is it worth your time and money? Let The Fight Nerd
help you decide that with this book review!
The
book starts off with three eclectic quotes, one from an uncredited
writer at Yahoo! Sports, one from the movie “Superman”,
and one from Teddy Roosevelt. Why is this odd? Well, firstly
the quote from the movie is “It’s not who you are,
but what you do that defines you”, and that is actually
from “Batman Begins”. Off to a good start already.
The quote from Yahoo is actually a quote from Dana himself, but
it’s given no context, and lastly the Teddy Roosevelt one,
which is “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor
in the life on an individual.” The book does not need three
quotes to begin with, when only the Roosevelt one fits anyway.
Furthermore, misquoting Batman is a no-no in this nerd’s
book. Believe it or not, those misquotes get worse as this book
goes on.
Hit
the jump as we delve deeper into the story of Dana White as told
by his mom!
June
White makes it very clear early on that her son is both a President
and a King, but “dictator could be another of those titles”.
Her plan for this book is to explain why, and show who her son
was and is now. “I like Dana’s transformation to that
of Precious in “Lord of the Rings,” she wrote. “Just
as the ring of power changed that fictional character, Dana’s
power and wealth have changed him into someone I do not recognize.”
I think she meant Gollum, since the only fictional character
named precious that I can think of a is a morbidly obese Black
girl.
Nerdy
nitpicking aside, June paints a portrait of a child who was once
caring and sweet who was suddenly transformed into a wealthy
man of power with a cold heart. When June was pregnant with Dana,
she was misdiagnosed with a heart disease that would supposedly
kill her in a year, but things worked out fine or else there
would be no book. As a baby, June compared Dana to “Rosemary’s
Baby”, with the blackest eyes she had ever seen that made
her think he was born evil, but his eyes eventually turned to
a normal shade of less Satanic tones.
June
gives us a detailed account of Dana’s youth and important
family members that helped to shape his life. There are many
stories about Dana’s drunken and abusive father and the
hard life they had as a family. Want some dirt on a young DFW?
He memorized Dr. Seuss books at age three, was chased by an angry
rooster as a teenager, and his grandfather thought he was gay.
There are many more telling stories about his childhood, namely
how he always enjoyed being the center of attention. Intermingled
with the tales of Dana is the story of June, who set out to escape
from Dana Sr., leaving Florida to take refuge with her mom in
Connecticut, and then finally ending up in Massachusetts and
Las Vegas.
One
of the things that shocked June the most was how her son had
become an atheist. The author related stories about how much
a young Dana loved church and how their Priest would say how
inquisitive he was about God and thought he was destined for
Priesthood. Instead, Dana has forsaken his religious upbringing
for reasons that June believes is because Dana thinks he is a
God. This seems to be the item that bothers June the most, since
it comes up very frequently throughout the entire book, and is
one of the first things she tells us when she discusses her son.
There
are many “myths” about Dana that the author debunks,
including the hard life of Dana growing up on the mean streets
of Southie and Vegas all alone. According to his mom, she was
there for every minute of his life and has the stories to back
it up. She also tells us that Dana never had a college education,
despite him saying that he does.
As
Dana began to grow into adulthood, he became a person with no
sense of humor and a very controlling personality. He was a lazy
kid who could not apply himself in school and never took to working
much until he got involved with boxing and Peter Welch. In a
twist of fate, a fallout between the two over money led to Dana
retreating to Vegas on his own, where he started “Dana White
Enterprises” and became the boxercise teacher we all know
and love.
Without
getting into too many details about the story, June takes many
little stabs at Dana in her book, mostly at the end of a paragraph
to punctuate her sour relationship. They come as after thoughts,
like she was trying hard to be mean to him when deep down she
is still his mother and loves him unconditionally. There are
plenty of fun stories about Dana, as much as there harsher ones
that villainize him.
In
an ironic moment in the book, June typifies Dana as being like
a union fighting for better pay and work conditions for his fighters
back when he first took over the UFC. As soon as he became a
part-owner in the company, his priorities changed and that while
he has continued to try to make things better, he has also made
the transition much harder under his reign. What seemed to hurt
his mother the most was how Dana never mentions anyone in his
family, be it herself, his sister, grandparents or anyone, and
how he pushed them completely out of his life as his fame grew.
June attended every UFC for the first three years and helped
him monetarily in many ways before then, but the end came when
Dana became verbally abusive to her in public on several occasions.
Technically
speaking, this book is full of typo’s, some only a few sentences
apart from each other. After the second nerdy nitpick I caught,
I came to the realization that this was self-edited and that
I would be in for a long ride if I complained about every grammatical
mistake. For example, June’s brother George was a black
belt in the art of Tae Ka Won Do, and she distinctly remembered
a spectator at the early Zuffa UFC’s in Jersey named Tank
About. Consider this a warning, dear readers, that your eyes
will be assaulted with all manner of misspelling, so do your
best to not let that ruin your experience if you choose to pick
this up.
The
book is a short read, clocking in at 136 pages, a few of those
being full-page photos or relics from this past like his birth
certificate and a hand-written letter he wrote as a youth. Even
at that length, is it worth the read? While not being the most
well-written piece of literature, you can tell it comes from
the heart and the lack of editing reinforces that for me. It
reminds me of when I read my grandmother’s autobiography;
it was filled with bad spelling, awful grammar and a generally
bland writing style, but what did I expect from a 70 year old
immigrant who was not a professional writer?
The
raw writing style comes off not as unprofessional, but more real.
These are the words of a mother who has something to say and
wants her voice to be heard. MMA fans only get to see one side
of the Dana White story, now a whole new world has been opened
up through the eyes of the woman that gave birth to him and has
seen him evolve into the man we know today as the President of
the UFC. June gives us the most candid look we could have without
being there in person to show us what made the “King of
MMA” and what drives him to act the way he does.
You
can buy this book for $9 on Smashwords, but there is currently
a 25% off deal on the site through the end of this month, so
at that price any person who likes or hates Dana White should
take a look at this.
Source:
Fight Opinion/The Fight Nerd
|
Even
After Expensive Wreck, Tito Ortiz Never Considered Pulling Out
of UFC 133
By Ben
Fowlkes
Though
the news must have given UFC president Dana White quite a scare,
Tito Ortiz said he wasn't at all injured in the recent car accident
that left his Rolls Royce Phantom with some front end damage,
and pulling out of his bout with Rashad Evans at UFC 133 afterward
was never a thought.
"No,
not even a doubt," Ortiz said on Thursday's media call.
"You've got to understand, I did the Long Beach Grand Prix
and I crashed four times. I was hitting walls. ...On my honeymoon
in my first marriage I got hit by a bus doing 30, and I fought
and defended my world title against Yuki Kondo literally four
months later. Stuff like that doesn't hurt me. I think what hurts
is just the repetition of training."
Photos
of the damage to his extremely expensive car quickly made the
rounds on the internet, but Ortiz said he suffered "zero"
physical effects from the wreck.
"I
rear-ended somebody," he explained. "It was a mistake
on my part. I probably shouldn't have been paying attention to
what I was paying attention to, and I looked up and -- bam --
I hit someone. And it was an expensive car. It was my bad. I
was really, really bummed about it, but at the same time it can
be paid for."
Ortiz
said his greatest concern after the low-speed accident was his
son, who was in the car with him, but said he also suffered no
injuries other than getting "the wind knocked out of him."
News
of Ortiz's safety must have been a relief for UFC officials after
all the trouble they went to just to scrape up a short-notice
opponent for Evans after Phil Davis was forced out of the main
event bout with an injury. Ortiz initially declined the offer
to fight, he said, because he simply felt he had too much going
on and not enough time to deal with it all.
"After
I beat Bader I was on top of the world and I wanted to indulge
in the glory," he said. "I took a week off. I came
home, was relaxing, watching TV. Dana [White] gave me a call
and I was with my family. I miss my family and I haven't been
around that much just because of training. You put in six-hour
days, six days a week, you're putting in hard work. When he first
asked me I was like, no, I've got to take care of some stuff
at home. I've got businesses with Punishment Nutrition, with
my clothing company, my gym -- there's so much other business
stuff where I've been planting the seeds and watering them so
I can watch it grow, and I had to take care of that stuff."
But
after talking with White, Ortiz said, the idea started to take
root in his mind, and suddenly it didn't seem so bad after all.
"The
fighter in me kind of doubted it, was like, maybe you should
fight. You're in great shape. I never got touched. Sparring's
been great, my wrestling's been really good. I'm strong. I have
no injuries. My back and my neck have been awesome. It took me
a minute to think about it. Of course I sat and I talked to [girlfriend]
Jenna [Jameson]. I talked to my training partners, I talked to
my coach, and we kind of just sat down and said, let's do this.
Here's an opportunity that we're never going to have again."
Now
Ortiz has gone from being one loss away from unemployment to
being firmly in the good graces of the UFC. All it took was a
willingness to say yes, and a physical resilience to car wrecks
-- even the very, very expensive kind.
As
Ortiz put it, "Thank God for insurance."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Dan
Henderson Expecting “Wrecking Machine” Fedor at Strikeforce
Fedor
Emelianenko was once thought to be all but invincible. After
suffering the first loss of his career in his fifth professional
fight, due to a freak cut 17 seconds into the bout, Fedor went
27 consecutive fights without losing again.
He
was then submitted by Fabricio Werdum, followed by a TKO stoppage
loss to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
The
calls of “past his prime” and “over the hill”
started to fly into the face of the 34-year-old Russian.
Dan
Henderson isn’t buying it.
“I’ve
gone through two or three times with a couple losses in a row,”
he told MMAWeekly.com, knowing all too well that fans can be
fickle at times.
Heading
into Saturday’s Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson main event,
the former two-division Pride champion won’t be lulled into
a false sense of security. He knows that the former heavyweight
kingpin still packs power in his punches and has a few tricks
up his sleeve.
Henderson
is ready for the same Fedor that was a wrecking machine in Pride,
and expects the best we’ve seen from the ‘Last Emperor’
when they meet.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
to be fast food poster boy
The longest-running champion of the UFC, Anderson Silva is the
latest athlete to be sponsored by fast food chain Burger King
in Brazil.
The
contract between the king of the octagon and the “king”
of burgers, lasting till the end of 2011, was sealed by 9ine,
the sports marketing firm belonging to former soccer star Ronaldo,
which has managed the fighter’s image since February this
year. The campaign, created by Ogilvy & Mather, will start
running next month.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Cub
Swanson Saved $50,000 By Switching To HCIC
By Steve
Barry
If you needed proof to know whether the unlikely accident-insurance
policy the UFC recently landed through Houston Casualty Insurance
Company was good for the fighters, look no further than Cub Swanson.
He’s the very first fighter to use the insurance after a
sparring partner nailed him full force with a knee to the face,
breaking his orbital, nasal, cheek and jaw bones. Swanson told
MMA Junkie he was so frustrated when it happened, he wanted to
quit for a year.
“Right
when it happened, I immediately went to the corner and went,
‘I need to take a year off. I’m done.’ I was so
frustrated. You train for months at a time, and it just gets
taken away like that.”
Swanson’s
frustration would have likely been accompanied by a wider range
of emotions such as rage and despair if Swanson didn’t have
the insurance that literally kicked in a day before the incident.
The policy saved him $50,000 in medical costs that he says would
have completely drained the savings he spent his entire career
building. For that, Swanson is very grateful the UFC found a
company willing to insure the fighters.
“We
knew it’d be tough for them to find a company willing to
insure 400 ultimate fighters. I’m glad they found it. And
they said the coverage that we have is a start, and I believe
it’ll evolve into even better coverage. I’m super thankful.
I can’t wait to get back in there and repay them.”
These
types of incidents are exactly what the insurance was intended
for. I’m sure some fighters will find a way to take advantage
of it and pull out of fights they normally wouldn’t have,
but it’s difficult to argue against it when you hear stories
like Cub Swanson’s.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Gesias
not pressured, confident to get first win at Strikeforce
By Marcelo
Barone
Gesias
Cavalcante heard he would no longer fight Lyle Beerbohm in Strikeforce
last week. His opponent was replaced to Bobby Green, but nothing
appears to have changed for the Brazilian fighter. Focused on
getting on the right track again, since he doesn’t win since
July of 2010, when he was still fighting in Dream, JZ affirmed
to TATAME he believes on his potential, no matter who is in the
cage with him.
“I
really believe in my game, in my trainings, in my team and the
guys I train with. I trust my work. The good thing about my training
is to have good striking trainings, good Wrestling trainings
and a good ground game, what makes it a lot easier on me. I have
all the tools at my display, I just need to use it when I have
to. I was already feeling well to fight, independent of whom
I’ll fight with”, explains the Brazilian guy, who analyzed
his opponent.
“Bobby
is a Cage Rage champion. I’ve watched some of his bouts,
he’s an aggressive guy, a young guy who likes fighting and
goes for it. Like all newcomers, he wants to prove he’s
good. It’s a different game from Beerbohm’s, who likes
to shake a lot, put you under a lot of pressure, a more predictable
game. Bobby’s much more complete, has more tools and weapons…
It can be a fight matched up at the last minute, but I’ll
be prepared”.
When
asked about a possible pressure due to his recent results, Gesias
highlighted he doesn’t see it as a bad aspect.
“I
don’t think I’m doing badly. I’ve been doing my
job. In 2010, I’ve defeated (Katsunori) Kikuno, then I came
to the United States and fought (Josh) Thomson. We had a tight
fight and almost everyone who watched it thought I won it. I
can’t blame the judges’ call, they really did a bad
job. On the last fight there was an incident involving Justin
Wilcox’s eye (No Contest), but during the fight he didn’t
do anything that not done anything to hurt me or shown a disparity
in me. It was alright. It was all happening according to the
plan. I don’t see it as a bad result, I’m evolving,
healthy, well trained and confident”, concluded the tough
guy, who highlighted the work of his managers and Strikeforce’s
for having found him an opponent so soon.
Source:
Tatame
|
Overlooked
Pickett Wants to End Barao’s Streak
by Tim
Leidecker
Slated
to take on former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at
UFC 130, Brad Pickett had to postpone his Octagon debut because
of a herniated disc in his back. “One Punch” will now
co-headline UFC 138 “Leben vs. Munoz” against Renan
“Barao” do Nascimento Mota Pegado on Nov. 5 at the
LG Arena in Birmingham, England.
“It’s
my dream debut to be fighting on UK soil for the first time in
over two years,” the 32-year-old Londoner told Sherdog.com.
“My dream WEC debut happened when I fought in Las Vegas.
I always wanted to fight there, and I got to in my very first
WEC fight. Now, my UFC debut is in England, with all my fans
being able to enjoy it with me live at the show. It couldn’t
have worked out any better, and I can’t wait to fight in
the UK again.”
Pickett
(Pictured, file photo), who splits training between Team Titan
in London and American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., will
square off with Barao, a Nova União product who is undefeated
in his last 27 appearances.
“Barao
is a dangerous and very well-rounded opponent on a killer win
streak, but I believe that every streak has to come to an end
and I’m the guy to stop it, as I did with Demetrious Johnson,”
Pickett said. “Still, he’s very tough and is going
to make for an exciting opponent.”
The
fact that Johnson, whom Pickett defeated by unanimous decision
in April 2010, has been awarded a title shot against UFC bantamweight
champion Dominick Cruz serves as a source of disappointment for
the charismatic Brit.
“Of
course it’s disappointing to see Demetrious pass me by,
but it’s understandable, as I haven’t been active,”
he said. “I’m not bitter about it, though, as maybe
it shows the level I am at since he’s doing so well now.
Sometimes I do think I am overlooked, the forgotten challenger.
I am a humble guy who doesn’t talk a lot of crap. But saying
that, despite winning three out of my four WEC fights and being
awarded “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of
the Night” honors, only one of those fights was televised,
and maybe that’s the reason the fans don’t talk about
me much.”
Pickett,
who has made tremendous progress in the wrestling and jiu-jitsu
departments due to the time he has spent at American Top Team,
thinks he will enjoy several advantages when facing his Barao
on his home turf.
“One
advantage is going to be the weather,” he said. “In
November, it’s going to be very cold in England, and Barao
is from Brazil. It’s not nice, even for [those of] us that
have lived here all our life. And the home fans -- they will
all be behind me; it will drive me harder. I have always had
good support from the fans here, but the shows were smaller,
and, this time, I will have 16,000 behind me. It will be a massive
boost when I walk out.”
Source
Sherdog
|
The
obligatory ‘Jon Fitch really hates Nick Diaz’ video
By Zach
Arnold
I
decided against doing a transcript of this interview, simply
because there was too much background noise in the audio to make
it worth my while. Nevertheless, you should watch it to hear
some of his rather curious responses.
For
example, he’s mad about the fact that BJ Penn ended up challenging
Carlos Condit. However, he’s more or less mad about the
fact that he’s stuck in no-man’s land due to injury
as opposed to Penn challenging Condit. (Even though Fitch, on
Twitter, said at the time that he was hurt and disappointed by
BJ’s actions.)
Fitch
noted that the only opponent available for him to fight soon
would be Martin Kampmann. He further stated that he would love
the fight to take place this November in San Jose.
Where
the interview gets real interesting is when he starts talking
about Nick Diaz and how Diaz is the only guy he really hates
in MMA. He says that Diaz is scared of his fighting style, that
Nick’s MMA record is ‘padded,’ and that he’s
been protected too often by promoters in the past. Towards the
end of the interview, Fitch basically defends his fight style
(again).
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
It’s
UFC or Bust for Former Strikeforce Champ Cung Le
by Ken
Pishna
Cung
Le has consistently fought at the highest levels of combat sports
during his entire career. From kickboxing to mixed martial arts,
he has never refrained from shooting for the top.
A
former Strikeforce middleweight champion, Le has never set foot
in the UFC’s Octagon, but it is something that he would
like to do. In fact, it’s the final frontier for Le, who
told MMAWeekly.com in an exclusive interview, that it’s
basically the UFC or bust for him and his fighting career.
“I
know for a fact that if I do fight again, it’s going to
be in the UFC. I’ve never fought in the UFC, but I would
love to fight in the UFC. But right now because of my contract
with Showtime and Strikeforce, hopefully things can work out
because there is a show in San Jose that Cain Velasquez is the
main event. I would love to fight in San Jose for the UFC and
for Dana White and Lorenzo (Fertitta),” said Le.
The
event he is referring to is UFC 139, which is slated for Nov.
19 in San Jose, Calif. Velasquez, the UFC heavyweight champion,
returns from the sidelines there to defend his belt against Junior
dos Santos. Le trains alongside Velasquez at American Kickboxing
Academy in San Jose.
But
Le has also been busy making feature films lately. In fact, he
is preparing for the release of his latest film, “Dragon
Eyes,” in which he stars with Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The
UFC has only brought one fighter over from Strikeforce since
its parent company, Zuffa, acquired the California-based promotion.
That fighter is Nick Diaz, who relinquished his Strikeforce welterweight
championship to sign a UFC contract to fight Georges St-Pierre
for his title on Oct. 29 at UFC 137.
Company
president Dana White has repeatedly stated that Strikeforce has
a contract with Showtime, and that the UFC can’t just raid
the promotion’s roster to take all the top talent to the
Octagon. If that ends up being the case for Cung Le, then so
be it, he has a fallback plan.
“If
it happens, great, I’m training right now,” Le said.
“If it doesn’t, I’m going to be in good shape
for my next movie.”
Although
he’s not appreciative of his time fighting for Strikeforce,
but fighting for the UFC appears to be a deal breaker for the
former San Shou champion’s fighting career.
“I
love Strikeforce, I came through Strikeforce, but I’ve given
Strikeforce eight awesome fights,” said Le. “I feel
if I could, if they allow me, I would to give UFC and UFC fans
some great fights. If that’s possible, I hope it is; if
not, I’m sorry.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Pros
Pick: Fedor vs. Henderson
by Mike
Sloan
The
Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., just outside of Chicago,
will play host to one of the most intriguing matchups in recent
memory when Fedor Emelianenko meets Dan Henderson on Saturday
in the Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Henderson”
main event. The fight has the MMA world abuzz.
Will
Emelianenko’s size be too much for the American to handle,
or will Henderson’s grenade of a right hand serve as the
great equalizer yet again? Those questions will soon be answered.
Sherdog.com
recently touched base with dozens of professional trainers and
fighters to gauge their opinions on the “Fedor vs. Henderson”
headliner:
Tyron
Woodley: I think Henderson's going to win. I don't know why but
I have a feeling. Fedor's coming off two losses ... I think he's
an amazing fighter, definitely earned the spot for the amount
of years that he had it. But I feel that Dan just has that swagger
right now. He's knocked a couple of guys out and he's feeling
good. He's healthy, been having great camps and I think that
he's just going to go out there and have fun. I think there'
going to be too much anxiety for Fedor. I think Dan's going to
go out there loose and have fun and I think that he's going to
beat him.
Robin
Black: Henderson will win because Fedor being an unstoppable
monster is kind of a myth, like the Easter Bunny or the Tooth
Fairy. I shouldn’t say that because I got email death threats
for that before -- I’m not kidding -- but it’s true.
Having said that, the man had a great career and will quite rightly
be remembered as an important figure in MMA history.
Tito
Ortiz: If Fedor comes in really, really good shape at 220, Hendo
has some problems on his hands. It comes down to who you’re
sparing with. Who you’re sparring with and who you’re
wrestling with, and what type of work you’re putting into
it … of course both the guys are a little bit older …
Hendo; you can never count him out. (Editor’s note: Ortiz
made no final prediction.)
Shonie
Carter: This is an epic battle between two giants in MMA. I have
experience with both of these gentlemen. Once I rolled with Dan
back before this stuff was sexy. It was a long time ago in Russia
when it was suggested strongly to me by the Russians to fight,
replacing a training partner who didn’t get his visa in
time for M-1. Of course, I accepted. I had the opportunity to
train with Red Devil [Sport Club] fight team in St. Petersburg
for a middleweight grand prix. This is when I tussled with a
Russian bear, by the way, if you were curious. Anyways, I see
this bout going in favor of Fedor because of his size. Experience
is equal, so size plays the X-factor in the match. Dan’s
right hand won’t be a factor. Fedor knows to move away from
the right hand by moving right or negating the right cross by
using the double jab.
Keith
Berry: I’m a huge fan of both of these guys. I wish they
both could win, but I don’t know; this is a really tough
fight to call. “Hendo” has a ton of momentum. I think
he will come in and win by TKO, and Fedor will probably then
retire. It should be an awesome fight. Gives me butterflies just
thinking about it.
Marlon
Sandro: Fedor wins by judges’ decision.
Ron
Foster: Man, this should be an amazing fight. I think it’s
crazy that after going undefeated for 10 years and then losing
fights to a couple of the best heavyweights in the world people
say Fedor is over the hill or overrated. On the other hand, Hendo
has looked incredible in his last two fights, finishing them
with brutal KOs. We all know that Dan has the one-punch KO power,
but the reality is Fedor has proven himself to be very durable
and is not easily broken. Although he lost to [Antonio] “Bigfoot”
[Silva], he never quit, [despite his being] outweighed by 40
pounds on the day of the fight. He took everything that was thrown
at him, and Fedor never stopped trying. I see both guys throwing
bombs early, but I see the fight hitting the ground, with Fedor
having a major advantage. Fedor will win this fight by submission;
should be a memorable fight.
Tom
Gavrilos: Both have one-punch knockout power, and, while Henderson
has the advantage in takedowns, he surely has the disadvantage
in submissions; Fedor by submission.
Pedro
Rizzo: I believe Fedor will be hungrier, because he has lost
two in a row. He is also more complete then Henderson. Fedor
wins.
Kultar
Gill: The size difference will be overwhelming for Dan. Even
in the wrestling aspect, Fedor will have the power and weight
to stop Dan’s takedowns. Fedor will stop Dan in the second
round.
Ray
Elbe: Hendo. Anything else would be anti-“Amurikan.”
Mike
Ciesnolevicz: Two MMA legends with two of the biggest right hands
the sport has ever seen. Henderson’s wrestling background
and Fedor’s sambo background make this fight even more interesting.
A few years ago, in Fedor’s glory days of Pride, I would
have said Hendo would get massacred, but Fedor has slowed a bit.
I can see the fight going both ways. I hate picking against Hendo,
but I will go with Fedor by TKO or submission after he rocks
Hendo with some big shots. Fedor’s extra 25 pounds should
him help him in striking exchanges, as well as when they clinch
up.
Andre
Pederneiras: They're both tough fighters, but Fedor is a better
striker and has more ability on the floor. I believe Fedor wins.
Benji
Radach: I don’t see this fight going any other way than
a good old-fashioned USA ass whoopin’ by my boy Dan. Fedor
has pulled off some awesome wins from all kinds of positions,
has some of the best ground-and-pound in the business and had
his hand raised over some of the best dudes on the planet. This
fight will be exciting to watch, for sure.
Jason
Dent: I got to spend some time training with Hendo on Season
9 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” when I represented the
U.S. Team. I was already a huge fan of Dan before the show, and
I’m an even bigger one now. I’m picking Hendo to win
by TKO in this fight. I predict he will use his wrestling to
keep this fight standing and look for his famous big right hand.
Thales
Leites: Fedor has lost two fights in a row, but I believe he
is the favorite. The fight will start with an open exchange,
and they both have heavy hands. I bet that Fedor will win by
knockout, even though I believe he’s more likely to pull
off a submission than Dan, too. Fedor takes it.
Gabe
Ruediger: Man, tough fight. I’ve trained with Dan a lot
and consider him a friend. On the other side, Fedor is one of
the few fighters I’m actually a fan of. Even with Fedor’s
two losses, I think he is an amazing fighter. This may be the
first fight where he does not have a weight disadvantage. Both
guys have amazing KO power, and, regardless of the outcome, this
should be an amazing fight. When doing predictions, I do my very
best to leave my biases out, but even in doing so, this is a
hard match to predict. With great thought, I’m going with
Fedor. That being said, I’m not looking forward to either
of them losing, and it’s very possible it can go the other
way.
Mark
DellaGrotte: I’ve been waiting for this fight for a long
time. Both [are] longtime, highly decorated veterans. Both [are]
perhaps past their prime but with plenty of fight left in them.
Has Fedor been exposed? We know he is beatable. I know Hendo
and I know how bad he wants this win. Not sure if Fedor still
has it in him to get up for another big fight. Striking advantage
to Fedor; wrestling goes to Hendo. Although Fedor can be crafty
from his back, I think he is one step behind where he used to
be and won’t be able to catch Hendo like he has with some
of his past opponents. It’s all going to come down to who
comes in more prepared and wants it more. My money is on the
red, white and blue. Go Hendo.
Josuel
Distak: Fedor will impose his rhythm both on the feet and on
the ground, and will win by KO or submission in round two.
Marvin
Eastman: Henderson, split decision. He will take Fedor down and
try to KO [him] from the floor. [It will be an] ugly fight because
Fedor will only go for big overhand right punches. He doesn’t
use all his weapons like he used to when he was unbeaten. Dan
is a bad boy and has fought everyone out there. Win or lose,
much respect.
Sergio
Cunha: At this stage of their careers, I’ll bet on Henderson.
Henderson is fresh off of a title win and Fedor has lost his
last two. Fedor has been demystified; I believe Henderson will
win.
Eddy
Millis: I think Fedor wins this one by KO in the first round
-- by big KO.
Dewey
Cooper:This is a fight that I am truly excited about. I love
both fighters, so that makes it hard to choose, free from emotions,
who will win. Hendo has a chance of defeating any fighter in
the world anytime he’s in the cage. On the other hand, Fedor,
the power punching knockout specialist, is always one punch away
from a knockout victory. Has Father Time caught up to Fedor?
Is his reign of terror in the sport of MMA over? I think in this
fight Fedor will get back to his winning ways with another devastating
knockout of Hendo. Dan will not be afraid to exchange power punches
with Fedor, and that will be his demise.
Milton
Vieira:Fedor will win. Henderson just got a great win, but Fedor
will impose his strategy and have the heavier hands. I believe
he’ll win.
Kyle
Kingsbury: After being dominated for two and a half rounds, Fedor
will make the comeback of his life and pull out an armbar for
the win in jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat fashion.
Jason
Lambert: I’m pulling for Hendo. Think it’s going to
be a great fight.
Nam
Phan: Fedor hasn’t been looking so good lately. I’m
going to have to go with Henderson by overhand right.
Cristiano
Marcello: I think Henderson by knockout. Fedor is down recently,
while Henderson is excited about his last win.
Travis
Wiuff: I wish I could pick Fedor. He is one of my favorites of
all time, but I don’t see how he can win this fight. I’m
taking Henderson to win a decision with his takedowns.
Doug
Marshall: I think people have figured out the conundrum that
is Fedor. At the same time, Hendo isn’t 6-foot-4, 265 pounds.
If Hendo gets Fedor down, can he control him? I’m going
to give the edge to “The Last Emperor.” He’s still
got the power, and after tasting defeat, he’s gonna be fired
up and has something to prove: that he’s still The Last
Emperor.
Jeff
Monson: Fedor by stoppage.
John
Hackleman: I predict that Hendo will win by powerful right hook.
It could be like an overhand, but I think it’ll be more
like a hook; like a combination between a hook and an overhand
right. I think it’s gonna knock Fedor out. He might have
to endure some punishment early on, but, since he has such an
iron chin and is such a tough guy, I think he’s going to
weather the early storm and I think he’s going to knock
Fedor out with a powerful right hook; or maybe a left hook? Nah,
right hook. Either way, he’ll knock him out.
Buddy
Clinton: Rocky IV. Enough said.
Tom
Vaughn: Wow, what a compelling match; big props again to Strikeforce.
Fedor is at a low point in his career, but I still think he is
a very dangerous cat. Heavyweight fighters are just getting too
big for Fedor, but that won’t be the case here. With all
do respect to Henderson, I think Fedor is better in all aspects,
except perhaps wrestling, and wrestling won’t be enough
to win this one. Henderson has this odd thing where he dies in
the middle of a fight, then comes back at the end. I see Fedor
submitting Hendo when he hits the valley, and, just like that,
everyone will be back on Fedor’s [bandwagon]; Fedor by submission
in round two.
Pros
Picking Fedor: 18
Pros Picking Henderson: 14
No Pick: 2
Source
Sherdog
|
BJ
Penn Moves Camp to California for UFC 137 Bout; Kendall Grove,
Reagan Penn Join Him
by Erik
Fontanez
LOS
ANGELES – B.J. Penn has relocated his camp to Southern California
in an effort to prepare for his UFC 137 bout against Carlos Condit.
Joining
Penn in California will be former UFC middleweight and Ultimate
Fighter winner Kendall Grove and B.J.’s brother, Reagan
Penn, as they both get ready for their Aug. 27 fights on the
ProElite show in Hawaii.
The
information was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by one of Penn’s
training partners, Erik Apple.
“We’re
training down at RVCA (in Costa Mesa),” Apple said on Tuesday
night in Los Angeles. “We have B.J. Penn, Reagan Penn training
down there, as well as Kendall Grove. Both Kendall Grove and
Reagan Penn are going to be fighting on Pro Elite’s event
Aug. 27 in Honolulu, Hawaii.”
According
to Apple, Grove and the Penn brothers have been in the Orange
County region for approximately two weeks in anticipation of
their upcoming fights.
“They’re
going to be preparing for Aug. 27, and after that, B.J. is going
to stay here and continue to get ready for his fight with Carlos
Condit in October,” he said.
The
move to the mainland gives Penn a good three months to adjust
to the time difference and environment while training for his
bout against Condit, which is slotted to take place on Oct. 29
in Las Vegas.
The
ProElite event sets the stage for Grove’s first fight out
of the UFC since being released by the promotion last month.
He’ll face another UFC veteran in Joe Riggs.
Although
he has no amateur fighting experience, Reagan Penn will make
his MMA debut on Aug. 27 and word on the street is that his jiu-jitsu
is second to none. Early talk has indicated that the sky is the
limit in regards to his potential.
“Reagan
has very, very good jiu-jitsu, amazing jiu-jitsu,” Apple
said about the younger Penn. “He can certainly be a star
in mixed martial arts, just like B.J.”
No
opponent has been named for B.J.’s brother, but MMAWeekly.com
will continue to update this story as more information becomes
available
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
‘Lion’-Uno
Signed for Dream 17; Sasahara Teases Foreign Aoki Foe
by Jordan
Breen
Dream
17 has its first bout, and it's a pairing of former Shooto world
champions.
The
promotion confirmed the first bout for Dream 17 on Wednesday,
formalizing a featherweight clash between popular Japanese MMA
veteran Caol Uno and former two-time Shooto 143-pound world champion
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue. Dream 17 is scheduled for Sept.
24 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
"This
next fight will become an important bout in determining who challenges
for the featherweight title," said Dream event producer
Keiichi Sasahara of the Uno-Inoue pairing.
Dream
featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya made the first defense
of his title on July 16, earning a split decision over 2000 Sydney
Games freestyle wrestling olympian Kazuyuki Miyata.
Both
Uno, 36, and Inoue, 31, fell to the aforementioned Miyata in
his contendership run. Miyata earned unanimous nods over Inoue
and Uno in September and December of last year respectively.
The
Yokohama native Inoue has fought twice since his loss to Miyata,
taking impressive stoppages of Shooto Pacific Rim champion Taiki
Tsuchiya, as well as Deep featherweight championKoichiro Matsumoto
in a four-week span in April and May.
Uno,
a native of Yokosuka, Kanagawa -- nearby to Inoue's home of Yokohama
-- earned his first win as a featherweight this past May, when
he bested Inoue's Shooting Gym Yokohama teammate "Wicky"
Akiyo Nishiura by unanimous decision.
Sasahara
also revealed that the promotion hoped to add Dream lightweight
champion Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri and MMA icon Kazushi Sakuraba
to the bill, but that the three men were not official for the
card yet. Sasahara did however tease Aoki's opponent as one that
would get hardcore MMA fans attention.
"I
wanted to finalize Aoki's opponent for today's press conference,
but we're still narrowing things down," Sasahara explained.
"We haven't fully completed negotiations, but we've narrowed
down the candidates. I believe it'll be a strong foreigner that
hardcore MMA fans will be delighted to see."
Source:
Sherdog
|
Mike
Schmitz: Veteran Mike Pyle in Familiar Territory Against Rory
MacDonald
By Zach
Arnold
Déjà vu. That’s exactly what Mike “Quicksand”
Pyle will be feeling when he steps into the octagon with 21-year-old
(22 on July 22) phenom Rory MacDonald on Aug. 6 at UFC 133.
Just
over nine months ago, Pyle came to blows with then-14-0 rising
star John Hathaway. The 21-year-old Britt ran through all of
his competition prior to meeting Pyle, and was fresh off an impressive
win over Diego Sanchez at UFC 114. Hathaway made a statement
against Sanchez – who was fresh off a title fight with BJ
Penn – in a fight that had MMA fans thinking he may be the
next big thing.
Pyle,
on the other hand, turned 35 the month prior and was 2-2 in his
previous four bouts. Hathaway clearly played the role of rising
star poised to eventually touch the Welterweight title, while
Pyle was the aging veteran hoping to stunt Hathaway’s growth
and avenge a recent skid. And Pyle did the unthinkable as he
shocked the UFC by completely manhandling Hathaway with the ground
and pound on his way to an unexpectedly dominant unanimous decision.
Pyle
took the over-hyped Hathaway to school, so it’s only natural
to wonder, will he do the same with MacDonald and become the
hype-buster of UFC?
“When
I fought Hathaway, they tried to build hype in England and I
went there and made the hype train quieter,” he wrote in
a SportsNation chat. “This is what I’m going to do
again. It’s going to be a repeat. That’s all I have
to say about that.”
MacDonald’s
hype is even greater than Hathaway’s, however, and for good
reason. He’s 11-1 and 2-1 in his first three UFC fights,
most recently an impressive victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 129
that was easily the biggest of his career. He mixed in a handful
of impressive suplexes in the third round and mopped the octagon
with Diaz. MacDonald also outfought Carlos Condit for two rounds
at UFC 119 before Condit defeated the Canadian by TKO with only
seven seconds remaining in the final round.
MacDonald
is extremely skilled in virtually every area of MMA and is set
to embark on a title run that seemed imminent before falling
to Condit. A win could catapult him into the top 15 in the class.
It’s hard to argue with 12-1, victories over Diaz and Pyle
as well as a new victory over Condit. If MacDonald is able to
get past Pyle and eventually boast the aforementioned resume,
he could meet a Diego Sanchez or Jake Ellenberger-level fighter.
But Pyle has other plans.
For
the 35-year-old submission artist coming off of a UD victory
over Ricardo Almeida, this bout is much more than a chance to
remind MacDonald to respect his elders. He’s undefeated
in his last three fights and could start an upward climb toward
a Welterweight title shot with a win over MacDonald. In his most
recent ESPN Blog Entry, Pyle explained that despite his age,
he’s in terrific shape and as confident as ever.
“I
believe I am at the peak of my career right now,” Pyle wrote.
“I have never felt better physically and have never been
stronger mentally.”
Despite
a 21-7 record and a host of solid victories, Pyle’s career
is nowhere near complete. He’s never hoisted the UFC Welterweight
title belt, and surely hasn’t left his mark on mixed martial
arts forever.
“Unlike
a lot of my legendary peers, I am still trying to make my way
in this sport and am still aspiring to achieve my goals. I am
not yet content with where my career has taken me,” Pyle
wrote. “I still have plenty left to achieve and still have
sights on that UFC welterweight title. I’m not doing this
thing to get on television. I want to fight Georges St. Pierre.
I want to become world champion and I won’t let some 21-year-old
kid named Rory MacDonald stand in my way of doing both.”
If
Pyle defeats MacDonald, he could be another win or two from the
title shot he’s been longing for. Expect him to possibly
take on a Rick Story or Thiago Alves if he does to MacDonald
what he did to Hathaway.
But
although he made easy work of the last blue-chip prospect he
faced, don’t assume Pyle will do it again. MacDonald is
an extremely diverse fighter who is very polished despite his
lack of experience. He’s equally dangerous on the ground
and on his feet, which poses a challenge to the more grappling-heavy
Pyle.
But
if Pyle does get him on the ground like he did to Hathaway, it
will be interesting to see how MacDonald responds. Sixteen of
Quicksand’s 21 victories (76%) are by way of submission
and he makes his living on the ground.
But
MacDonald has six submission wins, meaning Pyle’s going
to have to be on top of his game to defeat the youngster. My
guess is that Pyle’s motivation to finally make a major
splash in the UFC along with his decade of experience will be
enough to fend off MacDonald.
After
taking care of both Hathaway and MacDonald, Quicksand will be
known for stunting the growth of UFC’s rising stars, while
working his way toward the welterweight title shot he’s
been striving for.
Train
with Mike Pyle at TapouT VTC
Train
with Mike Pyle at TapouT VTC where members get access to endless
hours of MMA training videos from the top mixed martial arts
pros. Members also receive nutritional plans, fitness tips, a
21-day workout plan from strengths and conditioning coaches as
well as exclusive access to behind-the-scenes interviews and
much more. Pyle teaches a Clinch & Grappling Module and a
Submissions Module that include the following courses: Knees
From Clinch, Takedown Off Cage, Punching From Guard, Passing
the Guard, Passing Half Guard, Control Half Guard Against Cage,
Shoulder Lock From Side, D’arce Choke, Arm Triangle From
Side Control. Learn from Pyle and over 25 other top pros at TapouT
VTC today.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Mike
Schmitz: Veteran Mike Pyle in Familiar Territory Against Rory
MacDonald
By Zach
Arnold
Déjà vu. That’s exactly what Mike “Quicksand”
Pyle will be feeling when he steps into the octagon with 21-year-old
(22 on July 22) phenom Rory MacDonald on Aug. 6 at UFC 133.
Just
over nine months ago, Pyle came to blows with then-14-0 rising
star John Hathaway. The 21-year-old Britt ran through all of
his competition prior to meeting Pyle, and was fresh off an impressive
win over Diego Sanchez at UFC 114. Hathaway made a statement
against Sanchez – who was fresh off a title fight with BJ
Penn – in a fight that had MMA fans thinking he may be the
next big thing.
Pyle,
on the other hand, turned 35 the month prior and was 2-2 in his
previous four bouts. Hathaway clearly played the role of rising
star poised to eventually touch the Welterweight title, while
Pyle was the aging veteran hoping to stunt Hathaway’s growth
and avenge a recent skid. And Pyle did the unthinkable as he
shocked the UFC by completely manhandling Hathaway with the ground
and pound on his way to an unexpectedly dominant unanimous decision.
Pyle
took the over-hyped Hathaway to school, so it’s only natural
to wonder, will he do the same with MacDonald and become the
hype-buster of UFC?
“When
I fought Hathaway, they tried to build hype in England and I
went there and made the hype train quieter,” he wrote in
a SportsNation chat. “This is what I’m going to do
again. It’s going to be a repeat. That’s all I have
to say about that.”
MacDonald’s
hype is even greater than Hathaway’s, however, and for good
reason. He’s 11-1 and 2-1 in his first three UFC fights,
most recently an impressive victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 129
that was easily the biggest of his career. He mixed in a handful
of impressive suplexes in the third round and mopped the octagon
with Diaz. MacDonald also outfought Carlos Condit for two rounds
at UFC 119 before Condit defeated the Canadian by TKO with only
seven seconds remaining in the final round.
MacDonald
is extremely skilled in virtually every area of MMA and is set
to embark on a title run that seemed imminent before falling
to Condit. A win could catapult him into the top 15 in the class.
It’s hard to argue with 12-1, victories over Diaz and Pyle
as well as a new victory over Condit. If MacDonald is able to
get past Pyle and eventually boast the aforementioned resume,
he could meet a Diego Sanchez or Jake Ellenberger-level fighter.
But Pyle has other plans.
For
the 35-year-old submission artist coming off of a UD victory
over Ricardo Almeida, this bout is much more than a chance to
remind MacDonald to respect his elders. He’s undefeated
in his last three fights and could start an upward climb toward
a Welterweight title shot with a win over MacDonald. In his most
recent ESPN Blog Entry, Pyle explained that despite his age,
he’s in terrific shape and as confident as ever.
“I
believe I am at the peak of my career right now,” Pyle wrote.
“I have never felt better physically and have never been
stronger mentally.”
Despite
a 21-7 record and a host of solid victories, Pyle’s career
is nowhere near complete. He’s never hoisted the UFC Welterweight
title belt, and surely hasn’t left his mark on mixed martial
arts forever.
“Unlike
a lot of my legendary peers, I am still trying to make my way
in this sport and am still aspiring to achieve my goals. I am
not yet content with where my career has taken me,” Pyle
wrote. “I still have plenty left to achieve and still have
sights on that UFC welterweight title. I’m not doing this
thing to get on television. I want to fight Georges St. Pierre.
I want to become world champion and I won’t let some 21-year-old
kid named Rory MacDonald stand in my way of doing both.”
If
Pyle defeats MacDonald, he could be another win or two from the
title shot he’s been longing for. Expect him to possibly
take on a Rick Story or Thiago Alves if he does to MacDonald
what he did to Hathaway.
But
although he made easy work of the last blue-chip prospect he
faced, don’t assume Pyle will do it again. MacDonald is
an extremely diverse fighter who is very polished despite his
lack of experience. He’s equally dangerous on the ground
and on his feet, which poses a challenge to the more grappling-heavy
Pyle.
But
if Pyle does get him on the ground like he did to Hathaway, it
will be interesting to see how MacDonald responds. Sixteen of
Quicksand’s 21 victories (76%) are by way of submission
and he makes his living on the ground.
But
MacDonald has six submission wins, meaning Pyle’s going
to have to be on top of his game to defeat the youngster. My
guess is that Pyle’s motivation to finally make a major
splash in the UFC along with his decade of experience will be
enough to fend off MacDonald.
After
taking care of both Hathaway and MacDonald, Quicksand will be
known for stunting the growth of UFC’s rising stars, while
working his way toward the welterweight title shot he’s
been striving for.
Train
with Mike Pyle at TapouT VTC
Train
with Mike Pyle at TapouT VTC where members get access to endless
hours of MMA training videos from the top mixed martial arts
pros. Members also receive nutritional plans, fitness tips, a
21-day workout plan from strengths and conditioning coaches as
well as exclusive access to behind-the-scenes interviews and
much more. Pyle teaches a Clinch & Grappling Module and a
Submissions Module that include the following courses: Knees
From Clinch, Takedown Off Cage, Punching From Guard, Passing
the Guard, Passing Half Guard, Control Half Guard Against Cage,
Shoulder Lock From Side, D’arce Choke, Arm Triangle From
Side Control. Learn from Pyle and over 25 other top pros at TapouT
VTC today.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Bellator
Season 5 Middleweight Tournament Pairings Announced for Bellator
50
Reigning
Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard will have a close
eye on Bellator’s fifth season, as the promotion will hold
an eight-man middleweight tournament to find a challenger for
the current titleholder.
Heavy-handed
Judo black belt Bryan Baker enters the tournament fresh off his
impressive knockout of Joe “Diesel” Riggs at Bellator
43, while the always dangerous Alexander Shlemenko looks to build
off his striking clinic victory over Brett Cooper at Bellator
44. Bellator veterans Jared Hess and Sam Alvey will also be in
the tournament, while newcomers Vitor Vianna, Zelg Galesic, Brian
Rogers, and Victor O’Donnell look to impress Bellator brass
for the first time.
“Our
185-pound division is filled with an awe-inspiring group of fighters
who have great talent,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO
Bjorn Rebney. “Baker’s story of battling back from
leukemia is inspiring and Hess’s comeback after a devastating
knee injury is an incredible story. Vianna is one of the most
talked about prospects in the middleweight division, Shlemenko’s
one of the division’s most explosive strikers and Alvey
showed tremendous heart at Bellator 45. Rogers and O’Donell
should be an incredibly exciting fight, then you add Zelg, one
of Europe’s top middleweight strikers to the list and this
should be a hugely entertaining tournament.”
The
tournament begins at Bellator 50 on Sept. 17 at The Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Bellator Season
5 will air live on MTV2, the promotion’s new television
partner as of Season 4.
Season
5 Middleweight Tournament pairings:
Bryan
Baker vs. Jared Hess
Alexander Shlemenko vs. Zelg Galesic
Vitor Vianna vs. Sam Alvey
Brian Rogers vs. Victor O’Donnell
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
Rio: new tickets sell out in minutes
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Ingresso.com announce
that all the additional tickets for UFC Rio put on sale sold
out in just 12 minutes. The sale began at 11:30pm this Tuesday,
the 26th, exclusively for Brazilians on the www.ingresso.com
website.
According
to the UFC, more than a thousand additional tickets being put
on sale was made possible by adjustments to the event structure
carried out by the team responsible for the event’s operations,
creating more room to attend to the immense demand from Brazilian
fans. Rather than the six big screens previously announced, four
high-definition screens were installed, a configuration more
in line with the events the UFC holds in the United States.
Prior
ticket holders will be able to see just as well but with bigger
and better screens. Over three metric tons of sound equipment
and two metric tons of light gear will be used.
UFC
Rio will take place exactly one month from now, on August 27,
at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra da Tijuca part
of the city, and will be headlined by Anderson Silva defending
his middleweight belt against Yushin Okami. The doors will open
to the public starting at 6pm and the show will kick off with
the preliminary card at 8pm.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Calgary
Commission elects not to take disciplinary action against referee
in Kim Couture fight
by Geno
Mrosko
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there it is.
AX
Combat 1, an event held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 8,
2011, featured a co-main event of Kim Couture vs. Sheila Bird,
a fight won by the latter with a scissors choke in the first
round.
The
referee in the bout came under serious fire quickly after for
his decision making process while Bird had the choke locked in.
The short version of the story (read the long version with a
detailed breakdown here) is that the ref in question failed to
stop the fight for a full 10 seconds while Couture was completely
unconscious.
Thankfully,
the Calgary Combative Sports Commission launched an investigation
into the matter to determine if any disciplinary action would
be necessary.
And
after a full review, the verdict is "not guilty" ...
of anything ... at all.
As
unfortunate as that is, it's equally as ridiculous when reading
the statement released by the Calgary Commission in which they
threw their full support behind Len Koivisto, the referee in
question.
"As
standard practice, debriefing meetings are always held amongst
commission members and officials following any supervised combative
sports event held in Calgary. The committee discussed the call
made by the official for the Couture vs. Bird bout. It was determined
that a formal review would be conducted of the circumstances
surrounding that call. After an in-depth investigation, the Calgary
Combative Sports Commission members rendered a decision to support
the official, Mr. Len Koivisto. No further action or investigations
into the officiating of Mr. Koivisto will be required by the
Commission. Mr. Koivisto has been involved in the combative sports
industry for close to 40 years, the last 23 in various officiating
capacities. He is a well respected boxing referee (nationally
and internationally) and has officiated MMA (nationally) for
several years in various jurisdictions in close to 400 matches
without incident. He has always taken his ring official's duties
very seriously and conducts himself with a great deal of professionalism."
Justice
is lost, justice is raped, justice is gone.
Especially
troubling is the reason given as justification not to punish
Mr. Koivisto. Essentially, the Calgary Commission is saying that
his track record is stellar so therefore he is absolved of any
blame for his egregious actions in the Couture fight.
Uh
... what?
This
is the equivalent of a licensed driver with a perfect motorist
record for 20 years suddenly developing a case of lead foot and
wheeling their vehicle into a local business, endangering the
lives of anyone within distance and everyone passing it off as
okay because of the previously noted spotless driving record.
Which
is stupid. Terribly, terribly stupid.
No
matter, though, because the decision is final and this closes
the book on an incident that will likely be forgotten as quickly
as fans outrage subsided and the fight world moved on.
Any
thoughts on this before it goes away completely?
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Rashad
sparring with Tyrone Spong for Ortiz
By Erik
Engelhart
Born
in Suriname, Tyrone Spong is the newest member of the gym where
trains names like Rashad Evans, Antonio Silva, Gesias Cavalcante,
Jorge Santiago and Cosmo Alexandre, among others.
Known
as Imperial Athletics, or simply “Blackzilians”, the
gym is located in Florida, United States.
With
67 wins in 73 Kickboxing bouts, being 42 wins by knockout, Tyrone
has the mission to sharp the striking game of the former champion
Rashad Evans for his next bout, which happens against Tito Ortiz,
on August 6th, in UFC 133.
Source:
Tatame
|
Dream
Changes Round Structure Ahead of Bantamweight Title GP
by Jordan
Breen
The
next step toward Dream's bantamweight world grand prix? A rule
change, of course.
With
Dream's Japan grand prix in the books and three qualifiers sent
forward into the promotion's forthcoming bantamweight championship
title tournament, Dream event producer Keiichi Sasahara announced
Wednesday that starting with the company's next event, the in-ring
rules would be slightly different.
Beginning
with Dream 17 on Sept. 24 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan, Dream bouts will be three five-minute rounds, as opposed
to a 10-minute opening period followed by a five-minute second
round.
Dream
title bouts, which were previously contested with a 10-minute
opening stanza followed by two five-minute rounds, will now be
five five-minute rounds, complying with the standard set forth
in the Unified Rules of MMA used under regulation in North America.
"While
I believe that a 10-minute first round gives fighters a greater
chance at finishing a fight, since we've lately been focusing
on the lighter weight classes, for some reason the chances of
them getting a finish like a knockout have been smaller,"
Sasahara explained. "Therefore, I've decided to take a proactive
stance to reset things by changing round times. One of the reasons
we adopted the five-minute round was to follow the international
flow.
"I
don't believe that changing all bouts to be three fives will
somehow make all fights wonderful, but the change gives us a
great chance to reset the fights themselves," he added.
In
spite of the changes to the round structure, Dream bouts will
be still be evaluated as a whole by judges, as opposed to the
10-point must system.
Sasahara
also confirmed that the aforementioned Dream bantamweight world
grand prix would begin at Dream 17, with the four quarterfinal
bouts of the bracket. By virtue of their placement in the Japan
bantamweight tournament, GP champion Hideo Tokoro, former Deep
champion Masakazu Imanari and WEC veteran Kenji Osawa have all
qualified for the event. Also, Sasahara announced that former
Dream featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes would participate
as well.
"We
have a total of ten candidates for the world bantamweight grand
prix that I'll be progressively sifting through," Sasahara
said, noting that the remaining four fighters would all be non-Japanese.
"I want fighters from every corner on the globe to participate.
I want to go for an IWGP tournament image here."
Source
Sherdog
|
Miesha
Tate's Relationship With Boyfriend, Trainer Bryan Caraway, a
Winning Match
By Ray
Hui
CHICAGO
-- "More positives than negatives" is the way Miesha
Tate and Bryan Caraway both describe their atypical relationship
as a couple who also happen to be professional MMA fighters.
"It's
really, really hard to sometimes separate the personal life and
the business life of you being her coach, but you know it works
out," Caraway told MMA Fighting on Thursday. "She's
fighting for a world title and we're still together and haven't
killed each other yet," he said with a laugh.
When
Tate challenges Marloes Coenen on Saturday for the title of best
in the world at 135 pounds in women's MMA, Caraway, who is a
cast member on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, will
serve as her head cornerman for the fight.
So
much has transpired since the two first met at Central Washington
University less than six years ago. Caraway ran a college MMA
club and Tate was a former high school wrestler pushed by her
karate-practicing roommate to check out the club.
"I
met Miesha when she was a freshman in college, [she] didn't know
anything about mixed martial arts," Caraway said. "And
I got to see her grow as a person and as a fighter and it's unbelievable
to see her as a freshman in college to fighting for a world title
now."
On
Thursday, in between reiterating her desire for her fight against
champion Coenen to be an entertaining war, Tate took the time
to also show her appreciation for Caraway.
"Bryan
and I have a really unique bond in that we share similar passion,"
Tate told the media at Harry Caray's. "There's pros and
cons with every situation but I definitely think the pros outweigh
the cons. He understands the process I'm going through, the weigh-cutting
and he's there to support me through the thick and thin."
Despite
some "trying" times, at the end of the day Caraway
feels they have both benefited through their shared passion and
common understanding of the high highs and low lows that come
with this demanding sport.
"It
definitely is me being the fighter myself understands what she's
going through when she's cutting weight for a fight or dieting,
the space that she needs, the extra bit of motivation to help
her stay on track when she's dieting," he said. "I
understand all that, the irritability and stuff. It makes sense
for me to step back from the relationship and understand what
she's going through and not to take things personally."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Owner Takes Firm Stance Against TRT, Wants Random Drug Testing
by Tom
Ngo
Move over Human Growth Hormones, because it appears the next
generation of performance-enhancers is gaining momentum. While
HGH might be the prominent drug of choice for Major League Baseball
players, the hottest crave to hit the mixed martial arts market
is Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
Former
UFC star Nate Marquardt was the most recent fighter to use the
controversial treatment as his excuse for triggering a failed
drug test. Prior to the 32-year-old’s confession, UFC middleweight
Chael Sonnen was busted for having high levels of testosterone
in his system.
Although
the drama took Sonnen nearly a year to clear up, he too fingered
TRT for his flunked exam.
Sonnen
was granted a second chance from the world’s premier MMA
promotion, while Marquardt was fired on the spot after failing
his second drug screening under the UFC’s watch.
“I
think we came off with a pretty strong response to Nate Marquardt,
and kind of how we feel about TRT,” UFC co-owner Lorenzo
Fertitta told ESPNRadio in Las Vegas (transcribed by Yahoo).
“Our stance is we’re working with commissions to say
‘Look, this whole thing has got to come to an end.’
“If
you are going to have some kind of therapy, not only can you
not be at the top end of the range, you can’t be anywhere
near performance-enhancing.”
While
Fertitta won’t deny TRT benefits many ailing people across
the globe, he just wants to ensure his athletes haven’t
discovered a way to circumvent the system. It appears Dana White’s
boss already has a thorough understanding of the loophole.
“What
you can’t have are guys abusing this to the point where
their levels are at some super-human factor, giving them this
performance enhancement,” Fertitta expressed.
“It
seems like, possibly, guys are getting outside the boundary while
they’re training and managing it down where once the week
of the fight [has arrived], they take the test and they’re
fine. I think that there needs to be this random testing to make
sure no one’s abusing it.”
As
it currently stands, mixed martial artists are only required
to submit drug tests before and after their fights. Depending
upon which state is governing the show, most of a card’s
athletes never get screened.
Starting
this month, the Nevada State Athletic Commission was placed in
a position to randomly drug test licensed fighters who are out-of-competition.
Dana
White’s anger at Nate Marquardt is over incompetence, not
TRT usage
By Zach
Arnold
RON KRUCK:“The big news this week, of course, was Nate Marquardt
breaking his silence and admitting that Testosterone Replacement
Therapy, TRT, was the reason that he was suspended by the Pennsylvania
Athletic Commission. Now that you’ve heard his, his, um,
admittance of that, Dana, what is your reaction?”
DANA
WHITE:“This is a tough one and it’s a tough one for
me because the laws in the state of Pennsylvania are you can’t
talk about a guy’s medicals and, you know me, you know,
I talk about everything, I let it all out there and it is what
it is. So, that’s why last week when this was going onI
basically what I said is he needs to man up and tell everybody
what’s going on and I think the testosterone therapy thing,
it’s real, people do do it, what it is is after guys, when
you get in your 40s and 50s, men’s testosterone starts to
go down so they bump it back up to the levels that they used
to be and there’s guy now that are younger doing it for
whatever their reasons are and, you know, it gets to the point
where… how much are you taking? You know, you’re supposed
to take this amount to get to the right levels. Guys are taking
too much and, as far as I’m concerned, that’s performance-enhancing.
Now you’re cheating.”
RON
KRUCK:“This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard
about TRT involved with a Mixed Martial Artist. Is it a problem
within the sport right now?”
DANA
WHITE:“Well, it hasn’t been a problem until the main
event, you know, got canceled the other day. But, yeah, I could
see where this could start to be a problem and that’s why
I want to let all these guys know, this won’t be tolerated.
This will not be tolerated and, it’s uh, if you’re
going in and you’re going to a reputable doctor and the
doctor is watching your levels and making sure you’re taking
the right amount, this thing should be a piece of cake. But when
you come in and fail your medicals because of testosterone therapy
or treatment or whatever the hell you want to call it? That’s
a problem, you know, and it’s not going to be tolerated
here.”
RON
KRUCK:“Is it one of those things where you believe that
the athletic commissions need to come up with a universal standard,
at this point, that TRT is either a accepted process or not?”
DANA
WHITE:“No, I think they have, it has nothing to do with
the athletic commission. I think the athletic commissions have
come out and said, yeah, we do do this, but you don’t come
in over the levels that you’re supposed to be! There’s
nothing wrong with somebody doing this testosterone therapy unless
you go too high and the commission doesn’t care. If you
come in and you’re over the level, you don’t fight,
you’re done. You know? And you won’t fight again until
your levels come back at a normal range. So, it has nothing to
do with the commission, it’s 100% on the fighter and their
doctors.”
RON
KRUCK:“So, what should Nate Marquardt have done differently,
in your opinion?”
DANA
WHITE:“Well, Nate Marquardt knew that he had to test and
he had to be at a normal level and he failed his medicals, you
know? That’s 100% Nate Marquardt and you can sit there and
you can say, you know, ‘I didn’t know.’ We’ve
heard that before, we’ve heard that from athletes before
saying, ‘I didn’t know, I’m not a doctor, I’m
not this, that.’ So you’re not going to get involved
in your own business, you, yourself, your physical well-being
and what’s going on with you that you can come in and, uh…
pass your medicals, basically, you know, you’re going to
leave that in the hands of somebody else and you’re not
going to know everything about it and be on top of it? I don’t
buy that. I don’t buy it.”
RON
KRUCK:“Now that Nate has come out and said TRT was the reason
he was suspended, is there a chance that you might invite him
back into the UFC or is he finished?”
DANA
WHITE:“No, he’s finished. As far as I’m concerned,
you know… He tested positive for steroids the first time
when he first got busted. I was there for him, I supported him.
So, listen, we make mistakes, you need to get out there, he did
all the right things. Then he comes back and pops high, New Jersey
puts him on suspension, and then he comes back and doesn’t
pass his medicals in Pennsylvania. I mean, you tell me, I mean
I know there’s people out there saying that I’m being
harsh. Do you think this guy deserves another chance?
“How
about Rick Story? Rick Story, a kid who beat Thiago Alves, right?
This young, up-and-coming kid Rick Story, beats Thiago Alves,
takes a back-to-back fight, jumps right back into the gym, doesn’t
take any time off, to fight Nate Marquardt because that’s
a big name and that’s somebody he can beat, right? So, Nate
Marquardt does this to him, too, and does this the day of the
weigh-ins. Now Rick Story’s head’s all messed up, he’s
not fighting Nate Marquardt now, the opponent’s been pulled
out, he’s got to re-do all of his interviews and shoot the
show open again and all this other stuff the day of the weigh-ins?
I find it VERY, very hard to feel that much sorrow for Nate Marquardt.”
Later
on, Ron Kruck asks the following…
RON
KRUCK:“Chael Sonnen, his suspension in California came to
an end. Your thoughts on that?”
DANA
WHITE:“Should have been ended a month ago, they’re
a month late but better late than never. You know, we’ll
get him in there and get him fighting.
“And
I actually got one for you and this is something nobody asked
me this today, but people are saying, ‘Well, what’s
the difference between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt, that
he’s going to do this to Nate Marquardt…’ Chael
Sonnen got busted, paid his due, paid his fines, went through
all this other stuff, and… then came back and applied for
his license and now has a license. Nate Marquardt did that once
and then came back and then got popped again over in New Jersey
and had to come back at in the regular levels before he could
fight in Pennsylvania and then failed his medicals in Pennsylvania.
That’s the difference between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt.”
RON
KRUCK:“Great point. When should we expect Sonnen to be back?”
DANA
WHITE:“Any time, now, I mean as we soon as we can make a
fight for him, we’ll bring him back.”
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
No
Love Lost for Jon Jones, New Team Renews Rashad Evans for UFC
133
by Ken
Pishna
It’s
not a secret that there is no love lost between Rashad Evans
and former teammate Jon Jones.
“I
don’t like Jon Jones,” replied Evans when asked about
his former teammate on Thursday. “I’ll leave it at
that.”
The
relationship between the two blew apart when Evans had to drop
out of a shot at regaining the UFC light heavyweight championship
from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 in March. Jones
stepped in for his injured teammate, won the title, cementing
the fallout.
Evans
ended up walking away not only from Jones, but his team at Greg
Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn’s gym in Albuquerque, N.M.
Looking
back on it now, however, Evans doesn’t like to talk much
about Jones, but he does put the reasons why he left the gym
into perspective.
“When
you get to a certain point, you really need a lot of time (with
the coaches)… make sure you get the one-on-one, and you
just need different things,” he explained. “After being
at Jackson’s for a while, with so many people at the gym,
it just got harder and harder for me to get that time.
“When
you’re in a situation like that, things get a little bit
stagnant. How am I supposed to re-invent myself if I’m getting
the same kind of thing and I’m not getting the time that
I need?”
That
was a big part of the reason that lead to Evans to moving away
from New Mexico and starting all over again, this time with a
smaller group of fighters in Boca Raton, Fla.
The
move left him feeling refreshed, saying that it was exactly what
he needed to prepare for his fight against Tito Ortiz at UFC
133 scheduled for Aug. 6 in Philadelphia.
At
the Imperial gym in Florida, he set up shop with some of the
other fighters that share the same manager as Evans, Glenn Robinson.
Those fighters initially included Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante,
Jorge Santiago, Danillo and Yuri Villefort, and a few others,
but that cast of characters has grown rapidly, morphing into
a team they call “the Blackzilians.”
“We
all got together and we started training and (coach Mike) Van
Arsdale came down here,” recalled Evans. “We just pretty
much built a team and our team is getting bigger and bigger and
a lot better. Guys from all over the world are coming training
with us. It’s getting pretty big. What started off as four
or five guys has now evolved into quite a bit of guys now.”
With
any success, typically growth follows. That’s what happened
at Jackson’s. As the team put its mark on the sport, more
and more fighters wanted to train there. That continued growth
started to cut into the time that Evans felt he needed.
While
“the Blackzilians” have seen some growth during his
time in Florida, Evans is an integral part of the group, and
currently has more control over its expansion compared to the
situation he was in. That’s the big advantage he sees with
the new camp, and it’s renewed his outlook.
“It
was good to come out here and get the freshness.”
It’s
that freshness that Evans hopes will carry him to victory this
time against a similarly renewed Tito Ortiz, who is coming off
of a career-saving victory over Ryan Bader.
Now
it will come down to seeing whom the freshness favors more. Evans
has the pressure of a victory propelling him into an immediate
title shot, possibly against his former teammate. Ortiz, meanwhile,
is coming off of a victory he wasn’t supposed to get, accepting
a slot against Evans on short notice. He’s again not expected
to win.
Will
the shifting gears be enough for Evans to this time topple Ortiz,
whom he fought to a draw several years ago, only because Ortiz
was deducted a point for grabbing the fence? Or will the renewed
Tito be able to take advantage of all the time off and change
in Evans’ career?
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ProElite
August 27 Fight Card Rumors
Powered
by Xyience LogoProElite Return
Date: August 27, 2011
Venue: Neil S. Blaisdell Arena
Location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Press Conference
Today
Rumfire, Honolulu, HI
10AM
ProElite
leaks partial card for August return
ProElite, Inc. announced a press conference yesterday, scheduled
for Friday, July 29th in Honolulu, to reveal the matchups on
the upcoming August fight card. However, the poster above which
was recently released on their site offers a few spoilers.
The
poster reveals “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski fighting
someone with a last name of “Lopez”, Kendall Grove
fighting Joe Riggs, and confirms the debut of MMA debut of Reagan
Penn. Conor Heun has been speculated to be on the card, but is
not confirmed on this poster. “I am confident that MMA fans
will not be disappointed with the matchups, which will be announced
later this week. It’s exciting to have the MMA community
on the edge of their seats awaiting the next ProElite news,”
stated Paul Feller, President and CEO of Stratus. “I am
confident that MMA fans will not be disappointed with the matchups,
which will be announced later this week.”
T.Jay
Thompson, head of Fight Operations said, “This is just the
start of ProElite’s return to a dominant player in the industry.”
“We look forward to regaining the support of the MMA global
audience.”
The
August 27th fight marks the third time ProElite has staged an
MMA event in Hawaii.
Tickets can now be purchased at the Blaisdell Arena box office,
or online at ticketmaster.com. Reserved seats are $28, $40, $65,
and $90; Cage side seats are priced at $150 and $200. Info via
Fight Nerd fan Jeff Youngs.
Main
Card (On Pay-Per-View):
-Andrei Arlovski (15-9) vs. Ray Lopez (5-2)
-Kendall Grove (12-9) vs. Joe Riggs (34-13)
-Drew McFedries (9-6) vs. Kala Hose (7-5)
-Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-1) vs. Sara McMann (2-0)
-Mark Ellis (0-0) vs. TBA
-Reagan Penn (0-0) vs. TBA
Source: MMA Weekly
|
‘American
Fighter’ Movie to Capture Former UFC Champ Rich Franklin’s
Life Story
Eric Eisner on Wednesday announced that his Double E Pictures
has optioned the life rights to mixed martial artist and former
UFC champion Rich Franklin, and hired David Hollander (The Cleaner;
The Guardian) to write a script about Franklin’s career
as a fighter. Eisner will produce the film with Motion Theory’s
Sean Sorensen. Mathew Cullen of Motion Theory is executive producing.
American Fighter tells the unlikely story of how Franklin, a
family man and high school math teacher, taught himself mixed
martial arts, quickly emerged as one of the dominant figures
in the sport, and ultimately became champion of the UFC. The
story also chronicles the rise of mixed martial arts as the fastest
growing sport in the world and transformation into a billion-dollar
industry.
“I’m excited to see the story of my career as a fighter
brought to the screen, and I feel confident that the team assembled
will do a great job in telling this story,” Franklin said.
“I’m happy to be in business with Sean and Motion Theory,
and look forward to working with David to capture the story of
Rich’s remarkable life,” Eisner said. “This is
a truly inspirational story that we are excited to tell.”
“Rich’s story has that rare combination of qualities
that make for a great sports film; human drama, great obstacle
and seemingly insurmountable odds,” said Hollander. “The
fact that all of this is set against the formation of an exploding
and dangerous sport and that Rich basically defined what a UFC
champion could be make it uniquely interesting to write.”
Franklin rose to the pinnacle of the sport when he defeated the
late Evan Tanner for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC
53 in 2005. He defended the belt twice before current champion
Anderson Silva won it from him. Silva has held the belt ever
since.
Franklin, having competed at light heavyweight earlier in his
career, returned to the 205-pound division after failing to regain
his middleweight strap from Silva. He has had mixed results since
bouncing around at light heavyweight mixed in with a couple of
catchweight fights, but has done so fighting the likes of Wanderlei
Silva, Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, and other
prominent fighters.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Strikeforce/M-1
‘Fedor vs. Henderson’ Preview
by Jason
Probst
The fight makes any fan of the game do a double-take. When Fedor
Emelianenko battles Dan Henderson in the Strikeforce/M-1 Global
“Fedor vs. Henderson” main event on Saturday at the
Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., we will get the latest
installment in Emelianenko’s journey.
It
has seen the longtime Pride Fighting Championships titleholder
go from the hottest free agent in the sport to the recipient
of two shocking, back-to-back upsets. Pitted against Henderson,
one of MMA’s most consistent performers and one of its most
difficult nuts to crack, Emelianenko has a definite fight on
his hands.
The
event also features a title defense for women’s welterweight
champion Marloes Coenen, as she takes on Miesha Tate, and solid
supporting matches in the middleweight and welterweight divisions.
Here
is a closer look at the “Fedor vs. Henderson” show,
with fight-by-fight breakdowns and picks.
Heavyweights
Fedor Emelianenko (31-3, 1 NC, 1-2 SF) vs. Dan Henderson (27-8,
2-1 SF)
The
Matchup: Once the most feared fighter in the game, Emelianenko
meets a fellow legend in Henderson and attempts to rebound from
consecutive losses. It is hard to tell what the greatest heavyweight
of all-time has left. His shocking submission loss to Fabricio
Werdum in June 2010 ended almost as soon as it began, and being
pounded for two one-sided rounds by the massive Antonio Silva
eight months later reinforced Emelianenko’s toughness, even
if he is not as technically adept as he was in his prime.
Used
to fighting larger men in a career that stretches back to the
early UFC and Pride days, Henderson brings a stylistic complement
to the bout. He will not submit Emelianenko, as Werdum did, or
smother and crush him, as Silva did. Henderson is a great wrestler
with a massive right hand that has long been recognized as one
of the game’s best equalizers. In his last two fights, it
has been in destructive mode, with Henderson scoring brutal stoppages
on Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Rafael “Feijao”
Cavalcante.
The
intrigue of this match is obvious, and it provides a bit of a
what-if factor as a throwback to Pride, where both men were younger
and in their primes. Will Henderson be willing to keep it standing
despite Emelianenko’s penchant for bone-jarring flurries?
That is a key question. Emelianenko still retains his excellent
hand speed, as witnessed in the first round against Silva, and
Henderson’s great chin and right hand could make it a tempting
proposition.
The
battle for the takedown is also a fascinating factor. Emelianenko
has been difficult against heavyweights his entire career, with
great hips, the ability to exploit small openings in scrambles
and outstanding submissions. Does he have enough left to apply
those against Henderson? The two-time Olympian is no Rickson
Gracie when it comes to securing submissions, but he has proven
exceptionally tough to catch in them, and he may be able to control
Emelianenko enough to drag the fight late, when submissions are
less likely to be available.
This
fight could represent Emelianenko’s last stand to prove
he is still a relevant heavyweight, even though it comes against
a smaller man. The matchup favors him early but shifts towards
Henderson late.
The
Pick: Both will shake off big shots and swing the momentum their
way early in exciting exchanges on the feet and the mat. Ultimately,
Henderson has just enough to take a late stoppage or decision
win.
Strikeforce
Women’s Welterweight Championship
Marloes Coenen (19-4, 3-1 SF) vs. Miesha Tate (11-2, 3-1 SF)
The
Matchup: Submissions whiz Coenen defends her strap against the
wrestling-based Tate, whose relocation to Team Alpha Male in
Sacramento, Calif., has her feeling confident she can exploit
what Liz Carmouche started.
In
Coenen’s last title defense on March 5, late-substitution
Carmouche dominated readily before being submitted in the fourth
round. To her credit, Coenen never panicked despite numerous
bad situations and eventually found the submission to finish
the fight.
It
is not likely either fighter will be hurt standing, as both use
their strikes to close the range. Tate may have a slight edge
in punching, as she tends to put more together and use combinations
more effectively. This is a fight that will be decided in the
tie-ups, takedowns and on the ground. Scheduled for five rounds,
the length of the fight favors the wrestler, and Tate will have
to strike a balance between being busy and scoring points and
not getting nailed by Coenen’s excellent submission game.
The
Pick: Tate is well aware of the dangers and should do just enough
to win rounds convincingly while steering clear of trouble. Coenen
is exceptionally tough, however, and will be battling down the
stretch in what should be a gas tank-testing battle for both
women; Tate by split decision.
Middleweights
Tim Kennedy (13-3, 4-1 SF) vs. Robbie Lawler (18-7, 1 NC, 2-3
SF)
The
Matchup: Two of Strikeforce’s top 185-pound contenders collide
in what could be a “Fight of the Night”-style matchup.
If Kennedy and Lawler have a stylistic trait in common, it is
that they like to dictate where a match goes and physically impose
themselves on opponents. Both can be fairly tough to discourage
in this regard.
Lawler
possesses some of the most dangerous, one-shot striking power
in the game and the gambler’s willingness to go big on the
slightest openings. More of a grinder type, Kennedy lacks Lawler’s
one-shot monster power, but his game has improved steadily in
recent outings.
Both
men have lost to splendid Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza; Lawler’s three-round submission
loss to the Brazilian in January was a rare example of Lawler
spending extensive time on his back in defensive mode. That is
a position Lawler rarely sees, with his considerable explosiveness
and upper-body strength. Kennedy’s best chance is to put
him there and grind him down, mixing in shots while stuffing
Lawler’s keen ability to bridge out and create scrambles
to get up.
Obviously,
in a standing match, this becomes Lawler’s fight. However,
if Kennedy can close the gap and force tie-ups and exchanges
in close, he can negate some of his foe’s speed and dangerous
bombs. Kennedy learned a lot in his decision loss to Souza, namely
that he has to use virtually everything available to win. This
match comes down to a distance fight, which favors Lawler, and
an in-close, grinding-style encounter with some groundwork, which
is pretty much a scratch.
The
Pick: Lawler by close decision in a tough fight.
Welterweights
Paul Daley (27-10-2, 1-1 SF) vs. Tyron Woodley (8-0, 6-0 SF)
The
Matchup: Fresh off his thrilling one-round brawl with Nick Diaz
in April, Daley returns against the talented Woodley, an emerging
Strikeforce contender who may be the best welterweight left on
the promotion’s roster. Daley’s numbing one-shot power
and improved all-around game were not enough against Diaz, who
simply forced confrontations and banged him out.
Woodley
presents an entirely different picture. His quick takedowns,
speed and developing standup game present some matchup problems
for Daley, just as the Brit’s power and experience do for
Woodley. This is a classic striker-versus-wrestler collision.
Woodley’s decision win over Tarec Saffiedine in January
showed he was perfectly content to avoid excess danger and take
it to the mat, where he could ride out a win. That is also the
smart approach against Daley, who either melts you with power
or gets overwhelmed once the fight hits the floor.
With
the Strikeforce welterweight title now vacant following Diaz’s
return to the UFC, Woodley is a win away from getting the chance
to vie for it. However, given his disinclination to stand with
Saffiedine, this one will either end quickly with a Daley bomb
or with the Brit’s being taken down and camped on. Woodley
used very little ground-and-pound against Saffiedine despite
having him planted for much of their fight, but that was due
more to the Belgian’s clever jiu-jitsu and positional smarts.
Daley’s is not at that level on the ground.
The
Pick: Woodley takes this one easily, riding out a decision in
a fairly one-sided bout.
Welterweights
Tarec Saffiedine (10-3, 2-1 SF) vs. Scott Smith (17-8, 1 NC,
3-3 SF)
The
Matchup: Despite his decision loss to Tyron Woodley in January,
Saffiedine remains an emerging talent. With solid standup, speed
and a dynamic understanding of transitions between the phases
of the game, he has made himself a talent to watch.
Now
fighting in his fourth weight class, Smith attempts to reverse
a tough career slide in which he has lost three of his last four,
all by punishing knockout. Making a name for himself as one of
the sport’s most exciting comeback artists, Smith has provided
some of MMA’s most riveting fights, rallying from the brink
of disaster to win by knockout against Cung Le, Benji Radach
and Pete Sell.
For
longtime Smith watchers who saw him come up on the local scene
in California, it was surprising to hear “Hands of Steel”
was dropping to 170 pounds after his loss in the Le rematch.
It just seemed like one weight class too far for a guy that turned
professional as a heavyweight, dropped down to light heavyweight
and then moved to middleweight for his UFC debut.
Saffiedine
has shown a stout chin and exceptional smarts for a fighter at
this stage of his career; he moves seamlessly and makes consistently
smart decisions. The loss to Woodley merely showed that a better
wrestler can outwrestle him. Since Smith never wrestles -- he
can, but he prefers to bang on the feet -- this is a fight between
a guy with many weapons and one with a few.
This
is Saffiedine’s fight to lose, especially with the weight
cut draining Smith. One has to doubt that Smith belongs at 170.
Saffiedine’s biggest worry centers on getting caught by
a knockout blow, which Smith possesses in either hand, his right
in particular.
The
Pick: Saffiedine will have too much movement, too many angles
and too much versatility. He wins by second-round knockout.
Lightweights
Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (15-4-1, 2 NC, 0-1, 1 NC SF)
vs. Bobby Green (15-4, 0-0 SF)
The
Matchup: A longtime staple of Japanese promotions and once among
the best lightweights in the world, Cavalcante was originally
slated to face Lyle Beerbohm, who withdrew from the event. Green’s
hands are quick and his overall game is solid, but if his bout
with Dan Lauzon at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” revealed
anything, it was that his head went south in a tough fight.
Green-Lauzon
remains one of the dirtiest fights in recent memory. This is
Green’s chance to overcome that stigma, but Cavalcante on
short notice is one heck of an invite to the party. “JZ”
has been in plenty of big fights and still seems to transition
well between striking and grappling, pressuring opponents where
necessary and applying his advantages.
Green,
who was training for another small-show bout before filling in
for Beerbohm, will have to sprawl-and-brawl and land something
significant early. It is hard to see it happening against the
exceptionally resilient Cavalcante, who has never been knocked
out or submitted.
The
Pick: Cavalcante has too much experience and savvy. He should
be able to frustrate and wear down Green en route to a second-round
stoppage.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Media
day: 10 things I think I know are true in UFC & MMA (part
two)
By Zach
Arnold
On Tuesday, I did two radio interviews (one with Bryan Alvarez
here & one with Jordan Breen on Sherdog here).
Yesterday, I wrote the first 5 things I think I know are true
about the UFC & MMA landscape based on my interview with
Bryan. Today, things 6-10 that I think I know are true based
on my excellent interview with Jordan Breen. The only thing not-excellent
about that interview was my usage of the crutch “I mean”
too many times. Been a while since I’ve done the interview
rounds, so I didn’t pay attention and paid for it.
Our interview with Jordan focused mostly on UFC’s plans
for wanting to run an event in Japan and what the Japanese landscape
looks like now versus what it may look like down the road. I
would strongly encourage you to listen to both interviews I did
(if you get the chance). Many thanks to the feedback I’ve
received from everyone on the F4W interview.
Now, focusing on some of the issues raised in the Sherdog interview.
6. Zuffa wants to run in Japan because, in our opinion, it will
be a vanity show to placate egos & stick it to ‘the
ghost of PRIDE’
Jordan calls the idea of UFC running a show in Japan as a ‘vanity
show’ and I agree with him. Japan is no longer a substantial
MMA market to make money in. There’s a reason you see One
FC and Legend FC running in Macau, in Singapore (I predicted
that specific area a couple of years ago would see substantial
activity because of what the country offers), and in Hong Kong.
The primary reason I stated that UFC would be interested in running
in Japan is to basically placate egos in management that want
to kill the meaning of PRIDE in their heads. I said this to Jordan
and I stick by it — Dana White and company still mark out
over PRIDE in 2011 and magnify an imaginary feud with PRIDE to
this day. It’s a ghost and it’s almost as if wanting
to run a show in Japan is to prove to the Japanese that PRIDE
was nothing, that their rules suck, and that UFC is superior
to PRIDE. PRIDE is dead, so it shouldn’t matter. With that
said, I don’t believe for one second that UFC isn’t
interested in running in Japan in order to continue with the
fixation of proving that the foreign power is best and that foreign
fighters are better than Japanese fighters. Again, it doesn’t
matter if it’s truthful or not, if you’re a Japanese
fan why do you want to watch natives get buried to foreigners
you’ve never seen on television and never will largely care
about?
There is a great romance that people who have spent many years
in the MMA business have with Japan as far as what it meant and
still try to project recent history with what the current landscape
really is like.
7. MMA fans expect big activity from the Japanese landscape in
2011 despite the industry’s collapse in the country
“What is Japan right now for fighting?” That’s
the question, in a nutshell, that I think about quite a bit.
Jordan mentioned that if the MMA scene died in the UK tomorrow,
people would still move on with their lives. However, there’s
this belief that MMA’s importance on a large scale should
and never will die in Japan. That’s simply not the case.
The expectations of what fans and promoters think Japan should
be versus what it is are unrealistic. That doesn’t mean
that I’m not sad about it. Japan has always been a major
part of my career history and I’ve made so many personal
& business connections over there because of the fight game.
8. The timing couldn’t be more miserable for a foreign promoter
to try to gain a large market share in Japan.
2 to 3 years ago, I stated that the one way UFC could possibly
get traction in the Japanese marketplace is if they agreed to
work with K-1 and Kazuyoshi Ishii. At that time, the possibility
of match-ups like Kid Yamamoto vs. Urijah Faber still existed.
K-1 still had connections with Fuji TV & Tokyo Broadcasting
System, network television assets that are essential to being
successful in that country. You cannot transfer UFC’s traditional
cable business model to Japan and expect it to work. It didn’t
work for WWE and it won’t work for UFC.
Forward to the landscape today and K-1 is largely marginalized.
Foreign fighters, no less, are openly challenging K-1 for getting
stiffed on cash. Even five years ago, foreigners would have been
punished hard for causing such trouble. Now? K-1 is impotent,
weak, and shallow. Largely irrelevant. They don’t bring
the television power to the table that they once had.
However, don’t think for a second that UFC could ever capitalize
on K-1’s misfortune. If they can’t secure the kind
of TV deal they want in the States and if they can’t navigate
the politics of New York, the politics of Japan are far more
challenging than they could ever deal with or be motivated to
traverse through.
Five years ago, Simon Rutz would have been punished for running
a show in Japan. A foreigner from Holland running a show as a
protest to business dealings with K-1? This is the same operation
(K-1) that cooperated with Shukan Gendai to create the steam
needed to destroy PRIDE. I say cooperated because Seiya Kawamata,
the admitted yakuza fixer, was aligned with K-1 at the time of
the scandal. The idea of someone like Simon running without fear
is incredible, no matter how small the buildings he runs events
in are.
9. If the UFC runs a vanity show in Japan, the safe money is
the show taking place at Saitama Super Arena or Yokohama Arena.
Yokohama Arena is where WWE tried their hand in 2003. It’s
a building that is booked for a lot of foreign shows and concerts.
It’s also home to where Ultimate Japan took place with Sakuraba.
Saitama Super Arena, as I stated during the Sherdog interview,
is my best bet for where UFC would want to run a show. SSA is
PRIDE’s home turf and if you’re going to go into Japan
to kill off the ghost of PRIDE, you run your show there. The
building can be scaled down for smaller crowds as well. Makes
a lot of sense.
There is an outside chance that if UFC can’t get either
building, they would have to run in a building like Makuhari
Messe (Chiba) or Tokyo Bay NK Hall (old home to UWF/Pancrase
shows). WWE ran Ryogoku Kokugikan for their last Japanese stint,
but I’m not sure if UFC would want to book that building
because it’s not a very flexible set-up for production.
As for what kind of crowd would show up for a UFC show in Japan,
there would be some hardcore MMA fans. However, I would expect
the majority of the audience to be one-and-doners or concert
types that go because it’s a foreign product, but nothing
with a real emotional attachment.
The UFC using a cage is more of a negative than it is a positive
in Japan. The Japanese fans prefer the ring. Always have, always
will. Less barbaric looking.
As for what kind of fights UFC could book for a Japanese show
to try to appeal to the masses, I’ll just tell you to listen
to the Sherdog interview for my initial response. Even after
listening to my answer on the audio download, I’m horrified
I even said the match-up that I did. But I told the truth.
10. We do not know where the next pipeline is for recruiting
young Japanese MMA talent. What is the profile of the next big
Japanese star?
At no point during our discussion on the radio interview did
we talk about Yushin Okami headlining a UFC show in Japan. He
is practically a no-name in his home country. You could not headline
a show with him on top and expect to draw a huge gate.
Yushin Okami’s biggest value for UFC in Japan, ironically,
is in what I call the “Akio Sato” role. Sato was a
fledgling, yet good technical pro-wrestling midcarder who never
got a big push. He ended up working for Vince McMahon when McMahon
decided to do some super shows with the SWS (money mark) promotion
in the early 90s. Sato was the go-between for talent between
the two companies. He essentially managed to pipeline for business
between the American and Japanese entities.
Okami very much could fill the same role for Zuffa as a recruiter
& talent scout, similar to the role that Hiroshi Hase had
with his amateur wrestling contracts when he recruited new talent
for New Japan Pro-Wrestling during their golden age of business.
If UFC does not manage to put Okami in a position to be able
to recruit new talent and create a recruiting pipeline, the danger
is that someone will attempt to fill that vacuum and it won’t
be a Zuffa-friendly ally. It will be someone like Hase (if he
gets the itch) or Antonio Inoki. Inoki is not in the business
for recruiting talent for UFC, he’s in business for himself
like he’s always been.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Henderson -- By the Odds
By Ben
Fowlkes
I'm
not sure what's more of a challenge when it comes to picking
a winner in Saturday night's cross-divisional, just-for-the-heck-of-it
fight between MMA veterans Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko:
the fact that we don't know what Fedor has left in the tank,
or the fact that we know exactly what Hendo has, even if it may
not be enough.
To
unravel these and other mysteries presented by Strikeforce: Fedor
vs. Henderson, we turn to the betting odds to find out how online
bookmakers see it. They're the ones who have to know what they're
talking about just to stay in business, after all.
Of
course, they're also the ones who have pegged Fedor as a considerable
favorite in his last two fights, and we all remember how that
worked out. Below, let's see if they've learned anything from
those expensive lessons.
Dan
Henderson (+190) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (-250)
I've
always suspected that internet bookies were hardcore Pride fanboys,
and here's the proof. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but it
is surprising to see Fedor, at this stage in his career, as this
big of a favorite. Between Henderson's wrestling, his right hand,
and his ability to take a punch, he has plenty of ways to win
this fight. The biggest threat for him may be fatigue in the
later rounds, which tends to take his submission defense down
a few notches. Those are all variables you can work with in making
a pick, but for Fedor the big question is whether he truly still
wants to do this. The man shows about as much emotion as a bowling
ball, so trying to discern something about his mental state from
his pre-fight demeanor is pointless. The world of MMA has always
loved Fedor more than Fedor loves it. What's hard to figure is,
does he still love it enough to do what he has to in training
and on fight night against a savvy vet like Hendo?
My pick: Henderson. At these odds, I simply can't pick Fedor,
who's lost his aura of invincibility and maybe some of his passion
for the sport. In a straight-up pick, sure, but as long as Hendo
is a nearly 2-1 dog, he's worth the risk.
Marloes
Coenen (-125) vs. Miesha Tate (-105)
On
paper, Tate has the exact style that Coenen struggles against.
She's a strong wrestler with a good top game, and now that Strikeforce
allows elbows on the ground she's even more dangerous. On the
flip side, she hasn't fought in nearly a year, and that's not
going to help her when it comes to closing the experience gap
between herself and Coenen. Lately, the champion has made up
for her deficiencies in the wrestling department with her outstanding
submissions game. She can get roughed up for twenty minutes straight
and still pull out a win off her back, which is probably the
next best asset you can have to combat a wrestler -- right after
a solid takedown defense. Still, it's a troubling way to win,
since you're constantly struggling against the clock. All it
takes is a careful, patient opponent to shut it down and nab
that belt.
My pick: Tate. I think she takes Coenen down and makes this an
ugly little war of attrition up against the fence. It won't be
thrilling to watch, but as long as Tate sticks to what she does
well, she should be able to pull it out.
Robbie
Lawler (+220) vs. Tim Kennedy (-280)
The
one thing we know about Lawler is that he walks into every fight
with a lottery ticket in his back pocket. The trouble is, sometimes
he gets so caught up thinking about his numbers coming up that
he forgets about pocketing a regular paycheck. Everybody knows
about his one-punch KO power at this point, so it's not like
he's going to surprise Kennedy with that. What he needs to be
concerned with is getting the fight into a position where he
can use it, which is going to be the hard part. Kennedy is much
better on the ground than Lawler is, and he's smart enough to
use that. Lawler may be able to get back to his feet after some
of the early takedowns, but eventually he'll wear himself out
that way and then he'll be easy prey for a patient, cerebral
fighter like Kennedy. As financial strategies go, the lotto is
almost always inferior to the 401K.
My pick: Kennedy. I'll save it for the parlay at these odds.
Paul
Daley (+220) vs. Tyron Woodley (-280)
Here's
another case where oddsmakers have got the right guy, but perhaps
to the wrong degree. Woodley should beat Daley, simply based
on his greatest strength (wrestling) matching up so well against
Daley's most glaring weakness (aside from self-control). But
let's not get carried away here. Woodley is an 8-0 fighter who's
faced a series of Challengers-level opponents in his Strikeforce
run. Daley is a veteran of nearly 40 pro fights who has managed
to remain a threat despite only minimal gains in his ground game
over the years, and that's no accident. Tagging an inexperienced
fighter like Woodley as a near 3-1 favorite in a fight like this
is asking for trouble. He probably needs to grind out a decision
to win this, and the whole time he's in the cage he's never more
than one left hook away from getting beat. That's one thing if
you're a fighter who's been there before, but it's quite another
when you're still fairly green in the sport.
My pick: Daley. The odds are just too tempting, and Woodley is
still too untested. Tread lightly, but take the risk here.
Scott
Smith (+190) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (-250)
To
complete the trifecta of heavy-hitters taking on technically
superior fighters, Smith returns for the first time since his
devastating knockout loss to Daley to see if he's still got enough
steel left in those hands for another addition to the old highlight
reel. In a point-fighting match, Saffiedine would beat him every
time. Smith's style is just too dependent on landing one big
shot, and let's just say he's not getting faster as the years
and the beatings pile up on him. Saffidiene can be out-wrestled,
but we all know Smith is going to go in there looking to bang.
That's probably going to result in him getting picked apart by
a quicker, sharper striker, and Smith is probably at least somewhat
okay with that. He'll keep looking for that one opening all night
long, and he'll attempt to pay for it with his own blood. Will
that investment pay off the way it did against Cung Le (the first
time) and Benji Radach? If this were a movie, sure. In real life,
probably not.
My pick: Saffiedine. It's another one for the parlay, but I fear
Smith's days of one-punch comebacks may be drawing to a close.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Odds
Open with Aldo as Near 3 to 1 Favorite Over Florian, Penn vs.
Condit Dead Even
The odds have opened on two of the biggest fights coming up later
this year with one match-up at UFC 136 and the other at UFC 137.
Oddsmaker Nick Kalikas from BetonFighting.com has opened the
lines for both B.J. Penn vs. Carlos Condit and the UFC featherweight
title fight between Jose Aldo and Kenny Florian.
In the case of Penn vs. Condit, the line has opened extremely
close with neither fighter coming out as the clear cut favorite.
Penn currently comes in as a slight favorite at -125, while Condit
comes back at -105. Condit is of course on a great winning streak
right now, while also coming off a knockout win over Dong Hyun
Kim at UFC 132.
Meanwhile, Penn has been on hiatus since February when he fought
to a draw with Jon Fitch in Australia, and a shoulder injury
has put him out of action until his return in October.
“Really looking forward to this fight. As you can tell by
my opening line, I’m expecting an ultra competitive battle,”
Kalikas told MMAWeekly.com. “Both fighters have the tools
& skill set to win. I have BJ Penn opening as a very slight
favorite, but that could change as we get closer to fight day.”
The other bout that was opened on Wednesday is the co-main event
fight between featherweight champion Jose Aldo and top contender
Kenny Florian.
Aldo enters the fight as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters
in the sport, undefeated since coming under the Zuffa umbrella,
and a flawless title defense run thus far. Florian only has one
win so far at featherweight, but it was an impressive performance
over Aldo’s teammate Diego Nunes at UFC 131 this June.
Aldo’s reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters
on the planet have led the odds to make the champion a heavy
favorite at -270, while Florian plays the underdog at +210.
“Very intriguing match-up. I have Jose Aldo as a solid favorite
heading in. He’s been one of the most dominant fighters
in sport the last 3 years, pretty much destroying everyone Zuffa
has put in front of him,” Kalikas stated. “With that
being said, I do think Kenny Florian’s probably the biggest
threat to Aldo’s Title we’ve seen. Even though Aldo
is listed at nearly a 3-1 favorite, this line is actually closer
than his previous few title defenses.”
Aldo and Florian face off at UFC 136, while Penn and Condit meet
later that sa
me month at UFC 137 in Las Vegas.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Mário
Reis switches to Alliance
Marcelo
Dunlop
After
six years representing Gracie Barra’s colors, Mário
Reis, 31, opted to switch sides to Alliance. The reason, as he
explained to GRACIEMAG.com by telephone from his home in Porto
Alegre, is his desire to get to know how things are at the São
Paulo-based academy, which he feels could make him all the stronger
for upcoming gi competitions.
“I’ve been making it to the podium at the biggest IBJJF
competitions ever since 1999 without fail, but I feel it’s
about time for the next big leap in my career, and what I want
most is to recover my post of being number one. At the last Worlds,
I feel I lost to Rafael Mendes on a trifle, in a great match,
and I want to intensify my focus on competition,” said Mário,
this year’s gold medalist and a two-time world champion
(2003/2004).
Speaking kindly of and thankful to Carlos Gracie Jr. and Marcio
Feitosa, “for all they have done for me,” the featherweight
also had words of praise for Gracie Barra’s champions, but
lamented the fact it was impossible to always have them together
on the same mat.
“The guys at Gracie Barra are strong as ever but they’re
spread out all around the place, and I feel the need to be at
an academy where it’s competition time all the time. I fulfilled
a dream by competing for Gracie Barra and training with guys
like Marcio Feitosa, Bráulio Estima, Roger Gracie, Rômulo
Barral, Phillipe Furão, Lucio Lagarto, Jefferson Moura,
Victor Estima, Otávio Sousa and so many other people,”
he listed.
“The guys are awesome. But it’s becoming harder and
harder for everyone to train together, and in São Paulo
I feel I can find that. I want to focus on championships, and
it will be a new phase for me; I feel this is what I need at
this stage in my career. I’ve been at the top tier ever
since 1999, and I feel spending time with Gurgel and the group
at Alliance will put me back at the top,” explained Reis,
who will be dividing his training between São Paulo and
Porto Alegre.
“I’m grateful to GB for the kindness and support; I
have no complaints about anyone there, but I hope they understand
that this is something I need to do. I’m looking at my Gracie
Barra gi and feel like I’m part of the family, but unfortunately
time has come for me to be honest with myself and fully focus
on competition,” said Mário in closing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Joe
Warren says he wanted to be an MMA commentator but got told to
be a fighter first
By Zach
Arnold
MIKE STRAKA:“So, let’s talk. First of all, I hear you
want to go down to Bantamweight, is that right?”
JOE WARREN:“That’s a natural weight for me, you know,
I walk around 145, so, uh… it’s a career move for me,
a safe career move, you know, to get down and fight those studs
at 135, get the belt there and defend both belts.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Now, that would be 2012, a year that you could
be the Bantamweight, the Featherweight champion of Bellator,
but also maybe a gold medalist on the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman
Wrestling Team, is that right?”
JOE WARREN:“Yeah, that’s the plan here, you know, we
got a plan for the next year and right now the plan is another
belt at 35 and then make the Olympic team and go win that thing.
But, you know, it’s one day at a time for me keeping focus
and if you look too far ahead sometimes it’s rough for me.
But I got a real tough here against Alexis Villa first and then,
we’ll see what happens, you know?”
MIKE STRAKA:“Alexis Villa, he’s a Cuban wrestler, another
great wrestler like yourself. But how’s the transition been
for you, going from being a wrestling guy, a mat guy, I see your
ground-and-pound is great, stand-up not so great?”
JOE WARREN:“It’s great now, okay, so watch out. Yeah,
I mean I was a wrestler, came from the Olympic Training Center
and jumped directly into Japan and fought the featherweight world
championship. I wanted to actually be a color commentator and
they said I had no credibility in fighting, so I should fight.
So Dan & Heath at Team Quest, ex-teammates of mine, gave
me a call and said, two weeks, we can get you into this featherweight
championship. So, I didn’t really have any training, just
wrestling, so…”
MIKE STRAKA:“First of all, who told you had no credibility
to be a color commentator? I mean, how many fights has Joe Rogan
had?”
JOE WARREN:“Exactly, but you know, I wanted to be a better
color commentator than that, okay? So, I just to want make sure
that I knew what I was doing and actually had credibility. So,
now that I have some belts, you know, I’ll get a few more
belts and maybe stand next to him some day, you never know.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Well, have you ever considered doing wrestling
commentary? I see Cael Sanderson doing some stuff, John Smith…”
JOE WARREN:“Yeah, I’ll probably do a lot of that, but
I got a family so it’s a business for me, it’s a job,
they don’t usually pay the wrestling commentators really
well.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Well, speaking of family, you’ve got Xander,
how old is Xander?”
JOE WARREN:“He just turned three last week, and I have a
daughter, she’s 14 months (old), and my wife Christy, love
‘em. That’s why I really got into this, you know, it’s
my job and I fight for them so it’s nice, I got a good,
strong support cast at home. It keeps me focused and training
hard.”
MIKE STRAKA:“What’s the difference, Joe, between being
an amateur wrestling and going for the gold in the Olympics and
the World Games, things like that, to being a professional fighter?”
JOE WARREN:“You know, it’s completely two different
things, you know. These are professional athletes, the best of
the best at the Olympic level, you know, their whole life is
based around winning a gold medal for this Olympic, It’s
life or death for them, so once you compete against one of those
guys in a foreign country, it’s very personal. So the match
is a battle, it’s like the worst war you’ve seen in
the cage. I’m seeing this is more of a business and people
love to fight and it’s exciting and so you see two different
guys get matched up, one five-time world champ jiu-jitsu, five-time
world champ wrestler, so you see a clash. Now I’m seeing
better athletes, top-tier fighters get into fighting. It’s
changed a lot. So, the difference is pretty tough but hand-to-hand
they’re very similar.”
MIKE STRAKA:“The sport’s called Mixed Martial Arts,
you’re a wrestler and maybe you’re learning some striking.
Would you ever consider yourself a martial artist?”
JOE WARREN:“Well, I consider myself a fighter now, okay,
not a wrestler. I’ve put too much into this and I’m
starting to love this sport. It was hard for me to love this
sport earlier in the last year and a half because I was fighting
so much, I think I fought 8 times in a year and a half, two years,
8 times, so I couldn’t learn any technique, my muscle memory,
that’s why my hands were bad. But now I’ve put that
time in, I’m putting the time in every single day and I’m
starting to love jiu-jitsu and striking because I’m learning
the sport, you know, I respect both of those sports more and
more every day when I get some technique.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Have you been training your wrestling? (Olympics)”
JOE WARREN:“Yeah, I have a home in Monument, Colorado, so
it’s 30 minutes from the Olympic Training Center, 30 minutes
from my gym in Denver. So, yeah, I’m still in there, the
best place I think to train in the world is at the OTC. It’s
a team atmosphere and I’ve been pushing real hard.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Your next fight with Villa, are you guys going
to negate each other’s wrestling, you think?”
JOE WARREN:“You know, he’s a Freestyler, you know,
so if he drops down and grab his leg right here he might get
knee’d in the face, but you never know. It might negate
it but that’s better for me because I have a longer reach,
bigger hands, and my hands are working better. So, it’s
going to be a war, I mean this is a champion and I’m a champion,
so when we both get in there neither of us like to break. But
those are those situations that I’m comfortable in, you
know, the war where it gets down and dirty, that’s where
I shine.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Now, you talk about this is your job and you
do it for your family and things like that. Christy, your wife,
how long have you been together?”
JOE WARREN:“We’ve been together for like 12 years,
so it’s been a while.”
MIKE STRAKA:“So, to her, your fighting world and your sports,
athletic world, that’s just second nature to her?”
JOE WARREN:“It’s second nature. We met in college,
she was older than me, she got a full-time job, a medical sales
job to support me so I could go after my Olympic gold, I wanted
to win the Worlds, I was focused, she believed in me. So, she
got a job and worked hard and supported us for six, seven years
and now it’s my turn, so she’s at home with the babies
and I’m beating people up for money. So, that’s how
it goes. But to have that support structure, someone who believes
in you, you gain ground every single day with that.”
MIKE STRAKA:“How devastated were you when you didn’t
compete in the Olympics?”
JOE WARREN:“You know, it was tough, I don’t think I
lost three years up to that. I won the Pan American games, I
won the World Cup, I won the World Championship, I won everything.
So, me making that team and not being able to compete? You know,
it was a blow to me but things happen, you know, I just move
through it. I get another chance now to make that team and now
I’m a fighter. Look at this, this is awesome. I enjoy the
big stage. I enjoyed fighting in Japan, stuff like that. So,
not winning that gold hurt then but it made me stronger and a
champion is able to move through those bumps and keep going forward.”
MIKE STRAKA:“What did you say to Christy when everything
she sacrificed for you to get there, how did you reconcile that
with her?”
JOE WARREN:“The reason it happened is we lost a baby right
at that time, you know, and it was rough on both of us. There’s
not much you can say. It was a mistake that I made and I dealt
with it, you know, it’s done and it’s over with but
I get a second chance.”
MIKE STRAKA:“This is some personal , you know what I mean?”
JOE WARREN:“Yeah, it’s personal, I mean, fighting’s
personal, man. I mean, all these sports are personal and what
we do, what you do, is to try to teach everyone who we are so
we can just educate people that we’re real people, we’re
the same person as your next-door neighbor. We’re just not
good at accounting, we’re good at punching people, that’s
the difference. But, you know, every day in and day out is a
struggle always for everyone. It might their job or it might
be fighting, so, we just try to stay positive and keep moving
forward and one day at a time and usually it’s good.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Santiago
not afraid of Demian's ground game: “If he makes a mistake,
I’ll submit him”
By Guilherme
Cruz
Jorge
Santiago didn’t have a good result on his debut in the UFC,
and will another chance to make it against another Brazilian,
Demian Maia, in UFC 136 (October 8th). On his prep for fighting
the BJJ black belt, Santiago talked to TATAME and warned us he
is not afraid of fighting Demian on the floor. “He has an
excellent ground game, but mine ain’t any worst, I don’t
only work on the guard, use it to sweep… If you are not
careful, I’ll get you”, guarantees the fighter, excited.
“I’ll live for Jiu-Jitsu for a while, but, of course,
focusing in Jiu-Jitsu with punches”.
How
are your training for the fight going?
Right after the fight was over (against Brian Stann), I took
some time off and started training it step by step. I’m
still not playing his game, I’m just doing a strong basic
preparation. I hope to do a great fight with him. Demian wants
to show his striking, so I’ll enjoy trading punches with
him too.
Do
you believe he’ll want to bang with you?
I don’t know. For what I could tell about his last fight,
he really likes striking, but he’s strongest point is his
Jiu-Jitsu. If we must strike, let’s do it.
What
are your thoughts about his Jiu-Jitsu?
He has an excellent ground game. I’ve watched his fights
for a long time, he has a good ground game, but mine ain’t
any worst. I still haven’t had the chance to show it in
MMA, but I can fight him on the floor. My ground game is focused
in MMA, I don’t only work on the guard, use it to sweep…
If you are not careful, I’ll get you and you’ll tap
out.
You’re
not afraid of Demian while on the floor?
No… If he makes a mistake, I’ll submit him.
How
is your prep going so far?
I’m getting stronger, working my power, and I’ve started
to train the stand-up game now. I guess the only thing I’ll
need to change is due to the fact he’s a lefty guy.
Will
he be your first left-handed opponent?
I’ve fought many lefties… A long time ago, at ATT,
we had many athletes to train with, and it was great. Now we
have a smaller team, more focused, but I have great trainings
too.
With
whom will you train your Jiu-Jitsu?
We have pretty good Jiu-Jitsu guys here. I train with Sergio
Babu and there’re other good Jiu-Jitsu guys, and I’m
also looking for some news too. We gather every Saturday with
the guys of (Pablo) Popovitch’s gym, where train guys like
Vagner Rocha, Banha (Luiz Cane), Edson (Junior), and I’ll
do some visits to other gyms, including Pablo’s, which has
many good Jiu-Jitsu guys. I’ll live for Jiu-Jitsu for a
while, but, of course, focusing in Jiu-Jitsu with punches.
How
do you see this fight, since you’re coming from a loss to
Stann and you need a win to remain alive in UFC?
I see it as any other fight. Unfortunately, I really wasn’t
supposed to win that last fight I did in UFC. I wasn’t really
there. I paid a high price for believing it wouldn’t happen
to me the same that has happened to other guys who came from
Japan to the United States. But I’ve put it behind, I don’t
think about it anymore. I was defeated and then did the best
fight of the year, so… I see it as another tough fight.
Many
athletes who left Japan, just like you, didn’t do well in
UFC or Strikeforce, like happened with Kid Yamamoto, Shinya Aoki
and even Fedor Emelianenko. What was the most important factor
for you?
The big audience, the greatness UFC brings, the repercussion
it causes, not only for the high level of its athletes, who are
as good as the guys I’ve fought in Sengoku. (Mamed) Khalidov
was kicking ass, (Kazuo) Misaki has always been a good fighter…
I’ve had good opponents there, just like here on the US.
There were many simultaneous changes, both in my personal and
professional life, like gym exchange, events… I lost focus
meanwhile. Now I’m better adapted, aware of the things I
ought to do.
Source:
Tatame
|
Henderson
Knows Not to Rush Fedor Even if He’s Hurt
Dan Henderson (Pictured) might be a natural middleweight, but
he’s never shied away from fighting elite competition in
heavier divisions.
On
July 30, he meets the man considered by many to be the best heavyweight
of all time: Fedor Emelianenko. The bout headlines a Strikeforce/M-1
Global card at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Ahead
of the matchup, Henderson stopped by “The Savage Dog Show”
and discussed his willingness to move up in weight, the threats
Fedor still poses and more.
Henderson
on what he expects Fedor to weigh for the fight: “I’ve
never required any catchweight. If he wants to come in at whatever
weight he can or wants to, he can. He can cut weight if he wants
to, but he doesn’t have to.”
On
why he’s fighting a heavyweight: “I’ve never felt
weak fighting bigger guys. Throughout my whole wrestling career
I kind of wrestled up and down different weight classes and wrestled
against bigger guys. It’s all about [being comfortable]
and confidence level. It’s never been an issue for me.”
On
whether he requested a bout against Fedor: “I didn’t
ask for this fight. It wasn’t something that I wanted really
bad. They said, ‘Hey, you want to fight him?’ I said,
‘Absolutely. No problem.’ I typically say that [for]
most opponents they ask me to fight. I’ve never had a problem
fighting anybody, but this one kind of made sense. I know that
the fans and media have been talking about it ever since I signed
with Strikeforce.”
On
Fedor’s stoppage loss to Antonio Silva: “I had that
fight one round each. I would have liked to have seen the doctors
let it go for that third round so I could see the actual third
round of that. I think Fedor would have maybe still lost. He
was a little bit tired, but it would have been nice to see him
try and pull it through.”
On
Fedor’s ability to absorb punishment and still win: “You
can’t think you’ve got him hurt and rush in and pull
a Pat Barry. … Fedor’s done that a couple of times
to opponents, where he’s kind of hurt or getting beat up
a little bit and then knocks them out. He’s always dangerous,
no matter if he’s in shape or not. It’s something whether
it’s early or late in the fight, you always got to be careful
against him. That’s definitely something I’ve thought
about. I have to make sure I’m patient even with the finish.”
On
his use of testosterone replacement therapy and whether some
fighters are abusing it: “I don’t know what other fighters
are doing. I know that with anything, there’s people that
will abuse it. I’ve never had any issues with any athletic
commissions. That’s about all I can comment on. I know that
they could regulate it a lot more, but I don’t know who
or how many people are doing what they’re doing. All I know
is, I’m not doing anything wrong and I’ve been doing
this for a long time. … I don’t know how my name got
dragged into it.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Bjorn
Rebney: If Nate Marquardt wants to fight Hector Lombard &
Ben Askren, fight in a Bellator tournament
By Zach Arnold
The Bellator business model
MIKE STRAKA:“You spin different verticals even in your own
personal career, where it’s the television packaging, now
it’s the promoting and have you come to terms with the way
to bring it all together? Because you have to step aside and
say, okay, it’s not just about promoting and it’s not
just about the sport and it’s not just about these athletes,
either. It’s about putting on a show. How have you reconciled
that?”
BJORN REBNEY:“That’s a great question. It never ceases
to amaze me how you can keep learning in this dynamic and I always
kind of dreamed about that moment where, um, I was far from the
smartest guy in the room. That’s what I kept hoping is that
I could surround myself with a bunch of great people and I, slowly
but surely, have been able to do it. Now, with the guys at MTV
Networks coming into it, with their expertise, their background
in this space, what they’ve been able to develop under the
Spike banner and we’re able to leverage some of that expertise
from some of those people onto our show, it just it continues
to evolve it. I mean, we’re never going to get to a point
where I look at it and I go, everything’s working in synergy,
I can’t conceptualize being at that point but all the movement,
all of the different pieces are coming together in a stronger
manner. They’re getting, the show is now coming into a place
where it’s closer to what I had in my head years ago than
it’s ever been. I don’t know if it’s ever going
to reach that picture, that synchronicity in terms of traction
but it’s getting much closer and it’s starting to resemble
that which I hoped it would and that’s just a matter of
putting those pieces together and working with super-smart people
because there’s no way you can do it on your own. You’ve
got to have wizards working with you on TV and other facets of
the game and that’s fortunately what I’ve been able
to pull together.”
MIKE STRAKA:“You saw recently where the San Jose Sharks
pulled out from Strikeforce and pulled Scott Coker’s financing
out and, you know, UFC came in and sort of were the white knights
for Strikeforce and kept them afloat by purchasing them. Have
you had those instances where your finance partners are saying,
okay, Bjorn, you know we’re putting in a lot of money into
it. Even the Fertitta Brothers (with UFC) at one point said,
‘what are we doing here?’ Have you had those types
of conversations? How has it been business-wise?”
BJORN REBNEY:“It’s been really good business-wise and
I mean I guess the, um… the essence of it is that we had
a two year plan to reach a cash-flow break-even position and
whether it was that the business model was incredibly strong
and the projections were wickedly on point, maybe there’s
a sprinkle of luck tuned into it, but with the falloff from the
sport with the acquisition of the WEC, the acquisition of Strikeforce,
the demise of the IFL, the demise of Elite XC, Bodog, Affliction,
the list goes on and on…
“Everything worked. Those numbers that we projected in terms
of time frames and how it would fly, it all worked the right
way. So, we hit the numbers we had projected we were going to
hit at the time we projected we were going to hit them, so I
never had to have one of those ‘tail between legs’
conversations with our investment group saying, hey, I know I
said this would happen at this time but it didn’t, can we
have more money? The money worked, the money funded to the point
where we hit cash-flow break-even and now we’re at a point
where everything we do in terms of money coming in is equal to
money going out. So, we can build this brand according to the
platform we want to.
“People ask me all the time, when are you going to do your
first PPV? We don’t need to do PPV. There may come a time
when we do, but that will happen when the stars align, when there’s
a consumer demand for it, when there’s a kind of fight where
you and I are talking to each other and we’re looking at
each other and going, ‘this! oh! what a fight! I would pay
for that, I would stay home on a Saturday night to watch that.’
But that can all happen according to a brand-building strategy
as opposed to based on economic dynamics pointing us in a specific
direction. So, it’s gone really well, it’s in a good
place.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Speaking of economic dynamics, I notice this
year what’s different about your live events is you’re
at casinos now, where before you were at the Wang Theater, you
were doing theater shows with MSG and things like that. And when
I was at the Wang Theater and I was up in Chicago, there were
a lot of empty seats. So, it was a challenge getting into the
live event. Now, it’s not so much of a challenge because
I think the casinos really lend themselves to having that kind
of combat sports entertainment. Was that a business decision
that you came up with?”
BJORN REBNEY:“Yeah, it was two factors working in unison.
One of them was a business decision. We went to the casinos and
when you got a casino, you can cut what’s called a site
fee deal (sold show), they pay you a certain amount. If they
make $5 million at the gate, you make the exact same amount.
If you make five dollars at the gate, you make as the promotion
the same exact amount. Well, as the brand’s been building
and as fans have started to respond, you just saw last season
we had six sellouts of the eleven events, so it’s building.
The casinos are getting better return on investment. When we
go to a casino now, we’re bringing in the right kind of
player, typically a 24-to-32 year old male, $80,000 medium income,
the kind of socioeconomic player that a casino wants on the floor,
they want at the casino and they’re willing to step up and
give us a site fee and we come in and give them great exposure
on MTV2, we’re reaching 80+ million homes, the numbers are
strong.
“So, that’s a dynamic now where you go in, you know
the margins, you know exactly how much you’re making when
you walk into the event, so it’s not a risk situation. You’re
not praying for a big walk-up. You know what you’ve got
coming in and you can model your business accordingly, so that’s
worked out really well and it’s a more straight-forward,
more economically-sensible way to do it. There’ll come a
time where we start doing some events at places where we work
with Ticketmaster and we put our own advertising out and we promote
the event in an old-school fashion, much the way Strikeforce
used to do on a consistent basis. But from an economic perspective
in terms of the business, that’s not a strong model for
us right now and the model we’ve got going on right now
is just a blessing. We’ve got partners at the Hard Rock,
partners at Mohegan, Caesars is now doing three events with us
this Fall, so those are the kind of relationships you dream of
as a promoter because it’s stability.”
Why Bellator hasn’t signed Nate Marquardt to a fight deal
MIKE STRAKA:“Well, speaking of big stars, recently Nate
Marquardt was released from the UFC. Everybody speculated that
he was going to sign with Bellator. You came out recently and
said it wasn’t a good fit and when I hear that… I hear
that, as an industry insider sort of speak, that means to me
too much money, he wanted too much money. I mean, I don’t
know if you could talk about it but what were some of the reasons
why Nate Marquardt wasn’t a good fit?”
BJORN REBNEY:“I think the essence of it is is that we met
with Nate, we spoke with Nate’s management, Nate was a consummate
pro. He was charismatic and a great communicator and seemed like
a really good guy, I haven’t spent a lot of time around
Nate but the time I did get to spend I’ll remember fondly,
he was a good guy. His management were real pros in their approach
but, look… we have a model here that’s pretty well
entrenched and until they drag me out of my offices kicking and
screaming, it’s going to stay in place. You want to fight
Hector Lombard? You’re going to win three fights in a tournament,
you’re going to be on TV three times over a 90 day period,
you’re going to earn $100,000, and you’re going to
earn that right to fight Lombard. You want to fight Ben Askren?
For a world title? You’re going to go through the exact
same dynamics. It doesn’t matter how big you are or highly
rated you are, whether you’re #1, #2, #3, or #6 or #7 in
the world in Nate’s case, you’re not going to come
into the organization and fight for a world title. It just doesn’t
work that way.
“We’re real sports competition, any more so than the
New York Giants are going to step up in New York and say, well,
next year, we’re playing for the Super Bowl. And everybody
would go, ‘not until you play the season, not until you
win all the playoff games.’ Well, it works the same here,
so that’s a dynamic that we’re going to stay very,
very true to and it doesn’t really matter who the other
athlete is, if they want to be part of that dynamic, if they
want to jump into that, they’ve got a home here and it can
be a spectacular home. It’s a short period of time.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Is there room for super fights, though, in
Bellator? I’ve seen Eddie Alvarez fight Roger Huerta, that
was a non-title fight.”
BJORN REBNEY:“Right. Yeah, we actually had discussions that
opened the door, literally to a one-off against (Hector) Lombard.
Come on in and do one fight against Lombard and that was discussed
as well, but the synchronicity and the fit wasn’t there
for that, either. And, again, it doesn’t make Nate a bad
guy, there are other options. Perhaps not, that don’t maybe
carry with them as much coverage from a television perspective
as his former home or as Bellator does but there are other options
and, of course, part of Nate’s dynamic and thought process
may be, hey, I can get a few wins on a smaller show, a Shark
Fights or a Titan or something of that ilk, and then I can bounce
back into the UFC. That may be a thought process.”
MIKE STRAKA:“Do you think the expectation of fighters these
days is that… they’re looking at the Tito Ortizs &
Randy Coutures & Chuck Liddells & Anderson Silva, even
Lyoto Machida said ‘I want Anderson Silva money to fight.’
Do you think that the expectation for fighters is getting too
big for compensation?”
BJORN REBNEY:“You know, it’s an interesting question.
Our format is so different and our format is so well-entrenched
that we don’t run into those issues in the same manner because
when you’re offering a fighter a title fight and you know
that you need that title fight as a matchmaker, you’re putting
together a fight, A is going to fight B, that is what I’ve
decided, that’s what Joe Silva has decided to make a title
fight, you’re in a much different position than we are as
a company when if you win the tournament your contract is locked
in, you know exactly what you’re going to make for that
next world title fight, and your fourth fight in succession is
a world title fight against Joe Warren or against Lombard or
against Eddie or against Cole (Konrad) or against Askren. You
know exactly where you’re going.
“There’s no negotiation that has to take place, it’s
down on paper, it was agreed to a year, two years, three years
earlier in terms of what you’re going to make and it’s
not the same dynamic where you’re matching a fight as other
organizations do and you’ve got to have this protracted
negotiation to see if the money’s right based on what the
projected PPV buys are going to be. Any more so than Serena Williams
would say, ‘You know what? I know I made it to the final
at Wimbledon, but I’m not going to play in it unless you
give me more money.’ That’s all determined up front.
She’s comfortable with it. The folks at Wimbledon are comfortable
with it, and she’s moving forward. That’s what exists
at Bellator.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
After
Loss to Daley, Scott Smith Looking to Avoid Another Knockout
By Michael
David Smith
CHICAGO -- Getting knocked out is a feeling that Scott Smith
had never experienced until he stepped into the cage with Paul
Daley in his most recent fight. Getting knocked cold by one of
Daley's power punches is a feeling Smith doesn't want to experience
again.
"If
it happens again, consecutive times, I would be concerned,"
Smith said Thursday, two days before he returns to the cage for
a fight with Tarec Saffiedine. "It's the first time I've
been knocked out like that, sparring or anything. I had a TKO
loss (against James Irvin in 2004) when I was fighting at heavyweight,
but I wasn't out completely like I was against Daley. If it's
something that happens again, I get concussions like that, I
definitely need to step back and look at what I'm doing."
Concussions
and brain injuries are a major issue in other sports, especially
football, and Smith says concussions are an issue that need to
be addressed in MMA, too. Smith says, however, that the issue
goes beyond dramatic one-punch knockouts like he suffered at
the hands of Daley: He thinks fighters are at risk in sparring,
and they need to be smart about how they train.
"It's
a concern," Smith said. "When I first started fighting
MMA, my only training was putting the gloves and swinging with
boxers. I've learned to start training a lot smarter and not
take that kind of abuse."
In
fact, Smith says protecting himself against training injuries
is more important than avoiding shots like the one he took from
Daley, which he views as more of a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
"I'm
not going to take anything away from Daley, but I just got caught,"
Smith says of his loss in his last fight. "I can take a
shot, I've taken some heavy blows, even in sparring. I think
it was just kind of a -- not a lucky punch, but it landed in
just the right spot."
The
Saffiedine fight is a must-win situation for Smith: After going
0-2 in 2010, he doesn't want his first fight of 2011 to put him
on a three-fight losing streak, which could result in him getting
cut from Strikeforce. But Smith sounds extremely confident that
he's going to put his losing streak behind him.
"He's
tough, well rounded all the way around," Smith said of Saffiedine.
"But I feel that I can put the fight where I want it. If
I want it on the feet I'll keep it there, but if I'm getting
it taken to me in the fight I can put it on the ground."
Smith
was a popular fan favorite in the UFC in 2006 and 2007, going
just 1-3 inside the Octagon but rarely having a dull moment.
Now that UFC parent company Zuffa has purchased Strikeforce,
it would be easy for Smith to view Strikeforce as a stepping
stone back to the UFC. But Smith says he loves Strikeforce as
a place for fights that are just a lot of fun, and he hopes it
stays that way.
"I
don't see the UFC completely taking them over," Smith said.
"I think UFC and Strikeforce have two different goals. I
think Strikeforce puts on better cards because they put on fights
like Fedor vs. Henderson. That doesn't make sense as a title
fight but it's a fun fight. It's a fan friendly fight. That's
what Strikeforce is good at. They go out there and put on the
fights the fans want to see. If Zuffa's smart they keep Strikeforce
doing that, whereas the UFC will build up guys to see who's the
best fighter in the world."
Smith
has had a lot of those fun, fan-friendly fights in his career,
including two of the best comeback wins in MMA history, his wins
over Pete Sell in 2006 and Cung Le in 2009. He describes those
battles as two of his best MMA memories.
"I
still get asked about the Cung Le knockout and the fight with
Pete Sell," Smith said. "The Cung Le fight I would
say was a better comeback. The Pete Sell fight was a better fight.
Me and Pete Sell were back and forth, back and forth. It looks
like a better comeback because of the way I got caught and then
won the fight, but I think the Cung Le fight was such a dramatic
comeback because I wasn't winning that fight -- I wasn't even
close to winning that fight. The Pete Sell fight was my all-time
favorite fight and the Cung Le fight was my greatest comeback."
Now
Smith is hoping for a career comeback on Saturday night.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
New
UFC Gym in Torrance, California, Later This Year or Early Next
by Erik
Fontanez
The
UFC is continuing to grow its UFC Gym brand, adding a new gym
location in Southern California, specifically in Torrance.
The
gym opening is tentatively scheduled for early 2012, but UFC
Gym representatives tell MMAWeekly.com that a grand opening could
be planned as early as the end of 2011.
“We’re
excited to break ground on another UFC Gym location in Torrance,
Calif.,” UFC president Dana White said in a press release.
“When we started UFC Gyms, our goal was to raise the bar
in the fitness industry. That’s exactly what we’re
going to do in Torrance. We’re going to give residents there
an amazing lifestyle experience.”
Much
like its sister facilities in Concord, Rosemead, and Corona,
the 40,000 square-foot Torrance UFC Gym location will feature
programs in mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, and self-defense
classes. Exclusive UFC Gym programs, such as UFC Gym Kids Fitness,
Octagon Training Disciplines, and High-Octane Conditioning will
be featured in the facility, as well as a full-sized UFC Octagon.
“The
results people are achieving at UFC Gym are remarkable,”
UFC Gym senior vice president Adam Sedlack said. “We look
forward to providing members of the Torrance community an opportunity
to ‘train different’ and change their lives, incorporating
something for everyone. From the young adult to the working professional,
and everyone in between, UFC Gym provides unique training regimes
for all ages and fitness levels.”
The
opening of the Torrance facility will come close to the opening
of another UFC Gym in Hawaii. As MMAWeekly.com first reported,
B.J. Penn will partner with the gym brand and open the Honolulu
facility in early to mid 2012.
“Now,
it’s going to be the B.J. Penn-UFC Gym. I’m very excited,”
Penn recently told MMAWeekly.com. “I got my name on a building
in Waikiki. I’m happy.”
There
are no planned partnerships between the Torrance gym and UFC
fighters, according to UFC gym representatives.
Last
year, the UFC Gym location in Rosemead made efforts to reach
out to the community and offer unique programs in which children
participated in character and confidence-building activities
through field trips, assemblies, and free passes to the gym.
It is anticipated that the Torrance location will continue in
this community building tradition.
Torrance
is also home to another gym famous to MMA, the Gracie Academy,
which is headed by world famous jiu-jitsu practitioner Rorion
Gracie.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ProElite
August 27 Fight Card Rumors
Powered
by Xyience LogoProElite Return
Date: August 27, 2011
Venue: Neil S. Blaisdell Arena
Location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
ProElite
leaks partial card for August return
ProElite, Inc. announced a press conference yesterday, scheduled
for Friday, July 29th in Honolulu, to reveal the matchups on
the upcoming August fight card. However, the poster above which
was recently released on their site offers a few spoilers.
The
poster reveals “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski fighting
someone with a last name of “Lopez”, Kendall Grove
fighting Joe Riggs, and confirms the debut of MMA debut of Reagan
Penn. Conor Heun has been speculated to be on the card, but is
not confirmed on this poster. “I am confident that MMA fans
will not be disappointed with the matchups, which will be announced
later this week. It’s exciting to have the MMA community
on the edge of their seats awaiting the next ProElite news,”
stated Paul Feller, President and CEO of Stratus. “I am
confident that MMA fans will not be disappointed with the matchups,
which will be announced later this week.”
T.Jay
Thompson, head of Fight Operations said, “This is just the
start of ProElite’s return to a dominant player in the industry.”
“We look forward to regaining the support of the MMA global
audience.”
The
August 27th fight marks the third time ProElite has staged an
MMA event in Hawaii.
Tickets can now be purchased at the Blaisdell Arena box office,
or online at ticketmaster.com. Reserved seats are $28, $40, $65,
and $90; Cage side seats are priced at $150 and $200. Info via
Fight Nerd fan Jeff Youngs.
Main
Card (On Pay-Per-View):
-Andrei Arlovski (15-9) vs. Ray Lopez (5-2)
-Kendall Grove (12-9) vs. Joe Riggs (34-13)
-Drew McFedries (9-6) vs. Kala Hose (7-5)
-Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-1) vs. Sara McMann (2-0)
-Mark Ellis (0-0) vs. TBA
-Reagan Penn (0-0) vs. TBA
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
138’s Leben vs. Munoz headliner will be UFC’s first
five-round non-title fight
A
UFC 138 headliner between middleweights Chris Leben (26-7 MMA,
12-6 UFC) and Mark Munoz (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), which UFC officials
today announced, is scheduled for 25 minutes rather than the
usual 15.
Back
in June, UFC president Dana White said that all future UFC non-title
headliners – whether on pay-per-view or cable TV –
would be scheduled as five-round fights rather than the typical
three.
However,
due to previously signed contracts and a variety of fight-card
changes, no such bouts have materialized. But White today confirmed
via Twitter that the Nov. 5 Munoz vs. Leben fight, which airs
on Spike TV (same-day delay) from LG Arena in Birmingham, England,
will be the organization's first.
The
fight, of course, could have title complications. While a UFC
136 bout between Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann is likely to earn
the winner a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva (or
Yushin Okami, who challenges the champ at UFC 134), Munoz and
Leben can't be far behind. Both contenders are 4-1 over their
past five fights and have posted high-profile wins (over Demian
Maia and Wanderlei Silva, respectively) in recent bouts.
White
believes the extra two rounds could make for more compelling
matchups if a championship belt isn't up for grabs.
In
a recent MMAjunkie.com poll, 75 percent of voters believe White
made the right move with the change. However, in an "Ask
the Fight Doc" column, MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr.
Johnny Benjamin cautioned about some of the potential pitfalls
of the extended fights.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
Boss Continues Claims that Culinary Union is Behind Stalling
MMA in New York
UFC
New YorkThe UFC has been waiting. Fighters have been waiting.
Fans have been waiting.
It
seems nearly everyone has been waiting for mixed martial arts
sanctioning to pass through the government in the state of New
York.
So
what’s the hold up? Believe it or not, says UFC president
Dana White, it’s the Culinary Union that’s behind the
stalling of legislation to legalize MMA in the state.
“It
has nothing to do with Mixed Martial Arts, of all things, it’s
the Culinary Union that’s keeping us out of New York,”
White told radio hosts Boomer and Craig on WFAN earlier this
week. “They’re powerful guys here.”
Why
would the Culinary Union have anything to do with trying to slow
or block the legalization of MMA in New York?
White
believes it is because his partners at Zuffa (the company that
owns the UFC), Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, are also involved
in the casino business. Their company, Station Casinos, is one
of the largest non-union casino companies in the United States.
This
is where the rubber meets the road. The Culinary Union has been
trying for years to unionize Station Casinos, but thus far, has
been thwarted. This is why White believes they are using their
vast resources – the Culinary Union boasts approximately
60,000 members – to stop the Fertittas from bringing their
mixed martial arts business to New York.
White
obviously has his own interests in wanting to legalize MMA in
the state. It is a tremendous untapped market for his company.
But he adds that sanctioning would also be an economic boon for
New York.
“The
economic impact we have on a city is huge,” he stated, noting
that it’s not just Madison Square Garden in New York City
that his company has targeted. The UFC intends to have an impact
across the state.
“We’re
talking about going up into Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester; these
cities that are hurting right now and could really use a big
event like this. We just did a fight in Toronto, not too far
from Buffalo, 55,000 people. We did almost a 13 million dollar
gate. We paid 1.5 million dollars in union fees up in Toronto
to union workers that were working up there and we paid over
a million dollars just in ticket tax up there.
“The
economic impact we had on the city of Toronto was 45 million
dollars.”
Despite
the projected economic impact, mixed martial arts legislation
has yet to be up for a vote before the New York State Assembly.
“This
time we got all the way up, got all the votes all the way (through
various committees), but they never put us on the floor to try
and get the votes,” said White.
It
would seem almost laughable to White if it weren’t for the
frustration that has built up over years of trying.
“They
are spending union member dues to fight the UFC from coming (to
New York).”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Nunes
vs. Gamburyan, Mizugaki vs. Escovedo Added to UFC 135
Diego NunesUFC continues to add to the quickly filling UFC 135
event for September, announcing a pair of lighter-weight clashes
to the Mile High City event.
The
first addition is a featherweight scrap pitting Diego Nunes against
Manny Gamburyan.
Nunes
is fresh off a UFC 131 loss to Kenny Florian, a close defeat
in which he impressed many observers. The setback was only the
second defeat of his career, as he fell to 16-2.
Gamburyan,
meanwhile, will be attempting to snap a two-fight losing streak.
In his most recent fight -- his UFC debut -- he lost a majority
decision to Tyson Griffin in a tight bout. Prior to that, he
was knocked out by Jose Aldo in a title fight at WEC 51.
In
the other bout, Takeya Mizugaki will square off against Cole
Escovedo in a bantamweight fight.
Mizugaki
(14-6-2) dropped his last fight, a unanimous decision loss to
Brian Bowles at UFC 132. He's alternated losses and wins in his
last seven fights. Escovedo will be searching for his first UFC
win after losing in his debut to Renan Barao via decision. Escovedo
-- a former WEC featherweight champion -- is 17-7 overall.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
David
Williams: Nate Marquardt & the issue of accepting responsibility
(he claims his hypogonadism is from concussions)
On
June 28th, two days after being removed from the main event of
UFC on Versus 4, Nate Marquardt made an appearance on The MMA
Hour with Ariel Helwani to explain why he had been suspended
and subsequently released by the UFC. It was a lengthy, emotional
interview in which Marquardt explained that he had been sluggish
and irritable as a result of low testosterone levels. According
to Marquardt, his doctor recommended testosterone replacement
therapy to return his testosterone levels to normal. After beating
Dan Miller at UFC 128, the New Jersey State Athletic Control
Board requested that Marquardt stop his treatment for a period
of time to ensure that Marquardt needed the therapy. After his
testosterone levels declined again, Marquardt’s doctor recommended
more aggressive treatment in the form of an injection. This injection
caused Marquardt’s testosterone levels to be too high, and
in the lead up to Marquardt’s scheduled fight against Rick
Story, Marquardt was unable to get his levels back to the acceptable
range. The result was Marquardt’s release from the UFC.
On numerous occasions during the interview, both Marquardt and
his manager, Lex McMahon, emphasized that Marquardt was at least
taking full responsibility for what took place.
The
problem is that Marquardt didn’t take full responsibility
for what took place. In fact, Marquardt took responsibility for
everything except the actual part that broke the rules. For that,
the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of this anonymous
doctor, whose terrible, horrible, no good, very bad advice was
really what led to this mess in the first place. Never mind that
Marquardt had tested positive for steroid abuse following his
win against Ivan Salaverry in August 2005, and that his prior
steroid abuse may have caused him to have low testosterone levels
to begin with. Never mind the questionable logic of the idea
that testosterone replacement therapy should be applied “more
aggressively.” Marquardt is only to blame for miscommunication,
not actually cheating in any way. But hey, at least Marquardt
is taking full responsibility, right?
If
taking responsibility had a dollar value in sports, its value
would probably be negative. Sadly, the sports world has a long
list of players, coaches, and owners who have obtained better
positions and made more money by denying reality as opposed to
taking responsibility.
Take,
for instance, the pathetic saga that is Frank McCourt’s
ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a complicated
story with many confusing details, so I’ll do my best to
summarize what’s taken place. (For a detailed version, I
recommend Larry Behrendt’s terrific piece here.) McCourt,
and his wife, Jamie, purchased the team in 2004 entirely with
loans. They proceeded to use the Dodgers as their personal slush
fund, doing this by splitting the organization into over 20 separate
businesses, and charging the team rent to play in its own stadium.
This money was funneled into expenses such as multiple Los Angeles
mansions, an exclusive hairdresser, and a Russian spirit healer,
just to name a few examples.
Recently,
after the McCourts divorced each other, and so many embarrassing
details of their ownership were made public, the Dodgers have
suddenly had significant difficulties in making payroll, despite
having Major League Baseball’s 11th highest payroll in its
second-largest media market. To prevent the control of his team
being seized by MLB, Frank McCourt instead opted to enter the
Dodgers into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, in which he could secure
debtor-in-possession financing to operate the team even more.
A recent report by Sportsbybrooks.com stated that MLB contacted
sports and entertainment company AEG, inquiring about the possibility
of constructing a downtown Los Angeles stadium for the Dodgers.
The reason? Even if MLB was to successfully seize control of
the team, McCourt would still own Dodger Stadium and the land
it resides on.
For
the McCourts, taking responsibility would have meant that, you
know, perhaps one mansion would have been enough. Maybe there
wasn’t a need to split the Dodgers into over 20 separate
businesses. Perhaps Jamie could’ve had her hair done by
an expensive stylist on something less than a daily basis. Maybe
their son could’ve done just fine without $300,000 to go
on top of a salary working for Goldman Sachs. Of course, that
just wouldn’t do for the McCourts. They’ve opted instead
to deny reality, and this denial only led to a lavish lifestyle
and an iron grip on Dodger Stadium and Chavez Ravine. So what
if the Dodgers are $525 million in debt?
The
McCourts are only one source of sporting controversy in Los Angeles.
USC football head coach Pete Carroll insisted for years that
he wasn’t interested in coaching in the NFL. Year after
year, teams had inquired about Carroll’s interest in a head
coaching position, only for Carroll to turn them down. However,
as soon as it appeared that the NCAA was poised to sanction USC
for improper benefits given to running back Reggie Bush and his
family, Carroll suddenly accepted a head coaching position for
the Seattle Seahawks, saying that the job offer “came out
of nowhere.”
John
Calipari has mastered the art of benefiting from dishonesty.
Calipari has taken two college basketball programs – the
University of Massachusetts and the University of Memphis –
from relative obscurity to becoming national powerhouses. On
both occasions, Calipari conveniently left to take a higher-profile
position, first by going from Massachusetts to the NBA’s
New Jersey Nets, later by leaving Memphis to coach the University
of Kentucky. As it turns out, Calipari reaped the benefits of
players like Marcus Camby receiving improper benefits, without
suffering the resulting consequences.
I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention the caricature that
is Chael Sonnen. After being suspended by the California State
Athletic Commission for high testosterone levels following his
UFC 117 match against Anderson Silva, Sonnen appeared before
the commission to appeal his suspension. He claimed that he suffered
from the effects of hypogonadism, and needed testosterone replacement
therapy, or else he would have the testosterone production of
an old man. He further explained that he disclosed his usage
of this therapy to George Dodd prior to his fight against Silva,
and that he had disclosed to Keith Kizer that he had undergone
TRT as well. This was enough for the CSAC to reduce Sonnen’s
suspension from 12 months to 6 months.
After
Kizer denied that he had ever spoken to either Sonnen or Sonnen’s
manager about TRT, the CSAC decided to place Sonnen back on suspension,
to be lifted upon the expiration of Sonnen’s license to
fight on June 29th. Ultimately, for making a mockery of the CSAC
appeal process, Sonnen effectively was able to reduce his suspension
despite the extended suspension imposed by the CSAC.
What
happens when a fighter takes responsibility for his actions?
Ask Thiago Silva, a fighter who was suspended by the NSAC for
providing a drug test sample that was “inconsistent with
human urine.” After being suspended, Silva admitted to MMA
Junkie that he knowingly broke the rules and was taking prohibited
substances to treat a back injury. By doing this, all Silva did
was ensure that his original 12-month suspension would be upheld.
As
it turns out, Nate Marquardt’s suspension by the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Commission lasted less than a month. Now, he’s
signed with BAMMA to begin what Lex McMahon calls Marquardt’s
“path to redemption.” While Marquardt is hardly going
unpunished, the script has already been written for Marquardt
to make a triumphant return to grace. It’s a story that
wouldn’t be possible if Marquardt had, for instance, admitted
to cheating and been suspended for 12 months. After all, taking
responsibility – full responsibility – is for losers.
As so many sports figures have demonstrated, pretending to take
responsibility while denying any actual wrongdoing is the way
to go.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
133: Evans vs. Ortiz Fight Card Rumors
Date: August 6, 2011
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UFC
133 Ticket On Sale Info
Main
Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):
-Rashad Evans (15-1-1; #3 Light Heavyweight)* vs. Tito Ortiz
(16-8-1)
-Vitor Belfort (19-9) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3)
-Jorge Rivera (19-8) vs. Alessio Sakara (15-8)
-Rory MacDonald (11-1) vs. Mike Pyle (21-7-1)
-Dennis Hallman (50-13-2) vs. Brian Ebersole (47-14-1)
Preliminary
Bouts (On Spike TV):
-Matt Hamill (10-3) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (11-1)
-Chad Mendes (10-0; #2 Featherweight) vs. Rani Yahya (16-6)
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Ivan Menjivar (22-8) vs. Nick Pace (6-1)
-Johny Hendricks (10-1) vs. Mike Pierce (12-3)
-Mike Brown (24-8) vs. Nam Phan (16-8)
-Rafael “Sapo” Natal (11-3-1) vs. Riki Fukuda (17-5)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
138: Leben vs. Munoz Fight Card Rumors
Date: November 5, 2011
Venue: LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre
Location: Birmingham, England
-Chris
Leben (26-7; #9 Middleweight) vs. Mark Munoz (11-2; #7 Middleweight)†
-Brad Pickett (20-5; #7 Bantamweight) vs. Renan Barão
(26-1)
-Thiago Alves (18-8; #7 Welterweight) vs. Papy Abedi (8-0)
-Anthony Njokuani (14-5) vs. Paul Taylor (11-6-1)
-Michihiro Omigawa (12-10) vs. Jason Young (8-4)
-Terry Etim (14-3) vs. Edward Faaloloto (2-2)
-Mark Scanlon (7-1) vs. James Head (7-2)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sonnen
is back and as mouthy as ever
Chael
Sonnen was a guy who took a decade to become an “overnight
sensation” in mixed martial arts. But almost as soon as
his unexpected star turn came, his world started crumbling down.
Sonnen,
34, had been around the sport since 1997 and competed full-time
since 2002. A former high-level amateur wrestler, Sonnen was
known by most inside the sport for years, but it wasn’t
until last summer when he became MMA’s most-discussed fighter.
The
polarizing Sonnen has people who think he’s great for the
sport, and others who are furious that he’s even being allowed
to compete.
Now both the pro-and-anti-Sonnen forces have more to debate,
as the controversial fighter gets ready to make his return to
the Octagon. After a year away from the cage, Sonnen will meet
Brian Stann on Oct. 8 in Houston.
“I
come into this fight with a lot of respect for Brian, because
unlike most of my previous opponents, he deserves respect,”
said Sonnen. “I don’t have anything bad to say about
him because he isn’t a monkey-eating thug. He’s a decorated
war hero and a hell of a brawler.”
Last
August, Sonnen dominated a fight against UFC middleweight champ
Anderson Silva, only to be submitted in the fifth round. That
was just the start to a year filled with bad news: a failed test
for use of testosterone in the Silva fight, two hearings in California,
and a guilty plea to a 2006 real estate fraud charge, which forced
him to relinquish his real estate broker’s license at the
same time his fighting license was suspended.
Normal
fighter reinstatement protocol would have been to get licensed
in the state that suspended him, California, which would likely
not have approved him at this point. UFC, controversially in
the eyes of many, had gone to bat for Sonnen (25-11-1) during
his suspension, as they wanted him back in the spotlight as a
coach of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Instead,
the UFC skirted the issue, booking him to return in Houston,
meaning he only had to get cleared by the Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulations, considered among the most lenient
in the country. Texas is the state which allowed Antonio Margarito
to box Manny Pacquiao after the former was suspended by California
for having a plaster-like substance in his gloves prior to a
Los Angeles bout against Shane Mosley.
In
his return, Sonnen faces someone who will, by his own admission,
completely take him out of his promotional game, war hero Brian
Stann (11-3). Even Sonnen, who seemingly had no boundaries or
things he wouldn’t say to promote a fight, won’t cross
the line in saying anything negative about his next foe.
“This
isn’t a petty grudge match against some bum Brazilian, this
is a good old-fashioned gladiator match,” said Sonnen. “He’s
the best counterpart to my skills in years. I’ve never fought
a real warrior before, and I can promise you that no matter the
outcome, Oct. 8 will be a battle of men.”
Sonnen,
who said he would be competing on testosterone replacement therapy
going forward (“Does a diabetic get to just take a break
from insulin?” he asked), probably lost more due to a drug
suspension than any fighter in MMA history. A rematch with Silva
would have been among this year’s biggest pay-per-view fights.
The second suspension also cost him the high-profile coaching
spot on the fall season of “TUF.” In addition, before
the drug suspension, coming off the Silva loss, because of his
ability to promote, the UFC marketing machine was getting heavily
behind him as one of the major faces of the company.
“What
is that quote, that obstacles are put in our way so we can show
how bad we want to achieve something?” said Sonnen. “That
quote easily could have been said about me. As for the height
of interest, I am enjoying a level of infamy that I wouldn’t
have without the past year. I am adored. I am despised. I am
feared and imitated. No one sold a fight like me before I did,
and now everybody is trying their hand at it. In the past year,
I have become a pioneer in MMA marketing. I set the gold standard.
My tactics are the playbook for all self-promoting jock straps
that have joined the sport. And it’s flattering as it is
embarrassing. This past year’s events have been as much
a blessing as a burden.”
Still,
Sonnen came heartbreakingly close to the big prize that has eluded
him throughout his sports career, something he promised his late
father that he’d win, against Silva. Then the roof came
tumbling down on him. Some have sympathy, and others felt he
brought it all upon himself. Some are happy to see him back,
feeling he adds color to the sport and makes things more interesting,
plus want to see the Silva rematch. Others despise his pro-wrestling-style
interviews, perhaps take his words more literally than they should,
and also feel the UFC was taking advantage of a loophole in getting
him to fight without him being cleared in California.
“I
don’t want to take you through the entire process of what
I was thinking,” said Sonnen about the past year. “Because
the truth is, I went through the entire gamut of human experience
in less than a year. I felt world domination at my fingertips.
I felt frustration bordering on despair. And I felt everything
in between. One thing I do have to say is that I never stopped
fighting or pushing myself. I always had my eye on the next fight,
no matter how far away it seemed.
“I
made it clear that I wanted to fight anyone, just so I could
get back in the Octagon. I meant it. I would have fought anyone,
from the world’s most elite down to the bowels of Black
House [Silva’s training camp]. I was getting frustrated,
for sure. I not only wanted to get back to fighting itself, I
wanted to get back to work for my fans. I have the world’s
most bad ass backing in terms of my fan base, and they deserve
so much better than the middleweight division as it would stand
without me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I left
them with the likes of Bisping and the dozens of useless Silvas
that have tricked the ignorant turkeys into thinking they are
decent, legitimate fighters. This is not just a career for me,
this is a public service to spare millions of fans from the curse
of their own terrible taste.”
He
wanted back so much that he, at one point, was in talks about
facing Lyoto Machida, a friend of Anderson Silva’s and a
weight class above him.
Ultimately,
the fight didn’t happen because it didn’t make sense.
The big fight is Silva vs. Sonnen, and should both win their
next fights, it is likely to happen. Switching weight classes
and facing someone as formidable as Machida could throw a major
monkey wrench into the Silva rematch.
“You
wouldn’t [Sonnen and Machida would fight], given the clear
differences in weight class and capability between us, but there
was a discussion between us about it. Actually, let me rephrase,
there was a conversation between me and his handlers about it.
I can’t say for certain whether Lyoto was just nervous about
his English, or if he had more fun with the smoke-and-mirrors
style posturing that he learned from Anderson, but I never had
a direct talk with him about it, because he didn’t want
to. He sent press releases, he sent his scuttling little minions,
he did everything possible to seem like he was accepting my challenge
without doing so. I was excited about the idea when it came up.”
“I
would have fought him with any weight discrepancy between us
because I’m in this business to knock some heads around.
That apparently scared Lyoto. People can lay plenty of criticisms
on me, but I don’t duck when someone calls me out.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
138’s Leben vs. Munoz headliner will be UFC’s first
five-round non-title fight
The
UFC has its first five-round non-title main event.
A
UFC 138 headliner between middleweights Chris Leben (26-7 MMA,
12-6 UFC) and Mark Munoz (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), which UFC officials
today announced, is scheduled for 25 minutes rather than the
usual 15.
Back
in June, UFC president Dana White said that all future UFC non-title
headliners – whether on pay-per-view or cable TV –
would be scheduled as five-round fights rather than the typical
three.
However,
due to previously signed contracts and a variety of fight-card
changes, no such bouts have materialized. But White today confirmed
via Twitter that the Nov. 5 Munoz vs. Leben fight, which airs
on Spike TV (same-day delay) from LG Arena in Birmingham, England,
will be the organization's first.
The
fight, of course, could have title complications. While a UFC
136 bout between Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann is likely to earn
the winner a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva (or
Yushin Okami, who challenges the champ at UFC 134), Munoz and
Leben can't be far behind. Both contenders are 4-1 over their
past five fights and have posted high-profile wins (over Demian
Maia and Wanderlei Silva, respectively) in recent bouts.
White
believes the extra two rounds could make for more compelling
matchups if a championship belt isn't up for grabs.
In
a recent MMAjunkie.com poll, 75 percent of voters believe White
made the right move with the change. However, in an "Ask
the Fight Doc" column, MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr.
Johnny Benjamin cautioned about some of the potential pitfalls
of the extended fights.
For
more on UFC 138, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the
site.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Miesha
Tate Hopes to Showcase Women's MMA to Dana White
After nearly a one-year layoff between fights due to a knee injury,
Miesha Tate has enough to concern herself with simply waiting
across the cage from her when she returns. But while Tate's primary
focus is defeating Marloes Coenen and capturing the Strikeforce
women's welterweight championship at the upcoming Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Henderson card, she also has an ulterior motive.
Tate,
a 24-year-old who is among the best-known female fighters in
the world, wants to ensure that she has a big stage on which
to ply her trade in the future. While Zuffa co-owner Dana White
has voiced doubts about the long-term viability of women's MMA
in the past, Tate hopes that her upcoming bout with Coenen can
convince him otherwise.
"I
feel it's exciting because now, I'm going to have that opportunity
to say, 'Hey Dana, this is what women's MMA is all about. This
is what you've been missing out in the UFC,'" she said.
"I just hope Marloes and myself go out there and put on
a very impressive performance."
Tate
and Coenen will have every chance to do so, as their fight is
billed as the co-main event of the July 30 show, which emanates
from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and will be
televised on Showtime.
Prior
to Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce, Tate (11-2) once called White's
view of women's MMA "ignorant," but she explained during
a Thursday conference call that she meant that in the literal
sense of being unaware of it, rather than as an insult.
"I
just feel he's not informed, therefore he doesn't know enough
about women's MMA to make a judgment call about it at this point,"
she said. "I feel with the purchase of Strikeforce, he's
going to be paying closer attention to it. With that in the back
of my mind, it's not really added pressure. I always hate that
[term]. It has negative connotation to it. To me, it's extra
motivation."
Inside
the cage, the matchup is an interesting one. Coenen (19-4) has
a reputation as a submission artist, with 14 of her wins coming
via tapout, but she also has a very good striking pedigree working
out of the vaunted Golden Glory team. The one place she's shown
to have some trouble is wrestling. In her last match against
Liz Carmouche, for instance, Coenen was taken down three times.
Carmouche, however, doesn't have the wrestling pedigree of Tate.
The discipline just happens to be Tate's speciality.
Tate
wrestled for a time on her high school's boys wrestling team,
won the girls' Washington state championship, and captured the
2008 USA grappling world team trials in the 158.5-pound weight
class.
Functional
MMA wrestling, though, is based on timing, and with Tate's long
layoff due to injury, there are questions about how she will
respond. But after a training camp that included time with the
excellent wrestlers at Team Alpha Male (including UFC stars Urijah
Faber and Chad Mendes) in Sacramento, California, Tate is convinced
she's ready to rock.
"I
think ring rust is more of a mentality than anything," she
said. "If you let it get to you, if you think 'Oh my gosh,
it's been a year since I competed,' and put that pressure on
yourself, it'll get to you. To me, I'm excited. I'm really looking
forward to it. It hasn't been a year since I fought. I do that
on a daily basis with men in the gym. So for me it's just getting
back in there. It's exciting for me. I'll be happy and joyful
to do it."
One
advantage Coenen is likely to hold over Tate is size. The former
is 5-foot-9, the latter is 5-foot-6. Coenen also has more weight
to cut. Tate suggests that's not a bad thing, saying, "speed
kind of kills," and that Coenen's cut could work against
her.
Mostly,
though, she says it's unlikely to matter. It's just one of several
factors outside of her control now, just like how much or how
little attention White and the Zuffa brass will pay to the fight
and the women's division in the future.
Neither
Tate nor Coenen knows exactly what this championship means in
the grand scheme of Zuffa things, but they know that at least
for a few minutes, the spotlight will be on them. At least for
a few minutes, the only match that matters will be one with two
women. The world could well be watching, but the eyes of an influential
few will be far more important.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Jon
“Bones” Jones Plans to Grow Into UFC Heavyweight Division
UFC
light heavyweight king Jon Jones became the youngest champion
in company history when he captured the crown in March. Although
“Bones” has yet to make his first title defense, he
can’t seem to dodge questions about his heavyweight future.
Jones
turned 24-years-young this past Tuesday, which is an eternity
in mixed martial arts years in regards to reaching his prime.
With the 205-pound belt currently wrapped around his waist, he’s
deferring his division hopping for another couple of years.
However,
just because he’s young doesn’t mean he’s not
smart enough to start preparing for the inevitable.
“Absolutely,
I think it’s going to happen,” Jones said at Tuesday’s
press conference of his 265-pound fate. “Maybe when I am
around 26 or 27-years-old. Right now, I’ve got a really
good nutritionist who’s helping me make it easier on myself.”
Jones
stands a lanky six-foot-four, with a reach for days when he opts
to unleash his kicks. Packing on the pounds in the proper manner
will be essential for the youngster, as it’s assumed he’ll
look to run two divisions once he decides to pull the trigger.
For
now, he’s got time on his side, as well as genetics.
“But,
I am growing and I have two really large brothers,” Jones
said of his football playing bros. “So it will probably
happen [for me] when I am a little bit older.”
Jones
puts his title on the lines against former champ Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson at UFC 135 in September.
Source: 5th Round
|
Georges
St. Pierre just to see how good he really is
As
one half of one of the most successful sibling duos in MMA, Jim
Miller has risen up the ranks of the lightweight division by
letting his fighting do the talking for him.
On
August 14 at UFC Versus 5, Miller has the opportunity to shoot
himself all the way to the top of the ladder and become the number
one contender to the UFC lightweight title. Standing in his way
is one of the more dynamic fighters in the 155-pound division,
Ben Henderson.
We
caught up with Jim about a whole host of topics, including what
he has to say about Melvin Guillard calling him out, if he expected
Anthony Pettis to win, and why does he want to beat up Shinya
Aoki?
Keep
reading and find out......
Star-divide
Gerry
Rodriguez: Before we discuss your upcoming fight, I'm interested
in knowing how you were drawn into the sport before becoming
a professional fighter?
Jim
Miller: I was drawn to the sport because I was a fan. I saw my
first UFC video in 1998 and always thought of wanting to do it
and then later down in life I was able to work it. I took my
first jiu-jitsu class and 6 months later had my first MMA fight.
It was a pretty quick step up to the plate.
Gerry
Rodriguez: You have a big fight coming up on Aug.14 vs Ben Henderson,
is there something you see in his game, that your other opponents
didn't have and are preparing for?
Jim
Miller: Every fighter is different. He's a pretty well rounded
guy and has a pretty unique style of fighting but when I'm preparing
for a fight, I'm preparing myself. I'm not preparing for an individual
opponent for multiple reasons. Opponents can change at a drop
of a hat. I don't like the idea of preparing for an individuals
specific weakness because they might have improved on it and
be a completely different fighter by the time the fight comes.
Gerry
Rodriguez: So you're saying you don't study your opponent? Is
that why you've been so successful when taking fights on such
short notice?
Jim
Miller: Yeah, I pay attention when they fight and that's all
I need. My trainers watch tape on them and give me little things
here and there. I just focus on becoming a better fighter. I'd
rather make headway on things I need to improve, than saying,
"OK this guy like to press against the cage."
Gerry
Rodriguez: Does a win over Henderson guarantee a title shot for
you, especially now that Pettis lost?
Jim
Miller: I don't know yet. Dana has said I'm next in line, but
it depends on the way things go. A lack luster fight or if someone
comes over from Strikeforce, who knows? I just have to focus
on Ben and if I'm next in line, then it's fantastic.
Gerry
Rodriguez: So your emotions didn't sway one way or another when
you saw Pettis lose?
Jim
Miller: It's what I expected. It was a great display of what
MMA is, and what it started out as; exploiting weaknesses. Anthony
just doesn't have the wrestling and grappling to deal with the
guys atop this division. Frank (Edgar), Gray (Maynard), Clay
(Guida), me and Melvin (Guillard), we're all great wrestlers.
Gerry
Rodriguez: Speaking of Frank and Gray, how do you see their third
fight coming up?
Jim
Miller: I think its going to go much like, in my opinion, the
last four rounds of the last fight, I think Frankie did enough
and should have won those four rounds. I think Frank is going
to be able to outwork him. I've trained with him and I know he's
busting his ass. You can't count Gray out, but personally, I
just think Frankie is going to outwork him.
Gerry
Rodriguez: You mentioned Melvin Guillard- he recently called
you out, ...You've got a 7 fight win streak and you guys haven't
exactly fought the same level of competition, Should he even
be in the title picture?
Jim
Miller: He's a very dangerous fighter, he's a tough fighter for
anyone but he does have weaknesses. He has beaten some good guys
and should be considered up there. The whole thing with him calling
me out, it must have been a slow day in the headlines. Someone
asked him if he wanted to fight me and he should say yes. He's
a tough fight for anybody.
Gerry
Rodriguez: What happens if he wins his fight with Joe Lauzon
and you beat Henderson? Would that be the next logical fight?
Jim
Miller: I don't know, there's been such a log jam in the division.
I don't even know when the next title fight will be after Frankie
vs Maynard will be, so timing wise, maybe it will happen, who
knows.
Gerry
Rodriguez: Dream opponent, other than whoever has the title?
Jim
Miller: In the division, in the UFC, there are quite a few guys
I'd like to fight, including Clay and Melvin. I'd like the opportunity
to fight the best and beat them. Outside the division, I'd love
to fight Aoki. I have a level of respect for him because he's
phenomenal on the ground but he's so disrespectful to other fighters,
that I just want to beat him up. Overall, I'd really love to
fight GSP, just to see how good he really his.
Gerry
Rodriguez: Do you see yourself moving up a weight class later
down the line?
Jim
Miller: Possibly, I'm 27, just coming into my prime and if I'm
putting on more weight and it becomes to much then I might move
up.
Gerry
Rodriguez: I've said it many times, I feel Japanese fighters
are overrated, and there's a drop off when they fight outside
of Japan, what are your thoughts on that?
Jim
Miller: The sport has evolved since the Pride days. There are
some very talent Japanese fighters out there and there were guys
fighting over there that were animals...I think a lot of the
Japanese fighters don't take the strength and condition aspect,
as much importance. They always seem to be the less explosive
fighters and its a detriment.
Gerry
Rodriguez: Any thoughts on a solution to fixing the judging in
MMA, everyone seems to have an opinion these days, what would
you suggest?
Jim
Miller: Take it out of their hands. What I really don't like
about the situation is the fighters complaining about it. We're
supposed to be fighters and we're supposed to be tough. At the
end of the first round, I come back to my corner thinking, "OK,
he survived the first five minutes, I have ten minutes to put
him away", not, "did I win this round"? Basically,
man up and stop complaining.
Gerry
Rodriguez: Last question-You were at one time, probably the most
underrated lightweight in mma, despite your impressive wins,
what's it like to be so close to a title shot and finally getting
the respect you deserve?
Jim
Miller: The big thing for me is I've had the respect of my peers
and they like the way I've done it. They are impressed by the
string of wins I've put together and that's what really means
something to me.
Jim
would like to thank all of his training partners and trainers
at AMA and his family for supporting him.
Source: MMA Mania
|
UFC
Quick Quote: Sean Sherk should be back by early fall, wants to
keep fighting contenders
"I
should be back in early fall. I want another contender. Just
want to keep fighting contenders and keep fighting guys that
I feel like they have something to offer me, because anytime
I fight somebody and I've been in the industry for so long, I've
accomplished so much, anybody that I fight it's going to be a
big fight for them. It's going to be a big win if they beat me.
So I got to put my butt on the line and I want to fight another
top contender. Someone whose got some momentum going so if I
beat them it furthers my career as well. So it's kind of a win-win
for both of us you know."
--
Hey, look who it is. It's former Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk.
If you're having trouble recognizing him, it's because the Earth
has nearly orbited the Sun since the last time he was on your
television. Actually, he's fought just once each of the past
two years; a unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar (who now
holds the 155-pound title) at UFC 98 and a split decision win
(in which his victory was considered a robbery and he was driving
the getaway car) over Evan Dunham at UFC 119. Once one of the
most active fighters in MMA -- Sherk fought eight times in 2004
alone and just nine times since -- steroid suspensions, injuries
and bad luck have kept him from reaching the level he once performed
at. But that doesn't mean he's ready to hang 'em up just yet.
In fact, he tells MMA Fight Corner (via FiveKnuckles) that he
wants to return in the fall and he wants to fight another contender
when he does finally get back inside the Octagon. Considering
how absolutely loaded the lightweight division is, he may end
up fighting one by default. Got anyone in mind for him?
Source: MMA Mania
|
A
challenge I’ve always wanted
Well,
it’s the fight you all wanted to see and now we’re
just about ready to go. Fedor Emelianenko and I are now both
in the last week of hard training and, speaking for myself, I
couldn’t be happier with the way my camp has gone. I had
a really good sparring day on Monday, and then on Tuesday did
a great cardio and weight-training session. I’ll now look
to continue this high standard of work for the rest of the week
before tapering down during fight week.
Of
course, as many of you will know, the fight on July 30 will be
my first as a “heavyweight” and, subsequently, I haven’t
had to worry about making a weight limit. However, given that
I never really had to cut any weight even when competing as a
light heavyweight, this fight with Fedor hasn’t really felt
any different to me.
I never thought I'd have to opportunity to step in the cage with
Fedor Emelianenko.
Also,
just because I am competing at heavyweight doesn’t mean
I have deliberately tried to gain weight. That is not the case
at all. Instead, I have kept things very natural and have followed
the same kind of routine I’ve had for past fights. I lost
a little bit more weight than I would have liked to last week
but am probably down to around 201 pounds right now.
I
really didn’t want to pack on a load of excess weight and
then have to carry it around next Saturday. That won’t do
me any good whatsoever, and will only make me sluggish and slow.
The key to winning this fight is to retain and revisit everything
I do well as a light heavyweight. I just need my body to feel
like it normally does.
As
for Fedor, he usually weighs around 230 pounds, and that is a
comfortable size for me. I’m not backing down to anybody
that weighs 230 pounds. He’s not a giant heavyweight and
is not a guy that is out of reach to a light heavyweight like
myself. I know my right hand can land on his chin and, so long
as I know that, I’m all good and ready to go.
I’m
expecting Fedor to weigh around 230 pounds on the night and I’m
looking to come in at around 204 pounds. That will give him a
weight advantage of roughly 25 pounds, but it’s nothing
I’m concerned about. I’ve fought a lot of light heavyweights
over the years that have probably weighed 220 or 225 pounds on
the night of the fight. The weight has never been an issue for
me. If I know I have the beating of somebody, weight doesn’t
even come into it.
It
was for that very reason that I decided to accept this fight
with Fedor in the first place. I never really expected to one
day fight Fedor – even though it was always a fight that
interested me – and when the opportunity came it really
took me by surprise. It wasn’t a fight that I had asked
for or chased up. This was something the fans and media talked
about and pushed hard and, as a result, it goes down on the 30th.
As
well as it being a fight the fans wanted to see, this match with
Fedor also represented another great challenge for me. I liked
the idea of stepping up to heavyweight and taking Fedor on. It
just sounded like the right challenge for me to take at this
advanced stage in my career. I’ve been involved in a lot
of so-called super-fights throughout my career, but this one
really feels special. I’d say it’s definitely one of
the top three fights in my career, if not the top one.
I’ve
always wanted to find out how I’d do against Fedor, and
now I have the chance to know for sure. Even though Fedor has
lost his last two fights, he’s dangerous no matter what,
whether in shape or out of shape. I know he will test me next
Saturday and, more importantly, I know I will rise to the challenge
and get the win.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Winner
of Faber vs. Bowles Gets UFC Title Shot and Possibly a Chance
at Redemption
Urijah
Faber and Brian Bowles, both former WEC champions, both have
a blemish on their records that they want to wash away…
a loss to current UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz.
One
of them will get the opportunity to avenge the loss, but they
must first fight each other. The winner will then fight for the
title.
UFC
president Dana White confirmed that fact in a report Saturday
on ESPN.com.
“Both
Urijah and Bowles lost to Cruz. The winner of their fight will
earn a rematch,” White told ESPN.com, before defending his
the next challenger to the 135-pound divisional title, Demetrious
“Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
“Johnson
is 9-1, on a four-fight win streak and beat former (bantamweight)
champ (Miguel) Torres in his last fight.”
So,
in fact, the winner of the Faber-Bowles fight will still be counting
on Cruz to hang on to the belt when he squares off with Johnson
in the main event of UFC on Versus 6 on Oct. 1 in Washington,
D.C.
The
winner of Faber-Bowles would still get the title shot, just not
the shot at redemption.
Faber
and Cruz square off as part of the supporting cast of UFC 139,
expected to take place in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 19, where
UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez returns to defend his
belt against Junior dos Santos.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
President Dana White: We Always Planned to Come Back to Denver
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship began in Denver nearly 20 years
ago, but the promotion hasn’t operated a pay-per-view event
in the Mile High City since “The Ultimate Ultimate”
in 1995. Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company, wasn’t even
the owner back then.
UFC
president Dana White, in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com,
says that the company he is part owner of, alongside Frank and
Lorenzo Fertitta, has long been on a course to return to Denver,
but they wanted to do it the right way.
“We
knew that we wanted to bring a big exciting card back to Denver,
and we finally go it done.”
That
big exciting card is UFC 135, scheduled for Sept. 24 at the Pepsi
Center. The event features a main event with Jon Jones putting
his light heavyweight championship on the line against former
champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The co-main event
pits UFC Hall of Famer against inaugural “Ultimate Fighter”
winner Diego Sanchez.
The
card has fireworks written all over it. At a recent stopover
in Denver to kickoff the event, White went one-on-one with MMAWeekly.com
and Conner Cordova, talking about the fights and the thought
process in returning to the Mile High City.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Japanese
fan leaves Japan to watch UFC Rio
The
distance between Brazil and Japan is over 18 thousand kilometers.
But, who told you it can stop a MMA lover? Shinya Takeuchi, of
41 years old, is capable to prove his passion that, literally,
breaks many barriers. Living in Aichi, city in Chubu neighborhood,
the Japanese guy will leave his country to watch closely UFC
Rio, on August 27th, at HSBC Arena.
“Watching
it live in the country where MMA was born will be a great honor.
And as the challenge of the main event is a Japanese guy, I can’t
miss it”, affirmed Shin, who’s married to a Brazilian
woman, on a chat with TATAME.
On
his sixth visit to the country, Shin, who considers Rio to be
the best city in the world, will watch UFC for the second time.
The first one was on the United Stated, on its 100th edition,
which had two title fights in the same night. Despite being a
fan of Jose Aldo, Gesias Cavalcante and Anderson Silva, the Japanese
affirms his love for Japan will be bigger than it, and with that
said, he’ll be obligated to cheer against the Spider on
the middleweight title fight.
“I
wish Yushin Okami to become champion and that it helps Japan,
like the female soccer team did recently. It’s hard to see
someone beating up Anderson. Better, it’s hard to imagine
him losing, but still I want to believe Okami will win”,
said, commenting how the Japanese media is dealing with it.
“The
press also thinks Anderson is the best pound for pound. Usually,
we don’t picture Okami, or any other guy, defeating him.
But on the last ten years, Anderson has lost a few times to Japanese
fighters. One time to Okami (by disqualification). I guess it’s
a trauma he has and an advantage for Okami. Since pride was extinct,
(Takanori) Gomi, (Shinya) Aoki and other Japanese fighters are
being defeated when fighting abroad. Okami is our last hope.
We all hope he can canalize his strength and bring this title
to Japan, which has been destroyed by the last earth wake and
tsunami”.
Speaking
about Pride, competition which brought Rodrigo Nogueira and Wanderlei
Silva to a high level in the Orient, Shin highlights that they
still are considered legends on the other side of the world
“They
are still idols because they’re special to the Japanese
fans. Even if they lose, it’s ok by us”
Despite
wishing for an edition of Ultimate on his homeland, something
that Dana White promised to produce in 2012, Shinya is not that
hopeful that it indeed can come true
“I
don’t know, I can’t believe it’ll really happen.
It’s really sad, but in the last year, the expectations
of Japanese people has been frustrated reputedly, not only in
UFC, but in many MMA events. For that reason, until it’s
confirmed, I won’t believe it”.
Source: Tatame
|
Francisco
Filho believes K-1 is “extinct”, blames promoters and
Pro Wrestling
One
of the biggest Brazilian names in K-1 history, Francisco Filho
is sorry about the future that the sport holds. On an exclusive
chat with TATAME, the former champion, who debuted professionally
in 1997, affirmed that the event is almost dead.
“The
last thing I’ve heard was that there won’t be a heavyweight
GP anymore, but it seems that there will be bouts on the lightweight
division. I really believe the event is extinct. Many athletes
won’t have any scholarship, even Dream, that was organized
by the guys of K-1, also have missed some payments. So, it seems
that there’s no big martial arts events in Japan anymore,
only small ones”.
The
karate legend credits it to administrative issues, and not to
the lack of quality of the fighters.
“I
believe the level of the athletes is not the problem. The promoters
should be blamed, the politics, the misunderstandings, which
brought this unfortunate to the athletes. Everybody thinks the
same as me, that there’s a good technical level in K-1,
which was a great event. The organizers made some mistakes, they
had some taxes issues in the past, what made the event lose credibility.
From some time things started to call up some Pro Wrestling guys
and people lost interest, stopped going. There’s the bad
organization of the promoters and there so not well matched up
bouts and that’s it”, said Francisco, who can’t
see it going any other direction.
“I
guess it’s hard, especially when UFC is coming with full
power, expanding for the entire world and buying all events.
There’s our event, Ichigeki, who tried to help its athlete
who want to strike. In terms of MMA, only UFC is safe. Ichigeki
is here to fill this hole K-1 left us. Now we don’t have
the same structure, we’re growing each year. In 2010 we
had a well organized event at Ibirapuera, in Sao Paulo. This
year we’ll have another on September 3rd, in Guabai, in
Rio Grande do Sul”.
Source: Tatame
|
Cain
meets soccer star in Los Angeles
Portugal’s
Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t just one of the best players in
the world, having been voted best player on the planet in 2007.
He’s also one of the most famous MMA and Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts
on the planet. Months after learning some moves from the Valentes
and Royce Gracie in California, he went for another round and
met up with the best heavyweight around, Cain Velasquez, at UCLA
campus in Los Angeles.
The
two beasts, of the same stature but different weights, swapped
presents: a Real Madrid jersey for UFC gloves. Cain is undefeated
in the UFC and in MMA with nine fights, and he’s set to
face Junior Cigano later this year.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Strikeforce
Challengers 17 Results: Storybook Finish in Voelker vs. Bowling
Trilogy
Trilogies
are typically reserved for books and movies, but fans in attendance
at Strikeforce Challengers 17 were treated to the third episode
of a mixed martial arts trilogy on Friday night at The Pearl
at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Bobby
Voelker and Roger Bowling split their first two outings. Bowling
took the first, at Strikeforce Challengers 8, when an accidental
eye poke caused an early stoppage and a technical decision was
rendered in his favor. Voelker won the rematch at Strikeforce
Challengers 11 with a TKO finish.
The
third installment finished very much the same way as the second,
with Voelker again stopping Bowling in the second round, although
it was an exciting road to the finish.
Bowling
was leading all the way, getting the better of the striking exchanges,
chopping away with cracking kicks to Voelker’s body. Following
a slight flashback – Bowling was again accidentally poked
in the eye – he landed some tremendous punches that rocked
Voelker to close out the first round.
Bowling
came out wearing the confidence of the round one in the second
stanza, continuing right where he left off, throwing strikes
and scoring takedowns. Voelker, however, kept working back to
his feet and did so one final time before staggering Bowling
with a knee to the face.
In
a storybook finish, Voelker noticed he had Bowling hurt. So he
moved in and dropped him with punches and finished in a flurry
on the ground for the TKO stoppage.
“He
was winning the whole thing. I knew he was coming in hard,”
recounted Voelker. “I knew I had to wait a little bit and
weather a storm, he’d lower his hands or fade a little bit
and I’d catch him with something like I did.”
With
the Strikeforce welterweight belt now vacant with Nick Diaz moving
over to the UFC to challenge Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137, Voelker
(24-8) moved into the catbird’s seat to be considered in
the championship picture.
“I’ll
take (Paul) Daley, (Evangelista) Cyborg, Scott Smith,” he
replied when asked who he might want to face next. “All
those guys are great fighters and I want to test my skills with
theirs.”
Late
replacement Shawn Jordan surprised Devin Cole in the opening
round, putting the more experienced fighter down and in danger
of being submitted, but he couldn’t close the deal. He also
dropped Cole with a big right hand, but it was just before the
bell and so he had no time to follow up.
The
remainder of the fight, Cole controlled the majority of the positioning
and was more consistent with his striking, brutalizing Jordan’s
ribs with a burst of knees on the ground in round two.
In
the end, Cole was fresher, finishing stronger, earning a unanimous
decision on the scorecards.
“I
trained hard. First time I’ve been able to train full time
in five years,” Cole revealed after the fight. “I’m
in shape, I’ve been working hard, and I think it showed
tonight.”
It
can be officially stated that Ovince St. Preux has successfully
made the transition from standout college football star to standout
mixed martial artist.
Despite
a strong start by Joe Cason, St. Preux waited patiently, dropping
him with a knee to the ribs as he rushed in. No longer needing
patience, St. Preux stormed Cason on the mat, finishing him off
with a flurry of ground and pound, causing him to tap out.
With
this latest step, St. Preux is ready to up the ante, wanting
to step off the Challengers series and up to a Strikeforce main
card.
“Oh
yeah, most definitely. I think the fans want it. I’m definitely
calling out the people, Gegard (Mousasi), Babalu (Sobral).”
Sarah
Kaufman and Liz Carmouche were fighting for a chance to get back
into the Strikeforce women’s welterweight title picture.
Both have been beaten by current champion Marloes Coenen and
want the shot at redemption.
It
was Kaufman who easily took the honors on Friday night.
While
the two grappled up against the fence for the majority of the
opening round, it was Kaufman that started to step up with her
striking as the first round closed. From round two on, she only
upped the ante, stuffing all of Carmouche’s takedowns and
bloodying her face with a stiff jab and right crosses… Boxing
101.
Coenen
steps in the cage with Miesha Tate next week in Chicago on the
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson fight card. Asked who she thinks
will win, Kaufman didn’t hem and haw.
“What
I need is I need Marloes Coenen to win that title. I need me
to be the next fight in there. I want to take that title back.
I want to avenge my loss. And I hope that fans want to see that.”
Although
he faded a bit late in the fight, Adlan Amagov was impressive
early on with a wide array of strikes and impressive wrestling
from the clinch. His opponent, Ron Stallings, came on strong
in the later moments of the fight, but it was Amagov that won
the split decision from the judges.
Strikeforce Challengers 17 Full Results
Main
Bouts (On Showtime):
-Bobby Voelker def. Roger Bowling by TKO (Knee and Punches) at
2:16, R2
-Devin Cole def. Shawn Jordan by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28), R3
-Ovince St. Preux def. Joe Cason by Submission (Strikes) at 1:12,
R1
-Sarah Kaufman def. Liz Carmouche by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), R3
-Adlan Amagov def. Ron Stallings by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,
29-28), R3
Preliminary
Bouts:
-TJ Cook def. Lionel Lanham by TKO (Strikes) at 4:59, R1
-Anthony Smith def. Ben Lagman by KO (Punch) at 0:33, R2
-Bill Cooper def. Maka Watson by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 2:39, R2
-Sterling Ford def. Brian McLaughlin by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 30-27), R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Heading
into UFC 135, Rampage Jackson Deflects Critics of His Side Job
While there has been much talk questioning Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson’s desire, the former UFC light heavyweight champion
will have none of it. He sharply answered criticisms of his approach
to fighting, challenging anyone to question what they see when
he’s in the Octagon fighting.
Many
observers point to the distractions of his acting career –
he recently starred in a feature film remake of the 1980s television
series “The A-Team” – Rampage says acting has
nothing to do with his day job… fighting.
“I
got a whole bunch of movies coming up, they ain’t got nothing
to do with my day job,” he retorted at a UFC 135 kickoff
presser earlier this week. “I turn down movies all the time
to fight. This is my day job. This is what pays my bills and
puts my kids through college and stuff.
“This
is my life. I don’t lack any passion. This is what I do.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fighters,
MMA Community Rally Around Colorado Ringside Doctor Who Lost
His Family
Dr. Alex Constantinides with his wife, Laurel, and their daughters,
Hannah, 8, Zoey, 5, and Lucia, 2
What
started as a family camping trip turned into a tragic tale of
loss and heroism for one of mixed martial arts’ own.
Dr.
Alex Constantinides has been a ringside physician and active
in the mixed martial arts community, primarily in Colorado, for
several years.
He,
his wife, and their three adopted daughters were on a camping
trip recently in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. They
were evacuated from their campsite when heavy rains poured down
in the area.
As
they drove away, their van plunged into a nine-foot-deep chasm
in the road and into a rising creek. Alex’s wife, Laurel
Constantinides, and their daughters, Hannah, 8, Zoey, 5, and
Lucia, 2, did not survive.
Somehow,
Constantinides escaped the raging waters.
Making
his way back up the creek, Constantinides came across Saratoga,
Wyo., mayor John Zeiger, whose truck fell into the same chasm
in the road, landing in the creek.
Constantinides,
just shortly after losing his own family, pulled Zeiger out of
the truck to safety, likely saving his life.
The
Colorado MMA community has rallied around Constantinides, who
remains in Wyoming with family.
“I
am surrounded by family and friends. I am safe. Your prayers
are felt and appreciated. Please continue to pray for my four
angles that they find peace in God’s presence,” Constantinides
told J.R. Gordon of MMABuzz.com. “My babies are with their
momma, pure love.
“There
will be a funeral in Wheatland, Wyoming Monday and a memorial
in Colorado springs Wednesday.”
On
Facebook, please see the event, “Funeral Services For Laurel
Constantinides, Hannah, Zoe, Lucy.” A PayPal account is
setup for the Constantinides family.
Please
make donations for the memorial through www.fighttowinmma.com,
www.nmefighting.com, www.rmbbmma.com or www.MMABuzz.com. The
email address is dralexdonation@gmail.com and all Wells Fargo
banks are taking donations for, “The Constantinides Family
Memorial.”
Additionally,
fighters Shane Carwin, Brendan Schaub, Duane Ludwig, and Eliot
Marshall will be signing autographs and providing photo opportunities
for donations at Saturday’s Fight To Win “Invaders”
event at the National Westerm Complex in Denver. Nate Marquardt
will have autographed items available as well.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Renan
Barao wants to “put on a great show” against England’s
own Pickett at UFC 138
Undefeated
in his last 27 fights, with 12 wins by submission and six knockouts,
Renan Barao returns to UFC on November 5th (UFC 138) against
the tough Brad Pickett, but he’s confidence of a win.
“The
expectations are the best possible, I want to get there and put
on a great show”, said Barao to TATAME. “I still haven’t
come up with a game plan for the fight, but I’ll probably
do what I always do… I’ll play my game”.
Holding
a professional record of 20 wins in 25 fights, Pickett will fight
in England, on his homeland, for the eighteenth time – the
first in UFC -, but Barao knows him well. “I’ve fought
on the same event that him (WEC 53), and I know he’s a tough
guy. He can control the distance and has good take downs”.
Barao,
who maybe would fight Demetrius Johnson (next challenger at the
belt), believes that a win over Pickett – only guy to beat
up Johnson, in WEC – will bring him closer to a chance at
the title.
“He’s
a top guy, and I guess if I do a good fight against him, I’ll
get closer to the belt. Who wins this one will get closer to
a chance at the title, but I leave it to God to decide. I’m
cool with that. When it’s my time, I’ll be prepared.
What matters is that I’m representing well Brazil and my
team”, guarantees.
Training
with the tough guys of Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro, Barao hopes
to come to be calmer in UFC, after the win by points on his debut.
“I
was a little nervous, but it’s normal. All athletes who
fight in there gets pretty tense, but I’ve seen that the
way is to take down, it was really easy… In the end I let
my game go while striking and the outcome was good”.
Source: Tatame
|
Frazatto
trains with prince before ADCC 2011
Featherweight
Bruno Frazatto was in San Diego training for ADCC 2011 when André
Galvão when he received an offer he couldn’t pass
up: to train with Sheikh Tahnoon in the enchanted emirate of
Abu Dhabi.
He
returned all the sharper and more inspired to put in a great
showing come September in England.
“I
was in Abu Dhabi for seven days; it was incredible. We trained
plenty of No-Gi and swapped a lot of information. I was surprised
by Sheikh Tahnoon’s level of technique and conditioning.
We spent three hours training per day, and he is a truly great
black belt – he could compete at ADCC no problem!”
remarked Frazatto, who won the South American qualifiers for
the ADCC back in 2007.
Bruno
is now back in São Paulo state for another week at the
Atos “fire pot” in Rio Claro.
“But
next week I’ll return to San Diego and stick around there
until the ADCC, training with Galvão, Davi Ramos, Ronaldo,
Denilson and Galvão’s students,” he related.
All to have a good showing and nab first place, which escaped
him last time around.
“I
had that experience at ADCC 2007, but now I feel I’m truly
prepared for the event. The ADCC a different sort of event from
the others, with different rules, but nowadays I feel great without
the gi; I’m truly focused and will dedicate myself 100%
to reach my maximum physical and technical potential, to conquer
my dream.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Nate
Marquardt Heads to England, Will Fight for BAMMA
After being bounced out of the UFC for failing to gain proper
medical clearance to use testosterone, Nate Marquardt has signed
with a new promotion -- one that doesn't have an American TV
deal and doesn't have many high-profile opponents for Marquardt
to fight.
The
promotion, the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts, said
on Friday that it has signed Marquardt to an exclusive deal,
making Marquardt by far the best fighter in the organization.
The
question now is whether BAMMA will be able to find appropriate
opponents for Marquardt, a Top 10 middleweight who had been planning
to move down to welterweight before the UFC cut him. Almost all
of the top talent in the welterweight and middleweight divisions
is tied up to North American promotions, and Marquardt may soon
find himself fighting unknowns in fights that few American fans
will see.
"I'm
very excited to be working with BAMMA," Marquardt said,
per Josh Gross of ESPN.com. "They hold sports regulation
in high regard and mandate it for their athletes. They are also
known for signing top-level fighters and I want to fight the
best. I can't wait to show everyone what I'm capable of in the
welterweight division."
Realistically,
it's hard to see how Marquardt can "fight the best"
if he's under contract to BAMMA. The only high-level welterweight
under contract to BAMMA is Paul Daley, and BAMMA vice president
Liam Fisher told ESPN.com that he couldn't commit to putting
together a Marquardt vs. Daley fight.
Marquardt
could make his BAMMA debut as soon as September 10 at BAMMA 7,
which will take place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham,
England. That card features a main event of Frank Trigg vs. Tom
Watson and also includes a welterweight fight of Che Mills vs.
Joey Villasenor.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
What
exactly is the message UFC is sending to MMA fighters with their
handling of Alistair Overeem?
By Zach Arnold
Steve
Cofield & Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports/Cagewriter.com fame
had an interesting discussion about the message Zuffa is sending
to fighters in wake of their cancellation of Alistair Overeem
from the Strikeforce GP tournament. Alistair Overeem said that
he wanted to fight in October, Zuffa & Showtime had a September
date. Now, Dana White says his problems with Lyoto Machida &
Alistair Overeem will ‘blow over.’
STEVE
COFIELD:“I do think that Dana White & Zuffa needed to
send a message to Strikeforce fighters because I do believe that
the scheduling in the past has gotten, it was a little ridiculous.
Some of the fighters, I think, took control of things and took
advantage of being able to push fights back and I think they
need to lay down the law and say, hey, we have a schedule here
and, you know, even if you’re a little dinged up you’re
going to have to fight sometimes.”
KEVIN
IOLE:“Yeah, I mean, there’s a fine line, you know,
I think every fighter goes into a fight hurt. If you want to
say they got aches & pains, they got bruises, they got this,
they have that, there’s a lot of things that go on. Now
there’s a difference, do you have a broken foot in your
foot, can you bare weight on that foot, can you kick with it,
are you going to do any damage to yourself going forward? But
there’s always going to be aches & pains that come with
fighting. You hear guys talk about it all the time, Steve, and
you have to realize that this is becoming a big business. It’s
no longer a mom & pop thing and just a small little thing,
it’s now a big business and we have major televisions networks
involved in these things and they have to run. It takes 8 weeks
to promote these things for the television networks, they have
to get all their marketing materials done and get everything
out, get into the TV guides and then if guys pull out for really
little reason then it really throws a big monkey wrench into
a lot of things. So, the fighters need to make themselves available
as best as they can. I don’t want to sound like I’m
criticizing fighters because I’m not. I think the guys largely
do a great job of doing that but in this particular case, you
know, not knowing the extent of Overeem’s injury, we’re
at a loss but it doesn’t sound like it was the most significant
injury that Overeem’s probably ever had.”
STEVE
COFIELD:“Do you think there are fans that are actually angry
with Zuffa, with Dana White, with UFC over this?”
KEVIN
IOLE:“Well, I think there’s a large segment of people
out there who don’t like Zuffa, who don’t like Dana
White, and for whatever reason that’s their choice. I don’t
begrudge them that. I think as a result, they apply all this
to them and they’re going to take the opposite side, the
anti-Zuffa, the anti-Dana White side and that’s their choice.
But I think fans are probably going to be upset in the future
when they see Daniel Cormier fighting instead of Alistair Overeem.
Cormier is a good prospect, but was he one of the top guys in
Strikeforce? Well, if he was one of the top 8 guys, he would
have been in it at the beginning. I think, you know, maybe if
this had been held this time next year, he would have been in
from the start. You know, so it’s disappointing to see it
happen. I think there is going to be a little bit of a backlash,
but if the fights are good, here’s what we remember —
if the fights are good, if Cormier gives a good performance,
if there are good fights on that night, I think people will forgive
and forget.
(later
on)
“Overeem
is a great personality and he’s a guy that I think is an
entertaining fighter, but he is largely unknown to the U.S. The
hardcore fans know him and so they’re going to get upset
and say, “We know who he is!” The hardcore fans know
him but the hardcore fans make up less than 1% of the fan base,
less than 1%. So, they’re marketing to a much bigger audience
out there that doesn’t include the guys that are, you know,
on the forums all day and posting and reading all these posts.
And Overeem to that larger public is very unknown. Steve, he
needs to be fighting on Zuffa-televised events and get his name
out there because he’s got a great personality, people would
love him when they get to know him. But he’s got to give
himself a chance and talking about going into another sport is
just going to lessen the impact you’re going to make in
MMA.”
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
UFC
Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz Defends Belt at UFC on Versus
6
Both
Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles were calling for a shot at UFC
bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, but neither will get it.
Instead, the UFC matchmakers are calling on “Mighty Mouse”
to try and take the belt from Cruz.
Demetrious
“Mighty Mouse” Johnson has been granted the opportunity
to wrest the belt from around the champ’s waist at UFC on
Versus 6 on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C., according to a report
from NBCSports.com citing UFC president Dana White.
Cruz
is 18-1 after avenging the only loss on his record by winning
a unanimous decision over Urijah Faber at UFC 132 in July. That
victory made it nine straight, including three title defenses.
Johnson
(10-1) is on a four-fight winning streak, having reeled off victories
over Nick Pace, Damacio Page, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto,
and, most recently, former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres.
His only loss was via decision to British standout Brad Pickett
at WEC 48.
The
bout headlines the UFC on Versus 6 fight card, the promotion’s
final show for the Versus network in 2011. The Oct. 1 event takes
place at the Verizon Center, as first reported by MMAWeekly.com.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Opinion:
Le Could Energize UFC
by Jason
Probst
If
there is one tempting commodity that Strikeforce was never able
to fully utilize, it was former middleweight titleholder Cung
Le. That’s because the dynamic San Shou champion simply
was not as active as fans would have liked, preferring instead
to take breaks, film movies and generally live the good life
as opposed to going full-time to train for MMA. That may change,
given Le’s statements in an interview with Fighthype.com
last week, during which he expressed his interest to compete
again.
“I
would like to have a couple fights in the UFC ...,” said
Le, adding that his contract with Strikeforce was a “little
different” than that of most fighters. “... so I’m
down to fight anyone if it’s going to be exciting for the
fans to watch.”
Translation:
if you offer me a wrestler who plans to lay-and-pray me to death
in my UFC debut, don’t bother calling, Mr. Joe Silva. Otherwise,
we may be able to talk business.
Now
39, Le (7-1) has been all but inactive since his blowout of Frank
Shamrock in 2008, when he steamrolled the former UFC champion,
broke his arm and won via technical knockout. Le’s only
fights were two exciting scraps with Scott Smith in 2009 and
2010; he lost a thrilling first fight after dominating for two
rounds and then enacted brutal revenge in the rematch, punishing
“Hands of Steel” in a standup clinic en route to a
knockout.
Le
remains one of the most exciting standup stylists in the game.
Seeing him in the UFC, particularly against someone willing to
stand and try to figure him out, would be one hell of a boost
for everyone involved.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Updated
card for #UFC 133 (8/6 Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center)
By Zach
Arnold
Dark
matches/Facebook
Middleweights:
Rafael Natal vs. Costantinos Philippou
Featherweights: Mike Brown vs. Nam Phan
Welterweights: Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce
Bantamweights: Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace
Featherweights: Chad Mendes vs. Rani Yahya
Light Heavyweights: Matt Hamill vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Main card
Welterweights:
Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole
Welterweights: Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle
Welterweights: Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Middleweights: Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Light Heavyweights: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson: A Matchup of Legends Fighting
for a Future
By Mike
Chiappetta
They
are two of the longest-standing, most respected fighters in the
sport, with careers stretching back over a decade, resumes featuring
multiple titles and a "Who's Who" of beaten opponents
in their respective wakes. Yet come the evening of July 30, main-event
participants Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko will be fighting
not only each other, but also for a future.
Since
all terms are relative, it's safe to acknowledge that both Emelianenko
and Henderson can stay active in the sport for as long as they
want them. Given their names and histories, there will not be
a lack of promotions bidding for their services in the foreseeable
future. But it's also quite possible that after July 30's Strikeforce:
Fedor vs. Hendo event, the careers of one or both men in major
MMA may be over.
At
just 34 years old, Emelianenko is by six years, the younger of
the two. Yet after each of his last two fights -- both losses
-- Emelianenko has vocalized the possibility of retirement.
Each
time, he chose to return, but asked if a loss to Henderson would
drive him from the sport for good, Emelianenko does not rule
it out.
"I
don't know," he told MMA Fighting through an interpreter
during a Thursday teleconference with his upcoming opponent.
"We'll see. Everything will be known after the fight. It's
better to talk about that and answer that question after the
fight."
In
the immediate aftermath of his last bout, a second-round TKO
loss to Antonio Silva that was stopped by the cageside physician,
Emelianenko pondered retirement, seemingly announcing to the
Izod Center crowd that he would call it quits. By the time he
returned home after a long plane ride, he had changed his mind,
saying he would fight on if it is "God's will."
On
Thursday, Emelianenko voiced a similar sentiment.
There
could, however, be other factors at play. Prior to his February
fight with Silva, Emelianenko signed a four-fight extension.
Though he still has three fights left on it including his upcoming
tilt with Henderson, sources with knowledge of the situation
confirmed to MMA Fighting that the deal is non-guaranteed. That
means that Emelianenko could be cut with a third straight loss,
a move that is no lock but is certain to be considered. Another
possibility is that he is asked to take a pay cut in lieu of
being cut. That could lead to a situation where Emelianenko and
his M-1 management team either take a new deal or walk away from
the Zuffa umbrella.
If
he wins, of course, he is almost a lock to continue on.
But
then we must wonder, What would happen to Henderson?
The
current Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion turns 41 in August.
Though he's been one of the few MMA pioneers to continue excelling
well past his 35th birthday (he's 5-1 in his last 6), Henderson
is also reaching a career crossroads.
On
Thursday, he confirmed to MMA Fighting that he was about to enter
the last fight on his current deal. That will make a loss costly,
quite literally. Remember, going back to mid-2009, when Henderson
parted ways with the UFC after a highlight-reel-for-the-ages
knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100, company president Dana
White let him walk away after a prolonged negotiation, telling
MMA Fighting at the time, "For the money he wanted, he's
not worth it. He's not a big pay-per-view star, he's not a big
attraction, and he's not going to sell out arenas. He wants way
too much and he doesn't bring anything to the table."
Two
years later, it's unknown if White -- who as a Zuffa co-owner
wields considerable influence in Strikeforce's operation -- has
changed his tune, or if he was simply posturing all along. That
makes Henderson's future with either Strikeforce or UFC a mystery.
Henderson
said that has not changed his approach to his preparation or
the fight itself. He will still walk out with the intention of
finishing the fight, and he says he has ignored the uncertainty
of his future.
"I
guess it's a question mark that will be answered after this fight,"
he said. "I don't know what to expect but I feel like I've
been around a long time and done enough in the sport. I'm not
really worried about it, but we'll have to wait and see."
Whether
it is God's will, or Dana White's, the futures of both Emelianenko
and Henderson are uncertain. Ten days from now, two legends of
the sport will compete in a match that was made by their histories,
and it's possible that the fight history of one will stop right
there.
In
our world, rarely do money, politics and performance combine
for two men in the same place in the same time, but this is one
of those times. As a result, these may be the last days with
both Emelianenko and Henderson on the major MMA scene.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Calgary
Commission Renders Decision After Reviewing Questionable Kim
Couture Stoppage
by Ken
Pishna
A
bout between Kim Couture and Sheila Bird at AX Combat 1 on July
8 at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada, was recently under the microscope. Or rather, a questionable
stoppage by referee Len Koivisto was under the microscope.
The
stoppage in questions wasn’t for a fight that many felt
was too quick, but for what many characterized as outrageously
slow.
After
the fight hit the mat in the opening round, Bird locked on a
leg-scissors choke on her opponent. After a few moments, Couture’s
legs and arms went limp, an obvious sign that she had been choked
out. Several seconds passed after Couture fell limp before Koivisto
checked on her and stopped the bout.
Couture
remained down on the canvas for a few moments after the choke
was released, but she was revived and stood up to wave to the
crowd in Canada.
Many
at the fight were calling for Koivisto’s head, but Couture
wasn’t among them.
“I’m
fine,” Couture told MMAWeekly.com the following day. “I
woke up and I thought the fight was still going on. Once I realized
what was happening, I stood up and waved to the crowd, but I’m
fine.”
The
Calgary Combative Sports Commission did conduct a formal review
of the stoppage, ultimately rendering a decision in support of
Koivisto.
“As
standard practice, debriefing meetings are always held amongst
commission members and officials following any supervised combative
sports event held in Calgary,” read a statement from the
Calgary commission on Thursday. “The committee discussed
the call made by the official for the Couture vs. Bird bout.
It was determined that a formal review would be conducted of
the circumstances surrounding that call.
“After
an in-depth investigation, the Calgary Combative Sports Commission
members rendered a decision to support the official, Mr. Len
Koivisto. No further action or investigations into the officiating
of Mr. Koivisto will be required by the Commission.
“Mr.
Koivisto has been involved in the combative sports industry for
close to 40 years, the last 23 in various officiating capacities.
He is a well respected boxing referee (nationally and internationally)
and has officiated MMA (nationally) for several years in various
jurisdictions in close to 400 matches without incident. He has
always taken his ring official’s duties very seriously and
conducts himself with a great deal of professionalism.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Jon
Jones open to showdown with Anderson
A win from Anderson Silva over Yushin Okami at UFC Rio this August
– a result widely expected – could mean a heck of a
headache for the event’s promoters. After all, who’d
be next in line to give the longest lived champion in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship a run for his money?
Stuck
with the option fishing a rival out from a lighter weight group
(GSP) or a heavier one (Jon Jones) to put the “Spider”
to the test, Dana White and his buddies recently got a bit of
help. The champion of the thorny 93kg (205lb) division, Jon Jones
told Brazilian martial arts television show Sensei Sportv he’s
in favor of a fight with his chum Anderson, who fights at 85kgs
(185lbs) but often weighs over 95 (210lbs).
“Anderson
Silva is the best of all times. It would be more than an honor
to fight him, it would be grandiose and huge for the sport,”
said Jones, then revealing why he fears no man, not his friend
Anderson or another possible matchup, Lyoto Machida.
“All
the athletes in there are really good. The difference is that
I study everything about my opponents: their mentality, attitudes,
training, and tactics,” explained Jones.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Card
& cable TV chaos puts UFC in a fluid business situation
By Zach
Arnold
When
Chad Mendes decided to take a fight so soon after his most recent
UFC bout instead of waiting around for Jose Aldo (UFC Featherweight
champion) to recover from injury, he was roundly criticized for
putting himself in a situation where he could have gotten a title
shot if he had waited one month longer. As things turned out,
UFC is very thankful that Mendes decided to take a fight for
their Philadelphia card. The Philly card has been hurt by injuries
and cancellations. Despite being favored by more than -500 to
win over Rani Yahya, Mendes still has put himself in quite a
low-reward, high-risk predicament.
“You
ask if it’s a risk and I honestly believe it is a risk,
but I mean it’s a big risk if the only reward is the belt.
And for me, obviously, the belt is a great reward for me but
in my situation and my life, competing is almost just as big
of a reward for me as getting that belt. I mean, being happy
in life, you know, competing, you know, I have one of the best
jobs in the world. I get to train and be healthy all the time,
you know, I get to hang out with all my buddies all the time.
You know, I get to travel all the world, I get to meet new fans,
new people constantly. You know, I get to come on cool shows
like this, get to meet you guys. I mean, never in a million years
would I have thought that growing up I’d be sitting here
right now, 26 years old. So, I mean, overall I’m loving
my life and I love to compete. I mean, I’ve been competing
since I was five years old, you know, with wrestling and stuff
like that so, you know, just sitting around and training and
not competing is not in the cards for me.
“I’ve
only been doing this for not even three years, yet. It’s
not going to help me to just sideline and just sit on the shelf,
you know, if I can take another fight… I’m getting
better with every fight, I honestly believe and, you know, I’m
getting more confident with my stand-up. I have the wrestling
and, you know, I’m only getting better. So, I’m taking
the fight, I’m taking a chance. But like I said, overall
I’m still going to be happy and I’m a firm believer
in everything happens for a reason. If I go out there and destroy
(Rani) Yahya, well it was meant to be. If I don’t, well
then it wasn’t. But, I mean, I’ll tell you this right
now that I’ve put in all the blood, sweat, and tears for
this camp and done everything possible to win this fight. So,
you know, I did everything I need to do, I’m prepared for
the fight, and I’m just going to go out there and have fun.”
Aldo,
after giving the all-clear, will end up defending his Featherweight
belt against Kenny Florian in early October for UFC’s Houston
event (which also features Frankie Edgar/Gray Maynard III &
Chael Sonnen/Brian Stann). With all the reshuffling UFC has had
to do with their upcoming cards, it has created a situation with
two mega-cards for October (the early show in Houston and the
later event in Las Vegas). All of this stress comes at a time
when UFC did the right thing by giving their fighters (who are
under contract) health insurance. File that policy, right now,
under the category of ‘when doing the right thing hurts.’
A word to the fighters, however, who decide to open the floodgates
all at once and pull out of fights for minor injuries —
UFC can take the policy away. It’s not as if they are dealing
with a union here. One day, UFC could simply make the decision
to cut the cord on the insurance and come up with a multitude
of reasons for doing so.
All
of the card modifications and injuries has put UFC in a tough
spot for television negotiations. Ratings are largely where they
have been for the past few years and the company is in a transitional
period right now by adding new weight classes and fighters to
their roster to push. If you’re a television executive interested
in UFC, how much do you want to invest in resources in promoting
the UFC? The Versus cards, on paper, have been dogs lately and
the upcoming Washington D.C. debut doesn’t look all that
hot. If you’re a TV suit and you see UFC is constantly having
to shuffle fights around, don’t you take pause and wonder
if there’s room for growth for the organization? During
this time period where UFC is negotiating with multiple television
outlets, chaos is the last thing they want to deal with.
Throw
into the equation what’s happening at HBO Sports and you
have quite a landscape to navigate.
Sports
by Brooks says Ross Greenburg got fired and Kevin Iole says that
Greenburg burnt one too many bridges in the boxing world to keep
his job. Think about the fact that Top Rank & Manny Pacquiao
going from HBO to Showtime was the final nail in the proverbial
coffin. Boxing’s economic model is the last thing UFC wants
to find itself in and, yet, there’s the potential golden
carrot of working with HBO now that Greenburg is out of the picture.
Taking a deal with HBO for UFC would be quite the scenario. Dana
White & Lorenzo Fertitta want full production control, including
announcers. A lot of UFC fans are accustomed to watching cards
on basic cable, not pay television. Zuffa has the Strikeforce
deal with Showtime that appeared to be reaching a dead end. However,
fathom this possibility — Zuffa keeps SF afloat to prevent
new competition from taking a foothold on Showtime and they put
UFC cards on HBO & Versus. It would be quite an interesting
business scenario. If UFC is going to leave Spike TV, they may
as well make a big splash (as opposed to buying the G4 TV network
and trying to make the nearly impossible success story of their
own cable/satellite channel happen.)
While
it is easy to get caught up in the horse trading of fighters
getting booked and canceled off of shows as the most immediate
daily news updates, the real action right now is with what’s
happening at Comcast/NBC Universal and, now, HBO.
Speaking
of boxing, here’s Alistair Overeem taking a page out of
the Nick Diaz playbook by suggesting the idea that he would like
to fight Vitali Klitschko. “It matches my personality. I’m
always looking for a challenge.” Klitschko is scheduled
to fight Tomasz Adamek in Poland on September 10th. He’s
around a -425 favorite (4.25 to 1) to win.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Filho
vs. Ishii at AFC, Gracie and UFC-vets expected to battle at Brazil
By Guilherme
Cruz
Two
and a half weeks after UFC Rio, Brazil may be the center of the
MMA for one more night. At Manaus, Amazonas, promoters and matchmakers
and working in silence to promote Amazon Forest Combat’s
first edition, on September 14th, and TATAME learned some of
the fighters that could fight at the event.
Pride
veteran Royler Gracie, who recently told TATAME that he’ll
no longer fight Eddie Bravo at ADCC 2011, is already signed to
fight at the event. The promoters tried to match him against
Hideo Tokoro, who won Dream’s Bantamweight GP last weekend,
but the fight probably won’t happen anymore, as they search
for new opponents.
Another
Pride vet, former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho is set
to fight at the event, and his opponent will be Satoshi Ishii,
Judo expert with a 4-1 record in MMA.
Black
House manager Jorge Guimarães, who’s working as one
of the matchmakers of the show, confirmed the match-up to TATAME
today. “It’ll be good fights”, he promises. “Tokoro
will probably fight again at Dream in September, so he won’t
be able to fight here”, Guimarães added.
According
to the manager and matchmaker, they’re also negotiating
with UFC veterans Nate Marquardt, Patrick Coté and Marcus
Davis. “We want Marcus Davis against Ronys Torres (another
UFC veteran). We’re also in talks with Jordan Smith,”
he revealed. “Coté and Marquardt may give us the
answers today”.
Source:
Tatame
|
Minotauro’s
Guardian Angel
by Marcelo
Alonso
Anyone
who has followed the career of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira knows
that overcoming adversity has been the hallmark of the Brazilian
icon; he was struck by a car at age 11, recovered and became
one of the most decorated heavyweights in mixed martial arts
history.
After
losing to current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at UFC
110 in February 2010, “Minotauro” decided to undergo
three surgeries -- two on his hip and one on his knee -- in order
to regain the form that once made him one of the most feared
fighters in the world, even though such procedures may have left
the careers of lesser men in doubt.
Following
six months of intense physical therapy, Nogueira has returned
to training, as he prepares to face “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub at UFC 134 on Aug. 27 at the
HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Beyond all his grit and
fighting spirit, the work of one professional was pivotal to
his return to the cage.
Physiotherapist
Angela Cortes began physical therapy with Nogueira after his
first surgery and remained with him through the entire ordeal,
aiding in his recovery.
“It
was six months of hard work,” Cortes told Sherdog.com. “We
worked six hours a day. It’s a thrill to see Rodrigo ready
[to return to fighting].”
Marc
Philippon, the surgeon who operated on Nogueira, connected the
dots between the two.
“I’d
spent time with him, following the post-operative progress of
athletes,” Cortes says. “Mark called me and asked me
to go to Brazil and help with the recovery of a Brazilian athlete.”
Cortes
has been a physical therapist for 16 years and draws heavily
upon her experience with patients with neurological issues. She
worked with Nogueira daily for six months and prepared him for
the second surgery on his hip.
“The
goal was to get him recovered and for him to come back and fight
in 2011,” she says. “We had to hurry. I went with him
to Colorado for the second surgery, and there was no pain. The
work was excellent. We transitioned off the crutches from the
second to third week. On average, it takes six weeks for that.
He had specific exercises for physical fitness, and I worked
on his base and maintaining the stability of his hips.”
Nogueira
was an interesting case. Some questioned whether or not he would
ever be able to physically compete again. Without the surgeries,
retirement was
all but certain.
“He
was all locked up and had lost the ability to rotate,” Cortes
says. “On the first day, we established a good rapport.
I knew what his goals were and thought, ‘Why not? You can
do it.’ At no time did I tell him I didn’t think he
could do it. I heard others saying there was no way, that Minotauro
had to retire, but there was never any negativity between us.
“He’s
very stubborn,” she adds. “He worked until one o’clock
in the morning. When he stayed at my house in the U.S., he went
to bed at 11 p.m., and at 7 a.m., I was already running his knee,
saying, ‘Come on. Wake up.’”
Nogueira,
who turned 35 in June, appears to be fully recovered from a medical
standpoint, though he will have to tend to his flexibility.
“Clinically,
he’s been reset,” Cortes says. “He has to maintain
the stability of the hip, do the groundwork and prevention. A
lot of times in practice, the front of the hip caught, which
resulted in a loss of movement in the medium- to long-term. It
takes away from the stability [of the joint], which he needs.”
Nogueira
has remained dedicated to his rehabilitation.
“It’s
funny; sometimes he comes to my office, where he’s provided
with all the support he needs, and the other patients urge him
to stay longer because it’s working,” Cortes says.
“They all think positive. It’s two to three times a
week, a solid two hours per day. Before, it was five or six hours
a day because I had to prepare him for the second surgery and
needed him to get him off crutches from the first surgery. It’s
just another part of his story of overcoming [the odds]. His
whole life has been about overcoming.”
Getting
Nogueira away from the crutches was a defining moment in his
recovery.
“He
was unsure,” Cortes says. “I had a day in mind, and
I didn’t tell him I was taking them, but it was almost like
he read my mind and said, ‘Give me three or four days.’
I put him to work in the pool. When he finished, Rodrigo went
to get out of the water and asked me for the crutches. I told
him no, that I’d be his crutch.
“There
was a small rise off the pool, and I told him to push me as we
ascended,” she adds. “When he got up the stairs, he
said, ‘Now, give me my crutches.’ And I said, ‘For
what? You pushed me; you didn’t hold on to me. You’re
already walking.’ I worked on him psychologically.”
“It’s
just another part of his story of overcoming [the odds]. His
whole life has been about overcoming.”
-- Physiotherapist Angela Cortes on Nogueira.
Cortes
was not a fan of MMA until her path crossed with Nogueira, who
has held titles in both the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships.
“I
didn’t even know who Minotauro was,” she says. “My
husband is a Marine, and he likes it a lot. When I got the call
from Marc Philippon, my husband laughed. I started watching the
fights, and I love it. I got a personal trainer to stay with
Rodrigo now, to make sure he’s taking on a multi-disciplinary
regimen. There can be no specific job for him without the coach
knowing about it. There has to be balance in the movement, and
he has to avoid exhaustion, which results in a decline of physical
fitness, strength and flexibility.”
Cortes
plans to be close by when Nogueira faces Schaub in August.
“I
watched a UFC from a front row in the U.S.,” she says. “I
thought, ‘Geez, the blood will splash here,’ but I
loved it. We all want the best for him.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Media
day: 10 things I think I know are true in #UFC & #MMA (part
one)
By Zach
Arnold
I
spent the day doing the media rounds, doing a couple of in-depth
interviews that I thought turned out really well in terms of
discussion content. I’ll elaborate on the first interview
here and some points from it.
Earlier
this morning/afternoon, I did an interview with Bryan Alvarez
talking about, well, everything imaginable under the sun that
is related to MMA.
Which
leads me to bring up some points from the interview that I think
are true and noteworthy.
1.
The 9-year rule article on Fight Opinion may be the most successful
article ever written on this site
I’ve
covered every MMA scandal, some moreso in detail than others.
And, yet, it appears that the 9-year rule article written by
David Williams is probably the most successful article ever published
on the site. I have plenty of people who still ask me about the
piece and how it came about.
David
does a great job of writing articles over at his Fantasy Fights
web site, so you can check out more of his work there or check
out his latest thoughts on Twitter @dwilliamsmma.
2.
The TV landscape is not what the UFC thought it would end up
being for a new television deal.
During
the interview, Bryan & I talked a lot about the concept of
UFC going all-in with Versus and the potential turnkey operation
of converting the G4 network into the UFC network. In the end,
the safe bet is to assume that a new deal between Spike &
UFC will get worked out. UFC’s audience from Spike does
not seem to be that portable in terms of shifting over to other
television platforms. The HBO carrot may or may not be out there,
but UFC wants full control and right now no other cable operation
is willing to give them that outside of their current television
situation.
Bryan
mentioned the potential of the UFC & WWE working together
for a combat sports channel, but I largely don’t see that
happening because of the increasing polarization of the two audiences
and growing contempt/indifference they have for each other.
3.
UFC re-upping with Spike likely means the financial death for
Bellator.
It’s
really hard to see what way Bellator can stay solvent if they
do not get the Spike TV deal. If UFC leaves Spike, suddenly there’s
a golden opportunity. If UFC stays on Spike, Bellator has no
shot. It’s not like MTV is going to buy out the promotion
and run it as a feeder system. Maybe UFC would, but more than
likely not because they’ve had enough of buying out other
organizations (PRIDE & Strikeforce). It’s too much work.
With that stated, the Bellator contracts could be used against
the fighters should the promotion go under.
4.
Showtime and UFC will probably be mutually happy to end their
relationship sooner rather than later.
With
Ross Greenburg out at HBO, Ken Hershman at Showtime has to be
feeling his oats. Chris DeBlazio of Showtime recently said that
boxing is their marquee sport, which all but indicates a lack
of interest in Showtime getting heavily involved in the MMA scene.
After all, they know the boxing business model of paying promoters
a lot of money and buying fights. That’s not what UFC’s
business model is at all. I was told early on when UFC bought
out Strikeforce that Ken Hershman was happy with the deal, but
it seems clear with the poaching of Nick Diaz and the departures
of Gina Carano & Alistair Overeem (on the sidelines) that
the oil/water comparison is apt. Showtime does business their
way and UFC does business their way. Where M-1 fits into this
equation is anyone’s guess. Can they step up and fill the
role that Bellator is currently filling should Bellator go under?
5.
The action right now is in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau for
Asian MMA. It’s not in Japan.
If
there was one universal topic that I was asked during my various
media interviews today, it was about the state of the Japanese
combat sports landscape and when things will bounce back. There
is a real romance and emotional connection fans have with the
history of the Japanese scene. It is hard for so many people
to fathom just how far things have declined, but they have. Read
these items (Middle Easy talking about One FC and this press
release about the former News Corp. COO investing into Legend
FC in Hong Kong) and take into account that the smart money for
Asian MMA is not going anywhere near Japan. It shouldn’t
be a shock to anyone who’s read my warnings for the last
few years about what the PRIDE scandal would mean for the country’s
fight scene…
And,
on that note, this will be the starting point for the next summary
of ‘things I think I know’ when discussing the next
media interview I did.
The
link to the audio interview I did with Bryan Alvarez is here
if you would like to check it out. I think you’ll have a
fun time listening to it. I did briefly bring up the book written
by June White about Dana, but it really has not gained much traction
or interest online.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
UFC
137 Fight Card Pits TUF Runner-up Ramsey Nijem against Danny
Boy Downes
As
the UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Diaz fight card nears completion,
UFC president Dana White on Thursday announced that a lightweight
match-up pitting Daniel “Danny Boy” Downes against
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem
has been verbally agreed to.
Downes
(8-2), a fan favorite, could really use a victory after dropping
a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens at the TUF 13 Finale
in June. Between bouts for WEC and UFC, he’s just 1-2 under
the Zuffa umbrella.
Nijem
(4-2), despite losing to Tony Ferguson in the final bout of season
13 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has the added leeway
usually afforded fighters that emerge from the popular reality
series. That leeway doesn’t last forever though and he’ll
be looking to establish himself as part of the promotion with
a win over Downes.
The
Las Vegas-based UFC 137 fight card is headlined by a welterweight
title bout pitting champion Georges St-Pierre against former
Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Sherdog
Rewind: An Interview with Travis Tygart
by Jack
Encarnacao
The
most rigorous performance-enhancing drug testing in the country
is conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which screens
athletes who are on the Olympic track. Unlike MMA testing, the
USADA, formed in 2000 and funded in part by the federal government,
tests an athlete throughout his or her training camp and utilizes
blood testing to detect a range of PEDs that urine tests cannot.
In
this February interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Rewind”
program, USADA Chief Executive Officer Travis Tygart explained
the state-of-the-art testing protocol and how it contrasts with
what is and is not done in MMA.
For
more in-depth discussion of the big-picture issues in mixed martial
arts, tune in to the Sherdog Radio Network on Sunday, July 24
at 9 p.m. ET, when The Rewind relaunches. Hosted by Jack Encarnacao,
the program will take not only a look back, but a step back in
digesting the key developments of the week in MMA, including
long-form "Sitdown" interviews with interesting guests.
On
the July 24 show, Jack welcomes legendary professional wrestling
announcer and MMA enthusiast Jim Ross to discuss the presentation
and marketing aspects of the sport, including fight commentary.
Sherdog.com:
Tell us what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency does and does not do.
As we know, it is up to athletic commissions to conduct drug
testing in mixed martial arts, so does the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
serve in more of an advisory role or assist commissions that
want a more state-of-the-art approach in doing this?
Tygart: Yeah, that’s right, or we can obviously run their
programs for them if they desire to go down that path. I think
you may be familiar with the boxing event that we did with [Shane]
Mosley [and Floyd] Mayweather back in May of last year, which
would just be an example of where, while we weren’t under
the authority of the commission, the two boxers themselves asked
us to run the program for them, in addition to what the commission
was running; and we obviously worked pretty closely with the
commission. But outside of that sort of scenario, we have generally
provided expert advice, reviewed policies, helped assist where
policies can be approved, where loopholes for cheating athletes
can be closed and those sorts of things to ensure the safety
and the health of all of the competitors, particularly in those
combat sports like mixed martial arts that you mentioned, or
boxing.
Sherdog.com:
You folks have been around for 10 years. What was the impetus
to get a group like yours started? I imagine there have been
loopholes as long as there have been tests.
Tygart: It’s interesting, because while it’s been since
late 2000, it’s a relatively new environment for independent
agencies, and I use that term “independent” because
we have, in large part, government funding. We have, as you mentioned
in the opening, government recognition as the independent body,
and that touches on a very important point, which is sport itself
is in an awfully difficult, if not impossible, position to both
police itself as well as promote itself. Because there’s
this natural tension between the desire to put more fans in the
seats, to raise TV revenues, to raise sponsorship revenues, and
then being faced with the untenable decision, potentially, of
having to take away a star athlete -- someone who fans want to
pay a bunch more money, and TV companies and DirecTV and satellite
TV companies want to pay a lot more money to see -- [and] having
to discipline them or remove them from that competition. And
so there’s always been this sort of “fox guarding the
henhouse” notion prior to our existence here in the United
States and what simultaneously happened on the world level with
the establishment also in early 2000 of that World Anti-Doping
Agency. So that independent mechanism is a key piece of why we
were able to gain the confidence of athletes, because we treat
every athlete the same with respect to how we enforce the rules.
And we firmly and fairly enforce the rules, really, for two different
reasons. One is to protect the safety and health of athletes.
Because one thing we don’t want is our athletes who are
covertly, secretly using these drugs that can add weight, can
add strength, can add lean muscle mass, can add endurance, can
add aggression, and then those athletes, particularly in the
combat sports, get the benefit of those drugs or release the
detriment of those drugs, which could cause serious harm or other
health injuries to the competitors. And then equally as important
in our mission is protecting the integrity of the sports. Sport
has a unique place in the world’s culture but certainly
in the U.S. culture. It’s a mechanism to teach life values;
it helps people improve their health, their fitness, their ability
to work in teams. I, as an employer, look for people who grew
up playing athletics, and, you know, if they’ve had a good
experience, they’re going to have the traits that we want
as productive communities. And so that integrity behind what
sport is supposed to be about, while it’s certainly sort
of gone into the entertainment side, it’s, at the end of
the day, a question of, “What do we want our sports to be?”
And at least with respect to the Olympics movement, while there’s
definitely entertainment value behind it, what’s valuable
is not bigger, faster, stronger all the time; it’s what
can our athletes do from a natural, human perspective, according
to the rules that establish what the playing field’s going
to be.
Sherdog.com:
Tell us a little, if you could, about what extra was done in
the Mayweather-Mosley testing program that we would not see for
any other fight?
Tygart: Oh, wow. The differences in the program are night and
day, quite frankly. It’s apples to oranges. Off the top,
we do blood testing. The state commissions, at least in that
state, Nevada, they don’t do blood testing. And if you don’t
do blood testing, that means you have no deterrent and no ability
to detect someone who’s taken Human Growth Hormone, for
example, someone who’s had a transfusion, for example, someone
who’s taken synthetic hemoglobin, for example. I mean, these
are potent performance-enhancing drugs that are also dangerous
drugs. If you don’t collect blood samples, you have no deterrent
and no ability to detect. And as I’ve said before, unfortunately,
if you’re an athlete in those states, you’re just not
being competitive if you’re not using those drugs, where
you know there’s no chance of being caught whatsoever using
them. And that’s a sad, unfortunate situation for athletes
that want to play by the rules, where their governing bodies
aren’t allowing them the support or giving them the support
they need to have a fair chance of victory, choosing to play
by the rules that are in place. So that’s one example. They
do no out-of-competition testing. So if you can take drugs three
months, six weeks, two weeks, two days prior to the competition,
the drugs will be out of your body and you will test negative
at the competition or after the competition, where they typically
test, if they test at all. And you will get the performance-enhancing
benefit from the drugs you took six weeks ago or three weeks
ago or two days ago or a day ago. And so, again, having no ability
to do an out-of-competition test can provide a tremendous loophole
for cheating athletes and doesn’t do anything to deter a
drug-infested culture where these athletes, who want to make
money and who want to win and who will do everything possible
to be the winner; it just allows that to potentially be rampant.
So those are a couple of examples. The clean process by which
to receive medications is also one that is an important aspect
of a program. Basic education that’s informative, I think,
is also a key part of any successful program; a full list of
prohibited substances that is very clear, that these anabolic
steroids, these EPOs, these Human Growth Hormones are all prohibited.
And the list in, for sure, Nevada, but some of the other states,
as well, is just, frankly, entirely too limited and again allows
an athlete to have a free-for-all or license to use the drugs
that aren’t specifically listed in order to cheat their
competitors and potentially endanger their own health. So those
are some of the basics that are pretty fundamental. I guess the
last point that comes to mind is the lack of sophistication,
I’d say, in the testing collection process and laboratory
analysis. There are about 38 sport-certified labs who are totally
independent, who analyze blood and urine samples for these drugs.
And it is a unique situation. You’re not going to find that
ability at the level that it needs to be given what’s at
stake for these athletes at your clinical lab on the corner street,
the street corner. You need a specialty, because it’s evolved
and it’s forensic and it has to be at a level that athletes
can have comfort in, that you know that, one, there’s not
going to be any false positives, but, two, you also know to the
extent possible there won’t be any false negatives, meaning
someone had used drugs but yet they still passed the drug test.
And that, to me, was a significant weakness in some of the state
programs.
Sherdog.com:
One aspect of the Mayweather-Mosley sample collection process
was having to hang out with these fighters and their camps all
day -- while they’re watching TV and playing video games
-- to take samples and ensure they weren’t corrupted. You
basically have to shadow these guys, right?
Tygart: Yeah. Our team ... we’ve got about 75 doping control
officers around the country, employees of this entity that go
and test athletes unannounced. So I think there were a few clips
maybe on the [Mayweather-Mosley 24/7] HBO special where they
were in the middle of training and our testers showed up unknown
to the athletes. And once we notify an athlete that we’re
there for testing, we don’t let that athlete out of our
sight, because there are various things athletes can do, from
catheterization to taking certain other, Protease, and other
sorts of drugs that can mask excess fluids. Those sorts of things
can all affect, potentially, the outcome of the test and can
defeat the test that they’re otherwise cheating. So it’s
really important to have that live contract after that initial
notification and continue to chaperone, as we call it, the athletes
until they’re ready to provide a sample. And sometimes --
and I think there was an episode, maybe with Mayweather, where
he was working out and couldn’t provide a sample because
of the obvious dehydration. And we see that with long endurance-type
events, marathons and what not, as our officers have to essentially
escort him to wherever he goes. And those two fighters, in particular,
were overly gracious in cooperating and allowing our employees
to stay in sight at all times, even having them essentially sit
there and watch them have dinner at their house until they were
rehydrated and able to provide a sample.
Sherdog.com:
Really, that’s what it takes to ensure, to the best degree
possible, clean athletes in fight camps: being with them in their
living rooms. I’d imagine your job can be a lot more stressful
or difficult if a temperamental athlete decides he just does
not feel like dealing with you guys today.
Tygart: Yeah, and the key is having well-trained, experienced
staff that do that. I mean, can you imagine the environment after
the fight when Mosley lost and how difficult it was to even think
about obtaining a urine sample or a blood sample? Again, Shane
Mosley and Floyd Mayweather -- they asked us to do this for them,
which they didn’t have to do. And I can’t say enough
good things about how they approved and handled every situation,
even the ones that were very inconvenient to them. But that’s
what our athletes do. We’ve got about 3,000 athletes in
the Olympic movement that are in what we call our “registered
testing pool,” and they [range] from maybe the elite swimmer
who you’ve probably seen a face on the Wheaties box all
the way down to a badminton player that you’ve never heard
of and never will hear of. And that’s the commitment I think
they show in how important sport as sport [is], not as a win-at-all-costs,
trample-your-competitor-and-use-these-dangerous-drugs endeavor.
It’s meaningful to do it the right way. We’ve had tremendous
success in our athletes, who overwhelmingly agree to the inconveniences
because they value the opportunity to play on a level playing
field and not be cheated out of what they worked so hard and
dreamed so frequently about achieving on their own natural ability.
Sherdog.com:
One thing we hear about the USADA-style program is that it’s
too expensive to implement. How much did it cost to do what you
did for the Mayweather-Mosley fight?
Tygart: You know, I candidly don’t have that number off
the top of my head. It’s not cost-prohibitive. I think I
said at one point, look, take half of one percent or add a dollar
to the pay-per-view as a dollar “clean sport integrity contribution.”
You could even [do it] like the election fees and make it optional
for people that want to contribute, and you could run a program
that would raise, I think the numbers I have figured out, that
would raise several million dollars, and you could run a program
for these major fights for half of a decade, for five years,
on a couple million dollars. So it’s not cost-prohibitive,
and you look at the money that is available for these sports,
and you mentioned the promoters and the pay-per-views and hotel
and the casinos. It’s not a money issue. The money’s
there.
Sherdog.com:
Well, what is the issue then? Do they not want to do it?
Tygart: You hit it squarely on the head. There’s too much
at stake. And you can only imagine the negative publicity and
the questions and the attacks that we received when we announced
this program and made it clear that if either [Mayweather or
Mosley] had a positive test prior to the event, the event was
off. And the fighters agreed to that, and both fighters also
agreed to the two-year suspension. So how many people surround
themselves with these athletes or make their livelihood off of
these athletes, and there’s an awful lot for them to lose.
The culture doesn’t want to be faced with the unfortunate
situation where one of these athletes cheats and you have to
call off a major event and promotions go away. Hotels, casinos
-- they unfortunately lose.
Sherdog.com:
One of the things that blew my mind in the Manny Pacquiao and
Floyd Mayweather negotiations was how Mayweather, by insisting
on Olympic testing, was framed in some media and fan circles
as a guy trying to duck his opponent, play games with him and
delay negotiations, as opposed to someone putting his neck out
for the most stringent drug testing available. Why, if you agree
with me, is that perception backwards?
Tygart: To the extent I saw that, I do [agree]. We certainly
got the brunt of “stay out of our sport” and “you’re
just trying to promote certain fighters” and all this sort
of stuff that is frankly nowhere near the issues that we are
dealing with. We’re here to support athletes who want to
have a stringent drug testing program, to do as much as we possibly
can do to protect their right to compete clean. Whether that’s
Floyd Mayweather, whether that’s Shane Mosley, whether that’s
Manny Pacquiao, it doesn’t matter to us. It’s about
that issue; it’s about the importance of clean sport. And
so, we’re willing to help anyone learn about these issues
and not manipulate them for their own purposes. That’s not
a game that we’re involved with. At the end of the day,
it’s about having a program put in place. Whatever the motives
are behind someone having a program put in place, we hope [they
are] good reasons. And we saw nothing but good reasons to have
it in place, which is why we stepped in and were willing to provide
not only the advice. I mean, you go back to ... you mentioned
how we initially got involved and ultimately did the Mosley-Mayweather
fight, but we actually were initially contacted around the Pacquiao-Mayweather
negotiations. And I don’t want to get into all that discussion,
but we just simply provided advice, and we said, “Look,
here’s why you need blood; here’s why you need out-of-competition
testing; here’s why you need the top labs and not the secondary
labs doing the analysis.” And so that was it. And then it
became this big issue that the camps couldn’t agree on and
somehow turned the drug testing into the reason that this fight
got blown up. And I’m not ... I don’t know if that’s
the case or not. All I know is I was told both camps couldn’t
agree to do the full blood testing that we offered, and we said,
“Fine, do whatever you want to do. We’re not going
to run a program that’s not our Olympic-style program, but
that doesn’t mean you can’t go do something else, if
that’s what you want to do.” And they couldn’t
figure that out, I guess.
Sherdog.com:
A fighter who has recently occupied a similar position in MMA
is Josh Koscheck, who lost to Georges St. Pierre in a welterweight
title fight. When that fight was announced, Koscheck called for
Olympic-style testing for the bout. St. Pierre totally agreed,
though Koscheck’s request was sort of laced with the implication
that St. Pierre ought to be tested and deserved suspicion. But
divorced from that context, Koscheck was saying this is good
for the sport. And then the promoter of the UFC, Dana White,
came out and said, “That’s what I think an athletic
commission is for. The athletic commissions have been around
for a long time. When fighters start talking about other guys
being drug tested, shut up. Worry about you. It’s been a
long time since somebody on our roster tested positive for steroids.
When we first took over, guys were popping here and there, and
I said, ‘You have to be a moron to do steroids in this sport;
it’s just dumb.’” The next thing we hear from
Koscheck? “Media stories on comments I made about rumors
of GSP are in no way factual. I’m known for polarizing comments,
and I got caught up in hyping ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
and our fight. I was wrong and apologize to GSP for trying to
invalidate his hard work and talent.” That can’t sit
entirely well with you.
Tygart: No, not at all. The issue you touch on is just individual
athletes being able to express their desire and to promote change
for the good for them from a health, from a safety and from enforcing
the rules that are there [standpoint], despite what it might
ultimately do in the short-term to the profits that others are
making. And I think ... I don’t know all the detail of what
you just said, but hearing what you said just frankly sends chills
down my spine, because it tells me athletes aren’t able
to voice their opinion about their rights without it being shut
down. And that is contrary to what we’re here about. We’re
here to stand up for athletes. And look, we know it’s tough,
and we’ve heard it’s tough. And prior to us as an independent
agency coming into existence, you frequently heard athletes were
scared to speak out because they didn’t want to be taken
off the playing field and sat on the end of the bench so someone
else who wasn’t going to speak freely or truthfully about
what was really going on in the culture [could move in]. And
so that’s the group of athletes we’re here to represent,
and we’re here to say those people can align with us at
any point and we will carry that torch for them and fight and
get in and mix it up and call people out where they need to be
called out for not doing everything possible within their authority
to ensure the rules are enforced. That’s what we’re
talking about. Look, don’t have the rule. That’s what
I say. If you think people are willing to pay to see a chemical
freak show, do away with the rule and let’s call it what
it is, but don’t operate under this premise that you’re
operating a clean sport where clean athletes can possibly thrive
when you know better, when you know the culture is not that way.
That’s what just, frankly, infuriates us. And really, it
touches on the vulnerability or the weakness of some athletes.
And it does take courage to step up and speak out against that
culture. And look, it ain’t easy, but we’re happy to
play that role for clean athletes.
Sherdog.com:
Because some states don’t test or test for less, promoters
can “commission shop” to ensure their fights go off
no matter what substances are in their fighters’ bodies.
To what extent is this something anyone can do anything about,
getting a consistent standard in all states for testing?
Tygart: I’m with you. This might be too blunt, but the money
people don’t want this happening, because it might change
the dramatic effect of what currently is being seen within the
ring. So that’s what’s really going on here. I hope,
and I testified before the Nevada State Athletic Commission and
I said this: “I hope it’s not a big-time scandal like
baseball had to suffer with BALCO for them finally to put in
the right program and a decent, effective program. I more importantly
hope it doesn’t take some athletes actually dying from these
dangerous drugs. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
And I hope that, whether it’s us asking the tough questions
or having the courage to stand up and say, ‘Look, Nevada,
your program’s a joke, come on.’” That’s
not a role we like to play, but if we truly believe in the rights
of clean athletes, that’s our obligation to do that, and
you better believe we’re going to do that. But what is it
ultimately going to take, outside of scandal, outside of some
serious consequences or some sort of media pressure to get them
to do the right thing? It’s not necessarily in their financial
interest, so I don’t see it happening.
Sherdog.com:
I’m glad you touched on how dangerous these drugs can be.
Every time we talk about steroids, I get the emails from people
who say there’s no ill effect to this, or they can counter
every research point you can mention about any steroid. And they
say the only fair thing is to let athletes put what they want
into their bodies and allow that free-for-all you talked about.
People have convinced themselves that this is just, that that
makes sense, that there is no price to be paid medically for
doing this. It’s just a question of fairness.
Tygart: On a real simple level ... OK, if we think the culture,
if we think that is a culture people want to see or we’re
truthful and we recognize that is, in fact, the culture despite
what our rules are, just change the rules and make it open; make
it honest. Don’t continue the sporting fraud for those who
might want to hang on to some belief that it’s something
that is not that drug-infested culture. So just do away with
the rule. Of course, I’m not going to advocate that. I don’t
think the free market advocates that. I think that, at the end
of the day, the reason [promoters and regulators] don’t
do that is because fans would go away. And fans don’t want
to buy tickets for a freak show. You can go to the circus, right?
And you can go see ... the free market’s not going to support
that. What sport is -- and sport is unique in this country as
an influencer but also as something people want to rally behind
-- and why it brings communities together is because it’s
us. It’s our dreams, one day that we see through other people.
And the belief that, “Hey, maybe I could have hit 70 home
runs because I worked hard and I stayed [for] extra batting practice
and I had great coaches,” as opposed to, “Oh, I just
injected myself with a bunch of steroids or whatever the case
may be; obviously speaking hypotheticals. The other thing that
opening it up would do ... one, it would create an arms race
between the athletes, so you would literally have athletes pushing
themselves to get as big, strong, fast as they can on these drugs
in abusive doses, more so than might currently be going on, [and]
push them closer to that brink of death or serious, adverse health
consequences. The other is the role model effect. I mean, let’s
be candid. Despite what elite athletes want sometimes -- and
you remember the Charles Barkley “Well, I’m not anybody’s
role model and you should not look at me as a role model”
[commercial] -- they’re role models. And they’re on
Sports Illustrated and they’re on your show; they’re
on ESPN. That’s what kids see, and kids idolize these athletes.
And if we suddenly open it up where it’s known they can
use them or everyone knows they’re using but nothing is
done, what’s going to happen? Well, it’s exactly what
we saw happen in the late 90s and early 2000s in this country,
the trickle-down effect where you now, as a young athlete, high
school athlete, junior high athlete or lower, have to use these
drugs in order to achieve the athletic dreams that you had as
a 6-year-old, as a 7-year-old. And that is in an untenable situation
that we just can’t afford to have, or we’re truly going
to lose a generation of athletes and people, whether they turn
out to be elite athletes or not. The second, I think, important
characteristic there is if you don’t crack down on it --
and it’s ok to cheat as long as the culture allows it --
that’s a lesson that athletes at junior high school and
high school are going to learn. And you know, we ask the question,
and not in a joking fashion, in a serious fashion, what lessons
did Bernie Madoff learn as a high school athlete? Did he learn
it was OK to crush your competitor in violating the rules? Did
he learn it was OK to cheat your coach and cheat your competitor?
And were those the same values that he learned through sport
at the high school level or the college level that he then took
into his business practices? And, look, I don’t even know
if he played sports. I’m just telling you today there are
millions of kids in this country who are learning values through
sport, and they have no other mechanism or avenue to learn those
values. And if we don’t protect the values that they’re
learning, they’re going to eventually grow up to be terrible
cheats and thieves in whatever professions, sports or otherwise,
that they go into, all because of the values they learned as
young athletes.
Sherdog.com:
Beyond just the ethics kids would form if it was a free-for-all
drug culture, talk about health effects. There is this sense
that if you are judicious and conscientious in your steroid input
or your HGH intake and that you’re smart about it, you can
do it completely safely for the rest of your life with no ill
health effects. I don’t know why that doesn’t ring
true.
Tygart: Yeah, you know, I’ll tell you. You know the photographs
of the Lyle Alzados and the young athlete Taylor Hooton? There
are plenty, but unfortunately a number of those sorts of stories
that are out there of the dangerous effects, you know ... it
is well-studied; it’s well-researched. Top scientists around
the world have written about it, peer-reviewed articles. It should
be beyond question of not only the physiological effects but
the psychological effects. And we’re talking steroids, but
the acne, the male pattern baldness, the liver and kidney damage,
the increased aggression, abnormal sexual side effects. And make
no mistake -- I think you’d mentioned this in the question
-- cheating athletes aren’t using therapeutic use doses.
They’re using doses that are going to give them as great
of an advantage as they possibly can. And really, you look at
BALCO, of a group of athletes, a controlled study of athletes
who’ve been open and honest about their involvement; [you
saw] adverse health effects, from high, high blood pressure and
cholesterol, again classic side effects of anabolic steroid use,
[to] the acne, the menstrual cycles that happened three and four
times a month for four and five days on end. We’ll see if
there’s any permanent damage. But go back a generation to
the East Germans, again a control group of abusive doses of anabolic
steroids, and you see, one, a number of sexual changes, transgender
situations; and I don’t know the statistics right off the
top of my head, but a number of birth defects in the babies that
were born to the women who were on the East German doping program,
in addition to the liver damage and the other side effects that
happened to that group of athletes that were taking essentially
these drugs to improve their sport performance.
Sherdog.com:
There’s so much more compelling evidence that it is a problem.
It just seems like people undress every example. And what you
were talking about with acne, male pattern baldness, sexual dysfunction,
that’s anabolic steroids. But there’s also a sense
that Human Growth Hormone, testosterone therapy that gets a little
out of hand, these things can also be dangerous. It’s sort
of an evolving science, but it has become clear there are risks
there, as well, right?
Tygart: Yeah. I focus more on the anabolic steroids, but you
could certainly take the Human Growth Hormone -- sort of the
peptide hormones, which would include Human Growth Hormones,
HCG, EPO, Insulin -- [and] you could take the BETA IIs, you could
take stimulants, you could take the transfusions and all the
related health consequences. It’s roulette, and you’re
playing a dangerous game depending on how much you’re doing
and how frequently you’re doing it. And I think that, to
the naysayers who want to attempt to say there are no adverse
health effects, they’re just wrong. And they should read
the studies that are out there, and there are plenty that are
there, and you could look at testimony. They’ve made these,
many of these controlled substances in this country, it’s
for the very reasons that they do cause adverse health effects
... and you could certainly look at all the testimony back in
the late 80s, early 90s, when the Controlled Substance Act was
passed and added anabolic steroids as a category to the Schedule
III list here in the United States and made it illegal to use
those without being under a doctor’s care. So there’s
really no debate about that. People want to say, “Well,
show me the causation; show me the direct link on this case or
this case or this case,” and that’s just the justifiable
mode. They’re just attempting to justify their use of these
dangerous drugs, despite what the research says, despite what
the laws say, and you’re not ever going to convince that
group of people. And just one follow-up: the health effect is
totally separated from the cheating. The cheating is black and
white. Hey, the 100-meter dash is 100 meters; it’s not 80
meters. And a marathon means you can’t ... when you run
the Boston Marathon, that doesn’t mean you can hop on the
subway and ride half the way. Those are the rules. So whether
you agree with the rule or think the rule’s not a good rule,
those are the rules all competitors agree to. And as long as
it’s published in advance and it’s reasonably fair
-- and I’d submit all of these rules are more than fair
-- you got to abide by it. You can’t say, “Well, I
don’t think they’re dangerous, so I’m going to
use them despite what the rules are.” It is black and white
from a cheating standpoint.
Sherdog.com:
But you’re not being sanctimonious to suggest that, yeah,
maybe I don’t want mixed martial arts fighters taking every
performance enhancer they can get their hands on because I don’t
want to see them drop dead like pro wrestlers have.
Tygart: Right.
Sherdog.com:
Now tell me about what work you have and have not done with the
Nevada State Athletic Commission. There was some talk last year
that they were going to reexamine what kind of testing procedures
they have in place and how they could expand them and be more
comprehensive and follow the lead of the Mayweather-Mosley requirements.
Did that go anywhere?
Tygart: We remain in the same position. We’re willing to
sit down and talk with anybody that’s interested, at any
time, in having to learn about these issues and having a quality
program. With that side, my chief science officer and myself
met with [NSAC Executive Director] Keith [Kizer] and the president,
the chairwoman of the commission at that time, I’m not sure
if she’s still there or not, and this was prior to the Mosley-Mayweather
fight. And we walked through the World Anti-Doping Agency’s
code, and many of the tenets of what I’m talking about are
all rooted in this world code that, frankly, the governments,
including the United States, have signed off on. I think it’s
180-plus governments of the world have signed a treaty; our Senate
has ratified and our President in ’08 signed a treaty that
says, “We will embody the tenets of this code,” and
it reflects all the things I’ve just talked about; as well
as all the sport governing bodies of the world, with the exception
of, I think, the state athletic commissions and some of the pro
sports here in the United States, pretty much the rest of the
world has adopted the World Anti-Doping code that again provides
the basic principles of an effective program. So we sat down
with them and explained that to them and walked through what
that really means and how easy it would be to adopt those rules.
I mean, there’s a template on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s
Web site that had these rules all written out, and all they would
have to do is insert “Nevada State Athletic Commission”
or whatever state athletic commission, and it’s really that
simple. But they haven’t done that yet, as far as I’m
aware. I’m not sure if that’s something they’re
continuing to pursue. They did have a hearing at which they invited
us to testify, I think, last May. I think it was in May, and
again, in a live public forum, we addressed these issues and
explained these issues. Unfortunately, there were those that
have the interest not to have this in place. And they seemed
to have more sway or influence over that hearing, and I’m
not sure, ultimately, where they’ve come out.
Sherdog.com:
Well, nothing has happened. I’m sure they’d say the
right things if you asked them about expanding their programs,
but the action just isn’t there. I want to ask you about
comments from Dr. Margaret Goodman, who was the chief physician
for the Nevada commission for years and years; they were made
on Eddie Goldman’s “No Holds Barred” radio show
just as those Nevada hearings we talked about where happening.
She said, “You know, back when I was there, it seemed adequate
what we were doing, and, truthfully, it just wasn’t, but
we weren’t aware of it to that degree. But as the last couple
of years have gone, obviously you know it doesn’t; you don’t
have to be slapped in the face to recognize that you’re
not catching enough athletes and you’re not creating a deterrent
for them. They’re slipping by. It’s unfair fights.
It’s possibly a huge danger to the opponent if they’re
not, you know, if their opponent is using something like this
-- a performance-enhancing drug. So, you know, it doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to realize that the testing needs to
be changed.” Do you quibble with anything Goodman says there?
Tygart: No, not at all. I think she’s spot on. I know Margaret
well, and she truly cares from my experience about athletes and
their health and their safety. And she’s spot on.
Sherdog.com:
I’m not sure how familiar you are with the set of circumstances
around Chael Sonnen, a UFC middleweight fighter who had an amazing
trash talking campaign back in August leading up to a great title
fight Anderson Silva. He tested positive for an elevated testosterone
to epitestosterone level after the fight, was suspended, got
the year’s suspension and got it cut in half by six months.
It put a lot of questions on the table about testosterone replacement
therapy and the therapeutic use exemption. I wonder where you
come down on that. Have you seen justified testosterone replacement
therapy? Are they common enough that we shouldn’t be so
cynical when an athlete claims he needs one?
Tygart: Absolutely not. They’re not common, and you should
be very cynical when you see an athlete making that claim. Does
that mean they’ve never happened? No, I think in certain
life and death situations, athletes certainly go through a process
and can get those granted, but they’re extremely rare. I
mean, I think we’ve done two in our existence. I think what
is most important -- and you touch on sort of who’s right,
who’s wrong -- there has to be a fair process. You can’t
just allow an athlete and a doctor, who, as you said, may be
getting tickets to the show, might like hanging around athletes,
whatever the case is, have the decision-making of what therapies
an athlete is going to be able to use that would have a performance-enhancing
effect in sport. And so, back to the independence that I mentioned
at the very beginning of this show, we have an independent process
by which we have set criteria. Is it for a legitimate medical
situation that is documented? So we receive medical documents
from the doctor; we have the right, if we want, to interview
the doctor. Is there a reasonable alternative to the medication
that the athlete is seeking? And if you have certain long-term
diseases, there might not be. So the third criteria is the level
you’re seeking approval for. One, can it be monitored to
ensure you’re not abusing any license you might get to use
that through a therapeutic use exemption? And most importantly,
does it, your use of that, would it provide you a performance-enhancing
benefit other than just restoring you to your normal, healthy
self? And we have a pool of expert doctors in every field; someone
applies for human growth hormone, and, again, that’s very,
very, very rare, although we have had someone attempt to do that.
We’ve had someone attempt for testosterone. What’s
more common is sort of the ADHD, someone wants permission to
use Ritalin or something to that effect. But we hold the notion.
And, look, half of our job is to be in the skepticism business,
but we have seen and have tried and have proven a fraudulent
prescription of testosterone, not for any legitimate medical
reason but what was tried to be cast and tried to convince us
was a legitimate medical reason but in fact was a doping reason.
And we’ve said around our office, the most sophisticated
dopers out there are the ones that try to legitimize it by going
to their doctor to fabricate a medical situation in order to
give them these potent drugs. Who doesn’t want athletes
to get the sort of medications they need to have a healthy and
safe life? But you have to be overly skeptical of that, given
what’s at stake.
Sherdog.com:
In appealing what happened, Sonnen spoke of a condition, hypogonadism,
which caused lifelong issues and caused him to feel really withdrawn.
He had his physician testify to this. He said in camp he was
feeling abnormally tired all the time and showing a lot of signs
of having issues. And then he got a prescription in 2008 for
testosterone to get his levels up to normal. Fighting for two
years getting injections, he said twice weekly he was taking
testosterone shots. Twice weekly testosterone shots, isn’t
that an awful lot? Isn’t it supposed to be once every two
to four weeks?
Tygart: I don’t know anything about that case. I mean, a
bunch of red flags in my mind go up. We had from what you described
a similar case, the [George] Hartman case. Actually there’s
a written arbitration decision on our Web site about it, a classic
example where a judo athlete goes from a certain weight category,
suddenly bumps up a weight category and becomes from decent at
a lower weight to the best in the country at a higher weight.
And what was put forth was this, in our opinion, fraudulent reason
to provide testosterone, and it was a less frequent cycle than
what you just described; although I think different doctors can
do different things depending on the diagnosis. One important
thing is there’s a reason for any sort of hypogonadism,
and you’ve got to find out what is that reason. Is it a
pituitary gland problem? Is there some cancerous tumor that has
caused this? There’s a litany of medical reasons that someone
could be hypogonadal. One reason also is that someone had previously
abused testosterone. And so it raises that question, and you’ll
see, I mention our criteria by which we give permission to give
medications. One of the criteria is that you can’t have
previously abused prohibited drugs to now justify, because the
damage you did to your body, your use and request for permission
to go back using additional drugs that are prohibited.
Sherdog.com:
How in the world do you prove that? How do you prove someone
has this condition because they abused steroids or testosterone?
Tygart: Well, you have to do a medical analysis. Look at the
medical records. Look at what it’s causing, what is the
root cause of hyper- or hypogonadism.
Sherdog.com:
You can determine that with certainty, why somebody has that
condition?
Tygart: I mean, you can rule things, and, again, let’s be
clear, I’m not a doctor. With that said, I’ve tried
that case, the Hartman case I mentioned, and we asked his doctor,
well, did you do a pituitary gland check? Well, no. Did you look
at any prior medical records? Well, no. Did you think about doing
an additional blood test, which is sort of the general practice
way to determine whether someone is truly hypogonadal or not?
Well, no. And so you sort of go to the same conclusion that,
well, the basic checklist of what any reasonable healthcare professional
would do wasn’t done. And again, I know nothing about the
case you mentioned. I’m just saying part of that independent
and necessary process is to ask those questions. We had this
athlete checked out by an independent medical examiner, and the
independent medical examiner’s report was, hey, this guy
doesn’t have low testosterone. I don’t even think he
has hypogonadism, because here’s his blood test, and while
it’s on the lower side, it’s normal. And for a 28-year-old,
30-year-old, there is no good reason why they would be hypogondal.
Something must be causing it. In fact, I don’t think he
is. But if he is, what’s causing it? We see no evidence
of what’s causing it. No pituitary gland problem. You just
have to ask the right questions, and that gets to the sort of
the complexity of this world and what athletes and their doctors
and their entourages will do to allow them to cheat to be successful;
and, frankly, whether or not politically-appointed state athletic
commissions have the time and the experience to deal with all
those kinds of issues.
Sherdog.com:
I’ve watched some hearings when mixed martial arts fighters
and boxers appeal to state athletic commissions, and some of
the things these commissioners say shows woeful ignorance about
the level of sophistication of this use. Did you hear about the
James Toney situation, where he pretty much said, ‘Do I
look like I use steroids?’ and cursed at the California
State Athletic Commission and called them morons and got his
suspension thrown out?
Tygart: (Laughs) No, but I sat through one in California and
one in Nevada and I was ... it can be done better. It should
be done better. The athletes are owed it to be done better.
Sherdog.com:
What does it indicate if someone’s testosterone-to-epitestosterone
levels are awfully high?
Tygart: It means you’ve used testosterone. The simple fact
is we all produce testosterone and epitestosterone at the same
levels. And so it’s 1-to-1. Now I might be 100 nanograms
of testosterone in the afternoon, but I’m also going to
be 100 nanograms of epitestosterone in the afternoon. At night,
I might be 200 nanograms of testosterone, but I’m also going
to be 200 nanograms of epitestosterone; which means my ratio
is 1-to-1, even if the absolute concentrations of testosterone
and epitestosterone change. So what the test does is it looks
at, in the urine, that ratio. And based on controlled studies
and the public peer-reviewed publications that are out there,
it is abnormal to be above 4-to-1. Some people might produce
testosterone at 200-to-100 of epitestosterone, or 400-to-200
of epitestosterone, but they’re always going to be 2-to-1.
But most people are always 1-to-1. But there are no people, essentially,
unless they’ve doped, who are 4-to-1 or greater. You may
remember the Floyd Landis case, the cycling case. He was 11-to-1
on his T/E ratio, his testosterone to epitestosterone.
Sherdog.com:
Chael Sonnen was 16.9-to-1.
Tygart: Yeah, I mean, look, 4-to-1 is the cutoff. Anything above
4 to 1 is a violation; 16 to 1 is clear indication of use of
testosterone or another designer steroid that would affect the
testosterone pathway.
Sherdog.com:
And what does that do for the athlete? What does that do for
an MMA fighter?
Tygart: The strength, the recovery, pound-for-pound power. I
mean, it’s a potent ... it’s the male sex hormone.
If athletes could use that in a combat sport without consequence,
those who are using the most of it staying within their weight
categories would be the ones that dominate the sport.
Sherdog.com:
Here’s what Sonnen said, and I’d like your response
to this: “Saying testosterone is a steroid is like saying
mouthwash is alcohol.”
Tygart: (Laughs) Oh, man. I don’t even know how to respond
to that. I don’t know this fighter, I don’t know his
case, but that’s just totally inaccurate.
Sherdog.com:
Isn’t testosterone the very base of steroids in the first
place?
Tygart: Yeah, it’s the principle. Naturally occurring testosterone
is the male sex hormone. It is the compound that -- I want to
say all other, but at least most other -- anabolic steroids are
derived from. As I said, I don’t know the specifics of that
case or that fighter, so it’s hard for me to give full fair
picture. But that just is not right.
Sherdog.com:
Forget knowing the fighter, but if I told you a fighter who came
in 16.9-to-1 T/E ratio said that, it doesn’t matter who
we’re talking about, I think your reaction would be the
same.
Tygart: Yeah. Yeah.
Sherdog.com:
Talk about the effect steroid use has on testosterone production
to begin with. We found out in this one case that there are fighters
that have been approved to use TRT in Nevada. Dan Henderson and
Todd Duffee were both approved to use it; we’re not sure
for how long. California’s athletic commission’s director
has acknowledged there is at least one fighter who is approved
to use it, but declined to name names. But I think the implication
is that really, if you have low testosterone production and you’re
an athlete and you have a very impressive physique and have had
it for a long time and have competed for a long time, it’s
not unfair to assume that it’s probably steroid use that
caused your low testosterone production to begin with. Is that
too harsh?
Tygart: It’s tough to do complete generalizations. In fairness,
and your statement may very well be fair, I just don’t know
the sport well enough. I think it is a known fact that if you
take testosterone -- and many of the other anabolic steroids
-- that your own naturally produced testosterone will shut off.
And, so, you will naturally produce zero once you start taking
the synthetic version. And that once you stop taking, if you
do stop taking the synthetic version, there is a period of time
before your own natural testosterone recovers or rebounds and
begins producing again. There’s a delay in how long that
takes, and most doctors, credible doctors, will tell you it’s
about the same period of time that you’ve been using it.
So if you’ve been using synthetic testosterone for a year,
you destroyed your endocrine system where it’s going to
take about a year before you start regenerating or reproducing
your own natural testosterone. That’s a known fact. And,
you know, it is what it is. What scares me about what you just
said about the permission to use testosterone is why. But even
if you determine as a state athletic commission there’s
good reason to allow this person to use it, what sort of testing
are you doing to ensure that they’re only using a therapeutic
use dose? None of them that I know of do blood testing for testosterone.
And, so, you’ve just given an athlete a license to use testosterone.
And it’s, hopefully, you said you can only use X amount
for therapy, assuming it was legitimate to begin with, right?
X amount for therapy, but what monitoring do you have in place,
If you’re not doing any blood testing, which is how you
get an absolute concentration, and if all you’re doing is
the urine testing after a fight and you see someone with an elevated
[level]? Well, yeah, he’s elevated because he got permission
to use it. But the T/E ratio is not going to necessarily tell
you the amount that they’re using prior to when the test
occurs. So that’s a big concern. Another loophole in the
policy is that if they’re actually giving fighters permission
to use this testosterone, what are they doing to monitor it to
ensure that they’re doing it on the medical basis that they
were given permission to do it on?
Sherdog.com:
Are you convinced we have a reliable test to detect HGH usage
at this point?
Tygart: Yeah, absolutely. And don’t just hear me; hear the
athletes that have been caught with it. You’ve had an English
athlete, you’ve got a U.S. athlete, Canadian athlete who’ve
tested positive. And actually, it’s an English athlete and
a Canadian athlete who tested positive from the tests who said,
“Yeah, I was using it.”
Sherdog.com:
That’s only two of how many athletes tested? And only two
of them were using HGH?
Tygart: Two that have been sanctioned tested positive and sanctioned
and admitted using it.
Sherdog.com:
I don’t doubt that that happened, and I don’t doubt
that they admitted it. But I thought part of the idea about HGH
was that it was popular because you needed blood testing, and
urine testing wouldn’t pick it up and it was believed to
be a lot more widespread than that. You weren’t surprised
that only two folks have been caught so far?
Tygart: No. I guess your question is -- does that signify the
amount of usage that’s going on? One, I think the world
hasn’t been doing blood testing for long; really, essentially
since the HGH test came up and was available. I think the HGH
test has a small window of detection. It’s anywhere form
48 hours to 72 hours. So those sports that only test at events,
of course they’re not going to test anybody positive for
HGH because you’d have to be a fool to use HGH and show
up at an event and test positive. You’re going to use it
so it clears your system before you show up at an event. So it
really limits those groups that are doing true out-of-competition
testing. I pray to God that the deterrent is as effective as
I think it is. We certainly hear from athletes knowing that there’s
a risk that you could get caught; they’re not going to take
that risk.
Sherdog.com:
Right -- and that changes the game substantially.
Tygart: Yeah, absolutely.
Sherdog.com:
Have you ever heard a legit claim that legal supplements cause
a positive? That’s a classic, Travis.
Tygart: From buying something over-the-counter that’s prohibited,
that is possible. So you use DHEA. DHEA is a controlled substance
in most of the developed world. It’s not here in the United
States given, in our opinion, the less-than-perfect regulation
that oversees the dietary supplement industry. So that’s
one you can legally go and buy tomorrow at your local health
foods store or grocery store and use it and you could test positive
for it in sport. So that could be legitimate. The other is this
sort of contamination issue. And it’s possible. It’s
very, very rare. I think if it happens, we’ve had one case,
actually two cases where the athletes have proved through the
arbitration process that that is the cause of their positive
test, and the sanction obviously was considered in light of that.
It highlights the importance of having a process by which you
analyze. You can’t just take an athlete’s word that,
hey, my doctor says I have hypogonadism, so I do, so I’m
going to take a bunch of testosterone; or, hey, this positive
for nandrolone or deca (decadurabolin) or winny (winstrol) or
stanazalol came from the supplement that I bought. You have to
challenge that, because we know if athletes are going to cheat,
they’re also going to lie to get out of being caught for
their cheating. So you have to have somebody there asking those
obvious questions, that knows how to ask those questions and
[get] the proof that would go along to prove whether or not that’s
true or not.
Sherdog.com:
The rich athletes are always going to be a step ahead of the
testers, correct?
Tygart: Well, certainly the well-resourced and the sophisticated
have a better chance of defeating the testing program, and it’s
certainly possible. I mean, we saw with Marion Jones, 100-plus
tests, she beat us and beat the United States Olympic Committee
from a testing standpoint. She was cheating with a number of
drugs and got away with it. That highlights the obvious importance
of what we do, which is partner closely with law enforcement
to ensure that where this is illegal -- and let’s make no
mistake, the distribution, the use in certain circumstances,
the manufacturing, the trafficking of many of these drugs, anabolic
steroids, EPOs, the medical transfusions, that’s illegal.
And it is a public health issue that this country ought to enforce
the laws that are on the books about. And so that’s a way
in a Marion Jones situation we’re able to provide a deterrent
for the future by our detection, when we’re able to cooperate
closely with law enforcement.
Sherdog.com:
Is there any excuse that flies with you for not testing every
fighter on every card throughout training camp without warning?
Is there any excuse to not subject every fighter on a combat
sports card to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency program?
Tygart: I don’t think so. I haven’t seen one yet that
flies.
Editor’s
Note: This interview was conducted and transcribed by Jack Encarnacao.
Some questions were paraphrased; answers were not, with the exception,
in most cases, of “you know,” “um” and incomplete
thoughts. In addition, James Toney’s suspension was cut
in half, not thrown out as stated in the interview. Furthermore,
since this interview was conducted, it was reported that a third
unidentified fighter was given a therapeutic use exemption by
the NSAC. It is not known if the exemptions given to Todd Duffee,
Dan Henderson and the third unidentified fighter were given for
testosterone.
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
138 Set for LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham,
England
The Ultimate Fighting Championship pulled a rabbit out of its
hat with the recent announcement of UFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz
for Nov. 5 in Birmingham, England.
That will have been more than a year since the promotion landed
in the U.K. and British fans were getting a bit anxious. UFC
officials even thought that an event in England was unlikely
for 2011 due to the difficulty in lining up a venue with an appropriate
date for television.
Out of nowhere, Birmingham hit the radar. MMAWeekly.com sources
say that the date opened up for the LG Arena at the National
Exhibition Centre adjacent to the city’s airport and railway
station. The arena has an approximate capacity of 16,000.
The promotion’s last trip to Birmingham, UFC 89 in October
of 2008, was at the National Indoor Arena.
UFC 138 features a main event between Top 10 middleweights Chris
Leben and Mark Munoz for a bump up the ladder to a title shot.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Boetsch,
Ring Agree to UFC 135 Showdown in Denver
by Brian
Knapp
Middleweights
Tim Boetsch and Nick Ring have verbally committed to face one
another at UFC 135 “Jones vs. Rampage” on Sept. 24
at the Pepsi Center in Denver. UFC officials on Tuesday announced
the proposed matchup at 185 pounds.
Boetsch
(13-4, 4-3 UFC) has posted five wins in six outings. He made
his middleweight debut at UFC 130 in May, when he defeated “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Kendall Grove by unanimous
decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old
Lincolnville, Maine, native now trains under Matt Hume at the
AMC Pankration camp. Boetsch, who wrestled collegiately at Lock
Haven University of Pennsylvania, has secured 11 of his 13 career
wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. In nearly
five years as a professional, he has never suffered consecutive
losses.
Spawned
by Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the unbeaten
Ring (12-0, 2-0 UFC) last fought at UFC 131 in June, when he
submitted Octagon newcomer James Head with a third-round rear-naked
choke at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt with professional boxing and
kickboxing experience, he has delivered half (six) of his 12
career wins by submission. Though knee injuries have plagued
the 32-year-old throughout his career, Ring (Pictured; file photo)
has spent time inside the Deep and Bellator Fighting Championships
promotions.
A
five-round light heavyweight title bout between reigning champion
Jon Jones and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will headline
UFC 135. In addition, UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes will collide
with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner Diego Sanchez
in a pivotal showdown at 170 pounds.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Payout
Spotlight: ProElite VP of Fight Operations T. Jay Thompson –
Part 1
MMAPayout
had the opportunity to interview Vice President of Fight Operations
for ProElite T. Jay Thompson. He spoke to us about the August
27 event, his goals for the promotion, and what we can expect
from ProElite going forward.
ProElite
hosted it’s first MMA event, which was televised on Showtime,
back in February of 2007. In total, ProElite was able to produce
21 MMA events before it closed it’s doors in October of
2008, as it accumulated a debt of $55 million in the span of
less than 24 months of operations.
With
EliteXC’s previous failure and Strikeforce’s purchase
by Zuffa earlier this year, despite both having historic network
television deals and a number of MMA stars on it’s roster,
begs the question: Can a viable competitor emerge? Can the market
sustain another national promotion over the long-term? T. Jay
Thompson believes becoming a profitable number two promotion
is the initial goal this time around for ProElite.
MP:
What will the name of the MMA promotion be under ProElite and
does ProElite still have rights to EliteXC, Cage Rage, etc?
Thompson:
We will be using ProElite as the name of the promotion, as the
ProElite name still has value and brand equity. We still own
part of the rights and library to EliteXC and Strikeforce owns
others after the asset purchase, but we still have the rights
to other promotions such as Cage Rage and ICON for example.
MP:
So far, the rumors are Kala Hose vs Drew McFedries, Raquel Pa’aluhi
vs Sara McMann, Jake Huen vs Mark Ellis, Andrei Arlovski, and
Kendall Grove all possibly participating in the upcoming August
27 event taking place at the Blaisdell Arena in Hawaii. Can you
confirm any of these fights? Will there be an emphasis in Women’s
MMA?
Thompson:
There will be an announcement this week but all I can say is
that you guys have done a very good job. Those fights sound very
plausible. I can tell you that we signed the first American woman
in history to receive a silver medal in women’s wrestling
at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Sara McMann and she will be taking
on Raquel Pa’aluhi, who comes from a great Hawaiian MMA
background. Whether male or female fighters, we are talking to
anyone that’s available and that make sense for us and what
markets we go into.
MP:
How will MMA fans be able to watch the August 27 event? Are there
any concerns about running the show on the same day as the monumental
UFC 134: Silva vs Okami taking place in Brazil?
Thompson:
The event will be available for fans most likely by streaming
from a major MMA website. We are hoping for a TV deal to be in
place, but realistically, it will most likely be streamed from
Hawaii at 7PM local, which means it will air just after UFC 134
at 10PM on the west coast. We are not trying to compete with
the UFC, and just like a fighter coming back from a long layoff,
we have to work out the kinks and ring rust. We hope to do that
in the first couple of shows.
MP:
Does ProElite have any major sponsors lined up for the August
27 event?
Thompson:
We are currently not aligned with any major sponsors. As for
the event, nothing is official just yet, but we aren’t expecting
many major sponsors for the first event.
MP:
ProElite CEO Paul Feller has mentioned before that a lot of what
PE will do in the future depends on what happens with Strikeforce
on Showtime and UFC/Bellator on Spike TV. Is the goal to eventually
land a TV deal with one of those big outlets?
Thompson:
My job is to put ProElite in a position to capitalize on any
opportunities that present themselves in the future. So we won’t
rule anything out at this point. Stratus Media has talented people
and many have worked in/with the TV industry, so we feel pretty
confident we will be on a TV outlet by our second event.
MP:
When will the second event take place and how many events are
you planning for 2011?
Thompson:
The second event will take place in November, which is when we
believe we will have a TV deal in place. That means we will have
2 shows in 2011, then ramp up for 2012.
MP:
How will ProElite be funded and operated this time around? It
was well documented that the website, offices, employee salaries,
etc were above and beyond what they should have been in terms
of spending.
Thompson:
ProElite will be ran lean and mean this time around. It was frustrating
watching PE burn through money and there was nothing I could
do. It’s a reason why we are only holding two events this
year. We want to analyze and make decisions that make sense for
the company and our shareholders.
MP:
Will Hawaii be the home-base of ProElite, similar to what San
Jose was for Strikeforce?
Thompson:
We want to host about 2-3 shows in Hawaii every year but I wouldn’t
say we have a home-base. Remember that our offices are located
in California, so we will see. Our goal is to go into markets
that make the most sense.
MP:
Is running MMA events out of Hawaii a concern, considering the
MMA tax after the sport was regulated there a few years ago?
Thompson:
Hawaii gets 4% on the gate, 4% on PPV revenue, but it is capped
at $50K, so it’s no different if we hosted the event in
California or New Jersey. Dana White made those comments back
when the UFC was looking into putting on an event in Hawaii,
but those regulations have been modified since. I wouldn’t
be surprised if the UFC came to Hawaii soon and ran a show from
Aloha Stadium.
Payout
Spotlight: ProElite VP of Fight Operations T. Jay Thompson –
Part 2
In
part two of MMAPayout’s interview with ProElite’s Vice
President of Fight Operations T. Jay Thompson, he spoke to us
about some of the smaller details regarding the August 27 event,
the differences between the old ProElite and the new, plus his
thoughts on Rich Chou, Kimbo Slice, Dana White, Women’s
MMA, promoting MMA for the past 15 years, and being a huge MMA
fan.
MP:
What type of cage/ring will ProElite use on August 27? Are you
a fan of the ring or the cage?
Thompson:
We will be using a standard circular cage, similar to what was
used in EliteXC. I am a big fan of the ring but I believe that
era of MMA has passed. The ring was great back in PRIDE and in
Japan, but those times have passed. As for the cage, I’m
a big fan of the smaller cages, so I’m hoping that we can
make it a bit smaller in the future because they create exciting
fights.
MP:
How do you feel about co-promotion?
Thompson:
I am all for co-promotion. Not only did I host the first co-promotional
sanctioned event for Shooto in the U.S., but I was fortunate
enough to work with several Japanese promotions and I was able
to bring fighters like Rumina Sato stateside, which was a proud
moment for me.
MP:
How do you feel about working with ProElite again after your
first stint. It appeared that MMA fans were waiting for the more
experienced MMA promoters under the banner to take over the direction
of ProElite last time around, but it never happened. How does
your position in ProElite differ this time around?
Thompson:
I had nothing to do with decision making the first time around.
It’s no secret that Gary Shaw and I didn’t see eye
to eye. It was an extremely frustrating situation. Like I said
before, this time around I will be working with Rich Chou, and
as a team, our goal is to place ProElite in a position to capitalize.
MP:
Speaking of Rich Chou, were you surprised that he was let go
after Zuffa purchased Strikeforce and can you talk about what
his acquisition means for ProElite?
Thompson:
I’m excited to work with Rich again. I’ve worked with
Rich for a long time now and he is a hard worker and not many
people realize this, but he does a lot more than just the matchmaking.
He will be a valuable asset for us… but am I surprised that
Zuffa let him go? No. Zuffa’s entire company is filled with
excellent employees and he was just another for them. So no,
I am not surprised at all.
MP:
If Strikeforce ends up being absorbed by the UFC and Women’s
MMA needs a new home, do you see ProElite becoming a home to
them the same way that Strikeforce was able to capitalize on
the female fighters they acquired from EliteXC?
Thompson:
First of all, I am a big fan of Women’s MMA. Like I said
before, we are talking to anyone that’s available. We’ve
already scheduled Sara McMann, a U.S. Olympic medalist, to our
first event, so they will have a place in the promotion.
MP:
Did you watch the recent fight between Sheila Bird and Kim Couture.
What did you think of that fight? Is Bird the type of fighter
that you would be interested in signing?
Thompson:
The officiating was terrible, but I was thrilled to see a win
via leg-scissor choke. You can ask anyone that trains out of
my garage, that is my favorite choke and I’ve been practicing
it for years. As for Sheila, of course we would be interested
in signing any top prospect. You have to realize that I am a
huge MMA fan, just like you guys. I go to the UG, read the websites,
and watch the fights on Youtube just like everyone else. I try
to catch as many fights as I can and keep an eye on up-and-coming
talent.
MP:
Kimbo Slice was heavily featured in EliteXC during the initial
run. Would ProElite be opposed to signing someone like a Kimbo
Slice, Dave Bautista, or Bobby Lashley?
Thompson:
There were many decisions I did not agree with that ProElite
made, but signing Kimbo Slice was not one of them. I am a big
Kimbo Slice fan and I don’t have a problem with fighters
who bring new eyeballs to the sport. Kimbo Slice was a big part
of why ProElite and CBS still hold the record for highest rating
on a major network for MMA. As for Bobby Lashley, I am a bit
disappointed in his progression in MMA. I was rooting for him
and hoping he would have had more of an impact on the sport by
now. In terms of signing any of them, I would not rule anything
out.
MP:
Now that you are the VP of Fight Operations for ProElite, what
do you think you can bring to the table this time around that
you weren’t able to last time?
Thompson:
My strong-point is not only discovering and developing new talent,
but reviving already established talent. I was able to do it
for Robbie Lawler, Frank Trigg, and Jason Miller, and it’s
something that I look forward to doing again in ProElite.
MP:
What is your vision of ProElite in the near future and where
would you like them to be in 5 years?
Thompson:
Our goal is to become the number two promotion in MMA in five
years and be profitable. If we could do that, we would be in
a great position to capitalize on opportunities. As for ProElite,
I hope it becomes a mixture of all my previous promotions (ICON
Sports, SuperBrawl, etc). We want to put on exciting and entertaining
fights for our fans.
MP:
What type of reaction has ProElite received from the fans and
MMA sponsors since announcing the company’s return?
Thompson:
We are getting a great deal of support from MMA fans and those
involved on the business side of the sport, so that’s great
to see. I was and still root for Strikeforce, so it’s good
to see others do the same for us.
MP:
In a recent interview, Dana White said “T. Jay [Thompson]
has been involved in some great fights — SuperBrawl —
I would call him an early pioneer of the sport. Good for him”
regarding ProElite being resurrected. What is your reaction to
that comment?
Thompson:
Actually, it makes me think that I’m doing something wrong.
Joking aside, I am a huge Dana White fan, and we are just a small
blip on the radar, so it could all change in the future.
***
MMAPayout
was also able to briefly catch-up with ProElite new hire Rich
Chou. Chou insisted that he was “very blessed” to have
many opportunities presented to him after he was let go by Zuffa,
and is now just trying to find a way to transition his life into
working for ProElite. Chou now finds himself frequently flying
between San Jose, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. He also points out
that he has been extremely busy preparing for the August 27 show
in Hawaii, and hasn’t had much of a chance to settle down.
Chou
along with T. Jay Thompson and a couple of Stratus Media Group
executives currently make up the team for ProElite, a vast contrast
of how the original company was managed. “I am very blessed
with the opportunities that were available to me after Strikeforce”
said Chou. “I think MMA promotions realized what type of
work I can put in and the success the companies I’ve worked
with have had in the past. I’m looking forward to working
with T.Jay and putting on great fights for the fans.”
Source:
Fight Opinion/MMA Payout
|
After
Heartbreaking Tragedy, MMA Community Vows to Rally Around 'Dr.
Alex'
By Mike
Chiappetta
In
Colorado mixed martial arts circles, he's known simply as "Dr.
Alex," a physician with a big love of the sport, and a big
heart for the fighters who inhabit it. It's been a world he can't
get enough of. At various times, he's been a cageside doctor,
a judge, and a referee. And when that was not enough, Alex Constantinides,
a man who spent five years in medical school, one year in internship,
and two in residency, a man whose brain was his most important
asset, decided to fight.
Why
would he? Was it for fame, money or glory? Of course not. He
fought so he could gain a better understanding of what the athletes
were going through. He wanted to feel what they felt, experience
what they experienced, so he could better care for them. He did
it for a reason that some feel is slowly fading from the medical
profession: empathy.
No
one today could imagine how he feels though, not after Dr. Alex
experienced a horrific tragedy, one that shook his world and
rocked the local fight community. On a rainy Tuesday in southern
Wyoming, the doctor and his family were among the many cleared
from a campground by authorities due to progressively dangerous
conditions. Driving along Route 130, their vehicle plunged into
raging waters caused by a flash flood.
By
the time the night was over, he would be a victim, and he would
also be a hero.
Before
we tell you what happened to Dr. Alex that night, first you must
understand why a whole state community cares so much.
Dr.
Alex moved to Colorado from Wyoming in 2005, and he immediately
ingratiated himself to the people on the MMA scene simply with
his presence. He would be at every show, big or small.
"Anybody
who fought here in any capacity, from an 0-1 kickboxer to the
biggest names in the state like Shane Carwin, knows him,"
said Tyler Toner, a Colorado-based fighter who has fought in
the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce. "He's one of the biggest assets
in the state MMA community."
He
became known because of his selflessness and generosity. Fighters
and promoters in the area both say that the doctor routinely
offers free assistance to fighters who were without insurance,
and often travels to their homes or gyms to help.
Chris
Camozzi, a former Ultimate Fighter competitor and three-time
UFC fighter, said that kind of aid is invaluable to many fighters.
After his last fight in May, Camozzi received stitches to close
a cut on his chin. Camozzi, who has no insurance, had left the
stitches in longer than necessary and one of them closed. At
a recent event, he saw Dr. Alex, who removed them for him for
free. It was just one act of many he's performed over the years.
"The
thing is, he does this type of stuff for anybody," Camozzi
said. "It's not just for the big guys in the big leagues.
He helps everybody. He'll take any questions you have, too. If
you were covering a show and had a medical question, he'd sit
there and talk to you as long as you wanted. He's just a man
that's always willing to help."
That's
the reputation he's built for himself over the years: omnipresent
and ultra-helpful.
In
the early hours of Tuesday morning, Dr. Alex was driving a van
with his wife and three children. The family had been camping
in the North Bush Creek campgrounds, and torrential rains had
made the area dangerous. The idea was a move to higher, safer
ground. But as the family drove east on Snowy Range Road, authorities
say that a 25-foot section of road was washed away by a flash
flood. The family's van fell nine feet into the water and was
swept about 250 feet downstream.
Photos
from the Wyoming Highway Patrol show that the van came to rest
against a set of trees, and rushing water quickly submerged it.
Only Dr. Alex was able to escape. His wife Laurel and their daughters
Hanna, 8, Zoey, 5, and Lucia, 2, died.
"It's
just such a tragedy," said Sven Bean, a promoter who since
2000 has been running the popular Ring of Fire organization in
Colorado. "I don't think anyone could imagine what he went
through. Whether you're involved in MMA or not, it's a story
that hits you in the heart and one you never want to hear. He's
a great guy and it's just heartbreaking this happened to him."
Even
in that crisis, even in a life-shattering moment, he was still
willing to help.
Shortly
after surviving the floodwaters, Dr. Alex had climbed on a bush
pile when a Carbon County Emergency Management Truck driven by
Saratoga mayor John Zeiger fell into the same waters. Despite
being unable to save his own family, Dr. Alex worked his way
upstream and pulled Zeiger from his truck.
As
of Wednesday, Colorado news organizations reported Zeiger was
still hospitalized in stable condition while Dr. Alex had been
treated and released.
"He
is a hero," Camozzi said. "That just shows how selfless
he is."
In
the aftermath of the tragedy, the Colorado MMA community has
been shaken. Word of the terrible accident spread quickly, and
several efforts have been launched to support him as well as
the family's favored causes.
Camozzi
said several gyms are in the process of setting up a memorial
fund. Toner said he's already heard that a Saturday event in
Denver, Fight 2 Win, will be dedicated to the family. An autograph
session before the show featuring Shane Carwin, Brendan Schaub,
Nate Marquardt, Duane Ludwig and Eliot Marshall will take place,
with donated proceeds going to HalfTheSky.org, an organization
that offers care to China's orphaned children. It is a cause
close to the family, whose three daughters were adopted.
According
to Laurel's mother, Katie Carmin, who spoke to the Denver Post,
the couple's oldest daughter Hannah was a math whiz who loved
to read. Zoey loved solving puzzles, and Lucia was a busybody.
In an interview prior to his 2009 fight, Dr. Alex described Laurel
as "an amazing woman" who made many sacrifices to take
care of the girls while he worked at his practice, Front Range
Medical Arts by day, and trained for his fight by night. Laurel
was also a social worker at Chinese Children Charities. Dr. Alex's
practice released a statement to media in which they called him,
"the finest physician, the finest father, the finest man
we've ever known." Several patients interviewed since then
have spoken glowingly of him.
Bean
said August's Ring of Fire event, likely to draw around 4,000
people, will feature a fundraising element, though details are
still being worked out. Beyond that, there is also hope that
the UFC, which hosts UFC 135 in Denver on September 24, will
dedicate the show to his family, as he has previously been a
cageside physician for past organization shows held in the state.
"Colorado
is blessed to have a very supportive MMA community that comes
together when they need to," Bean said. "This is a
time we need to. Doc has always been there for us. And now, we'll
be there for him."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Strikeforce
Heavyweight Grand Prix to Cincy; Feijao Draws Yoel Romero
The
date for the semifinal round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand
Prix was recently confirmed for Sept. 10. Now we have a location.
It will take place at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. MMAWeekly.com
confirmed the location, first reported by MMAJunkie.com, with
independent sources.
One
casualty of the card is Alistair Overeem, whose recovery from
an injured toe, according to UFC president Dana White, wouldn’t
allow the Strikeforce heavyweight champion ample preparatory
time. White said the date was scheduled by Strikeforce TV partner
Showtime and couldn’t be switched up to accommodate Overeem.
Daniel
Cormier will step in and take Overeem’s place against Antonio
“Bigfoot” Silva in the semifinal round of the tournament.
Another
non-tournament bout has been added to the card as well with Strikeforce
light heavyweight Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante taking
on Yoel Romero. The bout was first reported by MMAJunkie.com
and subsequently confirmed by MMAWeekly.com sources.
Cavalcante
(10-3) is one fight removed from losing his title to Dan Henderson.
He had been on a three-fight winning streak prior to that bout,
and will be looking to resurrect that success against Romero.
Romero
(4-0) was an Olympic silver medalist for Cuba in the 2000 freestyle
competition. He transitioned to mixed martial arts in late 2009,
reeling off four consecutive victories in competitions in Germany
and Poland. Feijao is by far the biggest opportunity of his career.
Stay
tuned to the MMAWeekly.com Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson rumors
page for all the latest updates to the fight card.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
World
Champion on card for Jungle Fight in Itu
Marcelo
Dunlop
There’s
a Jungle Fight event forthcoming on August 20 in the town of
Itu, and producer Luis Roberto “Bebeo” Duarte has already
begun announcing the event.
Among
the stars on the card is 2011 Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Sérgio
Moraes, who in the medium heavyweight final beat Rômulo
Barral. Sérgio will face Zezão Trator in the welterweight
division.
Check
out the card as it stands so far:
Jungle
Fight 31
August 20, 2011, 9pm
Itu , São Paulo state
Marcelo
Guimarães (Fight Society) vs Lucas Rotta (Killer Bee)
– middleweight title
Sergio Moraes (Alliance) vs Zezão Trator (Frankiko)
Douglas Bertazini(Repanas) vs Joni “Joni Liro” Eduardo(BANI
TEAM) 77 kgs
Gil de Freitas vs. To-be-announced welterweight
Bruno Capelosa vs . To-be-announced middleweight
Edson ”Conterranêo ” vs. To-be-announced heavyweight
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Alistair
Overeem is considering moving to boxing and fighting Vitali Klitschko
Earlier
this morning I spent roughly ten minutes kneeing thin air under
the ridiculous delusion that I was Alistair Overeem in his fight
against Fujita at Dynamite!! 2010. Last night, I spent nearly
an hour trying to right-hook air molecules like Nick Diaz. Don't
act like you haven't done it before. My highlight reel is limited
to the amount of times I've low-kicked the 'No Parking' sign
outside of my apartment on a Friday night. It's silly for me
to seriously consider boxing Vitali Klitschko, but for the current
Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 champion, it's not that far fetched
of a notion. Check out this interview from BoxingNews.pl of Overeem
stating that after he's done with the Strikeforce Heavyweight
Grand-Prix, he may transition to boxing in order to take on a
Klitschko brother.
Source:
Fight Opinion/Middleeasy
|
Erick
Silva confident for his UFC debut against Mike Swick
By Erik
Engelhart
Holding
a professional record of 12 wins and only one loss, Erick Silva
will debut in UFC, on its historical card in Rio de Janeiro,
just like the debutants Johnny Eduardo, Iuri Alcantara and Felipe
Sertanejo. Born in Espirito Santo, Erick doesn’t have only
a champion’s last name, since Anderson Silva is one of his
training partners at X-Gym, besides of course Rodrigo Nogueira,
Ronaldo Jacare and other tough guys, who guarantee the good trainings
of the young promise.
Living
in Rio de Janeiro for a year and a half, Erick feels completely
adapted to the city and living close to HSBC Arena has been making
the guy dream while awake.
“I
didn’t have problems adapting because there’s no place
like Rio de Janeiro. I’m living in front of HSBC Arena,
so it’ll be like I’m fighting in my backyard. Everyday
I pass by and I start at HSBC and I keep wondering how the show
on August 27th will be like. The event will stop Brazil and thanks’
God I’ll be a part of it and make my dream come true”,
commented the athlete, who highlighted the right tune and spirit
of the team.
“My
trainings for UFC Rio are as good as they can get and I couldn’t
be better, I’m working hard along with Anderson Silva, Rodrigo
Nogueira, Rogerio Nogueira, Rafael Feijao, everybody. The good
thing is that everybody’s fighting in the same day, so we’re
training all together, so one pushes the other, support the other
and we’re training with much joy and motivated”.
Erick
will have to face a UFC veteran, Mike Swick, who has won eight
out of the twelve bouts he disputed in the event, but the Brazilian
guy believes he owns the right ‘formula’ not to feel
pressured on his debut.
“The
secret not to feel the pressure of the debut is do what I’m
doing, train with tough guys, top guys and I do it everyday.
My opponent can’t bring me much danger then Anderson or
Feijao offer me and on the floor he can’t be better then
Rodrigo or Feijao. That’s why I’m really confident
for this fight. Training with these guys give me much confidence
and makes me completely focused for the fight, now on August
27th and I’ll prove it to the world”, concluded Erick.
Source:
Tatame
|
11-Fight
Lineup Reset for UFC 133 in Philadelphia
by Brian
Knapp
“The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 alum Matt Hamill will answer
the bell against Swedish import Alexander Gustafsson in a preliminary
light heavyweight matchup at UFC 133 “Evans vs. Ortiz 2”
on Aug. 6 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. A restructured
11-fight lineup has been finalized for the pay-per-view event,
which recently lost headliner Phil Davis and co-headliner Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira to injuries.
Hamill
(10-3, 9-3 UFC), who replaced former International Fight League
champion Vladimir Matyushenko on the UFC 133 roster, has posted
five wins in six appearances. The 34-year-old Loveland, Ohio,
native last fought at UFC 130 in May, when he lost a unanimous
decision to former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas; the defeat
snapped his five-fight winning streak. A three-time NCAA wrestling
champion at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Hamill has
secured six of his 10 career victories by knockout or technical
knockout. Wins against EliteXC veteran Seth Petruzelli, world-ranked
middleweight Mark Munoz and Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts
representative Keith Jardine buoy his resume. Hamill has been
finished only once -- by former UFC middleweight champion Rich
Franklin -- in 13 professional outings.
Gustafsson
(11-1, 3-1 UFC) will carry a modest two-fight winning streak
into the match. The 24-year-old Swede last appeared at UFC 127
in February, when he submitted James Te Huna with a first-round
rear-naked choke at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. A potent
offensive fighter, Gustafsson (Pictured; file photo) sports seven
first-round finishes on his resume. Only one of his 12 career
bouts has reached the judges.
A
rematch between former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans
and Tito Ortiz will headline UFC 133, along with a middleweight
showdown between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama. A welterweight
battle pairing Dennis Hallman with Brian Ebersole, a middleweight
duel pitting Jorge Rivera against American Top Team’s Alessio
Sakara and a welterweight bout matching fast-rising Canadian
Rory MacDonald with Xtreme Couture’s Mike Pyle will round
out the main card.
UFC
133 “Evans vs. Ortiz 2”
Saturday, Aug. 6
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia
Rashad
Evans vs. Tito Ortiz
Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Dennis Hallman vs. Brian Ebersole
Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle
Matt Hamill vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Chad Mendes vs. Rani Yahya
Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace
Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Nam Phan
Constantinos Philippou vs. Rafael Natal
Source
Sherdog
|
UFC
reshifts focus on blaming culinary unions for lack of New York
MMA regulation
By Zach
Arnold
On
Friday, we posted a link to this open letter on The Fight Nerd
about how things are regressing/progressing for UFC in New York
in regards to MMA legislation getting passed. Here was a quote
from that letter we focused on:
You
once told me, on the record, after a press conference that you
don’t follow New York politics too closely but that the
UFC has hired all the right people and that they know what they
are doing. While delegating work to specialists makes perfect
sense, it means that you have been answering questions from the
media about New York based on information provided by Global
Strategy Group. This information ranges from misleading to outright
lies and is costing New York MMA valuable potential allies for
next year.
Before
this open letter was written, an acquaintance of mine from our
site (Tim) mentioned to me that I should check out an interview
that UFC posted on their web site with Joe Rogan talking to Lorenzo
Fertitta about the company’s political battles in New York.
The
interview was interesting on a few levels. In addition to reading
the transcript, I would encourage you to listen to the actual
audio/video to get a real sense of the tone of the interview.
It sounded like there were some audio jump cuts, but I’m
not positive/certain about it.
JOE
ROGAN:“One of the biggest aspects of this sport of what
you guys have done for this sport isn’t just promoting it
and getting it more popular but it’s also sanctioning it.
That has to be one of the most difficult aspects of this sport
and, still, a daunting task still unsuccessful in New York.”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“I can’t tell you the countless hours and
time and trips and travel that it takes to go sit down with legislators
and it’s not just that you’re trying to get them to
create a set of rules, you’re trying to get them to reverse
a law that’s on the book that in a lot of states had banned
‘Ultimate Fighting’ and you got to sit down and say,
wait a second, Ultimate Fighting is not even a sport, that’s
a brand that this company owns. Mixed Martial Arts is the sport
and what you thought you were banning 15 years ago isn’t
what we do. It’s a totally different deal and it’s
an educational process and you go through it and, you know what,
there’s 48 of the 50 states have regulatory bodies or athletic
commissions. We are now sanctioned in 45 of the 48 states.
“There’s
3 states that are left — Vermont, Connecticut, and New York.
Vermont we just haven’t focused on, that’ll get done.
There’s already fights in Vermont, they’re just not
regulated by the state body, so that will happen. Connecticut,
the legislature moving forward, we’re not really seeing
any push back there. The biggest issue is New York, right? New
York is basically the epicenter of America, how can you not have
what’s the fastest growing sport in the world present in
New York? Because a) you can watch it there on TV, right? You
can go to a bar and watch it on closed circuit. You can buy it
in your own home. Why you can’t go there and opt in and
buy a ticket and say, I want to go see it live?
“Well,
a lot of times the things that are reality you don’t necessarily
really realize that what’s on the surface of what’s
going on. We really don’t have any opposition in New York.
We just passed out of the New York state senate for the third
time, three straight sessions. This time, we won the vote 48-18.
I don’t know how much people know about politics, but that’s
basically a landslide, you don’t see a lot of votes 48-18.”
JOE
ROGAN:“And this is in the senate?”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“In the senate.”
JOE
ROGAN:“And so then after the senate then it moves to..”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“It’s got to move the house, which is the
state assembly, right? They got to pass the same piece of legislation
and then after that if it’s passed, the Governor signs the
bill and it becomes law. We have not so far, to this date, been
able to even get a vote in the house. They won’t send it
to the floor. And, so..”
JOE
ROGAN:“How do they do that?”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“You know, the Assembly Speaker sets the agenda
so they can determine what they vote on and what they don’t
vote on, you know, whoever’s in the majority of power and
we scratched our head and scratched our head for a number of
years, gosh, this doesn’t make any sense. There’s nobody
speaking out really against us. There’s one congressman,
senator Reilly from New York who’s coming out, but you know
at the end of the day his arguments… they’re not really
(making) a lot of sense, they’re not valid, we have an impeccable
track record, and you know what, it’s the democratic way.
You don’t like it, don’t vote it. Let’s see what
the other Assembly members want to do and if it passes, it passes.
“So,
what we come to find out is that there are two members, when
you lobby in any state legislature you have to file with the
state and say, this is the entity, okay, and this is the subject
that I’m lobbying on. Well, of course, there’s two
people that have filed in the state of New York to lobby on the
issue of Mixed Martial Arts. One is us, of course, we’re
lobbying in favor of it. The other is the New York state culinary
union. And you scratch your head and go, what, that doesn’t
make, say that again? Yeah, the culinary union, the culinary
workers, the hotel restaurant union workers. Well, how does that
make sense because the UFC, as we know, is a massive economic
engine. The economic impact when we went to Toronto was over
$45 million dollars for that weekend. Who did we benefit? The
people working the hotels because we filled the hotels. The people
working the restaurants because we fill the restaurants, right?
So, why, why on earth would they be against us?
“It’s
a simple reason — it comes down to politics. The casino
company me and my brother own is one of the largest non-union
casino companies in Las Vegas, right? They have wanted to have
our team members be unionized for the last 30 years and our position
is, you know what? That’s not really up to us, that’s
up to our team members and they can have a vote if they choose
to decide to want a union and that’s up to them but so far
for the last 30 years when we started with the family business,
90 employees, to now where we have about 13,000 employees, they’ve
chosen that they don’t feel like they need a third party
intermediary to negotiate for them. It’s their decision.
And what’s happened is the culinary union in Vegas has obviously
talked with culinary union in New York and said, you know, we
think we got a point of leverage, we want to see if we can bother
these guys so much by keeping them out of the state of New York,
maybe they’ll cave and hand over the employees to us or
something like that.”
JOE
ROGAN:“Wow.”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“Crazy.”
JOE
ROGAN:“That’s amazing that they have that kind of power!”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“We’ll see. I mean, we’re continuing
to push. We’re not the kind of people to give up, we’re
not going to give up, and you know the thing’s that even
worse about is, fine… you have a situation with us, but
they’re not just hurting us, they’re hurting a lot
of people that are innocent bystanders. You’re talking about
people that work in industry in New York, the economic impact.
I mean, New York City is going to be fine with or without us,
but you know what? How about Syracuse? How about Buffalo, where
hotel occupancy is below 50%? They’re dying there. How about
bringing a big UFC there? What’s the economic impact on
how many jobs we provide? The direct union labor, paid to union
workers in Toronto to set that arena up was over $1.5 million
dollars.”
JOE
ROGAN:“Wow!”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“That’s not economic impact? That’s dollars
in their pocket, okay? So, they’re leaving in their wake
of what they’re doing, they’re hurting fighters, other
promoters. We’re just one entity. We might do one show every
other year in Ohio, yet there’s over 100 shows there. There
are other promoters and fighters and a whole industry that rely
on making a living on this, on having a regulated sport and that’s
being denied in New York because of some disagreement that we
have in Nevada here.”
*****
It
was interesting to see how carefully meticulous, scripted, disciplined,
whatever you want to call it, this interview performance came
off to be. I figured it was an interview aimed for casual UFC
fans and that was that.
However,
Lorenzo Fertitta made an appearance with Kevin Iole & Steve
Cofield (of Yahoo Sports & Cagewriter.com last Friday night
(6-7 PM PST on ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas) to talk about… you
guessed it, New York and culinary unions.
The
tone, the wording, the phrasing sounded remarkably similar to
the interview done on the UFC web site. I would encourage you
to listen to both interviews to better understand what I’m
talking about.
Here’s
a quick transcription of the second half of that audio clip from
the Friday radio interview:
KEVIN
IOLE:“Lorenzo, I guess the other thing about New York that
I just don’t understand is why the public has not created
more of a ruckus with their representatives and what you guys
have spent millions of dollars, tens of millions dollars lobbying
in New York, have you had any campaign to effect the ballot box
and to go after guys, you know, that aren’t supporting it
and Sheldon Silver and target them and say, hey, you know what,
we’re going to bring out because we have a young, you know,
eager fan base, just the same people that got Barack Obama elected
in ‘08 and got all jazzed up and really started that grassroots
campaign. Why couldn’t you do a similar thing in MMA as
opposed to, you know, the traditional sort of lobbying?”
LORENZO
FERTITTA:“You know what? I definitely think that’s
possible. You know, we’ve been working about, I think we’ve
been up there for three different legislative sessions, three
or four, and the fact of the matter is that we knew that culinary
was working against us but it was always behind the scenes, so
it was kind of hard to come out but this session they actually
started, they’re on record, they were sending letters out
to all the members putting themselves on record saying we oppose
the legalization of Mixed Martial Arts and you shouldn’t
allow, you know, people like that own the UFC to be able to do
business in New York for all these crazy variety of reasons.
So now we know what we’re kind of dealing with and, you
know, I think whenever I talk to or get in front of people who
are residents of the state of New York and you tell them what’s
going on, they’re just, they’re appalled, they’re
flabbergasted. It’s crazy that, you know, the culinary union
would have enough political power to basically keep the democratic
process from playing out, you know? Fine, if we don’t have
the votes, then it’s not legal in New York, but at least
let the democratic process play out. Let the vote go to the floor
and see what happens.”
*****
What’s
interesting in watching how this plays out is that clearly, in
my opinion, UFC is now refocusing their media strategy on their
New York political situation by going all-out in pointing the
blame on the culinary unions by saying that the union leaders
are essentially cutting off their noses to spite their face by
lobbying to keep MMA (UFC) out of New York. It’s an interesting
twist to UFC’s PR campaign.
Eddie
Goldman said last month that the reason MMA legislation has not
passed in New York is because of who’s involved (the casinos).
That’s one strike. Justin Klein, The Fight Lawyer, was on
Josh Gross’s ESPN radio show last month to say that UFC’s
financial argument is a laughably bad political strategy to use
to try to persuade power brokers like Sheldon Silver to put the
legislation on the Assembly floor for a vote.
But
wait, there’s more…
UFC
also finds itself in another unique and interesting political
situation, this time on a national scale in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate bill is S.978 and I would recommend that you read
it. It relates to streaming video online and copyright infringement.
It’s another step to increase the authority of Big Hollywood
& the RIAA & the politically connected to use the legal
& criminal system to lay the hammer down.
A
who’s who of big lobbyists are behind it, such as the Teamsters
(what?), National Association of Broadcasters, the Motion Picture
Association of America (Chris Dodd), AT & T, NBC Universal,
RIAA, Screen Actors Guild, Viacom, Sony Pictures, CBS, the NBA,
Time Warner, Walt Disney, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and…
the UFC.
See,
the UFC does get along with unions after all!
We
know about UFC’s attempts to sue bar owners or gym owners
for what they allege are violations of copyright infringement
by illegally showing PPVs (as opposed to going to bars/restaurants
that pay Joe Hand Promotions the fee to air the PPVs in public).
Dana White has been on record saying that Zuffa would be extremely
aggressive in going after those pirating UFC feeds online.
The
company took a pro-active and positive step by streaming the
undercard fights on Facebook. That deserves a thumbs up. Aligning
yourself with legislation backed by the RIAA & MPAA? That
will not win you fans or support online in a lot of corners of
the Internet. To illustrate this point, I would highly recommend
that you check out these two articles by intellectual property
& contract attorney David Graham (here and here) in regards
to what S. 978 means for you and for sites like Youtube.
It
should be worth pointing out that only one major organization
opposes S. 978 and it happens to be a group with a lot of integrity,
the Electronic Frontier Foundation based in San Francisco. EFF
has been involved in helping individuals & organizations
named as defendants in the voluminous amount of lawsuits that
the infamous Righthaven outfit has filed in Nevada (over 275
cases in a couple of years).
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
UFC
139 Fight Card: Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles Fight for the Title…
Shot
by Ken
Pishna
Urijah
Faber wants a rematch. Brian Bowles wants a rematch. But before
either fighter gets an opportunity to step back in the Octagon
with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz again, they will
have to fight it out amongst themselves.
The
two former champions will square off at UFC 139 on Nov. 19 in
San Jose, Calif.
“Before
a possible trilogy can be considered between Urijah Faber and
his rival, Champion Dominick Cruz, he will take on one of the
division’s truly elite fighters, former bantamweight champion
Brian Bowles,” said UFC president Dana White on Thursday.
“A win over Faber would be massive for Bowles’ bid
to challenge for the belt that was once his. The stakes are high
and the fight will be intense.”
Faber
(25-5) failed to take the belt off Cruz when the two fought at
UFC 132 in July. The two went toe-to-toe for five rounds, but
Cruz walked away with a unanimous decision victory.
When
he was the WEC featherweight champion, Faber defeated Cruz. He
also felt that he had done enough to earn the nod from the judges
at UFC 132 and was ready for an immediate rematch if the UFC
had put it together.
Instead,
he’ll square off with Bowles (10-1), who lost the belt to
Cruz at WEC 47 in March of last year. He has since reeled off
victories over Damacio Page and Takeya Mizugaki, and was himself
calling for a rematch with Cruz.
UFC
139 will be headlined by a heavyweight title bout between returning
champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
TRT:
The Lessons of the Hartman Case
by Jack
Encarnacao
Before
Nate Marquardt cemented “Testosterone Replacement Therapy”
into the mixed martial arts vocabulary; before Chael Sonnen made
“hypogonadism” a relevant subject for fight fans; and
before most states tested MMA fighters for performance-enhancing
drugs, there was George Hartman.
A
judo player and Olympic hopeful, Hartman may have been the first
combat sports athlete to seek approval from a sanctioning body
to use testosterone. His experience, spelled out in a 2006 arbitration
decision, provides a comprehensive test case of why an athlete
would seek such license and how regulators can ensure the request
is for valid reasons.
“You
just have to ask the right questions,” said Travis Tygart,
chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency,
in a February interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Rewind”
program. Tygart tried the Hartman case. “And that gets to
the sort of complexity of this world and what athletes and their
doctors and their entourages will do to allow them to cheat to
be successful.”
Hartman
-- who has a 3-3 professional MMA record, including a 2007 loss
to UFC middleweight C.B. Dollaway -- enjoyed success on the amateur
and collegiate judo circuits, but he had trouble cutting it at
the international level in his first brush with the competition
there. He showed marked improvement, however, after his doctor
prescribed him testosterone to treat hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction
and depression.
According
to the arbitration decision, Hartman began receiving testosterone
shots in July 2003. Two years later, he was the No. 2-ranked
judoka in the country behind Rhadi Ferguson, the 2004 Olympian
who fought for Strikeforce in January. Competing at a higher
weight category, Hartman won a gold medal in the Pan American
Games and earned a spot on the U.S. team in the 2005 Judo World
Championships.
Like
Hartman, Sonnen cited hypogonadism -- a condition in which the
testicles produce testosterone at an abnormally low rate -- as
the reason his doctor had prescribed him testosterone. Marquardt
has cited irritability, depression and sluggishness as prompting
him to see a doctor.
An
athlete’s testosterone production can be low for several
reasons, but one explanation for a sudden, dramatic drop in testosterone
levels could possibly be attributed to the use of steroids, which
shut down the body’s natural testosterone production. Many
causes of hypogonadism are treatable without testosterone. In
Hartman’s case, Tygart said hypogonadism could not be supported
as the reason his doctor detected low testosterone.
“What
was put forth was this, in our opinion, fraudulent reason to
provide testosterone,” Tygart said.
In
March 2005, as part of the USADA’s rigorous out-of-competition
testing program, Hartman provided a urine sample that was screened
at a UCLA laboratory in Los Angeles. It showed the presence of
exogenous testosterone, meaning that, according to the medical
examiners, it came from a source outside of his body. For an
athlete, that is considered a performing-enhancing substance
because it can add strength and speeds recovery.
While
estimates vary, most accepted normal ranges for male testosterone
are between 250 and 950 nanograms per milliliter. Acceptable
ranges change based on a person’s age and gender. A typical
300-milligram testosterone shot, according to testimony from
a doctor in the Hartman case, will raise blood levels to 2,000
nanograms, and levels will then stay well above normal for at
least three days. The arbitration decision does not specify Hartman’s
levels in his failed test, though his doctor claims he had 256
nanograms per milliliter of testosterone in his blood when he
prescribed him synthetic testosterone.
Facing
a two-year suspension from competition for the test failure,
Hartman took his case to arbitration and later applied for a
therapeutic use exemption for testosterone. He argued that the
Americans with Disabilities Act protects him because he had been
diagnosed with hypogonadism, and that the law applies to the
USADA because it is funded by federal money and thus qualifies
as a public entity.
Under
the act, discrimination takes place when an employer or public
entity does not make a reasonable accommodation for those with
a disability; the standard for a disability is an “impairment
which substantially limits a major life activity.” Under
the act, the United States Olympic Committee is required to encourage
and provide assistance for athletes with disabilities. The law
can be read to force state athletic commissions, which are public
entities, to entertain therapeutic use requests. The Nevada State
Athletic Commission has approved therapeutic use exemptions for
three MMA fighters, executive director Keith Kizer told Sherdog.com.
Kizer confirmed two of them are Dan Henderson and Todd Duffee,
as first reported by the Wrestling Observer, but declined to
name the third.
The
Hartman arbitration case ended up hinging largely on the legitimacy
of his hypogonadism diagnosis. Doctors were brought in as expert
witnesses, and an independent medical analysis of Hartman was
conducted. It was found that the doctor who made the hypogonadism
diagnosis, Walter VanHelder, was also Hartman’s judo coach.
VanHelder still runs a judo gym in Arizona that employs Hartman
as a coach. The gym’s Web site promotes Hartman, who today
is 37, as a fourth-degree judo black belt and “MMA expert.”
The
arbitration panel found that VanHelder did not conduct several
confirmatory tests in diagnosing Hartman and consistently halted
the judoka’s testosterone injections at least 30 days prior
to major competitions, which would give enough time for levels
to normalize and allow an athlete to pass a drug test. The panel
also determined that VanHelder did not run tests to confirm Hartman’s
reputed erectile dysfunction, never diagnosed him with depression
and testified that he did not know testosterone was a banned
substance in Olympic sports -- a statement called “outlandish”
in the arbitration decision.
The
panel found particular fault with VanHelder’s only taking
a single measurement -- in the afternoon -- of Hartman’s
testosterone levels. Testosterone levels can, according to medical
testimony at Hartman’s arbitration, fluctuate by as much
as 20 percent in 20 minutes. Multiple tests are needed to accurately
gauge one’s testosterone levels and to make any diagnosis
of what may be causing a deficiency.
“I
think [VanHelder] gave testosterone to a patient who had a normal
testosterone level,” said Dr. Roger Johnsonbaugh, who conducted
the independent medical exam of Hartman.
The
panel rejected Hartman’s hypogonadism diagnosis. In doing
so, it pointed out that his pituitary gland, which malfunctions
in someone who is hypogonadal, was properly secreting all hormones
-- such as growth, cortisol and Prolactin -- with the exception
of those that would be stunted by synthetic testosterone use.
VanHelder testified that something was preventing certain hormones
from being produced properly in Hartman’s body and proffered
that it was due to a head injury. The panel found that assessment
“speculative” because no medical evidence of a head
injury was submitted.
After
considering the testimony of the parties, the panel determined
that Hartman failed to sustain his burden of proof that he suffers
from a medical disability and therefore his use of synthetic
testosterone constituted a doping offense in violation of the
World Anti-Doping Code. As a result, Hartman was ruled ineligible
for a period of two years, and all of his competition results
and awards since August 2003 were retroactively canceled.
It
was during his judo exile that Hartman embarked on his mixed
martial arts career.
Source
Sherdog
|
808
Battleground & X-1 World Events
Domination
Mixed Martial Arts
at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower
Doors open at 5 pm, Fights start at 6 pm
$30 Pre-sale, $40 at the door
http://www.808battleground.com/
|
UFC
137 Fight Card Keeps Growing, Adds Tim Credeur vs. Brad Tavares
A
middleweight bout pitting Tim Credeur against Brad Tavares at
UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Diaz in Las Vegas has been verbally agreed
to, according to UFC president Dana White.
Tavares (7-1) is coming off of the first loss of his career.
He dropped a unanimous decision to Aaron Simpson at UFC 132:
Cruz vs. Faber on July 2. He made his way into the UFC via TUF
11, the season that featured Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz as
coaches.
Credeur (12-4) has spent the past three years of his career in
the UFC, but may be on the bubble coming off of back-to-back
losses in his last two outings. He lost a decision to Nate Quarry
in 2009 then spent the next couple years on and off the injured
list before being TKO’d by Ed Herman at the TUF 13 Finale.
Georges St-Pierre defends his welterweight title against Nick
Diaz in the UFC 137 main event on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Fight
Club 'Brazilian Stars' Results and Play-by-Play
Sao Joao
de Meriti, Rio de Janiero
Eduardo
"Kiko" Felipe vs. Junior Oliveira
Round 1
Both fighters are hesitant to engage early on. Oliveira misses
with a big left hand. Felipe takes the center of the cage. Oliveira
grabs Felipe by the waist and gets a powerful takedown. He falls
in half guard but Felipe quick re-establishes full guard. Oliveira
tries to pass and "Kiko "manages to stand back up.
Felipe connects with a big left that buckles Oliveira. He goes
for the Thai plum and connects with a couple of good knees. Oliveira
pushes him to the fence to regain his composure. Big right for
Felipe and Oliveira is on the run. Felipe stalking him through
the cage, brandishing strikes until the bell. Sherdog.com sees
the opening round 10-9 for Eduardo Felipe.
Round
2
They start the second round at a much faster pace. Oliveira is
launching wild combinations and Felipe is landing with crisp
punches. He lands a quick one-two combo. Felipe misses with a
series of spinning back fists. Oliveira shoots for a takedown
and Felipe quickly goes for his neck. The guillotine choke looks
tight, and "Kiko" jumps guard. Oliveira struggles for
a moment, but then taps. Eduardo Felipe is the winner at 2:25
of the second round.
Welterweight
Grand Prix Semifinal
Edilberto "Crocota" de Oliveira vs. Viscardi Andrade
Round 1
"Crocota" quickly walks Andrade down with his hands
low, looking to throw a big right. When he finally launches one,
it's an overhand that whizzes wide. As Andrade steps away, he
loses his footing, and complains to referee Paulo Borracha that
it's slippery. Borracha quickly calls for a mop, the water is
cleaned up, and the fight is resumed. Oliveira feints, then cracks
Andrade with a low kick. Andrade swings a big hook, and Oliveira
smacks him with a counter right hook. Andrade stumbles, and the
Baiano is all over him, swarming with punches. Andrade covers
up and avoids any serious damage. Crocota starting to score with
his right hand and low kicks. Andrade throws a head kick, and
the UFC veteran smacks him with a right cross on the counter.
Andrade finally lands two right hooks, his first real offense
of the round. Oliveira is unslowed, and characteristically taunts
Andrade, who runs at him with punches, mostly missing. Both fighters
swinging actively now, but missing with their haymakers. Crocota
lands a whipping right, and stuns Andrade, putting him up along
the cage. With 10 seconds to go, Oliveira unloads, multiple rights
raking Andrade. The bell rings and referee Paulo Borracha intervenes,
but Andrade is on shaky legs as he heads back to his corner.
Sherdog.com sees the round 10-9 for Crocota.
Round
2
Andrade circling away from Crocota, who dangles his chin in his
face, snapping jabs and low kicks at Andrade. Andrade shoots
a double-leg, but Crocota shucks him off easily. Oliveira is
aggressive with overhand rights, but can't land clean. Five punches
from Oliveira pin Andrade to the fence, but the Gordo Jiu-Jitsu
comes off the fence windmilling, smacking Crocota around with
wild punches. Oliveira retreats, but Andrade pursues with more
firepower, making the crowd roar. Oliveira recovers, and cracks
Andrade with a heavy right hook that buckles him, dropping him
to a knee. Oliveira is methodical in his follow-up, picking his
chances to throw one-twos. An Andrade double is easily defended
once more. Two heavy rights, and then two more, all land for
Crocota. Andrade lunges with a desperate punch just before the
horn, and swipes air. It is Crocota's round, 10-9 and he earns
the bout 20-18 on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Official
result: All three judges score the bout for Edilberto "Crocota"
de Oliveira, who advances to the welterweight grand prix final.
No scores are announced.
Welterweight
Grand Prix Semifinal
Daniel Acacio vs. Hernani Perpetuo
Round 1
Acacio starts the fight by going for a takedown. He locks Perpetuo
against the cage, but Perpetuo defends the takedown. Referee
Sylvio Behring breaks the fight apart and they restart in the
middle of the cage. Perpetuo connects with an overhand left and
Acacio is backpedaling. Acacio recovers and they slow the pace.
Both fighters miss with inside leg kicks. Perpetuo connects with
a good jab and Acacio tries for another takedown. Perpetuo holds
him off for a moment, landing another good left, but he ends
up conceding the takedown. Acacio is on the top. He cuts Perpetuo´s
head with a sharp elbow. Acacio remains very active on the top
until the end of the round. Sherdog.com scores the very close
round 10-10.
Round
2
The second round is delayed a moment, as the ringside physician
inspects two cuts on the head of Perpetuo, caused by Acacio's
elbow. They are able to stem the flow of blood, and the Nova
Uniao product is allowed to continue. Second round starts and
Perpetuo is already bleeding from his head. He land another left
and again Acacio goes for his legs. Perpetuo fends him off and
hold him against the cage until Silvio Behring breaks them apart.
Acacio block a head kick but takes a hard inside leg kick. Perpetuo
having an easy time connecting with his left hand. Another leg
kick by Perpetuo. Big left to the body by Acacio. He goes for
the takedown and holds Perpetuo against the fence. Sylvia Behring
restarts the fight again. Another inside leg kick by Perpetuo.
Acacio goes for another takedown and Perpetuo mockingly gestures
as if to yawn in boredom. The round ends with both fighters against
the cage. Sherdog.com sees the round 10-9 for Hernani Perpetuo,
and gives him the fight 20-19.
All
three judges score the fight 19-19, forcing a three-minute overtime
round.
Round
3
Acacio tries to grab Perpetuo's leg, thinking takedown early.
They clinch along the fence until they're broken up, as referee
Sylvio Behring restarts the fight. Acacio looks a bit hesitant
to engage in punching exchanges. Inside leg kick by Perpetuo.
Acacio misses a wild overhand right. He lands a good right and
both fighters tee off for a moment, throwing heavy rights and
lefts. Perpetuo launches a head kick that is blocked just before
the bell. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Hernani Perpetuo,
and sees the fight 30-28 for him overall.
Official
result: Hernani Perpetuo takes a split decision (29-28, 29-28,
28-29). No judges names are given. Perpetuo will face Edilberto
"Crocota" de Oliveira in the welterweight grand prix
final.
Alexandre
Guerra vs. "Toninho Furia" Gleristone Santos
Round 1
"Toninho Furia" is quickly after Guerra, but Guerra
stops his forward momentum with a head kick which backs the Brazilian
Top Team representative up. Santos kicks and his foe responds.
However, Santos catches his leg, tripping him to the mat. He
quickly moves to side control, and as Guerra attempts to scramble,
Toninho Furia beautifully scrambles to the opposite side, holding
side control and punching away. He moves to the mount for a moment,
but "Chambinho" reclaims half guard. Santos continues
to punch away with rights. Toninho Furia continues to look to
move to mount, but Guerra is able to snake up the fence and get
back to his feet. Swiping left hook to the body from Guerra.
Both men kicking low, but not landing hard. Heavy kicks pour
in from Toninho Furia, but Guerra catches one of them, and tries
to trip him to the mat once more. Santos turns and rolls away
to avoid the trip at the bell. Sherdog.com sees the opening round
10-9 for Gleristone Santos.
Round
2
A massive spinning heel kick from Toninho Furia goes whizzing
by Guerra's head, rousing the crowd. Santos remains active with
kicks to the legs and body, and Guerra returns in kind. The pace
of the striking is remarkable. However, Santos ends it by shooting
a double-leg, and putting "Chambinho" back on the mat.
Toninho Furia immediately gets busy with elbows. Guerra tries
to kick his opponent away, but Santos dives in on his legs immediately.
Guerra is able to extricate himself from the takedown attempt,
and they resume striking. Both fighters throwing heavy hook combinations,
but can't break through the guard of the other. Santos shoots
another double, and puts Guerra on the floor one more time. Guerra
almost manages to get back up, but Furia holds pulls him back
and holds him down for the rest of the round. Guerra limps back
to his corner, ginger on his right leg. Sherdog.com sees the
round 10-9 for Toninho Furia.
In
between rounds, Alexandre Guerra opts not to continue. Gleristone
Santos is the winner by retirement at the end of the second round.
Eduardo
Pachu vs. Ronys Torres
Round 1
Torres connect a big left and goes for a takedown immediately
afterwards. He slams Pachu to the ground but he bounces right
back up. Torres takes him down again and falls into his foe's
half guard. Pachu tries to get back to full guard but Torres
ends up taking his back. Torres his a couples of punches and
goes for the rear-naked choke. Pachu threatens to tap but ends
up defending the choke, just managing to peel Torres' hand off
and break his grip. Torres moves back to half guard and lands
a few elbows to Pachu's head. He moves to the back again and
then ends up back in half guard position. He proceeds to go for
a straight armbar, easily locking it up, and hyper-extending
the elbow. Pachu is forced to tap. Dominant showing by Ronys
Torres, the winner by submission at 2:58 of the first round.
Welterweight
Grand Prix Final
Edilberto "Crocota" de Oliveira vs. Hernani Perpetuo
Round 1
Oliveira's taunting begins quickly, as he advances on Perpetuo
with his hands down, urging him to strike. Heavy feinting from
both fighters. A pair of low kicks land for Perpetuo, the first
real offense of the bout. The crowd begins to boo as both fighters
continue to feint without throwing full strikes. A jab lands
for Perpetuo. Perpetuo pumps his hands, and then whips a hard
inside low kick that sends Crocota's leg sideways. Oliveira continues
to press forward, but doesn't commit to punches. Perpetuo throws
a back wheel kick that misses well wide of its target. Crocota
throws an awkward low kick and tries to segue into a takedown,
but he is rebuffed. A low kick grazes for Perpetuo, and he follows
with a left hand that snaps Oliveira's head back. The horn ends
a tepid round and the crowd boos. Sherdog.com sees the opening
round 10-9 for Hernani Perpetuo.
Round
2
Perpetuo glances with a push kick, lands a low kick, and then
rips off a spinning hook kick that misses Crocota. A right cross-left
hook counter combination lands for Perpetuo, backing his foe
up, and the Nova Uniao product follows with another low kick.
A spinning back fist for Perpetuo flies wide, referee Artur Mariano
halts the bout for a moment to examine Perpetuo's scalp lacerations.
They resume quickly, and Crocota attacks, but Perpetuo again
picks him off with a one-two combo once more. Mariano calls for
another brief stoppage, as blood is starting to flow from the
top of Perpetuo's head again. They stem the flow of bleeding,
and the bout is restarted once more. Perpetuo jabs, and Crocota
slaps him with a mild one-two. A Crocota head kick goes over
the head of a ducking Perpetuo. Crocota shoots a smooth double,
putting his opponent on the mat for a second, but the carioca
quickly regains his feet and frees himself from Crocota's grasp.
The pace slows as Perpetuo circles around the stalking Crocota,
kicking his legs. Referee Artur Mariano calls for a towel briefly
to wipe the blood from Perpetuo's head, and the action resumes.
A left cross lands for Perpetuo, and he turns it on, attacking
Crocota with hooks and low kicks, leaving him reeling around
the cage. Perpetuo pursues Crocota, throwing strikes at the horn.
Sherdog.com sees the round 10-9 for Hernani Perpetuo.
Round
3
Crocota throws a low kick and tries to transition to a double-leg
again, but Perpetuo sidesteps him. Crocota steps into the pocket,
and Perpetuo lands an overhand right. He follows his counter
with a one-two, and Crocota shoots in, taking him to the mat
for just a brief moment before the hometown favorite regains
his feet. Yet again, Artur Mariano calls for a towel to wipe
the blood streaming from the cuts on Perpetuo's scalp. After
wiping the blood, the ringside physicians enter the cage to examine
the cuts once more. They allow Perpetuo to continue, and the
pause seems to give both fighters some energy, as the two flail
with punches. However, in the ensuing exchanges, Perpetuo turns
away after a glancing Crocota jab, claiming he was poked in his
right eye. Mariano calls for time again, and once more, the ringside
physicians inexplicably enter the cage to look at Perpetuo's
cuts. Crocota begins to stomp around his far side of the cage,
begging the fight to continue. Finally the fight is resumed again,
and Perpetuo scores with an outside low kick. Perpetuo holds
his arms out, inviting Crocota to kick him, and the Baiano obliges.
Once again, referee Artur Mariano calls for a cut check, and
the crowd audibly groans. The bout resumes again, and Perpetuo
lunges with punches, chasing Crocota down. He shoots in for a
takedown, but finds himself locked in a guillotine. Crocota quickly
jumps guard along the fence, and Perpetuo supports his body weight.
It looks like the Nova Uniao fighter might be thinking about
tapping, but he holds on, hitting the canvas and riding the fight
out into the final horn. Sherdog.com sees the round 10-9 for
Crocota, but has the fight 29-28 overall for Hernani Perpetuo.
Official
result: The judges award a split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
to the winner, Hernani Perpetuo.
Marcio
"Pe de Pano" Cruz vs Glover Teixeira
Round 1
Cruz immediately goes for a takedown but is stuffed by Teixeira.
He lands a few punches an lets Cruz get back up. Cruz goes for
another takedown but misses again. Another takedown attempt and
now Glover is in Cruz's half guard. Teixeira lands some good
punches and elbows, but lets "Pe de Pano" stand up.
Cruz goes for another takedown and eats another right. Teixeira
easily stuffing Cruz's takedown attempts now, as the bout becomes
increasingly one-sided. The fighters go to the fence as Cruz
goes for a double-leg. Teixeira ends taking up Cruz' back but
Pe de Pano rolls and ends up in full guard. Teixeira retreats
and lets Cruz back up. Cruz has absolutely nothing for Teixeira,
who continues to bat him around with punches while breezing through
his takedowns. Cruz goes for another double-leg takedown and
ends up on his back, inviting Teixiera into his guard. Referee
Artur Mariano tells him to get up and the round ends with Teixeira
pursuing Cruz around the cage, swiping with punches. An easy
10-9 Teixeira round on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Round
2
The second round starts just how the first ended, with Cruz being
stood up from his back after trying to take Teixeira down and
failing. Another single-leg attempt by Cruz fails as Glover stuffs
it again. Artur Mariano restarts the fight once more. "Pe
de Pano" is gassed, desperately shooting takedown attempts
one after the other. Teixeira lands a big left and Cruz moves
to his legs. Teixeira follows him to the ground this time around
and moves to half guard. He lands a good hammerfist before standing
back up. Cruz tries to take the fight to ground and again Teixeira
ends up on top. He passes Cruz's guard and starts to unload.
As he lands leather, Teixeira quickly moves to mount. Cruz turns
to his side and simply covers up, forcing Artur Mariano to save
the helpless fighter from unnecessary punishment at 4:21 of the
second round.
Delson
"Pe de Chumbo" Heleno vs. Yuya Shirai
Round 1
Shirai misses with an inside leg kick. "Pe de Chumbo"
lands two leg kicks of this own and Shirai comes charging with
punches. Pe de Chumbo changes levels and takes the Japanese fighter
down. Shirai tries to bounce right back up but the Brazilian
quickly moves to his back. Pe de Chumbo takes his time adjusting
his position while on Shirai's back, looking for the rear-naked
choke. Shirai calmly manages to free himself and put Pe de Chumbo
on his back. He gets side mount but Pe de Chumbo reverses and
stands back up. Heleno goes for a takedown and the fighters end
up on the fence. Referee Artur Mariano breaks them up. Heleno
goes for another takedown. Shirai scrambles and puts Pe de Chumbo
against the fence. Shirai drops Heleno with a hook and follows
the Brazilian to the ground. He ends the round on top landing
a couple of punches to Heleno's face. Sherdog.com sees the round
10-9 for Yuya Shirai.
Round
2
Pe de Chumbo lands a good leg kick-straight left combo and moves
to a double-leg takedown immediately afterwards. Shirai stuffs
it and has his back against the fence. Shirai tries to trip Heleno
and they end up breaking up from the clinch. Heleno goes for
another double-leg but ends up on his back with Shirai on top
in half guard. The Japanese fighter keeps working with elbows
to the face. Heleno now gets back to full guard. Shirai trying
to stay busy on the top with short pucnhes. Heleno has an arm
and starts to elevate his hips. Shirai is in a tough spot, stacking
up to defend the armbar. He manages to take his arm out and is
now back on top of Pe de Chumbo. The round ends with Shirai on
top. Sherdog.com sees the second round 10-9 Shirai, once again.
Round
3
Both fighters spend the first minute of the last round just feinting,
with no real strikes thrown. No real contact is made until Pe
de Chumbo goes for a takedown. They move to the clinch and Heleno
lands a good knee to the body. They break up and go to the center
of the cage. Shirais checks a leg kick from the Brazilian. Shirai
looks a bit gassed, but Heleno shows no sense of urgency. He
lands a good right hand. Referee Artur Mariano asks for more
action for the third time in the round. Good leg kick by Pe de
Chumbo. He lauches an uppercut-cross combo that misses Shirai
by a hair. The fight ends with both fighters staring at each
other near the fence. Sherdog.com sees the round 10-9 for Pe
de Chumbo, but sees it 29-28 for Yuya Shirai overall.
Official
result: The judges score the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 29-29, for
the winner by majority decision, Delson "Pe de Chumbo"
Heleno. No judges names are announced. The crowd jeers the decision.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Mike
Schmitz: Will Dan Hardy’s change up in training put him
on the winning track in UFC?
By Zach
Arnold
By Mike Schmitz
For years, Dan Hardy has lived (and died) by his reputation as
a brawler. Moving away from his striking-heavy MMA training style
was never an option, no matter the opponent. However, with Hardy’s
back against the wall in his upcoming bout against Chris Lytle
at UFC Live 5, he’s pulling out all the stops.
As he said recently on the ESPN UFC Podcast, Dan Hardy’s
slimmer, more refined on the ground and even sporting a new version
of his infamous Mohawk. The 6-foot, 170-pound welterweight has
fallen from grace since his title fight loss to Georges St. Pierre
at UFC 111. He followed up the GSP defeat with back-to-back losses
to Carlos Condit (KO) and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson
(Unanimous) and is a loss away from being cut by UFC.
He admitted he tried to get bigger after his loss to GSP, and
it hurt him in his next two fights.
“In the last two fights, I haven’t done my skill set
any justice. I’ve been really disappointed with my performance
in the gym and inside the Octagon,” Hardy told the ESPN
UFC Podcast. “I gained a lot of weight ever since the GSP
fight, doing things like power-training, and a lot of it has
been detrimental to me.”
With that stated, Hardy’s altered his MMA training for a
bout he described as “the kind of fight that can define
your career around.” He’s been training with Roy Nelson
in Las Vegas to improve his ground game and is as fast as he’s
been since coming to the UFC. However, Hardy fought Johnson less
than four months ago. Will Nelson be able to improve his ground
game in such a short time frame? Nelson certainly thinks so.
“I think you’re going to see a more refined Dan where
he’s going to be confident in every strike that he throws,
without worrying about getting taken down,” Nelson told
MMAWeekly. “And if he wants he can take somebody down.”
It remains to be seen how quickly Nelson can turn what Hardy
called a “gaping hole in my game,” into a strength,
but there’s no doubt The Outlaw has to improve leaps and
bounds based on his last fight against Johnson. Rumble wore Hardy
out with the ground and pound and took him to decision, where
he’s 8-4 in his career. Although Lytle can scrap when necessary,
if Hardy can’t combat the ground and pound he could be in
for another long and grueling night.
Lytle is a submission specialist (21-0) with two of his last
three victories coming by way of ground submissions. If Hardy
doesn’t want to spend three rounds on the ground and wait
for yet another UD loss, he needs to pick his spots very carefully.
Although he calls himself a brawler, Hardy must fight smart and
make sure he doesn’t go after Lytle like a chicken with
his head cut off or he’ll get caught and spend the night
on the ground. Hardy’s clearly fighting to revitalize his
UFC career and working to add a ground game at least gives him
a chance to defy odds and defeat Lytle. Why exactly should you
think Hardy has a chance against Chris “Lights Out”
Lytle?
Hardy can easily hang with Lytle in terms of striking. I’d
actually give Hardy the advantage in that department, although
with two dangerous strikers anything could happen at any time.
Secondly, this is a fight Hardy wanted for a reason. He thrives
in these types of fights – an all-out war. Eleven of Hardy’s
23 wins have been by KO and he’s only been knocked out once.
Although Lytle is a dangerous striker and a pros pro, he hasn’t
faced the level of competition Hardy has in his most recent fights,
and only 10% of his wins are by way of knockout.
So, if this fight does end in a knockout as most expect, the
29-year-old Hardy has to be the favorite. If he’s going
to secure the KO, Hardy needs to use his combos carefully, keep
his distance and ultimately connect. If he’s against the
cage clinching he gives Lytle too much of a chance to bring him
to the ground, plus Hardy has a six-inch reach advantage on Lights
Out (74-to-68).
Lytle is a 6-to-5 favorite and given his recent success (4-1
in last five fights) compared to Hardy’s struggles, it makes
sense to take Lytle as the winner. Hardy’s back is against
the wall. His UFC career could be over (according to popular
belief), and everyone saw how that motivated Tito Ortiz in his
win over Ryan Bader.
Even if Hardy doesn’t secure a win, he doesn’t deserve
to get the hook from the UFC. He’s still 29 years old, brings
a ton of draw and excitement with his knockout prowess and hasn’t
faced pushover opponents by any means. Consider this Hardy’s
second-to-last chance.
If he walks away victorious, Hardy moves back into the mix into
the welterweight division. No he won’t be taking on GSP,
Carlos Condit or even Rumble in his next fight like he used to,
but he leapfrogs Lytle and jumps from on the fringe of irrelevance
to the third tier of welterweights.
Hardy knows what he has to do to win the fight, he has much more
to lose than Lytle and he has a striking advantage in a fight
most expect to end in knockout. Before it’s all said and
done, Hardy’s hand will be raised, his altered MMA training
style will pay off, and his UFC career will be revived.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Plenty
to Look Forward to in Year Ahead for Japanese MMA
By Daniel
Herbertson
2011 has not been a good year for Japanese MMA. In fact, 2011
may be the worst year for Japanese MMA in the history of the
sport.
DREAM,
K-1 and Sengoku are all at the lowest points in their respective
histories, prominent regional events are struggling and Japanese
fighters are finding little success abroad. The devastating March
11 earthquake has made matters worse, setting schedules back
months, tightening the purse strings of possible investors and
fans and creating a much more difficult economic condition. Still,
there is hope for the future.
After
the break we take a detailed look back at the year so far in
Japan and also look forward to a major deal going down in K-1,
the year ahead for DREAM, a host of new promotions and the future
of the sport in Japan.
Nearly
every promotion in Japan has faced hardship in 2011.
Sengoku
have let their champions and biggest draws leave, lost their
major sponsor and effectively ceased operations while falsely
placing the blame on one of the most respected journalists in
Japan.
DREAM
have only managed two events this year. The first of their events
was on a delayed PPV, not broadcast live anywhere and was downscaled.
The second event was live on PPV only in Japan and was also downscaled.
Both events lacked international appeal, neither was broadcast
live on HDNet and a major sponsor has been noticeably absent
for both events.
DREAM's
financial woes continue as Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante has
made claims that he has not yet been paid for his July 2010 DREAM
bout with Katsunori Kikuno.
K-1,
sister promotion to DREAM and once the pinnacle of kickboxing,
have only managed one event. The K-1 63kg Japan GP was done without
a TV deal in any country and relegated to a free YouTube stream.
Ray
Sefo has recently publicly spoken out against K-1, stating that
he, Peter Aerts, Jerome LeBanner and others have not been paid.
Sefo claims that Golden Glory, the MMA and kickboxing camp that
is home to Alistair Overeem, Semmy Schilt and Sergei Kharitonov
among others, are owed $800,000 while Sefo is owed $700,000 and
he refuses to fight again until he is paid.
Jerome
LeBanner, one of the biggest stars in K-1, spoke out specifically
against K-1 event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa, calling him a clown,
a puppet and saying that he also will not fight for K-1 as long
as Tanikawa remains at the helm.
Simon
Rutz, CEO of rival kickboxing promotion It's Showtime, also singled
out Tanikawa, stating that he had threatened fighters and that
K-1 owes It's Showtime contracted fighters more than $400,000.
On
the regional level, Japanese MMA is also struggling.
Shooto
have been in turmoil as one of their most respected (former)
board members was found to have been taking a salary when he
was not authorized to. Although they are still promoting successful
events, there is reportedly chaos behind the scenes.
Deep
cancelled it's first international event, a January 8 event in
Macau, China, only days before the event, leaving the promotion
in major financial difficulty. Deep seems to have recovered somewhat
since the beginning of the year however
Pancrase
have actually been doing reasonably well, mainly thanks to Sengoku
going down. Both promotions were linked discount chain store
Don Quijote (until Sengoku was dropped in March) and so some
of the talent and money from Sengoku was passed down to Pancrase.
Cage
Force, a former feeder organization for the UFC and one of the
few events in Japan to utilize the cage and elbows, has been
fading into obscurity for the past few years and has not promoted
an event this year.
Japanese
fighters have also done poorly in the American major leagues,
going 1-4 in the UFC (Takeya Mizugaki getting the sole win) and
1-2 in Strikeforce (DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki getting
the win). One small redeeming note here is that Michihiro Omigawa
and Riki Fukuda both had lost highly controversial decisions
in their last outings and were paid win bonuses post-fight by
Dana White.
Yes,
I am being overwhelming negative but it's hard not be when you
witness first-hand how far Japanese MMA has fallen. Of course,
some of this is due to the March 11 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami
and nuclear disasters. Events were set back months, sponsorship
dollars are even harder to come buy and FEG's restructuring took
longer than expected.
Of
course, the news that has dominated Japan this year has been
the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. With the nation's
collective focus squarely set on rebuilding and energy conservation,
relatively trivial things like entertainment and MMA have been
rightfully sent to the back burner. The economic effects of the
disasters did exacerbated the problems that face Japanese MMA
but the sport was in trouble long before the earthquake.
Fortunately,
we do have things to look forward to in the year ahead.
DREAM
event producer Keichi Sasahara announced post-fight at the DREAM
Bantamweight Japan GP Final that they are still planning to hold
a world bantamweight tournament to start at the next installment
of DREAM in September. The New Year's Eve Dynamite event is also
still on the schedule and they may also have one additional DREAM
event before then. DREAM still has financial issues and the lack
of a local TV deal to deal with.
K-1
may be on the verge of announcing a rebirth. Kazuyoshi Ishii,
the creator of K-1, was the first to publicly hint at it, revealing
on his blog that he will launch a "new K-1" with a
world class tournament to be held every two years.
Details
from those close to K-1 indicate that a highly prominent fight
promoter/management team have bought a controlling share of K-1
through Chinese investor PUJI. If this rumor is true, it is most
likely related to "new K-1" that Ishii references.
It is no coincidence that It's Showtime, Ray Sefo, Jerome LeBanner
and others have spoken out against Sadaharu Tanikawa recently
- it seems as though he may be squeezed out of the new promotion
and so they are now free to speak.
The
deal is still in it's preliminary stages so details are still
unclear and things may change when it's finally announced. The
details of future of K-1 are likely to be made public in September
at the earliest.
It
is not yet known how DREAM will be affected by this deal.
Shooto
is slowly ironing out it's issues and have appointed a new board,
although not without controversy. On November 5th and 6th, Shooto
will team up with Shoot Boxing (a leading kickboxing promotion
that allows the use of throws and standing submissions) to promote
"Shoot The Shooto" at Tokyo Dome City Hall. Shooto
and Shoot Boxing both have passionate fan bases and the event
is basically guaranteed to be a success.
In
the kickboxing world, It's Showtime have started to promote events
in Japan. Two-time K-1 World MAX Champion Giorgio Petrosyan headlined
their first Japanese event on Monday night and attracted a lot
of positive media interest. It is unclear if the Dutch promotion
will be able to survive in the notoriously difficult Japanese
scene but they are making the right moves.
Akira
Maeda announced in June that RINGS, one of the most successful
(although unappreciated in modern times) promotions in the history
of the sport, will be returning in March 2012. Staff from It's
Showtime Japan will be involved in the running of RINGS so co-promotion
seems likely. It is still unclear how big Maeda's aspirations
are for the return of RINGS but his gangster/amateur promotion,
The Outsider, has been wildly profitable and successful and so
Maeda reportedly has some respectable money behind him. Maeda
has been a major player in Japanese MMA since the early 90's
so every move he makes is worth watching.
The
biggest positive news to come out of Asia this year is the creation
of One Fighting Championships. Although the Singapore based promotion
is not planning to compete with the Japanese scene, the promotion
appears to be set to be a viable alternative to local shows for
Japanese fighters. UFC veteran and Cage Force tournament champion
Yoshiyuki Yoshida is the first Japanese fighter to test the waters
there. It is still unclear if One FC will be able to rival the
sizable purses available to top fighters in Japan though.
In
the West, Yushin Okami will face Anderson Silva on August 27
and has the opportunity to be the first Japanese UFC title holder
(aside from Kazushi Sakuraba's tournament win). Former Shooto
champion and Sengoku champion Hatsu Hioki has also recently signed
with the UFC and should he get passed George Roop, a title shot
with Jose Aldo should come swiftly. Both of these fighters are
likely to bring a great deal of positivity to MMA in Japan ahead
of the UFC's planned return in 2012.
The
days of Pride FC and the early 2000's Japanese MMA boom are long
gone and given how international MMA has developed, it looks
like they will never return. With some recent foreign interest
though and the strong hardcore fanbase in Japan, there is at
least some hope for a brighter future.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Fedor
Emelianenko Feels No Pressure Heading into Fight with Dan Henderson
by Damon
Martin
If there was ever a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t
fix it,” it was former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor
Emelianenko.
An absolute wrecking machine during his days in Japan, Emelianenko
was a scary superstar who was as humble as he was dangerous,
demolishing the best heavyweight fighters in the world.
It wasn’t until Pride disappeared that Emelianenko started
to show a few chinks in his usually impenetrable armor. He took
a few shots early when facing former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski
before laying him out with a single punch back in 2009.
Then in his first fight with Strikeforce, Fedor ended up in a
battle of attrition with the much heavier Brett Rogers before
finishing him off in the second round.
It was a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum, and then a punishing
performance from Antonio Silva, that got everyone wondering if
Fedor’s time at the top had finally come to an end.
Well, the humility that always shows through whenever Emelianenko
speaks didn’t change much following the two losses. As he
prepares for his upcoming showdown with Dan Henderson, the soft
spoken Russian once again puts his faith in God and his trainers
to prepare him for the war ahead.
“Dan is a very strong, dangerous fighter who is explosive,”
Emelianenko said about Henderson in an interview with MMAWeekly.com.
“He uses good striking to attack and looks to continue the
fight on the ground.
“He has great speed which his rivals do not expect. I’m
looking forward to competing against him. As I have done before
with all opponents, I’m preparing for the battle with him
very seriously, so I can be prepared for what skills he brings
into the cage.”
While Fedor’s home training camp in Russia will always exist,
the former top heavyweight has ventured outside of his homeland
for this upcoming fight. Making two separate trips to Holland,
Emelianenko mixed things up a bit to make sure he had all the
tools necessary for his fight against Henderson on July 30.
“Training for a fight is never easy regardless of the opponent.
I train and prepare for every contest the same so I can compete
to the best of my abilities,” Emelianenko stated. “This
time I have trained in Holland, in Russia, and again at the training
camp in Holland. I work with people who are the best in their
disciplines and are focused on preparing me for the battle with
Dan Henderson.”
One thing that will never rattle Emelianenko is the pressure
to win.
Despite two straight losses, the stoic Russian has the same attitude
he carries into every fight, and he’s not going to change
it from when he was on an unbelievable winning streak.
“I’ve drawn conclusions on what areas of my training
need work and what to pay attention to in training and in battle.
Training for a fight is never easy regardless of the opponent.
I train and prepare for every contest the same so I can compete
to the best of my abilities. Everything is God’s will so
there is no pressure,” said Emelianenko.
The true test of that pressure will come in the form of Strikeforce
light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson when he steps in the
cage with Emelianenko at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson on
July 30 in Chicago.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Q
& A with Bellator Boss Bjorn Rebney
By Jim
Genia
A few weeks ago I was standing around the figurative office water
cooler with other industry types, and the discussion turned to
Bellator – which, at the time, was made the de facto number
two MMA promotion out there thanks to Zuffa’s purchase of
Strikeforce. Like clucking hens we traded gossip, facts and opinion.
Then someone posed the question of who was the better promoter:
Scott Coker or Bellator’s Bjorn Rebney? “Bjorn,”
someone with a wealth of Bellator dealings said unequivocally.
“No matter what, Bjorn always finds a way for Bellator to
survive.” And so was planted the seed that eventually grew
into this interview, which was conducted tonight.
What’s Rebney’s favorite flavor of ice cream and how
many times has he seen Star Wars? If that kind of info is what
you’re after, then this isn’t the interview you’re
looking for. Move along. Move along. However, if you want insight
into how Rebney made his promotion work, how he sees his “baby”
and what the future holds, well, sit back and relax. MMAConvert
has got you covered.
Like quite a few promoters before you, you’ve built a brand.
But unlike those promoters, you’ve managed to sustain and
grow it. What’s your secret? How have you found success
where others have failed?
The secret is no secret. The secret is there is no “special
sauce”, there’s no unique or previously unused formula.
The secret was very exhaustive, hardcore business analysis, exhaustive
due diligence coupled with an understanding of the fighting sport
space as related to national television distribution. It was
understanding very, very clearly what the one group that has
done it unbelievably right for the last number of years had done
right. Also, clearly understanding what many, many groups had
done wrong, and applying a bit of my unique twist to it in creating
a business model that worked.
The sustainability of this brand and the growth of this brand
has been planned. It was orchestrated, it was planned, it was
projected. I can go back and point to projections I had made
two or three years ago and they ended up coming true in terms
of economic projections, brand growth projections and movement
projections. I spent a lot of years in this space and I understood
it. I did an amazing amount of due diligence and an amazing amount
of study on the IFL failure, on the EliteXC failure, on the Bodog
failure, on the Affliction failure – the list goes on and
on. I was just acutely aware of what they were doing incorrectly.
And I looked at what the UFC had done correctly, and then looked
at what other major sports organizations were doing correctly,
and I tried to apply it to our sport.
There really was no secret sauce, there really was no secret
to it. It was just a well-researched, well-thought out business
model that fortunately ended up working.
It’s announced that Zuffa has bought Strikeforce, which
makes Bellator the biggest, most prominent US promotion not controlled
by Dana White. What were your thoughts when you heard the news?
I had two thoughts simultaneously. One of them was selfish and
one of them was altruistic. The selfish thought was that it was
good for the Bellator brand because it turns us into the number
two promotion behind the UFC. The altruistic one was, as a fan
of mixed martial arts, the acquisition had eliminated another
player in the space, had eliminated another player’s position
in the space. Therefore, a certain number of fighters, by pure
numerical analysis, a certain number of aspiring fighters were
not going to have an opportunity to perform on national television.
They weren’t going to have an opportunity to perform or
grow underneath another large, prolific banner.
In terms of the growth of the game, in terms of the progression
and expansion of mixed martial arts, I looked at it and thought,
“Wow, that may be a negative.” In terms of the specific
impact on Bellator, I looked at it and thought, “Wow, that’s
positive.” Strikeforce, which a lot of people would go back
and forth and say was the big competitor to Bellator, was now
out of business. Selfishly it was perceived as a good thing and
altruistically it was perceived as potentially not a good thing.
How do you determine your markets for live shows?
At this point, given the magnitude and the number of shows we’re
doing, it’s really based on forming alliances with casino
partners who have a proven track record of promoting and marketing
events in the space, and a real proactive take on reaching out
into the market to put butts in seats for a large event. Some
of it boils down to the economic realities of where the best
deal structure is for Bellator in terms of site fees coupled
with support from the casino partner. It’s a combination
of things.
We’ve found ourselves now in a really cool push where we’re
doing multiple events with Mohegan Sun – which is a spectacular,
gorgeous venue an hour and a half out of New York. We’re
doing I think four events this year with the Hard Rock down in
Hollywood, Florida. We’re doing three events this year with
Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City, who were spectacular partners
with us for an event last year, and the event was a success for
us and a great success for them, so we’re going back there
three times. We’re going back to L’Auberge du Lac [Resort]
in Louisiana. We’re starting to establish what you want
to establish as a promotional company, which is mutual success.
The casino has great success – they enjoy it, they put the
right players in seats and they sell a lot of tickets and generate
a lot of positive exposure for the casino. And you as a promoter
hit the numbers you need to hit, make the money you need to make,
have a nice, packed house with excited, energetic fans, and have
a good, fluid, comfortable experience working with the casino.
And then you’ve got that confident win-win relationship
where they want you back and you want to go back.
When it comes to decision-making – like production or signing
talent or what-have-you – are you the monarch of Bellator
Land or are there others in on the decision-making process?
This is going to sound counter-intuitive coming out of my mouth,
but I have always hoped to put myself in a position where I was
not the smartest guy in the room. Fortunately, I’ve done
that. I’ve read a lot of books about business, I’ve
listened to a lot of really smart people talk, I’ve been
fortunate and blessed that I went to a good graduate school and
a really good law school, and had a chance to meet a lot of good
people over the last 25 years in this business. I think one of
the most important things I’ve learned from really smart
folks – whether it be heads of industry or whether it be
men or women heading up major sports organizations or big agents
or television executives – is to surround yourself with
super-smart folks you can rely on. Don’t put yourself in
a position where you always have to hyper-micromanage. Try to
ensure you’re never the smartest guy in the room in all
areas. And I’m really, really fortunate that I’m doing
that now. I’m able to rely on a lot of smart people in terms
of their thoughts on different issues.
We have operational managers on the lower tier of our corporate
structure who I listen to, who I drag into my office and I go,
“Tell me what you think about whatever. Give me your thoughts.”
And I’ve got super-smart people that I work with on a day-to-day
basis and I’m always picking their brain and going, “What
do you think? Does this make sense? What do you think about that?”
Ultimately, as CEO and chairman, I’m the one in charge of
making the decision. I’ve got to be the one who says we’re
going left or we’re going right, we’re signing this
guy or we’re not signing this guy, we’re signing this
deal or we’re not signing this deal. But I listen to a lot
of smart people to try to give myself as broad an understanding
of what’s going on as possible before I make those decisions.
You have fighter tryouts, you have UFC veterans knocking on your
door, you have Bellator tournament veterans interested in another
go around. That’s a lot of fighters. Describe the ideal
Bellator fighter candidate?
The ideal Bellator fighter candidate is a world-class fighter
– world-class talent – who just may not yet have been
given the opportunity to develop and expose those talents on
a world-wide stage. The ideal, ideal Bellator fighter candidates
are guys like Patricio and Patricky Pitbull, guys like Mike Chandler,
guys like Joe Warren, guys like Eddie Alvarez, who may have been
just on the periphery – there may have been some fanatical
MMA fans who were aware of them, but they really hadn’t
kind of jettisoned onto the consciousness of mixed martial arts
fans and sports fans until they got here. They were a work in
progress but they were awfully close to being ready to leap to
that next level, and just needed the right platform and the right
dynamic to make it happen.
I think we’ve been pretty transparent about the fact that
we’re not in the business – as the Strikeforces and
the EliteXCs and the IFLs and lots of promotions around the world
were – of trying to just sign big names. With our model,
the ideal fighter that comes to us is someone who has an unbelievable
amount of skill, an unbelievable amount of drive. It doesn’t
matter what language they speak or where they come from. If they
have world-class talents that are on the cusp of generating a
lot of fan interest and consumer excitement, those are the guys
that we’re really looking for.
I’ve got an amazing team. I mean, the kind of signings we’ve
had with the Limas and the Sandros and the Hawns – the list
goes on and on of all these guys we’ve developed who were
out-of-nowhere, just on the cusp of jumping over into being really
recognizable. And we’ve got them.
Ninety days, three fights on national television in 80 million
homes – it gives you an incredible platform to develop a
star-caliber fighter in super-short order. If you’re a fighter
who’s motivated in terms of stepping into that cage and
engaging in hand-to-hand, this is a great format.
You’re on MTV2 and you’ve stated your contract runs
until 2013. What then? What’s the ultimate prize for Bjorn
Rebney and his Bellator brand?
The progression and maturation of our MTV2 deal has been great.
I’m very excited about what we’re doing with MTV2 and
I’m very excited about the people we’re working with.
I think that the goal is to try to maximize this deal and see
where this deal goes from there, to see what we’re able
to do with MTV2. It’s got the highest concentration of young
male viewers in cable television, and those young male viewers
are going to grow with Bellator over the next couple of years.
That’s a great, great strategic home for a brand that’s
the second-biggest mover in the mixed martial arts space. It’s
a great place for us to be. And I would hope that we would continue
to build off that, continue to get the great kind of cross-platform
support we get from MTV Networks, and see our ads and our promos
across a variety of different channels that are owned by Viacom.
Which Bellator event are you most proud of?
To answer that question I kind of revert back to being a fan.
I like events where there’s a bunch of great fights, where
they move really fast, where the sequencing between fights is
happening in short order, where the feature pieces look great,
where there’s a lot of butts in seats. There’s pieces
of events that jump out at me.
I’m a perfectionist when it comes to the production of our
shows and the promotion and orchestration, so no single event
jumps out where I go, “Wow, that’s everything I want
Bellator to be!” I like the feature pieces in our last show,
I liked the stories behind our fighters at the last show we did
at the Hard Rock recently. I thought those looked much tighter
than anything we’d done before. I liked the super-boisterous,
crazed crowd we had the last Mohegan Sun show that we did. I
liked the fights and the competitive nature of… I pick pieces
from different shows. There’s not one where I go, “Look,
that exemplifies everything that we’re about!” I pick
spots from different shows, and just hope that one day those
pieces come together in great synchronicity and I can go, “Look,
it all worked!” But that hasn’t happened yet.
What the toughest part of your job?
A lot of people are kind of hard-wired where they can look at
things and they’re willing to and they desire to say, “Oh,
that’s awesome. That’s perfect.” I’m not
wired that way. Even when things are really good, I look at them
as kind of “half full” and think about all the things
we can do to make them better. I think that’s the hardest
part of my job. My hardwiring requires me to keep looking and
changing and altering and editing and fixing and recreating stuff…
That’s probably the toughest part of my job.
I used to run 10Ks, and I’d get done with a 10K and –
though I’m not much of a runner – I would go, “Whoa,
how cool is that? I finished!” But I never get that feeling
in what I do here. I never get the feeling of “Whoa, magic!”
The show ends and I go back to the truck and start to analyze
a thousand different things I thought we didn’t do well.
Everything from a walkout to a feature piece to a bump to whatever
it is that just wasn’t orchestrated the best way, that’s
probably the toughest thing. And when you combine that with the
fact that we’re not like the National Football League, and
we don’t have a season – it never stops and keeps going
and going forever – when you combine that constant pursuit
of making it better with the fact that there’s no end to
it, that’s probably the most difficult thing.
The bottom line is, I’ve had a lot of jobs and this is the
coolest one I’ve ever had, so even though there’s difficult
parts to it, I don’t have much to complain about.
I’m going to throw out some names. Tell me your thoughts
on them. The first one is Lyman Good.
Strength. He’s super strong. If he can just put his injuries
behind him, I think he could be one of the best welterweights
in the world.
Eddie Alvarez.
The best. The finest lightweight in mixed martial arts, bar none.
Cole Konrad.
Surprisingly good. I think people look at Cole Konrad and they
don’t realize what a dominant heavyweight he is. I honestly
believe that there are probably only three or four heavyweights
in the world today who could on a consistent basis compete with
Cole Konrad. He has that “Ben Askren” stigma to him
because he does not have a particularly well-rounded mixed martial
arts game. But that which he does he does better than anyone
in the heavyweight division. And that’s a pretty dominant
weapon to have.
Toby Imada.
A guy who was seminal to the growth of the Bellator brand. The
guy who recruited Toby Imada and desperately kept calling me
and telling me to sign him characterized Toby Imada by saying,
“He is the best fighter with the worst record in mixed martial
arts.” I was like, “Well, that’s kind of a glass
half-full/glass half-empty way to describe someone.” But
Toby Imada was seminal to this brand’s development and jump-off
point. We were doing a show on ESPN Deportes, we had a four million-home
universe, it was Spanish language, we had no English language
distribution, and out of nowhere Toby Imada pulled off the single
greatest submission I’ve ever seen in a televised mixed
martial arts event. My marketing and public relations team at
Alpytac begged, pleaded and demanded that we put it up on YouTube
and don’t try to sequester it and show it only on Bellator,
and it became a viral sensation. Suddenly, fifty times as many
people were watching Toby Imada get an inverted triangle and
submit Jorge Masvidal than had ever watched a Bellator show on
ESPN Deportes. I would go places and say, “Yeah, I’m
the CEO of Bellator,” and they’d go, “Oh my god,
I saw that submission where that guy was hanging upside down!
That was crazy!” So every time I think of Toby Imada I think
of an enormously positive, enormously free and incredibly powerful
marketing push that he single-handedly was able to generate for
this brand.
Nate Marquardt.
Top-seven ranked middleweight who can fight.
I think I read somewhere that you’re definitely interested
in him.
It’s funny, but often times I hear promoters say, “Oh,
I’ve never seen him fight,” or “He’s not
that good.” And that always strikes me as so odd, because
we all live in this space. Wherever you are, in terms of whether
you’re an IFL or EliteXC, you would’ve been paying
attention to what’s been going on in mixed martial arts.
So when people say to me, “What do you think of Nate? Are
you interested?” Well, let’s see. He’s one of
the top-seven ranked middleweights in the world, he’s coming
off a big win in the UFC, he’s consistently been a top-ten
ranked middleweight for the last four or five years… Yeah,
of course we’d be interested. I don’t know if the right
deal can be structured with him, I don’t know if the deal
would happen. But to pretend to people when they ask you those
questions that you’re not interested in the potential of
a guy like that joining your organization – that just rings
false on so many levels.
Dana White.
When I think of Dana I think of someone who is hugely driven.
I don’t know Dana personally. Obviously, just like all of
us, I’ve seen his public persona. The thing I get when I
hear Dana speak is that there seems to be an amazing amount of
drive and focus. I have a lot of respect for drive and focus.
Those are the two things I typically think of when I think of
Dana White. I also think he’s probably working as hard,
if not harder, than I work – and I know I work extremely
hard.
Source: Fight Opinion/MMA Convert
|
Marlon
Sandro confident for Bellator semifinal against Nazareno Malegarie
By Eduardo
Ferreira
Bellator
defines, this Saturday (23rd), the finalists of the featherweight
GP, and only four nationalities are still alive in dispute, represented
by the semifinalists Pat Curran (USA), Ronnie Mann (England),
Marlon Sandro (Brazil) and Nazareno Malegarie (Argentine).
Brazilian
representative, Marlon is confident for his bout against Malegarie,
his ‘hermano’ who lives and trains in Brazil.
“He’s
a really nice guy, I’ve met him on an event. He’s well
adjusted in Brazil, has a sharp Jiu-Jitsu, he’s coming from
a great school, Thiago Tavares’, he has good takedowns…
I trained hard to block his game and make him uncomfortable so
I can play my game”, guarantees the former champion of Sengoku,
who has debuted on the event with a win over the also Brazilian
Junior PQD.
“I’m
focused and I have my feet on the ground”, affirms the athlete
of Nova Uniao, who’s more experienced than his opponent.
“I’ve been to GPs and I won one. I did all fights in
the same day, and now we have time to recover from it. Each bout
is a step, so I can’t undermine the others. I’ll make
room for myself and no one will take that away from me, but I’ll
take it easy. I want to become the champion of Bellator’s
GP”.
Bellator
47
Ontario, Canada
Saturday, July 23rd of 2011
Main
card:
- Pat Curran vs. Ronnie Mann;
- Marlon Sandro vs. Nazareno Malegarie;
- Neil Grove vs. Zak Jensen;
- Chris Horodecki vs. Chris Saunders;
Preliminary
card:
- William Romero vs. Daniel Langbeen;
- Bo Harris vs. Bryan Goldsby;
- Sergej Juskevic vs. Daron Cruickshank;
- Syd Barnier vs. Denis Puric.
Source:
Tatame
|
Hayes
Out of McCorkle Fight; Promoter Blames Management
by Jesse
Denis
MIAMI -- Just days before Championship Fighting Alliance stages
its second event at U.S. Century Bank Arena, the promotion announced
that its slated heavyweight main event between UFC veteran “Big
Sexy” Sean McCorkle and Strikeforce and Bellator Fighting
Championships vet Mike Hayes has fallen apart.
Hayes
(Pictured, file photo), who is currently signed with Bellator,
has been forced to withdraw from the Saturday night bout due
to his contractual obligations with the Chicago-based company.
“No
one should sign with Bellator,” the colorful McCorkle told
Sherdog.com. “They will give you verbal permission and no
written permission when it’s time to fight. I know Hayes
didn’t want to pull out of the fight.”
CFA
CEO Jorge de la Noval placed no blame on Bellator, but rather
on Hayes’ management.
“Bellator
is just protecting their real estate,” de la Noval explained.
“His management is not doing a good job with him. How are
you going to lock a client into a multi-year contract with no
guarantees of a fight any time in the near future? ... Bellator
hasn’t given him a fight for 10 months. How is he supposed
to provide for his family?”
Stepping
in for Hayes will be Rochester, Minn.’s Cameron Befort,
who carries a 6-3 pro MMA mark with four straight wins.
“I
took the fight on a week’s notice,” Befort told the
assembled press. “Actions speak louder than words and I
will upset McCorkle.”
The
show’s co-headlining lightweights, “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero and unbeaten local Mike Rio,
had nothing but compliments for one another.
“We’re
both game fighters, and I know this is going to be ‘Fight
of the Night,’” Rio proclaimed.
“We
both love to do it. We’re gonna have a great time,”
Escudero added.
The
lightweight division will play a prominent role on the card elsewhere,
as CFA will begin its 155-pound championship tournament with
eight up-and-coming lightweights.
The
tournament brackets will see unbeaten Floridian Patrick Cenoble
meet Georgian Jerrid Burke, Ohio’s Trent McCown facing 8-0
Minnesotan Zachary Juusola, Christopher Garcia taking on Mike
George, and Yosilandy Izquierdo squaring off against Jayson Jones.
“You
can't have a favorite in this tournament because they’re
all hungry and are all going to show up to fight,” said
de la Noval. “We will put all of our marketing and promotion
behind the winner.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Will
the issue of sexuality be the next ’strike’ used against
women’s MMA by critics?
By Zach
Arnold
Yesterday
on Sherdog radio, the estimable Jack Encarnacao and Jon Luther
were interviewing Strikeforce female MMA fighter Liz “Girl-rilla”
Carmouche about her upcoming fight with Sarah Kaufman on July
22nd in Las Vegas for a Challengers event to air on Showtime.
The interview was largely standard fare, talking about the differences
between facing Marloes Coenen and facing someone like Sarah Kaufman.
Liz said that Kaufman is a much more aggressive fighter, which
she says is similar to her fighting style. During the conversation,
Liz was asked about balancing her school life and finals while
preparing for the Coenen fight. She mentioned how her girlfriend
has been a big supporter of her MMA career in terms of providing
positive reinforcement.
Listening to her comments, I didn’t flinch at all in regards
to her bringing up ‘her girlfriend.’ However, it obviously
caught the attention of a lot of listeners, so the interviewers
asked her about it and why she decided to be open about her sexuality.
“Being in the military, I was forced to hold back and to
not really find that part of myself. It’s not something
that I want to do again in my life. My team and my coaches have
been accepting and encouraging and they joke around about it
and at no point have I ever felt like it’s something that
I’ve had to hide. And I don’t want to be the type of
fighter who is hiding parts of myself that eventually come out
and come to surprise. I want to be open and honest with my fans.
I want to be open and honest with everybody so they know who
I am and at no point is that going to throw anybody off or disgust
them or just anything, I don’t want any negative repercussions
for who I am. I want it to be open and honest from the get go
so that I can be the best fighter and person that I (can be).
“I definitely think that they’re much more accepting
of it. I mean just if you look at society in general, a few years
ago it wasn’t accepted. The military, everything, you could
see it looked down upon and I definitely think that people are
becoming more open to it and more aware of what’s going
in the world, so they’re accepting. They want to connect
with the fighters and they want to understand them on every level
and I think that being honest with their sexuality helps them
understand who they are and connects with them.”
At that point of the interview, I thought that was that and didn’t
think much about it. However, after the interview Jack &
Jon brought up a (depressingly) fair point: will the media start
asking questions regarding the sexuality of not only Liz’s
future opponents but also of all female MMA fighters? If so,
is this going to be used as another ’strike’ against
supporting women’s MMA on a large promotional scale?
I know what my personal opinion on the matter is, but what I
think versus what major power brokers think may differ substantially
(and not in a good way for women’s MMA).
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
on Versus 6 Takes Place at The Phone Booth in Washington, DC
UFC on Versus 6, slated for Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C, will take
place at the Verizon Center, according to MMAWeekly.com sources.
The Verizon Center is the home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards
and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. It has a capacity of
just under 21,000 for basketball games, although it’s not
yet clear what the set-up will be at the arena for the UFC’s
first event in the United States’ capital city.
The Verizon Center is aptly nicknamed “The Phone Booth”
because of its association with the telecomm industry. Prior
to being named the Verizon Center it was the MCI Center.
The event was just recently announced, but the UFC on Versus
6 fight card is already coming together with bouts that include
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman, Charlie Brenneman vs. Anthony Johnson,
and Paul Sass vs. Michael Johnson.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
808
Battleground & X-1 World Events
Domination This
Friday
Mixed Martial Arts
at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower
Doors open at 5 pm, Fights start at 6 pm
$30 Pre-sale, $40 at the door
http://www.808battleground.com/
|
Rashad
Evans Says Rampage is Living Off His Pride Days, Predicts a Jon
Jones Victory at UFC 135
If Rashad Evans is able to get past Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 next
month in Philadelphia, he already knows what his next challenge
is going to be.
UFC
president Dana White said on Thursday that if he’s victorious,
Evans is guaranteed the winner of the upcoming fight at UFC 135
between light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones
and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Evans
seems to have unfinished business with both competitors and a
history of comments that will serve as a great story with whichever
fighter comes out the winner.
Jones
is a former teammate of Evans under Greg Jackson. After Jones
replaced him at UFC 128 and defeated Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua to claim the title, the two entered into a verbal sparring
match that eventually led to Evans leaving the camp altogether.
Evans
also has quite the backstory with Jackson after coaching opposite
him during the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
They then fought at UFC 114 in May 2010. Evans and Jackson engaged
in a war of words before the fight that might rival the most
fiery trash talk in the history of the sport.
But
now Evans has a whole new vested interest in the fight because
he gets the winner if he’s able to defeat Tito Ortiz at
UFC 133, and he’s fairly sure he knows who it’s going
to be.
“I
think it’s going to be Jon Jones,” Evans told MMAWeekly
Radio when asked to predict a winner. “I would like to see
Rampage catch him with something, but I honestly believe Rampage
is not doing what he needs to do, and he’s not going to
do what he needs to do to win the title.”
Jackson’s
training habits have come under scrutiny in the past, but with
the title on the line, will the fit, trim and ready to rumble
Rampage show up?
Rashad
Evans doesn’t think so.
“He’s
just been living off of fumes of his Pride days, and he really
needs to go and take things seriously,” Evans commented.
“If he took things seriously, I think he might be able to
do something, but he ain’t trying to take nothing serious.”
Is
Evans’ prediction spot on or can Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson recapture the UFC light heavyweight title?
Only
the events of UFC 135 will tell the tale.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Rich
Franklin Pulled from UFC 133 Fight Card; Belfort vs. Akiyama
Promoted
With the light heavyweight division already riddled with injuries,
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira’s couldn’t have come at a
worse time.
The
Brazilian was yanked from UFC 133 on Saturday, and on Sunday
the UFC announced that his opponent Rich Franklin would be pulled
from the card as well.
No
viable options remained to step in and face Franklin on just
over two weeks notice, and the former middleweight champion will
have to live to fight another day.
In
the place of Franklin vs. Nogueira, the middleweight bout between
former title contender Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama has
been bumped up to the co-main event slot on the card.
Also,
the welterweight bout between Dennis Hallman and Brian Ebersole
has now been slotted for the main card for UFC 133 to fill the
space vacated by Belfort and Akiyama.
UFC
133 will now feature 10 bouts total, with the five main card
fights airing on pay-per-view, 2 fights on Spike TV, and the
final 3 airing on Facebook.
Source:
MMA Weekly
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UFC
133: Evans vs. Ortiz Fight Card Rumors
Powered by Xyience LogoUFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz
Date: August 6, 2011
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UFC
133 Ticket On Sale Info
Main
Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):
-Rashad Evans (15-1-1; #3 Light Heavyweight)* vs. Tito Ortiz
(16-8-1)
-Vitor Belfort (19-9) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3)
-Jorge Rivera (19-8) vs. Alessio Sakara (15-8)
-Rory MacDonald (11-1) vs. Mike Pyle (21-7-1)
-Dennis Hallman (50-13-2) vs. Brian Ebersole (47-14-1)
Preliminary
Bouts (On Spike TV):
-Matt Hamill (10-3) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (11-1)
-Chad Mendes (10-0; #2 Featherweight) vs. Rani Yahya (16-6)
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Ivan Menjivar (22-8) vs. Nick Pace (6-1)
-Johny Hendricks (10-1) vs. Mike Pierce (12-3)
-Mike Brown (24-8) vs. Nam Phan (16-8)
-Rafael “Sapo” Natal (11-3-1) vs. Riki Fukuda (17-5)
Source:
MMA Weekly
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Assunção
vs. Uyenoyama not set yet for UFC Rio
The chance of fighting in Brazil for the first time, in UFC Rio,
on August 27th, and, more, meeting his family who live here,
is twisting Raphael Assuncao’s mind, who has lives in Atlanta,
United States, for the last years. He’s being pointed out
as a possible candidate for a bout against Darren Uyenoyama,
in the Wonderful City, but the American has some contract issues
with Shooto, event on which he last fought, and it might interfere
on his contract with Ultimate, until it’s solved.
While the official announcement doesn’t come to surface,
Assuncao, on an exclusive chat with TATAME, affirms that the
expectations are making his family anxious.
“It’d be a dream fighting in UFC Rio and I want it
to come true. I’m coming from a loss and I can’t be
careless, I have to remain focused. My family is asking me repeatedly
about it”, told the fighter, who believes that his new weight
division, the bantamfeather weight, will fit him perfectly.
“It’s the division I should be fighting in for a long
time, but I considered one of the top 10 featherweight fighters
for over three years and due to the wins against heavier guys,
like Joe Pearson. I have some difficulties keeping my weight,
so the bantamweight fits me perfectly because I won’t need
to dehydrate that much. I’m following a simple diet, not
too demanding. I want a win and after this fight I want to work
to be among the top bantamweights”.
Despite the lack of confirmation, Assuncao’s team is keeping
an eye on his possible opponent. “My training partner, Roan
Jucao, watched one of his fights this week and he told be he’s
really experienced, a ground guy. We found some flaws on his
stand-up game, but we’re focusing in everything in my trainings”.
Source:
Tatame
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“Sometimes
the best treatment is a good rest”
After
six months on ice due to a seriously injured pubis, Abmar Barbosa
is getting ready for his competition return.
Abmar
shares the lessons he learned during his time on the sidelines,
exclusively for GRACIEMAG.com readers.
“I
suffered an injury that is really common among professional,
soccer, tennis and Jiu-Jitsu players. For someone who uses their
hips a lot it’s hard to treat, as it’s really deep.
The best treatment is a good rest.
“Soccer
player Kaká had this type of injury, as did tennis player
Guga. Depending on the degree of the injury, recovery can take
from eight months to a year and a half!
“I
sat out the Pan and the Worlds, but I’m back in training
again. I hasten to add that I’m 99% now. Soon I’ll
be back to feeling the adrenaline of competition. I haven’t
competed in six months; it feels like an eternity to me.
“I’m
making the most of it by training the gang; there’s a good
bunch heading to the International Masters in Rio and to teach
seminars. I’ll be teaching in Canada in August at Drysdale’s
affiliates, and then I’ll go to Australia for 45 days to
teach.
“Back
in 2007 everyone thought I was done for, since I had a knee injury
and operated, but I returned winning the brown belt absolute
at the Pan, so I’ll be back again – better still, I’m
already back.
“But
I’ll be back without the Mohawk, wait and see.”
Source:
Gracie Magazine
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Gregor
Gracie Returns at OneFC in Singapore to Face Wang Sai
OneFC
is on a mission to become the largest mixed martial arts organization
in all of Asia, and they are kicking things off with an event
on Sept 3 with the goal of being available to over 500 million
homes across Asia at their launch.
The
first event will be held in the 12,000 seat Singapore Indoor
Stadium, with several local and international fighters on the
card.
The
first match-up confirmed for the Sept show will feature Gregor
Gracie, looking for his fourth win in a row and third in 2011
when he faces China fighter Wang Sai.
The
bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by Gracie’s manager
Ali Abdel-Aziz from Dominance MMA.
Since
returning to full time MMA in 2010, Gracie has not only dedicated
himself to becoming the best mixed martial artist he can be,
he’d done it in impressive fashion.
Through
3 fights in 2011, Gracie is 3-0 with three first round submissions
and has fought for less than 5 total minutes in all.
Trying
to stop Gracie’s run will be Chinese fighter Wang ‘The
Boss’ Sai hoping to rebound from a loss in his last fight
from January.
Sai
is 3-2-1 overall, and faces Gracie in Singapore with hopes of
adding a 4th win to his record.
More
fights are expected to be announced for the OneFC card in the
coming days.
Source:
MMA Weekly
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Maui
Jiu-Jitsu Open Suspended for Now
The
tournament previously scheduled for August 20, 2011 is suspended
for now with no update in regards to the new date. We will mpost
more information as it becomes available.
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