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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)
9/14/13
Mad Skillz
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
9/7/13
The Quest for Champions 2013 Tournament
(Pearl City High School Gym)
(Featuring Sport Pankration, Submission Grappling, Continuous
Sparring)
8/24/13
DESTINY:Proving Grounds II
(MMA)
(Aloha Tower Pier 10)
Battle At The Bay
(BJJ)
(Hilo Armory, Hilo)
8/23/13
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
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)
|
|
August
2013 News Part 2
|
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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to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
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information!
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More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
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!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
DESTINY:Proving Grounds II
Aloha Tower Pier 10 (indoor event)
Sat. Aug 24, 2013
Doors open 5:30pm Fights Start: 6:00pm
Presale: $35 General (1st come 1st served seating)
$55 (reserved seating)
$75 (VIP/FRONT ROW)
Tickets
available @ Know1 (windward mall), HI Finest (town), South Side
Barber (ewa beach), or online www.destinymma.net with a debit/credit
card.
-145LBS
PRO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
HARRIS "THE HITMAN" SARMIENTO (808 TOP TEAM) VS RYAN
MULVIHILL (WASHINGTON)
-135LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
RAQUEL "ROCKY" PAALUHI (TECHNICS MMAD) VS PRISCILLA
WHITE (WASHINGTON)
-170LBS
PRO STATE TITLE
MAKI PITOLO (WOMMA) VS CHRIS CISNEROS (HILO)
-155LBS
ROBBY "SUPER NATURAL" OSTOVICH (JESUS IS LORD) VS JUSTIN
"GUITAR HERO"
JAYNES (XTREME COUTURE, LAS VEGAS)
-205LBS
AMATEUR TITLE MATCH
ALEX PULOTU-STEVERSON (808 TOP TEAM) VS DAVID ALTOMARE
-130LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
RACHAEL OSTOVICH (JESUS IS LORD) VS HANNAH KAMPF (WASHINGTON)
-145LBS
RYAN DELACRUZ (808 TOP TEAM) VS JOSHUA COLEON (KODENKAN/KAMMA)
-155LBS
AMATEUR TITLE MATCH
LAWRENCE COLLINS (JESUS IS LORD) VS MICAH ABREU (808 FF)
-155LBS
TRESTON REBALIZA (808 TOP TEAM) VS TYRONE HENDERSON (TEAM AKAMINE)
-125LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
MONICA FRANCO (JESUS IS LORD) VS TIANI VALLE (TEAM KKD, MAUI)
-145LBS
KICKBOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
RICHARD BARNARD VS MARTIN DAY (MARTIAL ARTS CO.)
-145LBS
DONALD PETERS (GODS ARMY) VS KAINUI MEYERS (NOVIA UNIAO PUNA/BOSS
MMA, HILO)
-155LBS
ROY COOPER (808 TOP TEAM) VS DEREK MAHI (TEAM AKAMINE)
-145LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
CHAN BERENGUE (808 TOP TEAM) VS CARRIE MAYAZONO (TEAM KKD, MAUI)
-170LBS
JULIO MALDONADO (TMP) VS JON CRUZ
-205LBS
ANTHONY MARKER VS KIMO TATUPU
-185LBS
RYLAN FONOTI (808 TOP TEAM) VS ISAAC WORTH (KAUAI)
-145LBS
JASON RECAMARA (TMP) VS FRITZ McARDLE
-125LBS
JOEY BALAI (TCK) VS JARED MIYAMOTO (UNITED MMA)
-145LBS
GARY REBALIZA (808 TOP TEAM) VS MATT LASCOLA (02 MAA)
-135LBS
JARED IHA (NO REMORSE/K.A.M.M.A) VS DOMINIC BARETTO (KAUAI)
-145LBS
BRANDON FRASIER (808 FF) VS BRIAN LONG (TEAM AKAMINE)
-135LBS
RODNEY MONDALA (TEAM AKAMINE) VS RICO JOEL (KAUAI)
-145LBS
JUNIOR STATE KICKBOXING TITLE
KALAI KWAN (TEAM HI-BRED) VS NAINOA DUNG
-150LBS
KIDS PANKRATION
CANAAN KAWAIHAE (TEAM HI-BRED) VS CHRISTIAN LEE (UNITED MMA)
-155LBS/170LBS
BEN SANTIAGO (GODS ARMY) VS TBA
-155LBS
RAY "BRADDAH BOY" COOPER III VS TBA
-145LBS
MATT COMEAU VS TBA
-135LBS
BRONSON MOHIKA (808 FF) VS TBA
FIGHT
CARD AND FIGHT ORDER SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Jay Bolos
CEO
DESTINY Entertainment, LLC
|
Source: Tommy Lam
|
Battle
of the Bay 2013
Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu Tournament
Gi Only
Event
Date: August 24, 2013
Registration Deadline: August 22, 2013 12:01am [Pacific Time]
Venue:
HILO ARMORY
28 Shipman St.
Hilo, HI 96720
Weigh-In's
are Saturday, August 24th at the Hilo Armory.
Weigh-In Times:
Kids,Teens & Women: 8:30 to 9:30am
Adults: 9:30 to 10:30am
All competitors must weigh-in with GI ON!
Competitors must make weight or be disqualified. No Exceptions!!!
Direct any inquiries to the following:
(808)
430-8807 or (831) 661-0184
Chris or Shelley Smith
NO
REFUNDS.
Source: Tiger BJJ
|
Demian
Maia vs. Jake Shields Expected to Headline UFC Fight Night 29
in Brazil
UFC-on-Fox-2-workouts-Demian-Maia-281A
highly anticipated welterweight bout between Demian Maia and
Jake Shields now has a home.
The
fight is reportedly set to headline UFC Fight Night 29 on Oct.
9 in Brazil, according to a report from MMAFighting.com. The
venue is targeted to be the Jose Correa Gymnasium in Barueri,
São Paulo, according to Combate.com.
Maia
was supposed to be fighting on the recent 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.
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.
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 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.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
EDDIE
ALVAREZ RETURNS TO BELLATOR, CHALLENGES CHAMP MICHAEL CHANDLER
AT NOV. 2 PPV
BY MIKE
WHITMAN
Eddie
Alvarez’s legal battle with Bellator MMA has ended.
Bellator
officials announced Tuesday that the former lightweight champion
will return to action on Nov. 2 when he rematches current 155-pound
ruler Michael Chandler at Bellator’s inaugural pay-per-view
at Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.
Alvarez
and Chandler first met in Nov. 2011, with Chandler wresting the
lightweight title from around the 29-year-old’s waist in
a “Fight of the Year” nominee. Since that fourth-round
submission loss, Alvarez has won back-to-back fights, knocking
out Shinya Aoki before doing the same to Patricky Freire last
October.
Following
his win over “Pitbull,” Alvarez’s Bellator contract
expired, and the lightweight fielded an offer from the UFC. Bellator
exercised its right to match the terms of the deal, but the two
sides disagreed on whether Bellator’s new offer was of equal
value to the UFC’s. The dispute resulted in both sides filing
lawsuits, though the matter has now been settled.
“I
still lose sleep over my loss to Chandler, and I want it off
my record,” Alvarez stated in a release. “This was
a long process, but at the end of the day I’m back with
Bellator and I’m happy to get back in the cage. I really
believe everything happens for a reason, and at the end of the
day my family and I are happy, and I’m ready to get my belt
back on Nov. 2.”
Chandler,
meanwhile, has never lost as a mixed martial artist, rattling
off 12 straight victories to start his MMA career. Following
his triumph over Alvarez, the 27-year-old conquered Japanese
veteran Akihiro Gono in a non-title affair before defending his
belt successfully against tournament winners Rick Hawn and David
Rickels.
“Without
sounding too disrespectful, when I fought Eddie the first time
in 2011, I didn’t even know what it meant to be an MMA fighter,”
Chandler said. “Two years later, I’ve grown so much
as a mixed martial artist, and there isn’t a doubt in my
mind [that] on Nov. 2 my hand will be raised and the belt will
be around my waist.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Morning
Report: Eddie Alvarez explains Bellator settlement, ‘I was
worried when I was going to be able to fight again’
By Shaun Al-Shatti
In case you missed it, Eddie Alvarez and Bellator finally reached
a settlement on Tuesday. Instead of fighting for a title on a
UFC pay-per-view main event like he once hoped, Alvarez is now
scheduled to rematch the last man to defeat him, Bellator lightweight
champion Michael Chandler, on a pay-per-view headlined by Tito
Ortiz vs. Rampage Jackson.
Following
Tuesday's announcement, Alexandra Robinson, daughter of Blackzilians
founder Glenn Robinson, in conjunction with Bleacher Report,
released the interview you see below. In it, Alvarez explains
the reasons why he elected to settle after waging a public war
tooth and nail against Bellator for eight bitter months.
I'm
no body language expert, but Alvarez doesn't exactly give off
a ‘happy to be here' vibe.
6
MUST-READ STORIES
Chandler-Alvarez
2. The long and bitter saga of Eddie Alvarez is finally over.
Alvarez re-signed with Bellator MMA and is scheduled to rematch
Michael Chandler in the co-main event of the promotion's inaugural
pay-per-view.
Bellator
WMMA fallout. A trio of top-ranked female Belllator fighters
received their release from the promotion on Tuesday, likely
signaling the end of Bellator's involvement in WMMA. Felice Herrig
went on to ink an exclusive multi-fight contract with Invicta
FC, while Jessica Eye and Jessica Aguilar remain free agents
for the time being.
Miller
update. Officials within the Orange County Sheriff's Department
released details regarding the arrest of retired mixed martial
artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Jackson
reveals 'secret' Jones Jr. plans. Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson had this to say about his spoiled fight with Roy Jones
Jr. (via Fighthub): "Man, you guys don't know how close
it was, it was really close. Honestly, I was just as surprised
as you guys were. But, the thing is, I wanted to do a boxing
match. I'm going to let you in on a secret. We were going to
do a boxing match and then a MMA match. I don't know if I was
supposed to say that, but, it could still happen. He's good (at
jiu-jitsu), he say he down with it."
Maia-Shields.
A welterweight bout pitting Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields is expected
to headline UFC Fight Night 29 on Oct. 9 in Barueri, Sao Paulo.
Erick Silva vs. Dong Hyun Kim is set for the co-main event.
WSOF
4 ratings. Saturday night's WSOF 4 event drew 268,000 viewers
to NBC Sports Network, marking a new record rating for the upstart
promotion despite minimal advertising and an event headlined
by non-UFC names.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
USA
TODAY: 'Confidently cocky' Irishman Conor McGregor says UFC hype
justified
by Ben
Fowlkes
(This story appears in today's edition of USA TODAY.)
Say
what you will about UFC featherweight Conor McGregor; just don't
say he lacks confidence.
In
a single breath, the fast-talking fighter from Dublin will tell
you he's the best in the world, the most popular mixed martial
artist to come out of the Emerald Isle, and he's ready for the
UFC 145-pound title whenever the company brass feels like saving
time and putting it around his waist.
"I
guess I have a little bit of an ego," McGregor, 25, tells
USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in a phone
interview. "I'm confidently cocky, you might say. I just
tell myself I'm the best that ever lived. No one can touch me."
That's
a hypothesis that will be tested when McGregor (13-2 MMA, 1-0
UFC) makes his North American debut in Boston on Saturday, taking
on featherweight Max Holloway (7-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at UFC Fight
Night 26 (FOX Sports 1, 6 p.m. ET).
Although
McGregor has had only one UFC fight — a first-round TKO
win against Marcus Brimage in April — the hype around him
is exerting its own gravitational pull. Even UFC President Dana
White appears to have gotten caught up in it. A recent video
McGregor posted shows his boss squiring him around the Las Vegas
Strip in a topless Ferrari to celebrate his birthday in July.
It
might seem like too much, too soon to some, but not to McGregor.
He'll tell you no one deserves this sort of treatment more than
he does.
"Honestly,
the hype and all that, to me it feels the same," McGregor
says. "I've always felt like there was a lot of hype around
me even when there wasn't. I felt like everyone was talking about
me even when no one was talking about me. In my head, it was
always like this."
It
probably helps that McGregor has the support of a nation. His
Irish fans have long petitioned the UFC to sign the self-proclaimed
"King of Dublin," and now that he's in the big leagues,
his goal is to prove the faith of his supporters is well-founded.
"We're
a small nation, and we support our own who go out and have success,
anybody who makes our nation proud," McGregor says. "You
could be playing ping-pong, but if you're doing well, we get
behind you."
That's
part of why he so desperately wanted to be on this fight card,
McGregor said. It might be a big event for the UFC primarily
because it helps to kick off the newly created FOX Sports 1 network,
but for McGregor it's also a chance to fight in a place with
strong ancestral ties. That's why walking to the cage in the
"long lost Irish city of Boston," McGregor says, will
feel like a homecoming.
"I'm
expecting the biggest cheers there," he added. "Twenty-thousand
Irish Americans are going to tear the roof off for me, and I'm
going to do them proud. I'm going to give them a show. It's going
to be a special night."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Tito Ortiz’ Return to Fighting Will Not Affect His Management
of Fighters
by Jeff
Cain
Tito-Ortiz-UFC-148-Pre-Press-9081-478x270Former
UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz’s return to fighting
will not interfere with his management of other fighters.
Shortly
after announcing his retirement from fighting following his UFC
148 loss to Forrest Griffin on July 7, 2012, Ortiz formed Primetime
360 Entertainment and Sports Management with longtime business
partner George Prajin.
“Primetime
360 Entertainment & Sports Management, Inc. is a full service
agency based out of Huntington Beach, Calif., that represents
up-and-coming mixed martial fighters, athletes in all sports,
and artists working in film, television, and music,” read
a press release when the company was formed in August 2012.
Ortiz
recently inked a deal with Bellator MMA to return to fighting
and will headline the organization’s first pay-per-view
event in November against former UFC titleholder Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson. Ortiz says his coming out of retirement will not affect
his managing of athletes.
“It
won’t affect my manager career at all,” said Ortiz
on a recent media conference call. “I’m not the only
one running Primetime 360. (George Prajin is) one of my partners,
and we’ve got a couple of other people that work with us
closely and diligently as they possibly can.”
“Cris
is going to continue to be champion, and continue to be dominant
by being the baddest woman on the planet Earth and the number
one pound-for-pound woman on this Earth,” said Ortiz. “We
got a great team behind us with the trainers, with the management,
with the PR group. Everything we’re going to do we’re
going to continue doing.”
While
competing in the UFC, Ortiz ran a clothing company and did some
acting, among other things. He’s used to multitasking.
“It’s
not going to be any downside at all, I don’t think. I’ve
been running Punishment Athletics since the beginning of 1999
while I was fighting,” he said. “You can’t run
a business on your own. You have other people that bring in the
attributes of being the best you can possibly be and that’s
what I’m going continue doing.
“I’m
a workhorse,” added Ortiz. “People who worked with
me in the last company that I worked with, I was the workhorse.
I was always on time for every meeting. I was pushing the company
as hard as I possibly could, pushing the brand of mixed martial
arts as hard as I possibly could. And I’ll continue doing
exactly the same thing.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
THE ‘DOOMSDAY’ CLOCK
BY MIKE
SLOAN
At
one point, it seemed as though John Howard was going to fight
his way to the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s
welterweight division -- or at least come damn close.
“Doomsday”
burst on the UFC scene with four consecutive wins over credible
opposition, earning “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout
of the Night” honors in the process. It seemed almost certain
that Howard would soon find himself locking horns with some of
the best fighters the 170-pound division had to offer on a routine
basis. Then the situation took a turn for the worse.
A
stoppage loss to the highly regarded Jake Ellenberger came first,
followed by decision defeats to onetime title contender Thiago
Alves and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 alumnus Matt
Brown. In less than a year, Howard went from being one of the
UFC’s more promising young welterweights to being released
by the promotion.
Even
though Howard saw his dreams swept out from underneath him, he
never lost focus on his ultimate goal. Instead, he took all the
negativity surrounding him, learned from it and made himself
a better fighter. He knew someday he would be back in the Octagon.
“When
I got cut from the UFC, I wanted to immediately prove to everybody
that I shouldn’t have been [released],” Howard said
in an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com. “I wanted to
show the world that I was still a great fighter and that I belonged
with the best.
“I
was also going through some very tough times,” he added.
“My grandmother had died, and it was very difficult on me
because I was so close with her. I had a hard time staying focused
because that was all I could think about, and that showed in
my last performances [in the UFC]. I’ve gotten past that
now and I’ve become a more dedicated, more driven fighter.”
Howard
took inventory, which meant returning to smaller shows on the
regional mixed martial arts circuit. He went 6-1 with five knockouts,
capturing the CES MMA middleweight championship, his efforts
drawing the attention of the UFC. All he needed was an opening
and an opponent for UFC Fight Night 26 at the TD Garden in Boston.
“I
tell people that I don’t fight to win or lose. I fight to
fight.”
-- John Howard, UFC middleweight
“I
called [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva up and asked to come back to
the UFC,” Howard said. “I told him that I had been
winning and just had a great knockout and [asked] what would
it take for them to put me on the Boston card. He told me, ‘Listen,
the card is stacked and there’s nothing we can do right
now, but do me a favor and stay ready.’ I told him I would
and kept busy.”
When
Nick Ring and then Josh Samman withdrew from the event, Howard’s
phone rang. He agreed to meet “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 17 finalist and former Ring of Combat champion Uriah Hall
on short notice.
“Uriah
is a known fighter,” said Howard, who on Saturday will tangle
with Team Tiger Schulmann export. “He made it all the way
to [‘The Ultimate Fighter’ final], so he’s a capable
fighter. It’s a great matchup, too, because we are both
strikers who like to bang and go for the knockout. It’s
going to be two warriors going at it.”
Win
or lose in the middleweight showcase, Howard believes he has
developed into a much better fighter since he first appeared
in the UFC. He adheres to a stricter diet, has fewer distractions
and eagerly awaits his second chance to shine on his sport’s
biggest stage.
“I
come to fight,” Howard said. “I stand and bang, I’ll
take you to the ground [and] I try to knock you out. That’s
what I do. I am not the type of fighter who will take a guy down
and just hold him there to make sure I win. I’ve never done
that, and I never will. I want to go out there and fight, and
if my opponent wants to fight just as hard, then even better.
“I
tell people that I don’t fight to win or lose,” he
added. “I fight to fight.”
Howard
relishes the chance to compete in front of his hometown fans.
He plans to enter the cage focused and relaxed.
“Even
though I’m fighting in my hometown, the pressure is not
on me, not at all,” Howard said. “The pressure is all
on Hall. He’s the bigger fighter, the more popular fighter,
and he’s taking on a late replacement. I believe I have
more skill than him and I have more experience, so it’s
a dangerous fight for him.
“All
I want to do is fight in Boston,” he added. “If I lose,
so be it. I am fighting in the Boston Garden; I know it’s
the TD Garden now, but I’ll always call it the Boston Garden
and I’ve always wanted to fight there. I’m going balls
out to bang, like I always do.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Four UFC fighters set to compete at ADCC 2013
By Guilherme
Cruz
One of the most prestigious grappling competitions in the world
lands in China for the first time on October, and their list
of competitors has four fighters currently on the UFC roster.
Abu
Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship, also
known as ADCC, announced on Monday that Dong Hyun Kim has been
confirmed to compete in the 169-pound division on Oct. 19 and
20 in Beijing, China.
Jiu-Jitsu
specialists Rousimar Palhares, Vinny Magalhaes and Fabricio Werdum
are also confirmed at the competition. UFC veterans Dean Lister
and Jon Olav Einemo are also listed.
This
year’s ADCC will include two superfights, featuring Braulio
Estima vs. Andre Galvao and old-school jiu-jitsu veterans Fabio
Gurgel vs. Zé Mario Sperry.
Check
below for the list of fighters already confirmed at ADCC 2013:
Under
145 pounds: Rafael Mendes (current champion); Rubens Charles;
Justin Rader; João Miyao; Augusto Mendes; Marcio André;
Robert Sabaruddin; Darson Hemmings; Mark Ramos; Uruka Sasaki;
Timo Juhani Hirvikangas; Nicolas Renier; Jeff Glover.
Under
169 pounds: Kron Gracie; Otavio de Sousa; Leozada Nogueira; DJ
Jackson; Lucas Lepri; Leonardo Vieira; Eduardo Rios; AJ Agazarm;
Tero Pyylampi; Gary Tonnes; Sotaro Yamada; Youngnam Noh; Kamil
Mitosek; Leandro Lo; Dong Hyun Kim.
Under
193 pounds: Rousimar Palhares; Claudio Calasans; Rafael Lovato
Jr; Keenan Cornelius; Michael Langhi; Oskar Piechota; Josh Hayden;
Shinsho Anzai; Doorwang Jeon; Lukasz Michalec; Victor Silvério;
Romulo Barral.
Under
217 pounds: Dean Lister (current champion); Rodrigo Cavaca; Rodolfo
Vieira; Leonardo Nogueira; João Gabriel Rocha; João
Assis; Jon Olav Einemo; Tomazs Narkun; Alan Drueco; Adam Sachnoff;
James Puoppolo; Yukiyasu Ozawa; Kamil Uminski.
Over
217 pounds: Vinny Magalhaes (current champion); Marcus Buchecha;
Roberto Cyborg; Bernardo Faria; Fabricio Werdum; Orlando Sanchez;
Alexander Trans; Michael Wilson; Jared Dopp; Robby Donofrio;
Hideki Sekine; Janne Pietialainen; Ricardo Evangelista;
Women’s
under 132lbs: Kyra Gracie (current champion); Ana Michelle Tavares;
Mackenzie Dern; Luanna Alzuguir; Caroline Anthony; Kristina Barlaan;
Seiko Yamamoto; Michelle Nicolini; Laura Hondorp.
Women’s
over 132lbs: Gabi Garcia (current champion); Fernanda Mazzelli;
Yurika Nakakura; Thaysa Silva; Brea Gibert; Annie Ramirez; Marysia
Malyjasiak; Luiza Monteiro; Carol DeLazzer.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Max Holloway aiming to derail Conor McGregor's hype train at
UFC Fight Night 26
by Mike
Bohn
max-holloway-5.jpgUFC
featherweight Max Holloway is well aware of the attention his
UFC Fight Night 26 opponent Conor McGregor is receiving going
into their showdown Saturday night, but he has absolutely no
problem with it.
Currently
the youngest active fighter on the UFC roster, the 21-year-old
Holloway (7-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is soft-spoken and humble with a
personality and lifestyle that is a far cry from his next opponent.
Unlike
McGregor (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), you won't read Holloway's name
in headlines for making outlandish remarks, and you certainly
won't see him riding shotgun in Dana White's Ferrari during one
of the UFC president's upcoming video blogs.
Where
you will find him, though, is spending time with his family and
training hard is his Hawaii gym.
While
preparing for the highest-profile fight of his life against McGregor,
a man who many consider to be the next big thing in the 145-pound
weight class, Holloway is not concerning himself with the attention
his opponent is receiving. Instead, he's focused on getting in
and out of Boston and back to his family, ideally with win and
performance bonus checks in hand.
"If
Dana White wants to (hang out with McGregor) it's cool,"
Holloway told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.coom). "I got
a family, and I'd rather be chilling with my family then being
on a superstar tour with Dana White. After this fight all I want
is to get on a plane, come back home, and hopefully have $50,000
more in my bank account."
Holloway
isn't blind to the promotional push McGregor is getting ahead
of his second UFC fight, which takes place Saturday at Boston's
TD Garden. Their bout is one of many airing on FOX Sports 1 as
part of the new channel's debut day of programming.
From
his appearance in White's popular video blogs to getting a personal
media day ahead of the event, most fighters would be envious
of the position "The Notorious" currently finds himself
in.
Not
Holloway, though. He understands McGregor is the UFC's key when
it comes to international expansion in Ireland, and they must
market him as such. However, once the cage door closes, where
McGregor is from is irrelevant, and it'll all come down to who
is the better man with the superior skill set, Holloway said.
Holloway
believes he is that man, and while McGregor is doing the right
things outside the octagon to become a big name in the sport,
the Hawaiian knows he will do the right things inside of it in
order to take some of the spotlight for himself.
"He's
like the first guy from Ireland and UFC – he's the first
big name, big star, and UFC needs an Ireland guy," Holloway
said. "If they didn't have B.J. Penn, I think they'd be
putting more hype into Hawaii fighters, but they already had
a Hawaiian star, and he's the first Ireland star so, it is what
it is.
"Not
that I hate on his shine, you know? I just like to fight. I love
to fight, and we're going to see what this hype is about on Aug.
17 when those doors close on the cage. I'm going to earn my respect.
I'd rather earn my stripes. I'd rather put my time in, earn my
stripes rather than have someone say, 'Here, here's your stripes
going in.'"
McGregor
not only has high expectations from fans, but it appears he also
has big plans for his own career as he has discussed future matchups
with the likes of 145-pound contender Cub Swanson and divisional
kingpin Jose Aldo.
Those
are some grand aspirations, and while Holloway knows his opponent
is focused on the upcoming fight, he feels slightly disrespected
and plans on making the Irishman take an unwelcomed detour on
his road to the top.
"[He's
underestimating me] for sure," Holloway said. "He might
just be playing it cool. I think he gets ready for all his fights,
and he's ready for all his fights. I don't think he takes anyone
lightly. But, I don't know what's going through his mind; he's
calling out Cub Swanson and a bunch of top 5 fighters. He wants
to fight Aldo for the belt real fast.
"My
job is to go in there and stop that from happening. If I get
a victory in there and I finish him, it's going to be that much
sweeter."
So
how exactly does he envision the fight playing out? On the feet,
of course.
Despite
his youth, Holloway is one of the best strikers in the featherweight
division, a statement proven true by his stat sheet. Through
five career UFC fights, Holloway is tops in 145-pound history
(and second overall in UFC history) when it comes to strikes
landed on his opponent per minute. He is tied for the most knockdowns
in featherweight history, has the third best striking defense
in the weight class, and has connected with the second most significant
strikes in the division's existence.
"Blessed"
loves to keep his fights standing, and in his opinion, this one
will be no different, especially considering McGregor has earned
12 of his 13 professional wins by way of knockout.
"Whenever
someone hears that Max Holloway is fighting, they can get ready
to watch a stand up fight," he said. "I love to keep
it on the feet, and as long as you want to stand up, I'd love
to stand up with him. I just don't know he might go in there
and shoot on me or whatever, but I love to keep it on my feet.
My game plan ain't no secret."
After
falling just short of victory against Dennis Bermudez at May's
UFC 160 event in a fight many believed he won, Holloway is highly
motivated to take the crown of most hyped featherweight prospect
from McGregor's head and put it on his own.
And
not only does Holloway plan on doing that Saturday night, but
he intends on doing it in a fashion worthy of one of the UFC's
lucrative fight-night bonuses.
"True
champions, they come back (from losses) stronger than ever, and
I can't wait to fight this fight," Holloway said. "One
of us is walking out with a bonus added to our list, and I just
can't wait to get in the cage and fight this guy."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
UFC
Fight Night 26 predictions
By Luke Thomas
Can Chael Sonnen score one notable light heavyweight victory
before departing back to middleweight? That's one question to
consider. The other is does it even matter. If there's one thing
the main event in the UFC's debut on FOX Sports 1 signals, it's
that it's there to entertain more than to assert any real divisional
relevancy.
And
that's ok, largely because the rest of the fight card is remarkably
good. It's filled with fighters across the UFC's weight classes,
surging prospects, top contenders, heavy hitters, sensational
grapplers and more. It's not a perfect card and the main event
is almost a distraction, but UFC fans should be highly pleased.
What:
UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen
Where:
The TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
When:
Saturday, the three-fight Facebook card starts at 4:30 p.m. ET,
the four-fight FOX Sports 1 undercard starts at 6 p.m. followed
by the six-fight main card on the same channel at 8 p.m. ET.
Mauricio
Rua vs. Chael Sonnen
There
truly is a way to see this for either guy. If you believe in
Shogun, you probably think he's going to crush Sonnen as long
as they're on their feet. Sonnen will probably get the takedown
and even spend some time on top, but you suspect Shogun's sweeps
and submissions will eventually find the mark.
There's
also a case for Sonnen. Shogun's takedown defense is fairly terrible.
While it's true Shogun may have at one time been a true submission
threat, the days of kneebaring Kevin Randleman are over. He's
shop worn and simply not as successfully aggressive as he once
was. Sonnen will get the takedowns when he needs them and grind
out a decision on top.
The
problem with this bout is that when both fighters are past their
peaks, you can never be sure which of their weaknesses they'll
be unable to hide or control. Of the two, Sonnen is less damaged.
His wrestling advantage is also hard to ignore. I'm going to
pick him to win here, but I do so very reluctantly.
Pick:
Sonnen
Alistair
Overeem vs. Travis Browne
As
much as Overeem's UFC run has been a bit of a disaster (i.e.
the elevated T:E ratio and upset loss to Antonio Silva), I still
like his chances here. Overeem's gas tank isn't particularly
great, but I'm not confident Browne can drag the Dutch heavyweight
that far. He might have to defend a takedown or two, but eventually
this will be contested with striking exchanges. For all of his
other problems, Overeem can thump, to say nothing of how well
he blends combinations.
That
should be sufficient to earn the stoppage and get back on track.
Pick:
Overeem
Urijah
Faber vs. Yuri Alcantara
Alcantara
might have the most slept-on resume in the UFC. This is a guy
who knocked out Ricardo Lamas, stopped Iliarde Santos, decisioned
and nearly arm barred Michihiro Omigawa plus more. The problem
is he lost a decision to Hacran Dias after the Brazilian using
stifling wrestling and top control. Dias is no pushover, but
if Dias can do it, Faber can do something similar. Faber prefers
to win scrambles with front head locks and back takes from turtle
position, but the trick generally for Faber is his speed and
explosion keeps the opponent guessing. He often initiates the
scramble, which is why he usually wins them. He'll do that for
a win here, too.
Pick:
Faber
Matt
Brown vs. Mike Pyle
This
is a really tough one to call. Both are savvy veterans who are
having a bit of a late career resurgence. Pyle is more of a ground
operator while Brown tends to favor striking exchanges, however,
both have competencies in all dimensions of the game. This is
a pick 'em fight if there ever was one, but I'll side with Pyle,
if just barely. Brown's ability to absorb punishment seems a
little more diminished than Pyle's. Either can win here, though,
and the end might be as quick as it is electrifying.
Pick:
Pyle
Uriah
Hall vs. John Howard
For
all of Hall's issues, a) he's working diligently on them and
b) I'm not at all convinced Howard is the guy to exploit them.
What Howard is good at, Hall is better. It's true Hall's weaknesses
in the takedown defense phase of the game are known and real,
but I have a hard time believing Howard can demonstrate superior
skill differential there to take a decision or earn a stoppage.
Pick:
Hall
Joe
Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson
Stated
plainly, if the Johnson who showed up for Reza Madadi competes
here, he's getting bulldozed. I actually think Johnson is significantly
better than that, but the problem is there's nothing Johnson's
going to show Lauzon that the Massachusetts-native hasn't seen
before. Add to that the dramatic difference in submission ability
and Lauzon is likely to bring the hometown crowd to its feet
in roaring approval.
Pick:
Lauzon
From
the preliminary card:
Brad
Pickett < Michael McDonald
Conor McGregor > Max Hollaway
Mike Brown < Steven Siler
Diego Brandao > Daniel Pineda
Manny Gamburyan < Cole Miller
Cody Donovan < Ovince St. Preux
Ramsey Nijem > James Vick
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White Wouldn’t Mind Putting Vitor Belfort vs. Lyoto Machida
in UFC 167 Co-Main Event
Vitor
Belfort wants to fight for the UFC middleweight championship.
Lyoto
Machida wants a rematch with Phil Davis.
Neither
is going to get the fight that they want, but they may just get
a fight against each other.
UFC
president Dana White wouldn’t mind putting the two in a
fight together, especially if it were at 185 pounds, according
to a report on UFC Tonight on Tuesday.
In
fact, White told UFC Tonight reporter Ariel Helwani that he would
make the fight the co-main event of UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks,
the promotion’s 20th Anniversary event. UFC 167 takes place
on Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Belfort
is coming off of back-to-back knockout victories over Michael
Bisping and Luke Rockhold at 185 pounds, and feels it should
have been enough to put him in a title fight, especially after
Chris Weidman upset Anderson Silva. At the very least, he believes
he is the No. 1 contender at middleweight.
As such, Belfort’s wife, who is also his manager, has said
that Belfort is willing to fight while he waits for Weidman and
Silva to hash out their rematch, but not in a 185-pound non-title
bout. He’d fight at catchweight, light heavyweight, or even
heavyweight, but doesn’t like the idea of risking his place
in the line for the middleweight title.
After
losing a unanimous decision to Phil Davis at UFC 163, Machida
wanted an immediate rematch, believing the judges scored the
fight incorrectly, but Davis doesn’t appear to have any
interest.
Machida
went into that fight having defeated Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson
in succession, so the loss was a huge blow to his hopes of scoring
another shot at UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Machida
has toyed with the idea of dropping down to middleweight, and
his camp reportedly told Helwani that they wouldn’t mind
a fight with Belfort at 185, 205, or even a catchweight.
If
the fight comes together at UFC 167, it would certainly help
add some punch to a fight card that already is topped by UFC
welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre putting his belt on the
line against top contender Johny Hendricks.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BELLATOR
UNVEILS NEW TOURNAMENT CHAMPION REPLACEMENT CLAUSE FOR SEASON
9
BY MIKE
WHITMAN
Bellator
MMA has created a new fail-safe to ensure that champions will
defend their titles in a timely fashion.
Promotion
officials announced Tuesday that a “tournament champion
replacement clause” will go into effect during the promotion’s
ninth season. The clause is designed to allow champions to defend
their belts in the event that injuries force tournament winners
out of title shots.
In
the scenario that eligible tournament winners are unable to challenge
for a title, Bellator officials will follow a points system to
determine the champion’s new opponent. Promotion officials
will examine the most recent tournament held in the weight class
and award the fighters points for their victories. Decision wins
will be worth one point, while stoppage victories in the first,
second and third rounds will be worth four, three and two points,
respectively.
Bellator
officials will then form a list composed of the top three or
four point earners. Three groups will then vote on the next challenger,
with Bellator world champions, current tournament winners and
promotion executives each being given 33 percent of the voting
power.
The
new clause marks the third time Bellator has adapted its method
for choosing title challengers. The Viacom-owned promotion last
year instituted a policy that would allow for title-bout rematches,
and the organization recently rolled out a four-fighter tournament
format for the 2013 Summer Series.
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
Fight Night 26's Uriah Hall: Losing TUF 'could have broke me,
but it didn't'
by Mike
Bohn
uriah-hall-2.jpgUFC
middleweight Uriah Hall knows how to turn a negative into a positive,
and that's exactly what he did following his upset loss to Kelvin
Gastelum at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April.
Since
Day One of the reality show, Hall had high expectations around
him, and it appeared he was well on his was to meeting them after
crushing his opponents through the early rounds of the show's
grueling tournament format.
When
the live finale and a chance to earn the coveted six-figure UFC
contract came around, though, Hall didn't show up with his best,
which forced him to reevaluate everything.
The
first change the 29-year-old made was in scenery. He left his
longtime camp at Tiger Schulmann's in New York and moved across
the country for a fresh start at Reign Training Center in California.
While
Hall is reluctant to share details regarding the nature of his
split from Schulmann's, he happily explains his satisfaction
with being at Reign alongside the likes of UFC contenders Chael
Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Jake Ellenberger
"I'd
rather not even go into that," Hall told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
of his choice to leave Schulmann's. "I've been working with
Reign, and Reign is amazing. The atmosphere, it's all about being
comfortable. You got to go to a place where you feel comfortable,
where it feels welcoming.
"It's
like working out. When you wake up and want to work out, you're
like, 'Alright, I can't wait to go.' But if you don't want to
go, it's because you're not motivated. But since I've been there,
I've been motivated to go because of the positive feedback we've
got and what I've learned."
What
Hall has learned is that the fundamentals are one of, if not
the most important, aspects of the sport.
Throughout
preparation for Saturday's UFC Fight Night 26 bout at Boston's
TD Garden, Hall (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has been forced to deal with
a lot of uncertainty as his opponent was switched on two separate
occasions. He now meets promotional returnee John Howard (20-8
MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a FOX Sports 1-televised bout.
From
opening his camp training for Nick Ring to a short time training
for Josh Samman and finally for Howard, the Jamaican-born Hall
learned he needs to spend less time worrying about his opponent
and more refining his own skills.
"I
was taught to take something good out of anything, and I've done
that, and one of the things I took out of it was like, 'Alright,
I got to start focusing more on me.'" Hall said. "And
I remembered on the show one of my coaches told me, 'Don't get
ready; stay ready.'
"I
just kept doing what I was doing, and not to take anything away
from John, but I know what he's good at. I know what he's strong
at. I know what he's weak at, and I know what I'm great at, so
it's just putting it together."
Hall
is hoping that when the cage door closes, he'll put it together
in a much more impressive fashion than earlier this year against
Gastelum. With a lot of credit going to his new training environment,
Hall's confidence has grown tremendously in the four months since
that forgettable night.
While
Hall doesn't want to share exactly how he's improved in his time
at Reign, he is adamant all the ups and downs in the weeks leading
up to the fight will make his sophomore UFC experience nothing
like the first.
"I
(improved by) just stepping outside the comfort zone," he
said. "When you work on something you're not good at, I
think you get better overall. ... Explaining it is not really
going to do much. I guess I just have to display it."
Hall
is aware of the hype that surrounded him coming off his "TUF"
stint, and he's even more aware he didn't fulfill those expectations
the way many had hoped.
Fortunately,
though, he never let that get him down. And even with the process
of finding a new place to train and preparing for multiple different
opponents, Hall never lost focus of the true goal of becoming
the best fighter he can be.
"[Losing
'TUF'] could have broke me, but it didn't," he said. "I
just wanted to get better, and that's what I did."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Bellator
CEO Bjorn Rebney Comments on Shuttering Women’s Divisions
by Ken
Pishna
The
writing was on the wall when Invicta FC on Tuesday announced
it had signed former Bellator fighter Felice Herrig to a multi-fight
contract, and then Jessica Eye and Jessica Aguilar, two of the
top female fighters around, announced via Twitter that Bellator
had released them from their contracts.
With
those three powerhouses gone, Bellator was left with zero women
on its roster.
The
UFC currently has an iron grip on the women’s bantamweight
(135-pound) division, ruled by champion Ronda Rousey.
Invicta
FC – an all women’s fight promotion – is the go-to
home for the rest of women’s MMA, with most of the best
women in the world fighting for the fledgling promotion.
That left Bellator with very few options when trying to line
up legitimate competitors for the fighters it had under contract.
With no suitable opposition, Bellator decided it was best to
let its female fighters pursue other opportunities.
“Jessica
Eye, Jessica Aguilar and Felice (Herrig) represent all that is
good in women’s MMA,” said Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney
on Tuesday. “Both Eye and Aguilar are ranked No. 1 in the
world in their respective divisions and carry themselves with
class and distinction elevating the women’s game.
“I’ve
said many times that fighters need to fight and fight often.
Given our current focus, we are not in position to provide these
very deserving women regular and recurring fights on a large
platform. And, I felt it was best to let them go and secure
options that did.
“I
genuinely wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors
and will be rooting for each of them wherever they fight.”
With
Eye currently competing in the flyweight division, and Aguilar
fighting at strawweight, it’s highly likely that both will
follow Herrig to Invicta FC, where they would have the opportunity
to face the top competition their respective division’s
have to offer.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JASON
‘MAYHEM’ MILLER RELEASED ON BAIL FOLLOWING ARREST FOR
ALLEGED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
BY MIKE WHITMAN
Jason Miller has been released from jail after being arrested
Sunday on charges of alleged domestic violence in California.
According
to Orange County Sheriff’s Department records, Miller was
arrested Sunday and later posted bail to secure his release from
the Central Jail Complex in Santa Ana, Calif. The arrest marks
the third time Miller has been arrested in the last two years.
“Mayhem” was brought in on suspicion of burglary last
August, though the fighter said a misdemeanor vandalism charge
was subsequently dropped. In 2011, Miller was arrested in North
Carolina on charges of simple assault and false imprisonment
after an alleged incident with his sister at a party.
Miller,
32, won the Icon Sport middleweight title from Robbie Lawler
in 2006 but came up short in his bids to capture belts in both
Dream and Strikeforce. “Mayhem” signed with the UFC
in 2011, coaching opposite Michael Bisping on “The Ultimate
Fighter 14” before suffering a third-round knockout at the
hands of “The Count” at the live season finale.
Miller
returned to the Octagon last year, sustaining a unanimous decision
defeat to C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146. Following the loss, the middleweight
was released by the Zuffa-owned promotion and subsequently announced
his retirement from active competition.
Source: Sherdog
|
‘Ninja’
Rua runs gas station following retirement from MMA
By Guilherme
Cruz
Murilo Rua will never run out of gas.
"Ninja,"
a former EliteXC middleweight champion and Pride veteran, announced
his retirement following a knockout loss to Paulo Filho last
September, and he has found good ways to make money on his post-fighting
life.
Mauricio
"Shogun" Rua revealed, during a conference call to
promote UFC Fight Night 26, that his brother now owns a gas station
in Curitiba, Brazil, and "Ninja" spoke to MMAFighting.com
about it.
"We
have great costumers here," Rua told MMAFighting.com about
the gas station that he has owned since December. "It wasn’t
easy at first. I’m still learning, taking step by step."
Rua
revealed that he started the business when his father-in-law
decided to buy the gas station, but didn’t have enough time
to run the business.
"A
guy offered to sell it to my father-in-law and he wanted to buy
it, but didn’t want to take care of it, so he bought it
and gave it to me, and I already paid him back," he said.
Asked
if he makes more money with gasoline if compared to his MMA purses,
he said he "can have a good life now, and that’s important."
Focused
on opening new franchises of Universidade da Luta gym in Brazil,
"Ninja" didn’t follow his brother's training for
next Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 26 main event, when he meets
Chael Sonnen.
He’s
confident the former light-heavyweight champion will be victorious,
and predicts a devastating ending.
"My
brother will knock him out on the first round," Rua said.
"Sonnen will try to take him down and my brother will finish
him early. Sonnen’s chance (to win) is basically score points
on the ground and pound, but my brother is also dangerous off
his back. It’s definitely not a good match-up for Sonnen.
Sonnen isn’t that good on the ground. He has a good wrestling,
but we can’t compare him to my brother on striking and ground
abilities. My brother is the favorite, he has more weapons to
win."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
contender Fabricio Werdum willing to wait for Velasquez-JDS winner
fabricio-werdum-16.jpgWith
three straight wins since his return to the organization, UFC
heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum is apparently willing to
wait for a title shot he feels he deserves.
That
could mean Werdum (17-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who most recently fought
in June and submitted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, could be on the
sidelines until 2014.
According
to Tuesday's edition of "UFC Tonight" and reporter
Ariel Helwani, Werdum is willing to sit and wait in hopes he
fights the winner of October's UFC 166 main event. There, heavyweight
champion Cain Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and ex-titleholder
Junior dos Santos (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) meet in a rubber match
that headlines the stacked pay-per-view lineup.
Werdum,
who's ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA
heavyweight rankings, certainly has a case. But so, too, would
the winner of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 26 co-headliner between
No. 4 Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and No. 10 Travis
Browne (14-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC). Additionally, No. 6 Josh Barnett
(32-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) meets No. 9 Frank Mir (16-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC)
later this month in a UFC 164 bout that will have a major impact
on the division.
If
Werdum gets the title shot, though, it could set up a rematch.
Although he has no history with Velasquez, Werdum suffered an
81-second knockout loss to dos Santos at UFC 90 in 2008. He's
been eager to avenge the defeat, which is one of only two he's
suffered in the past six years.
After
his win over "Big Nog" earlier this summer, Werdum
campaigned for a fight Velasquez before UFC 166 was booked, and
he also wanted a bout with Daniel Cormier.
With
neither possibility coming to fruition, he's now apparently ready
to sit and wait for his shot at the belt.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
DESTINY:Proving Grounds II
Aloha Tower Pier 10 (indoor event)
Sat. Aug 24, 2013
Doors open 5:30pm Fights Start: 6:00pm
Presale: $35 General (1st come 1st served seating)
$55 (reserved seating)
$75 (VIP/FRONT ROW)
Tickets
available @ Know1 (windward mall), HI Finest (town), South Side
Barber (ewa beach), or online www.destinymma.net with a debit/credit
card.
-145LBS
PRO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
HARRIS "THE HITMAN" SARMIENTO (808 TOP TEAM) VS RYAN
MULVIHILL (WASHINGTON)
-135LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
RAQUEL "ROCKY" PAALUHI (TECHNICS MMAD) VS PRISCILLA
WHITE (WASHINGTON)
-170LBS
PRO STATE TITLE
MAKI PITOLO (WOMMA) VS CHRIS CISNEROS (HILO)
-155LBS
ROBBY "SUPER NATURAL" OSTOVICH (JESUS IS LORD) VS JUSTIN
"GUITAR HERO"
JAYNES (XTREME COUTURE, LAS VEGAS)
-205LBS
AMATEUR TITLE MATCH
ALEX PULOTU-STEVERSON (808 TOP TEAM) VS DAVID ALTOMARE
-130LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
RACHAEL OSTOVICH (JESUS IS LORD) VS HANNAH KAMPF (WASHINGTON)
-145LBS
RYAN DELACRUZ (808 TOP TEAM) VS JOSHUA COLEON (KODENKAN/KAMMA)
-155LBS
AMATEUR TITLE MATCH
LAWRENCE COLLINS (JESUS IS LORD) VS MICAH ABREU (808 FF)
-155LBS
TRESTON REBALIZA (808 TOP TEAM) VS TYRONE HENDERSON (TEAM AKAMINE)
-125LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
MONICA FRANCO (JESUS IS LORD) VS TIANI VALLE (TEAM KKD, MAUI)
-145LBS
KICKBOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
RICHARD BARNARD VS MARTIN DAY (MARTIAL ARTS CO.)
-145LBS
DONALD PETERS (GODS ARMY) VS KAINUI MEYERS (NOVIA UNIAO PUNA/BOSS
MMA, HILO)
-155LBS
ROY COOPER (808 TOP TEAM) VS DEREK MAHI (TEAM AKAMINE)
-145LBS
WOMEN'S MMA
CHAN BERENGUE (808 TOP TEAM) VS CARRIE MAYAZONO (TEAM KKD, MAUI)
-170LBS
JULIO MALDONADO (TMP) VS JON CRUZ
-205LBS
ANTHONY MARKER VS KIMO TATUPU
-185LBS
RYLAN FONOTI (808 TOP TEAM) VS ISAAC WORTH (KAUAI)
-145LBS
JASON RECAMARA (TMP) VS FRITZ McARDLE
-125LBS
JOEY BALAI (TCK) VS JARED MIYAMOTO (UNITED MMA)
-145LBS
GARY REBALIZA (808 TOP TEAM) VS MATT LASCOLA (02 MAA)
-135LBS
JARED IHA (NO REMORSE/K.A.M.M.A) VS DOMINIC BARETTO (KAUAI)
-145LBS
BRANDON FRASIER (808 FF) VS BRIAN LONG (TEAM AKAMINE)
-135LBS
RODNEY MONDALA (TEAM AKAMINE) VS RICO JOEL (KAUAI)
-145LBS
JUNIOR STATE KICKBOXING TITLE
KALAI KWAN (TEAM HI-BRED) VS NAINOA DUNG
-150LBS
KIDS PANKRATION
CANAAN KAWAIHAE (TEAM HI-BRED) VS CHRISTIAN LEE (UNITED MMA)
-155LBS/170LBS
BEN SANTIAGO (GODS ARMY) VS TBA
-155LBS
RAY "BRADDAH BOY" COOPER III VS TBA
-145LBS
MATT COMEAU VS TBA
-135LBS
BRONSON MOHIKA (808 FF) VS TBA
FIGHT
CARD AND FIGHT ORDER SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Jay Bolos
CEO
DESTINY Entertainment, LLC
|
Source: Tommy Lam
|
Battle
of the Bay 2013
Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu Tournament
Gi Only
Event
Date: August 24, 2013
Registration Deadline: August 22, 2013 12:01am [Pacific Time]
Venue:
HILO ARMORY
28 Shipman St.
Hilo, HI 96720
Weigh-In's
are Saturday, August 24th at the Hilo Armory.
Weigh-In Times:
Kids,Teens & Women: 8:30 to 9:30am
Adults: 9:30 to 10:30am
All competitors must weigh-in with GI ON!
Competitors must make weight or be disqualified. No Exceptions!!!
Direct any inquiries to the following:
(808)
430-8807 or (831) 661-0184
Chris or Shelley Smith
NO
REFUNDS.
Source: Tiger BJJ
|
UFC
Fight Night 26 preview: 50 pre-fight facts for 'Shogun vs. Sonnen'
in Boston
by Mike
Bohn
The
UFC's highly anticipated debut event on FOX Sports 1 is just
around the corner, and the world's premier MMA organization has
put together a star-studded event in order to showcase its product
on a different platform for the sixth time in less than two years.
From
hosting events on Spike TV, Versus, FOX, FX and FUEL TV, the
UFC has waited years for a permanent location for non-pay-per-view
fight cards, and now they've found it.
On
Saturday night, that home will officially become FOX Sports 1,
and for the historic event, the company has loaded the card with
big names and significant matchups.
Headlining
the event is a light-heavyweight contest as hard-nosed wrestler
Chael Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) looks to pick up his first
win at 205 pounds in more than eight years when he takes on former
champion and one of the sport's most diverse knockout artists,
Mauricio Rua (21-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC).
Also,
Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Travis Browne (14-1-1
MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) meet in an important matchup for the future of
the heavyweight division while Urijah Faber (28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
attempts to continue to work his way toward another bantamweight
title shot when meets upset-minded Yuri Alcantara (28-4 MMA,
3-1 UFC).
It
may look like a top-heavy event, but Saturday's show from Boston's
TD Garden has much more to offer as the 26 competitors have combined
for 162 career UFC fights.
With
all that time in the cage, the athletes have racked up more than
a statistic or two of note, and this is where you can find them
all in one handy place.
With
the help of FightMetric, continue reading for 50 pre-fight facts
going into "UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen."
MAIN
EVENT: MAURICIO RUA VS. CHAEL SONNEN
Rua
and Sonnen share a combined UFC record of 11-11.
Rua's
.500 UFC win percentage (5-5) is the lowest win percentage among
top-10 ranked light heavyweight fighters. "Shogun"
is winless (0-3) in his UFC career in fights that go to a decision.
Rua
has defeated his opponent by knockout in 18 of his 21 professional
victories with 16 of those stoppages coming in the first round.
All five of Rua's UFC wins are by knockout, and he is tied for
the fourth-most knockdowns landed in 205-pound history with six.
Rua's
nine leg-lock-submission attempts in UFC/PRIDE competition are
tied for second most in history behind Rousimar Palhares (11
attempts).
Rua's
44% career takedown defense rate is 15 percentage points below
the overall UFC average of 59%.
Sonnen
has not earned a victory in the light-heavyweight division since
July 9, 2005.
Sonnen
has been finished by knockout or submission in 12 of his 13 professional
defeats. His lone decision loss came in 2004.
Sonnen's
56.4% takedown accuracy as a middleweight is the fourth best
in the division's history.
CO-MAIN
EVENT: ALISTAIR OVEREEM VS. TRAVIS BROWNE
Overeem
will compete in his 50th professional MMA bout.
Overeem
enters the event on the heels of his first defeat since September
2007, a knockout loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156 in February.
At
6-7, Travis Browne is the second tallest fighter on the UFC roster
(Stefan Struve).
URIJAH
FABER VS. YURI ALCANTARA
Urijah
Faber is a 7-0 in his past seven non-title fights and is 0-5
in his past five title bouts.
Faber
owns the longest average fight time in UFC bantamweight history
at 15:43. He also owns the most total fight time in the division's
history at 1:34:17.
Faber
has connected with the second most significant strikes with 305,
second only to interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao (308).
On the flip side, "The California Kid" has the highest
significant strike defense rate in bantamweight history (67.3%).
Faber
has earned 16 career submission victories, with 14 of them coming
by rear-naked or guillotine chokes. His 10 submission victories
in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Nate Diaz for most in the
modern era. Only Royce Gracie (11) has more in UFC/WEC history.
Alcantara
will fight outside of his home country of Brazil for just the
second time in his 33-fight professional career.
Alcantara
has earned 24 of his 28 professional victories by knockout or
submission.
Alcantara
is undefeated in two fights since dropping to the UFC bantamweight
division.
REMAINING
MAIN CARD
Matt
Brown's five-fight winning streak is tied for the third longest
in the welterweight division behind Johny Hendricks (six) and
Georges St-Pierre (11). His current streak is the longest of
his 28-fight career.
Brown's
seven knockout victories under the UFC banner are the most in
welterweight history. He holds the highest significant strike
accuracy of any 170-pound fighter in UFC history at 56.69%. "The
Immortal" has scored six knockdowns in his UFC career, which
is tied for fourth most in his weight class. He has finished
his opponent by knockout or submission in 15 of his 17 professional
wins.
Brown
has also attempted the third most submissions in UFC welterweight
history with 18, which is tied for third most behind Georges
St-Pierre (22) and Chris Lytle (31). Oppositely, the 32-year-old
is one of only seven fighters in UFC history to have suffered
four or more submission losses inside the octagon.
Mike
Pyle, 37, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC welterweight
division.
Pyle's
four-fight winning streak is tied for the fourth longest in the
170-pound division. Part of that streak includes three consecutive
first-round knockout victories, a feat no other UFC welterweight
has ever accomplished.
Pyle's
73.5% takedown defense rate is fifth among active welterweight
fighters.
John
Howard returns to the UFC for the first time since June 2011.
"Doomsday" went 4-3 in his first stint with the promotion
and has gone 6-1 since his release.
Howard's
knockout of Dennis Hallman at the 4:55 mark of Round 3 at The
Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale is the latest knockout ever in a three-round
UFC fight.
Uriah
Hall will enjoy an eight-inch reach advantage over Howard, the
largest margin of any matchup on the 13-bout card.
Joe
Lauzon has the third shortest average fight time in lightweight
history at 6:28.
Lauzon
is tied with former middleweight champion Anderson Silva for
the most post-fight bonuses in UFC history at 12; he and/or his
opponent have earned a post-fight bonus in his past nine UFC
fights.
Lauzon
has only fought to a decision once in his 30-fight career and
has never won a fight that's gone the distance.
Michael
Johnson has been submitted in six of his eight professional defeats.
PRELIMINARY
CARD
Brad
Pickett has earned post-fight bonuses in four of his five UFC
fights for a total of $220,000.
Michael
McDonald is tied with three other fighters for the most knockdowns
landed in bantamweight history with three.
Conor
McGregor has never fought to a decision in his 15-fight career,
with the longest bout of his career to date lasting 9:10. Twelve
of his 13 career wins have come via knockout.
McGregor's
67-second knockout of Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut was the
fifth fastest knockout in UFC featherweight history. It was also
the second fastest knockout by a debuting featherweight in UFC/WEC
history, bested only by Pablo Garza's 51-second KO of Fredson
Paixao at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.
Max
Holloway, 21, is the youngest active fighter on the UFC roster.
Holloway
owns a 78.4% takedown defense rate, which is second in featherweight
history behind 145-pound titleholder Jose Aldo (89.7%).
Holloway
has landed 353 significant strikes in his UFC career, second
in featherweight history behind Nam Phan (483). "Blessed"
is tied with three other fighters for the most knockdowns landed
in featherweight history with three.
Holloway's
6.07 strikes landed per minute are the most of any fighter in
featherweight history and second overall in UFC history behind
Cain Velasquez (6.50). His 71.3% significant strike defense is
third best in UFC/WEC featherweight history.
Mike
Brown will compete in just his third bout in a 24-month span.
Brown
has landed 25 takedowns in his UFC/WEC career, more than any
other 145-pound fighter in history. His 820 total strikes landed
are the most ever by a UFC/WEC featherweight.
Steven
Siler holds the record for third-most total strikes landed in
UFC featherweight history at 444. "Super" has attempted
seven submissions in his UFC career, third most in UFC/WEC featherweight
history.
Of
a combined 35 professional wins, Diego Brandao and Daniel Pineda
have finished 32 of their opponents by knockout or submission.
Pineda
is the only fighter in the past 50 UFC events to earn a kimura
submission victory, a win that came against Justin Lawrence in
his most recent fight, at April's The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.
Pineda has the highest submission attempt average per 15 minutes
of fighting rate of any fighter in featherweight history at 2.8.
Pineda
has earned the third, fourth and sixth fastest submission wins
in UFC featherweight history at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale,
UFC on FX 1 and UFC on FX 2.
Pineda
owns the shortest average fight time in the 145-pound division
at 4:18.
Cole
Miller will compete in his fourth bout since dropping to the
featherweight division. He is 1-2 in his first three contests.
Miller's
past six UFC victories are by submission, and his 21 submission
attempts are the sixth most all-time in UFC history. His most
recent decision win came against Leonard Garcia in September
2007.
Miller's
submission of Jorge Gurgel at the 4:48 mark of Round 3 at UFC
86 is the latest submission victory ever in a three-round UFC
fight.
At
6-3, James Vick is tied with Quinn Mulhern for tallest lightweight
on the UFC roster.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Saskatchewan
Creating Commission to Oversee MMA in the Canadian Province
The
Saskatchewan government has passed legislation to create a commission
that will oversee mixed martial arts in the Canadian province.
The
Canadian Press reported the news on Wednesday.
The
House of Commons passed a bill in June to legalize combat sports
such as MMA, but they need to be sanctioned by a provincial athletic
commission. Saskatchewan currently has no such commission in
place.
The
new legislation will rectify that situation with plans to have
the commission in place by the summer of 2014. The commission
will be responsible for tracking an athlete’s fighting history
and to ensure that safety protocols are enforced.
“A provincial athletics commission will help ensure the
safety of everyone involved in professional combative sport competitions,”
said Saskatchewan Sport Minister Kevin Doherty.
MMA
is currently sanctioned at a provincial level in British Columbia,
Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, while it has been
sanctioned on a municipal level within Alberta, New Brunswick
and the Northwest Territories, according to the Canadian Press
report.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
INVICTA
CHAMPION CRIS CYBORG BOOKED FOR SEPT. 20 MUAY THAI BOUT AT LION
FIGHT 11
BY MIKE
WHITMAN
Cristiane
Justino will compete in a muay Thai bout at Lion Fight 11 on
Sept. 20.
Lion
Fight officials this week announced the booking, which will see
“Cyborg” take on Martina Jindrova under full muay Thai
rules at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas.
“This
is a great fight for me at Lion Fight 11. I fought muay Thai
in Brazil, and I love competing in this sport,” Justino
stated in a release. “I’m really excited for this fight.
I can’t wait to go to Vegas and get in that ring on Sept.
20.”
Justino
last competed on July 13, when she stopped Marloes Coenen to
win the Invicta featherweight title. “Cyborg” captured
the Strikeforce 145-pound title in 2009, but the 28-year-old
was stripped of the belt in 2011 after testing positive for an
anabolic steroid. Justino returned to action 16 months later
to finish Fiona Muxlow at Invicta FC 5 before besting Coenen
last month in their rematch.
Jindrova
owns a 17-5 muay Thai record and holds three knockouts to her
credit. The 22-year-old fights out of Brutal Gym in the Netherlands
and has won kickboxing and boxing titles in her native Czech
Republic.
“I
know ‘Cyborg’ is a huge MMA star and this is a big
challenge for me to fight an opponent like her,” said Jindrova.
“She is very strong with hard punches, kicks and knees,
but this is not MMA. This is Muay Thai, and she will be fighting
me [under] my rules. I’m very proud to be on this historic
Lion Fight 11 card and am ready to make a great knockout win
for the fans.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Fox
Sports 1 reaches crucial carriage deals before launch
By Dave
Meltzer
Fox Sports 1 reached carriage deals today with DirecTV, The Dish
Network and Time Warner Cable, according to a report today by
the Los Angeles Times.
The
new station, which debuts on Saturday with more than six hours
of UFC programming, including a live event from Boston's TD Garden
headlined by Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
The UFC takes up all of the new station's first night prime time
with 10 live fights airing from 6-11 p.m.
Until
these deals were agreed to, the launch of the station was in
danger of having very limited availability.
No
terms were announced for the three deals, but it will boost the
station's availability from about 45 million homes to 85 million
homes, out of the approximately 99 million cable and dish households.
There are more than 114 million U.S. television households.
The
sides had been reported at an impasse in recent days. SNL Kagan,
a television industry consulting firm reported that the station,
in its current identity as The Speed Channel, was getting about
23 cents per subscriber per month from cable systems and satellite
companies on average. FOX was looking to up that to 80 cents
per subscriber with the new station. Major distributors had
balked at the price increase.
The
negotiations are part of a much larger television story having
to do with the sports world. With stations greatly increasing
rights fees for major sports, they are passing the costs on by
asking for rising fees from cable and dish companies, who in
turn pass on the price increases to consumers.
However,
there has been a very slow but steady erosion of cable subscribers
over the past two years, so cable companies are attempting to
hold the line on prices to consumers, and thus not increase fees
paid to stations.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Fight Night 26's Alistair Overeem: 'I don't like to lose; I'm
a winner'
by John
Morgan
BOSTON
– Alistair Overeem knew the questions were coming, and he
stood there, answering them, as patiently as possible. It had
been nearly six years since "The Demolition Man" had
been asked about bouncing back from a loss, but he grinned as
best he could and insisted things were better.
"When
they say you learn more from losses than from wins, I found that
to be a very accurate saying," Overeem told MMAjunkie.com
(www.mmajunkie.com). "When you win, that means you must
be doing something good. When you lose, that means something
or some things, multiple things, went wrong.
"I
don't like to lose. I'm a winner, so that put everything on alert
and got me back to the drawing board to get everything sharp
again. That's what happened after the last fight."
Earlier
this year, at February's UFC 156 event, Overeem faced Antonio
Silva for a crack at the UFC's heavyweight title. After cruising
through the opening two rounds with precious little sense of
urgency, Overeem was blasted by the heavy-handed "Bigfoot"
in the third frame and suffered a devastating knockout loss.
It
was Overeem's first loss since 2007, but the 33-year-old insists
he didn't allow the disappointment to overwhelm him.
"I
not a depressed kind of guy," Overeem said. "I'm a
positive guy. I'm always looking for opportunity. I'm always
looking for answers. So that was me. I was just looking to improve.
I had a close look at all the components: training camp, trainers
and the whole thing.
"Basically,
after a loss, if it's a close-call loss, obviously maybe that's
just a strategy thing. But if it's a big loss, I look at everything,
and I changed everything up."
Included
among the changes was Overeem's choice of training locale, and
he returned to Holland for half of his camp in order to train
under Mike's Gym head Mike Passenier, trainer to legendary strikers
such as Badr Hari, Gokhan Saki and Melvin Manhoef.
"I
went back to my roots, back to striking, which is my thing,"
Overeem said.
Overeem
(36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns to action on Saturday night, when
he meets Travis Browne (14-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) in the co-feature
of "UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen" at Boston's
TD Garden. Browne also lost to Silva but has since bounced back
with an impressive win over Gabriel Gonzaga.
Despite
a massive experience difference between the two, Overeem insists
he's not overlooking his opponent.
"I
think it's a very good matchup," Overeem said. "He's
definitely an up-and-coming guy. He only has one loss. He's aggressive.
He's going to be there and going for the win. But I'm coming
from a loss, and I'm also in search of a win. I think it's a
good matchup. I'm looking forward to the fight."
In
many ways, the bout seems to have a make-or-break feel to it
for Overeem. The former Strikeforce champ was heavily hyped coming
into his UFC debut, but injury, a failed drug test and the loss
to Silva have all helped soften the hype.
Overeem
said his goal is still to win the UFC's heavyweight belt, and
his latest setback isn't going to stop him.
"Listen,
in my life, I was not born with a golden spoon," Overeem
said. "I've had a lot of setbacks in my life. But you keep
on going. You keep opening yourself up to people who will help
you. Solutions come. You just keep on going with your chin up
and your shoulders back, and you keep on moving forward.
"It's
not hard. I'm very passionate, and I want to win, and you do
whatever it takes to win."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Alistair
Overeem is Focused on Getting Back on Track Against Travis Browne
at UFC Fight Night 26
by Jeff
Cain
UFC
heavyweight Alistair Overeem hopes to rebound from a knockout
loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156 when he faces Travis Browne
on Aug. 17 at UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston.
The
former Strikeforce heavyweight titleholder made his UFC debut
at UFC 141, defeating Brock Lesnar by technical knockout. He
was scheduled to face then-champion Junior dos Santos at UFC
146, but tested positive to elevated levels of testosterone during
a pre-licensing drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The
2010 K-1 World Grand Prix champion’s application for a license
was put on hold for nine months. He returned at UFC 156 against
Silva in a top contender’s bout. Since the loss, Overeem
has been focused on improvement.
“I’ve
just been really focused on my own development. I was recovering
from an injury and getting back on track. I made a lot of changes
in the camp and the preparation and the whole process,”
Overeem said during a media conference call on Monday. “I’ve
just been focused on myself and, for me, it’s important
to get that win. I put 100-percent effort into that, into my
preparation.”
Travis Browne Back in Training Just in Case Needed for UFC 146
Having had two title shots slip away, Overeem’s not sure
whether a win over Browne would put him back in the championship
hunt.
“It’s
up to the gentlemen at the UFC to decide what they’re going
to do next,” he said. “I’m not really thinking
about all that stuff. I’m just focused on my own thing,
which is getting back on track, getting the workouts in.”
Overeem
isn’t looking to what will come next. All of his attention
is concentrated on defeating Browne.
“I’ve
just been focused on my thing. I’m not really focused on
what other people think of me, or what’s going to happen
after this fight, or who I’ll fight after. I’ve just
been focused on my own thing and getting back on track,”
he said.
UFC
Fight Night 26 takes place at TD Garden in Boston and is headlined
by a light heavyweight match-up between former titleholder Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua and Chael Sonnen.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BELLATOR
RELEASES JESSICA EYE, JESSICA AGUILAR, DISSOLVES WOMEN’S
DIVISION
BY MIKE
WHITMAN
Bellator
MMA has dissolved its women’s division, according to a statement
from promotion CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney.
“Jessica
Eye, Jessica Aguilar and Felice [Herrig] represent all that is
good in women’s MMA. Both Eye and Aguilar are ranked No.
1 in the world in their respective divisions and carry themselves
with class and distinction, elevating the women’s game,”
said Rebney. “I’ve said many times that fighters need
to fight, and fight often. Given our current focus, we are not
in a position to provide these very deserving women regular and
recurring fights on a large platform, and I felt it was best
to let them go and secure options that did. I genuinely wish
them the best of luck in their future endeavors and will be rooting
for each of them wherever they fight.”
With
the release of Eye, Aguilar and Herrig, the Bellator roster is
now devoid of female competitors, according to the promotion’s
release. Invicta Fighting Championships Tuesday announced the
acquisition of Herrig, but it is currently unknown if Aguilar
and Eye will join her in the all-female promotion or seek out
other opportunities.
Bellator
instituted a 115-pound women’s division three years ago
during the organization’s third season. The promotion held
an eight-woman tournament to crown an inaugural champion, including
the likes of Aguilar, Megumi Fujii, Carla Esparza and eventual
winner Zoila Frausto Gurgel in the tourney field. “Warrior
Princess” would never defend her belt, however, as she competed
thrice at 125 pounds under the Bellator banner before receiving
her promotional release this past February.
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
Fight Night 26's Uriah Hall: Losing TUF 'could have broke me,
but it didn't'
by Mike
Bohn
uriah-hall-2.jpgUFC
middleweight Uriah Hall knows how to turn a negative into a positive,
and that's exactly what he did following his upset loss to Kelvin
Gastelum at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April.
Since
Day One of the reality show, Hall had high expectations around
him, and it appeared he was well on his was to meeting them after
crushing his opponents through the early rounds of the show's
grueling tournament format.
When
the live finale and a chance to earn the coveted six-figure UFC
contract came around, though, Hall didn't show up with his best,
which forced him to reevaluate everything.
The
first change the 29-year-old made was in scenery. He left his
longtime camp at Tiger Schulmann's in New York and moved across
the country for a fresh start at Reign Training Center in California.
While
Hall is reluctant to share details regarding the nature of his
split from Schulmann's, he happily explains his satisfaction
with being at Reign alongside the likes of UFC contenders Chael
Sonnen, Mark Munoz and Jake Ellenberger
"I'd
rather not even go into that," Hall told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
of his choice to leave Schulmann's. "I've been working with
Reign, and Reign is amazing. The atmosphere, it's all about being
comfortable. You got to go to a place where you feel comfortable,
where it feels welcoming.
"It's
like working out. When you wake up and want to work out, you're
like, 'Alright, I can't wait to go.' But if you don't want to
go, it's because you're not motivated. But since I've been there,
I've been motivated to go because of the positive feedback we've
got and what I've learned."
What
Hall has learned is that the fundamentals are one of, if not
the most important, aspects of the sport.
Throughout
preparation for Saturday's UFC Fight Night 26 bout at Boston's
TD Garden, Hall (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has been forced to deal with
a lot of uncertainty as his opponent was switched on two separate
occasions. He now meets promotional returnee John Howard (20-8
MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a FOX Sports 1-televised bout.
From
opening his camp training for Nick Ring to a short time training
for Josh Samman and finally for Howard, the Jamaican-born Hall
learned he needs to spend less time worrying about his opponent
and more refining his own skills.
"I
was taught to take something good out of anything, and I've done
that, and one of the things I took out of it was like, 'Alright,
I got to start focusing more on me.'" Hall said. "And
I remembered on the show one of my coaches told me, 'Don't get
ready; stay ready.'
"I
just kept doing what I was doing, and not to take anything away
from John, but I know what he's good at. I know what he's strong
at. I know what he's weak at, and I know what I'm great at, so
it's just putting it together."
Hall
is hoping that when the cage door closes, he'll put it together
in a much more impressive fashion than earlier this year against
Gastelum. With a lot of credit going to his new training environment,
Hall's confidence has grown tremendously in the four months since
that forgettable night.
While
Hall doesn't want to share exactly how he's improved in his time
at Reign, he is adamant all the ups and downs in the weeks leading
up to the fight will make his sophomore UFC experience nothing
like the first.
"I
(improved by) just stepping outside the comfort zone," he
said. "When you work on something you're not good at, I
think you get better overall. ... Explaining it is not really
going to do much. I guess I just have to display it."
Hall
is aware of the hype that surrounded him coming off his "TUF"
stint, and he's even more aware he didn't fulfill those expectations
the way many had hoped.
Fortunately,
though, he never let that get him down. And even with the process
of finding a new place to train and preparing for multiple different
opponents, Hall never lost focus of the true goal of becoming
the best fighter he can be.
"[Losing
'TUF'] could have broke me, but it didn't," he said. "I
just wanted to get better, and that's what I did."
Source: MMA Junkie
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Urijah
Faber eyes superfights after showdown with Yuri Alcantara
By Dave
Doyle
BOSTON -- Urijah Faber is on a bit of a career treadmill at the
moment. The former WEC featherweight champion meets Yuri Alcantara
in a bantamweight bout on Saturday at UFC Fight Night at TD Garden.
After
that? Well, 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz is still injured
and interim champ Renan Baro is coming off an injury of his own.
So Faber has an idea in mind to keep himself relevant while the
championship situation sorts itself out.
"I
would like to have some big fights in the feature," Faber
said at Wednesday’s open workouts. "I’m going
to talk to Dana and Lorenzo and see if we can set up some superfights.
Maybe go up to 145 and do some stuff. I feel like I need to be
in some fights that really matter. Kind of, but we’re focusing
on my fight."
Faber
(28-6) wouldn’t put a name to his "superfight"
idea. But the way he sees it, as one of the few fighters at the
lighter weight classes capable of carrying the top of the bill,
"The California Kid" is at a point in his career where
he can’t just keep taking fights for their own sake.
"I
don’t think you take the belt away from Dominick,"
said Faber, who has finished Ivan Menjivar and Scott Joregensen
in his past two fights. "He’s earned what he’s
got, and when he comes back in the picture, everyone is going
to want to see him fight a top guy. it’s the same position
I’ve been in. By losing a title fight, you want to see me
fight a No. 1 contender. You don’t want me to fight someone
who doesn’t matter."
None
of this talk is to in any way imply Faber is taking his opponent
Saturday night lightly. While the American public might not know
much about Alcantara (28-4, 1 no-contest), a 33-year-old native
of Marajo, Brazil, his record speaks for itself: His two dozen
career finishes include a 2010 WEC knockout of current featherweight
hotshot Ricardo Lamas.
Asked
if Alcantara is overmatched, Faber disagreed.
"Popularity-wise
you can make a good case, but, I mean, Ricardo Lamas is ranked
No. 3 in the world at 145, he knocked him out," Faber said.
"Omigawa he beat pretty decisively, so at the weight class
he has one of the best records in the weight class and he has
24 finishes."
Source: MMA Fighting
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