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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2013
11/23/13
Aloha
State Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Pearl City H.S. Gym)
11/8/13
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Seminar
(O2 Martial Arts Academy)
11/7-11/13
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Training Camp
(Egan's Training Center)
11/4-8/13
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Week Long Winter Camp
(Team HK Jiu-Jitsu)
10/19/13
Mad Skillz
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
10/19-20/13
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)
9/28/13
Maui
Open Championship
(Lahaina Civic Center)
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
9/21/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Momilani Community Center)
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)
8/24-25/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
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)
|
|
October
2013 News Part 3
|
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!
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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!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
World
Champion Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Maciel Week Long
Training Camp & Seminar in November
And newly crowned 2013 ADCC Champion!
Multiple World BJJ Champion, Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles
Maciel is coming to Hawaii and holding a week long "winter"
training camp on November 7-11th. There will be two training
sessions, one in mid-morning and the other in the afternoon.
The entire week will cost $350. If you can only make a day or
a few days, you may also pay $85 per day.
The camp will be held at Egan's Training Center
2851 E. Manoa Road
Suite 1-200
Honolulu, HI 96821
(808) 271-3779
This is your opportunity to learn from one of the best featherweights
in the world!
Cobrinha will also be holding a separate seminar:
Friday, November 8th
7:30-9:30PM
$85 per person
O2 Martial Arts Academy
98-019 Kamehameha Hwy, #208A
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 484-2324
For more information, please contact:
Daniela Sobreiro
www.CobrinhaBJJ.com
info@cobrinhabjj.com
Phone:323-931-9953
|
Chael
Sonnen Says He May Reach Out to Anderson Silva for His TUF Brasil
3 Coaching Staff
Anderson
Silva and Chael Sonnen at the UFC 148 weigh-insWould Anderson
Silva really take Chael Sonnen up on his latest offer?
“Who
knows, I may reach out to Anderson and see if he wants to be
on the coaching staff (of TUF Brasil 3) with me,” Sonnen
said in an interview with Whoa! TV.
He
then went on to explain losing twice to Silva and expressing
his desire for a third bout with the former champ.
Sonnen
is currently slated to coach opposite Wanderlei Silva when TUF
Brasil 3 filming begins early next year.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
A
Mission-Minded Warrior
By Trula
Howe
Chad Robichaux’s ties to the military run deep.
Once
a soldier, always a soldier.
As
he approaches his promotional debut against the unbeaten Andrew
Yates at World Series of Fighting 6 -- the event’s prelims
will stream live and free to Sherdog.com -- on Saturday at the
Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Fla., Chad Robichaux has
a particular mission on his mind. The 38-year-old wants to establish
his name on a larger platform in order to use his success to
benefit America’s military veterans. That pursuit brought
him to the World Series of Fighting.
“It
is not about me getting myself out there as much as getting what
I believe in [out there],” Robichaux said. “This sport
has been awesome to me and I love my supporters and fans, so
if I can share who I am and what I believe in from the mountaintops,
then I will seek the highest one; and right now, that is WSOF.
With 22 suicides a day and a 90-percent divorce rate among our
veterans, somebody needs to be on a platform. Why not me?
After
Robichaux discussed the difficulty of finding a “good fight”
in a June interview, Legacy Fighting Championship promoter Mick
Maynard countered with the claim that he had offered “Robo”
several top-level opponents, including World Extreme Cagefighting
and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Damacio Page. However,
Robichaux had already started the process of moving to the World
Series of Fighting.
“I
really enjoyed my time at Legacy FC,” he said. “I was
their first bantamweight champion, and that holds a very special
place in my history. Legacy has hit a global level, and that
is so cool. For me, I still had that feel that the Legacy show
is the local scene; that’s not the case, but since the show
is [promoted] where I live, I felt that.
“As
a competitor I always want to reach the highest level, and going
beyond Legacy was a goal of mine,” Robichaux added. “As
for Damacio, man, I want to fight the best, and he is one of
them. What a great offer to fight him. The timing was bad, though.
I was already in negotiations with WSOF, and they offered twice
the pay and a bigger platform on [the] NBC [Sports network].”
Yates
is 7-0.
Yates, his first WSOF foe, is younger by 14 years and only has
seven professional bouts on his resume, but he is far from inexperienced.
Undefeated as a pro, he trains with Wanderlei Silva’s Wand
Fight Team and has 26 amateur fights under his belt. However,
Robichaux feels confident he can control the outcome.
“I
don’t know a lot about him as a fighter, so we decided just
to train for what I’m best at: a heart-exploding pace and
violent pressure wherever the fight takes place,” he said.
“I’m an aggressive fighter and am always trying to
finish from bell to bell. I don’t fight to impress judges;
I fight to be exciting and to win. For me to win means to finish
the fight, so expect me to give 120 percent in every area of
the bout.
“With
Andrew, I do believe he will be well-rounded; he has wrestling,
good striking and is a solid athlete, but I think I will dictate
where the fight takes place at all times, and that is my biggest
advantage,” Robichaux added. “I think his biggest strength
is that he really believes in himself. I think that is cool.
He seems like a great young man, and it will be an honor to welcome
him to the big leagues.”
Robichaux
-- who holds a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
under Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes and Carlos Gracie
Jr., along with black belts in traditional jiu-jitsu, American
jiu-jitsu and Okinawan karate -- has spent several training camps
with an Xtreme Couture affiliate in Colorado. However, he has
honed his skills under Magalhaes, muay Thai coach Matt Wald and
wrestling coach Jody Tranthom since moving back to Texas.
“We
have an awesome team and have always had a high win ratio,”
Robichaux said. “I think our work ethic and the way we get
behind each other’s bouts are the key. We train harder than
any place I’ve ever trained in the world.”
His
return to Texas afforded him the chance to be more closely involved
with the Mighty Oaks Foundation, an organization he started,
along with Operation Warrior Reconnect, in an effort to combat
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans.
“We
use BJJ and MMA to work with veterans struggling with PTSD, which
includes a Gracie Barra-sponsored vocational program for job
placement as school program directors,” Robichaux said.
“In addition to that, we have ranches in Colorado, California,
Texas and Oklahoma, where we bring [in] veteran and active-duty
combat veterans, spouses and family members for a series of week-long
mentorship camps.
“The
camps focus on overcoming PTSD and helping them to successfully
reintegrate into the communities they fought to defend,”
he added. “We have had about 1,500 graduates and have had
zero suicides or divorces, to our knowledge -- a 100-percent
success rate we are very proud of. We’ve earned the trust
of the United States military, and [veterans] are now sent to
us on orders from the U.S. Marines and U.S. Army.”
Before
signing with the World Series of Fighting, Robichaux made a push
to be included on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s roster
for UFC Fight Night 31 “Fight for the Troops 3” on
Nov. 6.
“We
did try, desperately,” he said. “The fans really pushed
for Colton Smith, Tim Kennedy and myself to get on [the card];
Colton and Tim did, but I didn’t. It was a bummer, but I’m
happy those two are on the card and representing war fighters
in the cage. I think, regarding veteran fan bases, we are the
top three fighters. I speak on bases and with troops for a living;
it’s my job.”
Robichaux
sounds like a man who is content to ply his trade inside the
World Series of Fighting.
“I’m
very happy with them; they are incredible, and I’ve never
been so excited to be with an organization before,” he said.
“However, for any fighter to say they don’t want to
fight in the UFC, I think, would be lying. Of course it’s
a goal and a dream that I think I’ve been overlooked on
for a long time. However, right now, I am very blessed with the
opportunity I have.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Bruno
Frazatto leaves jiu-jitsu for MMA, focuses on RFA debut
By Guilherme
Cruz
RIO
DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Bruno Frazatto is one of the top jiu-jitsu
fighters in the world, but he won’t put on a gi to compete
anymore.
A
two-time Brazilian national champion, a gold medalist at the
IBJJF Pan American Championship and the European Open champion,
Frazatto (5-0) decided to leave the mats to focus on his MMA
career after he signed a deal with Resurrection Fighting Alliance.
The
jiu-jitsu expert makes his RFA debut on Oct. 25 in Iowa, where
he faces undefeated William Osborne, and he’s ready for
the new challenges of his career.
"I’m
a MMA fighter now but I’ll try to take this fight to the
ground, where I can do my best," Frazatto told MMAFighting.com.
"He won his last three fights and is pretty well-rounded,
but not a specialist in anything. I know he’s tough, but
I’m going to do my best."
Frazatto
is 5-0 in MMA with four finishes, but he took years to finally
move from jiu-jitsu competition to mixed martial arts.
The
featherweight accepted an invitation to teach jiu-jitsu to MMA
fighters at Team Nogueira, and that made him return to the sport
six years after his last fight in 2007.
Last
June, a first-round submission over Fernando dos Santos, was
enough to make Frazatto fall in love with MMA once again.
"My
last fight was six years ago, but I fought last June and won,"
he said. "I felt great. Training at Team Nogueira made me
stronger and gave me the experience I needed to win. I’m
completely focused on MMA now. I’ve signed a three-fight
deal with RFA and that’s my focus now."
Frazatto
trains with the likes of Patricio Freire, Rony Jason and Patricky
Pitbull, but Eduardo Pachu is the most important training partner
for his RFA debut.
"Pachu
is helping me a lot here," he continued. "He has an
excellent striking game and good takedown defense, just like
my next opponent, but I have a lot of great sparring partners
here. I’m learning more than teaching here now."
Anthony
Pettis’ brother, Sergio Pettis has signed a deal with the
UFC after a successful run at RFA, and that’s Frazatto’s
ultimate goal.
"My
dream is to fight in the UFC, but I know that I’m not ready
yet," he said. "I need a year to win some fights and
get more experience. Getting in there right now wouldn’t
be the right moment. I want to get there and stay there."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
For
Michael Bisping, temporary loss of vision provided clear view
of future
by Steven
Marrocco and Matt Erickson
MANCHESTER – In six months, Michael Bisping said he should
be back inside the cage, fighting toward a title that's eluded
him in seven years with the UFC.
Right
now, though, his progress is measured in smaller increments.
Every two days, he drives from his home in Huntington Beach,
Calif., to Los Angeles to have a doctor look at his right eye,
which twice has suffered a detached retina.
Scar
tissue from a corrective surgery performed on the eye is healing
slowly, but surely. A small implant helps fluid drain from the
eye so he can see. Bisping on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com prior
to a fan Q&A in Manchester that this past week, his doctor
told him he must have a guardian angel to recover so quickly
– but the process is fragile.
Recently,
Bisping said he was driving on the freeway after watching a kickboxing
event with his son, and suddenly, half of his vision was gone.
"I
thought the eyeball had just packed in," he said. "It
turns out I had internal bleeding in the eye, so the eye had
filled up with blood. I couldn't see through the blood. The doctor
told me to lie face down and let it drain, and the next morning
I could see."
He
first discovered the injury this past month while training for
a headlining fight in his home town of Manchester, England, opposite
Mark Munoz (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 30. (The event
takes place Saturday at Phones4u Arena and airs on FOX Sports
2 and MMAjunkie.com.)
As
Bisping found out, he'd been fighting with a detached retina
for his previous two bouts against Vitor Belfort and Alan Belcher.
In the former, he was caught with a high kick on the right side
of his head and stopped in the second round. When he received
his diagnosis, the peripheral vision in his right eye was gone.
Bisping
was scheduled for his first surgery and underwent a procedure
to re-attach the retina. He was cleared to resume training and
hit the gym with renewed vigor. Then things took a turn for the
worse.
"I
walked into the gym one day and the light kind of got funny,"
he said. "It got worse throughout the day. At the end of
the day, I almost couldn't see."
Bisping
(24-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) quickly returned to the doctor, who told
him that scar tissue from the procedure was causing the retina
to again detach. Fighting at the event was no longer an option.
He withdrew and was replaced by ex-champ Lyoto Machida (19-4
MMA, 11-4 UFC). He wouldn't be able to bask in the glory of fighting
in front of friends and family.
Meanwhile,
his ailments continued to worsen. He began suffering from glaucoma,
his eye filling with fluid and then draining out of his corner
of his eye. One day, it stopped draining, and he said he endured
15 hours of "excruciating pain" before undergoing two
additional procedures.
It's
impossible to continue a fight career with a detached retina.
If Bisping's eye didn't heal, no athletic commission would clear
him to fight, and he might suffer permanent, lasting damage to
his vision. Despite the implications of the later, he said he
was far more worried about the former.
Bisping
felt confident that his doctors were giving him the proper treatment,
and he would be able to recover. But the prospect of sitting
out and losing time at 34 years of age was too much to bear.
"This
defines me as a person," he said. "This is what I do.
I've come to a point now where I've been in the UFC a long time,
but I still haven't had a title shot. I haven't been world champion,
and I still feel like I have a lot to prove in this sport. And
because I've been around for a while, I'm toward the higher end
of the pay scale, as well.
"So
it's my career. I just bought a house. I was like s--t, is this
where it all ends?"
It's
not over for Bisping. If all goes well, he'll be fighting in
early 2014. He'd like to face the winner of Munoz vs. Machida,
and believes he'll be standing in front of Machida if he gets
that opportunity. And while he might not be fighting in the Phones4u
Arena, he will be there nonetheless, serving as a goodwill ambassador
for the event he couldn't make.
When
he returns to his adopted home in the U.S., he will continue
to live as if a fight is around the corner, lifting weights and
dieting so that he's close to the middleweight limit when he
gets a phone call. He said he's got a lot left to prove when
he returns.
"In
some ways, this is going to be the best thing to ever happen
to me, because I know it sounds like a cliche, but I had my career
almost taken away, and it made me realize how much I have left
to achieve in this sport," Bisping said. "If time was
called on my career right now, I wouldn't be happy with what
I achieved. Yes, I get some notoriety and put some dollars in
my bank account, but I want a lot more out of it than that. I
want to stabilize my future and my children's future. This now,
has made me really even hungrier than ever."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Violent:
California mismatches, medical suspensions enabling bad beatings
(w/ video)
By Zach
Arnold
Negligence.
The
honorable Steve Kim has penned a must-read column for Sports
on Earth about the death of boxer Francisco (Franky) Leal last
week and how athletic commissions need to change protocols in
order to prevent managers & trainers from throwing fighters
into situations where they shouldn’t be fighting after suffering
concussive beatings.
Francisco
“Franky” Leal’s 27th birthday would have been
this Friday. Unfortunately, he and his family won’t be celebrating
the occasion. They’ll instead be mourning his death after
Leal was knocked out by Raul Hirales in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico,
this past weekend, and died soon after.
In
March of 2012, Leal faced Evgeny Gradovich in San Antonio. Gradovich,
the current IBF featherweight champion, doesn’t so much
knock opponents out as he does slowly beat them into submission.
One punch at a time, he concusses his opponents with a steady
stream of leather. After a typically game effort, Leal finally
succumbed in the 10th and final round of their contest. Afterwards,
he was carried off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital,
an eerie foreshadowing of what was to come.
To
put Steve’s column into perspective, it is easy to dismiss
his concerns as yet another boxing-only story when the reality
is that it’s a story that should be of major concern to
all combat sports fans. After what transpired with Junior dos
Santos, Nate Marquardt, and Diego Sanchez this past weekend in
Houston, you better believe that the issue of brain damage will
be as big of a problem in MMA as it is in boxing. If you believe
the recent results from the Cleveland Clinic study on fighters,
we may very well see the suffering of MMA fighters in much the
same way we see punch-drunk boxers today. The CC study indicates
the impact of brain damage for MMA fighters will surface sooner
than the symptoms from brain damage that boxers display.
Franky
Leal fought in the wild west of Texas, whose athletic commission
is completely shambolic. Any MMA fan who watched the UFC Houston
PPV knows how out of control the situation is with Dickie Cole
and son Lawrence running the show.
However,
the situation for regulating boxing in California isn’t
a whole lot better.
Mike
Alexander is a journeyman boxer, age 34. He’s no different
than a million other boxers you see booked on local fight cards
to put over younger fighters. His current record is 2-9-3. In
other words, he shouldn’t be fighting any more. However,
guys like Alexander do get booked on California cards —
especially Don Chargin/Paco Presents cards with Jorge Marron
— because the front office rubber stamps the bookings. What
could go wrong?
In
December 2011, there was controversy about the California State
Athletic Commission allowing fighter Jose Figueroa to compete
twice in three weeks. Both times, he was knocked out. He fought
in Russia before fighting in California. The commission put the
blame on the fighter for not disclosing the Russian bout. Naturally,
there was big political heat on the commission for not performing
due diligence.
In
July 2012, Che Guevera was on a conference call with California
promoters in which he deflected issues of medical suspensions
away from the athletic commission.
George
& Che made sure to note that if a fighter who is currently
on suspension gets booked, that’s on the promoter and is
their responsibility to make sure a fighter is cleared before
getting booked.
In
other words, it’s the promoter’s fault for booking
fighters who are medically suspended elsewhere or shouldn’t
be on cards in the first place. This attitude rubbed regulators
in other states the wrong way in a hurry. Other regulators approached
me with their disgust about the attitude in Sacramento.
It
is with this as the backdrop that makes the Mike Alexander story
so alarming. On June 1st, 2013, Mike Alexander was booked for
a 4-rounder against a club-type fighter named Ricardo Pinell.
As
the end of round two was approaching, it was clear that Pinell
had much quicker hand speed and was ready to coast to a decision
victory. Then the bell rang to end round two. Alexander put his
hands down and left himself unguarded. Pinell, clearly after
the bell, clocked Alexander and knocked him out cold in the ring.
The referee Gerard White stood over Alexander and stopped the
fight.
Pinell
clearly punched Alexander after the bell… and was given
the win. On the video, Nichole Bowles from CSAC entered the ring
with a stool. Alexander was stretchered out of the building.
The
California State Athletic Commission, according to Fight Fax,
did not medically suspend Mike Alexander.
According
to commission documentation, Che Guevara was the lead athletic
inspector on the Redwood City, California show. Despite still
being in the front office, his booking power had been stripped.
Andy Foster was the one who approved of the Alexander/Pinell
fight. Guevara worked the Redwood City show with top young ally
Nichole Bowles & new CAMO golden boy Hanley Chan.
Less
than three months after being stretchered out of a boxing ring,
Alexander fought on a Top Rank August 24th card at the Glendale
Civic Auditorium against prospect Liam Vaughn. Vaughn celebrated
his 23rd birthday by knocking out Mike Alexander. Alexander was
given a 45-day medical suspension. Vaughn went to 7-1.
On
October 12th, Alexander fought for promoter OPP in the Sacramento
area and lost to prospect Aaron Coley, two days fresh off his
23rd birthday. Alexander lost by TKO in the third round of a
six rounder. Coley improved to 7-0. Alexander went to 2-9-3.
The lead athletic inspector on the OPP event was Nichole Bowles,
the same inspector who worked the Redwood City fight. Six months
ago, Nichole Bowles was the lead inspector for an OPP show in
Sacramento in which Martha Salazar & Sonya Lamonakis fought
in a six-rounder. The problem? Instead of two minute rounds,
they ended up fighting in three minute rounds.
Referee
Gerard White, who officiated the Alexander/Pinell fight at Redwood
City, was booked for the OPP event.
The
California State Athletic Commission did not give Mike Alexander
a medical suspension after his October 12th bout.
Ricardo
Pinell, who was not disqualified or suspended, fought in two
fights after knocking Alexander out after the bell in Redwood
City. He was booked for a Don Chargin event on September 28th
at Cache Creek Resort & Casino (north of Sacramento) and
lost. Pinell fought on a card with some fights that should have
never been booked by the promoter or rubber stamped by the Sacramento
front office.
While
JCC/Vera was happening Saturday night at StubHub Center, there
was a Don Chargin fight at Cache Creek Resort & Casino about
45 minutes north of Sacramento. It was a five-fight card that
featured two curious bookings. The main event featured then 13-2-1
Paul Mendez (24 year old local fighter) versus then 9-10 fighter
Rahman Yusubov. Yusubov ended up with a ruptured ear drum. On
the same card, then 1-0 local fighter Darwin Price faced a then
2-19-4 fighter named Johnny Frazier from Las Vegas. There were
people at the show who were floored that this fight was approved
on the card and expressed concern that the booking should have
never happened. Needless to say, Mr. Frazier’s record went
to 2-20-4 after the fight. After his loss, Frazier was given
a two day mandatory rest suspension by the commission.
The
situation regarding the quality of regulation of boxing in the
state of California is not improving. It’s actually declining.
Someone is going to get seriously injured or killed. The issues
of liability are very real. Boxers like Franky Leal die because
no one wants to step up and be the adult in the room and say,
“Hey, it’s time to quit.” It’s even worse
when the regulators create the environments for fighters to get
seriously injured and don’t bother following the proper
protocols in dealing with medical suspensions.
Maybe
Mike Alexander can get a distribution from the state’s boxer
pension fund at age 50 to pay for his future medical bills. Or
maybe not. He’d probably have a better chance of getting
money by suing Che Guevara & the state of California on the
grounds of negligence.
Fighters
don’t know when to stop. The regulators (in name) are supposed
to be the adults in the room. They’ve failed and will continue
to do so unless major changes are made.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Title
Rematch Between Koji Oishi and Honorio Banario Headlines ONE
FC: Moment of Truth
by James
Goyder
Koji
Oishi ONE Fighting Championship returns to Manila for the third
time on Dec. 6 for a card at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia
Arena, which will be headlined by a featherweight title fight
between Koji Oishi and Honorio Banario.
ONE
FC: Moment of Truth will be the promotion’s second show
to take place in this brand new venue and the main event is the
same as it was in May. The only difference is that Banario is
no longer the defending champion after losing his belt to Oishi
in a dramatic title fight that lasted less than two rounds.
Oishi
is a seasoned veteran who has fought twice for the UFC and been
in with the likes of Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz and Carlos Condit during
his 13-year professional career. Banario is 12 years his junior
and made history by becoming the first ever ONE FC featherweight
champion when he beat Eric Kelly in February.
The
first time they fought, Banario had Oishi in serious trouble
at the end of the opening round and the referee looked like he
was on the verge of stopping the fight only for the Japanese
fighter to somehow find a way to survive until the bell.
In
the second stanza, Banario became careless and Oishi countered
his lazy jab with a thunderous overhand right that knocked the
Filipino flat on his back, leaving him powerless to defend himself
from a barrage of follow-up punches.
The
defeat saw the Filipino’s record drop to 8-2, while Oishi
improved to 24-9-10, but Banario has been granted an immediate
rematch and will get a chance to become a ONE FC champion for
the second time on Dec. 6.
No
other match-ups have been announced at the time of writing, but
ONE FC confirmed that three more Filipinos would be on the card.
Lightweight Eduard Folayang (12-4) and flyweight Geje Eustaquio
(4-2) will both be facing unnamed opponents, as will debutant
female fighter Jujeath Nagaowa.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Garry
Cook: UFC European fight series will deliver events in prime
time
By Chuck
Mindenhall
In
2014, the UFC will hold at least half a dozen events in Europe,
and is eyeing the Middle East and Africa too, according to Garry
Cook.
Cook,
the UFC’s executive vice president and managing director
of Europe, appeared on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour
and spoke about the importance of the promotion’s European
"Fight Night Series." The reason for the influx of
European events is simple: Prime time.
"I
think I underestimated the amount of content that was on after
3 o’clock in the morning," he told Ariel Helwani. "You
really have to be a hardcore fan to see all the live events,
the great events. Look at the last two -- look at Houston over
the weekend, and look at [Jon] Jones and [Alexander] Gustafsson.
I mean, these are monumental moments in our sport and in the
history of the UFC. And yet the mainstream [in Europe] don’t
get to see them. The next part of our strategy around the globe,
and around Europe in particular is to get the sport in to prime
time television. Give the fans more events, and give the fans
more prime time viewing, and that’s the way forward for
us."
Though
nothing is set in stone on the exact locations and dates, Cook
said that the UFC is planning visits to London in March, as well
as Dublin, Istanbul, Poland (either Lodz or Warsaw), Germany
(Hamburg or Berlin) and Sweden (either in Malmö or Stockholm).
Glasgow is also a possibility for a visit, as is parts of the
Middle East (Cook mentioned Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and Africa.
In
the UFC’s attempt to localize the events and mesh time zones
for the European theater, Cook envisions expanding on the 2014
slate in the years to come.
"I
think you’ve seen delivered by the UFC over the last ten
years, no restrictions on their capability to go in a market
and make a difference with the UFC," he said. "Not
only impacting MMA, but in my mind, changing the landscape in
sport. So, there is no limit. Where the is an arena, there is
a capability, in my mind."
As
for the Dublin show, which is still in the early planning stages,
Cook said that it could be tailored around the return of the
country’s national treasure, Conor McGregor, who is current
rehabilitating a knee injury.
"Of
course, [Conor’s] taken the world by storm, hasn’t
he?" he said. "Just four months ago, five months ago
the boy was in a very different part of his life, different point
in his life. Since he performed as well as he has done, we were
fortunate enough to have him on one of our cards [in Sweden].
I mean he’s on every national television show, every talk
show…he’s taken the world by storm. Everybody in Ireland
cannot wait for him to return."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Diego
Sanchez fires back at knockout claim of Guillard, who says words
twisted
Diego Sanchez isn't happy about being characterized as a sparring
dummy, and Melvin Guillard isn't happy that people think that's
his opinion.
Sanchez
had harsh words for "The Young Assassin" in advance
of his fight with Ross Pearson, which headlines Saturday's UFC
Fight Night 30 at Phones4u Arena in Manchester, England.
On
Twitter, Sanchez (24-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC) on Wednesday wrote Guillard
(31-12-2 MMA, 12-8 UFC) was "making up fake stories"
by claiming to have "dropped" him in practice when
they trained together at Jackson-Winkeljohn's MMA in Albuquerque,
N.M.
"Im
not even gonna start with you OK," he wrote.
But
if you've seen Sanchez's barnburner with Gilbert Melendez at
this past Saturday's UFC 166, you know that he doesn't back away
from a fight.
"Everybody
@JacksonsMMA know the truth your full of s--t melv & never
dropped me!" Sanchez wrote today.
The
reaction from the UFC lightweight and the MMA world has Guillard
pointing the finger at reporters who wrote the story, which came
out of an open media workout in support of Saturday's event on
FOX Sports 2 and MMAjunkie.com.
Guillard
was asked about his reaction to Sanchez vs. Melendez, which is
a shoo-in for "Fight of the Year" and already is hailed
as one of the best fights in UFC history.
"I
would have dropped either one of them," Guillard told MMAjunkie.com.
"I used to drop Diego Sanchez in practice all the time.
When I hit people, I hurt people. That's just what I do."
Guillard,
who left Jackson-Winkeljohn's in 2011 and earlier this year was
blocked from returning, today tweeted, "the media twisting
my words that's why I hate giving interviews now I'm a fighter
what you expect me to say that this guys would wipe my ass."
Several
hours later, he again said he's been misinterpreted.
"Omg
people I'm a fighter remember we fight stop taking everything
out of context please I ment nothing by that ok we fight that's
what we do," he wrote.
Guillard
and Sanchez were unreachable for comment at the time of this
writing.
On
Saturday, Guillard hopes to build on momentum earned with a knockout
of Mac Danzig at this past July's UFC on FOX 8, which snapped
a 1-4 run in the octagon. He recently switched gym affiliations
again, joining forces with Florida's American Top Team after
a short stint at Grudge Training Center in Denver.
Sanchez,
meanwhile, remains unbooked after losing a unanimous decision
against Melendez. Recently, he tweeted his desire to fight Nate
Diaz, who is scheduled to fight a rubber match with two-time
title challenger Gray Maynard at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale.
But
maybe after hearing Guillard's comments, Sanchez might be persuaded
to take aim at a new target.
Source:
MMA Junkie
|
Big
John McCarthy’s political power in California is significantly
solidifying
By Zach
Arnold
Keith
Kizer may not welcome John McCarthy any time soon to the state
of Nevada, but the state with the largest combat sports event
schedule in the country is rapidly consolidating power behind
the Godfather of MMA referees.
A
year has passed since Andy Foster transitioned from Georgia’s
athletic commission to his perch in Sacramento as the Executive
Officer of the California State Athletic Commission. It has been
a challenging year, one in which he feels he is making significant
progress. It depends on which side of the aisle you ask in terms
of a viewpoint. If you’re a hardcore MMA industry person,
you like what he is up to. If you’re in the boxing industry,
you think his tenure so far is mind-boggling. If you’re
a veteran athletic inspector, you’re inclined to hate the
man. If you’re a promoter, you like that he’s trying
to save you some money but hate the fact that you’re getting
skeletal athletic inspector & official crews to work shows.
A
lot of volunteers and newbies are being thrown into the fire
by working shows with limited training. Rather than continuing
the training of athletic inspectors to learn how to calculate
box offices correctly (you can thank Che Guevara for that mess),
Andy has brought on state employees to attend shows and handle
the box offices despite those individuals not having any sort
of fight experience. Give Andy Foster credit — he knows
that an athletic commission can be messy but as long as the finances
are in order, the politicians will stick with him for a little
while.
Right
now, there are two major issues with the California State Athletic
Commission. The first issue is what to do about the five million
dollars in the bank account for the boxer’s pension fund.
We recently reviewed the problems with the pension fund and why
this is a story that every boxer who has ever fought in California
should be paying attention to. The second issue, and much more
volatile politically, has to do with the officials & athletic
inspectors Andy Foster is booking for shows and how that booking
process is taking place. If you are running a big show in the
state, chances are that your sheet will be filled with bookings
a couple of months in advance. If you are running a smaller show,
you may have booking issues as close as a couple of days before
an event. It is a chaotic process that doesn’t make a lot
of sense.
Highlighting
the further chaos that encompasses the politics of combat sports
in California is the fact that the adults in charge of regulation
come from the MMA scene. Boxing is king in California and remains
the top revenue driver. And yet people in boxing remain stunned
& puzzled why the regulatory scene is being controlled entirely
by those who are from Mixed Martial Arts. It was Andy Foster
who booked Gwen Adair, Carla Caiz, and Marty Denkin to judge
the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Bryan Vera fight three weeks ago.
JCC was gifted a terrible unanimous decision in a fight Vera
won or got a draw in. Instead of getting rid of Adair (who has
previously sued the state for discrimination in order to keep
her judging gig) & Denkin, no one was punished by Sacramento
because they didn’t see anything wrong with what happened.
Three
weeks after the JCC/Vera fight, Marty Denkin resumed his duties
as a judge by working the main event of a boxing card in Ontario
this past weekend.
Right
now, there are five people who are basically running or influencing
the show as far as what is happening with who is involved in
regulating the California combat sports scene.
Excluding
Consumer Affairs, which has enormous influence, there are five
individuals who are basically in power right now:
Andy
Foster (the Executive Officer)
Big John McCarthy (dean of MMA referees and whose gym is where
the inspectors & officials go to for training)
Jack Reiss (friend of BJM and the number one boxing referee in
California)
Mark Relyea (Andy’s number one athletic inspector in Southern
California who was with the LA County Sheriff’s office for
decades)
Martha Shen-Urquidez (CSAC commission member who is a lawyer
that has close ties to John McCarthy from LAPD days, and previously
with the LA Housing Authority)
It
is this nexus of LAPD & Southern California firefighters
whose political power continues to grow. How inspectors &
officials who are on the outside-looking-in view the state of
affairs is quite different than those who are in the inner circle.
The
political in-fighting amongst officials over representation
It
is important to note that the legal protections for officials
who work for California’s commission are different than
the legal protections for athletic inspectors. Officials are
licensees, meaning they are independent contractors and do not
wield power. They work at the pleasure of the athletic commission.
Athletic inspectors, on the other hand, are considered intermittent
state employees. Any form of discrimination against an athletic
inspector, as is the case with veteran mentor & inspector
Dwayne Woodard, is grounds for legal action.
In
other words, if you’re a boxing referee who is considered
past your prime, the commission can ditch you at any time. If
you’re an athletic inspector who is competent, over the
age of 40, and gets discriminated by the front office, you can
rightfully sue. In the case of female boxing judge Gwen Adair,
the reason she (as an official) has been successful in keeping
her gig is because she sued the state for sex/race discrimination
and rather than fight in court, the state of California settled
with her.
Adair
knows how to play the political & legal game. Most officials
do not. Whether it’s due to lack of knowledge or lack of
courage, they will not fight because the hurdles they face require
discipline for a long-term battle.
Recently,
there was an attempt to unionize the athletic inspectors. Certain
inspectors asked veteran hands to help them with the process
for setting up a union shop. When the veterans, who are in no
way political animals, helped provide the information… all
of a sudden they were thrown under the bus by the inspectors
who asked for their help in the first place. The end result is
that the veteran hands were left holding the bag when they weren’t
the instigators. Despite having legal protections, the athletic
inspectors are not unionizing.
For
the officials (doctors, referees, judges, timekeepers), there
is no union. For many years, there has been a powerless “association”
in name only. The so-called leader of this association is Raul
Caiz Jr. His father, Sr., and Carla work many boxing shows alongside
Marty & Jackie Denkin. The West Covina clan. Junior Caiz
has claimed to be the front man for his officials association
and pushed himself as someone who would represent the officials
if there was trouble.
Since
Andy Foster has taken over in California, the relationship between
Foster and Junior Caiz is nonexistent. They hate each other.
Sacramento has zero respect for Junior Caiz. He can’t even
get the commission to put topics on future CSAC meeting agendas.
Hell, there is no video or audio available of any of the California
State Athletic Commission meetings for the public to view since
Andy Foster has taken over. If you aren’t in attendance
at the meetings in Los Angeles, you don’t know what is happening
with commission affairs.
With
Junior Caiz having no political juice left in California, the
officials who used to care about what Caiz promised them don’t
care any more. It has left a power vacuum. Ever since Andy Foster
has taken over the duties of booking officials & inspectors
for shows, the haphazard manner of booking has led to many officials
& inspectors calling him up on the phone and asking what
is going on. It’s led to a barrage of politicking that has
not stopped. Rather than put an end to it, the Executive Officer
has let the situation fester and boil over. There is stress on
athletic inspectors & officials who are getting last-minute
bookings or getting moved around from various cards on short
notice.
Here
comes the cavalry for Andy Foster
With
Junior Caiz neutered, here comes Big John McCarthy to the table.
The
Godfather of MMA referees sent out a letter to officials a couple
of days ago asking if they would be interested in forming a new
association. Here is the text of that letter. After you read
the letter, I will give you a glimpse into what the reaction
has been so far to the letter.
(Please
read the attached letter and let us know if you wish to be a
part this.)
Greetings
Fellow Officials
This
letter is to inform and invite ALL State of California licensed
referees, judges, timekeepers and ringside physicians to become
part of something new that will be beneficial to the combative
sports industry in California, it’s fighters, officials,
inspectors, promoters, and fans alike.
California
is the busiest state in the US for combative sports. We host
more boxing and MMA than many other states combined.
We
were recently approached by members of our current Commission
to unite ALL Officials (both Boxing and MMA) and open a productive
line of communication between the officials, the Executive Officer,
the Board of Commissioners and inspectors.
CCSOA
(California Combative Sports Officials Association) is our new
association. In addition to the items mentioned above, this newly
formed association will also work with the Commission to set
up training for officials, official evaluations, remedial training
when necessary, a mentor program to help newer officials improve
their skills and take on more challenging assignments. Also,
we have been asked to work on criteria and duties for an “official
emeritus” status by which some of our more senior members
can be transitioned to more appropriate functions.
Again,
we need to unite. It is not practical to have more than one association
representing us. In fact, it is counter productive and will only
serve to keep us segregated. Therefore, I am asking all members
of the CBOA who would like to join us to send me an email with
a letter attached, stating that they are hereby resigning from
the CBOA.
The
current members who make up the CSAC are very progressive. We
need to come together like the CSAC has, and realize that our
primary concerns should always be what is best for the fighters,
what is best for the fans, and what is best for the sports of
Boxing and MMA.
I
hope you join me and the other officials here in the State of
California who will be working hard to make some long lasting
positive changes. More information will be forthcoming.
Respectfully,
John
McCarthy
The
attack on Junior Caiz is commencing. And, so far, the reaction
from officials has been split.
There
are many officials, especially up North, who don’t think
much of Junior Caiz and are happy that a strong personality like
McCarthy is stepping up to help out. It would be fair to say
that the floor for support on this front is about 60%, at minimum.
However,
there is a vocal amount of officials who are not buying into
this letter at all and see it as a political trap. Given how
close Andy Foster & John McCarthy are, their critics view
this attempt of forming an association (with Martha Shen-Urquidez’s
blessing) as essentially the fox guarding the hen house. In other
words, this new association would be a way to keep an eye on
‘the children’ that are not behaving. One critic, on
background, labeled this as an attempt to establish Andy Foster
as the “good cop” with McCarthy & Martha as the
“bad cops.”
Realistically,
it’s also a situation where Andy Foster could simply tell
officials who call him up on the phone to go call John McCarthy
and air their grievances to him about what problems they have,
knowing that John is a strong personality and won’t put
up with much whining. In other words, John would be Andy’s
enforcer, ombudsman, and trainer all rolled into one.
Finally,
take note of the “official emeritus” line in John McCarthy’s
letter. This is a nice way of saying that such an association,
which does not carry the power of an official union, would nonetheless
push aside any officials who the front office or the inner circle
deem to be too old or not up to standard. You can’t pull
that off with the athletic inspectors because of the state laws
on the books. With an association made up of independent contractors
who are licensees, however, that power is weakened in terms of
legal recourse if you get iced out politically.
Take
note of the phrase “we have been asked to work.” Unions
or associations or trade organizations are generally groups in
which they are independent from ownership. The letter is transparent
in stating that this association would not be independent.
Bottom
line? The political power for Andy Foster’s inner circle
of John McCarthy, Jack Reiss, Mark Relyea, and Martha Shen-Urquidez
is solidifying. A line has been drawn in the sand. You’re
either with us politically or you’re against us. If you
didn’t think the honeymoon was over between the athletic
inspectors & officials with Andy Foster, now you have plenty
of reason to believe the honeymoon is over.
Their
critics who are most vocal now will have to put up or shut up
with both time & money if they want to fight and, given the
track record of the grunts who work shows, they are the first
to wave the white flag. They will run away as fast as Jeremy
Lappen did when Andy Foster challenged him about CAMO’s
delegation and the fees they imposed on participants while regulating
amateur MMA in the state. The political calculation is that the
officials who have a problem will not mount enough of a fight
and, so far, Sacramento has been entirely right about this.
The
politics of the California combat sports regulatory scene just
got a lot messier. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.
Will any of the officials have the guts to put up resistance?
History says no.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
2014 Schedule Includes 35 Events; Dates and Locales for UFC on
Fox 10 and UFC 170 Revealed
UFC
president Dana White on Wednesday night presented the skeleton
of the 2014 UFC schedule, including details for the beginning
of the year.
White
unveiled his company’s plans on FOX Sports Live.
The UFC’s 2014 schedule includes:
–13
Pay-Per-View events
–4 UFC on FOX fights
–14 live events on FOX Sports 1 (including two TUF Finales)
–4 live events on FOX Sports 2
(Prelims
for Pay-Per-View shows will air on FOX Sports 1.)
The
Octagon will stop in Chicago on Jan. 25 for UFC on Fox 10, the
third Fox event to be held at United Center. On Feb. 1, the Prudential
Center in Newark, N.J. will play host to the previously announced
UFC 169. And on Feb. 22, the UFC will return to its home base
for UFC 170, an event slated for Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay
Events Center.
White
made no mention of it during his reveal, but previous UFC plans
called for a Jan. 4 event in Singapore, which Mark Fischer, the
UFC’s Managing Director of Asia, said in August was the
first of many dates where fans in Asia will get a glimpse of
the Octagon next year.
“This
marks a bold step for UFC’s expansion in Asia and is the
first of a series of events in Asia planned for 2014. After kicking
off the year in Singapore, our fans can expect several other
UFC events around the region on the docket next year, including
two more fights at the Venetian’s Cotai Arena in Macau.”
More
details, including fights, venues and ticket on-sale information
will be released as it becomes available in coming weeks, as
the UFC nails down details of its 2014 schedule.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Amateur
Boxing Competition Today!
On Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the Palolo District Park Gym,
it will be the 9th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Match Event.
Bouts begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Main Event is Kailua
Boxing Club's Ernesto Orantes, who is in the Marines, versus
Pearlside Boxing Club's Treston Savoy, who is in the Army.
If you have any questions email me back at bkawano@aol.com.
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
Junior
dos Santos Reportedly Doing Fine and “Feeling Good”
by Jeff
Cain
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is doing fine four
days removed from his technical knockout loss to Cain Velasquez
at UFC 166 on Oct. 19.
Velasquez
nearly finished dos Santos in the third round and some, including
UFC president Dana White, felt the fight should have been stopped
then. The fight continued until the fifth round when referee
Herb Dean stepped in to stop the action after dos Santos didn’t
properly defend himself.
Dos
Santos was taken to the hospital following the loss. He was released
the following morning after observation and receiving eleven
stitches: seven above his left eye, three in his left ear, and
one in his lip.
UFC
Tonight’s Ariel Helwani reported that the former champion
did suffer some memory loss from the punishment at the hands
of Velasquez and that he doesn’t have recollection of much
after the third round.
Dos
Santos’ management team told Helwani that the memory loss
is “nothing to be concerned about” and that there were
no long-term damage done.
Dos
Santos is back in Brazil and reportedly, “feeling good.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
Fight Night 30 Prelims: 5 Reasons to Watch
By Mike
Whitman
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday returns to the United
Kingdom for the second time this year, as UFC Fight Night 30
takes place at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, England.
Lyoto
Machida will make his middleweight debut against Mark Munoz to
top the Fox Sports 2-broadcast main draw, which also features
a lightweight showdown between heavy hitters Melvin Guillard
and Ross Pearson. Meanwhile, the undercard streams live to Facebook
and YouTube.
Here
are five reasons to plug into the World Wide Web and scope the
prelims:
Sherdog
Fantasy MMA: UFC Fight Night 30 Free Fan Pick’Em
‘Magrinho’s’ Moment
Cole
Miller’s defeat to Manny Gamburyan at UFC Fight Night 26
may have been controversial, but it nevertheless resulted in
the featherweight’s third loss in his last four fights.
Regardless
of the snafu at the end of the first round, I felt “Magrinho”
beat Gamburyan, but that does not change the fact that the lanky
American Top Team rep could now be looking at his UFC walking
papers if he suffers another stretch of back-to-back defeats.
Enter
Andy Ogle, the man hoping to hand Miller another setback. Because
of injury, “The Little Axe” has only been able to compete
twice since his run on “The Ultimate Fighter 15,” but
the Englishman has shown some nice growth since we were first
introduced to him more than 18 months ago. Particularly impressive
was his ground work against submission specialist Josh Grispi,
who was powerless to stop Ogle’s offense in the last two
rounds of their UFC on Fuel TV 7 confrontation in February.
Can
Miller use his length and experience to shut down Ogle or will
the Brit score the biggest win of his career at the American’s
expense?
You
Can Call Me Al
Let
us keep it simple with Al Iaquinta. He put a hurting on Ryan
Couture, and I thought it was impressive.
The
New Yorker looked like the sharpest, meanest version of himself
to date, and I am interested to see if he can bring the same
level of intensity to the cage when he meets Polish upstart Piotr
Hallmann, who turned heads last month at UFC Fight Night 28.
The prospect was brought in on four weeks’ notice to replace
an injured Anthony Njokuani against Francisco Trinaldo, and Hallmann
did not disappoint, surviving a strong first round from the muscular
Brazilian before submitting him with a second-round kimura.
Hallmann
appears to be a well-rounded talent, and he showed some real
courage and toughness in outlasting the explosive Trinaldo. However,
Couture also exhibited both of those qualities in spades against
Iaquinta, and that did not stop “The Ultimate Fighter 15”
finalist from tearing into him something awful.
Which
lightweight up-and-comer will make a statement?
Second
Chances
Sexton
debuted in 2002.
Jessica Andrade and Rosi Sexton could use a victory right about
now.
Though
posting consecutive defeats in the still-nascent UFC women’s
bantamweight division does not guarantee a fighter will receive
her walking papers, losing two straight is still never a good
thing. With the promotion continually adding new talent to the
expanding 135-pound pool, I think the loser of Andrade-Sexton
will be standing on thin ice.
Sexton
likely needs a victory more than Andrade if she wants to stick
around. The 36-year-old is being forced to punch above her natural
weight, and while she has certainly earned her spot in the UFC
after spending more than a decade in the sport, Sexton will no
doubt have her hands full with the explosive Andrade.
Will
the 22-year-old Brazilian make Sexton her 10th victim or can
the veteran get back in the win column?
Jimy
‘The Kid’
There
is a lot to like about Jim Hettes, though the talented featherweight
will enter the cage after more than a year on the sidelines.
“The
Kid” has thus far shown plenty of aggressiveness and skill
on the mat, though his standup has appeared unready to tangle
with the featherweight division’s better strikers. After
scoring victories over Alex Caceres and Nam Phan to begin his
Octagon career, Hettes was bested by Marcus Brimage, who used
his superior athleticism to stop many of Hettes’ takedowns
and outbox him en route to a unanimous decision victory at UFC
152.
In
Robert Whiteford, Hettes meets a once-beaten Scotsman who will
make his Octagon debut on just one week’s notice after filling
in for the injured Mike Wilkinson. The 30-year-old rides a 10-fight
winning streak into his inaugural UFC appearance, with his lone
career defeat coming in his 2009 pro debut.
Can
Hettes shake off the ring rust and send Whiteford packing or
will the surging Scot pull off an upset?
‘TUF’
vs. Tough
Is
Luke Barnatt ready for a wild man like Andrew Craig?
Undefeated
through six pro outings, Barnatt acquitted himself well during
his time on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” though
I thought the lanky Brit could have made even better use of his
6-foot-6 frame. This, of course, is easier said than done when
you have a gamer like Dylan Andrews charging at you and trying
to take your head off.
In
Craig, Barnatt will face a somewhat similar challenge. While
I think Andrews is a better athlete than the Texan, Craig and
the Aussie are both never-say-die guys whom you cannot count
out of any fight. I also think that Craig’s unorthodox style
could present problems for the Englishman. The former Legacy
Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder might not be the
prettiest or most technical fighter in the world, but he plays
to his strengths, and I like that.
If
Barnatt is not careful, he could find himself tied up with his
back against the cage for the majority of 15 minutes. Likewise,
if Barnatt can keep Craig at distance or hurt him with elbows
and knees from the clinch before the “Highlight” starts
to lean on him, it could be a long night for the American. Which
man will implement his style most effectively?
Source: Sherdog
|
Fire
devastates city, destroys house of UFC veteran John Teixeira
in Brazil
By Guilherme
Cruz
Hundreds
of houses were destroyed in one of the worst fire tragedies in
Brazil’s history.
A
fire devastated more than 10 blocks on Wednesday afternoon at
the neighborhood of Perpetuo Socorro in Macapa, Brazil. The local
police still have no information on how the fire started, but
it has destroyed hundreds of houses in four hours.
One
of the houses destroyed by the fire was John Teixeira (15-1-2),
who competed at the first season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil
in 2012.
"The
fire is over, but destroyed part of the neighborhood where I
live," Teixeira told MMAFighting.com. "My house is
completely destroyed, I lost everything. I saved some furniture,
but I lost everything."
Teixeira
is living in a friend’s house since the tragedy, and will
likely postpone his return to the cage, initially planned for
a Shooto Brazil edition on Dec. 20 in Sao Paulo. Teixeira is
3-0-1 since his UFC release following a unanimous decision loss
to Hugo Viana at UFC 147.
"I
will stay at a friend’s house until the government does
something to help the population," he said. "Hundreds
of people lost their houses. At least 300 houses were destroyed
by the fire, and they don’t know what started the fire yet."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
'UFC
Fight Night 33: Hunt vs. Bigfoot' to air on FOX Sports 1
antonio-silva-27.jpgAlthough Saturday's UFC Fight Night 30 main
card is relegated to FOX Sports 2, December's UFC Fight Night
33 event and heavyweight headliner between Mark Hunt (9-8 MMA,
4-2 UFC) and Antonio Silva (18-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) won't suffer the
same fate.
UFC
officials told MMAjunkie.com the Australian event's main card
is slated to air on FOX Sports 1 with a preliminary card on FOX
Sports 2. Additional/early prelims are expected to stream online,
including on MMAjunkie.com.
UFC
Fight Night 33 takes place in the Queensland capital at Brisbane
Entertainment Centre. The event is slated for Dec. 7 (but airs
live in the U.S. on Dec. 6 due to the time difference).
Broadcast
plans weren't revealed during the initial announcement for UFC
Fight Night 33, which led to speculation about it possibly airing
on FOX Sports 2, which is available in fewer homes than FOX Sports
1. Saturday's UFC Fight Night 30 event in Manchester, England,
for example, airs on FOX Sports 2 because its sister channel
will be airing NCAA football during the mid-afternoon time period.
The
latest UFC Fight Night 33 card includes:
Mark
Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
Mauricio Rua vs. James Te-Huna
Pat Barry vs. Soa Palelei
Dylan Andrews vs. Clint Hester
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh
Caio Magalhaes vs. Nick Ring
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Nam Phan
Brian Melancon vs. Robert Whittaker
Krzysztof Jotko vs. Bruno Santos
Aleksandra Albu vs. Julie Kedzie
Alex Caceres vs. Mitch Gagnon
Alex Garcia vs. Andreas Stahl
Justin Scoggins vs. Richie Vaculik
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Junior
dos Santos Reportedly Doing Fine and “Feeling Good”
by Jeff
Cain
Former
UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is doing fine four
days removed from his technical knockout loss to Cain Velasquez
at UFC 166 on Oct. 19.
Velasquez
nearly finished dos Santos in the third round and some, including
UFC president Dana White, felt the fight should have been stopped
then. The fight continued until the fifth round when referee
Herb Dean stepped in to stop the action after dos Santos didn’t
properly defend himself.
Dos
Santos was taken to the hospital following the loss. He was released
the following morning after observation and receiving eleven
stitches: seven above his left eye, three in his left ear, and
one in his lip.
UFC
Tonight’s Ariel Helwani reported that the former champion
did suffer some memory loss from the punishment at the hands
of Velasquez and that he doesn’t have recollection of much
after the third round.
Dos
Santos’ management team told Helwani that the memory loss
is “nothing to be concerned about” and that there were
no long-term damage done.
Dos
Santos is back in Brazil and reportedly, “feeling good.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fire
devastates city, destroys house of UFC veteran John Teixeira
in Brazil
By Guilherme
Cruz
Hundreds
of houses were destroyed in one of the worst fire tragedies in
Brazil’s history.
A
fire devastated more than 10 blocks on Wednesday afternoon at
the neighborhood of Perpetuo Socorro in Macapa, Brazil. The local
police still have no information on how the fire started, but
it has destroyed hundreds of houses in four hours.
One
of the houses destroyed by the fire was John Teixeira (15-1-2),
who competed at the first season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil
in 2012.
"The
fire is over, but destroyed part of the neighborhood where I
live," Teixeira told MMAFighting.com. "My house is
completely destroyed, I lost everything. I saved some furniture,
but I lost everything."
Teixeira
is living in a friend’s house since the tragedy, and will
likely postpone his return to the cage, initially planned for
a Shooto Brazil edition on Dec. 20 in Sao Paulo. Teixeira is
3-0-1 since his UFC release following a unanimous decision loss
to Hugo Viana at UFC 147.
"I
will stay at a friend’s house until the government does
something to help the population," he said. "Hundreds
of people lost their houses. At least 300 houses were destroyed
by the fire, and they don’t know what started the fire yet."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Fight Night 30's Ross Pearson wants to emulate Silva, not Melendez-Sanchez
by Steven
Marrocco and Matt Erickson
MANCHESTER – Watching two lightweights batter each other
to the point of bloody exhaustion is as much fun to Ross Pearson
as any serious MMA fan. But as a fighter, he values a different
style.
Pearson
(15-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) loved the "Fight of the Night"
scrap between Diego Sanchez and Gilbert Melendez at UFC 166,
and he has no desire to recreate it against Melvin Guillard (31-12-2
MMA, 12-8 UFC) on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 30.
"To
me, that's not what the sport is about," Pearson told MMAjunkie.com.
Pearson,
who's won two straight since abandoning the featherweight division
for lightweight, said he used to carry a go-for-broke mentality
when he walked into the octagon, and he admits it can come in
handy against certain opponents. But he also said it gives fans
the wrong impression about MMA.
"The
sport is about being able to set your moves up, being able to
manipulate your opponent to make him do what you want to do –
not just go out there and stand in the middle and go toe-to-toe,"
he said. "Sometimes you need [to do that] when both fighters
are the same size, and both the same skill level, and both the
same strength. It comes down to who's got the biggest balls.
"I've
done too many fights where I've tried to have the biggest balls.
I'm looking to improve my fighting game with skill."
His
opponent on Saturday possesses the kind of fight-stopping power
that mitigates the need for refined technique. Guillard has ended
20 of his fights by way of knockout and is coming off a brain-rattling
stoppage of Mac Danzig at UFC on FOX 7.
"I
think he's going to come out hard, he's going to come out fast,
(and) he's going to look to take me out in the first minute of
the fight," Pearson said. "But I'm prepared for that."
And
Pearson, 29, is no stranger to finishing his opponents, having
stopped his past two fights by way of TKO. He said the winner
of Saturday's fight will be the first to land a significant blow.
The game-changer between them, he said, is that he avoids punches
while doling them out.
Pearson
claimed his striking defense stats were second only to Anderson
Silva. In reality, Silva defends 62 percent of strikes in the
UFC while he and Guillard are tied at 68 percent, according to
the promotion's official stat provider, Fight Metric.
Pearson
and Guillard are also dead even in percentage of total strikes
landed at 42 percent.
"Melvin
is the more powerful, explosive guy," Pearson said. "But
I'm tighter. I'm more correct with my punches. I'm better at
making people miss. My game plan for this fight is not to get
hit."
To
some, such a plan would indicate that Pearson intends to avoid
a fight with Guillard by spending much of the three-round bout
circling the cage and moving away from the action. But he said
his counters will be worth the wait.
"I
believe if I hit Melvin, I can take Melvin out of the game, too,"
he said. "So it's kind of cat-and-mouse game. I'm not one
to let him land his big shots. I want to let him throw his big
shots so I make him miss and take the openings."
In
doing that, he might pay tribute to the man he considers the
best at hitting and not get hit.
"I
love watching Anderson Silva fight, man," Pearson said.
"He makes violence look beautiful, and I'm trying to copy
that."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Cain
Velasquez Camp Baffled Over Suspension for Possible Broken Jaw
by Ken
Pishna
When
the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issued the UFC
166 medical suspensions on Tuesday, nobody was more surprised
to see Cain Velasquez’s name on the list than Cain Velasquez.
The
UFC heavyweight champion had a long, nearly five-round battle
with Junior dos Santos at Saturday night’s event in Houston,
but suffered only superficial injuries. At least, that’s
the way he sees it.
The
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, however, suspended
Velasquez until April 18, 2014, for a possible broken jaw.
Velasquez
has had no symptoms of such an injury, leaving he and his camp
baffled by the suspension.
“I’m
a little sore,” Velasquez told UFC Tonight on Wednesday
night. “My throat is sore and I’ve got a raspy voice.”
“There
is nothing wrong whatsoever with (Velasquez’s) jaw or anything
else,” Heidi Seibert, a spokesperson for Velasquez’s
camp, told MMAWeekly.com.
“He
left fight, went straight to his party, eating and enjoying family
and friends. He’s been to the amusement park with his daughter
already. He is totally fine.”
Velasquez
stopped dos Santos by way of technical knockout late in the fifth
round of their main event fight, putting him up two fights to
one in their trilogy of bouts.
The
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation had not returned
a request for clarification at the time of publication.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Amateur
Boxing Competition This Saturday!
On Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the Palolo District Park Gym,
it will be the 9th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Match Event.
Bouts begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Main Event is Kailua
Boxing Club's Ernesto Orantes, who is in the Marines, versus
Pearlside Boxing Club's Treston Savoy, who is in the Army.
If you have any questions email me back at bkawano@aol.com.
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
UFC
Fight Night 30 Preview
Machida
vs. Munoz
By Tristen Critchfield
Lyoto Machida will provide quality depth to the middleweight
division.
While
the home folks undoubtedly disappointed that Michael Bisping
was unable to headline UFC Fight Night 30 on Saturday at the
Phones 4U Arena in his native Manchester, England, the Ultimate
Fighting Championship did an admirable job finding a marquee
fill-in to face Mark Munoz. Sure, the crowd may not be as emotionally
invested in a Munoz-Lyoto Machida showdown, but the bout remains
significant in the middleweight division.
After
a long run as one the sport’s top light heavyweights, Machida
will look to make a statement in his first 185-pound appearance.
Meanwhile, Munoz was impressive in dispatching Tim Boetsch at
UFC 162 following a year away from the Octagon. Prior to his
devastating loss to Chris Weidman at UFC on Fuel TV 4, “The
Filipino Wrecking Machine” had designs on middleweight gold.
An emphatic win could propel either man into the title discussion.
Here
is a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 30 card, with analysis
and picks:
Sherdog
Fantasy MMA: UFC Fight Night 30 Free Fan Pick’Em
Middleweights
Lyoto Machida (19-4, 11-4 UFC) vs. Mark Munoz (13-3, 8-3 UFC)
Munoz
has won five of six.
The Matchup: Although British fans lost the opportunity to see
one of their own compete when “The Count” was forced
to withdraw due to an eye injury, they have received a pretty
solid alternative pairing.
A
perennial contender at light heavyweight, Machida elected to
make the move to 185 pounds after a controversial loss to Phil
Davis at UFC 163. Despite largely negating the wrestling of the
four-time NCAA All-American and countering effectively throughout
their bout, late takedowns helped Davis steal a victory from
the former UFC champion. As maddening as Machida’s style
can be to decipher for opponents, it can also make life difficult
for cageside judges. “The Dragon” was originally set
to make his middleweight debut against Tim Kennedy at UFC Fight
Night 31, but Bisping’s injury necessitated a change in
plans.
“The
Filipino Wrecking Machine” made a triumphant return to the
cage in July, relying on takedowns and his trademark “Donkey
Kong” ground-and-pound to earn a dominant decision over
Tim Boetsch at UFC 162.
After
a year on the sidelines spent battling injury and depression,
the Reign MMA representative deserves to feel good about his
efforts. However, while Munoz was initially paired against an
accurate boxer with solid defensive wrestling and conditioning
in Bisping, his task might be even more difficult now. Despite
his credentials as a two-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State
University, Munoz has not always been the most accurate takedown
artist. As his ability to set up takedowns with striking has
improved, so has his efficiency. Still, his current rate of 27
percent on takedowns is hardly impressive.
With
that said, as a heavy-handed but not especially quick striker,
Munoz is likely to encounter all kinds of problems against Machida.
The 35-year-old karateka is a master of controlling distance
and avoiding damage, something that has frustrated power-punching
wrestler types in the past. Machida will spend most of the fight
circling on the outside, forcing Munoz to pursue him in hopes
of landing a big strike or takedown.
That
will only play into the Brazilian’s hands, as his timing
and anticipation are among the best in the sport. When Munoz
charges forward, Machida will be ready to counter. Munoz lacks
the reach and, at least as it translates to MMA, the wrestling
technique to duplicate what Davis did to steal a narrow verdict.
Yes,
Munoz lands ground-and-pound with a purpose, and his physical
strength makes him difficult to keep from passing guard, but
finding that range against Machida is a dangerous game. Munoz
is vulnerable to a foe that can land unorthodox techniques from
unusual angles -- something Machida does with regularity. Even
if Munoz is able to close the distance, Machida is a Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt with solid takedown defense; in the clinch,
he can do damage with knees and punches to the body.
The
Pick: Munoz simply lacks the creativity to set up takedowns against
someone this elusive. Machida wins via knockout or technical
knockout in three.
Lightweights
Melvin Guillard (31-12-2, 12-8 UFC) vs. Ross Pearson (15-6, 7-3
UFC)
The
Matchup: Turmoil continues to reign supreme in the career of
Guillard. After halting a two-fight skid with a second-round
knockout of Mac Danzig at UFC on Fox 8, the Louisianan has changed
training camps yet again, this time relocating from the Colorado-based
Grudge Training Center to Florida’s American Top Team.
It
is Guillard’s fourth such move in the past two years --
he already left Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts and the Blackzilians
-- and one has to wonder how so much upheaval will affect his
performance. With that said, “The Young Assassin” came
through with a vintage performance against Danzig, showcasing
the breathtaking hand speed and power that make him such a promising
talent. Guillard tends to run hot and cold, however, and it is
never shocking when he suffers a lapse on fight night.
Pearson
returned to 155 pounds in December, knocking out George Sotiropoulos
in the third round at UFC on FX 6. The Englishman continued his
momentum in April with a second-round stoppage of Ryan Couture
at UFC on Fuel TV 9. The clear difference between Sotiropoulos,
Couture and Guillard is explosive athleticism. In terms of pure
physical gifts, “The Ultimate Fighter 2” alum more
closely resembles Pearson foes such as Cub Swanson and Edson
Barboza, both of whom were able to consistently beat “The
Real Deal” to the punch.
While
Pearson’s boxing and footwork are solid, it is unlikely
that he will be able to pick apart Guillard with power-punching
combinations. Guillard’s hands are simply too quick, and
if he is allowed to establish a rhythm, Pearson will spend the
fight on his heels. The Alliance MMA representative is accustomed
to being the aggressor, but he will have to survive some precarious
moments if he is to get the better of the standup exchanges.
The
good news for Pearson is that Guillard seems to get stunned at
the most unusual moments. For example, no one expected a short
left hand from Joe Lauzon to be the punch that essentially led
to the end of his five-fight winning streak in October 2011.
A more varied approach would benefit Pearson here. Jamie Varner
mixed in takedowns with power punches to best Guillard in December,
but Pearson does not have the type of wrestling to follow that
blueprint. That makes for what should be an entertaining standup
affair, but it could ultimately be to Pearson’s detriment.
The
Pick: Pearson is known to struggle with quicker, more athletic
opposition. Guillard wins by KO or TKO in round one or two.
Light Heavyweights
Jimi Manuwa (13-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Ryan Jimmo (18-2, 2-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: Manuwa has been a destructive force throughout his professional
career, finishing all but one of his 13 career triumphs by knockout
or technical knockout. Thus far, that dominance has carried over
to the Octagon, where “Poster Boy” has stopped Kyle
Kingsbury and Cyrille Diabate in his first two promotional appearances.
Although a leg injury to Diabate brought a premature end to their
UFC on Fuel TV 7 encounter, Manuwa was in prime form through
the first five minutes, attacking with power punches while mixing
in takedowns.
Meanwhile,
Jimmo’s third UFC outing was his least dramatic, as he relied
on accurate striking and solid clinch work to outpoint Igor Pokrajac
at UFC 161 in June. That was not nearly as stirring as the Canadian’s
debut, where he knocked out Anthony Perosh in seven seconds,
or his sophomore effort, where he had James Te Huna in danger
early before fading down the stretch.
Jimmo
is capable of giving Manuwa different looks, whether it is landing
crisp, accurate strikes on the outside or fighting in close.
However, the 33-year-old Brit’s knockout power is always
a significant threat. Manuwa is known for his devastating left
hook, but he also is capable of doing damage with overhands,
uppercuts, head kicks and knees. Additionally, he understands
how to set up his most powerful techniques by baiting his opponents.
While
he is undeniably imposing and powerful, questions about Manuwa’s
conditioning remain. He has yet to see the third round in any
fight, and he was clearly tiring before the doctor stoppage in
his win over Kingsbury. Jimmo, with his karate background, has
the discipline to drag Manuwa into deep waters. By fighting tactically,
mixing up his kicks and moving intelligently, Jimmo has a decent
shot at shifting the momentum in the second half of the fight.
By then, a fatigued Manuwa will be more susceptible to clinch
work and takedowns.
The
Pick: Jimmo wins by decision.
Lightweights
Jon Tuck (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Norman Parke (18-2, 2-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: This bout was originally scheduled to take place at
UFC on Fox 7, but an injury to Tuck altered those plans. In the
meantime, Parke captured a unanimous verdict over Kazuki Tokudome
at UFC 162. While “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes”
winner has not generated the hype of fellow Irishman Conor McGregor,
his judo and grappling skills have carried him to an eight-fight
winning streak.
Tuck
displayed a good ground game in his first Octagon appearance,
as he transitioned to dominant positions and threatened with
submissions in a decision triumph against Tiequan Zhang at UFC
on Fuel TV 6. However, the Guamanian fighter showed some vulnerability
in round three, where Zhang wobbled him with a left hook. Tuck
will have to show more of a standup arsenal if he is to defeat
Parke, who utilizes pressure and takedowns to impose his will
on opponents. The judo black belt is a strong defensive grappler
who is unlikely to allow Tuck to advance position as easily as
he did versus Zhang.
Additionally,
Parke will look to pass guard and attempt submissions from top
position. On the feet, look for Parke to use his strikes as a
means to move into clinch range. He had success connecting with
his overhand left against Tokudome, but if he earns a stoppage
via strikes here, it is more likely to come from a barrage of
ground-and-pound.
The
Pick: Parke takes this by decision or late submission.
Middleweights
Alessio Sakara (15-10, 6-7 UFC) vs. Nicholas Musoke (10-2-1,
0-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: Things seemed to be going well for Sakara at UFC 154.
He had hurt Patrick Cote badly in the first round with a pair
of standing elbows and a right hand, and the Canadian was reeling
as he dived for a takedown. Unfortunately, “Legionarious”
got caught up in the moment and was ultimately disqualified for
landing a series of illegal hammerfists to the back of his opponent’s
head.
That
made it three straight defeats for Sakara, who has not won inside
the Octagon since March 2010, when he scored a first-round TKO
victory over James Irvin. Despite mixed results, the Italian
has managed to hang around the Las Vegas-based promotion for
quite some time. A penchant for exciting standup battles does
not hurt his cause, but a fourth consecutive loss to a relative
unknown could hasten his exit.
Musoke
takes the place of training partner Magnus Cedenblad, who was
forced to withdraw from the 185-pound contest. Having trained
with the likes of Alexander Gustafsson should certainly work
to Musoke’s benefit, but simply having accomplished sparring
partners does not always translate into big-show success.
With
four victories via submission and four others via knockout or
technical knockout, Musoke has demonstrated solid balance in
finishing fights. He will try to use his striking to move into
clinch range, where he can control the tempo of the fight. Musoke
also has solid ground-and-pound from top position, something
which could prove useful should he be able to plant Sakara on
his back. However, Musoke has competed primarily at 170 pounds
and could struggle trying to overpower a larger adversary. On
the feet, Sakara’s ability to counter and land combinations
to the head and body gives him a clear advantage.
The
Pick: Sakara has a suspect chin, but Musoke is not the one to
expose it. The Octagon veteran finds an opening and showcases
his quick hands, winning by KO or TKO in round two or three.
Flyweights
John Lineker (22-6, 3-1 UFC) vs. Phil Harris (22-10, 1-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: In just four UFC appearances, Lineker has already twice
failed to make weight. If he keeps progressing as he has, scale
issues might be the only thing holding the Brazilian back in
the 125-pound division. After falling to Louis Gaudinot via submission
in his Octagon debut, “Hands of Stone” has dispatched
Yasuhiro Urushitani, Azamat Gashimov and Jose Maria Tome in impressive
fashion. While Lineker is normally the aggressor in his fights,
he also showcased his resilience and durability after Tome staggered
him with a spinning back fist in the opening round of their UFC
163 tussle.
Harris,
meanwhile, has a different approach. A former featherweight,
the Englishman relies on strength and his submission game to
thrive, although he sometimes surrenders advantages on the canvas.
As a judo black belt, Harris can also shut down his foes in the
clinch. Harris captured his first UFC victory over Ulysses Gomez
in February in a bout in which “Useless” was largely
too content to land leg kicks on the outside.
The
Phil “Billy” can expect another game plan from Lineker.
The former Jungle Fight champion sets a furious pace on the feet
and will swarm to finish when he senses an opponent is hurt.
Lineker’s ability to attack the head and body with powerful
punches and kicks will test the resilience of Harris early. While
he does not often look to go to the floor, Lineker also has punishing
ground-and-pound from above. An all-out slugfest will lead to
near-certain disaster for Harris. Instead, he must look to mix
in his strikes with clinches and takedowns in hopes of tiring
his foe. Surviving a couple of Lineker’s trademark barrages
will also go a long way toward draining the Brazilian’s
gas tank.
The
Pick: Harris’ best chance is to hope Lineker wears himself
out on the attack. That could provide him with the opportunity
to secure a submission in the second half of the bout. He will
not be able to hold up under his opponent’s heavy firepower,
however. Lineker wins by TKO in round one or two.
Lightweights
Piotr Hallmann (14-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Al Iaquinta (6-2-1, 1-1 UFC):
Hallmann deserves serious recognition for winning his Octagon
debut. Beating massive 155-pounder Francisco Trinaldo in Brazil
is no joke, especially considering that Hallmann appeared to
be in serious danger after absorbing a number of body kicks in
the opening round. The Pole is most comfortable in the clinch
and on the ground, which will serve him well against Iaquinta,
who blends technical standup with a solid takedown game. The
Serra-Longo Fight Team representative fought for the first time
in more than a year at UFC 164, where he took a clear-cut decision
over Ryan Couture. Hallmann takes this by decision.
Middleweights
Luke Barnatt (6-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Andrew Craig (9-1, 3-1): A member
of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” cast, Barnatt notched
his first Octagon triumph at the show’s April finale, relying
on an assortment of strikes to best Collin Hart. Despite his
6-foot-6 frame, Barnatt will only own a one-inch reach advantage
against the 6-foot-1 Craig. This feels like a step down for Craig,
who already owns victories over veterans Kyle Noke, Rafael Natal
and Chris Leben. Barnatt needs to make liberal use of his jab
to control the tempo of this fight, but he will find that offense
will not come as easy against a battle-tested foe. Craig wins
by decision or TKO.
Women’s
Bantamweights
Rosi Sexton (13-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Jessica Andrade (9-3, 0-1 UFC):
Sexton was game in her promotional debut against Alexis Davis,
but ultimately, her size disadvantage cost her in a unanimous
decision defeat at UFC 161. Better suited to flyweight, the former
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder will often be
the smaller fighter for as long as she competes in the Octagon.
Andrade also faced a tough task in her first UFC appearance,
as she was overpowered by the physical Liz Carmouche in losing
via second-round TKO at UFC on Fox 8. Andrade is dangerous on
the mat -- she even threatened Carmouche with a submission --
so look for Sexton to try utilize striking, movement and clinch
work. Youth is on the 22-year-old Andrade’s side, but Sexton’s
veteran guile nets her a decision.
Featherweights
Andy Ogle (9-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Cole Miller (19-8, 8-6 UFC): Ogle
earned his seventh win in eight outings at UFC on Fuel TV 7,
outpointing the once highly touted Josh Grispi. “The Ultimate
Fighter” Season 15 alum is not spectacular in any one area,
but he is effective landing offense on his feet and via ground-and-pound.
He takes a significant step up in competition against Miller,
a lanky featherweight who will own a seven-inch reach edge on
fight night. Miller has struggled against opponents with heavy
top games, but Ogle is not quite at that level. Miller wins by
submission in round two.
Featherweights
Jim Hettes (10-1, 2-1) vs. Robert Whiteford (10-1, 0-0 UFC):
Before he lost to Marcus Brimage at UFC 152, Hettes had generated
a considerable amount of hype for his work in victories of Nam
Phan and Alex Caceres. Hettes appeared to be a dominant force,
particularly in going the distance against Phan, scoring takedowns
at will and overwhelming his opponent with punches, elbows and
submission attempts. The judo repertoire of “The Kid”
will carry him against Whiteford, a late replacement for the
injured Mike Wilkinson. Hettes snares a submission in round one
or two.
Middleweights
Michael Kuiper (12-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Brad Scott (8-2, 0-1 UFC):
Scott was outgunned on the feet against Robert Whittaker in “The
Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” final in December and would
likely prefer to dictate the action through clinches and wrestling
this time around. Kuiper, a judo black belt, demonstrated his
knockout power by stopping Jared Hamman at UFC 150. However,
despite decent takedown defense, Kuiper is vulnerable to submissions.
Scott’s favored approach will be difficult against a judo
specialist. Kuiper wins by decision.
TRACKING
TRISTEN 2013
Overall Record: 197-119
Last Event (UFC 166): 10-3
Best Event (Strikeforce “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine): 9-2
Worst Event (UFC 156/UFC on Fuel TV 8/UFC Fight Night 28): 5-6
Source: Sherdog
|
Wanderlei
Silva Putting Pressure on Dana White for Brazil vs. USA on TUF
Brasil 3
by Ken
Pishna
Wanderlei
Silva - Pride FCUFC president Dana White finally found a way
to settle the feud between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen:
have them coach opposite each other on season three of The Ultimate
Fighter Brasil and then have them fight in the Octagon at season’s
end.
That
much is a done deal. But it’s not enough for Silva.
“Now
it’s official, I will be responsible for representing our
country, and I will make him pay for what he said about us,”
Silva wrote on his Facebook page, but added that he wants to
take things a step further.
Despite
currently residing in Las Vegas, the former Pride FC champion
wants to make TUF Brasil 3 a Brazil vs. USA themed show.
In
its first two seasons, TUF Brasil has been comprised of Brazilian
fighters and Brazilian coaches, becoming a useful tool for the
UFC to scout out fighters from the South American country.
Silva
said that he asked White for the country vs. country theme –
him heading a team of Brazilians and Sonnen leading a team of
Americans – because he didn’t feel that it made sense
for Sonnen to coach Brazilian fighters.
Sonnen
surely isn’t the most popular figure among Brazilian fans,
as he has often made remarks about the country and its people
in the lead-up to his fights with Anderson Silva.
“I
don’t have anything against the Brazilian people. I got
something against a Brazilian (Anderson Silva) that’s sitting
a few feet from me and maybe with a couple of other gentlemen.
But your women are all okay with me, so feel free to give me
a call or pay me a visit,” he said during a press conference
in Brazil promoting his second fight with Anderson Silva.
“But
as far as my impression? It’s a lot like America. When I
was a little kid, I remember going outside and sitting around
with my friends. We’d talk about the latest technology and
medicine and gaming and American ingenuity. And I would look
outside and Anderson and the Brazilian kids are sitting outside
playing in the mud.”
So
perhaps Wanderlei is on to something.
But
Sonnen has coached on The Ultimate Fighter before, opposite Jon
Jones during Season 17. Despite his polarizing public persona,
Sonnen came off as a dedicated and respected coach, committed
to helping his team improve and succeed.
That
hasn’t stopped Silva, however, who is recruiting his social
media army on Twitter to bombard White with pressure to see it
the “Axe Murderer” way and pit Brazilians against Americans
on TUF Brasil 3.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Bellator
105: What to Watch For
By Mike
Whitman
Bellator
MMA on Friday returns for another round of sanctioned violence
live on Spike TV, as Bellator 105 takes place at the Santa Ana
Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The main draw is highlighted
by the Season 9 lightweight tournament semifinals and immediately
follows the preliminary stream on Spike.com.
Here
is what to watch for at Bellator 105:
‘Tiger’
Time
This
may seem like an obvious observation, but I think it would be
wise for viewers to keep an eye on Alexander Sarnavskiy.
The
young Russian’s explosive ability is matched only by his
potential to become even better. Sarnavskiy has won four straight
fights since suffering his lone career defeat in a split decision
to Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Rich Clementi one year
ago. Whether or not the 24-year-old thrives will hinge heavily
upon whether or not he can stay healthy. “Tiger” has
already seen one tournament run cut short due to a broken hand,
and I have to wonder if that might turn into a recurring issue
for him down the road, as is often the case with hand issues.
Regardless, both fists looked sterling in his return to the Bellator
cage in September, when the Russian pounded out UFC veteran Marcus
Davis in just 100 seconds.
Presently,
Sarnavskiy will have those hands full with Ricardo Tirloni, a
seasoned Brazilian battler who gutted out a unanimous decision
win over Clementi in his quarterfinal outing. Can the “Tiger”
overcome Tirloni and earn his first berth in a Bellator tournament
final?
Best
Served Cold
Will
Brooks must want to beat Saad Awad pretty badly.
Once
an unbeaten prospect and a solid bet to win the Season 8 lightweight
tournament, Brooks found himself unceremoniously placed on ice
skates in February, as Awad shocked just about everyone by blasting
his favored foe into unconsciousness at Bellator 91. The lessons
learned from the knockout defeat were many.
“Mentally,
losing that fight [to Awad] helped me step back and look at everything
going on around me and eliminate some people in my life who weren’t
giving me the best advice,” Brooks told me before his Season
9 quarterfinal in September. “We had to rebuild everything
-- the group of people around me, my personal mental [outlook]
and my physical [preparation].”
Brooks’
change in mindset, along with a permanent move to Florida in
order to live near American Top Team, guided the prospect to
a one-sided unanimous decision win over former UFC and World
Extreme Cagefighting title contender John Alessio at Bellator
101. Can “Ill Will” perform the same trick against
Awad or does the Millennia MMA rep simply have Brooks’ number?
Mighty
Heavy
“Mighty
Mo” hunts KOs.
Siala-Mou Siliga’s meeting with Ron Sparks might turn into
15 minutes of slop, but it also holds the potential to leave
viewers delighted should it end sooner rather than later. While
it is true that such a disclaimer could be attached to the majority
of heavyweight fights, I feel like this bout is especially deserving
of such a precautionary due to the participants involved.
If
“Mighty Mo” hits you flush, you are hitting the deck.
His deadliest punch is his overhand right, though that shot is
riskier to throw in MMA than it is in kickboxing, for obvious
reasons. Nevertheless, feel free to ask Francois Botha, Brecht
Wallis or Scott Lighty about the technique if you doubt its effectiveness.
Mo
is 43 years old, but that did not seem to hamper him in his Bellator
debut against the previously undefeated Dan Charles. The former
K-1 competitor measured his output while working a nasty body
attack and staving off the takedown attempts of the Arizona Combat
Sports rep before stopping Charles early in round three.
Will
the heavyweight find similar success against Sparks, a heavy
hitter who has only been out of the first round one time in his
10-fight career?
Bunch
of Ability
With
Larue Burley’s technical knockout of an exhausted Bubba
Jenkins on Sept. 20, Bellator saw one of its top wrestling prospects
suffer his first career defeat.
Question:
can Shawn Bunch keep his perfect record intact or will he stumble
as Jenkins did? The setback is by no means a death sentence for
the athletic Jenkins, but it must nevertheless be disappointing
that Bellator can no longer promote him as an undefeated NCAA
champion if and when his time comes to enter a lightweight tournament.
Along
those lines, it would certainly benefit Bunch to keep that “0”
in his record for as long as he can. The former U.S. National
and Pan-American champion is unbeaten through two pro outings,
though he spent some time on his back in the third round of his
July 31 meeting with Russell Wilson before earning a split decision
victory. Will the 30-year-old put forth a noteworthy performance
against Steve Garcia or could we see another upset?
Source: Sherdog
|
WSOF
officials offer free tickets to all military, police and fire
personnel
ray-sefo.jpgSitting on the fence about whether or not to attend
Saturday's "World Series of Fighting 6: Burkman vs. Carl"
event? Well, if you're a member of the military, police or fire
department, there should be no question.
MMAjunkie.com
today confirmed with World Series of Fighting officials that
the company is offering free tickets for all military, police
and fire personnel, along with one guest, to attend Saturday's
"World Series of Fighting 6: Burkman vs. Carl" at BankUnited
Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
The
offer will be extended as long as seats are available. Uniforms
are not required, but World Series of Fighting officials request
qualifying individuals bring a proper badge or ID to the BankUnited
Center box office on fight night.
Featuring
the first title fight in the promotion's history with Josh Burkman
(26-9) and Steve Carl (20-3) competing for the company's inaugural
welterweight title, the four-fight World Series of Fighting 6
lineup airs on NBC Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET following seven
preliminary bouts that stream on MMAjunkie.com beginning at 6
p.m. ET.
Doors
to the venue open at 5 p.m. ET.
The
complete "World Series of Fighting 6: Burkman vs. Carl"
lineup includes:
MAIN
CARD (NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m. ET)
Josh
Burkman vs. Steve Carl - for inaugural welterweight title
Carson Beebe vs. Marlon Moraes
Marcelo Alfaya vs. Jon Fitch
Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Lauzon
PRELIMINARY
CARD (MMAjunkie.com, 6 p.m. ET)
Pablo
Alfonso vs. Miguel Torres
Luiz Firmino vs. Jacob Volkmann
Francisco France vs. Hans Stringer
Josh Rettinghouse vs. Alexis Vila
Nick LoBosco vs. Fabio Mello
Chad Robichaux vs. Andrew Yates
Alexandre Pimentel vs. Jade Porter
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFN
30's Guillard on Melendez, Sanchez: 'I would've dropped either
one of them'
by Mike
Bohn and Matt Erickson
melvin-guillard-30.jpgMANCHESTER – Despite recording just
two victories in his past six trips to the octagon, UFC lightweight
Melvin Guillard is as confident as ever going into Saturday's
UFC Fight Night 30 co-main event against Ross Pearson.
Need
proof? Look no further than what "The Young Assassin"
had to say when asked about this past weekend's memorable UFC
166 scrap between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez.
"I
would have dropped either one of them," Guillard told MMAjunkie.com.
"I used to drop Diego Sanchez in practice all the time.
When I hit people, I hurt people. That's just what I do."
Guillard
(31-12-2 MMA, 12-8 UFC) will be looking to hurt Pearson (15-6
MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the worst of ways when they square off at the
Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, England. The event airs on FOX
Sports 2 following prelims on MMAjunkie.com.
The
30-year-old is famous for his punching power and the highlight-reel
finishes he has produced in the octagon over the years. And even
though Pearson has also found a lot of success with his striking
in the past, Guillard believes his standup skills are simply
on another level.
"Ross
better worry about my hands," Guillard said. "I am
the hardest hitting '55er at 155. I've watched him bang with
guys, I've watched him connect on good shots and not even drop
people. Everybody I hit, I drop. Everybody I hit, I f--k them
up.
"Him
being a harder hitter than me, I don't think that's going to
be possible."
With
Pearson being from England, Guillard will be entering hostile
territory for his 21st UFC fight. Most athletes would be hesitant
taking a fight against a hometown hero, but Guillard has no problem
with it – he just knows he must finish the fight to avoid
any controversial judging.
"I
don't like fights going to decisions, especially in other people's
hometowns, so I'm looking to finish this fight," Guillard
said. "This is going to be a fight where I'm not only fighting
him, but against the clock because I don't want any bad decisions,
I don't want any close decisions. I want to finish the fight
and know that I won the fight.
"I've
got to go in there and do my job. I'm not coming all the way
to England to get my ass whipped. I don't want to have to fly
all the way back home depressed."
Flying
back across the pond with a loss on his record would be a heartbreaking
scenario for Guillard, especially after all the work he put in
during training camp.
Guillard
has been inconsistent when it comes to having a true home base
to train in recent years, and he has had mixed success during
that time.
For
this camp, though, he settled in at American Top Team in Florida,
and after making several changes to his life both in and out
of the cage, Guillard believes he's in a good place for the first
time in a long time.
"All
my coaches, they had their credentials, but sometimes it's also
a business, and to me my family comes before anybody else,"
Guillard explained. "I have to be there for my family and
unfortunately, certain things didn't work out with certain guys,
and you have to move on.
"I
know everything worked out perfect with where I'm at at American
Top Team. I got new management, I got a new team, I got a new
mouth guard, I got new everything. I got rid of all the old stuff,
and out with the old, in with the new."
Guillard
may have switched up the location of his training, but when the
octagon door shuts he'll bring the same weapons that have made
him a mainstay in the organization since 2005.
Looking
at the matchup with Pearson on paper, it would seem fans are
in for a stellar striking battle between two fighters with strong
standup skills.
And
while Guillard agrees the fight is likely going to play out on
the feet, he is confident Pearson's chin won't be able to hold
up long enough to make it a back-and-forth war resembling Melendez
vs. Sanchez.
"I'm
a heavy-handed person, so most slugfests don't really work out
well for the opponents that I fight," Guillard said. "When
I hit people, I drop people. I know how to hit people. ... It's
going to be a little bit of a slugfest, but if I had to flip
a coin I would say he's going to fall before I fall."
Even
though he is coming off a jaw-rattling knockout of Mac Danzig
earlier this year, Guillard doesn't believe his job with the
promotion is entirely secure at this point.
He
knows he must put together a string of victories to maintain
his position on the frequently evolving UFC roster and when it
comes right down to it, Guillard admits he won't ever feel comfortable
with his spot unless he is the owner of a shiny championship
belt.
"With
the UFC, you can win one and lose one and still be cut,"
Guillard said. "So right now I'm still fighting for my job.
I'm fighting for my job until I feel I have a belt around my
waist to secure my job. That's the only time you have job security
is with the belt around your waist."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
UFC
announces plan for 35 events in 2014; UFC on FOX 10, UFC 170
locations
By Dave
Doyle
The
UFC's 2014 schedule is rounding into shape.
Appearing
on FOX Sports Live Wednesday night, UFC president Dana White
indicated the company will run at least 35 events next year.
The
company also formally announced the dates and location for two
events early in the year: UFC on FOX 10 will be held at Chicago's
United Center on Saturday, Jan. 25, marking the third straight
year the company will hold their January UFC on FOX event in
the venue. Then on Saturday, Feb. 22, UFC 170 will be contested
at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
No
bouts were announced for the cards.
The
UFC also broke down the plan for live event airings: There will
be 14 cards on FOX Sports 1, 13 on pay-per-view, and four apiece
on the FOX network and FOX Sports 2.
"We're
looking to go to Mexico, go back to Chicago, Vegas, we're going
everywhere like we always do," White said.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
TJ
Grant’s Title Shot May Have Slipped Away After Having to
Pull Out of Two Title Bouts
by Jeff
Cain
Since
making his lightweight debut on Oct. 1, 2011, TJ Grant has put
together a five-fight winning streak. He was pitted against Gray
Maynard in his last outing at UFC 160 in a title elimination
bout. Grant knocked out Maynard in opening round to earn a title
shot against then-champion Benson Henderson.
A
bout between Grant and Henderson was scheduled for UFC 164, but
Grant was forced out of the fight due to a concussion suffered
in training. Anthony Pettis replaced Grant and defeated Henderson
to become the lightweight champion.
Grant
was then lined up to face Pettis on Dec. 14 in the UFC on Fox
9 main event, but hadn’t been medically cleared for the
concussion and had to decline the match-up.
“TJ
Grant is in one of those unfortunate situations where he’s
had a title shot and he’s had to pull out twice,” said
UFC president Dana White following the UFC 166 post-fight press
conference on Oct. 19.
While
Grant waits to be medically cleared, the division has moved on.
Josh Thomson now faces Pettis on Dec. 14. Gilbert Melendez, who
lost a razor-close split decision to Henderson for the title
on April 20, jumped right back in title contention with a Fight
of the Year candidate performance against Diego Sanchez at UFC
166. Undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov has emerged as a contender
by defeating Pat Healy at UFC 165.
Having
had to pull out of two title fights, Grant’s top contender
status is now in jeopardy and he may have to take another fight
when he returns to reestablish himself as the No. 1 contender.
“He
might come back and have to fight another fight. We’ve got
to keep this thing rolling,” said White. “It’s
a huge setback for TJ Grant.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Daniel
Cormier doesn't want to fight Alexander Gustafsson in Europe
By Dave
Doyle
An
immediate fight against a top contender makes sense for Daniel
Cormier's light heavyweight debut.
But
a match in Europe against Alexander Gustafsson is off the table,
as far as DC is concerned.
On
Wednesday's edition of UFC Tonight, the undefeated former Strikeforce
Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament champion explained why he wants
to have his first fight at 205 pounds here in the United States.
"I
have no problem fighting Alexander Gustafsson, not at all,"
Cormier said. "The one thing I'm concerned about, being
that its going to be my first time down at 205, I know that Gustafsson
is going to fight in Europe somewhere. Whether it's Sweden or
somewhere else in Europe, I don't want to be making my first
weight cut down to 205 overseas. I know what I'm going to need,
I want to find saunas here in the United States and all the food
that I'm comfortable with in order to make the weight."
So
with Gustafsson, one of the few names all but guaranteed to sell
out a European arena, apparently a no-go, who does that leave?
Several top light heavyweights already have matchups lined up.
But among the bigger names without a dance partner are Phil Davis
and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
"Those
are all big fights," Cormier said. "These are the fights
that matter. I'm going to need if I'm going to put myself in
position to win the championship. I want to fight for the title,
man. That was the reason I went. I thought that was going to
be my first fight. It doesn't seem that way, in the division
I've moved on. To me, L'll Nog, that makes a great fight. Any
of those guys, I want a big fight."
Cormier
also took a moment to reflect on an eventful night at UFC 166
on Saturday. Cormier scored a one-sided unanimous decision over
Roy Nelson in the co-main event, then turned right around and
cornered heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez for his fight with
Junior dos Santos.
"Going
into the Octagon and doing what I was supposed to do against
Roy Nelson, that was a big part of my night," Cormier said.
"But to go back in Cain Velasquez's corner go back watch
my friend Cain Velasquez retain his title? That makes it something,
man. Went back, threw my shirt on, and watched Cain put on a
great show."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Bellator
signs Brazilians Julio Cesar Neves, Cleiton Duarte, Diego Marlon
bjorn-rebney-11.jpgBellator MMA has bolstered its roster with
the signing of a trio of fighters from Brazil.
Julio
Cesar Neves, Cleiton Duarte and Diego Marlon are the latest additions
to Bellator's ranks. The promotion announced the three signings
on Tuesday. All three fighters are part of Prime Fighters Management,
which is run by Marcelo Brigadeiro.
The
deal comes not long after Bellator signed a broadcast deal with
FOX Sports Latin America for future programming.
"As
we continue scouting and signing the best talent in the world,
Marcelo and his team at Prime Fighters Management are tremendous,
trusted allies as we expand further into Brazil with our groundbreaking
FOX Sports Latin America alliance," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney
stated.
Neves
(28-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has an incredible 25 stoppages on his unbeaten
resume of 28 wins. The featherweight, nicknamed "Morceguinho,"
has 17 knockouts and eight submissions. In 2013 alone, he's gone
14-0.
"I
came to Bellator to fight the best in the world," Neves
stated. "The Bellator featherweight division has some of
the best fighters in the world, and I want to fight the best."
Lightweight
Duarte (13-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has a dozen knockouts on the ledger.
His two losses have come in his past four fights, but before
that, he started his pro career 11-0.
Marlon
(23-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), also a featherweight, has 19 stoppage wins
in his 23 career victories. In 2013, he's 5-1, including three
straight first-round stoppages.
No
specific fight dates have been announced for the fighters, but
they likely will be part of their respective divisions' tournaments
next season.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
World
Series of Fighting 6 Preview
Burkman
vs. Carl
By Tristen Critchfield
Josh Burkman is 8-1 since being cut loose by the UFC.
When
the upstart World Series of Fighting organization first began
to unveil some of the higher-profile additions to its fledgling
roster a little more than a year ago, Josh Burkman was but a
blip on the radar. Despite having won five of his last six fights
after receiving his Ultimate Fighting Championship release in
2008, little was expected of “The People’s Warrior.”
Now, with the WSOF about to launch its sixth event, Burkman is
one of the organization’s top stars, a rejuvenated fighter
who has resurrected his career with a trio of wins over ex-Octagon
talents in another Las Vegas-based promotion’s cage.
Burkman
takes on the role of the hunted on Saturday, when he squares
off with the relatively unknown Steve Carl in the World Series
of Fighting 6 headliner at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables,
Fla. A newly created welterweight title will be on the line,
and with it, the recognition that comes with being a champion.
WSOF
6 features a blend of prospects and known commodities -- Marlon
Moraes, Justin Gaethje, Jon Fitch and Miguel Torres will all
be in action. Here is a closer look at the card, with analysis
and picks:
WSOF
Welterweight Championship
Josh Burkman (26-9, 3-0 WSOF) vs. Steve Carl (20-3, 2-0 WSOF)
Carl
has 15 submissions.
The Matchup: By dispatching a trio of former UFC talents -- Gerald
Harris, Aaron Simpson and Jon Fitch -- in his first three WSOF
appearances, Burkman has established himself as one of the promotion’s
signature stars. The Salt Lake City native earned top-10 consideration
in at WSOF 3 in June, when he shockingly choked out Fitch, who
was once regarded as the No. 2 welterweight in the world. Overall,
“The People’s Warrior” has won eight of nine fights
since his UFC release.
Carl
is on a similar roll. After posting a 2-2 mark with Bellator
MMA, the Bell Plaine, Iowa, native has won six straight bouts,
submitting each of his foes inside of a single round. Carl changed
his mental approach after falling to Douglas Lima at Bellator
49. Although he had Lima reeling in the opening frame, he was
unable to capitalize and ultimately lost a decision. Carl has
since focused on ramping up his aggression, which was apparent
in his most recent WSOF outing. The Hard Drive MMA product was
in Tyson Steele’s face from the outset of their WSOF 3 co-headliner,
moving forward even as his opponent attempted to keep him at
bay with a variety of kicks.
Carl
swarmed with punches when he closed the distance before pancaking
Steele on a takedown attempt, moving to his back and securing
the fight-ending rear-naked choke.
While
Carl is not as well known as Burkman’s previous three adversaries,
he may be more dangerous. In addition to entering the matchup
with something to prove, Carl’s ability to pressure Burkman
with striking, takedowns and submissions gives him a solid chance
to test “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 2 veteran’s
cardio in later rounds.
Making
it to the championship frames is another matter entirely. Burkman
can generate power in his right hand in small spaces, and he
is effective at landing counters when pressure-oriented foes
move forward. The former college football player is a fluid athlete
and probably a more accurate striker than Carl, who tends to
get wild when swarming with punches. Burkman can also land knees
in the clinch and force Carl to work from his back by landing
takedowns of his own.
While
Carl is good in scrambles and can sweep and submit from his back,
Lima had success grounding him in their Bellator bout.
The
Pick: Expect Carl to take the fight to Burkman early in hopes
of overwhelming the UFC veteran. Burkman is too experienced to
be flustered, however, and he has the submission defense to survive
a few precarious moments. Provided his gas tank holds up, Burkman
relies on his athleticism and standup to win via TKO in round
three.
Bantamweights
Marlon Moraes (11-4-1, 3-0 WSOF) vs. Carson Beebe (14-2, 1-0
WSOF)
The
Matchup: After beginning his professional MMA career with a relatively
pedestrian 6-4-1 mark, five consecutive victories have propelled
Moraes into the bantamweight division’s top 10. There is
no question that the Brazilian is one of WSOF’s breakout
stars, but is the promotion already running out of high-caliber
opposition for him to face? Moraes began his promotional tenure
with flashy victories over former World Extreme Cagefighting
bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam, who owned
a buzz-worthy knockout of Bellator 135-pound king Eduardo Dantas.
Brandon Hempleman, whom Moraes dominated at WSOF 4, and Beebe
do not quite have the same career-boosting appeal.
Still,
coming from a family with deep wrestling roots, Beebe has the
background to give Moraes problems, provided he can execute a
game plan based on takedowns and top control. That is no guarantee
considering that the “Little Juggernaut” was fortunate
to emerge victorious from his WSOF debut against Joe Murphy.
While Beebe initiated his share of takedowns in the bout, Murphy
caught the Illinois native in a number of chokes and generally
held his own in scrambles on the mat. Despite Murphy’s efforts,
Beebe captured a contentious unanimous decision.
Beebe
is most comfortable when he is the dominant wrestler in a fight.
His standup arsenal is limited, so if he faces an opponent who
can control distance with striking, his options become limited.
While Beebe is active in looking to advance from top position,
his ground-and-pound is not of the devastating variety.
Moraes,
a Brazilian national muay Thai champion, would do well to keep
Beebe at range using his versatile repertoire of kicks. The Ricardo
Almeida Jiu-Jitsu representative is particularly punishing when
attacking the leg; he forced Hempleman to alter his stance thanks
to a barrage of whipping low kicks. Moraes’ kicks often
come at the end of punching combinations, making him more difficult
to counter. His ability to change levels with his kicks allows
him to set up more devastating offerings, such as the head kick
that felled Nam. Moraes has a competent submission game should
he find himself grounded, and Beebe sometimes leaves himself
vulnerable in scrambles while pursuing more dominant positions.
The
Pick: Even if Moraes does not tenderize Beebe’s leg with
kicks, he is more than versatile enough to keep his foe guessing.
Moraes ability to use movement and angles on the feet will frustrate
Beebe and limit takedown and tie-up opportunities. If Moraes
does not get the KO or TKO, he cruises to a decision.
Lightweights
Justin Gaethje (9-0, 2-0 WSOF) vs. Dan Lauzon (17-4, 1-0 WSOF)
The
Matchup: Unbeaten in nine professional appearances, Gaethje remains
one of the sport’s most promising 155-pound prospects. As
he showed in a victory over Brian Cobb at WSOF 3, the Grudge
Training Center product is still very much a work in progress.
While
Gaethje landed the harder shots throughout his matchup with Cobb,
it was not the most pristine of triumphs. The 24-year-old was
taken down, mounted and threatened with a rear-naked choke in
the opening frame and spent much of the contest missing wildly
with power punches. A steady diet of leg kicks took their toll
on Cobb, however, and Gaethje was able to get the stoppage in
round three. Still, it was a rare moment of adversity for Gaethje,
who has been largely dominant in finishing eight of his nine
professional wins by knockout or submission.
Meanwhile,
Lauzon continues to revive a career that floundered after he
made his Octagon debut as an 18-year-old against Spencer Fisher
in 2006. Winless in three bouts in the world’s largest MMA
organization, “The Upgrade” has compiled a sparkling
ledger outside of the UFC and currently carries a five-fight
winning streak into his meeting with Gaethje. Lauzon has feasted
primarily on subpar competition on the regional circuit, but
his unanimous verdict over 51-fight veteran John Gunderson at
WSOF 3 is noteworthy.
Lauzon
will have to rely on his boxing because he will have difficulty
dragging Gaethje, an All-American wrestler at the University
of Northern Colorado, to the canvas. The Massachusetts native
was aggressive offensively against Gunderson, consistently backing
his man into the cage with a variety of attacks. Lauzon is not
the most fundamentally sound striker, but he has a solid left
hand and knows how to work the body.
Gaethje
probably hits harder, but he tends to get a little bit wild when
headhunting. His ability to use a multi-faceted attack and land
in combination will be key in a bout that could turn into a firefight.
If Lauzon is taken down, he has an active submission game, but
he also allows foes to pass guard with little resistance -- something
that a wrestler like Gaethje can use to his advantage.
The
Pick: Thanks to his aggression and offensive arsenal, Lauzon
is a fun matchup for Gaethje. However, engaging in one too many
exchanges will end badly for Joe Lauzon’s little brother.
Gaethje wins by TKO in round two.
Welterweights
Jon Fitch (24-6-1, 0-1 WSOF) vs. Marcelo Alfaya (15-6, 0-0 WSOF)
The
Matchup: When asked to explain Fitch’s surprising release
from the Ultimate Fighting Championship earlier this year, UFC
President Dana White referenced the former title challenger’s
salary, saying he was simply too expensive to retain. Considering
some of the talent that has managed to stick on the UFC roster,
the claim seemed a little ridiculous at the time. However, after
Fitch was choked unconscious by Josh Burkman in June, the decision
to part ways with the American Kickboxing Academy product seems
wiser than it initially did.
Fitch
has won just once in his last five fights, and during that time,
his chin has been exposed in matchups with Johny Hendricks and
Burkman. At 35 years old, it is possible that Fitch is finally
feeling his age, though it is important to mention that all of
his recent setbacks have come against top-tier opposition.
Rather
than pairing him with another well-known commodity such as Aaron
Simpson or Gerald Harris, the WSOF has matched Fitch with Alfaya,
a 34-year-old who splits time between Team Nogueira and American
Top Team. “Grilo” has won his last three bouts, including
a pair of first-round finishes with the Florida-based Championship
Fighting Alliance promotion. Alfaya’s most notable bout
came at Bellator 11 in 2009, when he suffered a first-round knockout
loss to current UFC welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger.
While
Alfaya is known for heavy hands and a decent ground game, this
fight is more about Fitch getting back to what he does best.
With a couple quality wins, the former Purdue Boilermaker could
find himself right back in the WSOF 170-pound title picture.
A shallow division gives Fitch a solid opportunity to rebound
from the loss to Burkman.
There
are no secrets as to what Fitch will attempt to do. The Fort
Wayne, Ind., native uses his striking just enough to move into
tie-up range, where he wears down his opponents before dragging
them to the canvas. Fitch has never been known for top-shelf
athleticism, but his relentless approach can be difficult to
overcome without one-shot knockout power or phenomenal grappling
and scrambling ability.
Although
he has compiled a respectable record, Alfaya is not going to
be able to combat the classic Fitch grind. Outside of rocking
the UFC veteran with a big right hand early, this figures to
follow the blueprint of so many Fitch performances.
The
Pick: A heavy dose of clinch work and wrestling leads Fitch to
a unanimous decision.
Bantamweights
Miguel Torres (40-6, 0-1 WSOF) vs. Pablo Alfonso (8-5, 0-0 WSOF):
Torres was one of the most celebrated early acquisitions for
the WSOF, but the former WEC titlist lost a decision to Marlon
Moraes in his debut. As it turns out, Moraes is a capable, world-class
bantamweight. Torres rights his ship against Alfonso, winning
by decision or submission.
Lightweights
Luiz Firmino (16-6, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Jacob Volkmann (16-4, 1-0 WSOF):
There are no secrets behind Volkmann’s game plan. The former
NCAA All-American wrestler will look to impose his will against
Firmino through takedowns and top control. A veteran of Pride
Fighting Championships, Shooto and M-1 Global, Firmino will likely
have to threaten Volkmann on the ground with submissions to make
it interesting. Volkmann wins by decision.
Bantamweights
Alexis Vila (13-3, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Josh Rettinghouse (9-2, 0-0
WSOF): After briefly trying his hand at flyweight, Vila plans
to compete in the WSOF at 135 pounds. A bronze medalist in freestyle
wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Vila will be able to dictate
the location of the fight and can also hurt Rettinghouse with
his hands. The 23-year-old Rettinghouse, who owns six of his
nine wins via submission, is making his first appearance outside
the regional circuit. Vila takes this by KO or TKO in round two.
Featherweights
Fabio Mello (11-6, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Nick LoBosco (6-0, 0-0 WSOF):
Mello began his career with a pedestrian 4-6 record, including
notable losses to the likes of Jose Aldo, Takanori Gomi and Masakazu
Imanari. He is 7-0 since 2009, albeit against less daunting competition.
Lobosco, meanwhile, will be fighting outside of his native Missouri
for the first time in his pro tenure. Mello captures a decision.
Featherweights
Alexandre Pimentel (12-1, 0-1 WSOF) vs. Jade Porter (9-3, 0-0
WSOF): Pimentel appeared to be on his way to victory in his WSOF
debut, relying on takedowns and grappling to accumulate a two-rounds-to-none
lead against Roufusport product Rick Glenn at WSOF 2. Glenn rallied
for the technical knockout win in round three, however, handing
“Pulga” his first defeat. Look for the Brazilian to
use his grappling to get past Power MMA Team member Porter, who
enters the bout on a two-fight skid. Pimentel wins by decision
or submission.
Bantamweights
Chad Robichaux (12-2, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Andrew Yates (7-0, 0-0 WSOF):
The 38-year-old Robichaux has competed just once in the past
two years, submitting Joseph Sandoval with a north-south choke
at a Legacy Fighting Championship event in May 2012. “Robo”
owns 10 of his 12 triumphs via submission. Yates is unbeaten
but untested, as none of his opponents have had a winning record.
Robichaux snatches a submission in round one.
Light
Heavyweights
Francisco France (8-3, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Hans Stringer (21-5-2, 0-0
WSOF): Stringer was supposed to make his WSOF debut in August
until the bout was scrapped when opponent Lew Polley came in
well overweight. France, meanwhile, has fought notables James
McSweeney (a win) and Keith Jardine (a loss) and owns all eight
of his triumphs via submission. Stringer wins by KO or TKO in
round three.
Source: Sherdog
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Diego
Sanchez Wants Five-Round Nate Diaz Fight
by Jeff
Cain
Fresh
off of his UFC 166 Fight of the Night performance, Diego Sanchez
(24-6) wants a five-round fight with Nate Diaz.
The
Ultimate Fighter season 1 winner returned to the lightweight
division after a four-fight stint in the 170-pound weight class
in March against former Pride champion Takanori Gomi. The former
top lightweight contender defeated Gomi by split decision and
then faced former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez at UFC
166.
While
coming up short on the judges’ scorecards, Sanchez displayed
his typical high-energy style and toughness and proved he can
still hang with the top lightweights in the world.
On
Tuesday, the 31-year-old took to Twitter and suggested a fight
with Diaz could be “epic.”
Diaz
(16-9) fought for the lightweight title and lost to Benson Henderson
in December 2012. Diaz is coming off a loss in his last outing
on April 20 to Josh Thomson. It was the first time that the Stockton
native has been defeated by strikes. He has only been finished
twice in his 25-fight career.
The
only time Sanchez has been stopped was due to a cut against B.J.
Penn for the lightweight championship at UFC 107 in 2009.
Source: MMA Weekly
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