MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Junie Browning taking different path after "TUF" experience

"The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" lightweight cast member Junie Browning (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is certainly no stranger to controversial situations.

But when filming for the eighth season of "TUF" wrapped, Browning left his hard-drinking, trash-talking days behind him and relocated to Las Vegas for a chance to train full-time at Xtreme Couture.

"It's awesome," Browning recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), while a recent in-studio guest. "The first week was really just being star-struck -- and getting used to just getting beat on."

Browning knew his behavior on the Spike TV reality show had earned him a reputation as a problem child. The Kentuckian was concerned that he may have cost himself a chance to follow his dream.

"The whole entire time I was on ["The Ultimate Fighter"] I was saying to myself when I came off I was going to start training full-time," Browning said. "Move off somewhere and train with some better partners and stuff. But I was afraid that no one would want to help me after the show, to be honest. So I'm sort of grateful that they took me in. Especially at a place like Xtreme Couture.

"There's no one (in the gym) that really acts the way I was acting on the show. Part of me was sort of intimidated to go there."

Browning said the training he's been able to receive while a member of the world-famous camp has been overwhelming.

"Where I'm from, it's a little easier," Browning said. "I'm usually the one doing all the beating up all the guys in the gym. You come over here and you're just a punching bag for everyone."

While Xtreme Couture's roster is loaded with UFC veterans and MMA champions, Browning has been most impressed by the depth of talent in the gym.

"To be honest with you, just the guys that don't really have a name there surprise me," Browning said. "There's guys there that no one's even heard of that are pretty good. Most gyms you go to, it's the guys that everyone knows that are the standouts. Over here, everyone's good."

With the drunken tirades that Browning was seen undertaking while on "The Ultimate Fighter," a relocation to a city that would give the lightweight 24-hour access to an oasis of bars and clubs might seem a bad idea. But the 23-year-old said he has yet to partake in the Las Vegas social scene.

"I haven't really been able to go out on the town or anything like that," Browning said. "Ever since I've been here I've just been training full-time, twice a day."

Browning has watched every episode of this season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The young fighter said viewing the show in retrospect was an eye-opening experience.

"When I was watching it, I was watching with a lot of friends and stuff back home (for) the first four or five episodes," Browning said. "And I was watching it as if I almost forgot I was on it. Most of the nights were drunken blurs anyways.

"I was actually surprised (UFC President) Dana (White) didn't kick me off. I was watching it and I was like, 'Man they really need to kick that [expletive] off there.'"

With that knowledge in mind, Browning has worked on maturing as an individual and improving as a fighter.

"Obviously in my second fight I had a problem with keeping my hands up," Browning said. "A lot of that I do intentionally. Part of me tries to show off a little bit, drop my hands and let people punch me. Against some of the better guys, the more experienced guys, that's not the smartest thing to do."

Browning said he has also worked on his conditioning. Critics of the lightweight had noted Browning's cardio as a possible liability.

"I'm the kind of person that I need somebody there to push me cardio-wise,' Browning said. "A lot of people are like, 'Well that's your own fault that your cardio isn't better.' If you do your own cardio, you'll just quit when you want. I need someone to make me do it."

While Browning's antics have already made him a legendary character in the history of "The Ultimate Fighter," his true legacy as a mixed martial artist remains to be determined. And while his fate on the show also remains a mystery, Browning's coach Shawn Tomkins may have tipped his hand when a TAGG Radio caller asked Junie to take a shot of tequila with him over the air.

"As Junie's coach I'll tell you that Junie would be more than happy to have a shot of tequila after Dec. 13," Tomkins said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The latest life and times of Chuck Liddell

The abrupt end to Chuck Liddell's participation in an international USO tour to support American troops has raised a few eyebrows.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion was part of a contingent of five celebrities joining a U.S. Marine general on an eight-day, five-country USO tour this week.

Liddell made the first part of the trek on Monday to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, with rap duo the Ying Yang Twins, model and singer Mayra Veronica and comedians Gabriel Iglesias and Edwin San Juan. However, Liddell pulled out of the tour on Tuesday due to what both the USO and his management team, Zinkin Entertainment, deemed to be an unspecified illness.

However, unconfirmed reports quickly surfaced following Liddell's decision to bow out, including one that he was asked to leave by the USO after members of his entourage were found partying with minors, and a separate report that he was arrested while in Alaska.

A Zinkin representative told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the report about Liddell's arrest "completely false," and that statement is supported by a public affairs officer at Eielson, who said that Liddell was "not detained or arrested" while on the base Monday.

According to Zinkin, Liddell is back home in California resting and was "disappointed" in not being able to continue the tour.

On the surface, the reason behind Liddell's bail out on the tour seems to check out. However, rightly or wrongly, Liddell's fondness for the nightlife often leads to speculation that goes beyond public statements.

Liddell is expected back in the octagon in February or March.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Terry Martin vs. Scott Smith added to "Strikeforce: Destruction"

Strikeforce has added a middleweight bout between Scott Smith (13-5) and Terry Martin (18-5) to next week's "Strikeforce: Destruction" event.

Strikeforce spokesperson Mike Afromowitz today confirmed reports of the bout with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and said the fight will appear on the HDNet-televised main card. The fight, though, will not headline the event and is instead expected to get co-main-event status.

"Strikeforce: Destruction" takes place Nov. 21 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Other featured contests include a Strikeforce world light heavyweight championship bout between current title-holder Bobby Southworth and challenger Renato "Babalu" Sobral. Additionally, Duane "Bang" Ludwig, filling in for an injured Strikeforce world lightweight champ Josh Thomson, meets Yves Edwards.

Smith, a former top EliteXC middleweight title contender, is still under contract to the seemingly defunct organization. However, with a non-exclusive contract, Smith, who was scheduled to fight Hector Lombard on Nov. 8 before EliteXC's parent company, ProElite Inc., canceled the event, is able to compete in outside organizations.

After leaving the UFC in 2007, Smith picked up victories in a Gladiators Challenge show and then against Kyle Noke in his EliteXC debut. He then earned a title shot with current champ Robbie Lawler, but the May bout was ruled a no-contest after Smith suffered an inadvertent eye poke. Smith suffered a second-round TKO in the rematch two months later.

Martin, meanwhile, is also a veteran of the UFC. Since leaving the organization, he's gone 2-1 with a handful of organizations, including Affliction, where he suffered a second-round knockout to Vitor Belfort in July.

Martin made his Strikeforce debut in September and defeated Cory Devela with a stunning third-round TKO. The victory came after three losses in a four-fight span.

 

[Shogun Locc]

GONZAGA NOT UNDERESTIMATING UFC NEWCOMER

After suffering back to back losses for the first time in his career, Gabriel Gonzaga got right back on track with a dominant win over Justin McCully in his last fight at UFC 86 in July. Knowing the pressure is always on a fighter to get quality wins, Gonzaga felt no extra stress going into the fight and just did what he does to get the job done.

“The pressure was the same in every fight, but I knew that I had a great training camp and the result should be good,” Gonzaga told MMAWeekly.com recently. “Definitely I was happy with the win it bring me back on track.”

With that win, Gonzaga is right back in the hunt in the UFC heavyweight division, but his upcoming opponent, Josh Hendricks, is a newcomer to the Octagon, and the Brazilian is anxious to welcome him.

“I think he is a wrestler and have (been) training lately in Las Vegas,” Gonzaga said. “I hope he comes ready and we can make a great show for the UFC fans.”

Gonzaga had no hesitation fighting whomever the UFC puts in front of him – he just prepares for battle.

“I am a UFC employee so I just wait for the phone call and then start to get ready,” he said.

Fighting a lesser-known opponent doesn’t worry Gonzaga who says he gets ready for every fight the same way and knows his training can get him a win.

“I try making my preparation pretty much the same for every fight,” he commented. “At the end we adjust the game for the opponent and try to make the best strategy for that fight.”

Of course with Hendricks’ wrestling pedigree, the fight may go exactly into Gonzaga’s strong suit, which is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and he’s anxious to test the UFC newcomer on the ground.

“I will be ready to fight wherever the fights go, but I think my superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will make the difference and the fight will end by submission,” he stated.

Never one to underestimate any opponent, Gonzaga still has his eyes set on the UFC gold that escaped him once before.

“My goal is to take the UFC belt to home,” he said.
For more information on Gonzaga please visit www.linkbjj.com and www.arenafightclub.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ELITEXC IN PAST, DALEY READY FOR NEXT FIGHT

With a chance of putting the disappointment of his performance against Jake Shields behind him, Paul “Semtex” Daley has set his sights on John Alessio as part of the MFC 19 show in Canada.

Looking to close 2008 with a resounding victory, Daley offered the following ominous prediction, “I want to end the year with a bang! What do I predict? Same as always: A knockout stoppage victory for me.”

The decline of EliteXC has left many of the fighters in a position where they didn’t know where their next fight was coming from, but keen to keep things in motion, Daley explored his options and pushed for the chance to tie up with Alessio. “It should be a great fight. Alessio is a tough guy, well rounded, and still hungry for success in the sport, as am I. He has gone on record saying he is going to stand with me… let’s hope so.”

With the MFC 19 event scheduled to take place on Dec. 5, that doesn’t give Daley all that long to prepare, but he doesn't foresee that as being a hindrance. “I've had four weeks to prepare for this fight as opposed to my usual 8-10 weeks, but I still feel very confident going into this fight. Even after what I class as an extremely disappointing performance against Shields, I am holed up in Holland before moving on to the USA for training. I will be ready.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

CARLOS CONDIT JOINS ARIZONA COMBAT SPORTS

The championship pedigree at Arizona Combat Sports continues to grow as World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Carlos Condit has officially joined the team as a full time member, joining WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner on the team roster.

Since making his debut with the WEC in January 2007, the "Natural Born Killer" has gone 5-0 while winning and defending the 170-pound title numerous times.

Condit now joins a team with a laundry list of top athletes, including several All-American level wrestlers such as Ryan Bader, C.B. Dollaway, and Aaron Simpson.

WEC 155-pound champion Jamie Varner spoke to MMAWeekly Radio recently about the work he's done alongside Condit in their sparring sessions.

"Me and Condit, we were rolling. He sees my intensity, I see his intensity, and we were both telling each other our sparring sessions are going to be nuts," Varner stated. "Cause neither one of us are going to give up. We both just don't know when to quit. We go hard 100% the whole time. Somebody's going to have to get dragged out of there."

The gym, run by brothers Todd and Trevor Lally along with grappling coach Gustavo Dantas, has produced a number of top fighters recently and the addition of Condit only bolsters their already impressive line-up.

Condit has also signed on with LG Sports Marketing, one of the leading sports management companies in the MMA industry.

While there has been no official announcement, Condit is expected to fight sometime in early 2009, but no opponent has been named or even rumored to this point, although Brock Larson seems to be on a short list of contenders to get a shot at the welterweight gold.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Former IFL standout Antonio McKee signs three fight contract with MFC

Former IFL standout welterweight fighter Antonio McKee has signed a three-fight contract with Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship, the promotion announced earlier this week.

The signing signals McKee’s return to competitive mixed martial arts coming on the heels of a self-imposed hiatus that dates back to the summer of 2007. The standout wrestler has not fought since recording a split decision victory over Delson Heleno during the IFL championship semifinals at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. on August 7 of that year.

McKee is 21-3-2 overall in MMA and was 4-0 while competing under the IFL banner. Heading into the promotion’s 2007 welterweight Grand Prix, McKee was the IFL’s number one ranked welterweight but never competed in the tournament after he parted ways with the promotion following a contract dispute.

A debut date for McKee has yet to be announcer. However, according to MFC’s website, McKee will mount his comeback as a lightweight.

“I’m going to be the baddest 155er on the planet,” McKee is quoted as saying in a release issued by the promotion. “I’ve accomplished a lot of things but I’ve always treated this as a sport. Now I’m going to treat this as entertainment and I’m going to show people who I really am. I’m not going to cover anything up anymore.

“Before I was always the good guy and being the good guy got me nothing but disrespect. You’re going to see who I really am now. I told my wife and kids that there are two sides to me – one professional and one street. I tried being a professional and I got called names and was called boring. Now I’m going to show everyone what I’m really about.”

Despite an impressive record, McKee has often found himself overlooked by both pundits and MMA fans alike due to a fighting style that relies heavily on his wrestling skills. However, McKee believes he is now a different fighter.

“People called me boring … you know what? They were right, I was boring,” he is quoted. “But now I’m going to show them what I’m capable of. Somewhere deep inside me there is someone that is to be feared and respected and I’m going to make it happen.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hidehiko Yoshida's interview

Sengoku completed all scheduled events in 2008.
This year passed very quickly. I remember that I didn't have any plan on NYE in November, 2007. I'm happy to be a part of Sengoku now. If all fighters continuously support, Sengoku can grow and create more attractive fights. It takes a while to establish a position as No.1 MMA event in Japan. We should be patient. We still need to acquire good foreign fighters who are strong and unique, or have potential to be a top fighter near the future.

What do you think about your last 2 fights?
After taking a brake for 1.3 years, I faced Josh Barnett. As you saw, it was extremely tough, yet I enjoyed challenging him. I was nervous and had so much pressure before that fight, because I felt a responsibility to show an exciting fight. I won after a long time in June, and enjoyed the victory.

Do you want a belt?
I am interested in since I saw the belt which owned by Tsuyoshi Kosaka. I would like to participate the tournament for a belt if SENGOKU holds.

Yoshihiro Akiyama wants to fight you.
It's impossible since we belong to different events. I prefer fighting Hisashi Ishii. That's more appealing to fans and the public.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Buentello, Velasquez and Gracie Featured on HDNet’s ‘Inside MMA’
videolink:http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Buentello-Velasquez-and-Gracie-Featured-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1835
On this week’s HDNet “Inside MMA,” Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice were joined by Paul Buentello, Cain Velasquez and Ralek Gracie.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC still waiting on right deal for network television slot

After garnering the fourth-largest live gate in company history at "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar," the UFC has shown it can thrive in economic conditions that have forced other promoters out of the industry.

But while EliteXC's recent demise has left an apparent programming void on network television, UFC President Dana White said at Saturday night's post-UFC 91 press conference not to expect the world's largest MMA promotion on CBS any time soon.

"Network deals are what's helping put these other companies out of business," White said. "Just because you get a network deal doesn't mean it's a good deal. When we get a good network deal, we'll be on network television."

When pressed further as to when a good deal might arise, White pointed to the current difficult financial situation in the U.S. as a reason why the process might take some time.

"(We are) not very close (to a network TV deal) now with this market like this," White said. "The economy is bad. I don't know if anybody else in this room feels it as bad as some of the other people in this country we live in, but the economy is really bad right now.

"There's no money out there. Sponsors aren't spending as much money as they used to. They've cut way back. Some sponsors are pulling out of advertising. Some sponsors are going out of business. It's really scary times right now."

White also cited the lack of suitable negotiations from the networks as a reason the UFC may remain broadcast solely on Spike TV and pay-per-view in the immediate future.

"The networks are so strong, they pretty much tell you the deal that they're going to give you whether you like it or not," White said. "We don't need it. We built this company without the help of anybody. It was us and the fighters. That's it. There was no sponsors. Nobody was running around trying to give us money. We did it on our own.

"We don't need help from anybody at the end of the day. If somebody wants to do the right deal with us, we'll do it with them. Spike did. So we're on Spike TV. Believe me, I'm happy as hell to be on Spike TV. We can stay there forever. I could care less."

White believes that recent failed bids from such organizations as the IFL and ProElite to compete with the UFC had their television deals, along with their lack of knowledge of the industry as a whole, to blame for their failure.

"All these other deals that these guys are getting -- a lot of these guys are trying to get into the business," White said. "You've heard me say it a million times. You don't just jump in.

"The first fight we ever did was at the Trump Taj Mahal. (There were) 3,500 tickets sold, $115,00 gate. We built the business from there. It took years to build this business. You don't just jump in from day one.

"I don't care how much money you have, how smart you think you are -- especially when you don't know anything about the fight business. These guys don't know what they don't know yet. And I do. I know what's out there. I've made the mistakes. I've done all the things."

Instead of U.S. network television, the UFC has elected to focus their immediate efforts on international growth.

"We're starting to do 'The Ultimate Fighter' in other countries," White said. "We're making this expansion now into all these different countries. The German press is here today. Germany is a market we're going after. We've got a lot of stuff going on."

In the meantime, White said the company is ecstatic with it's financial security in these economically challenging times. And while a future slot on network television remains a possibility, White and the UFC will continue to wait for a suitable offer.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that we are where we are," White said. "All of our guys, everybody makes good money. The fans still show up and support this thing. And we're all very blessed and lucky to be where we are.

"The network deal will come when it comes. I'm not chasing it. I'm out there working and talking to these guys all the time. When the right deal comes, we'll take it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brock Lesnar: "Inexperience has gotten me this far"

The widely accepted logic dictated that Brock Lesnar, in just his fourth career MMA fight, did not have the necessary experience to unseat the sport's master tactician Randy Couture.

But while elite-level MMA is often compared to a chess match, Lesnar proved en route to claiming the UFC's heavyweight title that having the bigger pieces can sometimes make up for a lack of board game experience.

"I guess inexperience has gotten me this far," Lesnar said in Saturday's post-UFC 91 press conference. "You just try to learn something every day."

Lesnar's amateur wrestling credentials are among the world's best. But it was the imposing athlete's lack of experience in the cage that led some to favor the 45-year-old Couture before the bout.

Lesnar admitted even he was a bit apprehensive.

"Honest to God up until when they said, 'Let's go,' I was pretty nervous," Lesnar said. "I didn't know what to expect. We watched a lot of film on Randy, and we broke it down. That first round for me was just kind of a feel-out round to feel exactly what this guy is capable of doing."

Couture looked sharp in stretches during the opening five minutes. The elder statesman of the UFC remained comfortable in close quarters with Lesnar, and even controlled his massive opponent in standing clinches against the cage.

Lesnar said the round simply helped him gain confidence in his gameplan.

"I knew in my heart and my mind that I could take him down," Lesnar said. "And after getting into a few exchanges with him I felt I was connecting with him. And he connected with me. But, quite frankly, I just felt that I was hitting harder and I was going to connect before he did."

Lesnar did connect with a right hand that dropped the former champion to the canvas. A rapid-fire series of glancing right hands and forearms on the ground sealed Couture's fate and earned Lesnar the heavyweight belt in just his third fight for the UFC.

The 31-year-old champion tends to avoid the internet and newspapers, so the rumblings of doubt did little to affect his mindset. UFC President Dana White did hear the naysayers and admitted the difficulty in processing what occurred on Saturday night.

"I don't even think it's a matter of not believing in this guy," White said. "It's just not believable that somebody can come in with as little experience as he has and do what he's doing. That's the reality.

"Look at him. You see the guys he's facing with all this experience. Heath Herring's not a small guy. Heath Herring's a big guy. And when somebody comes in 2-1 and has the ability to win fights the way he does, common sense tells you this doesn't make sense."

Lesnar, a former professional wrestler, has often been mentioned in the same conversation as former streetfighter-turned-MMA-fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson. White hopes Lesnar's win can forever halt those comparisons.

"It was driving me crazy when people were comparing him to 'Kimbo Slice,'" White said. "If I had hair I would pull it out. This guy is far from a 'Kimbo Slice.' I've said it since day one. This guy is a real athlete."

Lesnar will certainly continue to have his doubters and detractors. But White believes time will be the true test of Lesnar's reign as champion. And with each passing bout, the UFC head believes the Lesnar bandwagon will gain passengers.

"I think over the next however-long Brock commands the heavyweight division, people will start to take to him," White said. "Eventually if you don't like him, you have to respect him."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC returns to London with official announcement of UFC 95

The Ultimate Fighting Championship today officially announced its return to London.

The as-yet-unnamed UFC 95 event will take place Feb. 21 at the O2 arena.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, Nov. 21 at 4:00 a.m. ET despite the lack of any officially announced bouts. The date marks the UFC's third trip to the O2 Arena, and the fourth appearance in London in the 15-year history of the organization.

The UFC first visited London in July 2002 with "UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall." It would be over five years before the UFC would return to London for the September 2007 "UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion" at the O2 Arena. The venue also hosted "UFC 85: Bedlam" in June 2008.

UFC 95 marks the latest development in the continued international expansion of the UFC. Of the three officially announced events for 2009, two will take place across the Atlantic Ocean. The year's first event, "UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson," takes place at the O2 Dublin in Dublin, Ireland.

Although not officially announced, a lightweight bout between Justin Buchholz (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and England's Terry Etim (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is expected to take place at UFC 95. Fighters Only magazine also recently reported rumors of a possible light-heavyweight bout between Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva as the main event of the evening.

Tickets for for the event go on sale to the UFC's fan club on Monday. UFC newsletter subscribers can buy tickets beginning on Wednesday.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Despite defeat, Randy Couture unprepared to put a wrap on career

For many MMA purists, the sight of new UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar's long right arm delivering a heavy blow to Randy Couture's temple is an image they would just as soon forget.

For former champion Couture, it's a moment he doesn't even remember.

"My corner told me that it looked like [Lesnar's punch] caught me behind the ear," Couture said at Saturday night's post-UFC 91 press conference. "It looked like I slipped the punch, but he had such a long reach that I didn't slip quite enough, and the punch caught me right behind the ear.

"But honestly I didn't see it. I didn't feel it. Next thing I knew I was on the ground eating leather."

The heavy right hand, along with the multitude of shorter blasts that followed on the ground, were enough to dethrone "The Natural" and give Lesnar the UFC's heavyweight title just four fights into his MMA career.

Couture himself had said that Lesnar reminded him of himself at a time earlier in his 13-year career. Some have suggested the bout stood as a ceremonial passing of the torch to a new guard. Couture is not convinced.

"I don't know about that," Couture said. "I was speaking more on a technical basis.

"I came from the same wrestling background that Brock came from. At times I felt overwhelmed like it was not enough time to learn all the things I needed or wanted to learn to feel like I had a complete game. I think that's what I was referring to in kind of having an idea where Brock was at at this stage of things."

While Couture wasn't ready to anoint Lesnar "The Next Big Thing" of MMA, the 45-year-old did view the new champ as an indication of the evolution of the division.

"I think Brock is a great indication of where the heavyweight division is going," Couture said. "You're getting these guys that aren't just big guys, but they're very, very good athletes.

"I think Brock -- obviously he's walking around with the title right now -- but I think he's on the right path to completing [his game], and adding all those skills to be a complete mixed martial artist. I know what that's like. It's fun, but you've got to step out there and prove it every time, too. Sometimes carrying that belt around makes you a target."

Lesnar's very large back will certainly have an oversized target on it for as long as he holds the title. While the winner of December's clash between interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir will determine who gets the first crack at Lesnar's new belt, Couture has yet to decide if he will stick around for a second shot at the unlikely title-holder.

"I'll take a little time before I decide what I'm going to do," Couture said. "My wife's fighting next Friday. I'll focus on that and make sure she's ready to go. Let the dust kind of settle and we'll figure it out."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Anderson Silva could headline UFC 95, against Chuck Liddell

When the UFC returns to London, England, for a show at The 02, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) could headline the event -- possibly in a non-title fight at 205 pounds against Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC).

The Sun, a reputable newspaper from the U.K., reported the possibility of the UFC 95 main event overnight.

However, neither fighter has been officially booked for the Feb. 21 event, and the Silva-Liddell fight is only being discussed a possibility.

"SunSport understands middleweight champion Anderson Silva, 33, has been asked to appear on the card, with a potential bout with light heavyweight star Chuck Liddell already being mooted," the report stated.

If it does pan out, the fight is certain to raise some eyebrows.

While Silva, who's made easy work of the UFC's 185-pound division since his arrival in 2006, has been granted permission to fight in the 205-pound division once before, his fight with James Irvin was largely considered pointless. However, with UFC Fight Night 15 being a late-booked event and in desperate need of a main event to counter Affliction Entertainment's debut event on July 19, the circumstances warranted even a non-ideal booking.

The UFC 95 fight, meanwhile, could be -- and perhaps should be -- criticized on two fronts. Not only would the light-heavyweight fight put the UFC's middleweight title picture on hold again (Silva made just two title defenses in 2008), he'd also be competing against a fighter -- though surely a future UFC hall-of-famer -- who's lost three of his past four fights and whose stock has never been lower. In fact, the 38-year-old Liddell hasn't scored a knockout victory in nearly two years.

Liddell is still a draw, and the fight could be marketed. However, a loss for "The Iceman" could be a disaster and force him into retirement. Worse yet, a loss for Silva would greatly impact his standing as the world's top pound-for-pound fighter and would likely derail any future plans for the 33-year-old Brazilian to fight outside the 185-pound division.

Silva is currently riding a nine-fight win streak, which includes eight consecutive victories in the UFC. None of his UFC fights has gone to a decision, including his most recent title defense. Last month at UFC 90, he defeated Patrick Cote via third-round TKO due to a knee injury suffered by the Canadian fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva confirmed for UFC 94

The UFC's light-heavyweight title picture will become a lot clearer on Jan. 31.

UFC President Dana White confirmed this past Saturday that top contenders and undefeated 205-pounders Lyoto Machida (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Thiago Silva (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will meet at UFC 94.

The event takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Machida-Silva could be the night's co-main event to the headline bout between UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn.

The Machida-Silva fight was originally scheduled for the Oct. 25 UFC 89 event. However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, Silva was forced out of the event after sustaining a back injury.

Silva has had an impressive run in the UFC since his May 2007 debut with the organization. His four wins over James Irvin, Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes have all come via stoppage -- three by TKO and one by submission.

Machida, meanwhile, has fought since May, when he topped Tito Ortiz for a unanimous-decision victory. It was his fifth consecutive victory in the UFC, four of which have come gone to decision.

Machida also holds wins over UFC veterans Stephan Bonner, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn and Vernon White in bouts held in various worldwide MMA organizations.

 

[Shogun Locc]

HAZELETT HAPPY WITH WIN, STILL WANTS TO IMPROVE

Pulling off another victory with a great finish, Dustin Hazelett moved his career UFC record to 5-2 while earning another bonus for the slickest submission of the night.

In the fight against Tamdan McCrory, it was Hazelett's rubber guard transition to oma plata and then into a reverse armbar that saw the fight finished, but he says that is a regular move for him to practice versus the maneuver he used to submit Josh Burkman in his last fight.

"The Burkman fight, that was on the fly. I made that one up," Hazelett told MMAWeekly.com about the "whizzer to armbar" finish. "I've never done it before or since. I wouldn't recommend other people trying to do it, it does not work well. I'm very surprised that it worked there. God must have been smiling on me.

"But this fight, everything I did is just jiu-jitsu. I love training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I love doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so I have a very in depth knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the move I finished him with is a well known jiu-jitsu move."

Regardless of the win, his second in a row, Hazelett still sees holes in his game and wants to work on patching them going forward.

"I worked really hard on my stand-up. I just didn't show what I'm capable of," commented Hazelett. "I'm capable of so much more on my feet. I worked so hard. I saw him throwing stuff at me, and I knew I was supposed to move and what I was supposed to do and I just stood there and let him hit me."

Still the young Cincinnati based fighter has to be happy with the performance, and he's looking to early 2009 for a return to the Octagon.

"I would like to fight probably around the beginning of the year," he said. "Take some time off, keep working on my skills, try to get better. I try to come back better and better each time and try to get rid of some gaps that were there."

Following the win over McCrory, Hazelett was adamant about becoming the best MMA grappler in the world, but understanding that opponents may start to avoid the ground game with him, he's more than happy to take home a few "KO" bonuses as well.

"I want to set the record for submissions of the night," Hazelett stated. "But I need to work on my stand-up because people are going to make me fight there."

 

[Shogun Locc]

NO TITLE SHOT YET, BUT MAIA STILL UNBEATEN

Demian Maia continued his impressive run in the Octagon Saturday night, submitting much loved Ultimate Fighter 1 veteran Nate Quarry in the first round with a rear naked choke. The win now puts Maia at 4-0 in the UFC with all four of his wins coming by the way of submission. He remains undefeated as a professional.

With the middleweight division quickly running out fresh challengers for UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, Maia has put himself on the short list for a possible title fight down the line.

Since joining the UFC in October of 2007, he has been impressive in his run. His ground game has looked absolutely perfect, using flawless technique to set up all four of his submission victories in the UFC. The only question mark surrounding Maia is how good is his striking, which is a key component to every fighter’s arsenal.

He may have answered some of those questions against Jason MacDonald at UFC 87, as he showed that his striking had progressed since joining the UFC. But has it progressed to the point that it won’t hinder him in fights against the class of the UFC middleweight division?

That answer didn't come on Saturday night, but he did provide another flawless display of technique that keeps Maia’s streak of submission victories going strong.

“It wasn’t an easy fight, but I pulled Nate in a good position for me, so I can take him down. So it made it much easier for me, but it's not an easy fight and he’s a good fighter,” said Maia when asked if the fight was easier than he had anticipated.

In a day and age when many fighters come up with complex strategies by dissecting hours of fight footage in preparation for a fight, it's quite rare that a fighter not have some kind of specific game plan going into a fight, but according to Maia that’s not important to him.

“I don’t like to have a strategy going into a fight. If he has a good right hand or a good kick or good submissions then I’ll try to avoid that, but I like to be in a fight and I like to go into the fight.

“Even in jiu-jitsu I didn’t think of pulling this guy into guard or take him down because I like to go into the fight and see what happens.”

Now that he has continued his impressive run in the UFC, it is only natural that Maia be mentioned for a possible title shot against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. For the moment, talk of a title shot might be a bit premature, as UFC president Dana White and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva have other plans for Maia.

“Joe Silva and I were talking after the fight and we're making some moves in the 185-pound division. We're thinking of him because we think very highly of him.”

With the potential of a big money fight between Silva and Maia down the line, it seems that the UFC brass would like to build Maia up a bit more and let him fine tune his striking ability before he gets a crack at Anderson Silva.

“I’d like to give Demian a couple of more fights before he fights Anderson Silva,” said White.

Even if a title shot isn’t quite in the cards for Maia just yet, it's obvious that he has the potential to give Silva one of his toughest challenges to date.

Remember the name. Demian Maia is likely to stick around the top of the middleweight division for years to come with his amazing ground technique and progressing striking.

 

[Shogun Locc]

LESNAR TALKS TITLE, CALLS OUT FRANK MIR

Looking at Brock Lesnar’s performance against Randy Couture on Saturday, it’s hard to believe many reporters called him the next Kimbo Slice.

With a record of 2-1 in professional mixed martial arts competition, some critics made the most of very little ammunition in Lesnar’s video library.

No matter how hard Dana White tried, he couldn’t shake the Slice comparisons.

“If I had hair, I’d pull it out,” the UFC president quipped.

But any parallels between the titanic champion and his backyard-bred counterpart were erased at UFC 91. Lesnar’s size and strength bridged the gap in experience between he and Couture, setting the stage for a unique changing of the guard in the UFC’s inconsistent heavyweight division. Lesnar is the greenest—and possibly the most promising—champion in its history.

In their eight minutes together, Couture felt every single pound of the forty-five between them. There was no room for him to be elusive.

“He’s a big sumbitch, that’s all there is to it,” Couture said after the fight.

Lesnar’s isolation from the outside world turned out to be the best thing for taking down a legend.

“The only thing that mattered was that I believed in myself,” Lesnar said of the pre-fight skepticism. “You guys out there do your job. There’s always going to be that, but I’ve been an athlete since I was five years old. I don’t even have the internet. I don’t read the newspapers. I quit doing that a long time ago. I’m just happy I came and succeeded and all my hard work paid off.”

Despite a quiet confidence in press junkets leading up to the fight, Lesnar was quite the opposite when he walked to the cage.

“Honest to god, up until when they said ‘let’s go,’ I was pretty nervous,” he admitted. “I didn’t really know what to expect. That first round for me was kind of a feel-out round, and to feel exactly what this guy’s capable of doing.”

Like many fighters early in their careers, Lesnar woke up in his first exchange with “The Natural.” When Couture cut him with a punch in the second round, he got the motivation he needed to finish the fight.

“I wanted to get first blood on Randy; something in my head said, ‘alright, we’ve got to pick this up,’” Lesnar said.

Lesnar had taken steps towards finishing Couture early in the second frame, wobbling the champ with a right elbow as the two stood in front of each other. Couture drove for a takedown, but could not get his oversized opponent to the mat. The fight would be won, or lost, on the feet.

“After getting into a few exchanges with him I felt like I was connecting with him, and he connected with me but, quite frankly, I just felt like I was hitting harder and I was going to connect before he did,” Lesnar said.

When Lesnar’s right hand glanced off Couture’s temple, signaling the beginning of the end, he didn’t even feel it.

“I thought Randy was going to do a Superman on me and stand up,” he said. “I was a bit shocked. I don’t even know where it hit. I don’t care where it hit. He was on the ground and I was going to capitalize on it.”

With a shiny new belt on his waist—no doubt pinned to the last hole—the naysayers don’t bother him. He doesn’t know who Kimbo Slice is anyways.

“At the end, when the time is up and your hand is raised, that’s what matters,” he said.

The second bracket of the UFC’s unofficial heavyweight tournament commences on Dec. 27. Frank Mir will face off with interim heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to determine Lesnar’s next opponent. Lesnar said in no uncertain terms who he preferred to face.

“I need a rematch with Frank Mir,” he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 91 fighter paydays and salaries for ‘Couture vs Lesnar’ tops $1.1 million

MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) has received the fighter payouts for UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the monster pay-per-view (PPV) event held on November 15 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

And, as we reported before the show even started, Brock Lesnar was the big winner of the evening in more ways than one, pocketing a $450,000 base salary and prying the heavyweight title from Randy Couture’s grip with a second round technical knockout.

“The Natural” will of course went home with more than just bumps and bruises — he now has an additional cool quarter million in his bank account, which could will more than likely help soften the blow of losing his belt … a little.

Gabriel Gonzaga also cashed in, earning $110,000 for his lighting fast destruction of Josh Hendricks.

Here are all the UFC 91 payouts:

Brock Lesnar — $450,000 ($250,000 to show, $200,000 to win)
Randy Couture — $250,000
Brock Lesnar defeated Randy Couture via technical knockout (strikes) in round two

Kenny Florian — $80,000 ($ 40,000 to show, $40,000 to win)
Joe Stevenson — $35,000
Kenny Florian defeated Joe Stevenson via submission (rear naked choke) in round one

Dustin Hazelett — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Tamdan McCrory — $10,000
Dustin Hazelett defeated Tamdan McCrory via submission (armbar) in round one

Gabriel Gonzaga — $110,000 ($55,000 to show, $55,000 to win)
Josh Hendricks — $8,000
Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Josh Hendricks via technical knockout (strikes) in round one

Demian Maia — $40,000 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 to win)
Nate Quarry — $25,000
Demian Maia defeated Nate Quarry via submission (rear naked choke) in round one

Aaron Riley — $8,000 ($4,000 to show, $4,000 to win)
Jorge Gurgel — $10,000
Aaron Riley defeated Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision

Jeremy Stephens — $16,000 ($8.000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Rafael dos Anjos — $4,000
Jeremy Stephens defeated Rafael dos Anjos via knockout in round three

Mark Bocek — $18,000 ($9,000 to show, $9,000 to win)
Alvin Robinson — $7,000
Mark Bocek defeated Alvin Robinson via submission (rear naked choke) in round three

Matt Brown — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Ryan Thomas — $3,000
Matt Brown defeated Ryan Thomas via submission (armbar) in round two

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA Quick Quote: Donald Trump and Affliction MMA look to distance themselves further from Todd Beard

“Todd Beard was not and has never been an officer, director or shareholder of Affliction Entertainment. The dispute between Mr. Beard and the Coutures stemmed from a long-standing relationship with the clothing line Xtreme Couture. In no way, shape or form does this relationship have any effect on Mr. Trump or the Affliction Entertainment Company. Donald J. Trump and Affliction Entertainment intend on continuing its pursuit to become the premier mixed martial arts league and look forward to the next event scheduled for January 2009.”