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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)

2013

November
Aloha State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(tba)

10/19/13
NAGA Hawaiian Grappling Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(tba)

10/5-6/13
Senior Master World Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, Cal State Unversity at Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)

9/7/13
The Quest for Champions 2013 Tournament
(Pearl City High School Gym)
(Featuring Sport Pankration, Submission Grappling, Continuous Sparring)

8/24/13
Battle At The Bay
(BJJ)
(Hilo Armory, Hilo)

August
Maui Open Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(tba)

7/27/13
State of Hawaii Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Pearl Cityh H.S. Gym)

7/13/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Momilani Community Center)

6/22/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Kalakaua District Park Gym)

6/8/13
King of the Cage
(MMA)
(Maui)

5/30/13 - 6/2/13
World BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, University of California at Long Beach)

5/25-26/13
NAGA: Pacific Grappling Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H.S. Gym)

5/19/13
Amateur Boxing Event this (Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)

5/4/13
Mad Skillz
(Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom)

4/27/13
Star Elite Cagefighting: The Foundation
(Kickboxing)
(Aloha Tower Waterfront)

4/13/13
Hawaiian Open Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)

Denny Prokopos
Eddie Bravo Black Belt Seminar
9AM-11AM
$50
@ O2 Martial Arts Academy

3/23/13
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)

3/20-24/13
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(Irvine, CA)

3/20/13
David Kama Seminar
Rickson Gracie Black Belt
8-10PM
$50
@ O2 Martial Arts Academy

2/23/13
Got Skills
(MMA, Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom)

2/16/13
Mayhem At The Mansion
Kauai Cage Match 14
(MMA)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)

Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym District Park Gym)

Uncle Frank Ordonez’s Birthday Tournament
(Palama Settlement Gym)
(Grappling, Sport-Pankration and Continuous sparring)

2/3/13
Diego Moraes Semainr
(BJJ)
(O2MAA)

2/2/13
World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship: Hawaii Trials
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(McKinley H.S. Gym)

2/1/13
IBJJF Referee Clinic
(O2MAA)

1/19/13
Destiny Na Koa 2
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)

1/12/13
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Seminar
4-7PM
(Ku Lokahi Wrestling Club)
 News & Rumors
Archives
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August 2013 News Part 1

O2 Martial Arts Academy provides 7 days a week training! Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu classes taught by Black Belts Kaleo Hosaka and Chris & Mike Onzuka

We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights with Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi.

Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with PJ Dean & Chris Slavens!

Wrestling program (Folk Style) taught by Cedric Yogi on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Kids Classes are also available!

Click here for info!

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


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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 Kaleo Hosaka 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 competitor 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.

Our wrestling program is headed by Cedric Yogi who was previously the head coach of the Pearl City High School Wrestling Team.

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!

Mix and match your classes so you can try all the martial arts classes offered at O2!

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


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

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http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA

8/9/13

Chael Sonnen Will Fight at UFC Fight Night 26; Commission Votes Unanimously to Grant License
by Ken Pishna

Chael Sonnen, as expected, will be fighting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the UFC Fight Night 26 main event next week in Boston.

Sonnen cleared his final hurdle on Thursday when the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to license him for the fight. The decision came after the commission’s Medical Advisory Board reviewed Sonnen’s physical condition and medical information.

Mike Roberts of MMA Inc., Sonnen’s manager, had told MMAWeekly.com after meeting with the commission earlier in the day that it appeared “likely” that Sonnen would be granted a license.

Massachusetts Department of Public Safety spokesperson Terrel Harris on Thursday informed MMAWeekly.com of the commission’s approval.

Unite Here, a faction of the Culinary Union, that has long been battling the UFC’s continued expansion efforts, filed a complaint against Sonnen stemming from his January 2011 money laundering conviction. Unite Here was trying to stymie Sonnen’s attempt to gain licensure, but that bid failed as well.

“The State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to license Chael Sonnen in Massachusetts for the Ultimate Fight Championship contest scheduled for Aug. 17, 2013, in Boston,” Harris told MMAWeekly.com. “The decision followed the recommendation of their Medical Advisory Board which considered Sonnen’s physical condition and medical information.

“The Commission also considered complaints regarding his reputation and character, but concluded no information the Commission received should preclude Sonnen’s licensure.”

Source: MMA Weekly

WSOF's Tyrone Spong would like to be 'the Bo Jackson of combat sports'
By Dave Doyle

BURBANK, Calif. -- Tyrone Spong is already one of the world's most decorated kickboxers. He'll have his second pro mixed martial arts bout on Saturday. And sometime around the end of this year or the beginning of 2014, a foray into boxing is planned.

The 27-year old native of Suriname by way of Amsterdam is now based out of South Florida. And he'd like to known as the combat sports equivalent of another famous American athlete.

"I was doing a lot of interviews, and one of the guys compared me to the Bo Jackson of combat sports," Spong said at a recent World Series of Fighting media luncheon. "I thought it was a real honor to be compared to someone like that. He was a guy who succeeded in different sports, but he was a multi-sport athlete. I just want to do the same thing. I have a dream and I want to do it and I want to look forward to making it come true."

Of course, Spong might be getting a bit ahead of himself, since his main event bout against Angel DeAnda at WSOF 4 is just his second career MMA fight, and he's yet to step between the ropes for his first boxing match. So it might be a bit soon to compare him to Jackson, the former Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn who went on to fame in the late 1980's with both MLB's Kansas City Royals and the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders.

But Spong is used to multi-tasking. He speaks three languages, for one thing, and when he goes home after a day of training he's got three children, 15 finches, and six pit bulls and bulldogs to take care of. So Spong insists he has a natural aptitude for switching between the various and sometimes contradictory demands laid down by each of his chosen sports.

"When I see something I can copy it and I can adjust," explained Spong, who trains with the Blackzilians. "I can drive to the gym, I'm going to do boxing training and I show up and they say 'you gotta train MMA.' I say 'no problem.' The moment I step into the gym into the ring or the cage or on the mat, I switch on the moment. I don't know how. I think I'm a good copycat.

"Like I said, maybe it's a dream, like as a small boy you, grew up and you watch kickboxing from Jean Claude [Van Damme] or Bruce Lee and you want to do that. Mike Tyson or Ray Sefo, you see these guys and you want to do that. So I always watch fighting, these combat sports are for me."

It's fitting Spong mentions his youth, because it was at a young age he figured out through process of elimination that individual sports were his calling. Spong moved with his mother and sisters from Suriname to Amsterdam at age 7. First, he played youth soccer and realized that relying on teammates wasn't his thing.

"When we had a loss or whatever, I'd be devastated," Spong said. "I'd be so upset for weeks. For days, my best friend, I'd get mad at him, 'it's because of you that we lost.' For myself, I give 100 percent so I want everybody to do 100 percent which you can't ask people from a team. No I just chose a sport, I fight, if I win, I lose, it's on me. I'm a better friend now."

At 13, Spong's curiosity led him to follow a classmate into a gym, one which just happened to be run by legendary kickboxing figure Lucien Corbin.

"I saw a guy from my school walking into the gym," Spong said. "And by coincidence for the first time kickboxing and training my coach back then was training, Lucien Corbin, was one of the best trainers ever. I saw him and I started training. I remember I never left the gym cuz I got my ass kicked bad and I couldn't take it, so from that day on I trained for four years straight and then I had my first fight when I was 16."

And let's just say that in some ways, the training was a little bit on the primitive side.

"It was old school. And old school doesn't mean that it's always smart," Spong said. "When you grow up, you see things and now scientifically you see that's not right. Like not drinking at all at a practice for an hour and a half. That's not right. Training with no ventilation, the sweat is dripping off the mirrors and the walls, and he even turns up the heating system, it's a sauna, you're basically training in a sauna, that's not right.

"But for me as a young kid, 13 years old, it gave me a mentality like I don't care what type of situation I'm in, I'm always going to work hard."

That sort of mindset is what helped Spong reach great heights in his kickboxing career. It's also what helps Spong keep focus as he juggles everything on his plate, with an agenda that includes Saturday's WSOF fight with DeAnda, a Glory bout against Nathan Corbett in October in suburban Chicago, and the planned boxing debut.

"You've got to apply in the moment," Spong said. "The pressure, that's the hardest part. When I see something I can copy it. I can do the movement, I can do the drill. That's easy. You have to apply the right moment under pressure. Someone wants to knock you out, someone wants to submit you, someone wants to ground and pound you. That's when you gotta prove you belong."

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC champ Ronda Rousey says fighting career could be over in two years
by John Morgan

UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey does not believe for one second that her upcoming acting roles will distract her from focusing on her fighting career. But Rousey admits she thinks the clock could be ticking on her time in the cage.

"I said from the beginning that I wok in quadrennials," Rousey told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I do four-year cycles. I think I've got two years left in me, realistically, if I'm going to do this like an Olympic run."

Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has fought just once for the UFC, but she's become a full-fledged superstar for the company. She was recently in Seattle as the face of the partnership between the UFC and the promotion's official wireless provider, MetroPCS. Then it was off to Los Angeles, New York and Chicago as part of the UFC World Tour 2013, where she and Miesha Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) helped promote their upcoming UFC 168 clash.

Along the way, it was revealed she would be on the cover of Maxim, that she had been cast in "The Expendables 3" and that she might take a spot in "Fast and Furious 7," as well.

But before that whirlwind tour began, Rousey had taken a self-imposed cross-country road trip, helping a friend relocate from the East Coast to the West.

"I just had 50 hours of driving to reflect, which is one of the reasons I love road trips so much because no one can f--- with me, and I can just talk and organize my thoughts and think," Rousey said. "I've got a lot of stuff coming up that I can't talk to you about."

But with all those side gigs, one has to wonder: Like Gina Carano before her, if Rousey realizes it's far easier to make a living reciting lines than dodging strikes, could she decide to walk away from MMA?

Rousey said she's not at that point just yet but that her February win over Liz Carmouche, a fight in which the UFC champ came dangerously close to losing for the first time in her career, was an eye-opening experience.

"I think one profession has a much-longer shelf life than the other," Rousey said. "My last fight, I was kind of forced to face my mortality a little bit. I had an air of invincibility about me, and I was kind of forced to realize statistically there is a chance you could get permanently hurt or even die. There's only so many times you can roll the dice.

"I am the best f---ing fighter in the world, and I truly believe that, but you're still rolling the dice no matter who you are, so I do have to kind of set up an exit strategy. That's what I did wrong in judo. I followed it all the way until the end, and I didn't put any thought into after."

Rousey, who has trained in judo since childhood, earned a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, becoming the first American woman to medal in the sport. But after her Olympic run, Rousey admits she had no idea what to do next and spent time bartending in California before starting a career in mixed martial arts.

After three amateur fights, Rousey turned pro in 2011 and has since taken the MMA world by storm, single-handedly winning over UFC President Dana White, leading to the addition of a women's division to the UFC. As the reigning Strikeforce champion at the time, Rousey was awarded the UFC belt and then successfully defended the title at February's UFC 157 event.

That fight, not to mention the incredible mainstream media attention surrounding it, made Rousey one of the biggest stars in the sport, and she's now receiving an astounding amount of opportunities outside of the cage. While Rousey said her fighting days may be limited, she insists that doesn't mean her focus will waver while she's still actively competing.

"I really want to do something special, and I really want to be the person that was able to do both (acting and fighting)," Rousey said. "When I feel like I'm done fighting, I'm done fighting. But I'm not done fighting yet. It's still my priority, and I feel like if I can have three jobs on the side and still train and fight, then I can every once in a while go do a movie. I'll still train while I'm there and then go fight.

"This is actually less of a workload than I've dealt with before, so I'm really actually very appreciative for how s---ty things were when I was first started because when things have gotten harder as we're going along, everything just seems so doable. Nothing really compares to falling asleep on the 405 and smashing your face in. That's what real exhaustion is. I can handle this s---. I get a trailer."

Rousey recently finished filming "The Ultimate Fighter 18," where she serves as coach opposite rival Tate, and the pair meets for a second time in the co-main event of December's UFC 168 event in Las Vegas. On the show, Rousey coaches a handful of 135-pound women, all of whom would certainly love to fill her shoes. What Rousey does after the Tate rematch remains to be seen, but she seems intent on making sure the women's division doesn't leave the UFC when she does. But with Hollywood calling, will she be able to accomplish all she wants before walking away?

Time, whether it be two years or not, will certainly tell.

"I'd say two more years, so I've got two more years to get the ball rolling without me," Rousey said. "'TUF' was the first step. It's not the last one, but the work's getting done."

Source: MMA Junkie

Agon Wrestling Targeting First MMA-Style Event for October with Several MMA Fighters on Board

As the wrestling world continues to wait on the upcoming vote by the International Olympic Committee for the verdict for what will be the final sport added to the 2020 games, the community at large isn’t slowing its plans for overall growth.

As first teased on MMAWeekly.com a few months back, promoters are mounting plans to put together a first-of-its-kind wrestling event that will mimic many major MMA shows, such as the UFC or Bellator, while also taking a page from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events such as Metamoris.

Sources have indicated to MMAWeekly.com that plans are coming together for the first event to be held on Oct. 22 at the Rio in Las Vegas for the first ever Agon Wrestling Championships.

The promotion is apparently eyeing three possible match-ups, including a main event that could see a Bellator champion step back on the mats that he called home for many years.

The main event currently in discussion with event promoters could pit former Olympian and two-time NCAA champion Ben Askren in a folk-style wrestling match against four-time NCAA champion (from four different weight divisions) Kyle Dake. The promotion hopes to crown the winner as the No. 1 contender in the world folk-style wrestling championship, with Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs likely sitting as the top-ranked wrestler in that division.

Other match-ups that are currently being pursued include current Bellator wrestler and former NCAA champ Bubba Jenkins against former teammate from Penn State Frank Molinaro, as well as NCAA All-American and current RFA champion Lance Palmer against Oklahoma State standout Jordan Oliver.

These match-ups are all tentative and not signed, but the promoters behind the event are looking at these bouts as featured events for the first show.

In addition to the match-ups, Agon Wrestling is currently looking at broadcasting live via the Internet on FloWrestling.org, a top destination site for wrestling, and partnering with sponsors such as Cage Fighter and CF Athletic, as well as Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.

More information about the upcoming Agon event should be announced in the coming days.

Source: MMA Weekly

Daniel Cormier: I'll face 'petty' Jon Jones at some point
By Dave Meltzer

Daniel Cormier gets all fired up when the subject of Jon Jones is broached, particularly when hearing the light heavyweight champion's reaction to him. But he said Roy Nelson is the most dangerous guy he's ever faced, so he said no Jones talk until Oct. 19, when he plans to issue Jones a challenge.

Daniel Cormier isn’t downplaying his upcoming fight with Roy Nelson, but right now the match feels like a veggie appetizer for a main course - a showdown with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

There have been words expressed over the years between the two in a situation Cormier said dates back nearly three years to UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif.

Cormier was in the back for the Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez fight and he’s kind of looking around and he said Jones said to him, "You look like a wrestler."


Cormier, who had come off being the captain of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team in 2008, responded, "I’m probably the best wrestler you’ve seen."

Jones, who had not yet won the light heavyweight title, but was on the fast track toward being one of the youngest champions, then said, "Well, maybe you get the cauliflower ear on the other side and maybe you can get a takedown against me,"

Cormier found the whole thing insulting.

"When you were in high school, I was on the Olympic team," Cormier said about the incident to Ariel Helwani on Wednesday's MMA Hour. "You should know your Olympians."

The situation came back this past week when Jones was asked about Cormier, the No. 3 ranked heavyweight in the world behind Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, as an opponent. Jones largely blew off the idea.

"Daniel Cormier is a guy who really wants to be famous," said Jones. "I don’t think he wants to work hard. I just think he just wants to be famous. You can see it in his physique. You can see it in his cardio. He’s just trying to get his Twitter followers up. That’s about it. He’s not relevant to me. He’s not even in the top five in his division. I don’t think he’s got 20,000 Twitter followers. He’s got short reach, bad cardio, he looked terrible in his last fight. I’m not worried about him."

Cormier made it clear he doesn’t want to talk about Jones again until after his Oct. 19 fight with Roy Nelson. At that time, the gloves come off. He’s promised that if he wins, he’s calling out Jones for a title shot.

It’s not just that Cormier has a lot more than 20,000 Twitter followers, as if somehow that’s a statistic of relevance in determining fight skill set, but it hits home when a wrestler who has made two Olympic teams is told that he’s something of a poser with a bad work ethic.

"I think it’s part of the game," Cormier said when asked if he thinks Jones was serious about what he said, as opposed to trying to build up a fight. "I never came out and said I’m the most ripped guy in MMA. I’m not. I haven’t cut weight in years. I haven’t tried to cut weight in years. I haven’t tried to diet in years. I clean up a little in training camp, but I’ve never tried to be the most ripped guy, so that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me. I just don’t like him saying I don’t want to work hard. He hasn’t spent a day in the gym with me. He doesn’t know my schedule. I know I’m training. It takes a big statement to say that about someone who has accomplished what I’ve accomplished. You don’t just come out of Louisiana, where there is no wrestling, to become a two-time Olympian in wrestling."

"It’s almost shocking that someone in his position could be so petty," said Cormier. "It was almost like, wow, we’re adults.

"Three points I want to make here. First, Twitter followers. He made mention of that two times in that statement. I don’t understand what that plays into an actual fight. It makes no sense in a fight. Two, how would you like to be Jon Jones’ friend? He says Frank Mir is his friend. He said I was terrible in the fight, and I beat his friend. What are you saying about your friend? Third, it’s petty. Answer the question and get through with it. He never completely answered the question. Do you want to fight me or do you not want to fight me?"

Jones also has a fight coming up, on Sept. 21 in Toronto, defending his light heavyweight title against Alexander Gustafsson.

"The truth is we’re going to fight at some point," Cormier said about Jones. "We have fights to get through first. Then all those things are going to have to be answered. Jon Jones can say he doesn’t know if I’m in the top of my division, but that’s a lie. That’s a bold-faced lie. It’s an obvious lie because he knows how many Twitter followers I have. It’s contradictory.

"It’s that Iowa Community College education."

Still, that doesn’t sway Cormier’s opinion of Jon Jones as an opponent.

"I only praise his fighting ability and the things he’s accomplished," Cormier said. "The other things, that’s a little childish."

There had been a lot of talk that Cormier would make his final decision on a move to light heavyweight based on the result of the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight on Oct. 19 in Houston, the main event on the show Cormier faces Nelson on.

Cormier said he was confident he was going to then get the fight, but isn’t as sure today.

"I was pretty confident until they said if Glover Teixeira wins, he gets the title shot, so now I’m not so confident. I said I was going to ask. How many times do we get told , `No?’ If I ask and they say, `No,’ it’s no skin off my back. What’s the harm in asking? Then I can start training for a championship fight."

Dos Santos has said that Cormier won’t be moving down, because he was going to beat Velasquez, and Cormier was going to be his next opponent.

Cormier, who said Velasquez wasn’t losing that fight, said the decision has not only been made, but he’s even established a web site to promote his dropping weight, and have MMA fans drop weight along with him.

"I’m going down to 205 regardless," he said. "Not only do I want to go down and fight, but I want to live healthier. I’ve got kids. I’m just thinking about the future."

He noted that 11 weeks out from facing Nelson, he’s at 230 or 231 pounds, and he hasn’t even started his serious training camp.

He pointed to following in the footsteps of Mark Munoz, who got serious about dieting and exercise, and came out in his career best condition in his recent win over Tim Boetsch. Cormier said he’s not worried about his weight for the Nelson fight, facing a heavyweight who usually comes in around 260 pounds.

"I’m going to weigh what I weigh," he said crediting GetfitwithDanielCormier.com. "If I weigh 220, I weigh 220. If I weigh 225, I weigh 225. If I weigh 230, I weigh 230. I’m going to get up in the ring, be healthier, work hard. I have my eye on the division I want to be at, but I’ve got a tough SOB I need to be prepared for."

Nelson has insulted Cormier some as well, even throwing out a reference to a 70's term of Uncle Tom, when Cormier joked that he’d beat up Roy for Dana White.

"I would have been offended for any of my friends if something racist or racial was sad at one of my Asian friends or Spanish friends," Cormier said. "I’d have been offended. In a general sense, it’s a little disappointing. But it wasn’t a big deal. It fueled the fire. Roy and I seem like a soap opera, a daytime soap opera. I actually respect Roy Nelson. He’s real quick-witted. He always comes back with snappy comebacks. I don’t mind that. I think Roy is a smart guy, as for that deal, nothing that he said really pisses me off."

Still, Cormier admitted he wasn’t thrilled when Nelson claimed that he turned down a right with him.

"My hand was jacked up after the Mir fight," he said about the offer for a fight on June 15 in Winnipeg, the night that Stipe Miocic ended up beating Nelson, who took the fight on short notice.

"Now I get the real Roy Nelson, not the Roy Nelson who took the fight on short notice, because Roy is usually in pretty good shape," Cormier said. "He doesn’t gas."

Cormier called Nelson the most dangerous opponent he’s ever faced.

"Even though it may seem like I’m looking at Jon and the belt, I’m really looking at the belt, not even really Jon. But Roy Nelson is the most dangerous guy I’ve ever fought. He can knock me out with one punch," Cormier said.

An interesting aspect of the fight is that one of Cormier’s best friends, King Mo Lawal, who he’s known for 18 years, is in Nelson’s camp.

"I haven’t spoken to Mo about that," he said. "I think it would be unfair for me to ask him to change his training situation.

"We’ve known each other since 1995, in college," he said." We’ve been through a lot together. When I heard about my daughter getting killed in 2003, Mo was at my house for a barbecue. He’s loyal to a fault. Maybe he wouldn’t want to do it (help Nelson for the fight). I’m not sure. If I know Mo, I’m pretty sure he’ll try and distance himself in the whole situation."

Source: MMA Fighting

Urijah Faber: Despite unknown status, Yuri Alcantara 'deserves to fight me'
by Mike Bohn

urijah-faber-36.JPGAt one point or another in every fighter's career, they are paired up against a lesser known opponent where they have much more to lose than to gain.

In the case of UFC bantamweight contender Urijah Faber (28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), that's the exact situation he finds himself in against unheralded Brazilian Yuri Alcantara (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 26, which goes down Aug. 17 at Boston's TD Garden.

Currently ranked among the top 135-pound fighters in the world, Faber is on the cusp of a title shot after back-to-back submissions of Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen in February and April of this year.

With an impressive resume under his belt, one would think "The California Kid" had intentions of facing the highest profile opponents possible in order to move up the ladder. Instead, Faber took a fight against someone looking to take what he's got and doesn't offer much in return.

People may wonder why Faber would accept a matchup against an opponent ranked outside the top-10 and with only one career victory in the weight class, but that's not a thought that crosses his mind.

"His record, first off, is better than mine," Faber said of Alcantara on MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "(His record is) 28-4, he's fought in higher weight classes: '55, '45, two dominate fights at 135. I'm honored to fight guys like this."

Although Alcantara has graced the octagon four times to date, all of his fights have taken place in his native Brazil, and he has yet to have the chance to compete on American soil or be exposed to the type of attention Faber has been the recipient of for years.

That means a majority of casual UFC fans are unaware of exactly who the 33-year-old is and what kind of skills he brings to the table.

Casual fans may not know how dangerous "Marajo" is, but Faber has been paying close attention. And whether or not he carries a big name, the former WEC champion knows that skill-for-skill Alcantara belongs in the cage with him.

"I do wish that he had more recognition, but you can't knock the guy for his accomplishments and be like, 'Oh he doesn't deserve to fight me,'" Faber explained. "Heck yeah he deserves to fight me, and I deserve to fight him. This is top guys in the world and I love fights like this."

While Faber can give Alcantara all the credit in the world to legitimize him as a worthy opponent, what matters more than anything is how the contest will play out on fight night. Most will expect the Team Alpha Male producet to wipe the floor with his unknown opponent, meaning anything less than a flawless performance could hinder Faber's stock rather than help it.

With that thought in mind, Faber plans to push the pace from start to finish and either upstage his foe for every minute of every round or look for his third consecutive stoppage victory.

"My theory is try to win the whole fight," Faber said. "Whatever it takes to win every minute of every fight, each part of the fight's important. I always like to go for the finish, so I'm looking for the big shots, I'm looking for the submissions, I'm looking for the opportunity to put this guy away."

Having his hand raised would mark Faber's first three-fight win-streak since 2007. With a 6-0 record in his past six non-title fights and an 0-5 record in his past five championship fights, he is looking to get a streak going that would earn him yet another shot at a UFC belt.

While some may think he doesn't have what it takes to become a world champion anymore, Faber is aware of how long he has been an elite competitor and doesn't plan on letting his success fade before a belt is wrapped around his waist.

But he also knows that plan won't be possible unless he gets past Alcantara.

"I think there's no secret that I'm one of the top guys in the world," Faber said of earning another championship fight. "I have been for the last 10 years, and I'm going to continue to be. (I'm going to) get that belt and continue to build my brand and make my name."

Source: MMA Junkie

Jeremy Stephens vs. Rony Jason Agreed to for Unnanounced UFC Fight Night in Brazil

Jeremy Stephens will square off with Rony Jason at an as yet unannounced UFC Fight Night event expected for Oct. 9 in Brazil.

MMAWeekly.com sources indicated that verbal agreements are in place for the bout.

Stephens (21-9) staved off a pink slip, bouncing back from three consecutive losses, by dropping down to the featherweight division. He won his 145-pound debut by defeating Estevan Payan by unanimous decision at UFC 160 in May.

Stephens had spent the previous five years of his UFC tenure bouncing back and forth between wins and losses. He hopes to find new life at featherweight, but faces a difficult next step.

Jason (13-3) lived up to expectations when he beat Godofredo Castro at UFC 147 last year to capture the featherweight title on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil.

He has since won back-to-back bouts with victories of Sam Sicilia and Mike Wilkinson.

Source: MMA Weekly

8/8/13

UFC Champ Ronda Rousey in Negotiations to Follow Up Expendables 3 with Fast & Furious 7

When UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey goes after something, she goes full steam ahead.

On the heels of Sylvester Stallone’s announcement that Rousey would join the cast of Expendables 3, Hollywood trade publication Variety reports that the champ is in heavy negotiations to follow-up Expendables 3 with a role in Fast & Furious 7.

If the deal gets finalized, Rousey would line up alongside Fast & Furious stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker for the movie’s seventh iteration. The most recent edition of the franchise, Fast & Furious 6, has been wildly successful, racking up box office receipts of more than $770 million worldwide.

Shooting for both Expendables 3 and Fast & Furious 7 would take place this fall and wrap before Rousey’s fight camp for her rematch with Miesha Tate at UFC 168 on Dec. 28. Rousey would also continue to train while on-location for both films.

Rousey and Tate coach opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, the eighteenth season of the reality series. The TUF 18 premiere is set for Sept. 4 on the new Fox Sports 1 network, which launches next week.

Source: MMA Weekly

SHERDOG.COM’S POUND-FOR-POUND TOP 10

If there was any question as to whether Demetrious Johnson belonged among the sport’s pound-for-pound best, “Mighty Mouse” answered those doubts in convincing fashion in his second flyweight title defense at UFC on Fox 8. Facing heavy criticism for not finishing fights, the AMC Pankration product chose to go for broke against John Moraga, submitting the challenger with an armbar late in the fifth round.

Johnson’s ascent from quality bantamweight to world’s best flyweight is well-deserved, as his resume includes triumphs over the three men -- Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson -- ranked just below him. In a still-shallow division, rematches with at least one, if not more, of the aforementioned contenders seem likely, but the lightning-quick Johnson has already proven he is a hard target to pin down.

Meanwhile, featherweight titlist Jose Aldo won his 16th straight fight at UFC 163, scoring a fourth-round technical knockout victory against Chan Sung Jung. It was not the most dominant of Aldo’s five title defenses in the UFC, but the Brazilian showed he is a versatile fighter by relying on his takedowns after injuring his foot early in the bout. The Nova Uniao product figures to face another strong contender in his next outing, as the likes of Ricardo Lamas, Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar (again) await.

1. Jon Jones (18-1)

Facing an undersized opponent he was expected to handle with ease, Jones still impressed in his April 27 demolition of Chael Sonnen. The first-round TKO tied “Bones” with Tito Ortiz for a record fifth defense of the UFC light heavyweight title and, more importantly, paved the way for even bigger and more competitive bouts. When the 26-year-old mends from a nasty toe injury, he will face Swedish “Mauler” Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165 on Sept. 21.

2. Georges St. Pierre (24-2)

St. Pierre kept his chokehold on the 170-pound class by dominating Nick Diaz in a five-round rout at UFC 158, adding the brash Californian to a list of victims which includes Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Matt Hughes. Still only four months removed from an 18-month hiatus due to ACL reconstruction, GSP said after the bout that he was looking to take a break. When he returns at November’s UFC 167, St. Pierre will have to deal with another tough challenger in Johny Hendricks.

3. Jose Aldo (23-1)

The featherweight division’s Brazilian ace was not at his leg-kicking best at UFC 163, thanks to a foot injury sustained early in the bout; but, as champions do, Aldo found a way to win. When challenger Chan Sung Jung separated his shoulder in the fourth round, Aldo pounced on his wounded foe and pounded out his fifth consecutive title defense. While the Nova Uniao fighter continues to discuss a potential move up to lightweight, there are plenty of 145-pound challengers hungry for a shot, including Ricardo Lamas and Chad Mendes.

4. Anderson Silva (33-5)

For the first time in 17 UFC appearances, Silva’s night ended without his hand being raised at UFC 162. After taunting, baiting and clowning Chris Weidman for little more than a round, the Brazilian met his demise when the challenger connected with a left hook and follow-up punches to put a shocking and abrupt end to Silva’s championship reign 1:18 into round two. Until he steps into the Octagon again, the debate will rage on as to why “The Spider” suffered the first loss of his UFC career. Was it his apparent disregard for Weidman’s skills or was it something deeper, such as a waning motivation to compete? Silva took UFC President Dana White up on his offer of an immediate rematch and will try to take back his belt at UFC 168 in December.

5. Benson Henderson (19-2)

After a dominant victory over Nate Diaz in December, “Smooth” returned to his habit of winning closely contested decisions at UFC on Fox 7. Paired with former Strikeforce titlist Gilbert Melendez, Henderson held off his foe to earn a razor-thin split verdict. There will be no immediate rematch for “El Nino,” however, as Henderson will next defend his crown against Anthony Pettis at UFC 164. While Henderson has yet to finish an opponent in seven Octagon appearances, his resume -- which also includes wins over Frankie Edgar (twice), Jim Miller and Clay Guida -- remains one of the strongest in the sport today.

6. Cain Velasquez (12-1)

Velasquez celebrated Memorial Day in Las Vegas with his first successful defense of the UFC heavyweight strap. The sport’s top big man steamrolled Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 160, setting up an October rubber match with Junior dos Santos, whom Velasquez dominated across five rounds in December to take back the belt. Dos Santos remains the only blemish on Velasquez’s record, which includes first-round finishes of Silva (twice), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Brock Lesnar.

7. Chris Weidman (10-0)

For months, Weidman claimed he was the man to dethrone reigning middleweight champion and pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva. In the UFC 162 main event, he backed up his talk, knocking out the Brazilian a little more than a minute into the second frame. The Serra-Longo Fight Team member has demonstrated rapid progression in each fight, and his blend of wrestling, jiu-jitsu and constantly improving standup makes him a formidable obstacle for any potential challenger. Weidman will attempt to repeat his feat and prove that his win over Silva was no fluke when they rematch on Dec. 28.

8. Gilbert Melendez (21-3)

At UFC on Fox 7, Melendez proved he belonged among the divisional and pound-for-pound elite by giving reigning UFC 155-pound champion Benson Henderson all he could handle in the headliner. It was not enough to get the nod from two of the three cageside judges, however, as the Skrap Pack member’s pace slowed slightly down the stretch en route to losing a controversial split decision. The narrow nature of the defeat means “El Nino” will not be too far removed from title consideration. First, he will have to go through Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 in October.

9. Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1)

There is “Mighty Mouse,” and then there is the rest of the flyweight division. The UFC’s littlest champ used his unparalleled speed and potent ground game to place challenger John Moraga firmly in the latter camp on July 27, when Johnson scored his long-desired first finish in the Octagon via fifth-round armbar. With wins over Joseph Benavidez, Ian McCall and John Dodson, Johnson’s only problem now is finding a suitable challenger. One could emerge from Benavidez’s Sept. 4 meeting with Jussier da Silva, but in the meantime, Johnson has been discussing the possibility of moving up the scale for a super fight.

10. Renan Barao (30-1)

Barao successfully defended the UFC interim bantamweight strap against 22-year-old prospect Michael McDonald at UFC on Fuel TV 7 in February. With a resume that includes triumphs over Brad Pickett, Scott Jorgensen, Urijah Faber and the aforementioned “Mayday,” Barao has earned his place atop the division, even if his title comes with a “temporary” label. A second title defense against Eddie Wineland at UFC 161 fell through when the Brazilian suffered a foot injury; the bout has been rebooked for UFC 165 on Sept. 21.

Source: Sherdog

Andrei Arlovski replaces injured Anthony Johnson against Mike Kyle at WSOF 5
By Ariel Helwani

The injury bug has hit World Series of Fighting.

WSOF 5 headliner Anthony Johnson has pulled out of his Sept. 14 fight against Mike Kyle (20-9-1, 2 NC) due to an injury suffered in training. As a result, Andrei Arlovski (19-10, 1 NC) has agreed to replace "Rumble" against Kyle in Atlantic City, N.J. The fight will now be contested at heavyweight.

Ali Abdel-Aziz, WSOF executive vice president and matchmaker, confirmed the news with MMAFighting.com on Thursday.

Interestingly enough, it was Johnson who last defeated Arlovski via unanimous decision in March at WSOF 2. The loss snapped Arlovski's five-fight unbeaten streak, and he hasn't fought since then.

After flirting with retirement following a January loss to Gegard Mousasi, Kyle knocked out Travis Wiuff in 21 seconds in May.

WSOF 5 will take place at the Revel Resort & Casino. The event, which will air on NBC Sports Network, will also feature the semi-finals of the promotion's first middleweight tournament.

WSOF's next event, headlined by Tyrone Spong vs. Angel DeAnda, takes place Saturday night in Ontario, Calif.

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC's Mousasi tells Belfort to 'do his job,' offers to fight at multiple weights
by John Morgan

Gegard Mousasi (34-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) believes a matchup with Vitor Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC) is the next logical step in his UFC career. And he says if "The Phenom" isn't willing to take the fight at 185 pounds, then he can pick the weight where he feels most comfortable – just as long as he takes the fight.

"I will make this easy on Vitor," Mousasi told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If he is going to continue to make conditions on who he will fight, I will face Vitor at a catchweight or at light heavyweight.

"At the end of the day, I want to fight the best guys for the title. I don't turn down fights."

Mousasi, who made his UFC debut this past April, is a former Strikeforce and DREAM champion. He was scheduled to face top light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson at April's UFC on FUEL TV 9 event but wound up meeting Ilir Latifi, instead, when "The Mauler" was ruled out with a cut over his eye.

Mousasi, who was secretly battling through a knee injury in the contest, earned a unanimous-decision victory and then had the joint surgically corrected. The 28-year-old said his healing process is going well, and he's looking to get back to action around December or January.

"It is going very well," Mousasi said. "The doctor told me I will be back at 100 percent soon. The time off, however, is making me very hungry to compete and come back. I am trying to use this as motivation."

Prior to the surgery, Mousasi announced his intentions to drop from light heavyweight down to the middleweight division. With his knee healing, Mousasi is looking to book his next contest, and with just one loss in the past seven years – a span of some 23 fights – he believes he's deserving of a No. 1 contender matchup. In Mousasi's eyes, that means a fight with Belfort, who would certainly be fighting for the UFC's middleweight belt were it not for the pending rematch between champ Chris Weidman and former title holder Anderson Silva.

Unfortunately for Mousasi, Belfort has stated he isn't interested in Mousasi and is instead looking for matchups outside the middleweight division while he waits for a shot at the 185-pound title.

Mousasi doesn't understand the logic.

"Vitor is a fighter, and he is not getting any younger," Mousasi said. "He gets paid to fight. He should get in there and do his job with or without the belt. That is his job, and he should not be making such conditions because he is only losing time and opportunity.

"I only want to fight guys that want to fight me and are willing to challenge themselves in the process. If Vitor will do his job, then I will gladly face him at 185 pounds, 195 pounds or 205 pounds. I know both the fans and the UFC want this fight badly. If Vitor does not want to fight, then give me any No. 1 contender in the middleweight division."

Whether or not Belfort will ultimately relent remains to be seen. But Mousasi said he's steadfast on securing an opportunity to earn himself a shot at the UFC's middleweight belt. And if Belfort has that same goal, Mousasi thinks he should be willing to step up and prove his worth.

"I want to have a title shot, and whoever is in front of the line is the person I expect to challenge," Mousasi said. "I have been fighting for a very long time, and my professional record speaks for itself. I believe I deserve a title shot based on what I have accomplished. I have seen fighters that have done less and have received a title shot. So I feel that I am in the mix.

"I want to thank the fans, my sponsor Venum, and the UFC for believing in me. I am very excited to make my return to the octagon in a few months. I am ready to challenge the champion, and make a great show for the fans."

Source: MMA Junkie

Bellator Inks Three of Rampage Jackson’s Wolfslair Teammates for Season 9

Press Release

On the heels of MMA icon and Wolfslair alum Quinton “Rampage” Jackson joining Bellator, the promotion announced Wednesday the signing of Gavin Sterritt, Peter Graham, and Linton “The Swarm” Vassell from the preferred UK agents Wolfslair team (www.wolfsagency.com). All three Wolfslair products will compete for Bellator during the promotions ninth season live on Spike and Spike.com.

“Wolfslair has produced some of the best talent in MMA over the last 10 years, and as Bellator continues expanding internationally and particularly with our huge new TV partnership with Viva in the UK, Wolfslair will be a tremendous asset and partner for our brand in the future,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said.

Sterritt will look to make is mark in Bellator’s Welterweight division and carries an impressive 6-1 record. The submission ace is the current holder of the UCC British Welterweight Championship and the ISKA British Welterweight Championship. Sterrit will make his Bellator debut on September 13th from Southern California’s Pechanga Resort and Casino when he faces the undefeated Andy Murad.

Graham joins Bellator with an eight-fight win streak in hand, all coming by knockout. Graham is a two-time NSW Heavyweight Champion in Australia, was named the ISKA Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion and the Draka Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, along with a long career fighting for K-1 during his illustrious kickboxing career.

Known for a strong wrestling background, UK Light Heavyweight Champion Linton “The Swarm” Vassell has a professional record of 11-3-1. Vassell was a late starter, only beginning to train MMA at 23. Now a seven-year veteran to the sport, Vassell will step into the Bellator cage and make his US debut November 8th from Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla.

Source: MMA Weekly

Andrei Arlovski replaces injured Anthony Johnson against Mike Kyle at WSOF 5
By Ariel Helwani

The injury bug has hit World Series of Fighting.

WSOF 5 headliner Anthony Johnson has pulled out of his Sept. 14 fight against Mike Kyle (20-9-1, 2 NC) due to an injury suffered in training. As a result, Andrei Arlovski (19-10, 1 NC) has agreed to replace "Rumble" against Kyle in Atlantic City, N.J. The fight will now be contested at heavyweight.

Ali Abdel-Aziz, WSOF executive vice president and matchmaker, confirmed the news with MMAFighting.com on Thursday.

Interestingly enough, it was Johnson who last defeated Arlovski via unanimous decision in March at WSOF 2. The loss snapped Arlovski's five-fight unbeaten streak, and he hasn't fought since then.

After flirting with retirement following a January loss to Gegard Mousasi, Kyle knocked out Travis Wiuff in 21 seconds in May.

WSOF 5 will take place at the Revel Resort & Casino. The event, which will air on NBC Sports Network, will also feature the semi-finals of the promotion's first middleweight tournament.

WSOF's next event, headlined by Tyrone Spong vs. Angel DeAnda, takes place Saturday night in Ontario, Calif.

Source: MMA Fighting

For UFC Fight Night 26's Matt Brown, when the phone rings, there's no discussion
by John Morgan

Matt Brown thought for sure there would be time to relax. After all, with Jordan Mein in the rear-view mirror, certainly he could expect a short break. Then the phone rang.

"They called me to fight Thiago (Alves) less than a week after my last fight," Brown told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "They were already ready to do it."

Brown did what he always does. He said yes. After all, when you compete in the world's biggest MMA promotion, you'd better be ready to go on a moment's notice. A few weeks later, the phone rang again.

"When [Alves] got hurt, they just called me and said, 'You're fighting Mike Pyle,'" Brown recalled. "That's pretty much all it was. They didn't really give me much of a choice."

And so it is for Brown, the 32-year-old Ohio native who has quietly pieced together a 6-1 mark in his past seven appearances. A cast member of 2008's "The Ultimate Fighter 7," Brown started quick in the UFC with a 4-1 octagon mark in his first five official appearances. But a 1-4 run left him just one fight above .500 for his career, and his UFC future looked anything but certain.

Now things are completely different, and Brown is one of the hottest fighters in the UFC's welterweight division. He returns to action at next week's UFC Fight Night 26 event, which takes place at Boston's TD Garden and airs on the soon-to-launch FOX Sports 1 channel.

In Pyle (25-8-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Brown (17-11 MMA, 10-5 UFC) faces another 170-pounder on an impressive run with seven wins in his past eight appearances. Further complicating the issue for Brown, he's spent plenty of time training with Pyle during previous trips to Las Vegas, and facing such a familiar foe didn't work out so great for him the first time around.

"The only time I've ever fought somebody that I've trained with before was Amir Sadollah when we fought on the show, and I didn't really feel 100 percent comfortable in that fight because of that," Brown said. "But I can tell you that the fact that I've been through that experience once before, I think it will help me handle it a little better the second time around."

If he's right, Brown could be in line for a bigger fight than ever seemed possible as recently as just two years ago. Just how big remains to be seen, but Brown said his sights are set firmly on the top, no matter how humbly he may go about his job.

"I understand my division is very stacked, and the fact is there are guys that are probably still ahead of me, even after beating Pyle," Brown said. "But of course, the whole goal is to be the champion, so I'm going to do everything I can to get it. But I'm not really one to go out there and beg for things. I want to earn everything that I get, and I wan to fight for what I deserve, you know?"

And for Brown, that means always answering the phone.

"It is what it is," Brown said. "It's what I signed up for, to fight, so why would I turn down a fight when I signed up to fight?"

Source: MMA Junkie

UFC 166 UPDATE: CHARLES OLIVEIRA MEETS ESTEVAN PAYAN IN FEATHERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
BY TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

After coming up short in a “Fight of the NIght” winning performance against Frankie Edgar in the UFC 162 co-headliner, Charles Oliveira will attempt to get back in the win column against Estevan Payan.

Promotion officials announced on Thursday that the featherweight pairing will go down at UFC 166. The Oct. 19 card, which takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston, features a heavyweight title tilt between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

A former lightweight, Oliveira has lost his last two bouts at 145 pounds, falling to Cub Swanson via first-round knockout at UFC 152 before dropping a unanimous verdict to Edgar in July. “Do Bronx” defeated Eric Wisely and Jonathan Brookins in his first two featherweight appearances.

A two-time Strikeforce veteran, Payan lost to Jeremy Stephens in his Octagon debut, losing a bloody unanimous decision at UFC 160. That setback ended an eight-fight unbeaten streak for the Arizona Combat Sports product.

Source: Sherdog

Alistair Overeem Believes His Experience Will Be Key Against Travis Browne at UFC on Fox Sports 1
by Jeff Cain

UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem believes his experience is going to play a significant role in his UFC on Fox Sports 1 co-main event bout with Travis Browne on Aug. 17.

Overeem (36-12, 1 no contest) will be looking to strike with Browne (14-1-1), but is prepared for wherever the fight takes place.

“I’m a striker and I’m looking for that striking game. I also have a submission game and I also have some wrestling. I’m all around. I think I’m especially going to beat him in the experience. I have so many more fights than he has. He’s very aggressive, but my experience is going to be the turning point,” said Overeem on UFC Tonight.

Overeem has been in position to fight for the heavyweight title twice since debuting in the UFC. He earned a title shot by defeating former champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. He was scheduled to face then-champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, but failed a pre-licensing drug test for the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He was denied a license and was unable to re-apply for nine months.

At the end of the nine-month period, he was granted a license and faced Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156 in a top contender bout. He was defeated by knockout in the third round.

“What happen was he knocked me out cold. I think there was a little bit of an under-estimation. He’s a dangerous guy. He has heavy bones. That was a costly price to pay,” he said about the loss. “In the meantime, I’ve learned all the lessons I could have. I took some time off to overthink everything that wasn’t right. In my own way I’ve been fixing everything. I’ve been in camp for four months and I feel great. I look forward to fighting again.”

It’s unclear whether a win over Browne will earn him a title shot, but winning the title is Overeem’s ultimate goal.

“That’s for the gentleman upstairs to decide,” he said when asked about getting a title shot. “My goal is the UFC belt. That would crown my career. So I’m just going to give it all I have.”

Source: MMA Weekly

8/7/13

The Quest for Champions 2013 Tournament
Pearl City High School Gym
September 7, 2013

Featuring Sport Pankration, Submission Grappling, Continuous Sparring

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING 4 PREVIEW
BY TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

The World Series of Fighting’s fourth event will offer an eclectic array of matchups to fans on Saturday at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. The main card includes potential superstars (Tyrone Spong), blossoming prospects (Marlon Moraes), familiar faces from other promotions (Tyson Griffin, Gesias Cavalcante), inspirational stories (Nick Newell) and finally, none other than WSOF President Ray Sefo.

The five-bout main draw airs on the NBC Sports Network, while the prelims stream live and free on Sherdog.com. While lacking in sheer star power, the show has a little something for everyone.

Here is a closer look at the WSOF 4 bill, with analysis and picks:

Light Heavyweights

Tyrone Spong (1-0, 1-0 WSOF) vs. Angel DeAnda (11-2, 0-0 WSOF)

DeAnda has won 10 of 11.
The Matchup: Visa issues forced Spong out of a potential meeting with DeAnda at WSOF 3, but the man known as “King of the Ring” has remained active in the combat sports realm since stopping Travis Bartlett in his mixed martial arts debut. Most recently, Spong defeated three high-level kickboxers -- Michael Duut, Filip Verlinden and Danyo Ilunga -- in one night to win the Glory 9 tournament and a $200,000 purse in June. Even more impressive was the fact that Spong survived adversity against Duut, rallying for victory after being dropped in the bout’s opening 15 seconds.

Spong has also hinted at pursuing bouts in professional boxing later in 2013, so it is unclear how consistent his MMA endeavors will be. Whenever he is in the cage, his standup proficiency will be nearly unparalleled. His debut against Bartlett had the feel of a glorified exhibition, as Spong unloaded seemingly at will against his overmatched opponent. The Blackzilians member dropped Bartlett early with a head kick, and with his man seemingly content to stand with his back against the cage for much of the encounter, Spong was free to tee off with punches and kicks to the head, legs and body. A devastating straight right hand mercifully brought an end to the fight before the first round expired.

At the very least, DeAnda represents a step up in competition, though how much remains to be seen. Unlike Bartlett, the Tachi Palace Fights light heavyweight champion has displayed good lateral movement and is fairly adept at slipping and countering his opponents. However, what worked at TPF 15 against Anthony Ruiz, who was largely predictable in his attacks, is not going to be nearly as effective against Spong. In capturing TPF gold, DeAnda showed a penchant for power punches, and he did much of his best work by unloading with uppercuts and hooks in close quarters.

At 5-foot-8, DeAnda is short for a light heavyweight, but he compensates with consistent head movement, which allows him to get inside against taller foes. Unfortunately, Spong’s diverse arsenal of punches and kicks could make DeAnda’s capable boxing look rather pedestrian by comparison.

If DeAnda sees the opportunity to shoot for a takedown, he should do so, because taking the Suriname-born Dutchman out of his element is his best chance to spring an upset. Getting within takedown range will be the true challenge.

The Pick: Even if DeAnda gets in his licks, he will expend a fair amount of energy in the process. As hands get lower and movement slows, Spong will have plenty of opportunity to capitalize, winning by knockout or technical knockout in round two.

Bantamweights

Marlon Moraes (10-4-1, 2-0 WSOF) vs. Brandon Hempleman (9-1, 0-0 WSOF)

The Matchup: With victories over Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam in his first two WSOF appearances, Moraes has established himself as one of the promotion’s brightest young stars. Now the 25-year-old moves into the role of the hunted, as he squares off with a relative unknown in Hempleman.

A Team Sklavos product, Hempleman grew up training gymnastics before transitioning to mixed martial arts in his teenage years. That background becomes evident through his balance and movement inside the cage. In his last outing, Hempleman defeated Paul McVeigh at a 130-pound catchweight in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 50 main event, maintaining a steady pace throughout while landing kicks to the legs and punching combinations to the head. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Hempleman has yet to demonstrate any real power; only one of his nine career triumphs has come via knockout.

Hempleman will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to implement a similar game plan against Moraes, a Brazilian muay Thai world champion. Moraes probably has the more diverse striking arsenal; he utilizes a variety of kicks -- it was a head kick that initially floored Nam -- and he is adept at working the body, as well.

Hempleman did a good job staying out of range of McVeigh’s strikes, but Moraes can be an aggressive starter who will look to force the tempo in the early going. He has good finishing instincts and will land in flurries if he senses an opponent is hurt. The Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu representative has a competent submission game of his own and will not be overwhelmed if the fight goes to the ground. Additionally, Moraes can use his jab to set up takedown attempts to keep his adversary guessing.

The Pick: Moraes has already begun to prove himself against more talented competition, and he will be able to move forward consistently against Hempleman without fear of being rocked. Moraes wins by decision.

Heavyweights

Ray Sefo (2-1, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Dave Huckaba (20-5, 0-0 WSOF)

The Matchup: Sefo temporarily steps aside from his duties as WSOF president to take his first MMA bout in more than two years. In his last appearance, he was submitted inside of a round by Valentijn Overeem at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Silva.” As expected, the K-1 veteran handled himself nicely on the feet, landing lead left hooks, jabs, overhand rights and leg kicks against his opponent before Overeem took him down. From there, Sefo surrendered position easily and tapped to a neck crank in just 97 seconds. Sefo’s only other Strikeforce appearance saw the New Zealand native mounted by journeyman Kevin Jordan in the opening round. Jordan eventually lost after suffering a knee injury in the second frame.

Fortunately for “Sugarfoot,” the gaping hole in his game might not be so easily exposed by Huckaba. With 16 knockout or technical knockout triumphs among his 20 victories, Huckaba is known for his heavy hands. “Bad Man” also likes to get his work done quickly: only two of his 25 professional fights have gone the distance. The former Gladiator Challenge champion is big, strong and capable of ending a bout at a moment’s notice, and his greatest weakness -- takedown defense -- is not going to be tested.

While Huckaba certainly has some pop in his hands, he is not on the Sefo’s level when it comes to overall striking skill. “Bad Man” will throw power punches and the occasional kick, but he lacks the diversity to seriously threaten the WSOF boss. Huckaba also holds his hands low, which could leave him vulnerable to a well-placed head kick.

Even with all that in mind, Huckaba is far more active and experienced in this realm than Sefo. If he can land a takedown at some point, he is capable of passing Sefo’s guard and doing damage with heavy ground-and-pound. However, closing the distance on Sefo still remains a risky proposition.

The Pick: Sefo finds an opportunity to counter Huckaba for a knockout in round one.

Lightweights

Nick Newell (9-0, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Keon Caldwell (9-1,0-0 WSOF)

The Matchup: Newell’s story is remarkable. A congenital amputee born without most of his left arm below the elbow, he has yet to be defeated in professional mixed martial arts competition. The former collegiate wrestler made his mark with the Florida-based Xtreme Fighting Championships promotion, where he captured the vacant lightweight title with a first-round submission of Bellator MMA veteran Eric Reynolds in December; and for whatever it is worth, Newell made shorter work of Reynolds than Eddie Alvarez or Jorge Masvidal did while in Bellator.

Thus far, Newell has been able to overcome his perceived disadvantage, imposing his will quickly and finishing all but one of his opponents inside of a round. The American Top Team-based fighter takes an aggressive approach from his southpaw stance, and he has also shown an ability to land damaging knees in close quarters. “Notorious” is at his best once he can force his opponent into his world. To set up his finish of Reynolds, Newell executed a beautiful belly-to-back suplex and then moved to his foe’s back to deftly secure a fight-ending rear-naked choke, his third such victory by that maneuver. In grappling exchanges, it even appears that Newell’s shorter limb makes it difficult for foes to establish hand control while he is hunting for chokes.

Caldwell, meanwhile, is probably best known for an abbreviated stint on Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where the Georgia native exited the show early in order to be with his daughter, who was hospitalized with an illness. “The Black Assassin” has not fought in more than two years, but at 23 years old, he is still young enough to have plenty of room for growth. Caldwell has finished all nine of his victories, including eight by knockout. A former welterweight, the Team Reality representative is the taller and larger fighter, but he will have to sprawl successfully if he is to seriously test Newell’s striking defense.

The Pick: Newell does not waste time in the cage, so Caldwell will not have much of an opportunity to shake off any ring rust from his layoff. Newell wins by first-round submission.

Lightweights

Tyson Griffin (16-6, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Gesias Cavalcante (17-7-1, 1-1 WSOF)

The Matchup: Once a rising talent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division, Griffin makes his WSOF debut having lost four of his last six fights. The Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts product was victorious in his first foray outside the Octagon, taking a unanimous verdict against fellow UFC veteran Efrain Escudero at a Resurrection Fighting Alliance show in November. Although it seems like Griffin has been around forever, he is still just 29 years old -- plenty young enough to continue his resurgence.

Cavalcante, meanwhile, was stopped for the second time in three fights at WSOF 2, where Justin Gaethje opened a deep cut on the Brazilian’s forehead in the opening frame. Like Griffin, “JZ” was once a highly regarded lightweight, but he has not won consecutive fights since 2007. Once upon a time, Cavalcante could rely on sheer athleticism to overwhelm his adversaries, but time and injuries have robbed him of some of that explosiveness. Still, the Blackzilians member transitions well between striking and submissions, and he has enough knockout ability to threaten Griffin, who has proven vulnerable to power punches in recent losses to Takanori Gomi and Bart Palaszewski.

Griffin remains a well-rounded competitor, good at trading on the feet and battling for position through transitions and scrambles on the canvas. At his best, Griffin is a fundamentally sound boxer who does good work in close quarters. He also possesses heavy leg kicks, though those could leave him open to counters from Cavalcante.

If Griffin blends his striking and takedowns effectively, he should be able to wear down Cavalcante over the second half of the fight. Solid submission defense will allow Griffin to take chances in battles for position on the mat, although he is not especially prolific at landing offense from top position.

The Pick: Despite his recent rough stretch, Cavalcante remains a resilient competitor. However, he will eventually find his gas tank running empty against an aggressive Griffin, who outworks his opponent to earn a unanimous decision.

Welterweights

Jorge Santiago (25-11, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Gerald Harris (21-5, 0-1 WSOF): Santiago lost his fifth consecutive bout inside the Octagon in February, dropping a unanimous decision to Gunnar Nelson at UFC on Fuel TV 7. A former Sengoku champion, Santiago is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with aggressive kickboxing, but he could struggle to defend the takedowns of Harris, who lost a decision to Josh Burkman in his WSOF debut. Harris grounds Santiago repeatedly to win a decision.

Lightweights

Antonio McKee (28-5-2, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Lewis Gonzales (8-0, 0-0 WSOF): It has been a rough stretch for McKee. He was stripped of his Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight belt and later released from the promotion after missing weight for a title defense against Brian Cobb early in 2012. More recently, McKee submitted to punches from Shinya Aoki at Dream’s New Year’s Eve event. Despite those difficulties, the 43-year-old should be able to use his wrestling to take a relatively uneventful decision against Gonzales, whose reliance on top position and control in his latest triumph does not bode well for his chances here.

Light Heavyweights

Hans Stringer (21-5-2, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Lew Polley (12-4, 0-0 WSOF): A few years ago, Stringer was thought to be one of the top prospects in all of European MMA. While he has not progressed as far as the likes of Alexander Gustafsson or Gunnar Nelson, the 26-year-old Dutchman has solid skills in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay Thai -- and he has finished 17 of his 21 wins by knockout or submission. Polley, who has eight submission wins to his credit, might be best known for being kicked off the “The Ultimate Fighter 13” coaching staff by Junior dos Santos. Stringer takes this by decision or late submission.

Bantamweights

Jared Papazian (15-10, 0-0 WSOF) vs. John Robles (7-1, 0-0 WSOF): A late replacement for Joe Murphy, Papazian lost a spirited Octagon debut against Mike Easton but was released from the promotion after losses at the hands of Dustin Pague and Tim Elliott. The former King of the Cage bantamweight titlist has an aggressive standup style but was overwhelmed on the ground by Elliott in his final UFC appearance. Robles, who has earned six of his seven wins via knockout or technical knockout, could give Papazian problems with his ability to inflict damage on the ground. Robles wins by TKO in round two.

Catchweight

Isaac Gutierrez (5-3, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Victor Valenzuela (12-6-2, 0-0 WSOF): In a matchup designed to get the home folks’ attention early, a pair of Californians square off in the opening affair. On the basis of experience, give Valenzuela the nod via decision or submission.

* * *

TRACKING TRISTEN 2013

Overall Record: 136-79
Last Event (UFC 163): 7-5
Best Event (Strikeforce “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine): 9-2
Worst Event (UFC 156/UFC on Fuel TV 8): 5-6

Source: Sherdog

TUF 19 Tryouts Announced for Middleweights and Light Heavyweights in Inidanapolis

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate has yet to premiere on Fox Sports 1, but the UFC is already working on the season eighteen follow-up.

UFC officials on Wednesday announced tryouts for TUF 19 would focus on middleweight (185-pound) and light heavyweight (205-pound) fighters.

The initial tryouts will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 27, in Indianapolis, ahead of the next day’s UFC Fight Night 27: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Middleweights were most recently featured on season 17, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen, where Kelvin Gastelum emerged the winner. Light heavyweights were last featured on season 8, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir, with Ryan Bader becoming that season’s Ultimate Fighter.

The series moves to its new home on Fox Sports 1 with the two-hour season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, featuring UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and fierce rival Miesha Tate, set to air Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. ET.

TUF 19 candidates must be between 21 and 34 years old, be able to legally live and work in the United States, have a minimum of three professional MMA fights, and hold a verifiable winning record. Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/tuf19. Tryout details are provided below:

Where:
The Westin Indianapolis
50 S Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, Ind. 46204
*Tryouts will be held in the Capitol Room

When:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Registration begins at 7:00 a.m.
Tryouts begin at 9:00 a.m.

Source: MMA Weekly

Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro announces retirement from MMA
By Guilherme Cruz

One of the better lightweight fighters from the last decade won’t compete anymore in MMA.

Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, 34, announced his retirement in an interview to Tatame, and leaves the sport with a 20-5 record that includes accomplishments like winning the Cage Rage lightweight title and Shooto welterweight championship.

Ribeiro’s last win happened in 2008, when he stopped Katsuhiko Nagata at Dream 8. In his last three appearances, he suffered decision losses to Shinya Aoki, Lyle Beerbohm and Justin Wilcox.

"Yes, I stopped (fighting)," Vitor told Tatame’s Marcelo Barone. "I have so much things to do that I’d have to cancel a lot of commitments only to fight. There’s no reason why people would offer me an interesting fight with so many talents in the market today. It was great as long it lasted, but I don’t see myself fighting MMA again."

Vitor defeated the likes of Eiji Mitsuoka, Eddie Yagin, Joachim Hansen and Jean Silva in his 20 career victories. He’s happy with what he accomplished, but leaves the sport with one regret.

"I wish I had fought at Pride," he said. "At that time we tried so hard to get something there, but Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe were so strong. I was well ranked, I couldn’t understand why they never called me."

As he leaves the sport, he elects Joachim Hansen as his biggest win in MMA.

"Hansen defeated Gomi months before and was demolishing everybody," Ribeiro recalls. "He had a good hand and great Jiu-Jitsu. It was a special moment in my career, defeating him and building my history in Japan with that (Shooto) title."

A fourth-degree black belt in Jiu-Jitsu under Andre Pederneiras, "Shaolin" has won three world titles in Jiu-Jitsu and runs a gym in New York.

Source: MMA Fighting

After UFC release, Roger Gracie moving stateside, could stay at middleweight
by Steven Marrocco

Decorated submission grappler Roger Gracie (6-2) plans to move from the U.K. to the U.S. to train full-time at Blackhouse MMA in Southern California.

Gracie's manager, Ed Soares, who also runs the Blackhouse gym, said the switch will help the fighter better prepare for his bouts.

"I think he just needs more time to prepare for fights," Soares today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "In his last few fights, he hasn't been able to get a full training camp here."

Blackhouse MMA is located in Gardena, Calif., and also hosts top fighters Lyoto Machida, Glover Teixeira, Pedro Rizzo, and ex-champ Anderson Silva, who trains there when not in his native Brazil.

Following a loss earlier this month to Tim Kennedy at UFC 162, Gracie's Zuffa contract, which was carried over from the now-defunct Strikeforce, was not renewed.

Soares said the fighter has yet to receive any contract offers, but the manager doesn't seem to be in any rush.

"We're going to look around and see what other options are out there," he said.

Gracie could remain at middleweight, where he's competed since 2012, or take fights at light heavyweight, the manager added.

"He's going to try to stay at middleweight if he can, because he feels that he has a lot of advantages," said Soares.

At 6-foot-4, the submission ace towers over most of his opposition, though his biggest advantage has been exercised on the ground, where he's earned five submission victories.

Gracie won the 2005 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships in the 99kg (218 pounds) and absolute divisions and boasts a laundry list of other grappling accolades.

Prior to crossing over to the UFC, Gracie flourished in Strikeforce, where he went 4-1.

"He hasn't expressed (when he'd like to fight next)," Soares said. "I'm sure he'd like to fight by the end of the year.

Source: MMA Junkie

UFC Champ Jose Aldo Went to Hospital on Tuesday, Diagnosed with Kidney Stones (Updated)

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo emerged from Saturday’s UFC 163 headlining bout with his belt, but he was far from unscathed.

Aldo defeated Chan Sung Jung by TKO stoppage in the fourth round at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, but he fractured his foot in the process.

The fractured foot put Aldo on the sidelines with a 90-day medical suspension, but that wasn’t the only reason the champ needed medical attention following the fight.

According to a report by UOL, Aldo went to a hospital in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, on Tuesday due to a kidney problem.

Dr. Marcio Tannure, who heads the Medical Committee of the Brazilian Athletic Commission (CABMMA), told MMAFighting.com that Aldo was diagnosed with kidney stones.

A Brazilian Athletic Commission representative confirmed Aldo’s condition to MMAWeekly.com. He added that Dr. Tannure said Aldo already had a history of kidney stones and that on Wednesday he was already at home and resting.

Aldo will also have to undergo an evaluation from the Brazilian commission before he is approved to fight again, but Dr. Tannure made it sound like the kidney condition wasn’t expected to be an issue.

Source: MMA Weekly

Dan Henderson shooting for end-of-year return
By Ariel Helwani

We haven't heard the last of Dan Henderson.

Mired in a two-fight losing streak, Henderson told MMAFighting.com this week that he is hoping to return to the UFC in December.

"Don't care," he responded via text message when asked who he would like to fight next.

Henderson most recently lost to Rashad Evans via split decision at UFC 161 in June. Prior to that fight, he dropped another split decision to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 in February.

When reached, the 42-year-old Henderson said he was on a family vacation and had yet to seriously think about his return later this year.

Source: MMA Fighting

Still waiting on medical clearance, UFC champ Dominick Cruz eyes 2014 return
by John Morgan

dominick-cruz-21.jpgIt's been 22 months since UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) last fought in the octagon. While he's set a personal goal of returning in early 2014, Cruz admits it's still up to doctors to give him the green light.

"I'm just setting personal goals to be back," Cruz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm looking to be back the beginning of next year is what it's looking like from what the doctors have told me, to that's my goal. Unfortunately, the doctor hasn't even released me, so I couldn't even make a date if I wanted to.

"It's like when you got knocked out and you get put on suspension. It's the same type of deal with this injury. There's a set time and stipulation with a knee injury that I've gone through, especially doubled. So I'm just listening to the doctor so I stay back and don't just come back."

Cruz, of course, has battled through a pair of ACL surgeries over the past two years, leaving him unable to defend the UFC bantamweight title. A trilogy match with rival Urijah Faber was canceled along the way, and the promotion instituted an interim belt during Cruz's time off.

At just 28 years old, Cruz has missed a huge part of his physical prime, and he admits it's been a difficult road back to full health. But the goal-driven Cruz said he hasn't let himself sulk.

"Of course you get depressed, but I gave myself the time to be depressed, and I put a limit on it," Cruz said. "I gave myself three days after it happened, and I cried and whined and felt sorry for myself for a good three days, and I allowed myself the sorrows of losing my knee and losing my opportunities. After those three days were up though, I made a personal decision that I was done feeling sorry for myself, and I made that goal right when I hurt my knee.

"I said I'm going to give myself three days and feel sorry and sad. After that, there is no option to feel that way, and I'm just going to think positive. the only way you get back is to believe in yourself and be positive. That's the only way you get back from an injury like this."

Brazilian sensation Renan Barao claimed the interim belt in Cruz's absence, and he'll look to defend it again in September in the co-feature of UFC 165, where he meets Eddie Wineland. Should Barao win, it would be his second successful defense of the interim title, and some observers have suggested the UFC should strip Cruz of the belt to allow Barao to shed the interim tag. UFC President Dana White has thus far refused to take that step and instead stood firm behind the injured Cruz, who said it's comforting to know his employers understand his plight.

"It has to mean something to you if your bosses are saying we believe in you," Cruz said. "I think the reason why they're behind me is because they know I'm not just sitting around doing nothing. They know I'm taking every step physically possible to be back. Two months ago, if it was possible, I would have been.

"I've sat down and had meetings with them. I've looked in their eyes. They've looked in my eyes. There's an understanding of where I'm at and my goals and my focus, and they know as much as I know that my focus is to fight. I'm not an analyst first. I'm not a coach first. I'm not a teammate first. I'm a fighter first. That's what I'm in this world to do right now, I believe."

Should Cruz make it back from his injuries in time for an early 2014 appearance, it could very well be a title unification bout against the Barao vs. Wineland winner. Both fighters present legitimate challenges, especially for anyone looking to return from a two-year layoff. Some observers have suggested Cruz would be better off willingly relinquishing the belt in order to face a lesser opponent on his return.

"The Dominator" could not disagree more.

"First of all, it's silly to think that a champion would ever willingly give away the belt that he's worked for," Cruz said. "I've defended it four times – not once, not twice, not three times. Four times if you count the WEC. Not just that, but boxing is the only sport where you can get an easy fight before you fight for the title. That's the difference between boxing and mixed martial arts, and that's why mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world and not boxing.

"Anyone I fight in my division is just as threatening as Renan Barao or Eddie Wineland. It's just they may have a few less tools or a few less wins or maybe a little less focus. It's all little things here and there that can change the style and the dynamic of the fight, but the bottom line is everybody in my division is just as dangerous to me, so why would I want to take a step back? I'm in the position. I've been the champion. I want to challenge myself and fight the best in the world. Whether I've had two years off or not doesn't make any difference."

Cruz is scheduled to return to his doctor this week, and he hopes he'll be cleared to begin grappling again. Little by little, he's building himself back to full strength, and he believes he'll be able to return at the same high level that saw him rattle off 10 straight wins before suffering the injury.

"I have so much to do," Cruz said. "I'm only 28 years old, and yes this injury is very bad and I've had a couple back-to-back, but the truth is it's part of this sport, and I'm just going to have to adjust to it. Right now I'm in physical therapy and just working my leg back. Once my leg is back and I don't have to think about having my leg back and I can fight in camp, that's when I can really start thinking about how I'm going to feel when I get out there, preparing myself for the adrenaline rush when I get to walk out that tunnel and fight, getting my mind prepared for just being there again and preparing myself to the best I can. For me, I truly believe it's just going to be joy.

"I have to say thanks for all the support so far from the fans. I know it's hard to sit back and wait for me. It could be viewed that I'm sitting back doing nothing, but that's absolutely not the case. The understanding from the fans and the patience form the fans is veryu much appreciated. I can't wait to come back and put a show on for them.

Source: MMA Junkie

KNOWS NO LIMITS
BY DOUG MCKAY

Lots of kids love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but Nick Newell wanted to be one. He wanted to be one so badly, in fact, that he struck out on a road that has led him to a perfect 9-0 professional mixed martial arts record and a high-profile bout with Keon Caldwell at World Series of Fighting 4 on Saturday at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

“I’m not one to sit around and say, ‘Oh, maybe one day I’ll try something,’” Newell said in an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com. “If I decide to do something, I’m going to do it. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle. Now, I want to compete and I want to win.”

The desire to mimic ass-kicking reptiles and the love of professional wrestling motivated an adolescent Newell to join his school’s wrestling team. It was much more than the act of a typical kid summoning enough chutzpah to set aside his video games and challenge himself. Before becoming a wrestling phenom and amassing more than 300 combined victories in high school and college, before capturing the Xtreme Fighting Championships lightweight crown and before emerging as one of the hottest fighters on the World Series of Fighting roster, Newell was born with a congenital condition that caused his left arm to stop developing just below the elbow.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself or using his amputation as an excuse to not fight like one of the Ninja Turtle cartoons of his youth, Newell decided to get to work.

“It doesn’t matter if you have one hand or leg or if you have all your hands and legs,” he said. “Sometimes life’s not fair and you don’t get the same shake as everyone else. You can sit around and complain that the world owes you something, or you can go out there and work harder for the things you want to accomplish.”

This attitude has coalesced within Newell, forming a theme for the way he lives his life.

“I have a habit of leisurely getting into things and then taking it to a whole new level,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter if you have one hand or leg or if you have all your hands and legs. Sometimes life’s not fair and you don’t get the same shake as everyone else.”
-- Nick Newell, WSOF lightweight

That was how a kid who liked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and followed World Wrestling Entertainment became a teenager who joined the wrestling team; that was how that same kid started training in MMA because he enjoyed watching “The Ultimate Fighter” with his college roommate, current WWE superstar Curt Hawkins; and that was how an accomplished amateur wrestler, no longer a kid and no longer content with merely training, arrived at the decision to get out and prove he could succeed as a professional prizefighter.

“One of my training partners was going to fight,” Newell said. “I went and I saw the guys there and I thought, ‘I can beat those guys,’ and I started fighting and I started winning.”

Early on, Newell had trouble securing fights.

“On a local level, everyone wants to protect their record,” he said. “They say they can beat anyone in the world, but they don’t want to lose to a guy that has one hand.”

Newell persevered, in his typical style. The bouts grew bigger and the opponents became better, but he kept winning. He was 6-0 when he faced his toughest test to date, defeating Chris Coggins by majority decision at XFC 17 in April 2012; it remains the only fight in Newell’s professional career to last beyond the first round. Next came a first-round knockout of David Mays at XFC 19 and, in December, a first-round submission of Bellator MMA veteran Eric Reynolds at XFC 21.

These days, Newell can be found preparing for his WSOF debut in the place where he started his MMA pursuits -- the Fighting Arts Academy in Springfield, Mass., where he trains under Jeremy Libiszewski. He no longer needs to chase fights.

“I’ve got people calling me out now,” Newell said.

In the once-beaten Caldwell, he confronts an opponent who has rattled off nine wins in his first 10 bouts. The 23-year-old Georgian was a cast member on Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“It’s fun to knock people out,” Newell said, “but I’m learning a smart MMA game. I want him to always be worried about what I’m going to do. I’m going to mix it up and be unpredictable. I expect him to come out [with] guns blazing, but I’m not going to bank on anything. I’m going to come in hard, fast and ready to go.”

Newell is not particularly introspective about the road he has traveled thus far. The obstacles he has faced come with the territory, as far as he is concerned. Any increased pressure that accompanies his growing fame does little to distract him.

“The whole road is hard,” he said, “but for me, it’s not that big a deal because I know it’s what I have to do to get the job done.”

Source: Sherdog

Rampage Jackson Says There’s Always Been a Secret Rivalry with Tito Ortiz
by Jeff Cain

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz have been friends for over a decade. They’ve been training partners, and at one time, they said they would never fight each other.

Times have changed. Their friendship is intact, but the two no longer train together and are going to fight.

Ortiz and Jackson will headline Bellator MMA’s first ever pay-per-view on Nov. 2, and Jackson says there’s always been a bit of a secret rivalry between the two.

When Jackson was making his way up the ranks in Japan with the Pride organization, Ortiz was the reigning UFC 205-pound champion. The two began training together at Ortiz’ gym in California under the direction of Colin Oyama.

“I trained with Tito for years and I can tell secretly there’s been a little competition between me and Tito. I remember when I first started training with him and Ricco Rodriguez, they used to kick my ass all the time and stuff like that. They used to enjoy it,” said Jackson during a press conference on Monday.

“And then I started getting a little bit better and me and Tito started going at it a little bit harder and stuff like that. And there’s always been little times when me and Tito went at it in training. We went at it before a couple of times in training,” explained Jackson.

The two have fought countless times behind closed doors, in private, but when they face off on Nov. 2, it will not be a sparring or workout session. This time, it will be for real.

“There’s been a couple times at Big Bear and me and Tito had some battles that people would never see. And now it’s going to come out in the cage and in front of everybody,” said Jackson. “And so?, yes, it’s going to be tough fighting a good friend like Tito, but at the end of the day, I trust that Tito wants to put on a good show for the fans because that’s what he is, he’s a showman and I’m a showman.”

Source: MMA Weekly

8/3/13

For King Mo Lawal, Heading into Wednesday’s Bellator 97, “It’s About the Belt”
by Ryan McKinnell

When former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal met career journeyman Emmanuel Newton in the semifinals of the 2013 Bellator light heavyweight tournament back in February, he did so as an astonishing -1200 favorite.

On that night, however, Newton shocked the MMA universe by dispatching the former Strikeforce champion with a stunning spinning backfist knockout early in the first round.

Not only was it one of the bigger upsets in recent memory, it also marked the first promotional defeat for Bellator’s biggest free agent signing to that date.

Surprisingly, for Lawal, a former Oklahoma State All-American, the upset was much easier to deal with than one might think.

“With my amateur wrestling background, a loss is a loss,” Lawal told MMAWeekly.com. “It’s not like MMA is a greater sport than wrestling. My losses in wrestling hurt me a lot more than my losses in MMA. My MMA losses are, like, whatever. But my wrestling losses hurt more. The loss is a loss, it ain’t going to kill me.

“See, if he were to dominate me from cage post to cage post – listen, let’s keep it real. When he landed, he landed like, ‘Oh! What just happened? Oh I landed?!’ He was trying to act like he meant to do it,” he continued.

“Come on, man, let’s be real. When I land a punch, I know it’s over. I’m looking where I’m throwing. I don’t throw it to hope it lands, or this or that; I’m throwing it to land and for it to land solid. I’m watching everything I throw. He had that spinning backfist and he got lucky with it. When we fight again, it will be a different story, trust me. I know it will.”

The loss came as a shock for most pundits across the MMA landscape. Many experts questioned Lawal’s dedication to mixed martial arts; especially considering that when Lawal signed with Bellator, he also signed on with the professional wrestling outfit “Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling,” and would apparently be splitting his time between the two companies.

For anyone who understands the business of pro wrestling, the agreement seemed like a far-fetched idea. Because, despite certain stigmas surrounding the profession, pro wrestling is very much an art – an art that you just don’t come in and master after a few months.

Or years for that matter.

Since his upset loss to Newton, Lawal has fought just one other time in the Bellator cage – a win over “Kimbo Killer” Seth Petruzelli – and now finds himself in the finals of another Bellator light heavyweight tournament when he meets Jacob Noe at Bellator 97, on Wednesday, July, 31, in Albuquerque, N.M.

For Lawal, anybody criticizing his dedication to MMA just doesn’t grasp the situation. As far as he is concerned, he’s ready to fight 365 days a year. And despite what the uneducated masses may think, pro wrestling is forcing Lawal to toughen up at a rapid rate.

“I train year round,” he said matter-of-factly when questioned if professional wrestling was taking time away from his MMA duties. “After the match in Ohio Valley Wrestling (TNA’s developmental league), I was right back in the gym on Monday. I don’t do training camps; I just train year round.

“I was surprised with how hard it’s been. I didn’t think the bumps, hitting the ropes, would be all that hard on you. I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t know was going to do a match and then be sore for four or five days later. I can fight (MMA) and be sore for only like two or three days.”

So after this initial foray into pro wrestling, has he had a change of heart when considering pulling double duty?

“I’m still full-go, but the first few days I was like, ‘what the hell am I doing?’” he said with a chuckle. “Here’s the thing; when I tell people pro wrestling is harder than MMA, they want to crucify me. They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re a joke,’ and whatever. But they are crazy; this stuff is hard.

“I guarantee you, take any old wrestler and watch them try to get out of bed, running, doing anything. A fighter may train a lot, but they only fight two or three times a year. Pro wrestlers do five or six shows a week and they’re always on the road. Come on, man. They don’t realize that.”

Another aspect of professional fighting that Lawal thinks fans are neglecting is marketability.

Sure, fans love to hate men like Brock Lesnar and Chael Sonnen. But the fact remains that love or hate them, they still talk about them. And if G.I. Joe taught us anything in the 80s, it’s that “knowing IS half the battle.”

So, as Lawal puts it, it’s important for these fighters to know what they are selling – intentional, or otherwise.

“Every fighter in MMA, whether they know it or not, has pretty much sold a pro wrestling persona at some point in their career,” said the 32-year-old former Olympic hopeful. “GSP is like Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, ‘The Excellence of Execution.’ Phil Baroni, he may have been the Brooklyn Brawler. He’s a guy who isn’t afraid to fight anybody, and he’s got the accent too!

“Roy (Nelson), Chael (Sonnen), and Brock Lesnar, all of them – Brock Lesnar has a name and he did what he needed to do. He cut promos in the ring after fights. After he beat Frank Mir the second time, he said, ‘I stand in front you a humble man.’

“People went from booing him to cheering him after he won that fight!”

As the talk shifts from professional wrestling back to professional fighting, the focus turns to Jacob Noe and the upcoming Bellator light heavyweight tournament finals.

Lawal sees Noe as a young fighter who has become far too one-dimensional in his approach to fighting. Especially when considering that Noe’s one dimension is boxing – something King Mo doesn’t think the fighter is especially good at, even though six of Noe’s 12 wins have come via KO/TKO.

“He’s trying to be a pro boxer, right? Well, I know a lot about boxing,” he said, beaming with confidence. “There’s this thing called Boxing Record out there, so I went out and looked him up. He is, like, 0-1.”

“He got beat by some dude from Colorado. Colorado might have a few good fighters, but they’re not really known for having great boxers. The fact he claims to be a great boxer, and got beat by some guy from Colorado, is a joke.

“Great boxers don’t come to MMA unless they are past their prime. And unless he changes his technique for MMA, he’s in trouble. Because I don’t see that happening (Noe beating Lawal with boxing) at all. He just throws lots of arm punches.”

Lawal has certainly become accustomed to arm punches in the world of professional wrestling, but on July 31, he will back in the cage to compete in the finals of another MMA tournament.

With one discipline on the backburner for now, Lawal is all about getting the Bellator gold around his waist. And if, down the road, he gets a rematch against Emmanuel Newton, he’ll just consider it the icing on the proverbial cake.

“Really it’s about the belt,” said Lawal. “If I have to fight Emmanuel to get the belt , then that’s a bonus. My goal is to get the belt and if I get fight Emmanuel while doing it, that’s great.

“If he keeps winning and I keep winning, then we will fight. That’s how Bellator works; winners fight winners. So as long as we keep winning, we will fight each other.”

Lawal’s quest for his first Bellator tournament title culminates as the summer dwindles to a close. If he gets past the Memphis, Tenn., native, Noe, then he will be one step closer to wrapping Bellator gold around his waist, and earning the title of, “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.”

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC 163 ‘Aldo vs. Korean Zombie’ Preview
By Tristen Critchfield

Few who watched or attended will forget the last time Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Jose Aldo fought in his home country. Moments after the Nova Uniao product knocked out Chad Mendes with a first-round knee at UFC 142, he raced into the stands at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate his victory with a jubilant throng of his countrymen -- a scene of unbridled joy that ranks among the most memorable moments in the 26-year-old’s mixed martial arts career.

In the UFC 163 headliner on Saturday, Aldo faces Chan Sung Jung, a huge underdog returning from a year-plus layoff. Could “The Korean Zombie” be the next addition to Aldo’s personal highlight reel? It will require a superhuman effort from Jung if he is to ruin the post-fight party plans of thousands of Rio de Janeiro residents.

Aldo’s bid to follow in the footsteps of Anderson Silva and establish himself as Brazil’s next pound-for-pound great is not the show’s only attraction. In the co-headliner, Lyoto Machida looks to cement his place as the light heavyweight division’s No. 1 contender with a victory over talented wrestler Phil Davis. Whether such a win actually nets him a title shot is another story entirely.

Here is a closer look at UFC 163, with analysis and picks:

UFC Featherweight Championship

Jose Aldo (22-1, 4-0 UFC) vs. Chan Sung Jung (13-3, 3-0 UFC)

The Matchup: After defeating Frankie Edgar at UFC 156, Aldo was all set to square off with a converted lightweight for the second straight bout, but a knee injury to Anthony Pettis put an end to those plans. While the Brazilian will now defend his featherweight strap within the division, the selection of Jung as his opponent is not without controversy.

The popular “Korean Zombie” has not competed since May 2012, when he submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a bout that garnered its share of “Fight of the Year” accolades. In the meantime, featherweights Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson have continued to pad their resumes, arguably surpassing Jung in terms of No. 1 contender worthiness. However, Jung seems to resonate with fans as much as any 145-pounder, and his tendency to go for broke virtually guarantees that his showdown with Aldo will be great fun for as long as it lasts. Again, in today’s UFC, entertainment often trumps all, even when booking title bouts.

With that said, “The Korean Zombie” entering the Octagon against Aldo is a much improved version of the World Extreme Cagefighting iteration. Jung once went blow-for-blow with Leonard Garcia and was knocked out by a George Roop head kick, but he appears to have at least become more efficient in his aggression. After exacting his revenge on Garcia with the rarely used twister submission in his promotional debut, Jung shocked Mark Hominick with a seven-second knockout at UFC 140, taking advantage of the former 145-pound title challenger’s overconfidence with a well-placed straight right hand. The victory over Poirier demonstrated Jung’s offensive brilliance at its finest, as he showcased a versatile array of weapons -- elbows on the ground, knees and uppercuts standing and several submission attempts -- before finishing the bout with a brabo choke in the fourth round.

None of those opponents are nearly as formidable as Aldo, who has not lost a fight since 2005. If the Nova Uniao standout has a weakness, it is a tendency to tire in the championship rounds. However, even a faded Aldo can be dangerous, as he proved by launching a Superman punch off the cage in the final frame of his unanimous verdict over Edgar in February. The Brazilian’s combination of speed, power and technique are unmatched at 145 pounds, and his uncanny ability to control distance with strikes has allowed his underrated grappling to remain largely dormant over the years.

If Jung is to survive and drag Aldo into the fourth and fifth rounds, he will have to take a more measured approach. Moving forward relentlessly while bombing power punches will only serve to leave the 26-year-old South Korean open to counters from one of the best standup artists in the business. Instead of wild uppercuts, Jung should use straight punches to close distance and force tie-ups, from which he can attempt to trip Aldo to the canvas and force the champion to defend from his back.

The problem with such a game plan is that Aldo’s numbing leg kicks gradually tend to make any type of pressure and movement difficult; and if the champion was able to have someone as quick as Edgar reeling with his combination of jabs and leg kicks, then it seems likely that Jung will have serious issues combating his opponent’s speed. Additionally, Aldo’s takedowns, while underutilized, are explosive, and once on the floor, he is capable of advancing position with ease.

The Pick: As fun as Jung is to watch, he will simply not be able to match Aldo’s ability to throw punches and kicks in combination. In the past, Jung’s response to getting tagged has been to engage in a firefight. That will only hasten his demise here. Aldo wins by knockout or technical knockout in round two.

Light Heavyweights

Lyoto Machida (19-3, 11-3 UFC) vs. Phil Davis (11-1, 7-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Machida’s extended reign as the light heavyweight division’s top contender continues for the third consecutive fight. The former 205-pound titlist earned that designation after each of his last two victories -- against Ryan Bader at UFC on Fox 4 and Dan Henderson at UFC 157. However, on both occasions, various circumstances altered Machida’s course. Now, as Jon Jones prepares to defend his crown against Alexander Gustafsson in September, a third straight victory over a top 10 opponent would almost assuredly get Machida another chance at UFC gold, unless, of course, Daniel Cormier is granted the shot first or Jones beats Gustafsson and then makes a detour to heavyweight.

Nothing is guaranteed in the UFC these days, and at 35 years old, time is not on Machida’s side. Still, the odds are in his favor against Davis, whose march up the divisional ladder has slowed since he was outclassed by Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2. “Mr. Wonderful” has rebounded to post wins against Wagner Prado and Vinny Magalhaes, but neither fight did much to prepare him to solve the confounding puzzle Machida presents.

While Davis showed improved standup in defeating Magalhaes, a decorated grappler, he will struggle to land punching combinations against an elusive karateka. Machida utilizes movement, angles, feints and changes of direction to keep foes off-balance. He has fared well against wrestlers in the past, limiting takedowns against the likes of Henderson, Bader, Evans and Randy Couture. The Brazilian was forced to be cautious against Henderson out of respect for the fight-altering power in the Strikeforce veteran’s right hand, but Davis is not nearly as threatening in that regard. Expect a more aggressive version of Machida to emerge as a result.

With his takedowns thwarted against Evans, Davis became tentative on the feet, throwing one punch at a time. This allowed Evans to counter with multi-punch combinations, and Davis never was able to find a rhythm. The Alliance MMA representative will own a five-inch reach advantage against Machida, but “The Dragon’s” unorthodox movements and attacks will keep the American guessing throughout the contest and ultimately limit his explosive shot.

Davis, an NCAA All-American wrestler and national champion at Penn State University, excels at using his strength and long frame to control opponents and pass guard from top position. His length also allows him to be active in pursuing submissions, but if he is unable to offer anything in the standup game, his chances of grounding Machida are slim to none.

The Pick: Machida could get a stoppage with a devastating counter if Davis gets too desperate in pursuit of the takedown. At the very least, “The Dragon” wins on points, more decisively than he did against Henderson.

Middleweights

Cezar Ferreira (5-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. Thiago Santos (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Injuries have hindered the overall depth of UFC 163, and the Ferreira-Santos matchup is reflective of that. Ferreira, who was the 185-pound winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 1, was originally scheduled to face “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17 alum Clint Hester until an injury forced Hester out of the bout.

After a stint on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” saw him lose to eventual 170-pound winner Leonardo Santos, “Marreta” moves up to middleweight to make his Octagon debut. A 29-year-old product of Tata Fight Team, Santos has finished four of his eight professional victories by knockout. Ferreira, meanwhile, outstruck Sergio Moraes to earn a clear-cut unanimous verdict at UFC 147. The Vitor Belfort protégé was expected to return to action at UFC on FX 8 in May before an injury forced his withdrawal.

Ferreira, a southpaw who is now based at the Blackzilians camp, has solid power in his hands and a reputation for being aggressive on the feet. That approach has largely served him well, though a savvy opponent might be able to capitalize with a well-placed counter when “Mutante” is on the offensive. The 28-year-old dropped Moraes twice in their UFC 147 matchup; as the larger fighter, he should be capable of inflicting damage should he land against Santos. Ferreira also has strong finishing instincts, as he has shown a good sense of when to pounce on a dazed opponent for a fight-ending submission.

Santos’ best bet is to weather the storm early and build confidence by mixing up his attacks; he has a decent array of kicks and would be wise to use them to keep Ferreira from getting too comfortable. If Ferreira finds he is losing the majority of the exchanges, he might look to use his size and strength to bully Santos against the fence and shift the momentum.

The Pick: Ferreira rocks Santos early and finishes the fight in the first or second round.

Middleweights

Tom Watson (16-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Thales Leites (20-4, 5-3 UFC)

The Matchup: It has been nearly three years since Leites last set foot in the Octagon, as he dropped a split decision to Alessio Sakara at UFC 101 in his second consecutive loss within the promotion.

Just one fight prior, Leites served as a most unlikely challenger for the middleweight crown, losing a five-round decision to Anderson Silva in one of the least memorable headliners in UFC history. The Nova Uniao product has since righted his ship, winning six of seven fights and besting the likes of Dean Lister, Jesse Taylor, Jeremy Horn, Tor Troeng and Matt Horwich in the process. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will probably never be a renowned striker, but he has done enough to earn another shot in the world’s largest MMA organization.

A former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion, Watson showcased impressive close-quarters offense in a second-round stoppage of Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on Fuel TV 7. The Brit battered his foe repeatedly with knees while mixing in elbows and punches to the body against the fence, this after nearly being finished by Nedkov in the opening frame. Perhaps the greatest concern for Watson, which also surfaced in a split decision defeat at the hands of Brad Tavares in his UFC debut, is his ability to remain upright against Leites.

While not always the most accurate takedown artist, the Brazilian is persistent in his efforts to get the fight to the floor, where he can employ suffocating top control and a wicked submission game. Watson was taken down a combined 10 times by Tavares and Nedkov, but to his credit, he was often able to return to his feet. However, Leites is much more adept at transitioning to advantageous positions on the floor than either of those opponents.

Leites must use his strikes to set up takedowns; otherwise, he ends up shooting from too far away, which will leave him vulnerable to a variety of attacks from Watson. The Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative is a solid kickboxer capable of mixing kicks to the legs and body. Leites has been known to engage on the feet for longer than he should, and if Watson can bait him into a standup affair, the advantage will be his. As he showed against Nedkov, Watson is also dangerous in the clinch, but he must be wary of his opponent’s ability to land trips and throws from this position.

The Pick: Watson figures to be more active offensively than Leites, who is known for periods of inactivity. As long as “Kong” can avoid spending significant periods of time on his back, he takes a decision.

Flyweights

John Lineker (21-6, 2-1 UFC) vs. Jose Maria Tome (33-3, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Lineker has been a force of nature lately, earning impressive victories over Yasuhiro Urushitani and Azamat Gashimov in his last two UFC appearances. The former Jungle Fight titlist’s only setback in his last 16 fights came in his promotional debut, as he fell victim to a Louis Gaudinot guillotine choke at UFC on Fox 3. Even then, the man known as “Hands of Stone” authored a furious assault, out-landing his foe by 31 significant strikes over the course of nearly two rounds.

Tome has compiled a gaudy record on the Brazilian circuit and has not tasted defeat since July 2008. The Renovacao Fight Team product is a finisher, earning 28 of his 33 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. While much of the competition Tome has faced has not been especially stellar, he is a well-rounded, aggressive flyweight who has proven himself to be equally capable winning with accurate striking or solid top-control grappling.

Much like Lineker, Tome swarms his adversaries with a purpose, but he does have a tendency to keep his hands low. Lineker sets a furious pace on the feet, attacking with powerful hooks and uppercuts, and few in the division work the body -- both with punches and kicks -- as well as he does.

In a bout where wild exchanges on the feet figure to come early and often, Tome might want to consider switching gears and taking his opponent to the mat, where he is adept at controlling and advancing position while landing ground-and-pound. Lineker, who has three submission losses in his career, has not yet attempted to take a fight to the ground in the UFC. His ability to sprawl and keep the fight upright is paramount to his success.

The Pick: Despite Tome’s versatile skill set, it seems most likely that this will evolve into a firefight, and it is tough to pick against Lineker in such a situation. He wins by TKO in round two.

Flyweights

Ian McCall (11-4-1, 0-2-1 UFC) vs. Iliarde Santos (27-7-1, 0-1 UFC): Once regarded by many as the world’s No. 1 flyweight, McCall is still looking for his first UFC victory after three Octagon appearances. He will get his chance against Santos, a former Jungle Fight competitor who lost a bantamweight fight on short notice to Iuri Alcantara at UFC on FX 8. While Santos figures to fare better back at 125 pounds, McCall is on another level. “Uncle Creepy” captures a decision.

Light Heavyweights

Anthony Perosh (13-7, 3-4 UFC) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (10-6, 1-3 UFC): One of the elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the sport today, Magalhaes did not have much opportunity to put his skills to use in losing a decision to Phil Davis at UFC 159. This matchup should be ideal for the Syndicate MMA representative, however, as the 41-year-old Perosh is also known for his grappling acumen. While Perosh is good on the ground, Magalhaes is on another level. Being the younger, more athletic fighter does not hurt, either. Magalhaes wins by decision.

Women’s Bantamweights

Amanda Nunes (7-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sheila Gaff (10-5-1, 0-1 UFC): From May 2008 to January 2011, Nunes authored a six-fight winning streak, stopping each of her victims by technical knockout. Since then, “Lioness” has lost two of three, dropping bouts against foes that were able to overpower her and grind her down. Gaff, a former flyweight, was unable to unleash her hands in losing to Sara McMann at UFC 159. This matchup figures to better suit the aggressive striking of both women, but Nunes’ size and ability to take the fight to the ground could prove to be the difference. Nunes takes a submission in round two.

Welterweights

Neil Magny (8-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Sergio Moraes (7-2, 1-1 UFC): A three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Moraes has his work cut out for him if he wants to drag Magny into his world. “The Ultimate Fighter 16” alum has a nine-inch reach advantage on his foe and displayed a stout jab and good takedown defense in dispatching Jon Manley at UFC 157. Magny fights at a smart range and wins via decision.

Featherweights

Rani Yahya (18-7, 3-1 UFC) vs. Josh Clopton (6-1-1, 0-1 UFC): Yahya has quietly compiled a solid resume inside the Octagon, winning three of four fights while losing only to former 145-pound title challenger Chad Mendes. The 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist seems like a safe bet against Clopton, who has not competed since falling to Steven Siler at “The Ultimate Fighter 14” Finale in December 2011. Yahya snatches a submission in round two or three.

Light Heavyweights

Francimar Barroso (15-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ednaldo Oliveira (13-1-1, 0-1 UFC): Originally scheduled to face Robert Drysdale, Oliveira instead locks horns with Barroso after Drysdale withdrew from the bout due to a staph infection. Oliveira made his UFC debut at heavyweight, losing to Gabriel Gonzaga via rear-naked choke at UFC 142. A member of the renowned Nova Uniao team, Barroso has finished 14 of his 15 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Oliveira scores a TKO in round one.

Welterweights

Bristol Marunde (12-8, 0-1 UFC) vs. Viscardi Andrade (14-5): Marunde drops to 170 pounds after losses to Ronaldo Souza and Clint Hester in his last two outings. Andrade, meanwhile, carries a six-fight winning streak into his promotional debut. Going to the judges probably is not the most desirable option for Marunde here, but he has not done anything lately to suggest a spectacular finish is in his future. Andrade notches a decision.

Source: Sherdog

Johny Hendricks: I know GSP's gameplan, but my goal is to break somebody's jaw
By Shaun Al-Shatti

LAS VEGAS, NV -- Johny Hendricks dragged his director's chair towards the front of the dais, dark stubble strewn across his face, a soon-to-be mighty beard in its infancy stages. Whoops of "Johny!!!" erupted from the crowd within the MGM Grand lobby, each one prompting Hendricks to raise his fist in salute, while less than 15 feet away sat the man -- and the belt -- he'd been eyeing for seven long years. To call it a surreal moment would be a severe understatement.

"It's weird, because realistically, I'm the average person," Hendricks told MMAFighting.com at Monday's UFC 167 media day.

"I got in one fight my whole entire life. I knew nothing striking-wise or anything seven years ago. Seven years ago in June, I knew nothing. Just wrestling. To know that I'm still growing as a fighter, I'm still doing this, and where I'm at now, today, is huge."

Hendricks always figured this day would come, but it was only two years ago, when he stunned the MMA world by flattening Jon Fitch in 12 seconds, that he first know it could become a reality. Yet even then, the road to Georges St-Pierre was a long one. He'd hurdle the next man, then wait and wait, yell but not be heard. Even once the fight was finally booked, Hendricks wasn't quite ready to believe it.

"I was a little nervous until the Anderson [Silva]-Chris Weidman fight happened, because you never know what's going to happen. If Anderson wins, does the superfight still happen?' Hendricks said. "So he sort of helped me out, and now it's actually going to happen. I can't wait."

Hendricks will be compared to Weidman more than once over the next few months. It's an easy comparison to make, but that's what happens when you're trying to upset the natural order of things. For years, Silva and St-Pierre comprised the big-two of the UFC. Jon Jones eventually rose through the ranks to cement a new big-three, but the idea was still the same. Each man, a dominant champion in their own right, coldly leaving behind a trail of dismantled opponents.

But that balance shattered at UFC 162, and Hendricks watched as Weidman's life flipped upside-down overnight.

"I know that if I beat GSP, my world's going to change," Hendricks said. "And I've made corrections to my life for that. I'm already putting them in place to make myself better and also, really to enjoy it. Don't take anything for granted. Enjoy every moment of it, because when it comes, it's going to go."

Like Weidman, Hendricks is a man many believe to be tailor-made to topple the champion. A four-time All American wrestler with thunder in his left hand, Hendricks is undaunted by the challenge that awaits him. He knows the strategy St-Pierre will employ, and he welcomes it.

"He's been the same fighter for a long time now," Hendricks said.

"You go in there knowing, ‘Hey, I know GSP's gameplan. He's going to jab, he's going to kick, and he's going to try to take me down.'"

'I know that if I beat GSP, my world's going to change.'

That jab, in particular, has proven to be a disabling weapon. From Josh Koscheck to Jake Shields, St-Pierre made his career out of stifling decorated grapplers with a seemingly insurmountable understanding of distance.

"He leans with his jab," Hendricks pointed out. "He's got a 76-inch reach. Whenever he actually does jab, if you watch him, he'll lean in about three or four inches. In those three or four inches, you think you can swing back. You end up missing. Then what happens is you get flustered and you start reaching. As soon as you start reaching, he starts going underneath.

"The way you've got to counter that is to slip the jab, parry the jab, there's a lot of other things you can do to close the distance.

"That's the difference," Hendricks continued. "Punch me in the face, I'll punch you twice as hard. When I'm in there, all my goal is to break somebody's jaw. Let them forget who they are that night. Let them wake up the next morning and go, ‘What the hell happened?' That's my goal every fight. So if he's going to sit there and try to do that jab, watch: I'll bite on my mouthpiece, I'll eat one to throw my left or right hand, all day long."

It's clear that Hendricks isn't short on confidence. Without any doubt, the 29-year-old believes he's a different breed of opponent than any St-Pierre has faced prior.

But while Hendricks tries to remain respectful, sometimes his disdain for St-Pierre's style can't help but rear its head.

"He does what he has to do to win. I just can't do that," Hendricks explained.

"I'm not going in there with that mindset, ‘Hey, I want to take you down and grind out a win.' No. I want to lay people out. I want to make it exciting for these people that are lined up here to see us today.

"The fans, they predict a little bit of my fight," Hendrick continued. "If I'm on top and they're booing -- look at the Condit fight, they booed a little bit when I was on top -- hey, friggin' get up then. We'll bang it out. They're here, whatever it is, paying to see me and him go at it. If they start getting stagnant, and they start getting bored, watch, I'll switch it up."

Ultimately, Hendricks knows this opportunity will be anything but a cakewalk. He readily admits, there's a ton of work still to be done, particularly in preparing for potential championship rounds. St-Pierre's reach advantage isn't getting any shorter, and that conservative, mistake-free strategy isn't any growing any less impenetrable.

But nonetheless, Hendricks holds fast to a statement he first made last December, when St-Pierre elected to fight a suspended Nick Diaz instead of the bearded contender, who was fresh off a one-shot knockout in a supposed title eliminator. Back then Hendricks loudly proclaimed that the champion was ducking him, and as far as he knows, that may still be the case.

"I haven't seen a change in him. I think it's sort of default," Hendricks finished with a grin. "Who else does he get to fight? There's nobody else but me. So we'll see. I'm glad that the fight's happening now, but does he really want to fight me? We'll know November 16th."

Source: MMA Fighting

Vitor Belfort was UFC 163 fighter Cezar Ferreira's first true sponsor
by Christian Stein and Dann Stupp

After winning the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" in 2012, Cezar Ferreira now counts blue-chip companies such as Gillette and Head & Shoulders among his sponsors. His first real backer, though, may surprise you.

Like many Brazilians, Ferreira (5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who meets Thiago "Marreta" Santos (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday's UFC 163 pay-per-view main card at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena, found his way to MMA through capoeira, a martial-arts hybrid that combines dance and acrobatics with music. He began his training when he was just 6 years old.

As a teen, Ferreira would often travel throughout the country and search out the best training possible, even though he didn't have much money. He ultimately ended up at an academy in Belo Horizonte, a city where UFC fighter Vitor Belfort also trained.

It was at that academy, run by Master Mao Branca, where Ferreira first got his nickname, "Mutante" (Mutant). Because the facility was open to outsiders, an unknown German unknowingly gave Ferreira a nickname that's stuck to this day.

"Master Mao Branca's academy is called Capoeira Gerais," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It's one of the world's best capoeira groups. When I was training there, tourists from other countries would always come to see us. Around that time, I was teaching a group of Germans. They saw a couple of my photos, one where I was thin and another where I was stronger. So they jokingly decided I was a mutant.

"After that, everyone called me 'Mutante.'"

Soon after, Ferreira eventually crossed paths with Belfort and joined his academy.

"I met him through a friend," Ferreira said. "We started training together at his academy. He gave me full access to his academy and to his trainers. He funded my membership. He helped me in various ways. This was nine years ago. We've been together ever since."

These days, Ferreira and Belfort are now teammates at the Florida-based Blackzilians camp. Ferreira's been a member for the past three months, so nearly his entire fight camp has taken place there.

In fact, while in Florida, he does nothing else outside of family commitments with his wife and 5-year-old daughter.

"I only train," he said. "That's my only focus."

The array of top-level training partners, including Belfort and Anthony Johnson, gives Ferreira plenty of confidence heading into Saturday's bout. In fact, Santos replaced original opponent Clint Hester just two weeks ago, but Ferreira said he's not bothered at all by the late change.

That, at least partially, can be credited to his time on "TUF," where Ferreira fought a variety of opponents on short notice. That also means he doesn't have a problem fighting a fellow Brazilian in front of Brazilian fans.

"Since my camp is done, it doesn't matter who I face," he said. "Since I came through 'TUF,' I feel I'm well equipped for this. When I was in 'TUF,' I didn't know my opponent one day before my first fight. And once in the house, my opponents were only announced three days before our fight. So if that happens to me going forward, it won't bother me or change anything. I'm ready anytime."

So come Saturday, it's business as usual.

"It's going to be a first-round knockout," he said. "And if he wants, we can have a beer later."

Source: MMA Junkie

Jose Aldo Will Hold Off Decision Concerning Move To Lightweight Until After UFC 163
by Jeff Cain

Talk of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo making the move up to the lightweight division to vie for the title isn’t new.

When UFC 163 was announced, the fight card featured Aldo against lightweight contender Anthony Pettis. Pettis requested the bout, but an injury forced him out of the fight. When the original match-up was made, UFC president Dana White said that if Aldo won, he’d earn a shot at the lightweight belt.

The timeline seemed to be mapped out for Aldo’s jump to the 155-pound division, but circumstance intervened. Whether the deal still stands for Aldo getting a lightweight title fight with a win at UFC 163 is unclear. A win over Pettis would have justified the opportunity, but a win over Jung may not.

Aldo has adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

“It’s hard to say right now. I want to take one step at a time. I want to focus on the fight I have on Aug. 3 against the Korean Zombie. We’ll see what happens from there, if I’m going to make the move, or if I I’m going to stay in my weight class,” said Aldo during a recent media conference call. “So I have to take one step at a time.

“I can’t try to take too big of a step. And I’ve got to focus on my next opponent to make a decision,” added Aldo. “I respect my opponent, and I can’t overlook him.”

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC 163 Statistical Matchup Analysis: Aldo vs. Jung
By Reed Kuhn

And then there was one. In a sport that has long been heavily represented by Brazilians, their once seemingly invincible champions continue to fall. Brazil’s hold on the heavyweight, light heavyweight and middleweight straps have all been broken. Now Jose Aldo is the last of the undisputed -- Renan Barao remains an interim champion -- Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders from Brazil.

Aldo will defend his featherweight crown against Chan Sung Jung in the UFC 163 main event on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as for the first time in UFC history, a Korean will challenge for promotional gold. Let us look at how Aldo and “The Korean Zombie” match up on paper.

The Tale of Tape shows a negligible size advantage for Jung. He is sometimes listed as tall as 5-foot-9, but according to FightMetric and official UFC records, he is the same height as the champion. Either way, Jung will have a slight reach advantage. The only times Aldo has faced a larger opponent with a reach advantage was against Frankie Edgar and Kenny Florian. Aldo lost at least one round in those fights. If the fight stays standing, which is where Aldo has kept it for 83 percent of his cage time, this may become a factor. Otherwise, the two fighters are the same age and will use the same stance.

One difference worth noting is that Jung has not fought in more than a year, which is above the threshold for ring rust. He will need to be in great shape if he is going to challenge the champion for five rounds, so the nature of Jung’s layoff and training camp will be important.

With that, let us move on to their performance metrics, starting with striking.

While at a glance the two fighters seem fairly evenly matched in terms of their offensive metrics, this is a matchup where the context of prior opponents plays an important role in evaluation. While Jung has showed above average striking accuracy, two of his five fights in World Extreme Cagefighting and the UFC came against Leonard Garcia, who has been all too willing to stand and trade -- and to eat a lot of leather while doing so. If anything, Jung’s stats are likely a little inflated due to this fact. However, his accuracy may also reflect the precision striking that comes with being a tae kwon do black belt. That accuracy knocked out former contender Mark Hominick in just seven seconds, with only two standing strikes attempted. Regardless of whether or not Jung is truly comparable in to skill to Aldo, he remains dangerous.

Conversely, Aldo has a series of five-round fights against elite and elusive competition. Despite the consistently high level of opponents, Aldo has still performed very well statistically. His striking accuracy is above average, and he has scored an impressive seven knockdowns in his Zuffa career. Even more impressive is his defense, which is also where he differentiates most from his opponent in this matchup.

Aldo has proven difficult to hit, making his opponents miss their power head strike attempts nine times out of 10. Jung on the other hand is barely better than average in power striking defense and woefully below average against jabs. Both fighters have been good on defense in the clinch, but neither spends more than 10 percent of his cage minutes in that position. For context, that kind of elusiveness is on par with Lyoto Machida. While Jung may fare well standing in the pocket against most fighters, he might sustain more damage than he can deliver trying to do so against Aldo. In that case, the style of brawling that gave him “The Korean Zombie” nickname may work against him in Brazil.

Despite the small range disadvantage, Aldo should be the one landing more frequent and harder strikes. He is also twice as likely to use leg kicks, which he famously utilized to horrific effect against Urijah Faber at WEC 48. The five-round nature of this fight makes leg kicks an even greater weapon, thanks to added time for bruising and swelling to kick in. Although Jung has been in some barnburners before, he has not faced the knockdown power of a striker like Aldo. Cardio has cost Aldo some late rounds one the cards before, but his well-rounded attack and excellent defense make for a tough matchup for any featherweight.

What happens when these guys go to the ground?

To date, Jung’s performance on the ground has been dominant. Though he has only attempted six takedowns, he missed on just one. Once on the ground, he has been in control most of the time, using both strikes and submissions at will. Aldo has not spent much time on the ground, but his performance metrics are still above average, although they are not as high as Jung’s.

Qualitatively, Aldo has the better grappling credentials, thanks to a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and more experienced training camps. However, Jung has used submissions more effectively and more spectacularly of late. Two of Jung’s UFC appearances earned “Submission of the Night” honors: the twister submission on Garcia and his brabo choke finish of Dustin Poirier.

The real question will be whether either fighter can get this to the mat and take control. Both me have proven to be very difficult to take down, and neither has ever faced any submission attempts. With such good grappling defense and the low rate of offensive takedown attempts that they have shown, we might see these two choose to keep it standing.

The Final Word

The current betting line favors the champion Aldo at -700, with the comeback for the challenger Jung at +500. That means the market is giving Aldo an 88 percent chance of keeping his belt at UFC 163. With a lower likelihood of a one-punch knockout than exists in heavier divisions, chances are good that Aldo and Jung will stand and trade for at least a few rounds. Jung will have to be at his absolute best on offense and significantly improve his defense to steal early rounds, while his fitness will need to be up to par to win any championship rounds. Interestingly, it was partially Jung’s cardio that helped him finish Poirier in the fourth round of his last fight, while Aldo has dropped the final frame in several of his bouts that went to a decision. Could the gas tank be the difference or will it all be rendered moot thanks to the glaring home-field advantage Brazilian fighters have enjoyed in recent events hosted in Brazil.

What do you think? Is there any specific factor for Aldo that will ensure he keeps the local fans happy with another successful title defense? Is there any metric you think gives the scrappy “Zombie” a shot at giving Korea its first-ever UFC title in a huge upset?

Later in August, we will look at UFC 164, where we have the rare scenario of Benson Henderson defending his title against an opponent who already beat him once. That should be interesting.

Note: Raw data for the analysis was provided by, and in partnership with FightMetric. All analysis was performed by Reed Kuhn. Reed Kuhn, Fightnomics, FightMetric and Sherdog.com assume no responsibility for bets placed on fights, financial or otherwise.

Source: Sherdog

Morning Report: Vitor Belfort calls out Chael Sonnen for catchweight or light heavyweight fight
By Shaun Al-Shatti

Suddenly Chael Sonnen is a very popular man.

As reported by MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani on Tuesday's edition of UFC Tonight, Vitor Belfort has finally accepted the fact that his next fight won't be for a title. But that doesn't mean he likes it.

Belfort's wife told Helwani that if Belfort fights at middleweight again, it'll have to be for the belt. Until then, Belfort is willing to compete at either 195, 205, or heavyweight, and if he had his way, his next opponent would be none other than Mr. Sonnen himself.

"Well I'll tell ya," Sonnen responded. "Vitor and I can never quite seem to get this right. I've called him out, and now every time he calls me out, it always, coincidentally perhaps, but it seems to be whenever I've got my plate full.

"Look, here's what I would say to Vitor, Ariel. First off, I accept. However, Vitor has a title, and his title is that of number-one contender. If he is willing to put that on the line, not only will I fight him, I will meet him in that weight class, and I will do it December 28. Rousey defends, Weidman defends. Vitor, you've got a title too brother, and I want you to defend it against me."

7 MUST-READ STORIES

Belfort wants Sonnen. According to a report on UFC Tonight, Vitor Belfort won't compete at middleweight until he fights for the belt, but he will stay active in the interim. And if Belfort had his way, the next man he faces will be Chael Sonnen.

St-Pierre reflects. In the lead-up to UFC 162, Anderson Silva spoke at length about the burdens that come hand-in-hand with a dominant title run. No man can relate more to Silva's sentiment than Georges St. Pierre.

Jones talks heavyweight. Sitting right next to Cain Velasquez at Tuesday's UFC World Tour press conference, Jon Jones continued to entertain a potential move to heavyweight. "Eventually," Jones said. "I'm getting older, I'm growing, I'm getting stronger. Why not?"

Bellator 97 weigh-in results. All 10 main card fighters met their required weight at Tuesday's official Bellator 97 weigh-ins, including lightweight headliners Michael Chandler and David Rickels.

WSOF plots lightweight course. World Series of Fighting plans to stage a four-man lightweight tournament to determine the promotion's inaugural 155-pound champion. Justin Gaethje, Dan Lauzon, the winner of Nick Newell vs. Keon Caldwell, and the winner of JZ Cavalcante vs. Tyson Griffin are expected to make up the field.

UFC on FOX 8 salaries. Robbie Lawler led the disclosed payroll for UFC on FOX 8, pocketing $156,000 for his thunderous main card knockout of Bobby Voelker.

Ortiz responds. Tito Ortiz responded to recent disparaging comments made by Dana White about his potential comeback. "It sucks that @danawhite still has the say bad things about me," Ortiz tweeted. "One year has passed and still attacks me. I don't feel I have to attack him in any way. #SHAME I hope one day he will get over it. Must suck to sleep at night thinking about me."

Source: MMA Fighting

Rousey: 'Expendables' role won't impede UFC 168 camp; Tate to train with judoka
by Steven Marrocco

LOS ANGELES – UFC women's bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey soon will fly halfway around the world to begin filming her role in "The Expendables 3."

She said she won't, however, lose a step in her training camp for her rematch against Miesha Tate at UFC 168, which takes place Dec. 28 at UFC 168 in Las Vegas.

"I'm leaving soon and I'm very fortunate that there's going to be Victor Ortiz and Randy Couture and other fighter-type people there, and I'm going to be able to have my camp come and do everything, so I'm not going to break training for it at all," Rousey told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on the second stop of the UFC's current "World Tour" at Club Nokia at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

Leaving the country for Bulgaria, where filming reportedly takes place, will help her avoid another activity – watching herself on "The Ultimate Fighter 18." The women's champ leads a squad of male and female UFC hopefuls opposite Tate, who also was in attendance at the press conference.

"TUF 18" debuts Sept. 4 on FOX Sports 1, though a preview for the show is public and already has drawn strong reactions from both competitors.

Rousey said she recently watched it and turned the sound off. Tate, who saw the preview this past Saturday at UFC on FOX 8, said "it looked pretty intense."

"I'm happy I'm going to be out of the country while it's playing, so hopefully it will blow over by the time I get back," Rousey said. "It's just going to show a lot that it's not my best environment to be in.

"I was focusing more on being the best possible coach that I could, and if you ask anybody on my team, they will say that they were completely happy with how I was as a coach, and that's all I really care about. How I came off personally wasn't really my biggest goal. Miesha might come off better and her hair look better, but my athletes love me more."

Although palpable on its own, Rousey and Tate's enmity was encouraged by the crowd at Club Nokia, which "oohed" with every comment they directed at each other. After Rousey said Tate wouldn't look her in the eyes, Tate rose to her feet and made a point to do so.

"She has a lot of things I want, but that's not what makes the rivalry," Tate said at one point. "It's the level of disrespect that I've always felt. I would say everyone, but Ronda, I don't have any beef with and have a tremendous amount of respect for, but she just has a way of irritating me, and vice versa."

Of course, the ex-Strikeforce champ plans to exact revenge. This past weekend, she said she planned to bring a special guest into her camp to ensure she wouldn't get armbarred again by Rousey.

"Lucie Decosse," Tate told MMAjunkie.com. "I was just looking people up to see who's better than Ronda at judo, so that's basically my mission to find people that are better than her and train with them."

Tate, though, said training with the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in judo has other benefits, as well.

"The thing about MMA is that I don't just love it to try to win," she said. "Obviously, I want to win, but the reason I fell in love with this sport was something new to learn. So I'm really looking forward to learning some of the art.

"Obviously, another part of it would be to understand judo from a judo person's perspective. I just think that was the missing link before, and that's something I'm going to try to implement in this training camp."

Source: MMA Junkie

No Clear Date or Event, Demian Maia and Jake Shields Agree to UFC Welterweight Showdown

Brazilian welterweight Demian Maia was supposed to be fighting on this weekend’s UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie fight card in Rio de Janeiro, but had the fight yanked out from under him when Josh Koscheck withdrew due to injury.

Although Maia was pulled from the fight card altogether, he already has another opponent lined up.

Maia will next face Jake Shields, according to a report on UFC Tonight on Tuesday night.

There were few details available as to when or where the two would meet, but both fighters have reportedly agreed to the bout.

Following a roller coaster ride during his last couple of years at middleweight, Maia (18-4) dropped to welterweight last year and hasn’t looked back. He is currently 3-0 at 170 pounds, racking up victories over Dong Hyun Kim, Rick Story and Jon Fitch.

Maia hasn’t fought since defeating Fitch at UFC 156 in February.

Shields (28-6-1, 1 NC) has also bounced around weight classes. He left Strikeforce as the promotion’s middleweight champion, but dropped to welterweight upon entering the Octagon.

He defeated Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut, but then lost back-to-back bouts to Georges St-Pierre and Jake Ellenberger.

Shields then jumped up to middleweight where he defeated Yoshiro Akiyama, but then had a victory over Ed Herman turned to a no contest after Shields failed his post-fight drug test.

He returned to welterweight at UFC 161 in May, winning a split decision victory over Tyron Woodley.

This is an important bout for both fighters, as a victory over the other notches the winner at the top end of the weight class.

Source: MMA Weekly

8/2/13

Banned back home, Tanji keeps fighting
By Cindy Luis

Koichi Tanji was banned from boxing in Japan because of a liability issue. Tanji was born with a right hand that is not fully developed, but he hasn't let it keep him from boxing. "We put on the gloves and it's the same," he says.

Some 50 boxers from clubs across the state will compete at the upcoming Ringside World Championships in Kansas City, Mo.

It is more than a national competition for Koichi Tanji. It is the Golden Gloves and the Olympics rolled into one for the 27-year-old Japanese national who was banned from boxing in his homeland.
His crime?

Tanji was born with a deformed right hand and right arm that is a few inches shorter than his left.
"It was a liability issue they said," according to his coach, Bruce Kawano. "We were unsure at first, too. But we took him to a doctor who watched him box and he cleared him.

"He can't go to the Olympics because he's banned in his country. He can't go to the Golden Gloves because he's not a U.S. citizen. But he still wants to compete. He's not that natural puncher, doesn't have that blinding speed, but he's a good boxer whose conditioning gets him through."

Tanji, 10-10 at 123 pounds (bantamweight), is a certified personal trainer and conditioning coach. He is studying nutrition and diet at the University of Hawaii "because I want to be a better athlete and a better coach," he said.

But ultimately his goal is to have others see him as he sees himself. Normal.

"Maybe in Japan I am handicapped, it's what has to be designated for me to get a driver's license," said Tanji, who moved to Hawaii 10 years ago. "Here, I have my license. It wasn't an issue.

"It's all about how you think of yourself. What I have is nothing. It's not like I'm in a wheelchair. I don't have issues with mobility. I have all five fingers but my hand is not developed. I consider myself very lucky."

Tanji said he is pleased when opponents don't realize his right hand is different.
"We put on the gloves and it's the same," he said.

The tournament, considered the world's largest amateur event with 1,500 boxers, runs through Aug. 3.

Source: Star Advertiser

Forget About Roy Jones Jr. and Boxing, Bellator PPV Matches Up Rampage Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz
by Ken Pishna

While everyone was focused on the Roy Jones Jr. smokescreen, Bellator MMA did an end around and signed Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to fight Tito Ortiz on the promotion’s first pay-per-view offering.

The hot rumors recently had Rampage pairing up with Jones in a boxing match opposite the UFC’s big year-end pay-per-view that features two huge rematches: Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate. The boxing match hasn’t materialized, however, with Bellator instead luring the recently retired UFC Hall of Famer, Tito Ortiz, back to the cage.

Ortiz had recently teased on Twitter that a comeback might be afoot, and it has now materialized.

Rampage and Tito will square off on Nov. 2 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, Calif.

The event, dubbed Rampage vs. Tito, marks Bellator’s first pay-per-view offering.

“To have two of the biggest names in MMA headline our first PPV is awesome,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Rampage vs. Tito is a fight I’ve wanted to see for years and to have it as our Main Event on our first Pay-Per-View is a spectacular next step in Bellator’s evolution. They’re both re-energized, excited and ready for a war. This will be a great fight.”

“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been re-born.,” Jackson said. “My excitement, energy and aggression, it’s all back and bigger than ever. I feel like a kid again. The Rampage you’ll see Nov. 2 will be better than any Rampage you’ve ever seen. Everybody knows Tito and I have a very long history. He’s a former teammate and friend, and it’s one of the reasons I stayed away from the UFC as long as I did. But, I want to be very clear; any sort of friendship we once had doesn’t exist when that cage door shuts. I’ve got a ton to prove on Nov. 2, and unfortunately for Tito he’s the guy I have to make an example of. He’s in my house now and Saturday, Nov. 2, on PPV, it’s going to be a horrible night for Tito Ortiz.”

“I’m back,” Ortiz stated. “Over the last few years, my passion for MMA was completely killed, dealing with UFC politics and with Dana. I didn’t have that drive to compete, my heart wasn’t in it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m free. Bjorn and Bellator put together an opportunity that made me part of the promotion, part of the family. I feel like I can breathe again and my old friend is going to be on the receiving end of all that happiness turned into an old school Tito Ortiz ground and pound beating. I’ve fought and beaten the very best in MMA history and on Nov. 2, Rampage will be the next huge win on my record. This is a new era for the People’s Champion.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Smartest Guy at the Bar: UFC 163 Edition
By RJ Clifford

With the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the familiar stage, the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday drags its Octagon into the Southern hemisphere for UFC 163.

Pound-for-pound standout Jose Aldo will defend his featherweight title for the fifth time against Chan Sung Jung in the main event, while 2008 NCAA wrestling champion Phil Davis will attempt to solve the Lyoto Machida riddle in the co-headliner.

The Portuguese chants will be loud and proud since the majority of the card pits native Brazilians against foreigners.

How We Got Here: The No. 1 contender sweepstakes at 145 pounds eventually landed on “The Korean Zombie.” Ricardo Lamas was promised a crack at Aldo after he beat Erik Koch at UFC on Fox 6, but Anthony Pettis cut in line. All it took was a supposed text message from “Showtime” to UFC President Dana White stating he could shed the superfluous 10 pounds and drop a weight class. However, Pettis, a former World Extreme Cagefighting champion, withdrew with an injury, leaving Jung and his blitzkrieg style as the most intriguing matchup in the eyes of Zuffa brass ... Two light heavyweights on two-fight winning streaks will clash before Aldo and Jung go at it. Machida thought he had banked a title shot after edging Dan Henderson at UFC 159. Unfortunately for “The Dragon,” the win was overshadowed by the lack of action in the bout, leaving him to tread water at 205 pounds. He faces Davis, who draws his first top 10 opponent in three appearances.

Home Sweet Home: If you bet on Brazilians fighting non-Brazilians in Brazil, you are probably a rich man by now. UFC on Fuel TV 10 in June featured a host of Brazilians battling foreigners, and every foreigner who faced a Brazilian lost. Whether or not this is a premeditated move by matchmakers, Brazilians tend to fight harder at home, meaning those coming through customs are faced with an uphill battle. Nine of the 12 matches at UFC 163 pair a Brazilian with a non-Brazilian. Placing locals on a Brazilian card makes sense from a promotional standpoint: they speak the language, they do not have to travel and they help rally local media. Good luck, imports.

Featherweight Fun: The 26-year-old Aldo is already the most accomplished featherweight in the division’s short history, having held the UFC title with an iron fist. He has defeated a diverse crop of contenders, from former lightweights Frankie Edgar and Kenny Florian to Team Alpha Male’s Chad Mendes. Luckily for fans, new contenders sprout as fast as Aldo knocks them down. Jung punched his ticket to Brazil with a three-fight winning streak. Beyond the South Korean, three contenders stand out. The aforementioned Mendes and his wrestling credentials made for an intriguing matchup since standing with Aldo seems about as wise as grappling with a cactus. The presence of new Team Alpha Male coach Duane Ludwig has helped upgrade his standup from rudimentary to dangerous in a few short months, adding to an already potent arsenal. Mendes will face Clay Guida at UFC 164. Cub Swanson finds himself on a five-fight winning streak, boasting four knockouts in that stretch. He demolished Dennis Siver at UFC 162 and seems to have found himself as a fighter. Swanson is fighting with vicious purpose and creativity. Lamas is the only one of the three who has not faced Aldo yet, and he submitted Swanson in November 2011. An NCAA All-American wrestler at the Div. III level, he is undefeated since downshifting to featherweight, finishing three of his four opponents. Lamas is the front runner as far as the Smartest Guy at the Bar is concerned.

Useless Fact: Recently retired former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Brian Stann will fill in for Joe Rogan as color analyst for UFC 163. The former Marine has plenty of plans for retirement. He will continue in his role as a UFC analyst for pre- and post-fight shows. Additionally, the Silver Star recipient made such a positive impression on Fox that he was signed to call college football games for the network in the fall. It appears Stann, who played linebacker at the Naval Academy, will be wearing makeup more often than he wore the five-ounce gloves inside the Octagon.

Say What: MMA fans love to discuss super fights, as they represent a break from the ordinary. It should come as no surprise that fans are intrigued by the thought of Aldo competing against top lightweights. However, weight classes exist for a reason, and fighters who ignore them generally do not get their hands raised. Look at B.J. Penn’s record at 170 pounds. Aldo said all the right things about the subject during a pre-fight media call: “One step at a time. I want to focus on my fight against ‘The Korean Zombie’ and then we’ll worry about a potential lightweight move. I don’t want to take too big of a step. I respect my opponent and can’t overlook him.”

Awards Watch: “Submission of the Night” will be tough to pin down on a card overflowing with Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts who are matched against foes from countries without BJJ studios on every street corner. With that said, Vinny Magalhaes is taking on Anthony Perosh in Brazil; that is all you really need to know ... Ian McCall needs to make a statement, and he knows it. He remains winless in the UFC, though his three fights have come against the top two flyweights in the world. Look for “Uncle Creepy” to right his ship with a “Knockout of the Night” effort against Illiarde Santos ... In 2011, Jung won “Submission of the Year” with his twister on Leonard Garcia. A year later, he was part of the “Fight of the Year” against Dustin Poirier. He is lined up for another memorable performance here. Give “The Korean Zombie” and Aldo “Fight of the Night” honors.

Source: Sherdog

Bellator 97 results: Michael Chandler, Ben Askren cruise to easy title defenses
By Luke Thomas

They were favorites for a reason.

It was a night where the the betting favorites had their way as Bellator lightweight and welterweight champions Michael Chandler and Ben Askren easily defended their titles at Bellator 97 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The main card for the night aired on Spike TV.

In the main event, lightweight champion Chandler blasted season 8 lightweight tournament winner David Rickels in just 44 seconds into the first round. After a brief feeling out process, Chandler connected with a right hand that stumbled Rickels only to follow with lightening speed to more punches that sent 'Caveman' crashing to the mat. Chandler followed his falling opposition to the canvas where a series of blitzing punches forced the referee to halt the action.

"I used to be", said Chandler when asked if he was still a wrestler. "You gotta love wrestling, but I'm just blessed to be getting better every single day. I love my job. I love this opportunity to step in the Bellator cage."

"No weapon formed against me shall prosper," Chandler continued. "You can't have fear out here. I train my butt off every single day. Why not come out here and lay it on the line? Nothing bad can happen if you train your butt off. You make the right decisions, you surround yourself with the right people, I'm just blessed, man. It's a phenomenal day."

In the co-main event, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren put on a humiliatingly suffocating grappling clinic on season 7 welterweight tournament winner Andrey Koreshkov. According to statistics from the Bellator app, Askren outstruck Koreshkov 248-3.

In all four rounds of their fight, Askren did whatever he wanted to the RusFighters welterweight. From takedowns to guard passes to back control to ground and pound, Koreshkov could do positively nothing but cover up and defend. Askren methodically broke Koreshkov's will to the point where the champion asked the referee what he had to do to get the fight stopped. After taking Koreshkov's back and forcing him flat to the mat, Askren laid in with a series of punches that officially was stopped by the referee at 2:58 of round 4.

"Andrey said he's never been broken," said Askren, "Well... snap, crackle, and pop!"

When asked by commentator Jimmy Smith what was next for him and his Bellator career, Askren replied "I'm the best fighter in the world. Let's get in the cage and let me prove it, baby."

In the feature bout of the evening, Strikeforce veteran Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal obliterated fellow Summer Series light heavyweight tournament finalist Jacob Noe over the course of three rounds. Lawal used his wrestling from the first offensive exchange to the last, repeatedly taking Noe down and scoring with stinging ground and pound. Noe had his moment briefly with a single armbar attempt from the guard, but Lawal was able to evade the effort and continue his onslaught. A series of unanswered punches late forced Noe to verbally submit at 2:58 of round 3.

With the victory, Lawal wins the light heavyweight Summer Series tournament and will face Attila Vegh at a yet to be determined date in the future.

Bellator 97 also saw the finals of the Summer Series heavyweight final where Ryan Martinez and Vitaly Minakov battled for three rounds before the Russian was able to score a stoppage victory.

Minakov pressed Martinez into the fence early and failed to score on several trip attempts, although one was stuffed by an illegal fence grab. Martinez was able to land a trip of his own, but Minakov was able to scramble out as they returned to their feet. Minakov finally scored an inside trip and went to work with Martinez's back against the fence. Martinez ate a knee on his way up, but drilled Minakov with a knee of his own. The two spent the majority of the round trading occasional shots, but with Minakov doing most of the pressuring.

In round two, Minakov pressured Martinez against the fence and landed a groin strike, so much so the referee elected to deduct a point without a warning or prior offense. The rest of the round was spent by Minakov pressuring Martinez back with single shots and failed takedown attempts.

By round three, the pattern appeared to be repeating: Minakov pressuring forward with Martinez circling. After approximately two minutes, Minakov scored an inside trip and even moved to mount where he began to unload on his opponent with hard punches and elbows. Eventually Minakov saw an opening and opened the offensive faucet, drilling Martinez with a series of crushing right hands. He forced the stop at 4:02 of round three. He wins the summer series and faces Alexander Volkov for the Bellator heavyweight title.

In the opening bout of the night, Patricio Freire faced off against Jared Downing. Pitbull rocked Downing badly, but elected to try to finish the fight by jumping guillotine through guard. Pitbill was able to get to his feet, but the referee separated them for inactivity once there. From that placement, Ptibull positively lit Downing up with two and three-punch hooking combinations. Downing attempted a takedown after being nailed with several hard strikes, but couldn't make it happen.

By round two, the end was already written. Pitbull went back to what was already working, dropping Downing with left and right hook combinations. Two of them wobbled Downing badly, followed by a third that planted him hard on the canvas. Downing tried to get to his feet, but the referee had seen enough, calling an end to the contest at :54 in round two.

It was also announced at the event that former UFC light heavyweight champions Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Tito Ortiz would be facing one another on November 2nd in the first-ever Bellator pay-per-view.

Source: MMA Fighting

Ronda Rousey on media attention: 'I word things more colorfully than others'
by Steven Marrocco

Even with their media exposure, Ronda Rousey takes pleasure in getting one over on her rival Miesha Tate.

The UFC women's bantamweight champion said an ESPN story on female athletes and breasts wasn't just exciting because she was quoted, but because she got more copy than Tate.

"Know why it was so awesome?" Rousey asked MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Because it was the 'Body Issue,' and my picture with clothes on was bigger than Miesha's naked picture, and my article quoted me more than her little snippet."

In the story, Rousey, a bronze medal winner in judo at the 2008 Olympics, spoke colorfully about about grappling with her own body as she fought Liz Carmouche at UFC 157, which was the first UFC pay-per-view event to feature female headliners.

Rousey recounted trying to fend off Carmouche's choke while also trying to keep from exposing herself with the limited coverage of a UFC-branded crop-top.

"You don't see big titties in the Olympics, and I think that's for a reason," she said.

Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), of course, bared all for the ESPN The Magazine's issue that focuses on athletes and bodies in the rough. One year prior, Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) landed the cover of "The Body Issue."

The fighters' rivalry promises sparks on "The Ultimate Fighter 18," which debuts Sept. 4 on FOX Sports 1, and in the cage in UFC 168's co-headliner on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas.

At a press conference promoting the upcoming PPV fight, the two jabbed at each other with Rousey saying Tate couldn't make eye contact and Tate standing and staring at her to prove otherwise.

Afterward, Rousey's name was chanted by fans as media members crowded to interview her. There, her colorful copy showed why ESPN put her front and center.

"They interviewed a lot of people, it's just that I word things a little more colorfully than other girls, so I think they just put me more in the forefront of it," she said. "They were like, 'ESPN's calling you,' and I was like, 'Hey guys, how's it going?' And they're like, 'It's great, can we talk about boobs?'

Incidentally, Rousey plans a change of wardrobe when she rematches Tate in December.

"Yeah, I'm going to go shopping myself," she said. "Because I told them I wanted exactly what I was wearing for the Sarah Kaufman fight. That's all I want. And I got two weigh-in bras, and the wrong shorts. So I thought I could just double up the bra and that would work. But when someone's ripping your head off, it's hard to keep things in one place.

"I used to think that camel toe was my biggest concern, but I think nip slip takes the cake."

Source: MMA Junkie

Vitor Belfort Declines Any UFC Non-Title Fight at Middleweight; Dana White Offers Rashad Evans
by Ken Pishna

UFC president Dana White had plans for Vitor Belfort to square off with Tim Kennedy, but it looks like those plans have gone awry.

Belfort recently declined the offer to fight Kennedy, his wife and manager Joana Prado telling Globo.com that Belfort is the top contender at middleweight, so it made no sense for him to fight anyone at 185 pounds other than the champion.

Belfort is coming off of back-to-back, highlihgt reel knockout victories over Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold, which he believes puts him in the catbird seat.

Prado clarified that Belfort would fight for the UFC, even against Kennedy or anyone else, as long as it was a catchweight bout or at light heavyweight or even heavyweight. He just didn’t feel he should fight anyone at middleweight unless the belt was on the line.

That’s fine by White, who seemed to wash his hands of the matter, but not before offering an alternative and questioning Belfort’s matchmaking ideas.

“Vitor doesn’t want (the Kennedy) fight. So I said, okay, let’s do him and Rashad (Evans) then (at light heavyweight),” White said Wednesday in New York. “He wants to fight at a heavier weight, let’s do him and Rashad. I haven’t heard back on that yet.”

It’s not clear if that’s something that Belfort would even entertain, especially considering he trains alongside Evans at the Blackzilians camp in Florida. It would seem unlikely, however, as Evans helped coach Belfort for his UFC light heavyweight title challenge against Jon Jones.

Belfort has already offered his own alternative… Chael Sonnen.

White was somewhat baffled by the sense in that match-up as well.

“First of all, Vitor’s calling out Chael?” he shook his head. “Chael hasn’t even fought yet. Chael’s fighting Shogun (on Aug. 17 in Boston).

“Vitor drives me crazy man. Lorenzo can deal with Vitor, not me.”

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC 163 Prelims: 5 Reasons to Watch
By Mike Whitman

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will offer up its second consecutive week of sanctioned violence on Saturday, when UFC 163 goes down from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The pay-per-view card will showcase featherweight champion and pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo, as he takes on replacement opponent Chan Sung Jung, who steps in for an injured Anthony Pettis. The bill will also see former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida lock horns with fellow world-ranked talent Phil Davis in the co-main event.

Prior to the pay-to-play festivities, the free undercard will air live on Facebook and FX. Here are five reasons to tune in for the preliminary draw:

Creepy Feeling

Ian McCall has been open about his UFC career, effectively calling his Octagon venture thus far a bust. That type of honesty is refreshing in the sports world, but it can also be dangerous if a competitor allows it to affect his or her confidence.

As the sport’s top-ranked flyweight prior to the UFC’s creation of a 125-pound division, McCall has struggled against his fellow flyweight elite, drawing with current champion Demetrious Johnson last year before falling to “Mighty Mouse” in the immediate rematch. “Uncle Creepy” last competed in February, dropping a unanimous decision to former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez at UFC 156.

Now McCall returns to the cage after reportedly making changes in his personal life -- a shift the fighter claims has put him in a much better place mentally. Will “Uncle Creepy” earn his first UFC victory or will Iliarde Santos knock him down another peg on the flyweight ladder?

Ground Guys

There is no other way to put it: once a fight hits the floor, Vinny Magalhaes is one bad dude.

Getting it there, of course, is a significantly more challenging task, as evidenced in the native Brazilian’s April 27 clash with Davis. Granted, “Mr. Wonderful” is definitely one of the division’s best, but Magalhaes was nevertheless dominated due to Davis’ superior wrestling and conditioning.

The former no-gi Mundials and Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships champion should not run into a similar problem against Anthony Perosh, who is also known for his world-class jiu-jitsu game. Though Perosh has not achieved the same heights as his opponent on the mat, the Australian should still be able to make this fight technical and competitive if they end up on the floor.

Let us hope that is the case, because I foresee a ground battle between these men proving quite entertaining. However, if neither man can take the other down -- an unlikely but nonetheless realistic possibility -- we could be in for a long 15 minutes.
Tank vs. Lioness

If you are a fan of women’s mixed martial arts, you could hardly ask for a more promising pairing than Sheila Gaff and Amanda Nunes.

Both of these women fight with the same type of ferocity that made Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino a well-known name for even fringe MMA fans. Gaff showed her capabilities in her last bout before joining the UFC, blitzing Jennifer Maia with a violent stream of punches -- at the expense of touching gloves -- that rendered the Brazilian unconscious just 10 seconds into the fight.

Nunes has shown a similar potential in the cage, as exhibited by her 14-second demolition of Julia Budd more than two years ago and a first-round submission of Raquel Pa’aluhi last summer.

Both women are at their best when they establish themselves as dominant forces in the cage from the get-go. When that process is either delayed or suppressed, however, they both seem to struggle. Which striker will assert herself early in this contest?

Hot Start for Rani

Though he may not be the best-known commodity in the UFC, Rani Yahya is still a really solid featherweight.

The jiu-jitsu ace made his UFC debut at 145 pounds after spending most of his World Extreme Cagefighting career at bantamweight, outpointing former featherweight ruler Mike Thomas Brown in January 2011 before dropping a unanimous verdict to Chad Mendes later in the year.

The 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist responded with a pair of wins, however, taking Josh Grispi to school on the ground roughly one year ago and then edging former Deep and Sengoku lightweight king Mizuto Hirota in March. Few can compete with Yahya’s ground game on a purely technical level, but the Brazilian has nevertheless shown a tendency to get sloppy late in fights. Can once-beaten American Josh Clopton avoid getting caught in an early submission and make the fight competitive?

Magny’s Moment

Neil Magny probably is not going to win a world title any time soon, but that does not change the fact that he can be a blast to watch.

A veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 16,” Magny has used his range and speed effectively in the past, continually utilizing the rarest technique in all of MMA -- the jab. Jokes aside, Magny fights tall, and his great hand speed allows him to throw long, dangerous combinations when he has the inclination. His ground game is also decent, as his slender torso and long legs allow him to create submission openings and worm his way out of bad positions. I think his wrestling and conditioning still leave something to be desired, but when Magny can string together effective offense early, he can be tough to beat.

He will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage on the ground against Sergio Moraes, but if Magny can keep the fight standing, it should be a good night for him. Which welterweight will come up with the win?

Source: Sherdog

Rivalry between Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate leads buzz of UFC world tour
By Mike Chiappetta

NEW YORK -- A world tour wouldn't live up to its name without a stop in the Big Apple. While cities like Los Angeles and Tokyo and Paris can occasionally dominate the world stage, few compare year-round with Manhattan, with its concentration of media outlets and trendsetters, movers and shakers. It's a place to see and be seen, to make the boldest of bold statement. And so despite the fact that the UFC can still not legally bring a fight to the state, they proved that they can still bring an event to the City.

With all eyes on them -- with FOX news and ESPN and numerous other outlets who rarely raise a brow at rapt attention -- the UFC brought out its high-voltage stars and made its pitch.

And with several of its biggest names -- Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez among them -- in attendance at the famed Beacon Theatre before hundreds of raucous fans, it was the women who stole the show. The rivalry that won't die was front and center, Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate providing the day's spark and fire.

For all of Velasquez's toughness and efficiency, for all of St-Pierre's technical mastery, when the two open their mouths, they rarely say anything particularly noteworthy. In fact, when last year, GSP said he had no real interest in women's MMA, the story blew up, as though his disinterest was an assault on the sport. In fact, he noted at the time that he only tended to watch the matches of personal friends; aside from that, he was an equal opportunity ignorer of fights. But that's what it's like as the champion, an often overbearing spotlight and endless scrutiny.

Faced with that statement again on Wednesday, St-Pierre said that he's begun to come around on it after watching Rousey's last match, a battle with Liz Carmouche. And so the women's assimilation continues.

So does the rivalry of Rousey and Tate. Perhaps purposely, the UFC through two tour dates has sat the two on opposite ends of the stage, as far from each other as possible. But no distance is far enough for their conflict. When they speak of each other, their answers crackle, popping with venom. It's all real, as everyone around them acknowledges.

But if that's the case, how do they separate the emotion from the competition? Or do they collide?

"They did the first time for me but I won't make that mistake again," Tate said. "Sometimes if you have a dislike for someone, it’s hard to separate that but I didn't get into fighting to beat people up I don't like. I still see it as competition. I'm going out there to test my skill set as the best Miesha Tate I can put in the cage. And really that’s what it’s about. I'm doing my very best to put my personal dislike for Ronda aside and just looking at it like competition. There’s a belt on the line and that’s really all that matters at the end of the day."

"It really doesn't matter to me," Rousey said of the rivalry. "I really fight emotionless when I'm out there. I don't need opinions about anything. I see things going on and I see all the options they're trying to do and narrow them down to a finish. I don't have any time to feel one way about my opponent. Compartmentalizing sets champions apart. I've had terrible, crazy days and weeks that lead up to a fight. You just have to turn that off and just do it. I’m not undefeated because I had perfect circumstances leaden up to every fight; I’m undefeated because regardless of circumstances, I still win."

The rivalry, now deep-seated, has roots in what Tate perceived to be Rousey's disrespect when Tate was the reigning Strikeforce champion, and Rousey was still fairly new to the organization. Tate said it was the first interview she'd ever seen with Rousey, who said she planned to slap the belt out of Tate's hands.

Since then, it's mostly been enmity.

The two had a lightning quick period of peace when after Tate lost to Cat Zingano, Rousey approached her to shake her hand and say she had fought well. Rousey said she felt the fight was stopped prematurely and could empathize with Tate's lost opportunity.

"It was cool to see that kind of respect from her," Tate said. "There's been a couple of glimmers of hope here and there that maybe we could squash the beef. The problem that I have with Ronda is that I felt disrespected from the get-go."

Tate also acknowledged her biggest mistake was the same thing: she disrespected (and underestimated) Rousey before they went to battle. It's a mistake she says she won't repeat.

Even if the two can't stand to be within shouting distance of each other, there's no denying that their combined presence puts a spark in the room. Their answers brought howls from the assembled crowd, and even Jones, who seems to have loved his front-row seat to the rivalry on the stage in between them. It is exactly 151 days until UFC 168. For both of them, it can't come soon enough.

New York world tour notes

Heavy thoughts

For the second straight day, Jon Jones was asked about his move up to heavyweight, something that is likely to happen in the future. This time, Cain Velasquez was asked about his thoughts on facing Jones.

"I think Jon Jones is a great champion. He's amazing at what he does out there. If he does be champ for a while, definitely I’ll accept the challenge for sure."

With that, Jones stood up with a smile on his face, and the two squared off, teasing the fans of what might one day come.

Bones vs. Klitschko?
Speaking of super fights, while Jones admitted one day he'd likely move up to heavyweight, he also brought up a surprise when asked about his dream match.

"I’d like to be heavyweight champ of the world in MMA, and the heavyweight champ in boxing one day, maybe beat up a Klitschko brother," he said. "You never know, it's a possibility."

Not surprisingly, UFC president Dana White, a longtime fan of boxing, was not exactly on board with the idea.

"I don't know what the hell he's thinking on that one," he said. "When MMA guys start getting too cocky about their boxing, it gets a little weird. Two totally different sports. I'll do it in MMA. I respect boxing."

Big Nog update
Junior dos Santos plans to have Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his camp when he starts camp, even though the heavyweight legend is still on the mend.

"He’s doing very well," he said. "He’s in Rio now. He got some problems in his arm again after that fight. But for sure he’s going to come to Salvador when I leave to help me with training for my next fight."

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC champ Jon Jones delays heavyweight move, says Teixeira bout is 'interesting'
by Steven Marrocco

UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones will move to heavyweight, but he might not do it as soon as expected.

"Oh, eventually," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Tuesday. "I'm getting older, I'm growing, and I'm getting stronger. Why not? Yeah, for sure."

Jones was responding to a question of whether his plans had changed given his previous statements about a move upward. His dominance of the light heavyweight division has prompted questions about a move up to heavyweight, and the 26-year-old and his camp have spoken several times about the possibility.

In January, he said it could happen as soon as 2014.

"I think heavyweight is going to come along around 2014 – maybe even late this year," Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) said. "Who knows. It'll definitely be a fight for the fans."

Three months later, he said he planned to target superfights and heavyweight fights after breaking UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz's record of five successful UFC light-heavyweight title defenses.

Jones, however, was a lot more tentative at a pair of press conferences this week in Los Angeles and New York as part of the UFC's current "World Tour" promoting its fall and winter pay-per-view schedule.

"Look at this guy next to me?" he said, turning to UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, who was hyping his upcoming rubber match with ex-champ Junior dos Santos at UFC 166. "Would you guys fight him? I don't know, guys. I don't know."

But really, he just didn't want to come off like a jerk.

"I just said that because Cain's next to me," Jones said with a smile. "I didn't want it to be awkward."

Jones is next scheduled to defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) at UFC 165, which takes place Sept. 21 in Toronto.

If Jones is able to break Ortiz's record at the pay-per-view event, it would appear to be a perfect segue into the big-man division. UFC President Dana White said challenges remain before the fighter can be considered to have cleared out the division. But he said he would like to see Jones eventually take on a new challenge.

"If he gets to the point in his career when he wants to move up to heavyweight, I mean, what he accomplished in the first year and a half as a light heavyweight was incredibly impressive," he said. "The fact that he can move up – I've been waiting for Anderson Silva to move up to 205, but he never wanted to do it. I'd like to see it."

Whether he's just being nice or seriously considering the idea of lingering longer at light heavyweight, Jones did express interest in one hot prospect in the division: Glover Teixeira (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who's won four straight to put himself in the conversation for a title shot.

"He's a guy on my radar, and that's a fight that I want," Jones said.

So there might be more work to do, after all.

Source: MMA Junkie

Dana White Guarantees Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald Will Fight When the Time Comes
by Jeff Cain

Teammates Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald’s career paths seem to be on a collision course, but the two continue to say they will not fight each other.

St-Pierre holds the UFC welterweight title and MacDonald is currently ranked third in the division. An eventual match-up appears to be inevitable.

“Those two will fight,” said UFC president Dana White during the UFC World Tour stop in New York on Wednesday.

“Here’s what they’re not going to do: they’re not going to publicly sit here and call each other out and go up and see each other in the gym and face each other. They’re both professionals. They understand that they’re both on this path to collide, and I think when the day comes, they’ll deal with it then. I think that’s the way they’re looking at it,” added White.

MacDonald (15-1) is on a five-fight winning streak. He defeated top-five ranked Jake Ellenberger on July 27. The only blemish on his record is a loss to former interim welterweight titleholder Carlos Condit in 2010.

White believes the two are saying they will not fight to maintain a normal atmosphere at the Tristar Gym.

“First of all, Rory lives in his house, meaning his gym. He lives in Montreal, trains with him, Georges says all kinds of good things about him. How weird would it be after the fight the other night if he got on the mic and said, ‘I want Georges St-Pierre and I want his belt’? It would be a little awkward flying back to Montreal and training on Monday,” said the UFC president.

When the time comes, White has no doubts that the fight will happen.

“I think these guys are handling it like professionals, doing their thing and when the day comes when they’re there, I guarantee you they’ll fight.”

Source: MMA Weekly

7/28/13

Bellator Signs Lightweight Champ Michael Chandler to Eight-Fight Contract Extension
by Ken Pishna

Michael Chandler-Bellator Am FlagBellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is currently preparing to defend his belt at next week’s Bellator 97 in Albuquerque, but he didn’t have to wait until after the fight to get a new deal done with the promotion.

Bellator MMA on Thursday revealed that it signed Chandler to an eight-fight extension to his current contract.

“In all my years in combat sports, I’ve never seen the growth and development in a fighter like we’ve all witnessed with Michael Chandler,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “I believe Michael is the best lightweight in MMA. And, given that, I felt it was paramount to keep Michael at Bellator for the long term. Both inside and outside the cage, Michael is a tremendous representative for our Bellator. And, now as one of the highest paid lightweights in MMA, he’s without question earned that distinction.”

Chandler (11-0) was a relative unknown until he upset then-champion Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator lightweight title late in 2011 in what many considered the Fight of the Year.

He has since fought just twice. Chandler’s first bout after winning the belt was a non-title victory over Akihiro Gono in May 2012. He then made his first title defense with a second-round submission of Rick Hawn in January of this year.

Chandler was expected to make his second defense last month at Bellator 96 against Dave Jansen, but Jansen fell out due to injury. He will now defend the belt against David Rickels on Wednesday at Bellator 97 instead.

“Since I signed with Bellator back in 2010, Bjorn laid out a plan for me of how he saw my career progressing and what type of levels we could reach together, and everything has come true,” Chandler said.

“I couldn’t be happier with the situation I’m in right now. Bellator is my home, it’s where I want to be, and it’s where I’m going to continue to defend my belt,” he continued.

“Over the last few months, you’ve continued to see Bellator go out and sign some of the best talent in the world, and the tournaments continue to be loaded with talent that I’m ready to take on. I believe in this format and what Bellator is doing, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. My focus right now is solely on David Rickels, and making sure we put on a show July 31.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Frank Shamrock on Fight Master, Episode 5: ‘I was looking forward to putting Joe Warren back in his place'
By Shaun Al-Shatti

Another week of Fight Master is in the books, as another pair of welterweights inch ever closer to a life-changing $100,000 grand prize.

Last night's episode featured two grinding tournament match-ups, the latter of which ended with the arms of our guest, Frank Shamrock, outstretched to the heavens once more in victory. A former Strikeforce, WEC, and UFC champion, Shamrock will join us every Thursday to elaborate on the week's episode, share stories from the set and highlight some things we may have missed.

If you have any questions you'd like Shamrock to answer next week, please write them in the comments below. Remember that rec'd comments will get first priority. And with that said, let's have some fun.

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Al-Shatti: We kick off this week's episode with Mike Bronzoulis (Couture) vs. Jason Norwood (Warren). This is the first non-Shamrock fight so far, but during the training montage we see a couple shots of Mike and Jason outside running the streets. In TUF, contestants are confined to the house. Were these guys allowed to leave the set?

Shamrock: There was about a half-mile perimeter of where they could go. It was made on a running track, but other than that, they weren't really allowed out. So it was very much a high-tense, confined situation.
Ep. 4: Joe Williams returns as a wildcard

If you open your door and you look out, there's a cage sitting there. It's always lit. It's just waiting. Every single day, walking by the cage, it's always lit, it's always just mouth open, waiting for something. It was almost like a living being and we're just kind of getting around it. It's so surreal. You're sitting right next to a guy, and you're just like, ‘Yeah, we're going to fight this weekend.' It was an experience like I haven't experienced before.

Al-Shatti: Ultimately Bronzoulis ends up tiring Norwood out before crushing him in the third round. Looking back on your career, what's the one moment that stands out to you in which cardio proved to be such a deciding factor, either for or against you?

Shamrock: The biggest one for me would be fighting Tito Ortiz. I knew he didn't have the vascular strength to go at the speed I was going to go at, and I knew I did. I knew once he crossed that line, he couldn't go back. He was going to crumble. It just goes back to, conditioning is your biggest weapon. A lot of these guys, they don't get that yet. They saw a perfect example. Mike broke him, and then Mike just started beating on him.

Al-Shatti: When the second bout arrives, and Ishmael Gonzalez picks your guy, last ranked Joe Williams, you like the match-up from the get go. Why?

Shamrock: Joe's ranking was not based on his abilities. I saw Joe pull off some really high-level wrestling techniques in his fight against Cole Williams, so I knew he had wrestling skill. He got ranked last because he got picked last. He lost and got in on a wildcard. So he organically got that spot, and Ishmael made a huge mistake by picking him, because Ishmael doesn't have high-level wrestling. He's got high-level striking, but a poor grappling game and I knew it. I just knew it. The minute he picked him, I was like, ‘Oh, Joey, you lucked out on this one.'

Al-Shatti: Before the fight Joe said something that struck me. He told his teammates: ‘You guys just want to win. I want to redeem myself.' Is there a unique strength in that mindset?

Shamrock: Joe is such a passionate person. When he speaks, he speaks right to the heart. When he's saying stuff like that, he's bringing you into his world, into his journey. That's very powerful for these guys. They're just starting, a lot of them really believe they can't do it. If you suck, Joe's going to be like, ‘Dude, you suck.' But if you have a positive attribute, he's going to pump that up. He's going to be honest with you in a way that makes some people uncomfortable, but for a lot of people, it makes them think, ‘Yeah, maybe I could do that.'

He's a visionary when it comes to what he wants to achieve, and he's able to get that across to the guys and get them to believe in things that I don't know if they should be believing in. (Laughs.) He's one of the those guys that talks and you go, ‘Man, that sounds good. I think I want to try that.' It could be the craziest thing in the world, but he has such passion and honesty that he captures you.

Al-Shatti: Well it played out almost perfectly. Once the fight started, Joe immediately snagged a takedown into half guard. You couldn't have asked for anything better.

Shamrock: Oh yeah. I knew the minute it went down, it was over. That's why I was picking on Joe Warren and having a good time.

Al-Shatti: Oh man, I was just about to ask you that. Three minutes in, you actually started talking noise to Ishmael. That blew me away. Joe Warren's expression was classic. I've never seen something like that before. Where did it come from?

Shamrock: (Laughs.) ‘Hey, Ishmael, just come to my camp! Warren doesn't know that!' (Laughs.) You know, that was basically for Warren. He got out of the gate real strong and it gave him a lot of confidence. He went from being, ‘Oh, I don't know,' to, ‘Hey, I'm the greatest wrestler in the world.' I was looking forward to kind of putting Warren back in his place a little bit.

I felt bad for Ishmael at the time. But we're in a competition and I'm trying to win, and in know that beating up Warren a little bit in this stage of the competition is really important. I had a lot of confidence in Williams and I wasn't really worried about it strategically, so I knew that I could take the time to pick on Warren, and that would pay off as the game went on.

Al-Shatti: It actually seemed to get Warren frustrated. He started pacing around then gave up on the first round with time still left on the clock.

Shamrock: That's all I needed! Because all Ishmael needed to do was stop Joe's shots, lower himself down a little bit and create distance. If he'd have done that, he could of really hurt Williams.
'That was my chance just to kick him hard, and you know, I kicked him hard. Then I kicked him again.'

So I knew I couldn't let up, because if I let up on Warren, he's going to get more and more confidence and he's just going to build Ishmael back up. I was like, ‘No, no, no. You keep picking on Warren, Warren will never tell Ishmael how to get up, and Ishmael will never get up, and then we'll all be good.' I mean, I felt bad afterwards because it was pretty aggressive, what I was doing, but I felt like that's what needed to be done in the moment in the game for my guy to be victorious.

Al-Shatti: Even between rounds, you kept it going. Be honest with me, how much delight were you taking away from this? Because I felt like your glee was radiating off my screen.

Shamrock: (Laughs.) Yeah, I was pretty happy. You know, Warren's a rough guy. He likes to play around and play pranks and stuff. I didn't know Warren until this game started, but on that stage I saw him getting stronger and stronger and stronger, building up his team, and when he really started making moves, I was like 'Wow, I was worried about Randy and Greg, and now I have to worry about Joe.' So that was my chance just to kick him hard, and you know, I kicked him hard. Then I kicked him again. (Laughs.)

Al-Shatti: The kicker for me was your last little gem, when you're yelling to Williams, ‘Joe has no idea how to teach him to get up! Joe is not a teacher!' Warren couldn't believe it. He actually stopped giving directions, then Ishmael just kind of gave up at the end.

Shamrock: He stopped everything! He, like, [accepted] it. He took the words I was telling him and was like, ‘Yeah, he's right. He's right.' He shut down. It felt so good. It really felt like I was winning all around on that one. (Laughs.)

Al-Shatti: Man, realistically, that could've backfired so hard...

Shamrock: Oh, I could've looked terrible! It was one of those gut feeling things. And it was also for Joe Williams. It wasn't about the other team. It was all about us empowering these guys, giving them words of strength and backing those up with techniques. That's what I do. Williams had all the skills but his confidence had been rattled from that loss. So I knew he needed something extra to help him believe, and that's fine. As silly as it was, it helped Williams believe, and it also made Warren crazy and it made Ishmael distracted. So it helped win the game for my whole side.

Al-Shatti: Well we end the episode with you and Randy Couture each carrying two guys through to the next round, and everyone else winless. How did you feel at that point in the game?

Shamrock: I felt pretty awesome. I knew Mike (Dubois) was going to be a tough one. He just doesn't have the skill. He fought a skilled guy, so I knew that was a one-in-a-million chance that he was going to beat Cole Williams. But I loved my team. The guys, they could see the glaring holes in their styles, and they were just like, ‘We're good. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.' Just that honesty and that faith in my vision, it was so cool to be around.

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READER FEEDBACK

gentleway asks: Along with mind, body and spirit are you incorporating meditation with their training? Is it something any of them brought with them?

Shamrock: Yeah, I incorporated meditation, relaxation, visualization pretty consistently into my training program, which is what I do anyway. And especially for guys like Lozano, he needed an extra mental edge. Guys like Mikey who didn't have the technical prowess, but had a real strong mind, I think it helped strengthen some of those guys. I do it everyday anyway, so all you've got to do is hang out with me and I'll get you doing it.

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Jamesglory asks: Given the quality of episode 4's action, would you be exaggerating if you said the fights are all of this quality, and is there still even better action to come?

Shamrock: There's better action to come, but Chris Lozano makes every fight amazing. Like, he's that guy. But yeah, you're going to see fights that are just really compelling because of the stylistic match-ups. The reason why Chris' fights are exciting is he can take an easy fight and make it exciting. He fights the fight that he needs to fight for himself personally, and the win and all of that is something extra. He's working on his own issues out there, and to watch him struggle through and fight through that is very entertaining. He just puts his heart on the line and you cant deny how awesome it looks.

Star-divide

Clone Of Moth Yup asks: Does Greg Jackson's ringside shouting irritate you as much as it irritates me?

Shamrock: I think it may irritate me more! (Laughs.) I mean, how hard can you yell, ‘Complete the position!' Why don't you just send a note to the judges? Be like, ‘Look, my guy is really good, guys.' I mean, I appreciate what he's doing and I understand his style, but I don't think anyone's ever seen it until now. Because you don't really hear it when you're in a fight, and here you sort of hear him real loud. People are kind of split on whether it's effective, using it in that situation.

Source: MMA Fighting

Report: Whistleblower says MMA fighters also were Biogenesis PED clients

ufc-empty-cage.jpgIn addition to some high-profile MLB players, the Florida-based Biogenesis clinic also supplied performance-enhancing drugs to MMA fighters, a whistleblower reportedly claims.

According to ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Biogenesis employee-turned-whistleblower Porter Fischer said the client list stretches beyond MLB and includes "athletes from the NBA, NCAA, professional boxing, tennis and MMA, in addition to other professional baseball players who have not yet been identified."

He hasn't yet identified the athletes.

After backpay issues with clinic founder Tony Bosch, Fischer turned over documents to the Miami New Times in 2012. It ultimately led to an MLB investigation and the recent suspension of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League MVP. However, his intention to spark a federal investigation of Biogenesis and Bosch never came to fruition. Fischer said Bosch passed himself off as a medical doctor, though he has no medical degree. Bosch previously administered Fischer weight-loss regimens of prescription drugs, and Fischer ultimately invested in the company and briefly became its marketing director before the backpay issues.

While the initial media focus has been on Braun, Alex Rodriguez and 20 or so other MLB clients who also could be facing suspensions, Fischer said documents identify athletes from the other sports going back to 2009.

"In just the four years that I know, it's got to be well over a hundred (involved athletes), easy," he told "Outside the Lines." "It's almost scary to think about how many people have gone through [Bosch's treatments] and how long he's gotten away with this."

Fischer didn't say if the alleged MMA clients hail from Florida, which is home to major MMA camps such as American Top Team and the Blackzilians.

However, details are likely to emerge in the coming weeks.

Source: MMA Junkie

Fox Sports 1: We won’t focus on drug usage in sports (like UFC)
By Zach Arnold

One of my favorite sports sites, Awful Announcing, has been doing a great job in covering the impending launch of the Fox Sports 1 channel. I’ve always had a soft spot for Awful Announcing but they have really stepped up their game lately and two reports on their site deserve your attention.

With four big fight cards coming up for UFC in August, the launch of Fox Sports 1 is critical for Zuffa’s success. The channel needs to be strong. So, having a big launch will be important. Given that FS1 is a rebranding of the Speed channel, you would think that the launch would be easier… but Fox Sports 1 is having trouble with cable and satellite companies. The problem? Carriage fees.

According to a report in this week’s Sports Business Journal, John Ourand reports that three cable and satellite providers, Dish Network, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable are still negotiating carriage agreements. Awful Announcing has learned that a fourth provider is also negotiating and perhaps balking at Fox’s proposed 80 cents per subscriber cost. In Ourand’s report, the deal to carry Fox Sports 1 would eventually increase to $1.50 per subscriber.

The whole financial model for Fox Sports 1 is to basically accomplish what ESPN has accomplished, which is swallow up your television bill with an excessively high carriage fee in order to make an exorbitant profit. It’s the whole point of all of the Fox Sports television properties, from the regional networks to the Big Ten channel. When Rutgers entered the Big Ten, the excuse publicly was that it would be good for recruiting to enter into the New York market. The real answer as to why Rutgers was so key for the Big Ten is that the Murdoch empire would be able to soak up carriage fees on cable/satellite systems in the Northeast. So, everyone who is a subscriber has to pay for the carriage fee whether or not they actually watch the station in the first place.

If the television providers balk at the FS1 carriage price, then that puts a damper on FS1 expansion plans. Furthermore, it reminds us to John McCain’s attempts to create an a la carte system for pay TV subscribers. Such a system would basically slash ESPN’s revenue by at least 50% and shrink the universe in terms of number of cable channels in existence because many conglomerates own a family of channels (think: Discovery, A & E, Lifetime, etc. in same universe) and a la carte would burst that bubble.

So, negotiation over carriage fees is one hurdle for FS1. However, these types of disputes generally end up in some sort of settlement no matter how nasty they get publicly. That’s one issue. The second issue, however, is much more critical regarding the creative direction of Fox Sports 1 as a channel. If Fox Sports 1 wants to be a serious player, they need to be a real alternative to ESPN and part of that strategy should be focusing on the fundamentals of reporting and doing the things right that ESPN currently is not. The celebrification of sports by ESPN creates a myriad of conflicts, tension, and frankly some unwatchable programming on the network. It also impacts what kind of reporting is done on Sportscenter regarding stories that should or should not be focused on.

Awful Announcing warns, however, that Fox Sports 1 will be an ESPN alternative… but will it be the one many critics want?

A quote Fox Sports senior vice-president (marketing) Robert Gottlieb gave to Cynopsis (via Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch) is interesting on that front:

“It’s pretty simple, while it’s not a tagline, the message is that it’s time for sports to be fun again. There’s the perception that sports and sports television has gotten too corporate and fans ultimately want to come for fun. The fun of the great comeback, the fun of performances that we will never forget that give you goose bumps. It’s not about steroids, Tim Tebow and other BS that keep getting crammed down our throat. So for FOX Sports 1, it’s in our DNA. We make things more fun, more colorful and more vivid and that’s our position of what we are promising to viewers. Fans want an alternative.”

So, if we’re to believe Fox Sports management, the ‘alternative’ to ESPN will basically be a Spike-ified version of a sports channel. Or, to put it more grotesquely, a Best Damn Sports Show Period programming cycle on steroids. I guess they can put the clip of James Toney dropping his pants in a parking lot on a loop.

Robert Gottlieb is right — sports fans want an alternative. They want a network that will honestly report on all sports leagues, including the ones in which the network has television & business relationships with. That has been a heavy point of contention between viewers and ESPN for many years. What viewers seeking for an alternative from ESPN want is a network with a more serious approach to reporting. They want a network that is willing to go against the establishment and do things in a non-corporate fashion.

When Fox Sports talks about wanting to be different than ESPN, we should take them at their word. Both Fox & ESPN have deals with Major League Baseball. On the various Fox properties, the issue of baseball’s drug problem is rarely discussed. On ESPN, however, they have let their A-team tackle the steroid scandals in baseball and the network has done a remarkable job of reporting what is happening with baseball’s drug culture. Bob Ley with Outside the Lines and TJ Quinn, the gold standard of all scandal writers, have carried the day and brought an amazing amount of sunlight onto baseball’s biggest drug users. Pedro Gomez also has done remarkable work. This is ESPN’s strength. Despite ESPN/Disney having so much cash tied into MLB, the network has made the conscious decision to let Quinn and others do their job. The proof is in the pudding.

This is what viewers respect about ESPN. They just wish ESPN would be aggressive in reporting on all their sports properties and acknowledging the competition when it comes to reporting on big stories.

So, when Fox Sports management starts mocking ESPN about their core strengths, it’s a warning sign of things to come. Those looking for an ESPN alternative aren’t looking for Skip Bayless wannabes. They aren’t looking for softball-style celebrification programming. They want red meat. So far, NBC Sports Network has failed big in this category. It’s why their upcoming Premier League agreement is really a make-or-break moment for the network’s future. The NHL is the only sports property saving NBCSN in terms of relevance. Who would have ever thought that OLN slash Versus slash NBCSN would be nostalgic for the days of WEC events?

Right now, all sports league have drug problems. However, the UFC & MMA in general has a really bad drug culture. From pain killers to testosterone to diuretics, combat sports right now is as dirty as horse racing and track & field. The UFC is the face of this problem in Mixed Martial Arts, given how many high-profile names are testosterone users and are not punished for such drug usage. When a drug scandal rocks the UFC in the future, and it will soon enough, how will Fox Sports 1 handle the situation? What will the critics of ESPN, looking for an alternative sports network with gravitas, think then?

If we are to gather how serious a network Fox Sports 1 will be, then it’s fair to say that the recent hirings the network has made will give us a clue as to what ‘alternative’ means. They have Jay Onrait & Dan O’Toole from TSN for comedy. They have their own college football version of Skip Bayless, mind you a more polished & presentable version, in Clay Travis. And then there are the impending flood of ESPN refugees like No-Charissa-ma Thompson & Mike Hill. Will these personalities be heavy hitters when it comes to handling major sports stories like drug scandals, given the current philosophy of Fox Sports management?

When Fox Sports talks about being an ‘alternative’ to ESPN, most people assume that they will aim to be a sports network with a more serious, cutting, biting programming philosophy. Instead, it appears that they are going to go for the Michelle Beadle playbook. Beadle, the former host of Sportsnation, never believed in taking sports seriously and always felt that sports coverage needed a strong tie-in with pop culture. After she left Sportsnation, she went to NBCSN for Olympics coverage but has now moved onto Access Hollywood and hosting episodes of Breaking Amish on TLC. I kid you not.

If Fox Sports 1 goes for the full Beadle-ification, then don’t expect the network to cover any scandals involving the UFC seriously at all. It will open the door, however, for ESPN to go after sports properties closely aligned with Fox. The UFC has had an amazing ability to control their message recently on ESPN. They had Chris Weidman do the Bristol car wash and got the network to allegedly go along with a request to not show the actual finishing punches from the Weidman/Silva fight. Will this blackout policy extend to the promotion of the rematch in December?

Let’s see how long that creative control lasts with Bristol once Fox Sports 1 is active and ignores scandals involving sports properties they have relationships with.

Source: Fight Opinion

UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman Gate Officially Lands in Nevada’s Top 5 MMA Draws

Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman UFC 162 staredownThe official numbers are in and UFC 162 is officially a success… at least at the box office.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Thursday revealed the final tally for UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman confirming an attendance of 12,964 for gate receipts totaling $4,826,450.

UFC 162 took place on July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and aired live on pay-per-view.

There were 10,157 tickets sold for UFC 162, while company officials gave away 2,807 complimentary tickets.

New UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman made the event one for the history books, capturing the belt by knocking out Anderson Silva in the second round. While many fellow pro fighters predicted that Weidman had the ability to win the fight, the way the fight ended came as a surprise to nearly everyone.

The two will now meet in a rematch at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, again at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 162’s $4,826,450 gate puts it on the list as the No. 5 top grossing MMA event in Nevada history.

Source: MMA Weekly

ACJ Injuries in MMA
by Seth Wimmer in Injuries

ACJ Injuries

The acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) is the joint sitting atop the shoulder between your deltoid and the base of the neck, and is where the top of the shoulder blade meets the clavicle bone.

Commonly in contact sports such as American football, rugby and combat sports such as wrestling, the top of the shoulder can forcefully strike an opponent and cause injury at this joint. As such, rather than running congruently with the top of the shoulder, deformations of the joint can occur when placed under strain as demonstrated clearly by Gil Melendez in his recent UFC on Fox 7 lightweight title fight against Benson Henderson (see picture above).

The ACJ is usually injured from a direct impact to the point of the shoulder or outer point of the collar bone. The amount of joint damage is classified commonly in terms of the amount of joint displacement (separation) which infers a specific degree of injury to the acromioclavicular joint ligaments.

Classification & Diagnosis

ACJ injuries are classified as follows:

I: An ACJ sprain only (Minimal- <50% collar bone elevation or subluxation)
II: ACJ ligament and joint capsule tear, 50% collar bone elevation or subluxation)
III: Disruption to ACJ ligament, capsule and coracoclavicular ligaments. 100% dislocation of the collarbone upwards and loss of contact between collar bone and shoulder blade.
* IV: Disruption to ACJ ligament, capsule and coracoclavicular ligaments. 100% dislocation backwards into or through the trapezius muscle.
* V: Disruption to ACJ ligament, capsule and coracoclavicular ligaments. Dislocation with 100-300% separation between collar bone and shoulder blade. Detachment from collarbone and deltoid & trapezius muscles.
* VI: Disruption to ACJ ligament, capsule and coracoclavicular ligaments. ACJ dislocated with collar bone moving beneath the acromion and coracoid process(downwards)

* NB: For grades IV- VI early surgical intervention is required.

Management

Grade I-III injuries are usually managed conservatively with anti-inflammatory medications, analgesia and physiotherapy interventions.

In my experience there are a few type of presentations for these grade ACJ injuries which individuals will suffer from.

1. Pain only

Grade I injuries will commonly not demonstrate laxity or movement of the clavicle out of joint, but will report pain specifically on palpation of the joint, on loading of the arm above head height or at end of range elevation or reaching across the body. Usually this will settle within the correct healing times for ligaments (8-10 weeks) with relatively non-strenuous activity being undertaken. Pain can be managed by icing frequently to prevent swelling accumulating and disrupting joint mechanics, and by keeping active to gently increase the load bearing tolerance of the ligaments.

2. Hypomobile with no laxity

These patients may have initially a higher degree of ligament sprain, with laxity or collar bone movement, which has now become stiff but not out of place in the joint. These patients will have no obvious deformation, similar to those described above, but on pressure through the collar bone will have lost the small but important movement in this joint which is essential for good joint mechanics. They may require joint mobilisation to ensure the joints are able to function appropriately.

3. Hypomobile with laxity & deformation

This group of patients will demonstrate with a “step deformity” as Melendez does above which is always present, as their collar bone is being held “out of place”. Their ability to elevate their arm may be much more limited (to usually about 90°). These individuals will need mobilisation to a greater degree to improve joint motion, but then may require taping regularly to ensure the joint remains in place to allow the ligament to attempt to heal in position.

4. Instability

These patients will demonstrate a transient step deformity, with the movement of the collar bone changing dependent upon their activity. They will have less joint stiffness and pain is dependent upon the joint position. Taping is essential for these patients to ensure the joint stays in position.

General Rehabilitation Foci

Some specific components of rehabilitation should be undertaken to ensure a successful management of this injury.

• Classify properly and identify what is mechanically occurring at the ACJ
• Utilise closed chain exercises (where hands remain in contact with a stable surface), such as plank holds or push ups early to activate muscle stabilisers around the joint and the shoulder blade- whilst controlling movement of the ACJ.
• Start strengthening the arm below 90° before elevating higher, and ensure the joint remains in place.
• Tape, re-tape, teach your patient how to tape, get them to re-tape (if you feel the collar bone is elevating)
• Train the trapezius through exercises which retract (or bring backwards) the scapula, as this is an essential muscle to control the shoulder blade (e.g. Y’s or T’s/ Blackburn exercises)

Key Tips

• Do not over stress ACJ ligament tissue whilst it is healing
• Avoid prolonged immobilisation
• Muscle balance around the shoulder blade is essential (think 3 pulling exercises for every 1 pushing)
• Spend time of shoulder blade muscle strength (especially the trapezius)
• Improve posterior shoulder flexibility
• Consider proprioception and neuromuscular control

Stay Healthy and Keep Fighting.

Chris Tack is the lead physiotherapist and owner of All Powers Rehabilitation & Conditioning in London, England.

Source: Fight Opinion

Journo to Journo: Coach Mike Riordan discusses wrestling in MMA
By Steph Daniels

In the latest 'Journo to Journo' installment, Bloody Elbow's wrestling guru, Coach Mike Riordan discusses all things wrestling in relation to MMA.
Tweet (19) Share (4) 41 Comments Rec (9)

Another installment of my 'Journo to Jorno' weekly segment is in the books. This week's offering is another Bloody Elbow staffer, 'Coach' Mike Riordan. Mike brings our readers the wrestling flavor they didn't know they craved, until it was already in front of their eyes. His breakdowns are some of the very best around, so I couldn't resist getting some time with him.

My co-host, Iain Kidd gets the snaps, kudos, props and whatever other cool pats on the back there are for his speedy transcription of this awesome interview. Here's what Mike had to say:

His Twitter 'Debate' With Jon Snowden

Well ... I don't want to blow that one out of proportion. It's just, there's a pattern, I think, in mixed martial arts writing, of when people get their hands on somebody who has a wrestling background, and they have sort of an outsider's perspective, and they discuss it the way an outsider would. When you're somebody inside the world of amateur wrestling like I have been, and am, it's sort of sticks out to you, it's discordant when you hear these outside perspectives.

It's ubiquitous in MMA; people talking about wrestling in ways that show they don't quite understand, or have a fully nuanced view of what somebodies accomplishments mean, and I think I do. I think I have a strong grasp of what they mean, so I try to enlighten people if I can.

Background

I wrestled Division One in South Carolina. I wasn't very good, I wasn't terribly successful at a college level, but I did it. What it did, is it prepared me. I wanted to coach, and I became a high school wrestling coach. My goal was to coach and explain wrestling in a logical and conceptual manner to people. That's kind of what led into me being a writer, thinking about wrestling in a deep way.

Wrestlers Who Vastly Outperform Their Credentials in MMA

Ben Henderson. Ben Henderson was an All American, but an NAIA All American, and that's really the lowest division of college wrestling. It still means he's good, but the fact he has used his wrestling ability in such an effective way to become a UFC champion, and really control the way a lot of matches have gone, and outwrestle guys with better credentials than him, like Shane Roller, shows he has out performed his wrestling credentials.

Demetrious Johnson is another one. He doesn't have any real college pedigree. He was a good high school wrestler, but not a national calibre guy. He's one of the very best, and most visually impressive wrestlers in MMA. Pedigree, from my perspective, matters. Generally the better amateur wrester is going to make the better MMA wrestler, and the better fighter, but there are guys, fairly regularly, outperforming the accolades they received in their amateur backgrounds.

Biggest Adjustments Between Wrestling and MMA

The obvious thing is stance. I think you've seen guys like Jake Rosholt fighting a little with their heads forward too much. The biggest adjustment, I would say, from wrestling to striking is that for most wrestlers, most of your shooting and most of your offensive wrestling, is going to be off of your right foot. You lead with your right foot. If you're striking, your right foot is going to be the trail foot, because your power hand is going to be your right hand.

So guys who are left footed shots in wrestling have a built in advantage, because they can fight in a conventional stance, and still be in a position to shoot off that front foot, but if you're a right footed shot, that leads to a little bit of confusion, and some real choices you have to make in terms of how you're going to fight in the stand up game.

Relationship Between Wrestling and MMA

I have seen camps and teams try to reach out to the wrestling community. I've seen, a few years ago I think, American Top Team was posting on the USA Wrestling message boards saying, 'hey, are there any top wrestlers who want to fight? Come here.' And it worked. I don't know if it's a direct result, but they've got some damn good wrestlers now. The UFC and promotions themselves though? I don't think they are tapping wrestlers on the shoulder.

I think MMA and Wrestling should have a more symbiotic relationship. You see a sport that's thriving like mixed martial arts, and a sport that's really struggling at college and Olympic level, which is on the verge of death. Mixed Martial Arts is becoming a professional league for college wrestlers, and to not have some greater level of symbiosis between each other is foolish. It's stupid on the part of wrestling to not embrace that, to not try to strengthen that bond.

Now, will it happen? I don't... The powers that be, that are in charge of running wrestling as a sport, I don't have much faith in their ability to make savvy decisions like that. Wrestling has never been relevant in any popular, modern sport, until now, but I just... I'm very sceptical of the sports ability to take advantage of it. There's not much innovation in the way it's run. It's getting better though, things are changing a little bit, so maybe it will. I'm hopeful, but not too optimistic.

Here's something I'd like to address. MMA has still barely, just barely, scratched the surface of the talent pool available in Division I, II and III wrestling. You go to Division One nationals and there are 320 something of the best, toughest wrestlers in the nation, that are aged 18-23. Not every one of them could be a world champ, but probably any one of them could be a UFC level fighter if they played their cards right, and almost none of them go into MMA. A very small percentage, a very tiny little fraction of them will go into MMA, and it's scary to think about what would happen if that percentage started to rise, and I think it will.

You're going to see more success, and more wrestlers, and more guys like Chris Weidman coming out of the woodwork and really taking to MMA and taking to the submission game, and becoming world champion calibre guys.

Standout Wrestlers to Watch Out For

In terms of people who are amateur wrestlers now, and could be great fighters ... First off, it's super hard to predict. There are so many different kinds of wrestlers who have succeeded in MMA, it's not just a simple bang a guy on the head and shoot a fast double type that's going to succeed, though those guys probably will.

Jordan Burroughs would obviously be your number one seed, your first pick there, of course he has indicated that he's not going to do MMA, and he has no reason to. He has parleyed his wrestling success to make himself very financially comfortable.

I would say after that, there is a guy who wrestles for Penn State right now, he has won two NCAA titles in a row, he hasn't lost in two years and he wrestles at 174lbs. His name is Ed Ruth, and the way he moves, the way he wrestles, there's just a certain indescribable talent about him. Whether he goes the Olympic route, or the MMA route, remains to be seen.

I wish there was more openness from these guys in college saying, 'Hey, yeah I'm going to do MMA when I leave', but there have only been a couple of guys who have said that before their last college match, that's rare. There's just so much talent out there that just hasn't been exploited.

Source: Bloody Elbow

UFC: Nothing confirmed for Brazil in October, but more 2013 events planned
by Matt Erickson

marshall-zelaznik-10.jpgThe UFC cannot yet confirm a rumored return to Brazil in October, but that probably doesn't mean the promotion isn't trying to lock something up.

Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's director of international development, on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that a rumored Oct. 9 show in Brazil can't yet be confirmed – but there indeed are plans in place for more events in the country in 2013 after the next two.

UFC 163 takes place next week in Rio de Janeiro, and on Sept. 4, the promotion returns to Belo Horizonte for UFC Fight Night 28. The rumored Oct. 9 show does not yet have a location attached to it – part and parcel, perhaps, to the UFC not being able to announce some Brazil cards farther in advance.

"We've got our event in September in Belo Horizonte, which just went on sale, so we have effectively two events on sale in Brazil at the same time," Zelaznik said. "We are bringing more events to Brazil, but as far as October is concerned, we're not in a position to confirm anything. Venues are always an issue for us to try to find the right venue that fits into our schedule. While we do have plans to bring more events beyond the two currently on sale, we don't have any dates or venues yet committed for those."

So far in 2013, the UFC has been to Sao Paulo for UFC on FX 7 in January, Jaragua do Sul for UFC on FX 8 in May and Fortaleza for UFC on FUEL TV 10 in June. The August and September events will make five in the South American country this calendar year, which will equal as many as have been held there in all prior years combined.

So it's obvious the UFC's push there will continue in a major way.

"The one thing we know is that there's an appetite in Brazil for UFC live events," Zelaznik said. "Between our (television) partners with Globo and Globosat, and Combat Channel, there's also a huge demand for television media to cover the events. We're trying to satisfy all the demand there, and we're committed for the year and years to follow to bring five-plus events into the region. I see that happening – I see us bringing more events."

In 2014, Brazil hosts the FIFA World Cup for soccer, and in 2016, the Olympic Games take place in the country. Looking long-term, Zelaznik believes that will open up the door to make things even easier for the UFC to put on shows with the same kind of regularity 2013 ultimately will see, and then some.

"I think after the World Cup and Olympics, more venues will become available to us," he said. "But we've now got a very strong foundation in Brazil and we're going to keep bringing events there. We've got amazing Brazilian talent that the fans there want to see, so we're going to do our job to bring their fellow countrymen to watch them fight."

UFC 163, which takes place at Rio's HSBC Arena with a main card on pay-per-view after prelims on FX and Facebook, features a featherweight title fight between Brazilian champion Jose Aldo and top contender Chan Sung Jung, "The Korean Zombie."

Source: MMA Junkie

Twist of fate made UFC on FOX 8's Julie Kedzie a Jackson's fighter
By Dave Doyle

SEATTLE -- A memorable 2007 fight against Gina Carano was a pivotal moment in Julie Kedzie's career. For more than one reason.

First, there's the obvious one: Carano's thrilling unanimous decision win over Kedzie in Southaven, Miss., is considered the bout which put women's mixed martial arts on the map. The fight was held on the inaugural Elite XC card and the first Showtime MMA broadcast, and without women fighting in the UFC, the match was many viewer's first WMMA exposure.

But fight week also marked the first time Kedzie, who makes her UFC debut against Germaine de Randamie at UFC on FOX 8 at Key Arena on Saturday, made contact with legendary trainer Greg Jackson.

"What happened was, my trainer up in Indiana at the time had a medical condition and wasn't able to fly," Kedzie said. "So I flew down and I had a couple days to kill before my trainer got there. And I end up meeting Greg and Joey Villasenor and hanging out with them, and they were really cool guys. Greg comes off so laid back, I didn't even know he was this big trainer and a big deal in the business."

Up until that point in her career, Kedzie was based in Indiana and had done the majority of her fighting in the Midwest. After coming up short in her fight with Carano, Kedzie realized she would have to branch out if she was going to make the jump to the next level. So after the Carano fight, she accepted an invitation to come out and visit Jackson's famed camp in Albuquerque.

"I got out there and I know, right away, that this was it," Kedzie said. "Greg really was a big deal. It really was like a family out there, a great group of people. I knew right away that New Mexico was going to be my new home."

While Jackson's is best known for hosting men's champions like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans, WMMA is as well-represented there as in any major camp in the sport. In addition to Kedzie, at one time or another, Carano, Sarah Kaufmann, Tara LaRosa, and current Invicta atomweight champ Michelle Waterson have trained at Jackson's.

That's helped Kedzie push herself to a day she never stopped believing she'd she. Twenty-seven fights into her career Kedzie finally becomes part of MMA's biggest promotion as she meets de Randamie in the opening fight of the FX portion of the crowd.

"All those years, Dana [White] said he'd never have women fight in the UFC, and I didn't believe it," the 32-year-old Kedzie said. "I'd tell people: 'I'm going to fight in the UFC one day,' and people would say 'yeah, sure.' You can call it destiny or fate or whatever you want to call it, but I always believed this day would come."

Kedzie (16-11) hasn't fought since last Aug. 18, when she lost via third-round submission to Miesha Tate in an outstanding Strikeforce bout in San Diego. Shoulder surgery kept Kedzie sidelined for six months. But de Randamie (3-2), an American Kickboxing Academy fighter who comes from a kickboxing background, also hasn't fought since that same night, when she scored a unanimous-decision win over Hiroko Yamanaka.

"She's a kickboxer, but I mean, so what?" said Kedzie. "She's come over from straight kickboxing, but I think I'm stronger in kickboxing for MMA. I think I know how to better apply it to MMA. So I'm not afraid to stand with her and I'm not afraid to take this fight wherever it goes."

And who knows? If Kedzie didn't find herself with time to kill that week in Southaven and had the chance encounter with Jackson, this day may have never come.

Source: MMA Fighting

Rampage Jackson vs. Roy Jones Jr. in a Boxing Match? It’s Agreed to for a Year-End PPV
by Bleacher Report

Courtesy of Damon Martin and official MMAWeekly.com content partner Bleacher Report.

Rampage Jackson UFC on Fox 6 Former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has apparently booked his first fight since signing with Bellator MMA, but it won’t be in an MMA bout.

Instead, Jackson is strapping on the boxing gloves and facing former multi-divisional champion Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match at a pay-per-view event later this year.

According to a report from MMAJunkie.com, Jackson and Jones have agreed to a boxing match at an unspecified weight limit at a Viacom/Bellator produced pay-per-view to close out the year.

Bellator officials were unavailable for comment at the time of publication when contacted by Bleacher Report.

Jackson has been out of action since January when he lost a unanimous decision to Glover Teixeira in his final bout in the UFC. Following that fight, Jackson was granted his free agency and opted to sign a long-term deal with Bellator as well as additional deals in place with parent company Viacom as well as TNA pro wrestling.

Since signing his new deal, Jackson has been appearing on TNA wrestling while rehabbing an injured knee that ailed him for the biggest part of his last few fights with the UFC. There was no timetable for his return to action, although he speculated it would be before the end of 2013.

Now all signs are pointing towards Jackson stepping back into the cage/ring later this year while facing a former boxing legend in his return fight.

Roy Jones Jr. has had his name tossed around MMA circles for the last few years, most notably by former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva who long talked about facing him in a boxing match.

UFC president Dana White even teased that he was talking to Jones during UFC 162 fight week about possible making a deal to put him in the cage with Silva. Unfortunately that plan all fell to the wayside thanks to Chris Weidman ending Silva’s reign as champion with a second round knockout victory.

That left Jones without any potential opponents, but it seems Bellator and Viacom were still interested in matching him up with somebody from the MMA world and that somebody is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

It’s unknown at this time how Viacom or Bellator would promote such a fight given the fact that they are not in the business of boxing, but the skeletal work is at least started on putting this bout together pitting Jackson against Jones in the boxing arena.

Source: MMA Weekly

7/27/13

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UFC on Fox 8 Preview Johnson vs. Moraga
By Tristen Critchfield

Demetrious Johnson will enter the cage on a three-fight winning streak.

If the average MMA fan has been slow to warm to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most diminutive division, Fox executives have not seemed to notice.

For the second straight fight, flyweight king Demetrious Johnson will defend his crown in front of a network television audience. The first time around, ratings returns were solid for a UFC on Fox 6 card that saw “Mighty Mouse” vanquish John Dodson in Chicago. At UFC on Fox 8 this Saturday at KeyArena in Seattle, Johnson shares top billing with John Moraga. With increased exposure, the flyweight fan base should only continue to grow.

Johnson and Moraga will not have to shoulder the ratings burden alone, however. In the co-main event, Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger square off in a pivotal welterweight encounter, while Liz Carmouche attempts to build on her strong performance against Ronda Rousey by knocking off Octagon newcomer Jessica Andrade. Throw in the violence potential of Robbie Lawler, and you have the makings of a pretty solid evening, so crank up the Pearl Jam and take a closer look at the UFC on Fox 8 lineup, complete with analysis and picks:

Moraga is 2-0 in the UFC.
UFC Flyweight Championship

Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1, 5-1-1 UFC) vs. John Moraga (13-1, 2-0 UFC)

The Matchup: After competing in the opening bout in each of his first two UFC appearances, Moraga seems like a curious choice to challenge for the flyweight title. However, the promotion has been slow to add talent to the new division, so fresh contenders are scarce -- and it is still too early to give someone like Joseph Benavidez another shot at the gold. It also does not hurt that Moraga has finished two high-level flyweights in Ulysses Gomez and Chris Cariaso in those two outings.

For the second time in a row, Johnson headlines a Fox card -- he toppled Dodson in the UFC on Fox 6 main event -- and the added exposure can only serve to raise his profile. “Mighty Mouse” established himself as a champion with staying power against Dodson, surviving a pair of knockdowns early before outworking his opponent down the stretch to capture a unanimous decision victory. Dodson was probably the foe best equipped to deal with Johnson’s speed, but the champion countered the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts product’s athleticism by wearing him down in the clinch in the championship rounds.

While the Thai plum proved to be a nice addition to Johnson’s arsenal against Dodson, Moraga figures to be far more comfortable in such situations. Against Gomez, Moraga effectively landed knees in the clinch throughout before sealing his first-round technical knockout win with a vicious elbow. With that in mind, expect Johnson to rely more on his speed to deliver punching combinations while moving in and out of danger. Johnson’s punching is accurate, but he has yet to finish an opponent during his UFC tenure. Moraga has a solid chin and will look to push the pace as much as possible, especially since he will not be afraid of Johnson’s power.

Moraga has used his wrestling to keep fights standing thus far, and he will want to do the same here. Johnson’s ability to land rapid-fire combinations in the pocket allow him to set up takedowns effectively, however, as he took down both Dodson and Benavidez five times apiece in their bouts. Dodson had not been taken down in UFC competition prior to facing Johnson. “Mighty Mouse” usually gets the best of scrambles on the mat, as well.

Moraga has yet to endure the rigors of a five-round fight, and 25 minutes against the frenetic champion tends to take its toll. The Arizonan’s best chance of victory comes if he can look for a finish by hurting Johnson with elbows and punches in close quarters. Like many before him, Moraga could tire after constantly being forced to defend Johnson’s relentless blend of striking and takedowns in a long fight, as the champion has not experienced any conditioning issues since his first fight with Ian McCall.

The 29-year-old Moraga might be able to find encouragement in the fact that both Dodson and Benavidez rocked Johnson with punches, but for the most part, the World Extreme Cagefighting veteran remains extremely difficult to hit, and his ability to recover from damage is impressive.

The Pick: It is too much to ask of Moraga to overwhelm a still-improving Johnson in the clinch for 25 minutes, and “Mighty Mouse” almost always lands more strikes than his opponents on the feet. Unless Moraga can somehow control Johnson with wrestling, the champion wins via decision.

Welterweights

Rory MacDonald (14-1, 5-1 UFC) vs. Jake Ellenberger (29-6, 8-2 UFC)

The Matchup: MacDonald is one of the most interesting characters in the welterweight division, an intriguing blend of athleticism and awkwardness who is as capable of the jaw-dropping performance in the cage as he is the cringe-worthy interview outside of it.

While MacDonald’s personality might be difficult for the average fan to relate to, most anyone can appreciate his versatile and violent skill set. Since suffering a heartbreaking loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 115 when he was 20 years old, “Ares” has reeled off four straight victories in the Octagon. His triumph over B.J. Penn at UFC on Fox 5 was so lopsided that he drew the ire of some fans for taunting the former champion instead of finishing the bout in the final frame. Still, MacDonald’s dominance against respected veterans such as Penn, Mike Pyle and Nate Diaz demonstrate why the young welterweight has been tabbed as the heir apparent to teammate Georges St. Pierre.

Ellenberger was nearing a title shot until a loss to Martin Kampmann at “The Ultimate Fighter 15” Finale in 2012 slowed his charge. The Reign MMA representative has rebounded to post wins over Jay Hieron and Nate Marquardt in his last two outings. The 28-year-old “Juggernaut” possesses formidable knockout power, but that has been counteracted by his tendency to fade against opponents who can survive his initial onslaught.

When MacDonald is doing his best GSP impersonation, he can be overwhelming with positional advancements and heavy ground-and-pound from top position. However, Ellenberger is a physical fighter who often uses a strong wrestling base to keep fights standing. With MacDonald likely to find it difficult to bully Ellenberger, he will have to resort to using a well-rounded kickboxing arsenal. The Canadian was proficient in landing combinations against Penn, mixing his strikes to the head, body and legs. A versatile striker, “Ares” also was effective delivering standing elbows.

Ellenberger is more basic, relying on his solid jab and counter left hook. He will look to press the action early in hopes of the finish, so MacDonald must use his three-and-a-half inch reach advantage and timely kicks to control the distance in the opening frame.

If MacDonald avoids Ellenberger’s heavy hands, more openings should present themselves in rounds two and three. While Ellenberger demonstrated a more measured approach in his triumph over Hieron, he needs to prove that he can be consistently strong in the latter portion of a fight.

The Pick: If MacDonald continues to progress as one expects a young fighter would, he should have the necessary tools to capture the most significant triumph of his career. Making it through round one -- when Ellenberger is most dangerous -- will be crucial. Look for MacDonald to begin conservatively and then pick up the pace to earn a late stoppage or decision victory.

Welterweights

Robbie Lawler (20-9, 5-3 UFC) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-9, 0-1 UFC)

The Matchup: After an extended run at middleweight, Lawler returned to 170 pounds for the first time since 2004 against Josh Koscheck at UFC 157. The move worked wonders for Lawler, who had struggled in recent bouts against wrestling-minded foes at 185 pounds, as he scored a first-round technical knockout against the former NCAA champion wrestler. Despite having Koscheck velcro-ed to him for much of the first frame, “Ruthless” utilized effective guard work from his back before sprawling on a takedown and finishing the fight with heavy punches.

In Voelker, the former Miletich Fighting Systems standout faces an opponent who will likely be willing to engage in a slugfest. Perhaps best known for his Strikeforce Challengers trilogy with Roger Bowling, Voelker dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Patrick Cote in his Octagon debut at UFC 158. The Finney’s MMA representative ate some solid shots on the feet from Cote but was at his best in the third frame, where he scored takedowns and battered the Canadian with ground-and-pound.

Voelker has an established reputation as a finisher, earning 19 of his 24 wins via knockout or submission, but he must proceed with caution against Lawler, an able counterpuncher with good timing on his left hook and overhand right. A fighter as experienced as Voelker is not likely to become flustered when Lawler is throwing bombs, and he might even be able to take advantage of the fact that the Illinois native is sometimes careless when in pursuit of the explosive finish. However, Lawler’s chin has lasted through many a war -- only Nick Diaz has been able to stop him with strikes in 30 professional bouts.

While Voelker has proven to be plenty durable over the course of his career, Lawler’s power can put most anyone to sleep. He would be wise to utilize a varied striking attack to set up takedowns, minimizing the chances of a knockout.

Grounding Lawler is no small task: his tremendous upper-body strength and excellent sprawl allow him to keep the action standing against most opponents, and he is adept at setting up his power punches just outside the pocket. Voelker will have to utilize smart pressure against Lawler to throw off his timing and pick his spots to change levels for takedowns.

The Pick: This one could get wild early, as Voelker might find it too tempting to engage in a slugfest. Lawler does not need much of an opening to unload a kill shot, and he wins via knockout in round one or two.

Women’s Bantamweights

Liz Carmouche (8-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Jessica Andrade (9-2, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: A high-profile bout against Miesha Tate fell through for Carmouche when an injury left Cat Zingano unable to oppose Ronda Rousey on “The Ultimate Fighter 18.” While Tate was tabbed to resume her rivalry with the women’s bantamweight champion, Carmouche gets the relatively unknown Andrade, a 21-year-old Brazilian whose nickname, “Bate Estaca,” means piledriver in English.

Carmouche proved herself under high-pressure circumstances at UFC 157, threatening Rousey with a rear-naked choke and a neck crank in the first-ever women’s bout inside the Octagon. That “Girl-Rilla” eventually succumbed to an armbar late in the first round is secondary, as the former Marine will forever be a part of mixed martial arts history. Carmouche’s performance against the Olympic judoka briefly illustrated her skill in transitioning to advantageous positions. Faced with a superior athlete, the Team Hurricane Awesome product was unable to dominate through takedowns and ground-and-pound as she had done so well in previous bouts. However, Carmouche figures to have more opportunities to impose her will against Andrade, who has limited standup but still finds ways to close the distance against her opponents.

A product of the Parana Vale Tudo camp, Andrade has finished all nine of her victories by knockout or submission. She has utilized her grappling in the majority of her most recent triumphs, choking out five of her past six victims. Andrade has proven to be tenacious and relentless, and she constantly looks for takedowns and throws. She is especially opportunistic when it comes to applying the guillotine choke, so Carmouche must be cautious not to leave her neck exposed.

Andrade’s skill set seems to match up poorly with the physical Carmouche. The Invicta Fighting Championships veteran usually dictates the tempo of her fights through clinches and wrestling, draining her foes’ cardio before unloading with heavy ground-and-pound from above. Her steady pressure and aggression will gradually wear down Andrade over the course of the fight.

The Pick: Unless Carmouche makes a tactical error while hunting for a takedown, she should be able to gradually overwhelm the young Brazilian. She wins by TKO in round two or three.

Lightweights

Jorge Masvidal (24-7, 1-0 UFC) vs. Michael Chiesa (9-0, 2-0 UFC): A former Strikeforce lightweight title challenger, Masvidal blended striking and takedowns to capture a unanimous verdict against Tim Means at UFC on Fox 7. The well-rounded “Gamebred” looks for his second Octagon triumph against “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner Chiesa, who has made a habit of pulling out come-from-behind victories. Masvidal will be able to do damage in exchanges, but Chiesa has a knack for forcing scrambles and taking his opponent’s back after absorbing punishment. However, Masvidal’s experience proves to be too much, as he wins via late TKO or decision.

Lightweights

Danny Castillo (15-5, 5-2 UFC) vs. Tim Means (18-4-1, 2-1 UFC): Castillo showcased intelligent ground-and-pound and solid submission defense in his most recent outing against Paul Sass at UFC on Fuel TV 7. The Team Alpha Male product blends punching power with a wrestling base, but he will have to navigate the four-inch reach advantage of the lanky Means, who is also capable of landing significant offense from his back should he be taken down. Means needs to stay upright more than he did against Jorge Masvidal, however, because judges still tend to reward fighters in top control. Castillo wins by decision.

Lightweights

Melvin Guillard (30-12-2, 11-8 UFC) vs. Mac Danzig (21-10-1, 5-6): It has been a rough stretch of late for Guillard, who has lost four of his last five fights. That slump prompted “The Young Assassin” to leave the Blackzilians camp in hopes of a return to his previous home at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, but his request was voted down. Now situated at the Grudge Training Center, Guillard still has the physical tools that once had him on the cusp of 155-pound title contention. Danzig has been up and down for a while now, most recently dropping a split verdict to Takanori Gomi in November. While Danzig throws solid combinations and has good footwork, his best asset here is his jiu-jitsu game. Danzig takes this by submission in round two.

Lightweights

Daron Cruickshank (12-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. Yves Edwards (42-19-1, 10-7 UFC): Edwards lost a hard-fought split decision to Isaac Vallie-Flagg in his last appearance at UFC 156, but the “Thugjitsu Master” remains a crafty veteran with a versatile offensive arsenal. The flashy Cruickshank never got untracked at UFC 158, as he was outstruck by John Makdessi in losing a unanimous decision. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alum has a chance of scoring a knockout with his dangerous array of kicks, but expect Edwards to keep him off balance throughout the bout. Edwards captures a decision.

Women’s Bantamweights

Julie Kedzie (16-11, 0-0 UFC) vs. Germaine de Randamie (3-2, 0-0 UFC): One of the true pioneers of women’s MMA, Kedzie returns to action after a shoulder injury shelved her for nearly a year. In her most recent bout against Miesha Tate, Kedzie showcased excellent striking and held her own in scrambles and transitions on the mat, only to get caught by a desperation armbar late in round three. De Randamie does not have anywhere near Kedzie’s MMA experience, but she is a dangerous muay Thai specialist. A balanced approach from Kedzie nets a decision victory.

Middleweights

Ed Herman (20-9, 7-6 UFC) vs. Trevor Smith (10-3, 0-0 UFC): Herman’s last encounter with a Strikeforce veteran did not go so well, as he crossed promotional boundaries to be submitted inside of a round by Ronaldo Souza in January. A decent grappler in his own right, Herman’s mechanical movements matched up poorly with the fluid athleticism of “Jacare.” Smith, a former All-American wrestler at Iowa State, has a good submission game but has faltered against better competition. Herman, using heavy ground-and-pound, wins by TKO in round one or two.

Lightweights

Aaron Riley (30-13-1, 3-5 UFC) vs. Justin Salas (10-4, 1-1 UFC): Riley’s UFC roots date back to 2002, when he lost his Octagon debut in an exciting slugfest with Robbie Lawler. The Jackson’s MMA product has not competed since a breaking his jaw in a loss to Tony Ferguson at UFC 135. Riley is as hard-nosed as they come, and Salas, a wrestler based out of the Grudge Training Center, will want to plant him on his back as often as possible. Riley takes a decision.

Bantamweights

John Albert (7-4, 1-3 UFC) vs. Yaotzin Meza (19-8, 0-1 UFC): Albert brings nothing but action to the cage in each appearance, which is probably why he remains on the roster after three consecutive losses. Each of those defeats has come inside of a round but each has been wonderfully entertaining. Meza, meanwhile, took on a tough opponent on short notice in his UFC debut, suffering a first-round knockout against Chad Mendes in December. Expect Albert to go for broke early, and this time it works in his favor. He wins via submission in round one.

* * *

TRACKING TRISTEN 2013

Overall Record: 122-69
Last Event (UFC 162): 8-3
Best Event (Strikeforce “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine): 9-2
Worst Event (UFC 156/UFC on Fuel TV 8): 5-6

Source: Sherdog

Lyoto Machida Thinks Daniel Cormier Should Have to Earn a Light Heavyweight Title Shot
by Jeff Cain

Lyoto Machida UFC 157 Pre 6-478x270Undefeated heavyweight Daniel Cormier has talked about making the move to the 205-pound division well before he even arrived in the UFC.

Following his final Strikeforce bout on Jan. 12, the former Olympian said he planned to drop to the light heavyweight division by the end of 2013 and kick Jon Jones’ (expletive).

During a recent episode of UFC Tonight, it was revealed that Cormier’s UFC 166 match-up with Roy Nelson would be his final fight in the heavyweight division and he plans to ask for an immediate title shot in the 205-pound weight class if he’s victorious on Oct. 19.

The possibility of Cormier dropping down and jumping in line for a title shot doesn’t sit well with top light heavyweight contender and former champion Lyoto Machida.

“I believe that there’s a ranking and it should be followed,” said Machida during a media conference call on Thursday. “There are a lot of guys in line right now in the weight class to fight for a title. I’ve been waiting in line. There’s Glover Teixeira, there’s Phil Davis, so there’s a lot of guys in there in the mix.”

According to Machida, title shots should be earned and not given.

“If he’s going to move down to 205, he’s going to need to put a couple of fights in, or at least have a significant win in a big fight,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right for him to just come in and cut the line. I think he’s going to have to show that he deserves that title shot.”

Machida faces Phil Davis at UFC 163 on Aug. 3. If he wins, it will be his third consecutive victory since losing to champion Jon Jones at UFC 140 in December 2011.

Source: MMA Weekly

Has Jake Ellenberger gotten into Rory MacDonald's head?
By Dave Doyle

SEATTLE -- Jake Ellenberger got what he took as a clue that his verbal warfare with Rory MacDonald is starting to pay off on Thursday, when the two crossed paths at the UFC on FOX 8 media day.

Held in a cramped conference room at the Westin in downtown Seattle, it was inevitable opponents were going to cross paths. And the way Ellenberger puts it, MacDonald wanted nothing to do with him.

"I looked at him and his eyes went straight to the ground," Ellenberger told reporters.

The welterweight showdown between the veteran Ellenberger (29-6) and the 24-year-old MacDonald (14-1) seems to have drawn the most interest of any of Saturday's bouts at Seattle's Key Arena.

That's in part due to the divisional consequences of the fight, as the winner figures to rocket up to the short list of contenders for Georges St-Pierre's title. But it also has to do with the dynamics building up the fight, as Ellenberger has relentlessly teased MacDonald; while MacDonald has absorbed it with a curious passive-aggression.

Asked whether he thinks he's gotten into MacDonald's head, Ellenberger answered in the affirmative, but then tried to play it off like he was just having fun.

"I do, for sure," Ellenberger said. "I think people take things too seriously. I've done that a lot of my career. I've been in the military, a lot of my life is so strictly in training. You might as well enjoy it. We're still going to fight. Whether I say something or not, we're still going to fight. And I gotta perform, which is exactly what I'm looking forward to."

To that end, Ellenberger feels MacDonald's only pro loss, a UFC 115 fight with Carlos Condit which MacDonald was winning handily before Condit rallied for a third-round finish, is proof that MacDonald's spirit can be broken.

"I've seen him break before and that's all I needed to know," said Ellenberger, who later confirmed he was talking about the Condit fight. "Like I said, I don't have anything personal against Rory at all. None whatsoever. It's he still hasn't, he kind of lives in a little bit of a fantasy world and I know what I do well."

MacDonald, for his part, insists Ellenberger isn't winning any sort of mental war. "It's just a part of fight sports," MacDonald said of the trash talk. "Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. But it doesn't affect my mindset going into this fight. ... At the end of the day, this is a fight, underneath all the illusions, and all the pressure people want to put on, it is a fight. And I'm looking at that obstacle. Nothing else."

Pressed on why he decided to take this route, Ellenberger said."We're in the entertainment business. I think Chael [Sonnen] said it best, we're in the entertainment business. And Rory doesn't say much, he's not the most outgoing guy, but if anything, it's more intriguing for the fans and I had fun doing it."

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC's Moraga says 'boring' talk blown out of proportion but stands by claim
by John Morgan

john-moraga-6.jpgSEATTLE – John Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) knew the minute he labeled UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) as "boring," fans and media alike were going to focus on that claim. And while the flyweight title challenger thinks his comments may have been a little bit misconstrued, he sure isn't backing away from that opinion.

"As soon as I said it, I knew that was going to happen," Moraga told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But you know what? That's just me. I don't like to fake it, front, nothing. You ask me a question, I'm going to answer you.

"Sometimes I don't get to explain things the way that I really want to. That was my first interview ever really doing anything. But he is boring to me."

Moraga first uttered those words in May, when UFC officials brought him to Las Vegas to speak with media members gathered to cover UFC 160. At the time, Moraga was a mystery to most fans and media alike, having competed just twice previously for the UFC, with both fights taking place on the unaired prelims.

"He just bounces around," Moraga said in May. "He runs around too much. He doesn't fight. He doesn't put on exciting fights. He's got a lot of technique and a lot of skill, but he doesn't finish people, I don't feel.

"I think he's boring."

Johnson and Moraga now meet in the main event of Saturday's UFC on FOX 8 event, which takes place at Seattle's KeyArena and airs on FOX. The quotes have been a focal point in the pair's pre-fight buildup, and Moraga thinks there's probably been a little too much attention paid to his words.

But he's not suggesting they aren't true.

"In my opinion – and they asked my opinion – that's my opinion," Moraga said. "The thing that I don't like is reporters leave out one word here or there, and things get twisted around and it gets mistranslated and misinterpreted. That's how things get blown out of proportion. They criticize me for saying he's not a finisher, which is not true. I said he doesn't try to finish people.

"There's a lack of effort in what he does, and that's the difference between me and him. I'm going to go in there and take the risks that I need to take to give effort to finish. I don't feel he does that."

Elementary analysis would seem to back Moraga's claim. After all, his two UFC appearances each resulted in stoppage wins, while Johnson's seven UFC bouts have all gone the distance. Of course, there's something to be said about the level of competition each man has faced, but Moraga isn't interested in splitting hairs. He knows critics like to suggest that flyweights don't possess the power needed to finish fights, and he believes that's a poor assessment.

"No one has power if you don't sit down on your punches and you're going to be moving your feet the whole time while you're throwing punches," Moraga said. "If you can learn how to move your feet and then sit at the right time? That's what you're going to see from John Moraga."

Moraga is a decided underdog heading into Saturday night's contest, but he's not lacking in confidence. Training alongside UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, Moraga believes he has all the tools needed to join "Smooth" as a UFC title holder.

"For the most part, [Johnson] plays it safe," Moraga said. "He uses footwork. He's cool with running around for the whole fight if you're going to be chasing him, such as Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez both did to him. But you can't play his game.

"The ball's in our court this fight."

Source: MMA Junkie

Trying to Avoid Gym Politics, Nate Marquardt, Cat Zingano, Others Form Elevation Fight Team
by Mick Hammond

As MMA has become big business, so have the gyms that produce the fighters who perform at all levels of the sport. And while a good pro team can help a gym grow, sometimes that growth can come at the cost of the team itself.

It is with that issue in mind that some of Colorado’s top fighters such as Cat Zingano, Brandon Thatch, and Nate Marquardt recently joined with The Ultimate Fighter 16 Team Carwin coach Leister Bowling to form the Elevation Fight Team.

“First of all, it’s not a gym, it’s a team,” said Bowling. “The difference is someone’s representing a gym; they’re representing someone’s business.

“The thought process behind this is that these guys are professional MMA fighters. Nate Marquardt should be in the Nate Marquardt business, not trying to help build somebody else’s gym. So a lot of the guys were looking for a new team that was more focused on the fighters and asked me if I’d be the head coach and start the team.”

Training out of the MusclePharm and Easton Training Centers, the Elevation Fight Team allows fighters to still be involved with their current gyms, but gives them a haven to focus on their own development without having the hassles of business affect their training.

“There are a lot of good guys in Denver, but because of gym politics, not all the best guys are necessarily training together,” Bowling told MMAWeekly.com. “This way they can still represent a gym all they want and still be part of this team.

“MusclePharm is a 100-percent private only gym. If you don’t have an invite, you can’t train there. So you don’t have to worry about a cardio kickboxing class going on while you’re trying to train for a UFC fight.”

Having been a head coach for individual fighters, running a whole team is a different experience for Bowling, but he tries to keep the same mentality when applying his coaching technique to a larger group.

“It’s definitely more time consuming, for sure,” he said. “I was head coach for Brendon Schaub, Nate and Cat before, but a whole team, I’m just trying to keep it structured. I come from a wrestling background, so I understand how you have to run a team based on individual performances.”

With an emphasis on the fighters, Bowling is confident that Elevation – with its coaching staff of Eliot Marshall, Mauricio Zingano, Mark Beecher, Christian Allen, Loren Landow and Eric Telly – will produce great performances out of its athletes in the coming years.

“It’s a fighters-first team and we really emphasize that,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to have a lot of guys who believe in me enough to be their coach, and we have a great team of guys whose results will speak for themselves.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Demetrious Johnson: Future could hold UFC superfight with bantamweight champ
by John Morgan

demetrious-johnson-31.jpgSEATTLE – For the past several years, any talk of UFC superfights has centered around former middleweight champion Anderson Silva either moving down to fight Georges St-Pierre or up to meet Jon Jones. With Silva's recent loss, those discussions have cooled, but if UFC flyweight title holder Demetrious Johnson has his way, that talk may start centering around the sport's lighter divisions.

Right now my focus is John Moraga," Johnson told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But I think if everything goes well with this fight and I tackle this challenge and come out victorious, everybody is talking about the superfights and middleweight with Anderson Silva and Jon Jones and 'GSP.' I think there are superfights to be had in the flyweight division and bantamweight division."

Johnson, of course, used to compete in the UFC's bantamweight division and even competed once for the title in that weight class, though he ended up losing a unanimous decision to current champ Dominick Cruz. But when the UFC added the 125-pound division, "Mighty Mouse" dropped to flyweight and claimed the promotion's first title in that division. On Saturday night, Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) meets Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC on FOX 8, which takes place at Seattle's KeyArena and airs on FOX.

According to oddsmakers, Johnson is as much as a 5-to-1 favorite to retain his title, which would mark the second consecutive defense of his belt. While the UFC's flyweight division is still in its developmental stages, according to UFC President Dana White, Johnson believes his future could include moving back up to 135 pounds.

"When I fought at 135, I did pretty well there, and I think since my time being there, I've evolved as a fighter and got more used to fighting," Johnson said. "I think once Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland and Dominick Cruz sort their things out, if Dana White wants to do a superfight with us – and obviously if the contract is right, now, let's not kid ourselves – (I'd be willing to move up).

"I'm always up for that. This is about doing stuff for fun and tackling challenges and making history. I wouldn't mind being part of the first flyweight fight against a bantamweight."

Source: MMA Junkie

Liz Carmouche builds on list of firsts in UFC on FOX 8 bout with Jessica Andrade
By Dave Doyle
USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE -- Liz Carmouche's lists of first is getting almost as long as her fight record.

First openly gay fighter in the UFC. Participant in the first women's fight, title fight, and pay-per-view headline fight all rolled into one.

The San Diego-based fighter will add more to her trailblazing list on Saturday night. Her bout with Jessica Andrade -- the first Brazilian woman to fight in the UFC -- is both the first women's MMA fight on network television and the first fight between two gay fighters, as Andrade, like Carmouche is openly lesbian.

When asked about the various distinctions at the UFC on FOX 8 media day Thursday at the Westin in downtown Seattle, Carmouche said she's more hyped about appearing on network television.

"I'm honestly more excited it's the first on national TV more than anything," Carmouche (7-3) said.

That said, Carmouche still appreciates the opportunity to fight to another gay fighter. "I do think it's great," Carmouche said. "It shouldn't be a focus on our sexual preference as fighters, it's an aspect of who we are as people. So it's nice to finally drift away from that and just focus on who are these fighters."

Which is fair. Not much was known about Andrade, who was a replacement for the originally planned fight between Carmouche and Miesha Tate, which was scuttled when Tate was pulled to appear opposite Ronda Rousey on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

That said, Carmouche accepted the fight without hesitation.

"It was disappointing [losing the Tate fight], but the fact they kept the fight for me and I didn't have to lose it," Carmouche said. "I still get to be fighting in the same [spot], I would have had to wait months down the road for the opportunity to fight Miesha."

Andrade (9-2), who lives in a small town outside Curitiba, doesn't look like a fighter at first glance. She's 21, generously listed at 5-foot-3 by the UFC, and has fought as low as 115 pounds. But she's picked up the sport in a hurry, fighting seven times in 2012 alone and earning all of her victories via stoppage.

"There's some pressure because she's the first Brazilian fighting in the UFC, she's on the card so the whole country is watching," Andrade's interpreter said. "She goes from being on small cards with 2,000 people to the whole country being behind her. So that leads to pressure, but it's good pressure."

Andrade is well aware of Carmouche's reputation as an all-action fighter.

"Liz is pretty good on the ground, she's good standing up, and above all she's very strong for the division," Andrade said. "But she's trained very hard for everything she can throw at her. You never know what's going to happen in there, but she did all the preparation to deal with."

Carmouche, for her part, didn't know as much about Andrade at the beginning, but has become well-acquainted with her foe's style.

"Initially, when the matchup was offered, between my management and in between my coaches, we did all the research and we watched the video on her and now we're ready," said Carmouche, who feels a win over Andrade would put her in position for a Rousey rematch. "I think she has a lot of power. She's 9-2 and she's only 21 years old, that says a lot. I mean she's really great at jiu-jitsu, and her standup, she stands and throws and won't stop until the fight's over."

Like Carmouche, Andrade is aware of her role as a trailblazer in the sport.

"[Andrade} hope she's opening the door for other people to be open about who they are and their sexual orientation," Andrade's interpreter said. "And to show that they're not different from everybody else. It doesn't affect who they are and what they do."

Source: MMA Fighting

Wrestler, Promoter Antonio Inoki Elected to Upper House of Japanese Parliament
By Mike Whitman

Former professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, who famously fought then-heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in 1976, has been elected to Japan’s upper house of legislators.

Inoki was elected to the House of Councillors as a member of the Japan Restoration Party after spending nearly two decades away from politics. The New Japan Pro Wrestling founder was previously elected in 1989 as a member of the defunct Sports and Peace party but lost his seat in 1995.

Likely the most famous professional wrestler Japan has ever produced, Inoki fought Ali to a draw in their cross-discipline match 37 years ago, which many view as a pioneering step toward the eventual creation of mixed martial arts.

The Japanese grappler made his in-ring debut in 1960 and went on to found NJPW in 1972, later creating the Inoki Genome Federation, which has hosted several mixed martial arts bouts in addition to its pro wrestling matches. Inoki was elected to the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2010, making him the first Japanese native to receive the honor.

Source: Sherdog

UFC 163 Fighter Ian McCall: “I’ve Kind of Blown My UFC Career So Far”
by Jeff Cain

Ian-McCall-WEC-38-478x270When former Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion Ian McCall inked a deal with the UFC in late 2011, he had high expectations. He entered the 2012 UFC Flyweight Tournament to determine the inaugural UFC 125-pound champion.

He faced Demetrious Johnson in the opening round and the two fought to a draw. Johnson was originally declared the winner, but after a scoring error correction, the fight was ruled a draw. Johnson defeated McCall by unanimous decision in a rematch.

In his next outing, McCall faced Joseph Benavidez and lost via unanimous decision. He’s gone 0-2-1 in his three UFC fights, and was not in a good place mentally. His personal life was coming unraveled as well as his career.

The 29-year-old fighter made changes in his life, eliminated some relationships, distanced himself from others, and is ready to move forward inside and outside of the cage.

“I’m in a much better place. You know, I’ve kind of blown my UFC career so far, but now it’s time to earn what’s rightfully mine,” McCall told MMAWeekly.com content partner Knockout Radio.

“I’ve always been physically ready. Every fight, I’ve always been in shape. I’ve always been there. Just for me it’s a mental thing because I can be a head case and that really has been what’s gotten me down in the past, but I took personal steps in my personal life, new relationships, new whatever it may be to just change for the better. I really am just happier and in a much better place than I can really ever remember, which is nice,” he added.

McCall has gone from being a headliner two fights ago to being the first preliminary fight on FX in his upcoming UFC 163 bout against Iliarde Santos. That would be discouraging to some, but McCall sees it as an opportunity to earn his way back to main card status.

“I haven’t earned (expletive). It’s probably where I deserve to be,” he said. “Some people can look at it as a slap in the face not being on the main card, but who cares who I’ve fought and where I ‘ve been on previous cards? There are some big names that deserve to be there and I’m just ready to earn it. That’s my outlook on everything. I like earning things. I like being the good dog that gets petted. I want to earn this title shot and my first step to do that is by knocking this guy out.”

Work ethic has never been an issue for McCall. He works hard in the gym, but has lacked focus.

“Training has always been the same. I always put in the work; I bust my butt. I’m just more mentally clear. Not to say that it’s completely someone else’s fault, of course, I put myself in every situation I am in. I was in a bad relationship and any man knows that can really drag you down,” he said.

“I was dropping the ball. I wasn’t focused. I had flashes of brilliance, but that’s all done now and I’m excited to move forward and prove myself. I was brought in as No. 1. I was supposed to be something special and I haven’t really shown that yet,” he added.

McCall expects to put on a show on Aug. 3 when he faces Santos in Brazil.

“He is going to go in there and try to knock my head off, that’s for sure. I’m in his country. I am the person standing across from him. He’s fought, what 30 almost 40 fights, probably. He knows what he’s doing. He’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu, so obviously he’s dangerous just like any opponent. You have to respect everybody,” said McCall.

“I have to go out there and just do work. I’ve got to stop having so much fun getting punched in the face and I’ve got to punch people back.”

Source: MMA Weekly

7/26/13

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Roy Nelson Inks New 9-Fight Deal with UFC

Roy-Nelson-UFC-143-Workout-460x270UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson has inked a new nine-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and plans to retire with the organization.

Nelson (19-8) won the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series tournament to earn a six-figure UFC contract. In his ten fights in the organization, Nelson has logged four Knockout of the Night performances and has won one Fight of the Night award.

Nelson fulfilled his previous 10-fight contract at UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson on June 15, losing a unanimous decision to Stipe Miocic.

It was clear that Nelson had a new contract when the UFC announced on Monday that he’ll face undefeated Daniel Cormier on Oct. 19 at UFC 166, but the details of the new deal were unknown.

According to UFC Tonight, the 37-year-old expects to compete for another five years, well into his 40’s, and retire in the UFC.

Source: MMA Weekly

Pros Pick: MacDonald vs. Ellenberger
By Mike Sloan

Jake Ellenberger has a history of finishing fights quickly.

They represent the new breed of welterweight.

Inching towards title contention, Tristar Gym representative Rory MacDonald will lock horns with the heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger in a pivotal 170-pound showdown at UFC on Fox 8 on Saturday at KeyArena in Seattle. The once-beaten 24-year-old MacDonald will enter the Octagon on the strength of four consecutive victories. Reign MMA’s Ellenberger, 28, has won eight of his past nine bouts.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC on Fox 8 co-headliner:

Ricardo Liborio: I can’t see this fight going to a decision. The hard part is to say who’s going to win. I pick Ellenberger by TKO or submission.

Keith Berry: Ellenberger wins by KO.

Michael Guymon: I’ve had the luxury of fighting Rory and having trained hard with Jake in MMA. Both are strong with good wrestling and striking. I believe Rory has a better submission game than Jake, but Jake has a stronger striking game with more power than Rory. Also, Jake has a much better chin. I dropped Rory with the straight right, whereas with Jake, I have hit him with the kitchen sink and shovel in the face and he did not bat an eyelash. I see Rory getting uncomfortable with Jake on the feet and going for the takedown. Jake will have no problem shutting down the takedowns. Ellenberger will end up getting the KO in the second round.

Benji Radach: I have to go with Ellenberger on this one. He has better wrestling and packs a punch.

Cameron Diffley: I am going with Marines vet Ellenberger by decision. He brings in more experience against a higher amount of superior opponents. I think he can frustrate MacDonald with his movement, timing and a good ability to mix takedowns and strikes. MacDonald is a force, but I see Ellenberger starting to steal round two and then three, closing with a hard-fought decision.

John Dodson: I have Ellenberger because Rory has never been hit by someone like Jake; and Jake’s wrestling is some of the best in the division.

T.J. Waldburger: That’s a tough pick. I’d give strength to Jake and overall technique to Rory, so I’d lean more towards Rory, expecting him to be more strategic.

Daniel Downes: Ellenberger has the clear advantage when it comes to power and Twitter insults. Much like a college degree nowadays, though, the usefulness of those two things tends to be overrated. MacDonald’s footwork, speed and ability to string more combos together lead him to a unanimous decision victory.

Tom DeBlass: I believe Rory will win. He’s too technical and well rounded. He will win a 30-27 decision.

Brock Jardine: I’m going with Ellenberger in this fight. I think he wins by KO.

Joe Duarte: This is a tough fight to pick, but I have to go with Ellenberger.

Tarec Saffiedine: I think Ellenberger is on a good run and hungry for the W. I see him winning.

Luke Barnatt: Ellenberger wins by KO.

Caros Fodor: Have to go with McDonald for this one. I have a few friends who train with him, and they say he is the truth.

Igor Araujo: This fight can be a crazy fight or a boring one. If this thing goes crazy, I have Burger King, oops, sorry, MacDonald by decision.

Simeon Thoresen: Jake wins by decision.

Brian Melancon: I think it is a very even fight, but I’ll give the edge to Ellenberger due to his ability to end the fight with one shot.

Scott Jorgensen: Ellenberger wins. He’s a wrestler, his striking is always improving ... and he’s a wrestler. Yes, I’m still that guy who loves his “home” sport.

Zach Makovsky: I see Ellenberger as a tough matchup for Rory, and I think the fight will be very competitive early on. Overall, though, I see Rory figuring Ellenberger out and using his versatility to pick Jake apart en route to a late third-round finish.

Chris Clements: Tough fight to pick. I give Rory the edge in technical striking and grappling, but Jake has the one-punch power and I think his wrestling is too good for Rory to take him down. I’m going to take Rory by decision.

Eric Prindle: I think Rory wins by decision.

Nam Phan: Jake wins by crushing left and right hooks.

John Gunderson: Rory is a great athlete and fighter, but I’m a huge fan of the way Jake fights; and after he smashed Nate [Marquardt], who is one of the best mixed martial artists in the game, you have to go with Jake’s power and ability to KO anyone.

Martin Kampmann: This is a tough fight to pick. I think Ellenberger can get a finish, but the longer the fight goes, the better it is for MacDonald. Ellenberger has shown [a tendency] to fade a little bit as the fight goes on because he comes out hard. He’s going to come hard in this fight, but I don’t know. They are two great guys, so I’m looking forward to watching that one.

Vinny Magalhaes: MacDonald is a great fighter. I know a lot of people don’t like his style outside of the Octagon, but he’s a fun fighter to watch. He’s a great fighter, but I have to go with Jake. He’s a friend of mine, and I like his style of fighting because he always goes for the finish. I like his style in every fight, and I think he’ll get the knockout or TKO by about the second round.

Travis Wiuff: I’m taking the wrestler. Ellenberger wins by decision.

Eric Bradley: MacDonald wins by decision. He’s been looking crazy good his last few fights.

Colton Smith: “The Juggernaut” wins by good, old American ass whooping.

Pros Picking Ellenberger: 18
Pros Picking MacDonald: 9
No Pick: 1

Source: Sherdog

Backtracking from previous request, Jose Aldo no lock for move to 155 upon defending belt
By Mike Chiappetta

Jose Aldo never really wanted to fight Anthony Pettis. It wasn't fair, he thought, that the lightweight could move down a division, jump several contenders, and face him for the belt. Eventually, he was convinced to take the match with a promise: with a win at UFC 163, he would get a chance to make a similar move, up to lightweight and an automatic title shot.

Of course, his matchup with Pettis did not happen. The American fighter suffered an injury and bowed out of the match, making way for "The Korean Zombie," Chan Sung Jung, a natural featherweight.

And with the quasi cross-division match off the table, it appears, so is the stipulation that went with it.

On a Thursday conference call for UFC 163, Aldo took a step back from his previous request, and said he'd made no decision about what would come next, assuming he performs as he usually does and emerges with his 16th straight win.

"It’s hard to say right now," he said through his interpreter Derek Lee. "I want to take one step at a time. I want to focus on the fight I have on August 3 against the Korean Zombie. And we'll see what happens from there, if I make the move or I stay in my weight class. We'll have to take one step at a time."

It is a match that few saw coming at the current time, if only because Jung has spent over a year away from the action, restoring his health after shoulder surgery last summer. With Ricardo Lamas riding a four-fight win streak, he seemed a more likely choice -- even Jung himself thought Lamas would be the UFC's pick to step in for Pettis.

As a result, Jung could hardly believe it when he received the word that he'd been chosen. In fact, he said he still harbored a bit of skepticism about the whole thing until he heard Dana White officially announce it to the world

The change forced Aldo to change parts of his training, going from the smooth and creative Pettis to the aggressive but evolving Sung, but this fight, he had no reservations about. This time, he saw a deserving adversary.

"I think he’s fought his way through. He deserves to be there, and he’s shown he deserves to be the contender," he said. "Everyone wants to fight for the title but right now he deserves it."

The fight could serve as a boon to Korean MMA. Jung said there has been a strong response from both the mass media and the general public, growing interest not only in his fight, but in the sport itself.

But Aldo is not yet ready to give away his crown, at least not yet. With Anderson Silva's recent loss, Aldo boasts the second-longest reign of any current UFC champion, with 1,346 days at the top since capturing the former WEC belt back in 2009.

Perhaps one day soon he will tire of the weight cut and vacate the belt, an unbeaten champion. That's just something he can't say for sure right now.

"I can’t try to take too big of a step," he said. "I've got to focus on next opponent to be able to make a decision. I respect my opponent and I can’t overlook him."

Source: MMA Fighting

Benson Henderson: “I’ve Definitely Been Waiting to Get My Hands on Pettis Again”
by Ken Pishna

Benson Henderson UFC on Fox 7 Pre-478x270UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson recently had his UFC 164 fight with TJ Grant derailed, only to find himself in a rematch with Anthony Pettis, the man that took his WEC belt.

Henderson was slated to defend his title against Grant, but the Canadian fell out of the fight due to an injury.

Stepping into his place is former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who had given up his slot as the lightweight No. 1 contender to drop down to 145 pounds and challenge Jose Aldo. Pettis, however, had to withdraw from the Aug. 3 Aldo fight due to an injury, but is far enough along in his recovery to be ready for Henderson on Aug. 31 and steps back into the lightweight championship bout.

Henderson and Pettis have some history. Henderson had been the WEC lightweight champion and riding a 10-fight winning streak before he ran into Pettis at WEC 53, the final event in the promotion’s history before being merged into the UFC.

Pettis landed the now infamous Showtime kick, bouncing off of the cage wall, in that fight en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Henderson hasn’t lost since, racking up seven consecutive victories and taking possession of the UFC lightweight championship.

He always knew that he would one day face Pettis again, but didn’t expect that day to come so soon.

“At some point in time, I knew we were gonna dance again. I was gonna be able to get my hands on Anthony,” Henderson recently said in an interview on Inside MMA. “Turns out, I’m gonna get my hands on him a little sooner than I thought.

“Looks like I got Anthony next. Gonna get my hands on him, after that it’ll be TJ.”

Always calm, cool, and collected, Henderson looks forward to fighting Pettis again, possibly avenging the only blemish on his professional record since 2007, but it doesn’t define his career.

And, as champion, it’s not up to him to pick and choose his opponents.

“I’ve definitely been waiting to get my hands on Pettis again,” said Henderson. “It’s not for me to say this guy earned that. You’ve got to earn way to a title shot.

“(But) I’m excited for it. I go in there and beat guys up.”

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC's Jorge Masvidal worried about catching syphilis from Michael Chiesa's beard
by John Morgan

jorge-masvidal-10.jpgSEATTLE – UFC lightweight Jorge Masvidal hasn't had many good things to say about UFC on FOX 8 opponent Michael Chiesa. Actually, he hasn't anything good to say at all.

"I really just don't care for him," Masvidal told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I didn't like his sportsmanship toward one of my teammates in his last fight. He was kind of a jerk. I just don't care for him at all.

"I just think he's a punk, and I'm going to go out there and prove it."

Masvidal has been outspoken in his contempt for Chiesa leading up to the pair's UFC on FOX 8 meeting this Saturday at Seattle's KeyArena. In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com Radio, he struggled to find anything that impressed him about the undefeated winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 15."

"There's nothing nowhere that impresses me about him," Masvidal said. "He's like a watered-down Royce Gracie. I don't see anything on this guy."

But at a Thursday media session, he took things a step further, attacking Chiesa's trademark beard, which Masvidal said he may seek to have the Washington State Department of Licensing address.

"I'm going to tell the commission to wrap that thing up," Masvidal said. "I don't want to get no mat herpes or nothing on my face. I've been in this game a long time, and I ain't got nothing on my face. I ain't about catch some syphilis or whatever he's got going on in that beard, you know?"

For his part, Chiesa has thus far refused to engage in a trashtalking battle. The even-keeled 25-year-old admits he's read some of Masvidal's quotes but isn't interested in bothering with a reply.

"Whatever pumps him up," Chiesa said. "I'll let my actions speak for themselves.

"I'm not a talker. I'm a performer, and I'm going to perform on Saturday night."

Whether or not the preliminary-card matchup, which airs on FX in advance of the FOX-televised main card, has developed into a full-fledged grudge match remains to be seen. Whether or not Chiesa's beard will become an actual point of contention also remains a mystery, as an official complaint has yet to be filed with the governing commission.

But one thing is crystal clear: Masvidal is not a Chiesa fan, and it appears nothing is off-limits.

"It's not like I'm going to see him in the street and fight him or nothing like that," Masvidal said. "It's not like he owes me money. I just don't like the dude. I really don't care for him at all.

"As long as he keeps that beard out of my face, we'll be cool."

Source: MMA Junkie

UFC 166 Fight Card Grows with Addition of Sotiropoulos vs. Noons and Gonzaga vs. Jordan

UFC LogoThe UFC 166 fight card slated for Oct. 19 in Houston continues to grow by the hour.

The latest additions are George Sotiropoulos vs. KJ Noons in the lightweight bout, and a heavyweight bout pitting Gabriel Gonzaga against Shawn Jordan.

The Age first reported the Sotiropoulos vs. Noons fight, while Gonzaga vs. Jordan was reported by The Advocate. UFC officials later confirmed both bouts.

Sotiropoulos (14-5) enters the fight with Noons in desperate need of a victory, having lost three consecutive bouts. Noons (11-7) also steps into this one looking for some rays of sunshine. Like Sotiropoulos, he has lost three straight, including his UFC debut in May.

Gonzaga (15-7) is in the midst of his second UFC tour, having won three of his four bouts since returning at UFC 142 in January of last year. Jordan (15-4) is also in the midst of a 3-1 run in the Octagon, including a victory over Pat Barry at UFC 161.

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez puts his belt on the line against Juior dos Santos in the UFC 166 main event.

Source: MMA Weekly

Paul Daley, Maiquel Falcao released by Bellator MMA
by Steven Marrocco

paul-daley-18.jpgPaul Daley and Maiquel Falcao are no longer under contract with Bellator.

Today, the promotion suddenly announced a decision to release the welterweight and middleweight fighters, who've both landed in trouble with the law after reported assaults.

Bellator rep Anthony Mazzuca told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the promotion will not retain matching rights and the fighters are free to compete for any other promotion.

"We examine each situation on a case-by-case basis, and in these two instances, the violent nature of both situations has led to our decision to release both fighters from the organization," he said.

Mazzuca cited Falcao's involvement in a brawl in his native Brazil and Daley's conviction on a charge of assaulting and obstructing a police officer, which contradicts public statements given by the fighter about the incident this past December in the United Kingdom.

Daley manager Wad Alameddine said he received word earlier today that Daley had been cut, but was unable to reach his client.

"I'm definitely disappointed," he said.

In June, Daley told Bleacher Report that the case had been thrown out for "lack of evidence and contradicting witness accounts."

Alameddine, however, confirmed that the welterweight had, in fact, been convicted of assault and fined for the charge. He said the conviction was noted on a police certificate that recently was forwarded to Bellator, after which communication dropped off.

He also said Daley recently gave hints that he might leave Bellator after recent one-to-one communications with the promotion's officials.

"I would assume that they've taken it to their immigration team, and their immigration team has probably advised them it's unlikely he'll get a visa, and the result is they've released him," Alameddine said.

MMAjunkie.com was unable to reach Falcao, who was also cut from his MMA team, Renovacao Fight Team in Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil, which resides near the scene of the brawl in which he and a teammate were involved.

Falcao and Kaue Mena were at a gas station when Falcao allegedly slapped a woman and a group of men assaulted them in retaliation. Surveillance footage of the incident, which was obtained by a local TV station, showed Mena beaten by several men after being struck by a wooden beam. He lapsed into a coma and was later placed in intensive care. (His latest condition could not be verified at the time of this writing.)

Falcao (31-5 MMA, 3-1 BFC) won Bellator's Season 6 middleweight tournament before being knocked out by Alexander Shlemenko in February in a battle for the promotion's then-vacant title. He has not commented publicly on the incident, which reportedly is being investigated by Brazilian authorities.

Daley (33–12–2), meanwhile, fought just this past weekend at Cage Warriors 57, where he won a first-round TKO over Lukasz Chlewicki. Prior to his legal woes, which scratched him from Bellator's Season 8 tournament, he fought once in the Bellator cage, where he delivered a first-round knockout of Rudy Bears.

Asked whether Team Daley has a plan moving forward, Alameddine said, "No, in short.

"This is all very much fresh. The only thing that Paul does have on his side is that he is a very exciting, entertaining mixed martial artist, and people will always want to see him, wherever he goes. Whether relies on that a bit too much for my liking is one thing, but wherever he goes, he'll keep doing what he's doing, and keep knocking people out."

Source: MMA Junkie

Sotiropoulos vs. Noons, Jordan vs. Gonzaga added to UFC 166 fight card

The UFC 166 fight card is quickly taking shape.

A lightweight contest between George Sotiropoulos and K.J. Noons, and a heavyweight clash between Shawn Jordan and Gabriel Gonzaga, have been added to UFC 166 on Oct. 19 in Houston.

Sotiropoulos is on a three-fight skid and hasn't fought since Dec. 15, 2012 when he was knocked out in the third round by Ross Pearson. Noons has also lost three fights in a row, and five of his last six. He lost via unanimous decision to Donald Cerrone at UFC 160.

Jordan has won three of his past four fights, including a first-round knockout of Pat Barry at UFC 161. Gonzaga has won four of his past five fights, including a first-round knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 162 in 17 seconds.

Cain Velasquez will defend his heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos in the main event.

The UFC 166 fight card currently looks like this below:
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch
Nate Marquardt vs. Hector Lombard
George Sotiropoulos vs. K.J. Noons
Tony Ferguson vs. Mike Rio

Source: MMA Fighting

Chris Weidman’s Trainer Ray Longo Worried for Anderson Silva Due to Age, KO

Anderson Silva will get a chance to avenge his knockout loss to Chris Weidman when they meet again Dec. 28 at UFC 168.

However, Ray Longo, Weidman’s striking coach, isn’t so sure the 38-year-old Brazilian should have pursued the rematch so soon.

“In boxing, it’s very rare, and these are young guys, like 23-year-old guys [who are] 30-0, if they get knocked out, they’re never the same,” Longo told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “This is a 40-year-old man, 39, whatever he is, just got his head bounced off the [canvas]. I mean, even going to the doctor, what doctor is going to recommend, ‘Let’s just jump back in there in a couple of months’?”

Silva entered the bout undefeated in the UFC and widely recognized as the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Weidman clocked him with a left hook, though, and finished him with punches on the ground 2:18 into the second round of their middleweight title fight.

“I’m actually worried about the guy,” said Longo when discussing the rematch. “That’s my gut feeling. … That was a pretty bad knockout. That wasn’t like a flash knockdown. He got hurt. He’s not a young kid.”

Longo compared the former middleweight champion to a boxer he has long wanted to fight: Roy Jones Jr.

“Never the same after he got knocked out,” Longo said of Jones. “He was probably about mid-30s, 33, 34, never was the same fighter, Roy Jones. He ended up getting knocked out again. I think if you go back and look at what data you have on that stuff, you’ll change your mind on what’s going to happen [in the rematch].”

In Longo’s view, Silva won’t be getting any better, but the 29-year-old Weidman will continue to improve for years. Plus, said Longo, there’s the fact that Weidman has already beaten Silva.

“We’re going to obviously not let [Weidman] get overconfident with that, but I think that’s a huge edge,” Longo said. “You knocked the guy out and you’re a wrestler? I think that’s pretty good. I could easily see the fight going this way: Chris puts him down, doesn’t go for the leg lock. He doesn’t go for the kneebar. He just grinds the crap out of him down there. The guy’s not getting back up.”

Despite Weidman’s success on the feet against Silva in their first bout, Longo suggested they’ll form a new game plan for the rematch. He believes Silva’s best chance to win the fight is standing and that Weidman simply has more options.

“From a statistical standpoint, the smart money’s on [Weidman taking Silva] down and doing what you do best, but he’s proven that he doesn’t have to do that and he can stay in the pocket a little more if he wants,” Longo said. “He’s not flustered by the guy, and I think it’s going to make the takedowns that much easier in the second fight.”

For that reason and more, Longo is confident Weidman will prevail again Dec. 28. He’s less confident Silva should be trying to bounce back five months after getting knocked out.

“If he can come back from that, I’ll be in shock,” Longo said. “I’m not even kidding. It’s not like the guy’s 25 years old. You’ve seen it in boxing over and over again.”

Source: Sherdog

One FC: Kojima vs. Leone Gets Three More Bouts for September 13 Event in Jakarta

One Fighting Championship presents One FC: Kojima vs. Leone live on September 13 from Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia

One FC Kojima vs Leone PosterONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) returns to Indonesia on Friday, Sept. 13, with three additional bouts added to the event. Pakistani MMA pioneer Bashir Ahmad is set to clash with No-gi World Champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Bruno Pucci. Also, Dutch-Indonesian mixed martial artist Vincent Latoel will make his ONE FC debut opposite Dutch veteran Willy Ni in a Lightweight contest. Indonesian grappling champion Brianata Rosadhi has also stepped in to face Malaysia’s Raymond Tan in a contest set to reignite the rivalry between both countries.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC will be back in Jakarta on 13 September with a fight card that is sure to get the adrenaline pumping for the passionate Indonesian fight fans. Bruno Pucci and Bashir Ahmad are two of the most electrifying Featherweights in Asia and their encounter will deliver non-stop action. Indonesian standouts Vincent Latotel and Brianata Rosadhi are exciting fighters who always come ready to put on a show and I’m sure they will be looking to give the home fans something to cheer about. Thousands of fans in attendance and the millions watching live around the world are set for another evening of world-class MMA featuring the best in Asia.”

Tickets for ONE FC: KOJIMA VS LEONE are on sale now at Kiostix (www.kiostix.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cage-side experience for VVIPs at IDR 2,500,000. Tickets priced at IDR 1,500,000, IDR 750,000, IDR 500,000, and IDR 250,000 are also available. All applicable service charges apply.

Fans in Asia can catch all the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The first four undercard fights are available for viewing free-of-charge and the main card fights will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

Bashir Ahmad is credited as being the pioneer of MMA in Pakistan. He is undefeated in his professional MMA career, with his last win coming in an exhilarating back-and-forth slugfest against Thai fighter Shannon Wiratchai at ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS that saw Ahmad get his hands raised at the end of three rounds. Always ready to stand and strike, he will look to keep the fight standing against a grappling specialist like Bruno Pucci.

Bruno Pucci is a two-time grappling No-Gi World Champion and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Since transitioning to mixed martial arts, he is currently undefeated with two impressive submission victories against established Brazilian opponents. He now trains out of the prestigious Evolve MMA gym alongside Muay Thai, Boxing and BJJ world champions and is looking to make his mark in the competitive Asian MMA scene.

Vincent Latoel is a Dutch-Indonesian kickboxer that hails from the famed Golden Glory gym. He is a veteran with more than 30 fights on his record and will look to make his mark in Asia for the first time. With roots in the Indonesian state of Moluccas, Latoel will look to give the 15,000 Indonesian fans in attendance something to cheer about with a victory.

Willy Ni is a Shooto veteran from the Netherlands. He has faced some of the best Lightweights in Europe, including British slugger Dan Hardy. He is especially proficient with his grappling skills, having finished nine of his opponents by submission. Having been out of action for four years, he is relishing the opportunity to get back into competition and will be looking to notch another win over an experienced opponent.

Brianata Rosadhi will step in to replace the injured Stefer Rahardian, who had to withdraw from the planned bout against Raymond Tan. Rosadhi is a Wushu champion who has also impressed in the grappling circuit. With a diverse arsenal of skills, Rosadhi is relishing the opportunity and will be looking to use his versatility to catapult him to a victory. Bragging rights will be at stake as he takes on Raymond Tan from Malaysia. Indonesia and Malaysia have a storied sporting rivalry that will be reignited in this contest.

Raymond Tan is a founding member of Penang Top Team and ranked as one of the best Bantamweights in Malaysia. He initially began training in Taekwondo before he moved into mixed martial arts as he grew older. He will be looking to use his long reach to devastating effect with crisp striking and signature kicks when he faces Brianata Rosadhi on 13 September in Jakarta.

Source: MMA Weekly

7/21/13




Register online
www.hawaiitriplecrown.com.

Cub Swanson Wants a Title Shot, but Isn’t Going to Wait for One
by Jeff Cain

UFC featherweight contender Cub Swanson wants a title shot against champion Jose Aldo, but isn’t going to sit around and wait for it to happen.

Riding a five-fight winning streak and finishing four of his last five opponents, Swanson has positioned himself on a short list of names at the top of the 145-pound division.

Aldo is scheduled to face Chan Sung Jung, “The Korean Zombie,” on August 3 at UFC 163 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and if Swanson has to take another fight before getting a crack at the title, he has some names in mind.

“Well, if they are going to give someone else Aldo then that’s way too long for me to wait. I’m in prime position right now. I’m doing well. There’s no sense in me waiting, but I do want that fight and if I have to fight one more time then I would like the Ricardo Lamas fight or the Frankie Edgar fight,” Swanson told MMAWeekly.com content partner Knockout Radio.

“There’s also Chad Mendes, but he’s got to get through my teammate, Clay Guida, first,” he added. “So my first choice would be Aldo. I don’t think The Korean Zombie is going to beat him and so then after that it would either be Lamas or Edgar. They’d be my next choices.”

Taking another fight in the talent-rich 145-pound division is risky, but it’s a risk Swanson is willing to take.

“I’ve thought about that and I just think that if I did, for some reason, lose because the talent is so high, I wouldn’t get down on myself. I would just make the adjustments and try to get right back on a win streak because at this point of my career and in my life, I’m having so much fun fighting and I just like to get out there and do it,” he said.

“The way I think about it nowadays, I put so much work into my camps and so many hours. I’ve been doing this for 10 years, man. And I’ve put in so many hours that people don’t see me training, so that 15 minutes in the cage or so, that’s my opportunity to showcase everything that I’ve been working and shine. So I get super excited to be able to be in that opportunity to be on a stage like that to do it and that makes me happy,” added the 29-year-old Californian.

Swanson is one of the most exciting fighters in the featherweight division. In his UFC tenure, he’s accumulated two Knockout of the Night bonuses and one Fight of the Night honor. That does not include his three Fight of the Night awards while competing in the WEC.

“Here is something that I actually brag about where a lot of people wouldn’t. Even my losses have all been Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, which I take pride in because I refuse to be in a boring fight. Either I’m going to win big or I’m going to lose big. And I want the fans to know that I come to fight and I’m not trying to be boring,” said Swanson. “I’m trying to have fun. I’m trying to put on a show.”

Swanson would like a little time off to heal up from some minor injuries, but plans to be back in action before the end of the year.

“Probably sometime later this year just because I’d like to heal up a little bit. You get these little knick-knack injuries through training camps and I like to do long training camps. I like to do usually 12-14 weeks gradually getting better and better. So I want some time to prepare because I know it will be a big fight whoever it is and I want to be ready and want to be healed up and want to do one more this year,” he said.

Whether his next fight is a title shot or a top contender’s bout, Swanson is ready to put on another show.

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC 162 FALLOUT: ANDERSON SILVA’S LOSS ELICITS STRONG REACTIONS IN BRAZIL
BY MARCELO ALONSO

Anderson Silva’s knockout loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 hit new mixed martial arts fans in Brazil like an atomic bomb.

The so-called Globo generation, which began following the UFC when Brazil’s biggest TV network purchased broadcast rights to the promotion, is having a hard time accepting what happened to the pound-for-pound king. Discussion of Silva’s demise has been rampant in the South American nation -- never in the history of Brazilian MMA has a subject prompted more mainstream debate.

On Sunday, Rede Globo’s two most important news programs, “Esporte Espetacular” and “Fantastico,” both dedicated extensive coverage to the fallout from UFC 162, including interviews with Silva and many other fighters attempting to clarify to the Brazilian people what really happened.

“Nobody likes to lose,” Silva told “Fantastico” from his academy in Los Angeles.”I trained four months to win, [and] I lost in the worst way. I have never lost by knockout, and of course it will be marked on my history. After everything passed, I felt that I needed to answer many questions to myself. I don’t want to take anything from Chris Weidman, but I lost to myself, and that’s the worst loss that can happen.” Silva also commented on the attitude of the fans.

“I respect a lot of what the fans have to say, but I don’t fight only for the fans – [I fight] because I love this sport,” he said.

Clearly upset with rumors that he had thrown the fight, Silva added: “I would never do that out of respect to the fans, to the sport and also to Brazil.”

Later, Silva addressed criticisms leveled by middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who took to Twitter to accuse his countryman of disrespecting his opponent.

“If it were Muhammad Ali saying that I was not humble, then I [might think about it],” Silva said. “But I can say there was no lack of respect. I respect all opponents. I think provocations are part of the game, part of the show. If it had worked, people would think it was awesome.”

At the end of the interview, Silva reviewed the loss to Weidman with a Globo reporter before promising vengeance in their Dec. 28 rematch.

“If I had taken one step back I would not have been hit,” he reflected.

Earlier that day, Brazilian fighters Demian Maia, Renzo Gracie, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Rafael Cavalcante appeared on “Esporte Espetacular” to offer their thoughts on what happened in the middleweight championship bout.

Maia didn’t think that Silva disrespected Weidman: “In my opinion, he lost his concentration because of the excess of jokes,” he said. Meanwhile, Silva’s antics surprised Gracie, who was well aware of the Serra-Longo Fight Team product’s toughness and reach.

Nogueira recalled a post-fight meeting with the fallen Silva shortly after the bout’s conclusion.

“He called everybody in the room, we held hands and prayed together,” Nogueira said. “It was a pretty moving moment.”

Cavalcante, a training partner of Silva’s, denied that the former champion had sold his title.

“How will someone selling a fight fall unconscious on the ground like that?” Cavalante said. “I know him very well. He doesn’t like to lose -- not even in video games. If the [rematch] were today, he would fight much more aggressively. This fight would finish by knockout.”

Source: Sherdog

Anderson Silva plots revenge, defies 'clowning' critics: 'It should continue, it's part of the show'
By Mike Chiappetta

It took just days for Anderson Silva to change his mind. His legacy as a champion was not over. His immediate rejection of a rematch would not stick. He wanted a sequel with Chris Weidman, and there was no reason to wait.

So on Saturday, exactly one week after "the Spider" got caught in Weidman's web, the Brazilian legend signed a bout agreement for UFC 168 on Dec. 28. He is favored to win the rematch, at least according to oddsmakers, but most think he will need to fight more conservatively, to tone down his antics of bobbing, weaving and taunting. After all, it was in the immediate seconds after pretending he had been wobbled when Weidman stepped in and landed the game-changer.

But Silva? He doesn't want to hear any talk that he's gone too far.

"If Muhammad Ali came up saying I wasn’t humble, then I’d think if I was humble or not," he said in a Sunday interview on Brazil's Globo TV. "There was no lack of respect. I respect everybody. All the provocation, hands down... It should continue, it’s part of the show"

Still, he acknowledges that he made mistakes.

His longtime coach Cesario Bezerra, speaking in a separate interview with Globo, alluded to issues with focus that dated back to his time in training camp.

"He regrets it, lost his focus," Bezerra said. "He apologized, but it’s done. The important [thing] is that he has a chance to do it all over again. We lost three months. Anderson is complicated, there are too many things around him. We recently had a problem in the gym and I told him: ‘Anderson, your job is with the hands, legs. Don’t listen to those people, you’re not a Hollywood star. Don’t forget where you come from, things you’ve been through. You’re the UFC champion. You’re the star inside there, but here you need to be a simple man. That good and humble man. I don’t understand what’s happening to you.' I’m one of his oldest coaches here in Rio, so he listens to me. He answered me: ‘Do you think so, master?’ And I said: ‘Of course. It wasn’t nice. I don’t know what you’re doing, but you’re letting success come to your head, losing humility.' He got upset when I said that, but he later recognized."

Bezerra said even in Silva's corner on fight night, his team tried to wake him up, "scolding" him on one occasion, but there was a sense that Silva knew exactly what he was doing, and that he would emerge victorious as he always had.

After he lost, though, he admitted that he struggled, and that he couldn't hit Weidman. At least part of the problem, in Bezerra's mind, is too many cooks in the kitchen; as many as 40 coaches for various things. That means too much information and not enough focus. But he said, that is how Silva likes it.

"Nobody likes to lose," Silva said. "I train four months to win. But you end [up] learning with your mistakes, and I learned the worst way possible. After everything that happened, we calm down and I realized I had something to question, even question Anderson Silva. I lost to myself, and that’s the worst loss. Losing by knockout shakes you, [it] will be in history, but will leave a lesson."

Silva also seemed annoyed by rumors of a fix, saying no true fan would ever suggest such a thing given his respect for the sport's fans and for Brazil. In December, he plans to show the win was just a harsh lesson. One day, the 38-year-old "Spider" will fight no more. But for now, he has designs on proving he is still the best.

Bezerra certainly thinks he'll prove that, guaranteeing "100 percent" that Silva will get the belt back, and that if his charge fights seriously, he'll finish Weidman inside of two rounds.

"Everybody has to retire, but it’s not my time yet," Silva said. "I’ll get a rematch. Chris gave me this opportunity and we’re fighting again. That’s another chance to overcome, reinvent myself as a person and athlete."

[Editor's note: Brazilian journalist Guilherme Cruz contributed the translations for this report.]

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC on FOX 8 weigh-ins set for July 26 in Seattle, Benavidez hosts Q&A

Official fighter weigh-ins for "UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Moraga" are slated for July 26 at KeyArena in Seattle.

The same venue then hosts the following night's event, which features a flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) and challenger John Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). Also on the card, welterweight contenders Rory MacDonald (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Jake Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meet in the co-main event.

The first fighter steps on the scale at 4 p.m. PT local time, and doors open to the public at 3 p.m. The weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

Prior to the weigh-ins, UFC Fight Club members are invited to a Q&A session with top flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez, who fought Johnson for the UFC's inaugural 125-pound belt, losing a close split decision. Benavidez has since won two straight with a decision win over Ian McCall and a second-round TKO of Darren Uyenoyama this past April at UFC on FOX 7.

Doors for the Q&A open to Fight Club members at 1 p.m. PT with the Q&A taking place at 2 p.m.

The latest UFC on FOX 8 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga - for UFC flyweight title
Jake Ellenberger vs. Rory MacDonald
Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker
Jessica Andrade vs. Liz Carmouche
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)
Michael Chiesa vs. Jorge Masvidal
Danny Castillo vs. Tim Means
Mac Danzig vs. Melvin Guillard
Yves Edwards vs. Spencer Fisher
Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith
Germaine de Randamie vs. Julie Kedzie
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4 p.m. ET)
Aaron Riley vs. Justin Salas
John Albert vs. Yaotzin Meza

Source: MMA Junkie

A perfect example of Sacramento politics and the California State Athletic Commission
By Zach Arnold

Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown’s office made a last-minute announcement regarding a new appointee to the California State Athletic Commission. The 7-member board had just gotten filled up with new members. Here is a look at the terms of each member:

John Frierson (Chairman) – appointed on August 18th, 2008 and expires on 1/1/2015. His appointment is via Assembly Speaker.

Van Buren Ross Lemons – appointed on October 15th, 2009 and expires on 1/1/2015. His appointment is via the Senate Rules Committee.

Martha Shen-Urquidez – appointed on March 28th, 2013 and expires on 1/1/2017. Her appointment is via the Governor.

Mary Lehman – appointed on March 28th, 2013 and expires on 1/1/2017. Her appointment is via the Governor.

Christopher Giza – appointed on April 13th, 2007 and expires on 1/1/2015. His appointment is via the Governor.

James Carvelli – appointed on May 1st, 2013 and term expires on 1/1/2014. His appointment is via the Governor.

Dean Grafilo – appointed on June 25th, 2012 and term expires on 1/1/2014. His appointment is via the Governor.

As we have previously outlined, the appointment of Carvelli was fascinating on a political level. He’s a big-time health care lobbyist in the Capitol who has ponied up a lot of cash to both Republican and Democratic politicians. He’s had to deal a lot with Darrell Steinberg, the Godfather of the state Senate. Steinberg and company have used an invisible hand, both behind the scenes and through the Department of Consumer Affairs, to really screw around with the lowly California State Athletic Commission. Carvelli’s appointment was pure politics.

Dean Grafilo is another shining example of California politics at work with CSAC. Grafilo was a representative of the local SEIU in Sacramento, a former chief of staff to Assemblyman Warren Furutani, a legislative aide to Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, and the associate government relations director for the California Medical Association. In other words, there’s nothing in Grafilo’s background that suggested he had a role on CSAC’s board and yet he got appointed. Why? Because Grafilo was appointed the day before DCA & CADEM tried to oust George Dodd at a public meeting in El Monte, California. Grafilo was sent to El Monte to essentially be a go’fer, a hatchet man to tell the other board members to fire George Dodd. When that didn’t happen, Grafilo stayed busy in other various political projects. The culmination of this has now led Grafilo to become the chief of staff for Assemblyman Rob Bonta, an Oakland Democrat.

It’s men like Grafilo, political lifers, who have been sent to control to influence the Athletic Commission. It’s these kinds of politics that have created a non-stop chaotic atmosphere for CSAC meetings. When there is constant turnover and political meddling by the most powerful forces in Sacramento, it’s impossible to maintain stability.

And rather than helping new Executive Officer Andy Foster out with additional staff members in the front office or even giving the man a FAX line, the front office has to deal with political sharks all the time. The political shark he now has to deal with in place of Dean Grafilo is a mover-and-shaker in California politics.

The Governor’s Office dropped this surprise yesterday:

Leslie Lohse, 58, of Glenn, has been appointed to the California State Athletic Commission. Lohse has been chairwoman of the California Tribal Business Alliance since 2004 and tribal council treasurer and assistant administrator for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians since 1998. She is a member of the Rolling Hills Clinic Board of Directors and member of Tehama County, Girls Inc. Lohse was chair of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Central California Agency Policy Committee, vice president at the National Congress of American Indians, board member of Northern Valley Indian Health, member of the Bay Delta Public Advisory Committee and served on the National Indian Health Services Budget Committee. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lohse is a Republican.

The California Tribal Business Alliance is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
If you’re a sports fan, the last name looks familiar to you. That’s because she is the mother of veteran baseball pitcher Kyle Lohse, who’s a very wealthy man to say the least.
Lohse views herself as a player in California’s Indian gaming scene. Lohse and the CTBA are opposed to New Jersey’s new online gambling bill. She’s opposed to online gambling in general and does not believe that tribes should be building casinos off their native soil like some tribes are currently doing. Her politics also put her in an interesting position compared to the Fertittas, who manage several tribal casinos in California and have a ton of lobbyists in the state. It’s the Fertittas who are now pushing their Ultimate Poker site in Nevada and online gambling is becoming a red hot issue in California because the bigger tribes want to get in on the action. Read this Press-Enterprise article about Lohse getting into a feud with scandal-plagued Democrat Rod Wheeler of Inglewood.
Here’s a bio snapshot of Lohse from her tax-exempt group:

Leslie Lohse has served as Tribal Council Treasurer of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians of California since 1998. Over this period, she participated in putting together the Paskenta Band’s purchase of over 2,000 acres in Tehama County, the tribe’s aboriginal territory. She was instrumental in getting this land federal government trust status and then completing the construction of a 70,000 square-foot casino that includes three restaurants. Her tribe has successfully negotiated leasing transactions with private investors that have brought two new hotels and a private hunting club to the tribal lands. In the October 2007 the John Daly signature 18-hole, links style championship course was opened to the public.

Leslie has chaired and sat on numerous committees over the years (US Bureau of Indian Affairs Central California Agency Policy Committee, National Tribal Budget Advisory Committee, Pacific Region Representative; Chairperson; National Congress of American Indians Executive Committee, Vice-President; National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, Tribal Representative; CALFED Bay Delta Advisory Committee, Member; CALFED Environmental Justice Subcommittee, Co-Chairperson; and, California Film Commission, Member) and currently serves on the California Native American Heritage Commission, California International Relations Foundation, and Tehama County Girls, Inc..

Under the careful guidance of the Paskenta Tribal Council, the tribe has been able to secure a Small Business Administration 8A Corporation certification. This has enabled the tribe to broaden its economic development portfolio and secure greater job opportunities for the tribal members. The Tribe has also invested in a renewable energy business, which has teamed with a renowned waste management company, to address the need and desire for green energy and improved waste management practices.

At a tribal forum, held in January 2004, on “Threats To Sovereignty” Leslie spoke of “tribal complacency” and tribes allowing themselves “to be defined by what we do instead of who we are” as contributing factors to the diminishing recognition and understanding of sovereignty. On July 13, 2004, Leslie testified before the US House of Representatives Committee on Resources about her tribe’s concerns with “reservation shopping” and how the practice of such would be an additional attack on sovereignty. At a follow-up field hearing held in Sacramento, California on June 6, 2005, Leslie reiterated her tribe’s concerns. Off-reservation gaming continues to be a concern for Leslie because history has shown that when tribes are either “in the way” or “not it the right place,” they can be mislead or forced to enter areas that can lead to their own and other tribes’ diminished sovereignty.

Understanding the need to work cooperatively, Leslie’s tribe continues to commit funding to meet the needs of the Tehama County government and citizens. Over the past 6 years, the tribe has provided $1.5 million to the County’s general fund, $300,000 to the District Attorney’s Office and $300,000 to the Sheriff’s office. Along with this funding, the tribe has contributed safety equipment to local and state agencies, helped fund local women’s and children’s programs and continues to support many of the local schools and numerous charity groups. Leslie and the other council members know that outreach and cooperation are the keys to a respectful and positive relationship between tribal governments and local and state governments.

These are the kinds of individuals who are now involved in making decision of behalf of the state Assembly the state Senate the Department of Consumer Affairs the Athletic Commissions at meetings. What kinds of decisions? Decisions like what to do about youth Pankration.

Source: Fight Opinion

MMA Top 10 Rankings:
Cris Cyborg Reclaims Top Spot From Ronda Rousey

The updated MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings were released on Monday, July 15. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters from across the world in each of the seven most widely accepted men’s weight classes and the Top 10 pound-for-pound women fighters.

Taken into consideration are a fighter’s performance in addition to win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most comprehensive rankings system in the sport.

Fighters who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after the completion of their suspension.

Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration unless they have a bout scheduled within a reasonable time frame.

Notes: Dominick Cruz is ineligible for consideration because he hasn’t fought in more than a year. Pat Healy is ineligible for consideration because he is currently serving a drug-related suspension.

(Fighter’s previous ranking is in parenthesis.)

Below are the current MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings:

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND (all weight classes)
1. Cris Cyborg Justino (2)
2. Ronda Rousey (1)
3. Cat Zingano (3)
4. Sarah Kaufman (4)
5. Miesha Tate (5)
6. Jessica Aguilar (6)
7. Megumi Fujii (7)
8. Sara McMann (9)
9. Alexis Davis (10)
10. Carla Esparza (n/a)

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Cain Velasquez (1)
2. Junior dos Santos (2)
3. Daniel Cormier (3)
4. Fabricio Werdum (4)
5. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (5)
6. Alistair Overeem (6)
7. Frank Mir (7)
8. Josh Barnett (8)
9. Mark Hunt (9)
10. Stipe Miocic (10)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Jon Jones (1)
2. Lyoto Machida (2)
3. Alexander Gustafsson (3)
4. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (4)
5. Glover Teixeira (5)
6. Rashad Evans (6)
7. Dan Henderson (7)
8. Phil Davis (8)
9. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (9)
10. Ryan Bader (10)

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Chris Weidman (1)
2. Anderson Silva (2)
3. Vitor Belfort (3)
4. Michael Bisping (4)
5. Mark Munoz (5)
6. Costa Philippou (6)
7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (7)
8. Yushin Okami (8)
9. Luke Rockhold (9)
10. Tim Kennedy (10)

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)
1. Georges St-Pierre (1)
2. Johny Hendricks (2)
3. Carlos Condit (3)
4. Martin Kampmann (4)
5. Jake Ellenberger (5)
6. Rory MacDonald (6)
7. Demian Maia (7)
8. Robbie Lawler (8)
9. Nick Diaz (9)
10. Erick Silva (10)

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155-pound limit)
1. Benson Henderson (1)
2. Gilbert Melendez (2)
3. Anthony Pettis (3)
4. TJ Grant (4)
5. Gray Maynard (5)
6. Michael Chandler (6)
7. Eddie Alvarez (7)
8. Josh Thomson (8)
9. Nate Diaz (9)
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov (10)

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo (1)
2. Chad Mendes (2)
3. Ricardo Lamas (3)
4. Cub Swanson (4)
5. Pat Curran (5)
6. Frankie Edgar (6)
7. Chan Sung Jung (7)
8. Dustin Poirier (8)
9. Erik Koch (9)
10. Nik Lentz (10)

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Renan Barão (1)
2. Urijah Faber (2)
3. Michael McDonald (3)
4. Eddie Wineland (4)
5. Bibiano Fernandes (5)
6. Raphael Assuncao (6)
7. Brad Pickett (7)
8. Erik Perez (8)
9. TJ Dillashaw (9)
10. Mike Easton (10)

FLYWEIGHT DIVISION (125 pounds or less)
1. Demetrious Johnson (1)
2. Joseph Benavidez (2)
3. John Dodson (3)
4. John Moraga (4)
5. Ian McCall (5)
6. Jussier da Silva (6)
7. Darrell Montague (7)
8. Louis Gaudinot (8)
9. John Lineker (9)
10. Tim Elliott (10)

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC’s four big August shows
By Zach Arnold

Events: UFC 163 (Saturday, August 3rd in Rio at HSBC Arena)
TV: FX/PPV
Light Heavyweights: Robert Drysdale vs. Ednaldo Oliveira
Welterweights: Viscardi Andrade Guimaraes vs. Bristol Marunde
Flyweights: Ian McCall vs. Iliarde Santos
Featherweights: Rani Yahya vs. Josh Clopton
Middleweights: Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson
Welterweights: Sergio Moraes vs. Neil Magny
Ladies (135 pounds): Amanda Nunes vs. Sheila Gaff
Light Heavyweights: Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh
Flyweights: John Lineker vs. Phil Harris
Middleweights: Cezar Ferreira vs. Clint Hester
Welterweights: Demian Maia vs. Josh Koscheck
Light Heavyweights: Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida
UFC Featherweight title match: Jose Aldo vs. The Korean Zombie

Events: UFC on Fox Sports 1 (Saturday, August 17th in Boston at the Garden)
TV: Fox Sports 1
Lightweights: Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick
Light Heavyweights: Cody Donovan vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Featherweights: Manny Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller
Featherweights: Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda
Featherweights: Akira Corassani vs. Mike Brown
Featherweights: Conor McGregor vs. Andy Ogle
Bantamweights: Brad Pickett vs. Michael McDonald
Lightweights: Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
Middleweights: Uriah Hall vs. Nick Ring
Welterweights: Matt Brown vs. Thiago Alves
Bantamweights: Urijah Faber vs. Yuri Alcantara
Heavyweights: Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne
Light Heavyweights: Mauricio Shogun vs. Chael Sonnen

Events: UFC on Fox Sports 1 (Wednesday, August 28th in Indianapolis at the Fieldhouse)
TV: Fox Sports 1
Featherweights: Darren Elkins vs. Hatsu Hioki
Welterweights: Justin Edwards vs. Brandon Thatch
Welterweights: James Head vs. Bobby Voelker
Middleweights: Brad Tavares vs. Bubba McDaniel
Middleweights: Court McGee vs. Robert Whittaker
Bantamweights: Erik Perez vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Ladies (135 pounds): Sara McMann vs. Sarah Kaufman
Welterweights: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Paulo Thiago
Lightweights: Donald Cerrone vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Welterweights: Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

Events: UFC 164 (Saturday, August 31st at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
TV: FX/PPV
Flyweights: Louis Gaudinot vs. Tim Elliott
Heavyweights: Soa Palelei vs. Nikita Krylov
Bantamweights: Chico Camus vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera
Featherweights: Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier
Featherweights: Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida
Heavyweights: Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett
UFC Lightweight title match: Ben Henderson vs. TJ Grant

Source: Fight Opinion

T.J. Grant informs conspiracy theorists he has no guaranteed title shot upon return
By Mike Chiappetta

From the moment it was announced that T.J. Grant had withdrawn from a UFC lightweight championship match against Benson Henderson and been replaced with Anthony Pettis, the conspiracy theorists drew conclusions. It just seemed too convenient, they said, that Grant would pull out due to a concussion, of all things, in favor of Pettis, a man who has a storied history with Henderson and deep ties to the UFC 164 host city, Milwaukee.

Grant himself drew hundreds of new followers on Twitter in the hours that followed, all eager to let him know what they thought.

"I think they all got on there just to tweet that I'm a lowlife," he said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour.

But Grant said that he suffered a medically documented concussion.

The incident that caused it occurred in June, when Grant was rolling jiu-jitsu in practice. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the session, and as the routine wore on, Grant's training partner went for a sweep. As he did so, his heel slammed Grant in the ear.

At the time, it just seemed like a good, solid impact. But by the end of their next roll, the No. 1 contender was done. He had a headache and difficulty concentrating.

He went home to rest, but the next day, Grant had to travel to Winnipeg for a UFC appearance, and suffered the same kinds of problems. He also had problems when he'd look at text messages on his phone too long, or when sounds were too loud, or had other sensory overloads.

It was all so out of the ordinary, and as the days wore on, worrisome, as his condition didn't improve. He began to ponder the idea of fighting Henderson without any sparring, just focusing on stamina.

"I’m not scared to fight anyone," he said. "If I was healthy and I knew that I could get in shape, I would’ve [tried it.]. It’s a little scary. I wanted to kind of make the best decision for myself."

Grant also knew there was the chance of a setback in camp, which could have knocked him out of the fight late and put the UFC in a bad position. So even when he got a clean MRI result, he knew he wasn't just right.

By this point, he had informed the UFC of his issue, but the improvements weren't coming. It all crystallized in his mind on the weekend of UFC 162, when he watched Chris Weidman beat Anderson Silva. Grant watched the match with no sound, and like many fans, got a little carried away watching the main event. In the aftermath, he suffered the same troublesome affects he'd felt when he first had his concussion.

Fighting Henderson was the opportunity of a lifetime, but it was clear there was more to consider.

"I want to do what’s best for me," he said. "I want to fight for a long time. I want to live a long time. I want to enjoy my baby girl and all that stuff, so I thought about it a lot and talked to the UFC doctor and all the doctors here. The decision was 100 percent mine."

And so, he pulled out.

To the conspiracy theorists, Grant would like them to know that he wouldn't sell out for anything. And besides, he wasn't even guaranteed a title shot by matchmaker Joe Silva upon withdrawing. Sure, Grant hopes to fight the winner of Henderson-Pettis, but the only thing Silva told him is that if he has to take a step back, it will only be one, minor step; in other words, another likely title eliminator.

Either way is fine with him. Of course he would prefer to fight for the belt, but right now, his health takes precedence. He thinks November would be about the ideal return date, giving him enough time to recover and then train. Grant is hoping to start some light exercise this week and then work slowly into things.

He'd be fine fighting Josh Thomson, but of course, he'd prefer to sit back and watch Henderson-Pettis II, take some notes and set his sights on the future.

"I’m not rooting for anyone," he said. "Honestly, I don’t really care. I hope they have a good fight, they beat each other up good. I hope the winner doesn’t get injured though, because I want to fight him."

Source: MMA Fighting

Oscar nominee Edward James Olmos part of 'extraordinary' film with UFC's Silva

To borrow from the Beatles, Edward James Olmos hopes his latest project can get by with a little help from his friends.

And right now, those friends include the likes of Anderson Silva, Frank Shamrock – and the potential for thousands of others.

The Oscar-nominated actor is part of a new film project called "Monday Nights at Seven" that stars actor/director Marty Sader in a love and life story against the backdrop of the MMA world. But what is unique about the movie in its infancy is that the team behind it is seeking to have it funded through Kickstarter, a crowd-funding site that lets supporters contribute financially in exchange for rewards once the financing goal is hit.

Want to have a speaking role in "Monday Nights at Seven"? You can with a contribution of $10,000 toward the film's $500,000 goal. Want Olmos to follow you on Twitter, and get a t-shirt and some other swag, too? That'll run you $30.

Olmos, whose acting credits include the longrunning TV series "Miami Vice" and the film "Stand and Deliver," for which he received a Best Actor Academy Awards nomination, said Kickstarter has the potential to change the way smaller films are made – projects that don't have the backing of major studios, but still could become significant pieces of work.

"What an extraordinary contribution to the arts Kickstarter is," Olmos recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "It's a thing where people can give a dollar, $5, $10 and make this art form come to life. It helps support the arts in a way we never could have done before. If you had been a part of giving $10 or $20 to 'Raging Bull' or 'Rocky' or 'Stand and Deliver,' one of my pictures, you'd say, 'Wow – I was able to help in the creation of this piece of work.' That becomes something so special to the people involved.

"Their participation helped make this a possibility. That's what's happening here with 'Monday Nights at Seven.' It's been phenomenal. There are $2.8 million worth of rewards for people to choose from, and we're looking for $500,000 to get the film done and made."

The Kickstarter period for "Monday Nights at Seven" lasts through the end of July. So far, toward a $500,000 goal, the project has raised just north of $10,000.

But this won't be just another MMA movie, Olmos said.

Not only is Sader writing, directing, producing and acting in the film, should it come to fruition, but he also has been training in MMA – and will have an actual fight for Resurrection Fighting Alliance that will be part of the film's climax. As such, the ending is open until he gets that fight – he might win, he might lose.

"We're not trying to use this as a gimmick for the director, a first-time fighter going into the ring," Olmos said. "It's part of the dream Marty has had, and he's been training four or five years and been doing extremely well. The outcome, no one's going to know. At the end, he's got to go fight. He's going to go into the ring."

Olmos will play Sader's father in the film, and he said Silva will play his trainer and coach. Olmos described the movie as a love story about a widowed father of an 8-year-old daughter seeking love again, and perhaps a measure of redemption to not follow in the dysfunctional footsteps of his father.

"It's a beautiful love story between a man trying to understand who is is, and he's a widower trying to raise his daughter," Olmos said. "It's the triumph of moving past the obstacles life has given him. One of the things he's given is the chance to have love again in his life, and a chance to live his dream and go into the cage. And he goes into the cage in the end – and the exciting part is he's going in for real. That's one of the reasons the studio can't really take a part in it. This guy really wants to go in and fight."

For a chance to contribute to the "Monday Nights at Seven" Kickstarter project, visit MNA7.com. You also can follow the project's principles on Twitter – Marty Sader, Edward James Olmos, Anderson Silva and Kickstarter.

Source: MMA Junkie

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