MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

With AFL's operations in limbo, Bobby Lashley branching out

After signing a contract in May with the Kentucky-based American Fight League, former collegiate wrestling champion and WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (0-0) is finally prepared to make his MMA debut.

With the AFL's operations currently on hiatus, Lashley will instead appear first for debuting Florida-based promotion Mixed Fighting Alliance.

"I guess that [the AFL] is loaning me out," Lashley recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I don't know what the situation is with them."

Lashley said he is still pleased to be a part of the AFL, but the desire to fight has forced him to pursue other options.

"I'm signed with the AFL, and I've been signed with them for about seven months now," Lashley said. "And it's given me a lot of opportunity to train. But it's gotten to that point where I need to get out there and start fighting.

"My management, we've been talking with different organizations, and we made the decision that we need to get out there and start taking some fights. So we talked with the AFL, and they were nice enough to allow me to go out and fight with a different organization and start building myself in this business."

Lashley, a massively muscled heavyweight that walks around at 260 pounds, said the recent success of fellow wrestling standout and new UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has peaked other organizations' interest in the 32-year-old.

"My contract, it's pretty binding with the AFL at this point," Lashley said. "I really can't make any decisions or deals with the UFC or Affliction. But I have met Dana White, and I have before talked with the people from the Affliction.

"Of course when I get a couple fights under my belt, or my contract expires -- or whatever happens with the AFL deal, if they go under -- we'll definitely be knocking on one of their doors really quick."

Lashley has been training with the all-star roster of American Top Team, and he looks forward to testing himself in live MMA action.

"I think there's a couple of checks that I need to go through," Lashley said. "There's a chin check, of course. There's a heart check. And then there's a check of my abilities. I think I'm going to have that in my first couple fights. I'll be able to determine that much."

Once those obstacles are out of the way, Lashley has no doubt he'll eventually be considered among the heavyweight division's elite.

"I think with my background and the training that I'm doing right now, I think I will be in the hunt for one of those titles in the near future," Lashley said. "I don't know if it's going to be five fights. I don't know if it's going to be 10 fights. But after the first couple fights, I'm sure we'll be able to make a determination."

And while a title shot would certainly seem to be a long shot for Lashley, stranger things have happened. Lesnar received his UFC title shot just three fights into his MMA career.

And how does Lashley think he would fare against the champ?

"If I had to go against Brock right now, I'd definitely be up for it," Lashley said. "I don't think that the weight would be a factor with me. As far as wrestling, I think a lot of it would be a battle of takedowns. The submission part I don't think would really come in to play. I think it would be a stand-up or a wrestling match. So I think I would fare well."

For now, Lashley will set aside any thought of a Lesnar bout. Instead, the debuting fighter will focus on his Dec. 13 fight with Joshua Franklin.

"I don't know too much about my opponent because I think he's debuting also," Lashley said. "With the guys that I've been training with, there's a lot of guys down there (at ATT) that have black belts in jiu-jitsu. I don't think this guy is up to that caliber, and I've been doing very, very well against the guys that I've been training against.

"I don't think I'm going to run into too many problems with this guy. This guy's a little lower level than some of the guys I've been training with."

And whether his future lies with the AFL, UFC or Affliction, Lashley believes he's well on his way to achieving his ultimate goal in MMA.

"When I came in to the sport of mixed martial arts, I didn't want everyone to say, 'OK, we've got another professional wrestler that's in here fighting and thinking that he's going to make this big move,'" Lashley said. "That's not what I was trying to do.

"Signing with ATT just proves that I'm coming in and I actually want to be a fighter that used to be a professional wrestler as opposed to a professional wrestler that's now fighting. If it takes me a few fights to earn that credibility, or earn that respect from different fighters, then that's what I'm going to do."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou released by the UFC

Light heavyweight competitor Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou can be added to the list of fighters recently released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com first became aware of Sokoudjou having been dropped from the UFC roster last week but could not find a second source for verification. However, published reports have surfaced on the Internet today confirming his release.

Sokoudjou’s release comes as the culmination of a disappointing stint in the UFC that began with high hopes. An accomplished Judoka hailing from Cameroon, Sokoudjou became an overnight success while competing for the PRIDE Fighting Championships.

Entering the promotion with a 2-1 record, many considered Sokoudjou a significant underdog during an encounter at PRIDE 33 in February of 2007 in which he was matched up against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Despite the long odds, Sokoudjou managed to upset the native Brazilian with a knockout just 23 seconds into the bout.

Sokoudjou returned a couple of months later at PRIDE 34 in April of the same year and was matched up against another renowned Brazilian light heavyweight in Ricardo Arona. Despite his win over Nogueira, Sokoudjou was still pegged as the underdog. However, lightning struck twice with Sokoudjou knocking out Arona at 1:59 into the first round.

After becoming a free agent following Zuffa’s acquisition of PRIDE, Sokoudjou negotiated with several promotions before inking a deal with the UFC late last year. After signing with the organization, he was immediately thrown into the fire last December at UFC 79 with another talented Brazilian light heavyweight. This time, Sokoudjou would not be nearly as successful as he submitted to an arm triangle at the hands of the undefeated Lyoto Machida at 4:20 of round 2.

Sokoudjou rebounded at UFC 84 with a first round TKO over Kazuhiro Nakamura after Nakamura was unable to continue into the second round because of a leg injury. However, Sokoudjou’s winning ways would be short lived after being TKO’d a 4:15 of round 2 against Luis Cane at UFC 89 last month.

 

[Shogun Locc]

SENGOKU Sign Antonio Silva

The fourth fight for SENGOKU NO RAN 2009 was announced today. Antonio Silva has been signed, as was rumored, and he will make his SENGOKU debut on January 4th against Yoshihiro “KISS” Nakao. KISS hasn’t fought since May when he KO’d Big Jim York.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Second Look on Rules Underway for ABC

Athletic commissioners from across the country are currently reviewing comments from some of the most influential figures in the sport in preparation for the Association of Boxing Commissions vote in July 2009 to modify the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

The rules are being looked at anew after some controversial changes were voted at the last conference in July 2008. The changes included expanding the number of weight classes from nine to 14, which would affect the five-class structure the UFC and other promotions use. New classes were added between all of the five utilized weight divisions of lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

UFC President Dana White, as well as athletic commission officials in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Ohio declared publicly that they would not implement the new weight classes.

In response, the ABC issued a release ten days following the conference, categorizing the proposed amendments as guidelines and not mandate for its member commissions.

Nick Lembo, deputy attorney for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and chairman of the ABC’s MMA committee, said the vote was taken prematurely and without significant discussion of the weight class issue on the convention floor.

Lembo said the location of the conference, Montreal, made the trip cost-prohibitive to make for athletic commissioners from crucial states. Commissioners from California and Nevada weren’t present at the Montreal conference, but they did have extensive input into the process through telephone conferences, Lembo said. Former California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Armando Garcia was listed as one of the authors of the revised rules that were voted on.

Lembo said there wasn’t enough input from fighters, agents and promoters before the vote as well.

“You need to hear from the fighters, you need to hear form the industry,” Lembo said. “I don’t think you could make wholesale changes without hearing from those groups. I don’t think there’s a need for radical changes. We need to have something passed that everybody accepts so everybody makes the changes.”

The rules, established in New Jersey in 2000, opened the door for government sanctioning that has come in dozens of states in recent years. Lembo, as well as former UFC matchmaker John Peretti and referee “Big” John McCarthy were driving forces in the crafting of those rules.

In collecting input for the ABC’s second look at the unified rules, Lembo solicited comments from scores of fighters, managers, promoters and officials. He will soon hold the first in a series of conference calls with them to iron out any differences in opinion. In addition to Lembo, the ABC’s MMA committee includes representatives from Nevada, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, the River Cree Tribal Athletic Commission in Canada and the Mohegan Athletic Unit, which oversees fights at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.

Several subcommittees have also been formed to solicit input from fighters and promoters. The committees include UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner, Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker, Renzo Gracie, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn and John McCarthy. Lembo said the 100-plus pages of comments he’s received don’t clearly lean toward any radical changes to the existing rules.

“The ultimate goal is not to make changes detrimental to the growth of the sport,” he said. “This is a very young, precocious sport . . . I’m not a big fan of radical changes, like with weight classes. I think they’ve been working good . . . Boxing did this, and we have like 14 weight classes or something. And one of the biggest problems with the weight classes in boxing is that it diluted the champions. There’s nobody around that can name all the champions in boxing.”

Lembo, a former wrestler, said there wasn’t much support to allow knees to the head of a grounded opponent, a staple of the Pride Fighting Championships. He said the technique generates too much force, has too much potential to inflict serious damage and could produce ugly scenes that would boost the stigma of brutality that MMA has battled since day one.

“Hardcore fans want knees to head on the ground, and I can tell you it’s not going to happen,” Lembo said. “One of main reasons it’s not going to happen is because the industry itself doesn’t want it. It’s not only the doctors who are concerned about it.”

Pat Miletich agrees. The UFC’s first welterweight champion, who returns to fighting on Dec. 13 for Adrenaline MMA, was one of several fighters to lend his thoughts to the ABC.

“I don’t see a need for knees to the head on the ground,” Miletich said. “That’s something that has potential for some serious fractures. Being concerned for athletes’ overall longevity and health, I don’t think that’s something that’s needed.”

On a disputed point like this, compromise will have to be reached, Lembo said. He pointed to a suggestion from Renzo Gracie to allow kicks to the head of a downed opponent only when thrown by a fighter working off his back, which would give ground specialists a new mode of attack.

Lembo said there also needs to be compromise on a consistent number of rounds for female fights as well as the definition of “back of the head,” which is illegal to strike. Lembo said as more and more athletic commissions begin to regulate MMA, it is important that fighters can count on consistent rules in every state in which they compete.

“It shouldn’t be you go to one state and the fighters have got to learn, ‘ok, the back of the head means this here,’” Lembo said. “I want to get everybody on board one way or the other.”

Miletich, whose career dates back to the days when little besides eye gouging were illegal, said it is dangerous for fighters to have to adjust to different rules in different states.

“When it was no rules except no eye gouging and no biting, that’s what everybody was prepared for,” Miletich said. “That’s the way you trained to defend yourself. You defend against head butts, defend against stomps, you defend against everything. You were kind of geared up for that. Now that there are rules from different organizations and states, it can be confusing for younger fighters.”

Lembo said he will personally push for amateur ranks in all states, and that those bouts wouldn’t allow certain attacks that could result in long-term damage, like elbow strikes and heelhooks.

“Nowadays, with the unfortunate collapse of the IFL and Pro Elite, you need a pretty pristine record to get noticed,” Lembo said. “(Amateur ranks) help guys to experiment with things without any great risk to their future career.”

The New Jersey athletic control board, under longtime commissioner Larry Hazzard, has long been at the forefront of regulating MMA. Though Hazzard was ousted from the position last year, Lembo said new head Aaron Davis is committed to preserving the Garden State’s reputation.

“He is very supportive and interested in both pro and amateur MMA and it is great news for New Jersey MMA fans that he is on board,” Lembo said.

Lembo noted that it wasn’t too long ago that most boxing commissioners didn’t even bother with MMA, let alone spend time discussing and debating its future. Now the sport is one of the ABC’s main agenda items.

“The sport got so big that you couldn’t ignore it any longer,” he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Greatest Gracie? One on One with Rickson
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/The-Greatest-Gracie-One-on-One-with-Rickson-1841
Even at 50, Rickson Gracie stokes the flames of the mixed martial arts world, inspiring passion, controversy and debate.

Gracie (11-0) -- who also claims an unbeaten record in more than 400 jiu-jitsu, freestyle wrestling, sambo and no holds barred matches -- has not competed in MMA since he choked Masakatsu Funaki unconscious with a rear-naked choke eight years ago in Japan. Might a return be in the offing?

“I don’t see the possibility for a last fight,” Gracie told Sherdog.com in an exclusive interview. “I feel like every day is a last chance for me to compete again, and I feel very good about it because I feel I have nothing to prove.”

Gracie competed in his first professional MMA match in 1980, some 13 years before his younger brother, Royce, burst on the scene at UFC 1 and changed the combat sports landscape forever. He admits the recent growth of the sport caught him a bit off guard.

“Back when we started in the UFC and then Pride, it was unpredictable that MMA could get the way it is right now and [hold] the prospect to become even much bigger,” he said. “Now you see MMA in the four corners of the world. I’m impressed with the evolutionary process of MMA.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sambo loss prompts Fedor Emelianenko to cancel U.S. press tour

Following his recent loss at the 2008 World Sambo Championships -- his first in eight years -- Fedor Emelianenko has canceled a planned public-relations tour to the U.S.

Instead, the Russian fighter and current WAMMA heavyweight title-holder will use the time to prepare for his Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" main-event fight with Andrei Arlovski.

Representatives from M-1 today alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and other media outlets of Emelianenko's decision.

The 32-year-old Emelianenko suffered the Sambo loss to Blagoy Ivanov earlier this month. Emelianenko, like his upcoming opponent Arlovski, is considered a stand-out in the sport, which is a modern martial art developed in Russia as a self-defense system. In fact, Emelianenko won the championships four times, twice as a heavyweight and twice in the open-weight division. He finished third in the open-weight division this year.

In competitions such as the world championships, points are awarded for throws and maneuvering, though striking is limited.

"My trainers, Vladimir Voronov and Alexander Michkov, met with me in Russia after the World Sambo Championships, and we decided that the Arlovski [fight] is too important to delay a comprehensive training camp in exchange for press-tour obligations on the other side of the world," Emelianenko stated. "Andrei Arlovski is a dangerous fighter and has looked in prime condition and at the top of his game in his last few fights. He is one of the top three heavyweights in the world. This is not a fighter I will defeat if I am taking shortcuts in training."

Emelianenko had been scheduled to make stops in New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles in December.

He admits his recent Sambo loss received a surprising amount of attention. Last week videos of the match popped up all over the Web.

"Sambo is my hobby, and I enjoy very much participating in these tournaments to honor my country and use Sambo as the best training format for MMA," Emelianenko stated. "But MMA is my job, and I certainly approach my preparation differently. I had a nice run of Sambo victories since 2000, but I have lost in a Sambo match before this match as well. I think a lot of MMA fans have never seen Sambo before, so I guess you can say I am happy that the recent loss has made some people pay attention to the sport and see the differences between Sambo and MMA."

Emelianenko last competed in July, when he defeated Tim Sylvia with a quick and efficient TKO. Prior to the fight, like now, Emelianenko was considered one of the sport's top fighters and perhaps the No. 1 heavyweight. However, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion was still relatively unknown to casual MMA fans in the U.S. since all but one of his previous fights had taken place overseas.

"I wish I could see the fans in America to announce the (Arlovski) fight, but I will not be able to attend the press tour as I did for the Tim Sylvia fight," Emelianenko stated. "I received an incredibly warm welcome the last time I was in the United States and was looking forward to reuniting with my fans. But I must begin to prepare for Arlovski early and under the stringent training regimen and conditions that I have grown accustom to for all of my most dangerous opponents. There are people in MMA who attempt to paint a different picture of who the top fighters in the world are today and I must be fully prepared and focused to defend the reputation and status of my achievements in the sport."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Van Arsdale switches camps, eyes return to competition

If things go according to plan, former UFC champion Randy Couture won't be the only well-conditioned wrestler in his forties defying conventional logic.

UFC and IVC veteran Mike Van Arsdale (8-5), at 43 years old, recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he is eying a comeback after two-and-a-half years away from fighting.

"You're getting older and stuff, and you kind of want to let it go," Van Arsdale said. "But I didn't let it go because I always thought, 'I've got to set the record straight here. I lost some fights I shouldn't have lost.'"

Van Arsdale won eight of his first nine career bouts. But a loss to Couture in August 2005 marked the beginning of a four-fight losing streak that would last through Van Arsdale's final appearance in 2006.

Van Arsdale said serious injuries marred his preparation for those four defeats.

"I was operating with some pretty bad injuries," Van Arsdale said. "I had a ruptured disc in my neck. Every time I got hit on the right side of my head, my arms would go numb. And then they started to go from being numb to burning because I pinched the nerve off.

"Even in practice, I wasn't even capable of doing a real training camp. Those big fights that I had with Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, 'Babalu,' guys like that, I wasn't even able to conduct a training and stay healthy because of that particular injury. You have to get that fixed."

In the span since his last contest, Van Arsdale was able to have his neck repaired.

"At one point in time I was fortunate enough to have it fixed by one of the best doctors in the world," Van Arsdale said. "Right now I think my neck is that of a 20-year-old, not an 85-year-old."

With the injury behind him, Van Arsdale has remained in peak physical condition. The 43-year-old feels his time has come to return to the cage.

"Some of [my fights] I lost out of stupidity," Van Arsdale said. "But some of them I lost just because physically I shouldn't have been in the situation where I was fighting at that time.

"Now I'm physically capable, strong, fast, in-shape. I might be 43, but I feel like I'm 30. So I think I could compete with anyone at this point. I've just got to get the right situation."

Van Arsdale thought the right situation had already arrived earlier this year with the Kentucky-based American Fight League. Eventually that offer fell apart.

"Thought I had [the right situation] with the AFL, but they kind of called me several months later and said that they couldn't do it," Van Arsdale said. "They kept telling me I was going to fight Tito Ortiz. And I was like, 'Bring him on. I would love to do it.' But it was just a bunch of hope.

"I had signed the contract and everything. After a couple months of realizing I didn't get my signing bonus, and nobody's calling me, I figured it was over. So I moved on from there."

Van Arsdale spent the last few years training and coaching at the famed Greg Jackson's Gym in New Mexico. While Van Arsdale feels the time with the camp was beneficial, he is further inspired by a recent move to Lion's Den Scottsdale in Arizona.

"The catalyst (to move) was somebody called me and asked me to help them," Van Arsdale said. "That right there is pretty big. When somebody is interested enough to actually call you and pursue you -- and at the same time the city it's located in is in a city that the person that you're married to wants to live in? Now all of a sudden you have an opportunity to work in the city where your family is trying to get.

"So I looked at it like that. I said, 'Well let's do it on a trial basis.' And I've been here for three weeks and it seems to be working out pretty good. It may end up being a permanent thing.

"And guess what. The MMA team is non-existent here. You've got maybe one or two fighters. And that's exciting for me, too, because I like to be an underdog. I like to be a person that's starting at the beginning and building something from the ground up. So that motivates me as well."

So while Van Arsdale will look to build the Lion's Den Scottsdale's MMA team into the type of powerhouse camp he experienced at Greg Jackson's, the 10-year veteran will also be on the lookout for his own return to the cage.

"I'm looking to do something with the fighting stuff before it's all over," Van Arsdale said. "And I've got a sense of urgency. I'm training right now so that in case something comes up, I'll be ready."

 

[Shogun Locc]

IF GSP BEATS PENN, ANDERSON SILVA MAY BE NEXT

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Georges St. Pierre and UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn will rematch on Jan. 31 for the 170-pound belt. If Penn wins, he's expected to defend both titles. If St. Pierre emerges victorious, it could lead to a mega-fight with middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva to make a strong case for who is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

"If Georges wins, obviously there's another super-fight lined up for him that he could possibly take," said UFC president Dana White, alluding to a bout with Anderson Silva.

"Hypothetically speaking, if he (St. Pierre) beat B.J. Penn that night, it would be up in the air who is pound-for-pound the best in the world," added White. "Who knows what we'd do, but it's obviously a very interesting fight. If he beats B.J."

While a win will likely garner St. Pierre a shot at Silva, if Penn wins on Jan. 31, he isn't apt to get the opportunity to move up and challenge the 185-pound titleholder, a fight that Penn has already voiced interest in.

"B.J. doesn't have the frame to carry that kind of weight," stated White. "Is he tough enough to do it? Absolutely. Is he talented enough to go up there and do it? Absolutely. Does that mean he should do it? Absolutely not. He doesn't have the frame to carry that kind of weight. And it just makes no sense, no sense at all."

Penn has a 2-0 record as a middleweight with wins over Rodrigo and Renzo Gracie and has competed as high as heavyweight, losing a decision to the undefeated Lyoto Machida.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DANNY MARTINEZ PROMISES EXPLOSIVE WEC DEBUT

Danny Martinez is looking to get himself noticed by the mainstream crowd on Dec. 3 at WEC 37 in Las Vegas. He faces a tough test in doing so, as he will be fighting Urijah Faber's teammate, Joe Benavidez.

Martinez holds a 12-2 MMA record and went to college with WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner, as well as Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Drew Fickett. In fact, they helped him get into the sport.

“We're all friends,” explained Martinez on MMAWeekly Radio. “They were really into MMA a lot when I was there. I watched it, but I wouldn't go to practice it like they did. I hadn't even thought about my MMA career then. The reason I got into it is because they were doing it and I followed them and they got into it and helped me out.”

There usually isn't much for college wrestlers to do with their skills once they finish college, which is why more and more of them are getting into MMA. After getting some advice from some friends, Martinez became more serious and decided to give it a shot. “When I left college and I didn't really have no one else to wrestle, I was sitting around the house with my friends and they said I should get into fighting. They all knew that I was known as a fighter on the streets. I got into it and tried it out.”

Since he's been on the mixed martial arts scene, the Arizona native has competed in TKO and is also the current Rage in the Cage bantamweight champion. He didn't always get to fight in his natural weight class though.

“I fought a couple times at 155. I fought at 145 at TKO. I fought at 135 finally about the eighth fight of my career,” he reflected. “The only reason I started at those upper weights is because there was nobody else my weight around here in Arizona to take the fights. I would show up to weigh-ins with two pairs of pants on.”

The WEC has given the lighter weight divisions a new lease on their fighting lives since Zuffa purchased the promotion. Lighter weight classes are not only shown, but emphasized in the WEC and get plenty of notoriety on Versus. Zuffa acquiring the WEC has made Martinez want to go there and fight hard for the organization.

“I've wanted to be in the WEC since Zuffa picked them up,” he said. “I wanted to be over there in Pride, but they shut down and then Dream came out and I wanted to be in that. Then WEC came around and I wanted to be in the WEC because of the way it would blow up like it has today.”

With his wish coming true, Martinez will have no easy task in his debut taking on Benavidez who has a lot of hype following him, being undefeated at 8-0, and training with former WEC top dog Faber. As tough of a task as that is, Martinez welcomes the challenge and respects his opponent.

“When my manager told me who I was fighting, his face popped into my head because I was watching the Dream fight. I know who the fighters are and I remembered I liked his wrestling,” commented Martinez. “He has some good wrestling. He looked good on the ground. I've been getting up early to hit the weight because he's a strong little guy.”

If the fans have learned one thing from the WEC, it's that the lighter weight classes put on top notch, exciting fights. One thing Martinez is promising is that this fight won't disappoint any fans. “This is a great fight for me to have against Joe Benavidez. I'm not worried at all. He's a tough guy. We're going to go out there and bang pretty hard and give the WEC show what they want to see. No matter how this turns out, they're going to call one of us back or both of us back. They're going to see the heart.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

John Alessio says he would love another crack at the UFC

John Alessio could easily be described as one of the best welterweights not currently fighting in the UFC. The 28-year old fighter got his jump into mixed martial arts at the young age of 19 and hasn’t looked back since. In the nine years that Alessio has been in the business he has waged combat well over thirty times while fighting some of the biggest names in the sport. The fact that he has not suffered a loss in his last six bouts with his most recent two victories coming over UFC veterans even further solidifies the argument that Alessio is ready and worthy to fight the best competition there is to offer.

The Xtreme Couture fighter will have yet another opportunity to prove that he is among the best the division has to offer when he faces off with extremely dangerous Muay Thai specialist Paul Daley at MFC 19 “A Long Time Coming” on December 5. The bout will showcase two of the welterweight division’s best unsigned talents in a match where the winner’s stock is sure to rise significantly.

There have been no hitches in preparing for Daley. Alessio told FiveOncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview that he will be be 100% ready to go when the bell sounds.

“I feel good, things have been going just as planned,” said Alessio. “Training camp has been going just the way I wanted it to go and my conditioning is right where it needs to be so I’m ready to go.”

Alessio knows that he will be in for a test come Dec. 5. Daley is as dangerous as they come on the feet and showed much improved wrestling in his last fight with Jake Shields.

“Paul Daley is one scrappy dude,” the experienced welterweight said. “He comes in with really good striking, he’s a really good athlete and he has pretty good takedown defense”

While acknowledging that his opponent poses an interesting challenge with his top notch striking, Alessio feels it will be a challenge that he can handle.

“He’s still a fairly one dimensional fighter,” said Alessio. “I don’t feel that his jiu-jitsu and his wrestling is up to par with his striking ability but it is a mixed martial arts fight and I plan on going out there and giving him the business in all aspects of the game.”

Being comfortable in all areas is definitely an advantage to any fighter. Alessio feels that his ability to fight well in all areas of the sport will be the difference in his bout with Daley.

“Just looking at it on paper, I would have to go with me as being the more well rounded athlete and mixed martial artist,” explained Alessio. “I definitely think my wrestling and jiu-jitsu is better than his.”

Although Daley has become accustomed to defending against the takedown almost immediately in most of his fights, Alessio says he will not have to worry about it this time around. The WEC and UFC veteran is eager to see what he can do against a striker of Daley’s caliber and made it known that the Cage Rage champion won’t have to look very hard to find him on the feet.

“He’s been fighting Muay Thai for a long time,” said Alessio. “So I’m going to go out there and I’m going to respect his stand up and at the same time I want to test myself.”

“I’m a very well rounded athlete so I’ll take the fight where it needs to go but I’m looking to stand and trade with Daley to make this an exciting fight.”

There is a reason for the brash confidence displayed by Alessio when it comes to his faith in his striking ability. The 28-year old fighter has shown increasingly sharp stand up since training with Shawn Tompkins at Xtreme Couture and finished his previous bout with Gideon Ray in less than a minute due to strikes.

“I want to go out there and mix it up with him,” said Alessio. “I’m looking to mix it up a little on my feet and test myself and see how my training’s been going. I’ve been working really hard with Shawn Tompkins for a while now.”

“My last fight went really good as far as the stand up was concerned. It was a forty second knockout so I’m feeling really confident on my feet and I plan on carrying that over to this fight.”

Born and raised in Canada, Alessio is eager to have the opportunity to perform in front of his native fans at MFC 19. The fact that will be facing such a dangerous and highly regarded opponent only has him more excited and anxious to put on a great show in what will be one of the biggest welterweight fights to have ever taken place on Canadian soil.

“This is probably Canada’s biggest welterweight ever, really,” said Alessio. “Outside of the Georges St. Pierre and Matt Serra fight this is probably the biggest welterweight fight to come out of Canada.

“MFC came to together to put on this welterweight superfight and I plan on going out there and giving my hometown Canadian fans a good fight to watch.

“I just want it to be entertaining and for everyone to come out of there and say, ‘Wow! That John Alessio and Paul Daley sure put on one hell of a fight.’ That’s what I’m looking for but of course I want my hand raised at the end of the fight.”

Alessio isn’t picky about the way he goes about obtaining victory in his bout with Daley. For him, victory itself is the only concern.

“I definitely visualize this fight, like most of my fights, my hands raised at the end of the fight,” said Alessio. “Whether it come by knockout or submission or good old ground and pound TKO, I plan on the victory.”

The bout with Daley will mark the second time Alessio has fought in less than two months. Never known to take long breaks between fights, he just wants to compete as often as possible.

“It has to do a little with how short my last fight was but if you look at my record you can see that I stay pretty busy throughout my career,” Alessio explained. “This will be my fourth fight this year but it would have been my fifth or sixth if it wasn’t for the broken arm with Pete Spratt. That was the first time I was really sidelined for a while and not be able to train for a fight.”

“My thing is, as soon as I finish a fight, I’m looking to sign for my next fight. As soon as I step out of the ring I want to know when I’m fighting again. Whether it’s in five weeks to eight weeks to three weeks, I’m happy. Just keep me in the cage.”

Amidst the turbulent demise of EliteXC there is an abundance of talent that has been left without a place to fight making essentially making them free agents. If a draft was held to disperse all of the newly available talent, Alessio would be one of the top picks at welterweight.

“I’m a free agent right now,” said Alessio. “I had a three fight deal with EliteXC and they went under which basically makes me a free agent again. So I’m a free agent and I’m just looking to keep going out there and kicking ass and eventually see what happens with the WEC and UFC.”

Alessio admits he had his share of bad luck before when he came to the UFC but he would like the opportunity to right those wrongs and show the world that he can compete and win at the highest level.

“I would love to get another crack in the UFC,” said the veteran. “Unfortunately my UFC run hasn’t been very good.

“My first fight in the UFC I got fed to the wolves against against Pat Miletich when I was twenty. Then there was Diego Sanchez and people argue that fight. It could have gone either way in the decision. Then I fought Thiago Alves and Thiago just plain old beat me. It went to a decision but he definitely won that fight. My hat’s off to him and he’s a hell of a welterweight.”

That was then and this is now according to Alessio. He can see plenty of guys currently competing in the UFC’s welterweight division that he doesn’t feel belong in the same cage with him.

“Especially now with all of these guys coming off the TV shows and all of these welterweights that they have going on,” said the seasoned fighter. “I just see so many of them that I would just dismantle in the first round.”

“I don’t mean to sound cocky but they just have so many guys that I don’t think are at what people consider that UFC level.”

Whether it’s the UFC or the WEC, Alessio just wants to scrap. If the WEC should happen to call there is one guy he’s definitely been meaning to set the record straight with.

“I would definitely like to get back in there and make a name for myself in the UFC but I definitely have some unfinished business in the WEC as well,” said Alessio. “Me and Brock Larson need to probably get down one more time and I’d like another shot at that title so we’ll see what the future holds.”

There were a few people that John Alessio wanted to thank for helping him during his career.

“Always a big shout out to Tapout. There always with me and always supporting me. Steve Lara from Home Loans. They’ve always been a big help for me, they’re always helping me out and helping my dream come true as a fighter. Of course all of my friends and family that are always there to support me, always coming to all of my fights no matter where they are. I thank them very much.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Swick guaranteeing a finish over Jonathan Goulet at “UFC Fight for the Troops”

Mike Swick has come a long way since the days he used to fight in the light heavyweight division on the very first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Upon leaving the house Swick immediately dropped down to middleweight division where he reeled off five straight victories and looked to be on his way to a title shot. That was until he ran into a roadblock in the form of top ranked middleweight Yushin Okami.Swick dropped the unanimous decision to the naturally larger fighter and it was at that point that he decided that maybe 185 wasn’t the best weight for him after all. The American Kickboxing Academy-trained fighter decided that it was time to pursue championship glory in UFC’s welterweight division.

After making the drop down to 170 pounds Swick has compiled consecutive decision victories over Josh Burkman and most recently Marcus Davis. He makes it no secret that he will stop at nothing to obtain his chance at championship glory in the UFC.

The next challenge in his quest for the gold will come in the form of dangerous UFC veteran Jonathan Goulet at the UFC Fight Night card labeled “UFC Fight for the Troops” that will take place on December 10. Swick confirmed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that he will be better than he ever has been come fight time.

Following his decision victory over highly regarded welterweight Marcus Davis, Swick had to take care of a problem that had been holding him back in the cage.

“I had surgery directly after the fight with Marcus Davis and ever since I have been training solid,” said the reality television show alum. “Even right after the elbow surgery, I was working on my jab with the other arm and running and doing what I could.”

With the elbow surgery out of the way, Swick feels better than ever and expects to bring it harder than ever before in his upcoming bout with Goulet.

“I feel at this point, stronger, more explosive, and a lot faster,” said Swick. “I am finally healthy and able to train at my full potential.”

Now able to train at 100%, the 29-year old fighter couldn’t be more excited to train like he has never trained before.

“Training has been going great! Couldn’t be better!,” exclaimed Swick. “I have been training with the whole Team here at AKA. My main sparring partners are Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Pat Minihan, Nate James, and some of the pro boxers we have.”

The Canadian Goulet is a well-rounded fighter that may pose quite a few problems for the rising welterweight but Swick just sees it as an opportunity to showcase what he can do on a grand scale.

“I am excited,” said Swick. “I think it will be a very exciting fight!”

Sharpening his game and developing a great game plan for Goulet, Swick is confident that the Canadian fighter will be in for a few surprises on fight night.

“I have a few new things that are sure to throw him off,” said the Texas native. “No matter what he is expecting when this fight starts. He will be shocked afterwords.”

After having strung together four consecutive first round finish victories upon his arrival in the UFC, Swick has been forced to go the distance in his most recent four bouts. A streak he promises to end in his bout with Goulet.

“This fight will be finished,” guaranteed Swick.

Knowing that he is growing steadily closer to having his chance at the title, Swick, is keeping everything in perspective and knows it will come in due time. However, if he can win impressively over Goulet, it will be somewhat of a personal victory over the current welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre.

“I doubt a win over Goulet will grant me a title shot but it would be the third previous teammate of GSP I will have beaten,” said Swick. “I am heading for the title, just taking whatever fights they give to prove I am deserving.”

“I want to thank my fans for their support,” Swick began to say in closing. “Please check out MikeSwick.com to find links to my new daily blog, youtube, and myspace pages… Thanks!”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Affliction balks at signing ex-UFC heavyweight Werdum

According to a report by Franklin McNeil of ESPN.com and the Newark Star-Ledger, the camp for Fabricio Werdum approached Affliction Entertainment in an attempt to place the former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight with the organization.

McNeil revealed the news during this week’s edition of MMA Live, which can be viewed on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

McNeil stated that both sides talked about Werdum joining the promotion and possibly competing on its upcoming “Day of Reckoning” pay-per-view event scheduled for Jan. 24 but that Affliction felt that the numbers discussed were “off the charts.”

McNeil concluded the report by stating that there are no plans for Werdum and Affliction to talk in the future and that “Werdum will not be competing for Affliction.”

Werdum, considered by many pundits to be a top ten heavyweight, was released by the UFC with several fights remaining on his contract soon after sustaining an upset loss last month at UFC 90 against newcomer Junior dos Santos.

The defeat dropped Werdum’s career record inside the Octagon to 2-2 with wins over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga and a loss to Andrei Arlovski in his debut for the promotion at UFC 70.

A world class grappler, Werdum holds wins outside the UFC over Gonzaga, Aleksander Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Kristof Midoux, Roman Zentsov, and Tom Erickson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Maurício “Shogun” Rua Interview

More than one year far from fights, after bring defeated to the UFC light-heavyweight champion, Forrest Griffin, and face a knee surgery, Maurício “Shogun” Rua is getting ready to step again inside the octagon in Las Vegas. In exclusive interview with TATAME, Shogun spoke about the training in Universidade da Luta, now with the reinforcement of Nino Schembri, who graduated the fighter with the Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and the rematch with Mark Coleman. “We already fought and happened all that stuff. This is a fight that I wanted for a long time, but I respect him, I know that it’ll be a difficult fight. He’s a top athlete”, told Shogun, who analyzed the next fights of the division, one of the toughest of the event, and made his bets to the fight between Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Frank Mir. Check below the exclusive interview with Shogun to TATAME.

How is the preparation for the fight against Coleman?
I’m 100%, thanks God. I’m training a lot and I’ll give a show to all my fans in Brazil and from all over the world. For sure, he’ll also be 100% prepared and I’ll, certainly, be in the total gas, so I think it’ll be a good fight. The expectative is the biggest possible, and I think he’ll be in his best phase.

You received the reinforcement of Nino Shembri, who gave you the black belt, in the Jiu-Jitsu…How this helps you in the preparation?
He’s with us a week ago and it’s very good. He’ll fight in Fury now and it’ll certainly add in the whole team.

Who’s commanding your trains in the Universidade da Luta?
Carioca is taking care of the Jiu-Jitsu, Danilo in Boxe and Fefê in Muay Thai.

How much are you weighting now?
I’m with 101kg (222 pounds) now. I lost a weight now and I’ll keep like this until when it is nearer of the fight.

Some guys from UFC are recording in Curitiba to the promotion of the event? What can you advance about the video?
On Monday we recorded some training and yesterday (Tuesday) we recorded one more social, in my house, then I went to my mother’s house, in the street where I grew up…I made a barbecue in my house for my birthday and they came to film, it was very nice…

The ambience of revenge against Coleman is one more factor for motivate you ot you try to keep it out of your mind while training?
We already have fought and happened all that. This is a fight that I wanted a long time ago, but I respect him, I know that it’ll be a difficult fight. He’s a top athlete and this is a fight that I wanted very much.

How do you see your category today in UFC?
I think that this is the most difficult category in the world, there are many good athletes wanting the belt and I think it depends of each one to run after their aim.

Which is the expectative for the fight between Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans?
It’ll be a tough fight. Rashad proved that he’s a good athlete and Forrest is good too, but I wouldn’t risk anything…It’ll be a good fight, for sure.

If you face Forrest today, do you believe that the fight would finish like the last one?
Certainly it would be different. The difference is that I’d get in there more prepared and focused. This is not an excuse, I recognize his victory, but that fight I lost to myself.

What are you expecting for the fight between Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson?
'Wandeco’ wins. I’ll be cheering for him, the whole Brazil certainly will send some positive energy for him to win Rampage one more time.

Did you watch the fight between Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture? What did you think?
It was a big fight, impressed the crowd. Actually, I knew that he would win, he entered very calmly, he had nothing to lose. He didn’t impress me, actually, I knew that this could happen.

Risking a tip, who wins the fight between Rodrigo “Minotauro“ and Frank Mir?
I think Minotauro will win easily…He’ll face that giant.

And how would be a fight between Minotauro and Brock? Will it be a Minotauro vs. Bob Sapp II?
I think that’s a more difficult fight for him, because Brock is a Wrestling athlete and he’s learning quickly, but Minotauro is still favourite.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tatsuya Kawajiri fights under K-1 rules on NYE

DREAM official website reported the press conference by FEG regarding "FieLDS Dynamite!" on NYE. The conference was held at Akasaka Biz Tower Arrows Square Geihinkan in Tokyo on November 27, and 2 additional fights were announced.

Tatsuya Kawajiri faces Kozo Takeda , and Gegard Mousasi faces Musashi. They fight under K-1 rule.

Tatsuya Kawajiri:
"I'm extremely scared of fighting Kozo Takeda, who is a former Rajadamnern Stadium Welterweight Muay Thai champion. I am probably not competitive enough for him, and may injure very bad. I don't even know if MMA fans are interested in watching our fight; however, I accepted the offer because I was interested in K-1. I will challenge him as an underdog.

Kozo Takeda:
"He has never fought in K-1, but I'm not going to be easy on him."

Gegard Mousasi:
"We have the same name, and so I will let him change the name when he loses this fight."

Sadaharu Tanikawa:
"As for Masato and Kid Yamamoto, Masato is not ready to fight on NYE, and Kid's doctor hasn't allowed him to fight yet."

"We picked some fighters including Shinya Aoki for Yoshihiro Akiyama. We are now waiting to hear from him. I believe he choses Aoki."

"Alistair Overeem wants to fight Mirko Crocop in NYE, yet he will fight someone else."

"We will be able to announce all fights in our NYE event right after K-1 WGP on December 6."

"We had a meeting with Satoshi Ishii 2 weeks ago. Regarding his debut, we are going to wait patiently until he is fully ready to fight. We are not going to invite him to our event before we have a contract."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Getting to know Bellator Fighting Championships: Part IV

The immediate future for Bellator Fighting Championships appears to have been well-designed. But what is the company seeking beyond its debut tournamants?

Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney recently discussed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) how he believes the organization can eventually develop, and how he plans to appease the English speaking fans of MMA.

Today we present the final part of our series on the latest promotion trying to establish itself as a successful organization at the national level.


* * * * *

CROSSOVER APPEAL

Bellator Fighting Championships CEO Bjorn Rebney is comfortable with his organization's decision to launch on ESPN Deportes. Through his extensive experience with the Hispanic market during his tenure in boxing, Rebney believes the company will be able to effectively appeal to a largely untapped audience.

"What I think will end up happening is, I think we're going to end up really finding through the Deportes launch -- and through all of the different Deportes promotional vehicles, the dot coms, the magazines, the news, etc. -- I think we're going to find a hardcore Hispanic fight fan who is going to become beholden to and tied to MMA in a big way," Rebney said. "Whenever you think about the fighting sports that the Hispanic consumer is really tied to, the verbiage always comes out, 'Mexican warrior.' And you always picture the same kind of guy."

Rebney believes when that type of athlete has been identified, the appeal will bring Bellator Fighting Championships to the attention of the sport's English-speaking fans as well.

"I started out my career in 1992 in the fight game working as an agent for an attorney and manager for Oscar de la Hoya," Rebney said. "And I saw that crossover. I saw the way that Hispanic consumers just came to him in droves. And I saw the fact that he was able to appeal to the Anglo demographic, the Hispanic demographic, he just flowed seamlessly. I really believe that this will be a very, very powerful vehicle, and a group that will support MMA in a very, very powerful way."

While hints of eventual bigger plans for the organization abound, Rebney remains tight-lipped as to the possibilities that are on the horizon.

"The unique thing about working with ESPN is they're very, very firm in their requirement that you don't speak about contract terms relative to their programming," Rebney said. "What I can tell you is that we're absolutely thrilled to be with Deportes.

"We're thrilled to be the only mixed martial arts promoter with an exclusive alliance with a member of the ESPN family. And our hope is that alliance will blossom into as big of a relationship as the ESPN family is comfortable with."

BEYOND SEASON ONE

While Bellator Fighting Championships is simply the latest in a long lime of upstart mixed martial arts promotion, their plan has hardly developed overnight.

"My partner Brad Epstein and I fought very long and very hard to structure an alliance with a member of the ESPN family," Rebney said. "Our belief was very simple. My partner worked as a senior vice-president of production at Disney for many, many years. So he's intimately familiar with Disney, who is of course the publicly-traded company that owns ESPN. And we both believe with all of our hearts that if you want to have the opportunity to try to success in this space, you have to have the right kind of television distribution alliance.

"While there are surely a lot of different cable operators out there who have a large universe, none of those cable operators come close to having the power or the prestige of the ESPN brand. And none of them have the demographically targeted reach of the ESPN brand. So we fought long and hard, and spent a great deal of time, talking to and presenting to and working with a variety of different contacts at ESON trying to put this deal in place. And we were finally able to solidify it after a long period."

With the extended amount of time Bellator Fighting Championships spent in development, Rebney believes the group was able to learn valuable lessons from other failed organizations.

"When the IFL launched and when EliteXC launched, tracking their business models, my team and I really sat around tables for hours and hours and hours and analyzed those models, looking at what they were doing wrong, and where the mistakes were occurring," Rebney said. "And those mistakes were pretty obvious. And the mistakes were mistakes that you could point to and say, 'OK, this will have a very difficult time succeeding.'

"So we kind of got the benefit of watching other leagues launch, looking at what they were doing, analyzing their structure and their business model, and saying, 'OK, we won't do that. And those are things that we should do that will complement the successful model that is out there that continues to generate positive revenues and put on great shows."

With the top-level talent that has already been linked to the organization, many MMA fans have questioned if they will be able to follow the action in English. Rebney said there is a very real possibility the programming could be distributed in English through an online stream at ESPN360.com.

"Those talks are surely going on as we speak," Rebney said. "That would surely give us a unique distribution platform through which English-language fans could watch the shows in English. That's surely something that we would like to see happen."

The first season has been mapped out, and Bellator Fighting Championships is geared up for their April debut. But does MMA have a potential for future growth with the ESPN family?

"Obviously I spent a lot of my career at ESPN," Rebney said. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have them make as large of a commitment as they're comfortable making to mixed martial arts. I love the game. I love watching it. I love promoting it. I love being part of it. Obviously if the most powerful sports network on the face of the Earth got behind it, it would do nothing but things for mixed martial arts.

"It would do nothing but good things for the credibility of the sport, for the credibility of the athletes, for the acceptance in the mainstream, for the continued growth and expansion of the game. And it's just a win-win-win-win if they take those next steps."

And while the group is comfortable with a humble launch on ESPN Deportes, Rebney has grand -- though cautious -- plans for the future of Bellator Fighting Championships.

"Anyone who gets into this space and starts talking about, 'We're going to compete with the UFC' is foolhardy," Rebney said. "But anyone who gets into this space, and doesn't have a vision to eventually be in a very, very strong position in this space is also foolhardy.

"The only way that you can realistically give yourself the best chance for success is to plan for that ultimate success in advance. To really structure and build a foundation out of your organization, of your executives, of your fighters, of your promotional strategy, of your production strategy, of your expense vs. revenue numbers, such that if it succeeds -- and you accomplish what you hope to accomplish and move to where you hope to move to -- you eventually would be in a space where you would be a competitor to the dominant brand in the space.

"So I think it's a combination of those two thoughts running in unison. To say that you're going to compete with the UFC is silly. But to not have the vision to compete at the highest level is also silly."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Inoue Recaptures Shooto Gold

TOKYO -- Takeshi Inoue recaptured the 143-pound title in the main event at Shooto “Tradition 4” on Saturday, as he took a contentious unanimous decision from defending champion Hideki Kadowaki in a tense three-round bout at Korakuen Hall.

From the outset of the bout, Kadowaki confidently connected with hard right straights and stiff jabs, a surprising development given his reputation as a grappling specialist. The challenger was stunned not by the strength of the blows but by Kadowaki’s newfound willingness to strike. In fact, Kadowaki had Inoue backpedalling and eating right hands for much of the opening round.

However, a sharp Inoue counter dropped Kadowaki with a flash knockdown midway through the period. He responded by catching a low kick and taking down Inoue, where he remained on top, in side control, until the bell.

Inoue regained some of his composure in the second period, adding hard low kicks to his stiff jabs. To his credit, Kadowaki stuck to his stand-up barrages and found his mark, not only on Inoue’s face and head but on his body, as well. Kadowaki secured the back clinch after a failed single leg toward the end of the round, but Inoue showed superior balance and neutralized Kadowaki’s takedown attempts.

Inoue turned up the heat in the third round, maneuvering Kadowaki into the corners and scoring with more jabs and low kicks. Though Kadowaki stuck to strikes, the champion showed signs of wear with errant punches and shaky footwork. With Inoue chasing the finish in the final minute, Kadowaki absorbed punches, body kicks and knees before barely ducking a high kick. Kadowaki dove forward and took down the challenger, as the two traded punches on the ground until time expired.

While Inoue appeared to do more damage, Kadowaki (13-8-2) showed he was game standing, as he went tit for tat with the challenger and controlled him during their few grappling exchanges. However, the judges saw fit to award Inoue (15-3) full points at bout’s end, as scores of 30-29, 30-28 and 30-28 opened the door to his second title reign.

Meanwhile, charismatic Shooto mainstay Rumina Sato dropped yet another fight in spectacular fashion -- this time to top featherweight Hatsu Hioki by way of savage ground-and-pound.

After he was slammed to the mat from the clinch, Sato (24-13-2) brought Hioki back to guard, where he threw up a sloppy attempt at rubber guard. Hioki, thanks to his length, effortlessly passed to half guard and eventually to full mount.

Reminiscent of Antonio Carvalho’s meeting with Sato two years prior, the Nagoya Shootor postured up and rained down with a salvo of big punches. Sato momentarily pried off Hioki with his legs, but Hioki (17-3-2) quickly reclaimed the mount, continued bludgeoning Sato with fists and forced the referee to step in at the 3:32 mark.

Hioki’s was not the only spectacular finish at the event.

Shooto’s 154-pound Pacific Rim champion, Takashi Nakakura, defeated European Shooto titleholder Bendy Casimir in a non-title bout. The finish resulted from a rear-naked choke with just two seconds left in the first round.

Casimir bullied Nakakura around the ring early but eventually found himself under the Japanese champion after he escaped a straight armbar. Nakakura piled up the punches and forced Casimir (16-5-2) to turn over and turtle. Nakakura (11-2-1) slipped in the choke and separated the Frenchman from consciousness, forcing referee Toshiharu Suzuki to call the fight 4:58 into round one. The loss snapped Casimir’s 12-fight winning streak.

Elsewhere, Ryota Matsune successor Hiromasa Ogikubo battled So Tazawa to a majority draw after three rounds of heavy grappling.

The first round went to the unbeaten Ogikubo (5-0-2), as he had Tazawa scrambling thanks to his ability to punch while passing guard. From the second period forward, however, Tazawa used his flexibility to suck Ogikubo back into guard every time he passed to side mount. Tazawa (8-3-3) stifled Ogikubo’s offense from the top, wearing him down enough to lock on an armbar attempt halfway through round two and reverse into top position at the end of the third. One judge gave the nod to Tazawa by a 29-28 count; the other two ruled it a draw by matching 29-29 scores.

In other action, Yutaka Ueda took out 37-year-old knee machine Jin Kazeta with relative ease in their 154-pound bout.

Kazeta worked over Ueda with early low kicks that Ueda (6-1-1) gladly absorbed in order to close the distance and find his range. Dropping Kazeta (8-9-2) with a combination midway through the first, Ueda noticed Kazeta stumble as he answered the count. A well-placed left hand dropped Kazeta again after the fight resumed, and Suzuki called it 3:23 into the first.

Finally, Katsuya Murofushi was on his way to winning a 115-pound showdown against Atsushi Takeuchi until he fell to a second-round submission.

Murofushi slaughtered Takeuchi’s lead leg with low kicks in the first period before three nose-bloodying hooks from Takeuchi (5-4-2) forced him to dive for the takedown. Murofushi (3-4) tried to replicate his first-round success with low kicks in the second, but an overzealous combination dodged by Takeuchi caused Murofushi to stumble head-first into the guillotine choke. The submission came 1:44 into the period.

Other Bouts
Taisuke Okuno def. Daisuke Okumiya -- Unanimous Decision
Yuta Nezu draws Nobuhiro Hayakawa -- Majority Decision

 

[Shogun Locc]

DO HEAVYWEIGHTS NEED TWO WEIGHT CLASSES?

There were many questions going into the heavyweight title fight between Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture. Experience vs. inexperience. Legend vs. rookie.

But the biggest question that was raised prior to the fight between Couture and Lesnar was the giant size difference between the former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ and the now former UFC heavyweight champion heading into the fight.

Lesnar cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit, while his opponent, Randy Couture, weighed in at 220 pounds, and it is assumed that Lesnar actually walked into the bout anywhere around 15 to 20 pounds heavier than when he weighed in.

The heavyweight division runs from 206 pounds all the way to 265 pounds, which is the weight class with the biggest difference between the lightest weight to the heaviest weight allowed for the fighters. But do the size differences make the fights unfair to the point where another weight class needs to be added?

When asked by MMAWeekly.com if there was any thought about adding another weight class, Keith Kizer, executive director for the Nevada State Athletic commission, simply responded, "this already exists," referring to the over 265 pound super heavyweight class.

A differing point comes from Nick Lembo, who sits on the New Jersey State Athletic Commission, who has also been a major part of MMA since the state regulated the sport several years ago.

"At first glance, it does not strike me that in either boxing or MMA, that the much larger heavyweight wins more often than not," Lembo said. "I think that this issue is arising now due to Lesnar being a rare example of a very large heavyweight with power, quickness, agility and ability.

"What remains to be seen is if someone can survive long enough to test Lesnar's cardiovascular endurance."

Looking at the breakdown of some of the major heavyweight fights in organizations like the UFC, EliteXC and Affliction with at least a 20-pound weight difference between the fighters, the disparity may not exist to the level where another weight class is necessary.

Nine fights were observed from several organizations over the past few months. The fights documented included Couture vs. Lesnar, Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior Dos Santos, Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo, Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson, Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers, Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera, and Dave Herman vs. Ron Waterman.

The combined record for these fights has the heavier fighters winning four of the nine matches. In the other five matches that the lighter weight fighters were victorious, they won by KO or TKO four out of the five times with only Fedor Emelianenko's submission win over Tim Sylvia being the difference in the type of victory sustained.

While there is no denying the fact that many heavyweight fighters come in much larger than their opponents, the numbers don't lie that on a regular basis the much smaller fighter comes out victorious.

With a fighter of Lesnar's size and stature it's hard to imagine many fighters matching him with strength, but as many top fighters have done in the past, it seems the issue of weight is not clear cut.

 

[Shogun Locc]

STEVE STEINBEISS MAKES MOVE TO UFC

Arizona Combat Sports light heavyweight Steve Steinbeiss is UFC bound, according to his representatives at LG Sports Marketing.

Steinbeiss will serve out the remainder of the four-fight deal he signed with World Extreme Cagefighting in the Octagon.

The kickboxer turned MMA fighter lost his first bid in the soon-to-be-shuttered WEC light heavyweight division, dropping a split decision loss to Carmelo Marrero at WEC 36 on Nov. 5.

Steinbeiss made his MMA debut in the now-defunct Bodog Fight promotion, and went 2-1 with the organization before picking up wins in smaller shows. Currently 4-2 in professional competition, he enters a deepening pool of talent recently migrated to the UFC.

No word has been given on Steinbeiss' first UFC opponent or a date for his Octagon debut.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PAT MILETICH: REBIRTH OF A LEGEND

Pat Miletich, founder and patriarch of Miletich Fighting Systems, is tired of watching all the young whippersnappers having fun. He wants back in the ring.

The Davenport, Iowa native had a stutter step in his last return to fighting, a submission loss against former teacher Renzo Gracie in a 2006 International Fight League appearance, but has not lost the competitive burn he feels makes him a threat to anyone in the welterweight division.

Miletich says he’s done extensive rehab on a longstanding neck injury, and feels it’s time to test himself in action. On Dec. 11, he will dip a toe back into MMA waters, facing Thomas Denny at Adrenaline MMA’s second show, in Moline, Iowa, Miletich Fighting Systems’ back yard.

It’s been a long time since “The Croatian Sensation” ran the two-lane roads of his home state, torturing himself outside the cage to make his fights inside them easy. At 40, he’s seen the first generation of his fighters go on to become world champions, stars in their own right.

Miletich himself lead the charge, becoming the first UFC welterweight championship in pre-Zuffa days at “Ultimate Brazil.” He defended the title twice in the organization’s dark days before ceding it to Carlos Newton at UFC 31. The loss ended a dominant period in Miletich’s career, and after losing again to Matt Lindland in a middleweight contest at UFC 36, he decided to hang up his gloves.

In his gym’s recent past, cornerstone fighters like Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Spencer Fisher, and Jens Pulver have slowly moved away from the nest leaving a void in leadership, maybe even in the gym’s spirit. Some of the departures had to do with the business side of the sport, others with fighters’ need to see the world outside MFS walls. Fight teams are ever changing, ever colliding groups of personalities and ideas; they need figureheads and new blood equally to keep them vital.

With over a decade in the fight game, Miletich had seen ebbs and flows in the gym, but never an identity crisis. To the MMA faithful, Miletich Fighting Systems meant work ethic. In a young sport, it was one of the few gyms with an undisputed championship pedigree. There were talented fighters at MFS with years in the game, but they were always overshadowed by the marquee names. Miletich realized he couldn’t be the only role model of the gym’s reputation – he needed to convince the next generation of fighters they were part of its tradition as well.

“Basically, what it was is you need things to wake you up,” Miletich explained. “You’ve got to keep up with the curve. I think it was a phase where the new guys finally realized how good they were and have just started taking over, which was very important. I had been waiting for that to happen and had talked to several of them. The older guys are retiring and moving on and doing this and doing that. (I said), ‘You guys need to step up and become the leaders of the team and be the guys that are the role models of the work ethic, in the void those guys have left.’ They’ve stepped up and done that.”

Somewhere between a kick to the head and the crank of an armbar, Miletich woke up too, realizing he loved competition too dearly to give it up.

He cites fighters like Ben Rothwell, Ryan McGivern, Mike Ciesnolevicz, and LC Davis, all members of his Silverback team from the IFL’s salad days, as the new heart of the gym. Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia also remains, faithful to the man who first introduced him to the world of fighting.

No less than seven of Miletich’s new stars will fight on the Adrenaline card, and the gym appears to be singularly focused on preparation for the event.

In preparation for his fight with Denny, Miletich has re-invested much of his training time into bringing his jiu-jitsu game up to par, working with two Brazilian black belts at the gym.

“I’ve gone back to learning,” he said. “If you ever quit learning, you become so stagnant. And there were times in my career where I had stopped learning, but I sought out and luckily got the help of a couple of very good jiu-jitsu guys. I used to feel that I was real good on the ground, and I’m starting to feel like I flow like that again, which is nice.”

Miletich says the plan, at least for now, is to wear Denny out and finish him in the second round or early in the first. He thinks his championship experience, as well as his daily grind fending off the sharks at the gym, will be the deciding factor. But perhaps because of his last return, he’s a little cautious about making bold predictions.

“I think he’s got a ton of experience, (a) fairly well-rounded guy,” Miletich said of Denny. "(He) looks to slice people with elbows a lot, which I’m not real fold of, but I’ll do my best to avoid. Overall, I think I’ve got better skills that he does, but it’s MMA. You never know what’s going to happen, and upsets are happening all the time in the sport. So I’ve got to be on my toes with him, because he’s experienced enough to do damage.”

As to whether he’s turning over a new leaf in his career, there is equal caution.

“I guess that depends on who offers me a fight,” he commented. “We’ll just take this fight and see how it goes, and work from there.”

One thing he’s certain on, though, is that his time away will not be a factor against Denny.

“Not this time,” he said confidently. “I love to compete, and still feel that if I’m healthy and in shape, I think I can basically hang with anybody out there at 170. So I thought I might as well get out there and have some fun.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1’s Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith to announce Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning”

There will be a new announce team for Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” pay-per-view event, which is scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Calling the shots this time around will be Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith, who currently serve as the announce team for the M-1 Challenge, which can be seen every Friday in the United States on HDNet.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news while interviewing M-1 Challenge officials regarding an upcoming feature on Wheelock and Smith that will be debuting on Monday.

Wheelock and Smith have already called one Affliction event, as the two handled broadcast chores for the International version of “Banned” on July 19. Both Wheelock and Smith are contracted to M-1 and will be working for Affliction Entertainment as a part of the partnership that exists between both groups.

Wheelock is a veteran broadcast of 13 years and has worked for both ESPN and Fox Sports Net as a play-by-play announcer covering soccer and boxing. He also works for BBC Radio in the UK, where he co-hosts a weekly show dedicated to soccer.

Smith is a competitive martial artist with a 6-1 record as a welterweight. He began to work in broadcasting a year and a half ago and in addition to working for M-1, he also co-hosts the martial arts documentary series “Fight Quest” on the Discovery Channel.

“Day of Reckoning” will be distributed by Showtime Pay-Per-View and will feature WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko defending his title vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.