MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Rededicated Eric Schafer wants to sustain his triumphant return at UFC 93

For most fighters, a release from the UFC could easily signal the end of their dreams.

For UFC light-heavyweight Eric Schafer (10-3-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), it may have signaled the beginning of a career resurgence.

"I just don't think I was ready mentally," Schafer recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Now it's a year-and-a-half later. I feel like a totally different fighter."

Schafer debuted for the UFC with an impressive submission win over Rob MacDonald at UFC 62 in August 2006. But consecutive losses to Stephan Bonnar and Michael Bisping left Schafer on the outs with the organization.

Schafer used the opportunity to improve himself during a two-fight stint with the Gladiators Fighting Series, a Wisconsin-based organization.

"The most important thing was the mental aspect -- just kind of the intangibles," Schafer said. "I fought Bisping and Bonnar, and I was nervous. (And I had) a little bit of ring rust for the Bonnar fight. But the overall confidence and experience level went up after that fight.

"I've done a lot more jiu-jitsu tournaments. I feel a lot more at home in the ring. Fighting at my ability, I think I can hang with both of those guys. I thought I did; I just was super-nervous for that Bonnar fight and the Bisping fight."

"Red" made a successful return to the UFC when he ventured into hostile territory at UFC Fight Night 15. Fighting feared striker Houston Alexander in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., Schafer knew what he was up against.

"I'm sure I was brought in a little bit to lose," Schafer said. "You know, 'Hopefully we can get a highlight-reel knockout on Red.'''

"But I was like, 'Hey, this is my opportunity. Houston's a tough guy, but he's got a huge name -- maybe a little bit bigger name than his fighting record deserves. What a great opportunity to steal some of his thunder, get my UFC track record back on track.' I had to take advantage of it."

Schafer did exactly that, and an arm-triangle choke forced a halt to the bout with just seven seconds remaining in the first round. The 31-year-old said earning his way back into the UFC was a critical moment in his life.

"It's everything," Schafer said. "There's an attitude difference.

"I was a part-time fighter. You train, you do kind of mini-camps. But when you're in the UFC, it's like your life. You feel like you've got to live up to it. It forced me to get better. It forced me to get a striking coach and a conditioning coach, to eat perfectly, health-wise. Just the fact of being in the UFC, I've changed my whole lifestyle. If I was still fighting in the small leagues, I wouldn't be the same guy I am today."

Schafer will now take the next step in his return visit to the UFC with a preliminary card bout with Brazilian Antonio Mendes (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC). While Mendes is still a little-known commodity to most MMA observers, Schafer said he has done extensive research on his foe.

"In a bad way, he's probably not going to get the credit he deserves," Schafer said. "He's 15-3. A lot of people only remember his one loss (to Thiago Silva at UFC 84), but the guy's definitely a tough guy.

"He's very hard to finish. He's survived a lot of tough spots in a lot of fights. He's gone two or three rounds with a lot of good guys. I'm ready. I've scouted him a little bit more than a lot of people have. I know how tough he is in a good way, and I also know his weaknesses because I've seen those fights."

Mendes owns seven career knockouts or TKOs, and Schafer said he's aware of his opponent's striking prowess. But the Dick Roufus-trained fighter believes Mendes presents an entirely different set of challenges than Alexander.

"I think Antonio is definitely more technical than Houston on his feet," Schafer said. "But I don't think he has that same knockout impact. So with a guy like Houston, I was actually more afraid. Heck, I might even be able to land some punches on Houston, but he lands that one bomb I might be out. I was a little bit more afraid to strike with him.

"I just wanted to get [Alexander] down ASAP. Where as with a technical striker, you can kind of play around a little bit more -- set it up and not have to worry about a Houston-level knockout power. He can knock me out, but most of Antonio's wins are later in that fight. He picks you apart. In a good way you don't have to worry so much about the one-blast knockout. In the longer fights, he's actually going to be a little more dangerous."

Schafer owns seven submission wins, compared to just one career TKO. While fighting on the mat seems an obvious tactic for Schafer, he has other goals in mind as well.

"I expect to be a little bit bigger and stronger then [Mendes]," Schafer said. "Hopefully I can muscle him around, push him in the fence, punch him in the face a few times, get him down and do my thing. He's tough to finish though, so I'm not going to rush it.

"If he gives me a submission, I'll take it, but I don't want to go for 20 submissions and then blow my gas. I definitely want to wait for my opportunity and do a lot more ground and pound. That was my goal last time, too: Don't just look for submissions.

"I really wanted to beat up Houston, which I think I did pretty well before the submission. A little more of the same. I don't want to be just a jiu-jitsu guy. I want to do some ground-and-pound and make some guys fear that a little bit, too."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC has sights set on New Orleans

For the first time in seven years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship could be headed to Louisiana for an event.

Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission Chairman Alvin Topham has been in talks with UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner about a potential show at New Orleans Arena, reports the Shreveport Times

The show could take place by the summer of this year.

New Orleans, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has used major sports and entertainment events to help rebuild the city and its tourism industry. A UFC event in New Orleans, which has a strong MMA fan base, could give the city's economy a much-needed jolt.

Louisiana is no stranger to the UFC. From 1998 to 2002, a time when the sport was trying to recover from its spectacle and outlaw roots, the state held six UFC events, including two in the Big Easy. However, Louisiana hasn't hosted an event since May 2002, when Bossier City's CenturyTel Center hosted "UFC 37: High Impact" and Murilo Bustamante's successful middleweight title defense over Matt Lindland.

New Orleans Arena, home to the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, can accommodate nearly 20,000 fans for boxing and MMA events. The 10-year-old facility suffered minimal damage during Hurricane Katrina (unlike the neighboring Louisiana Superdome) and was back in operation just a month after the storm.

According to Ratner, Louisiana consistently draws solid numbers for UFC television ratings and pay-per-view purchases.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BRITISH PROMOTIONS UNITE TO FURTHER MMA

Following on from many discussions during 2008, an alliance of MMA promoters have come together to help the growth of the sport in the U.K. and to assist homegrown talent to the international stage by creating a unified set of British belts.

Titled the BFC – British Fighting Championship – the aim of this joint venture is to include established and new promotions across the U.K. regions to grow their fighter talent in a free and unrestricted market and for all to benefit from the media exposure that one group brand will be able to provide.

Founders of the group include: FX3, Ultimate Force, Ultimate Warrior Challenge, AMMA, and Cage Warriors, who between them will provide the U.K. MMA scene with 12 BFC shows in 2009, including an end of year Night of Champions when the 2009 season contenders for the British belts go head to head. The belts will cover seven male and two female categories to be as inclusive as possible and will be worth up to £250,000 in total tournament purses.

A further six to eight shows are also in the planning to cover Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, North East London and North West London. Currently additional promotions and areas are also being considered and those wanting to bring a BFC shows to their hometown are welcome to get in touch.

All BFC shows will be filmed for TV and will be aired fortnightly alongside weekly news and views programming, plus interviews with the fighters and fans at the events. Additionally, the BFC will broadcast regular 'Best of British' programs featuring over 100 fights from the group archives, showcasing fights and fighters and recreating in the gym the techniques that won or lost those fights.

The BFC will concentrate on professional fights within the 2009 season tournament alongside international super fights and U.K. matches, plus will extend this to the amateur scene with a regular round up of shows, fights and up and coming talent to the pro circuit.

Sponsorship for the season is currently being finalized and will include one or two key brands alongside a number of Official Product Suppliers to the BFC. Broadcasting will be free to view on Sky & Digital plus 'watch again' online viewing at cagewarriors.com and a new site dedicated to the BFC. Scheduling will be released in February.

Fighters wanting to take part in the U.K.'s first ever National MMA Tournament or fight at a BFC event should contact anyone at the promotions above. The BFC will not require fighters to exclusively contract to the BFC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Source: Heath Herring not fighting at UFC 97

Published reports have circulated on the Internet within the last 24 hours claiming that heavyweight Heath Herring is set to return to action at UFC 97 on April 18 in Montreal, Canada.

In response to the news, FiveOuncesOfPain.com contacted Herring’s management via e-mail and received a response that contradicts the new series of reports.

“Heath is not fighting in UFC 97,” wrote Herring’s attorney, Raffi Nahabedian.

Herring, 28-14, last competed in August at UFC 87, losing a unanimous decision to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

The defeat dropped Herring’s lifetime record inside the Octagon to 2-3 with notable wins over Cheick Kongo and Brad Imes and losses to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Jake O’Brien in addition to Lesnar.

 

[Shogun Locc]

APG Petroleum to Enter MMA

Alafandi Petroleum Group of Saudi Arabia (APG) recently retained Rabid Dog MMA International, Ltd. (RDMI) to spearhead its entrance into Promotional Activities in the MMA Industry via Sponsorships for both Pro MMA Fighters as well as Pro MMA Fight Promotion Companies. RDMI is managing and administering APG’s 2009 MMA Promotional Campaign. This is yet another indication of the further advancement of MMA into the mainstream corporate world. This is the first time that the Oil Industry has engaged in backing the world’s fastest growing sport. The Oil Industry historically has been quite conservative in its support of promotional activities in the sporting world. It took years of observed success of a sport before companies such as Chevron stuck their name all over the outfield walls at Dodger Stadium. In breaking the barrier into the MMA world, APG believes it can effectively capture the most coveted advertising demographic in terms of conversion of brand awareness opportunities. APG’s advertising thrust in the MMA Industry will be focused on its newest division, Bio Fuels, which clearly has its target market in the U.S. The Bio-Fuels Division produces supplementary and replacement sources of feedstocks for gasoline and jet fuel production, which originate from non-petroleum sources.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mainstream Appeal of MMA Becomes Apparent At CES

Las Vegas – The long hard road that leads to the mainstream acceptance of mixed martial arts has seemingly been becoming much easier of late, whether it be a Microsoft commercial featuring Rashad Evans or video game’s featuring Randy Couture and Gina Carrano, the sport is fast becoming acceptable where before it was once dismissed as just another extreme sport fad. While the use of MMA personalities to promote products and services is not as common as it is for other professional athletes, its acceptance has grown almost in lock step with the popularity of the sport itself, nowhere was this more apparent then 2009’s installment of the Consumer Electronics Trade show in Las Vegas this past weekend.

The countries largest trade show designed to showcase the most innovative and revolutionary products the personal electronics world has to offer draws hundreds of exhibitors from electronics giants like Sharp and Panasonic to Garmin GPS to even personal protection devices like Taser.

The wide array of products available for viewing are impressive and with so many booths and competitors vying for the attention of the buyers in attendance, exhibitors are using more and more popular celebrities to inhabit their booths in an effort to distinguish themselves as what’s hot. While these duties have long been the realm of television stars or popular musicians, now becoming more and more viable options are the professional athletes who compete in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

The world of mainstream personal consumer electronics is extremely competitive, being able to distinguish your brand among countless competitors can prove a difficult task, but companies with demographics that fall into the coveted 18 to 35 year old range have a new weapon, Professional Mixed Martial Artists. MMA has more than established itself as one of the foremost leaders in grabbing the attention of the male 18 to 35 year old audience and it is no longer the best kept secret in the business of marketing and promotion.

This fact was apparent at CES this year more than ever. Companies like Boost Mobile and S1 Audio were among the vast outstretched lanes booths laced with competing companies, yet the line to enter their booths were visibly longer than their neighbors thanks to the appearances of UFC superstars Randy Couture and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Lines formed with scores of people waiting patiently to have their pictures snapped with the two former champs, Jackson in the Boost Mobile booth and Couture in the S1 Audio booth along with K-1 Champ Ray Sefo, Gray Maynard and Tyson Griffin.

The undeniable appeal the sport has and its relationship with its target demographic has become not just an affinity but maybe better described as an actual bond. This bond forged between fans and their favorite MMA combatant was identified some time ago by the Mitek Corporation better known as MTX Audio who has been actively involved in sponsoring fighters in the UFC for over 3 years now.

“The new wave of marketing is embedded marketing” says Jason Genet of LG Sports Marketing, the person responsible for selling the idea to MTX initially. “With more and more big box stores eliminating small distributors, direct marketing to customers in retail outlets and simply putting MTX Audio products on the shelves at Best Buy or Wal Mart and crossing your fingers was no longer a realistic option. Identifying the customer who buys MTX and marketing to them directly through something they are passionate about like mixed martial arts is the wave of the future because that passion for the sport manifests itself in the form of sales to that audience who now associate MTX with MMA”

MTX has immersed itself so much in the sport that it played host to the second annual MTX Fight Night at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in conjunction with its stint at CES, an invitation only event held for 1500 buyers and distributors of MTX. The 8 fight professional fight card included UFC stars such as TUF 7 member Cale Yarborough and TUF season 3 semi-finalist Jessie Forbes.

What captures the interests of the sought after Male 18 to 35 year old demographic has long been an enigma since marketing began. When identified it is only effective for short periods of time before it suddenly evolves into something else, sending marketing executives and advertising agencies scrambling to identify the hot new thing that has managed to capture their audience’s attention this week.

A select few companies within mainstream corporate America have been able to identify what currently does the trick and have invested millions of dollars in the sport of mixed martial arts, a fact that has placed the sport on a fast track to mainstream acceptance.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Demian: “Sonnen is a dangerous guy”

Without a perfect career in MMA, Demian Maia faces a tough opponent in his return to UFC. Set for the UFC 95, the Brazilian faces Chael Sonnen, the responsible for the only loss in Paulo Filho’s MMA career, last November. "He won the Paulão and that is not for everyone. Despite that Paulão wasn’t in the best conditions, he’s a tough opponent to be beaten", said Demian.

Training strongly for the fight, held on February 21st in London, England, the BJJ black belt expects a studied fight against the American: “I have to be careful, he’s a dangerous guy and very strategic, he won’t fall into me, he would fight to defeat me by points”, bets Demian, keeping the style that rendered him four wins by submission.

“I'm sure he’ll avoid the ground game, I have no doubt about it. I’ll go without much strategy as in other fights, I’ll feel him in the middle of the fight. I know his strengths and I’ve got my head free to do what I feel at the time", says the fighter, who arrived in Brazil to get ready for the fight. I’m already training. I arrived in Brazil and (Rafael) Alejarra arrives on Monday, then we’ll go back to the United States, where I’ll train with Wanderlei (Silva), then we’ll go to England", says, talking about the defeat of the training partner for Quinton Jackson at UFC 92. "That’s something that can happen with anyone. The only thing that we don’t decide in a fight is a punch in the chin… You may have trained, but it was just a hitch in the middle of the road, but he’s 100% and focused on the next fight", revealed.

About the next title fight of his category, between the compatriots Anderson Silva and Thales Leites, Demian sees no favorites. "It’s a dangerous fight for Anderson Silva. Thales has an excellent level of Jiu-Jitsu, certainly the best Jiu-Jitsu that Anderson has picked up in the UFC. We’ll see, I'm curious to see what will happen in this fight", finalized.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Anderson and the ground game for Thales

Coach of some of the biggest names in MMA, Josuel Distak is with a full agenda. With Rogério Camões in X-Gym, in Rio de Janeiro, Distak sees the academy full of top guys, preparing for their fights in the rings of the world. "The expectations for 2009 are big and the war has begun. We are strong", says Distak.

With one fight confirmed, the main focus is on the UFC middleweight, Anderson Silva, who defends the title against Thales Leites. "We’re creating a strategy, we’ll attack and counter-strike too. We’re training with the best Jiu-Jitsu’s athletes, André Galvão (two times BJJ world champion), Ronaldo Jacaré and Master Sylvio Behring... We’ll train hard as if we were fighting with a giant. We have strong weapons to help Anderson and we’ll go prepared for war", says the coach.

As for Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza, Distak ensures that two times Jiu-Jitsu openweight world champion is ready to shine again in the MMA rings. Jacaré is ready, just waiting to define when. If he returned today, he’d be ready. The physical conditioning is very good, the strategy is good and the boy is ready", he says, commenting the training of Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante, who follows without contract after EliteXC’s collapse.

"The expectation is to sign with an event and define when he’ll fight. We're still waiting for the managers to define, we still don’t know if he’s going to America or Japan, but he already has the appetite to fight and is ready to eat. He’s with 253 pound now and we’re hoping to mark the fight to start losing weight. We’ll get a belt, but we still don’t know where", guarantees Distak. Next to André Galvão, who left Jiu-Jitsu to adventure in the MMA, Distak reveals that the primary focus of the athlete at the beginning of 2009 is the ADCC.

"Galvão is focused on the ADCC and helping Anderson Silva to fight with Thales", he said, revealing that the X-Gym tatamis count, now, with another great talent. "(Fabrício) Morango joined the group and began to work here, another phenomenon to join us. It’s important for our work. The training is a spectacle, the tatami is full”, celebrates the coach.

For 2009, Distak’s expectations are the best possible, and that includes Pauloo Filho. Training with WEC’s former middleweight champion since his fight with Murilo “Ninja”, at Pride, Distak is confident in the athlete’s recovery, who faces depression and drugs dependence problems. "Paulão is recovering, the doctors gave a deadline and I think that he’ll return on training at January 20th. He’s under medical supervision and he’ll recover of this depression… 2009 we’ll be a different year”.

After facing problems with the balance in his recent fights, Filho can return in a new category in 2009. "He can fight at 205lbs division, everything will be ok. Everything depends on what the doctor will say, what he thinks it’s better. When he loses too much weight, he has physical, mental and emotional stress, so we’ll wait for him to decide", concludes.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jeff Monson Vs. Roger Gracie In March?

According to a guy from ESPN The Magazine at MMA Live #36, Jeff Monson might be fighting Roger Gracie at SENGOKU VII in March.

SENGOKU VII
Date: March 20th, 2009
Place: National Yoyogi Stadium 2nd Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Possible Fights:
Roger Gracie vs. Jeff Monson

Possible Participants:
Pawel Nastula
Alexandre Franca Nogueira

 

[Shogun Locc]

J.Z. Calvan To Return In April?

The expectation now is to Gesias to fight for the Dream in April. “I must return to fight in March or April. The most certain is that in April, more so I do not have a date and not the opponent. With Hansen I know that is not because he will be away for at least six months and this year also will not have a GP in my category, because the Dream will make a GP’s featherweight category (63kg) and the welterweight (77kg) ” , Gesias finalized.

 

[Shogun Locc]

NEVADA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER TUF BEHAVIOR

At a meeting in December for which an official summary was released yesterday, Nevada State Athletic Commission officials expressed concerns to UFC officials about some of the behavior that was exhibited during the controversial eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

For each season of The Ultimate Fighter, dating back to the first season's filming in late 2004, Zuffa has requested and been granted a waiver of the NSAC's regulations relating to the results of NSAC-sanctioned fights being posted publicly. This allows the results of the fights on The Ultimate Fighter to remain secret until the fights air on Spike TV months later. These waivers must be requested and granted for each individual season of TUF.

Prior to granting the usual waivers to Zuffa for the upcoming ninth season, which recently started filming and is tentatively scheduled to begin airing on April 1, the NSAC wanted to talk to Zuffa about some of the behavior in the eighth season.

Present at the meeting were Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta, Dana White, Marc Ratner, Kirk Hendrick, Michael Mersch, Lawrence Epstein, Andrea Richter, and Craig Piligian, at least four of whom were previously part of the NSAC in some capacity (Lorenzo Fertitta, Ratner, Hendrick, and Mersch).

Also present at the meeting were NSAC Commissioners Bill Brady, Skip Avansino, John Bailey, T.J. Day, and Pat Lundvall, as well as Executive Director Keith Kizer, Recording Secretary Sandy Johnson, and David Newton, who was attending on behalf of the Attorney General's Office.

After Lorenzo Fertitta's Power Point presentation on the history of the company, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer said that there was "some concern about behavior displayed by some of the contestants" during The Ultimate Fighter 8.

The NSAC's official summary of the meeting goes on to say, "Lorenzo Fertitta stated that the UFC does not condone the behavior of those contestants and wants the State and the sport to be reflected in a good light. Lorenzo Fertitta stated that in the future there will be a closer look at any behavior that might be offensive prior to broadcast, and that Zuffa does not encourage such behavior and had no prior knowledge of it occurring."

After thanking all of the parties involved for attending the meeting, "Commissioner Avansino stated he did talk with Mr. Fertitta on the phone and he is confident that Zuffa will endeavor to monitor the show so such behavior will not occur again, and there will be no further incidents."

According to the official summary, "Lorenzo Fertitta then explained a UFC event had been held the week prior in Fort Bragg, NC, benefiting the Fallen Heroes Fund and that the contestants visited the soldiers in the hospitals, all of the admission was free, and they raised $4,000,000 for the fund."

At that point, Commissioner Avansino made a motion to approve Zuffa's petition for the usual waivers for the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Brady and approved by all of the commissioners.

The specific behavior in question was not detailed during the meeting, but among the incidents that occurred during TUF 8 were several involving Junie Browning. Throughout the course of the season, Browning threw a glass at Kyle Kingsbury; got into a poolside scuffle with Ryan Bader; jumped over the Octagon fence and went after Efrain Escudero in an aggressive manner immediately after Escudero defeated Shane Nelson in an NSAC-sanctioned fight; threw a glass at Shane Primm's head; and threw two punches at Primm. Browning was not kicked off of the show for any of these incidents, and was later featured in a fight on the televised main card of TUF 8's live season finale on Spike TV.

Also during the eighth season of TUF, several members of Team Mir urinated in a platter of fruit salad that was later eaten by several members of Team Nogueira; Kyle Kingsbury mixed his semen into a sushi platter that Dave Kaplan may or may not have later eaten; Tom Lawlor knocked Kaplan unconscious with a punch to the face after an intoxicated Kaplan begged him to do so; and Lawlor and Kaplan voluntarily drank shots of each other's urine while they were both intoxicated (although the voluntary urine-drinking was edited out of the show at the last minute in what was referred to as "a last-minute editorial decision" by Spike TV).

According to an article by Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole that was published on January 13 (several weeks after this meeting took place between Zuffa and the Nevada State Athletic Commission), "UFC president Dana White said he’s not going to require the fighters to change anything about the way they behave. That means alcohol stays in the house and the fighters are free to do what they please when they please."

White was quoted in the article as saying, "If you take any young guys from a frat house, and put them alone and together you’re going to get that kind of stuff. Welcome to dealing with young guys. I’ve talked to the pro skaters and snowboarders and they helicopter guys up to a house and sometimes they get snowed in. They told me that some of the (expletive) that happens with those guys makes what happened on The Ultimate Fighter look like a joke."

 

[Shogun Locc]

KAMPMANN IS READY FOR 170, WHOEVER AT UFC 93

After a disappointing showing in his last appearance, newly minted welterweight Martin Kampmann wanted somebody, anybody to fight. It didn’t matter if it was at 170 or 185 pounds – he just wanted another chance.

“I (expletive) up, and don’t (expletive) up next time” was the lesson Nate Marquardt taught him at UFC 88.

Going into his fight with Alexandre Barros, Kampmann seems to be more concerned about the Brazilian’s southpaw stature than how he fights. Since Vitor Belfort has been kicking around Xtreme Couture, he’s gotten more time to acquaint himself to a lefty, but it’s still a learning process. He's been working with resident boxing coach Gil Martinez, who holds the mitts southpaw as he tries to adjust.

Barros has four years on Kampmann as a professional and there doesn’t seem to be much tape on him. He fought twice in 2008, and before that, had a two-year layoff. It could be a dangerous fight for a tune-up, if that’s even the case. Kampmann is still blasé.

“Every fight is a dangerous fight,” he says with a smile.

Kampmann says Barros is rangy, so if there were anything to get excited about, it would be staying away from his long arms. But that’s under control, too.

“That can be a little tough to deal with,” he says. “I’m prepared to fight wherever the fight goes.”

And when he gets inside the Octagon, the plan is simple.

“Go beat him up,” Kampmann says.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Budnik vs. John Franchi set for WEC 39

Coming off the first loss of his professional career, Mike Budnik (7-1) will meet undefeated WEC newcomer John Franchi (4-0) at WEC 39.

Sources close to the fighters today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the bout has been finalized.

WEC 39, a championship double-header and the first WEC event in Texas, takes place March 1 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi. Mike Brown defends his featherweight title against Leonard Garcia, and Carlos Condit defends his welterweight bout against Brock Larson.

The event's main card airs live on Versus.

Budnik, a nine-time X Games inline skating medalist, most recently fought in December and suffered a 61-second submission loss to rising prospect and three-time Division I All-American wrestler Shane Roller at WEC 37. Prior to the loss, Budnik launched his career with seven consecutive victories, four of which came via submission and two via knockout.

Franchi, a one-time IFL fighter, turned pro in October 2007. He posted three consecutive victories (two via TKO and one via submission) in Northeast-based shows and then earned an invitation to the IFL, where he submitted Frank Latina in May.

Franchi signed a five-fight deal with the WEC in July and was expected to debut versus Jose Also at WEC 36. However, an injury forced Franchi off the card, and he was ultimately replaced by Jonathan Brookins.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley vs Nick ‘The Goat’ Thompson MFC fight set Feb. 20

A fantastic match up between two former Elite XC welterweight number one contenders has been announced for the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) 20: “Destined For Greatness” card, which takes place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on February 20.

British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley (19-7-2) will square off against Minnesota Martial Arts Academy trainee Nick “The Goat” Thompson (36-10-1).

Both Daley and Thompson lost division title fights to Jake Shields under the Elite XC banner in 2008. Daley lost in the second round by armbar at Elite XC: “Heat” in October and Thompson was overwhelmed in the first round with a guillotine at Elite XC: “Unfinished Business” back in July of that same year.

Despite the quick loss to Shields, Thompson is sill considered a very dangerous and well rounded opponent. In just less than six years of professional competition, he’s had 47 fights with 21 wins by submission and another 10 by (technical) knockout.

He was the last reigning BoDog Fight welterweight champion before the promotion went under last year, winning the title by stopping Philadelphia standout Eddie Alvarez in the second round in April of 2007. “The Goat” also has notable career wins over Josh Neer (submission), Mark Weir (technical knockout), Chris Wilson (submission) and others.

“Semtex” was also the last man to hold a the 170-pound title in a now defunct organization — he was the division kingpin under the British-based Pro Elite-owned promotion, Cage Rage. During his time there he built a solid reputation as one of the most feared strikers in the welterweight division.

His last three fights on U.S. soil were all Elite XC-promoted events. He dropped Duane Ludwig in the second round in June of 2007 on a co-promoted Strikeforce card and then destroyed Sam Morgan in highlight reel fashion with a standing elbow at a Sho XC: Challenger Series event last January.

Daley also fought on the MFC 19: “Long Time Coming,” recording a second round technical knockout victory over journeyman John Alessio.

MFC 20: “Destined For Greatness” will feature a main event rematch between welterweights Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (8-1) and Pat “Bam Bam” Healy (19-13). Bam Bam handed Ford his only career loss with a third round win by armbar at MFC 17: “Hostile Takeover.” Ex-UFC fighters Derrick Noble and Rory Singer are expected to be in action on the card as well.

 

[B-Buzz]

^^ That's going to be a great fight, hopefully they put on a good show and can get signed to a bigger company.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ED RATCLIFF OUT; BEN HENDERSON IN AT WEC 38

A change has been made to the upcoming WEC 38 card slated for Jan. 25, as MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that Ed Ratcliff has been forced out of his upcoming match-up against Anthony Njokuani due to an undisclosed injury. His replacement will be up and coming fighter, Benson Henderson, who steps in on just over a week's notice to make his debut for the promotion.

The news was confirmed on Friday with Henderson stepping up and replacing Ratcliff, who has been forced out of his last two bouts with injuries.

Henderson, who trains out of The Lab in Glendale, Arizona, sports an impressive 7-1 record with a win in his last bout over former UFC lightweight Diego Saraiva.

Henderson has also been a competitor in top Canadian promotion Maximum Fighting Championships and was considered a lightweight title contender after his last win in the promotion back in July 2008.

His opponent, Anthony Njokuani, is also making his WEC debut. He enters on a two-fight win streak with his last fight in September of 2008.

The bout is expected to take place on the untelevised undercard portion of the show, taking place on Jan. 25 in San Diego.

 

[Shogun Locc]

^^ That's going to be a great fight, hopefully they put on a good show and can get signed to a bigger company.

Im expecting either of the two to enter DREAM or SENGOKU'S welterweight tournaments.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Alan Belcher planning a move to light heavyweight

Alan Belcher is hoping to silence his critics on Saturday night at UFC 93 by imposing his will on Pride Fc veteran Dennis Kang.

Belcher told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview that he will be looking to make a statement against Kang to show the UFC’s middleweight division that he means business.

The 24 year old Biloxi, Mississipi native impressed many back in December of 2006 when he knocked out Jorge Santiago with one of the more brutal head kicks ever seen in the UFC but has been hot and cold since then. Following a decision win over Ed Herman, Belcher expects to look impressive against Kang on his way to legitimizing himself as one of the top dogs at185.

How long he will stay at 185 is up to speculation as Belcher confirmed with FiveOuncesOfpain that he hopes to make the move up to UFC’s stacked light heavyweight division sometime very soon.

Cory Brady: So I heard that you had you first mixed martial arts bout at the age of 14. What was that like?

Alan Belcher: It was a lot different of a game back then than it is now. We were practicing jiu-jitsu and kind of playing around with some of the people that I train with and my trainer, Max Bishop, would put on these NHB shows at a local sports bar. I ended up seeing some of those fights and I ended up wanting to do that pretty bad so I ended up getting my chance when I was fourteen years old. I was a pretty big kid, I was probablyy like 175-180 pounds when I was fourteen so I looked like an adult.

Cory Brady: Were you ridiculously nervous going into that fight? I heard the guy that you ended up fighting was like 30 years old.

Alan Belcher: Oh yeah, absolutely. I was really nervous. It was like a street fight for me so it was all adrenaline. It was a really cool experience, I tried to get all of my friends to come watch and I was showing everyone the tape. I was really just having a good time. I never would have thought back then that I would have made a career out of it. It never even occurred to me that I could make a living at fighting until a few years later.

Cory Brady: So who ended up winning that fight?

Alan Belcher: I won by submission, believe it or not. I got him with a kimura from side control.

Cory Brady: Tell me a little bit about Remix MMA. It looks like you have something for everyone down there.

Alan Belcher: I’m just trying to build a good program for the local people down there in Biloxi, Mississippi. Our jiu-jitsu coach used to train Anderson Silva and he was one of the original guys from the Chute Boxe camp. We’ve got some really good guy teaching the muay thai and a good wrestling program, we have something for everyone down there. Just getting it all together but it is absolutely the best place on the Gulf Coast as far as MMA gyms go. We have a really good MMA program for children called “Little Ninjas”. Most of the children’s programs that I have seen for kids are kind of supplemental just for them to have a kids program, just to have an extra class or for them to pay the bills and that kind of stuff but we really focus on the kid’s down at Remix MMA. We have a really diverse group of people down there and we really have a buch of teens and younger people down there and we want to keep building on that. We even have a pre-school program that starts at four years old.

Cory Brady: Who are some of the key people that have been helping you prepare for Dennis Kang?

Alan Belcher: Duke Roufus has really been helping me out for a while and of course Red Schafer is fighting on the card as well so we’ve been sparring a lot and he has been helping me with my jiu-jitsu. He tries to take me down and I try to keep it on the feet. Back at home I have Rodney Durran, my boxing coach, he is always keeping me in shape and keeping my hands sharp and all of that. He’s always calling me on the phone and keeping me focused, telling me to run and all of that, he’s like my life coach. Pat Barry has been stepping it up as a coach since his UFC debut. He’s cracking the whip on us and making us work hard. he’s always jumping in the rotation and sparring with me and giving me tips. He’s been helping me out a lot as a sparring partner and a coach. I have a good crew up here and I have a good crew in Mississippi so I’m happy.

Cory Brady: What have you been focusing on in the gym since your fight with Ed Herman?

Alan Belcher: I’ve really been focusing on getting stronger and my overall athletic ability. I’ve been spending more than half my time training just my overall performance like speed and agility and all of that kind of stuff. I’m trying to become a monster basically.

Cory Brady: How do you feel you match up with Kang?

Alan Belcher: I think it’s a really good match up. I have the edge on striking and I think that he has the edge on the jiu-jitsu but I think that my takedown defense is going to be a lot better than he’s going to expect. He’ll have to come in my range to grab me and I feel like I can dominate him in the clinch. I have the height and the reach on him so it makes a good clinch for me and those factors will help me on the outside as well. I don’t think he’s going to be able to get me on the ground and if he does he’s not going to be able to stop me. I’m looking for the knockout in this one for sure. I was kind of careful in my last fight but I feel like I have another knockout coming to me. I have the power it’s just a matter of me going in there and letting my hands go. Either way, I have a lot of ways to beat him but I have a feeling that a big one is going to connect.

Cory Brady: Are you hoping that he tries to stand and trade with you?

Alan Belcher: He’s not stupid, he’s a veteran. He’s not going to come in there like a madman. He’s going to try to get me comfortable on my feet and then look for a takedown. You might see him catch me, you might see him drop me and you may see him take me down in the first round but the second and the third round are mine.

Cory Brady: I know you spent some time training it Thailand a bit ago. What was that experience like?

Alan Belcher: It was a great experience. I really go to fine tune a lot of my techniques down there. When you’re training MMA it’s hard to focus on some of the finer details in any specific element so it was really good for that. I’m planning on going back at some point but that trip was a really good experience for me and I learned a lot from it.

Cory Brady: What can people expect to see from Alan Belcher in the future?

Alan Belcher: My goal, is to become the best fighter in MMA and definitely the best striker. I think I’m getting closer at becoming the best striker. I’m looking at that belt though. I’m starting to get the confidence and realizing that it is actually possible for me to become champion so I’m going to start coming after some guys. If the UFC is cool with it I wouldn’t mind going up to 205 and getting a couple fights in there.

Cory Brady: So you’re considering a move up?

Alan Belcher: Oh yeah. I would definitely fight Rich Franklin or Dan Henderson at 205. It would be interesting just to take a break from cutting weight. I want to stay busy and keep fighting a lot and it would make it a lot easier if I didn’t have to worry about cutting weight all the time.

Cory Brady: What do you walk around at typically?

Alan Belcher: When I’m really training I’m usually around 215 but I have to work hard to stay there. Getting down to 210 is a little tougher and then down from there is obviously extremely difficult. I’d like to get a couple fights at light heavyweight before I move up permanently but the goal is to get the middleweight belt and then move up. I definitely want to move up in the future because I want to do this for a long time and I can’t see myself making the cut to middleweight forever.

 

[Shogun Locc]

For Franklin, all Roads Lead to Anderson Silva

Rich “Ace” Franklin (24-3) has enjoyed one of the most prosperous MMA careers in the sports young history. He is a former UFC middleweight champion and has only tasted defeated three times in his career, at the hands of the undefeated Lyoto Machida and the best pound-for-pound fighter Anderson Silva (twice).

Silva has dominated the middleweight division in the UFC since defeating Franklin at UFC 64 for the middleweight title, defeating anyone that has challenged him, including Franklin again at UFC 77. So rather than attempt to fight Silva for a third time, Franklin decided to move to light heavyweight to start another run at a title. It looked like Silva would no longer impede Franklin’s path to glory.

It’s rather cliché to say, “life comes full circle” or “that many roads have the same destination” but it applies to Franklin. His first fighter against a light heavyweight title contender is against Dan Henderson, but there’s a catch. The winner will coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Bisping. At the conclusion of the show they will face off at middleweight with the winner getting a title shot against…Silva.

Franklin now finds himself between a rock and Anderson Silva. He’s stated that he would rather not coach a second season of TUF, and he would also prefer not to face Silva for a third time, as he was never really in the fights the first two go-rounds. Yet if that is what’s laid before him then he’ll do anything and everything to win. And losing to Henderson isn’t an option as it would cause him to get lost in the shuffle at 205.

Going into the fight with Henderson one would have to wonder what Franklin’s mindset is. He left his comfort zone at middleweight to avoid one person, so is he prepared to travel down the road that leads to Silva again. It’s said that “the third times a charm” but does that hold true when battling your archenemy?

It could come down to a nearly unstoppable force clashing with an immovable object for their final showdown. Silva has said he plans to retire in about years time from now. By the time this potential fight with Franklin would happen, it could mark the end of Silva’s career. How fitting would it be for Franklin to be the final test of Silva’s career, where things would come full circle for both men.

One thing is for sure, Franklin is and always has been a warrior in the cage. Any challenge thrown his way he has overcome, with very few exceptions. Now as another road to a title is paved before him can he final exercise the demon known as “The Spider” from his life and recapture the title he lost back in 2006?

Although Franklin has yet to take the first step on this journey, and for all we know the dream may all fall apart before it really begins, but to watch him battle his way back to the top is a compelling story fit for the silver screen of Hollywood. The dream could start with Franklin defeating Henderson at UFC 93, and if he does it will offer fans a storyline like none other in 2009, as Franklin once again looks to be called a champion in the UFC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cyborg wants to steal Cung Le’s title

Away from the rings since last September, when suffered an elbow injury with only 22 seconds of fight at Sengoku, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos is reconciling the physiotherapy with the MMA trainings to return to the ring in March, at Strikeforce. "I’m now leaving the physiotherapy, the recovery is great. I'm not abusing, but maybe I’ll fight at the end of March. Rudimar Fedrigo (Chute Boxe leader) is confirming my debut at Strikeforce to the end of March", said the athlete.

Entering the category now dominated by Cung Le, who did all his fights at the event and the result was always the same - knockout victory -, Cyborg wants to show the good work to earn a chance against the champion. "I was going to fight at the end of the year (2008), but I had the injury. I hope I can present myself well, make a good fight and maybe fight for the belt. The important thing is to make a good debut and mark territory", guarantees the Brazilian, who already thinks how would be a fight against Le.

"Telling you the truth, I only heard about him, but I never saw his fights. I’ll start to look, watch more. As far as I know, he likes to fight standing up. Despite being training a lot of Wrestling, I’m training a lot my ground game. Unfortunately, I couldn’t show it in my last fight, but I’m great on the ground and I’ll continue giving the same attention. But I think I’d do a good standing up fight against him", bets Cyborg.