MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

TRAVIS LUTTER TALKS REBOUND MFC WIN

Upon winning the middleweight portion of The Ultimate Fighter 4 in 2006, things had not been going so well for Travis Lutter.

After looking good early on against Anderson Silva, Lutter was submitted in the second round. He also looked strong early against Rich Franklin in his next bout, but again tasted defeat, ushering in his release from the UFC.

Lutter had gone from being on top of the world to being out of a job in just two short fights. Upon his release, he sat on the sidelines for over a year, waiting for his opportunity at redemption.

“I just couldn’t get a fight,” explained Lutter to MMAWeekly.com. “I had so many things that just kept falling through over and over again.”

Due to a busy life, Lutter said the time since his last fight seemed to creep up on him, rather than agonize him.

“I’ve got kids, I’ve got my school and stuff like that, so I have enough distractions,” he stated. “You kind of wake up and think, ‘Holy (expletive), it’s been 17 months since I last fought.’

“It’s more of a situation where you can’t believe where it’s been that long, because it doesn’t seem like that long.”

Finally the clouds parted for Lutter and he got an opportunity to once again step into the cage and get back on the winning track for the MFC promotion this past Friday against fellow former UFC fighter Jason MacDonald.

“He’s a really tough guy and he’s always in the fight, too,” said Lutter of MacDonald. “You can never count him out. He’s a very, very resilient fighter. It was nice to finally get a fight and definitely finally get a win.”

As he had in previous fights, Lutter started off strong, dominating position and attempting submissions, before fading in the third round.

When asked how he felt in his first performance in over a year, Lutter responded, “I felt pretty good, especially with the first two rounds.

“I was a bit disappointed with the third round, about getting taken down and stuff like that. I think I can do better, and there is a lot of room for improvement.”

He hopes the wait till his next fight will be a lot less than his recent layoff.

“I’ll need to talk to the manager and see who he’s talked to,” commented Lutter. “I’m really hoping I can fight somebody by the end of the year. I’d like to get more fights in 2009 and kind of build momentum towards bigger stuff.”

As for where he’d like to fight, Lutter is open to any opportunity that comes his way to fight quality opposition.

“The best guys are in the UFC, and that’s where I’d like to be, but there are interesting fights in other places, too,” he stated. “I mean, heck, there are good guys in the MFC, so it’s like wherever I end up I want to fight the best guys as possible.”

Back on the winning track and eager to work his way back to a big promotion, Lutter is ready for whatever comes his way.

“I’d like to thank Greg Jackson and his team, my sponsors, and the guys at my gym who support me for everything they’ve done around here,” he closed out.

“If I end up in the UFC, Strikeforce or wherever, I just want to fight. Just tell me who I’m fighting and when.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC DEAL IN HAND, FABER PLANS JANUARY RETURN

Former World Extreme Cagefighting Championship featherweight titleholder Urijah Faber recently inked a six-fight contract with the organization. Faber got the deal he wanted, but the biggest factor in reaching an agreement was that the WEC is where he's going to face the best competition.

"It was just a matter of getting some things worked out and kind of getting an understanding about what everyone wanted," Faber told MMAWeekly.com about negotiating his contract. "I feel like I'm with the best team. I've got the best stable of fighters to fight against, and I want to be a world champion and that's the place to do it.

"I'm a competitor first. When I started in this sport, my first fight I got paid $250 to show and $250 to win, and I was fighting as much as six or seven times in one year. It was never about the money to me. It's about testing myself and proving that I'm the best," added the Team Alpha Male trained fighter.

"The money has come for all my passion and trying my best, but what it all comes down to is I'm a competitor. I want to get that win back. I want to get on top of the world and be remembered in this sport as the best."

Faber's decision to re-sign with the WEC was an easy one. He didn't give serious consideration to fighting anywhere else.

"There are some other good organizations out there, but I feel like I'm with the best. Zuffa knows what they're doing. There's stability there. They're going to be around for a long time, and it's kind of like a family with the whole operation," said 30-year-old featherweight contender. "I'm glad to be part of it. I just have to do my part in order to make all of my goals be reached and that's why I'm training all day."

Faber was defeated by current WEC featherweight titleholder Mike Brown for a second time in his last bout on June 7 and suffered a broken hand that's kept him on the sideline, but "The California Kid" expects to be back in the cage in January.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Cain Velasquez will bring his chin to UFC 104

“I think I took (Kongo’s) best punch. He hit me clean twice in the perfect spot and didn’t knock me out. I’m working on that, to avoid getting hit. If they say my chin’s not there, they’re wrong. I think Cheick Kongo has the best stand-up right now among MMA heavyweights. He has a lot of power. If he was fighting anybody else… I think he would’ve knocked out a lot of people with that … I’m not happy with (my stand-up) yet. I won’t be happy with it until it’s perfect. Who knows when that’s going to be or if that happens. That’s just kind of the way I am.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Masvidal vs. Kitaoka Set for Sengoku 11

As I exclusively reported over at Tapology a few minutes ago, Bellator lightweight contender and American Top Team standout Jorge Masvidal will take on former Sengoku Lightweight Champion Satoru Kitaoka at Songoku 11 on Nov. 7.

Commenting on Kitaoka, Masvidal had the following to say:

"He is dangerous with the leg locks, you know, and that’s really it. I don’t think he’s a threat anywhere else. I’m going to come at him at 100 mph like I do with everybody and try to break his will."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream 11 Ratings

Chris Nelson over at Bloodyelbow has a good summary piece detailing some of the business ramifications of Dream 11.

Last night, DREAM returned to primetime on the Tokyo Broadcasting System for the first time since May. Following the show, event producer Keiichi Sasahara remarked that he was “expecting a good TV rating,” and today it looks like he was right
Via Tony Loiseleur:
“Sasahara reporting that last night’s rating for Dream 11 on TBS was 12.7%, clocking in at no.2-most watched show during the primetime slot.”
While the number is a dip from DREAM.9’s 16.2% — which had the benefit of a Daisuke Naito WBC flyweight title defense as a lead-in — it’s also the highest mark the promotion has achieved on its own in primetime. For comparison, check the list of all the DREAM/TBS ratings at Nightmare of Battle.

Payout Perspective:

You can debate all you want as to whether or not the “strong number two” theory applies to MMA, but there exists another reason to hope that Dream can put some of its troubles behind it and continue to score decent ratings: talent development.

The relevance of a title contender or star fighter probably only lasts 4-5 years, and that means the sport is going to need to replace those fighters with a new crop quite frequently. Yet it’s tough to replace the headliners of the sport when the up-and-comers have nowhere to fight or can’t afford to train full time.

Thus, MMA cannot survive without a consistent and successful talent development system - one that not only allows fighters to grow their skills, but also pays them for their services.

The immediate value of an organization like Dream is that it provides exactly that: the requisite salary and media exposure to sustain an athletes income, in addition to some stiff competition in certain divisions. They’re a home to some great future talent, but also some that have lost their way and need to regain their confidence before regaining relevance.

The long-term value of an organization like Dream is that it may eventually work its way towards that “strong number two” position – perhaps in conjunction with Strikeforce. Then, in theory, the competition between the number one and strong number two leads to an expansion of the pie for the entire industry. (Everybody wins.)

History, however, would suggest that the “strong number two” argument doesn’t necessarily hold up in the sports league realm, because the product suffers from the split in talent between the two leagues.

While I agree, I also happen to believe that’s only the case within a mature sporting environment.

MMA is far from a mature industry, and the average consumer currently lacks the awareness to recognize when the product isn’t at its best. That presents an opportunity for Dream and other organizations to seize that number two position, and help build the sport even further.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Werdum vs. Bigfoot possible for Strikeforce

After a great debut in Strikeforce, Fabrício Werdum waits for an opponent for his next fight in the octagon. According to sources close to the fighters, the former UFC fighter will likely face the former EliteXC champion Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva in November 7 event. TATAME.com just learned the fight was agreed, and spoke with Werdum about the possibility.

“My manager called me asking if I agree to fight him, and I said yes and that I was ready, but I think this fight won’t happen anymore”, Werdum said. “He’ll probably fight for Sengoku’s title. Strikeforce made a partnership with Dream, so my manager said I can also fight in Japan, at Dream”. Stay tuned on TATAME.com for more news about the fight, that still can happen in “Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers” event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bibiano Fernandes celebrates Dream’s title

First Brazilian to become a Dream champion, Bibiano Fernandes celebrated a lot the conquest. With the belt on his lap, the Brazilian commented the victory on the semi finals, against Joe Warren. “I just wanted to fight, there wasn’t any strategy. The opponents were excellent fighters and I wanted to be the champion. There was no strategy, just victory”, said the champion.

Showing a complete game, the BJJ black belt went to a 15 minute war against Hiroyuki Takaya and the belt came with the split decision victory. “The guy was a though fighter, I needed to go for it with him, there was no other option. The thing was to fight with him and show that I have Boxing too. He’s good, I’m good, so it was go for it and hit some blows on him”, commented the featherweight champion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ALMOST HEALTHY, JOE RIGGS JUST WANTS TO FIGHT

Joe Riggs is itching to get back into the cage.

The Strikeforce welterweight is healthy, or mostly healthy, since his release from an Arizona hospital in mid-August following an adverse reaction to anti-depressant withdrawal.

Riggs has taken Effexor since seventh grade and was advised by a homeopathic doctor to discontinue its use. When he did in late July, his body went into shock.

“It started shutting down my central nervous system,” Riggs told MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday. “I got out of bed, and I couldn’t walk. I thought I was dying. So I went to the hospital and they gave me some medication to reverse it and I felt fine immediately, but they kept me in the hospital for two weeks to keep an eye on me.”

Riggs felt the time out of the gym would hamper his ability to prepare for an upcoming bout with Nick Diaz at Aug. 15's Carano vs. Cyborg and notified Strikeforce he would be unable to fight.

After his release, Riggs went back to training and has heard little from the promotion since.

“I’m in fight shape right now,” he said. “I’ve been keeping in shape in hopes that they’ll pick up the phone and say ‘you’re fighting.’ I just bought a new house, I’ve gotta pay the bills.”

Riggs wants to fight so bad, he’s willing to forgo surgery for a badly broken nose he suffered Monday in training. At the hospital afterwards, he rejected doctor’s offers to dull the pain (he has suffered from an addiction to prescription pain medication in the past).

“My nose looks just like Rich Franklin’s after Anderson Silva,” laughs Riggs. “It actually broke the bone connected to my skull. I went and bought a facemask and I’m going to try to spar tomorrow. I’m married, so I don’t give a (expletive). I look ugly as (expletive); it’s all good. I’ve got to fight a couple of times before I let this beak heal.”

Nick Diaz is still on Riggs’ radar as a future opponent. Currently, he has two fights or nine months remaining on his Strikeforce contract. In June, he defeated Phil Baroni by unanimous decision at Shields vs. Lawler, where he badly bruised his hands against the hardened veteran.

Riggs says he could fight on the promotion's upcoming CBS card, and has even offered to fight on their Challengers Series.

“I’m just trying to get a fight,” he said.

Getting one appears to be another matter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: A&E "Intervention" subject and UFC vet Aaron Brink nearing comeback

Aaron Brink had just stepped out of a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

"I try to go as many times a week as I can," Brink told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) as he made his way outside to talk.

He murmured to someone that it was alright to talk.

"My sponsor is my head trainer," said the 34-year-old, 39-fight mixed-martial-arts veteran. "I'm attached at the waist with the guy. Without this program I'm going to be a washout again, and this will go nowhere."

This is a normal Monday for Brink, the MMA fighter who has been notable both in the cage for his 21 victories and 18 losses (including appearances in the UFC and WEC and an early-career fight against Rich Franklin that ended in a no-contest) and on television during his recent appearance on the A&E show "Intervention."

On the episode, following the show's theme, family and friends confronted Brink about his addiction to crystal meth that began when he entered the hardcore pornography industry as a performer four years ago. He says he hasn't used crystal meth since the day he is shown under the influence on the show – Dec. 10, 2008.

Since, he said, he has smoked marijuana, but he stayed away from the drug that caused him to make his A&E series appearance.

In the past few months, Brink has made another change. Quiet in his MMA career since March 2007, Brink has been training regularly since June and is scheduled to appear in an Oct. 17 PureCombat show against former top Strikeforce contender Anthony Ruiz in a heavyweight fight.

Brink hopes the fight will be a step toward re-entering the MMA world as a regular despite his years of drug abuse, his foray into porn and his lack of fight participation for 30 months.

"Nobody wanted to take a chance on me," Brink said. "A lot of people saw the show and knew I had gotten into porn and become drug-addicted, so I burned a lot of bridges in the King of the Cage, where I did a couple no-shows, and some other places.

"Al Joslin of PureCombat is an old friend of mine, so he's giving me that shot. He said, 'I'll give the guy a chance no one will give him right now.'"

Surfer boy

Brink grew up in Huntington Beach, Calif., as the son of a blue-collar worker when blue-collar workers could still make it in Huntington Beach.

He started two passions when young: wrestling and surfing. He began wrestling around age 8 because the surfing didn't make his father feel like he was being athletic. But Brink was most passionate in the ocean.

In fact, he still uses the surfboard as a training mechanism.

"It keeps you balanced, agile; it's good for your cardio," Brink said. "You can be out of shape and surf for a few days and be right back in shape. It's such a fun thing to do, and at the same time, it's great for training."

Brink participated in both wrestling and surfing in high school, but he ran into problems. He was kicked out of Huntington High for fighting, and from 1989-92, he was in and out of juvenile hall eight times for different issues.

"You're in school, then the next thing you're expelled, then the next thing you're in juvenile hall for three months, then six months, then nine months," Brink said. "I run from probation. I fled from the police. I had some problems."

Soon, that included real prison time. Brink was arrested for smuggling marijuana from Mexico to the United States and was sentenced to time at Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island. Interestingly, the stay aided some of his MMA skills.

But, the heavy bag on which he worked during his time on the inside only got him so far. He was 24 when he was released, and he hooked up with Tito Ortiz, an old friend from high school who encouraged him to enter MMA. He debuted in December 1998, and by the start of 2003, he had fought 24 times.

His MMA career, though, was about to slow down.

Dick Delaware

Aaron Brink became Dick Delaware when he was 27. Here's the story:

"I met this porn producer," Brink said. "I was fucking around with some girls at a party, and he noticed I was very gifted. He said, 'Man, you're a goddamn pro. If you get a test, I'll put you in a scene.'

"So I got into a few scenes. I was making some money. And it was through the porn world I got into meth."

Brink survived on that routine for years. Then, eventually, his wife began to worry about his problem and e-mailed the show "Intervention." She relayed his back story about fighting, porn and drugs, and the show bit.

The taping worked, he said, at least for the crystal meth. He's been clean from it since, even though he has relapsed with other drugs, including the marijuana.

"I had a doctor write me a prescription for Vicoden," Brink said. "I took it for a whole weekend. I was starting to feel really sick, and I needed something to relax me. I pounded back, but I didn't get sucked back into the lifestyle."

Instead, he was working back into MMA. His weight had ballooned to 274 pounds, but between the working out, conditioning and surfing, Brink feels like he's back and ready to fight.

He understands the situation. He knows he needs to win this fight before any more might come, and he says he's prepared for that.

As far as paths to MMA go, Brink has walked more than one.

"I'm going to fight this one, and I have a consolation plan and a win plan," Brink said. "If I win this, a lot of doors might swing open. If I'm unsuccessful and get caught in submission or lose, I expect to fight a couple more times also to work my way up. It's not like I took the easiest fight coming back, and that's the only reason I even got this fight. It's tough, but I've faced tough before."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Injured ‘Cyborg’ Passes on Strikeforce

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will not be able to defend her 145-pound women’s title on Nov. 7 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffmann Estates, Ill., Sherdog.com has confirmed with the promotion.

Santos, who was named as a strong possibility for the CBS-televised event, injured her shoulder while competing at the 2009 Abu Dhabi World Submission Grappling Championships on Sept. 27 in Barcelona, Spain. The 24-year-old Brazilian placed third in her division during the world-caliber event.

Santos was examined by her physician on Wednesday and will undergo a brief rehabilitation. The injury will not require surgery.

Santos was tentatively slated to face either Marlos Coenen or Erin Toughill in her first title defense. Santos won the newly minted title against Gina Carano, coaxing out a first-round stoppage from strikes at 4:59 of their championship bout at Strikeforce “Carano vs. Cyborg” on Aug. 15 in San Jose, Calif.

The promotion has yet to announce its two remaining main card bouts, which will televise live on CBS. One will feature Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem meets Tony Sylvster at Oct. 17 Golden Glory show

With next month marking the two-year anniversary of his championship win (and most recent appearance in the organization), Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem will next meet Tony Sylvster at the Oct. 17 Golden Glory event.

The MMA matchup, which serves as the co-main event, was one of 14 recently announced for the hybrid MMA and K-1 card.

The show, which celebrates Golden Glory 10th's anniversary, takes place in Overeem's hometown of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Past reports had suggested Overeem would fight Sam Hogar or Siala-Mou "Mighty Mo" Siligia at the show, though Sylvester ultimately got the call.

Ever since Strikeforce signed famed heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko two months ago, fans have speculated about a title fight with Overeem, who's 4-0 (with one no-contest) in his past five fights, under the Strikeforce banner. Emelianenko, though, will first meet Brett Rogers on Nov. 7 at Strikeforce's CBS-televised event near Chicago. If victorious at the event, Emelianenko could meet Overeem for the title in early 2010.

Of course, the fight could lose some luster if Overeem (29-11-1) suffers a loss to Sylvster (11-2), an Ohio-based heavyweight who's 8-1 over the past four years; the lone loss came to current UFC fighter Chris Tuchscherer at YAMMA Pit Fighting's only show, which was held in April 2008.

Additionally, just eight days after the Glory fight, Overeem is expected to compete at DREAM.12, when the Japanese-based organization debuts a cage (rather than the customary roped ring) for the first time. Overeem has been featured in promos for the Oct. 25 event, though no opponent has been announced.

The full Golden Glory 11 lineup includes:

* Alexei Ignashov vs. Semmy Schilt (K1)
* Alistair Overeem vs. Tony Sylvester (MMA)
* Faldir Chahbari vs. Nieky Holzken (K1)
* Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Robert Jocz (MMA)
* Hesdy Gerges vs. Ruslan Karaev (K1)
* Rodney Glunder vs. Dion Staring (MMA)
* Wendell Roche vs. Errol Zimmerman (K1)
* Nikolai Onikienko vs. Valentijn Overeem MMA
* Stefan Leko vs. Anderson "Braddock" Silva (K1)
* Tommy Depret vs. Vincent Latoel (MMA)
* Halim Issaoui vs. Ali Gunyar (K1)
* Hracho Darpinyan vs. Jason Jones (MMA)
* Krista Fleming vs. Titiana van Polanen Petel (K1)
* Nils van Noort vs. Hans Stringer (MMA)

 

[Shogun Locc]

BELLATOR CHAMP SOTO BACK IN ACTION THURSDAY

Heading into this year’s Bellator Fighting Championships 145-pound tournament few had Nor Cal Fighting Alliance’s Joe Soto as the favorite to win, but that’s exactly what he did.

His three dominant performances in the tournament opened the eyes of many in the MMA community and established Soto as one to watch in the featherweight division.

Four months removed from being crowned champion at Bellator, Soto takes his next step forward at Thursday’s debut show of the Tachi Palace Fights against fellow undefeated fighter Mike Christensen.

“I’m doing great. I feel like I’ve definitely improved since my last fight on my techniques and I’m ready to go,” Soto told MMAWeekly.com of his return to action.

After winning the Bellator title and putting himself firmly on the map, it could be possible for Soto to overlook Christensen towards future opportunities, but not so says Joe.

“I’m definitely not (looking past this fight),” he stated. “I’m just as excited to fight here as I was in Bellator. This is really close to my hometown, so I feel like it’s a homecoming for me.”

Additionally, Soto claims not to feel any additional pressure after such an impressive run earlier this year.

“I feel some kind of pressure every fight,” he commented. “You always want to win, so you feel that kind of pressure. I always want to finish; to me that’s the most important part, so I kind of look at it all the same.”

The additional focus on him has also not changed the way he approaches fights, as Soto stated, “I’m always motivated to finish fights, and finish fights as fast as possible.

“I’m definitely going to go in there to try to finish, showcase my skills, and show the fans how much I’ve improved my all around game.”

While he doesn’t know much about Christensen, he claims it doesn’t faze him or alter his game plan.

“I’m more focused on what I’m going to do, and I’m not really worried about what he’s going to try to do,” stated Soto. “I’m going to impose my game and impose what I want to do on him that night.”

With large promotions paying attention to the Bellator winners such as Eddie Alvarez, it would be conceivable to think that Soto may want to jump into the big time fray right away, but he remains patient.

“I think my next fight Bellator has scheduled for March, so I think I’m going to sit back, go to the gym and keep working on my techniques, bettering myself and improving my game,” he said.

It would be easy for Soto to sacrifice long-term goals and growth for immediate payout on his recognition, but that’s not his style. And it is because of that, that his future appears to hold even more promise.

“I want to thank Dethroned, Fairtex, AdapTx Labs, and the Nor Cal Fighting Alliance,” he closed out. “I definitely want fans to come down, check out the show and enjoy it.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

HENDERSON'S VISION CLEAR GOING INTO TITLE BOUT

Before his recent eye correction surgery, you would be a blur to Ben Henderson sitting across from him at the dinner table if he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

Due to possible complications, corrective lenses aren’t allowed during mixed martial arts competition. But somehow, even fighting blind, Henderson managed to amass a professional record of 9-1, and work his way into a WEC interim lightweight title shot.

Imagine what he’ll be able to do now that he can tell the difference between his opponent and the referee.

Truth be told, he probably won’t be much different. Sure, his reaction time in the stand-up facet of the game will probably be slightly faster, and that leads to one of Henderson’s favorite benefits of improved vision... avoidance.

“I don’t like getting punched in the face. I want to avoid that as much as possible. Being able to see helps me avoid getting punched in the face. I was all for it.”

But he didn’t get as far as he has by relying on athletic ability or heavy hands. Henderson relies on brains, not brawn.

Starting out with a 5-14 record his freshman year of college wrestling, Henderson’s intelligence and diligence turned him into a two-time All American who improved to a 34-5 record his senior year. That’s something he has brought with him into mixed martial arts.

Currently riding an eight-fight winning streak, Henderson knows to keep that streak alive, he’s got to be smart and put in the work.

“(My striking is) improving. Even my grappling is improving, but you’re never satisfied,” he commented recently. “I think that’s the case with any athlete if you ask any of the elite performers.”

That’s an attitude that he’ll need heading into the main event at WEC 43 on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. There, he faces the toughest test of his career. He steps into the cage to face one of his buddies, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, for an opportunity to capture the interim title and earn a shot at Cerrone’s nemesis, WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner.

Cerrone started his fight career as a kickboxer, amassing a record of 28-0-1, and is being billed in this fight as the striker to Henderson’s strong grappling pedigree. Henderson’s not biting.

Cerrone is 10-1 in mixed martial arts, but as Henderson notes, “Eight or nine of his wins have come by submission, and a majority of those submissions have come by triangle, so we’re not believing the hype. We know that he’s not just a kickboxer.

“He’s a very good, skilled Muay Thai stand-up fighter, but he’s no slouch on the ground either.”

A well-rounded fighter himself, how does Henderson game plan for Cerrone?

“I plan to be a smart fighter and do whatever it takes. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the ‘W.’ If I have to punch myself in the face I’ll do it,” he quipped on MMAWeekly Radio.

But the fact of the matter is he’s too smart for that. Henderson knows that he doesn’t have to be the tough guy and prove he can stand with such a skilled kickboxer or prove a point by subbing him with a triangle.

It really just comes down to logic. And logic dictates that if Henderson’s strengths lie in certain areas, and Cerrone’s strengths lie in other areas, Henderson has but to do his best to take Cerrone out of his comfort zone. It’s that simple, and that’s the plan.

“His only chance to win is by doing A, B, C. So why not avoid (A, B, C) and get rid of all of his chances to win by doing D, E, F?”

Of course, he’s too smart to reveal what D, E, and F are. For that, you’ll have to watch the fight on Saturday night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nogueira talks Cane; eyes Shogun rematch

One of the biggest MMA fighters in Brazil, Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira will finally make his UFC debut. One of Pride stars, Nogueira did one of the best MMA fights of all time against Maurício “Shogun” Rua, and now goes to the octagon with Luis “Banha” Cane, at UFC 106.

“I consider it a great change in my career, we’re taking this debut very serious here. They have a lot of new guys coming, so we have to innovate and always train hard”, Minotouro said. With Shogun fighting for the belt against Lyoto Machida, Rogério revealed he wants to rematch the former Pride GP champion.

“Shogun is a great fighter, a great champion, and he was in the best shape of his career. He has his merits, in the end of the fight I tried to get his back... It could be different, but that’s ok. I’d like to do this fight again”, Nogueira guarantees, revealing that he’ll become a father soon. “I’ll fight now for my daughter’s milk (laughs)”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Demian Maia plans UFC return in December

One of the top middleweight fighters in the UFC, Demain Maia impressed the fans with five submission victories in the UFC, but was knocked out at the UFC 102 by Nate Marquardt, losing the eight years invincibility. Without confirmation to the return, the BJJ ace spoke with TATAME.com. “I still don’t know… I’m trying to be back in December or January… I wanted to fight in December, let’s see”, said the former middleweight contender, with no opponent in mind. “I have no idea of who they can put against me”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lyoto Machida interview

Lyoto Machida will defend, for the first time his UFC title on October 24. Ready to face Maurício “Shogun“ Rua, the karate fighter spoke with TATAME.com and reveled that he has more than one strategy for the combat. “The strategy is a secret... We have a plan A, B and C... It’ll depend of how the fight goes. I have plans to get off from any situation“, the champion guaranteed, without thinking about the glorious past of the former Pride champion. In exclusive interview, Lyoto commented Vitor Belfort’s karate training, the fight between the “Phenom” and Anderson Silva, Thiago Silva’s knockout over Keith Jardine and more.

How are the training for the fight?
We’re in the final training phase, on strategic part, of planning for the fight. The team is very connected and we believe a lot in our work.

Shogun was considered the number one of the category in 2007...
I’m not thinking about what Shogun has done, I’m concentrated on what I can do. I know he was the Pride champion and I am the UFC champion, but it won’t give me any advantage, it won’t give me one round of advantage. We’ll start from the same line, we had the same time of training... I’m focused on my train and on my fight.

Do you think he’ll be your toughest opponent?
Each fight has its peculiarity, this fight has its difficulty and its pressure, but every fight has its difficulties. Shogun is training hard, so I try to understand the fight in this way. Each fight has its particularities and that’s not different. I can’t say that this one or another one was harder, I know I have to be prepared for the worse.

What’s the strategy for the fight?
The strategy is a secret... We have a plan A, B and C... It will depend of how the fight will be, I have plans to get off any situation.

Are you training only in Belém?
I’m training only here, even because here I find every variables I need, all the components I gotta have to be successful, all together, where I have family, training and food. I don’t think that just because I’m far away from the big center I have go search for this.

Will you train with Anderson for this fight?
Anderson is kinda hurt, I think he’ll make a surgery on the elbow, we just trade information.

Belfort trained Karate for his last fight. What did you think of that?
At the moment of the fight he incorporated more the Karate to his style, but I think it was very important to him. He liked the opportunity, how he felt with this new, and it was very good to his career. He needed a remarkable victory, and that was against a known guy.

Vitor visited you at the beginning of the year and you trained together. Did he already show interest on Karate at that time?
He had already talked about, but as I was turned to the train with Rashad, two months to the fight, we just trade information, but it was a long time ago. We talked a little, he was there for just one day.

How do you think it’s gonna bet he fight between he and Anderson?
It’s a hard fight for both, but we can’t demerit none of them, they can’t underestimate themselves. Vitor was already a champion and Anderson is the champion, it’s going to be a tough fight. Both have to be well trained. I’m very focused on what I’m doing, so I don’t know how this fight is gonna be.

And in the case that one of them wants to train with you?
It’s a hard thing to say in the moment, because I don’t want to take sides. Anderson is part of my team, so it’s hard to say that. I’m more focused on what I’m doing, I’m not thinking about that.


UFC has a lot of Brazilians well on your category, as Cane and Minotouro, that will face each other. What do you think about that?
Brazil is going very well, with a lot of people on the tops. Banha is really well, Minotouro either, always defended Brazil very well on MMA and on Boxing, and now they’ll face each other... Maybe UFC want to select that, because there’s a lot of Brazilians in the tops. It shows Brazil’s evolution, showing that MMA is strong here.

Thiago Silva, your last opponent before the fight for the belt, won again. What did you think about the fight?
I thought Thiago fought well, he could make his game and won. I congratulate him, he deserves, this turn was important to him. I don’t have any problem with him, we’re professionals... He knew how to fight and make a big fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

K-1 World MAX 2009 Finals Update! Kyshenko In Superfight

A new superfight for the World MAX 2009 Finals on October 26th has been announced. Last years GP runner-up, Artur Kyshenko, will take on Toofan “Storm” Salafzoon of Iran.

Salafzoon is the WPKA 75 kg European Champion in 2007, the Best of the Best Asia Champion, and the World Martial Arts Champion. His Amateur record is 78-7-0 (33 KO’s) and his pro record is 8-0 (5 KO’s).

FieLDS K-1 WORLD MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament -FINAL-
Date: October 26th, 2009
Place: Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan

K-1 World MAX 2009 FINAL Fights (3×3, 1×3 Ext.):
Souwer/Pramuk vs. Petrosyan/Yamamoto
Andy Souwer vs. Buakaw Por. Pramuk
Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Yuya Yamamoto

K-1 World MAX 2009 FINAL Reserve Fight (3×3, 1×3 Ext.):
Yoshihiro Sato vs. Yasuhiro Kido

Superfights (3×3, 1×3 Ext.):
MAX: Kozo Takeda vs. Albert Kraus
MAX: Taishin Kohiruimaki vs. Drago
MAX: Hinata vs. Mike Zambidis
MAX: Artur Kyshenko vs. Toofan “Storm” Salafzoon
MAX: Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima vs. Xu Yan
60kg: Kazuhisa Watanabe vs. Jae Hee Cheon

 

[007SYBORG]

Nogueira talks Cane; eyes Shogun rematch

One of the biggest MMA fighters in Brazil, Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira will finally make his UFC debut. One of Pride stars, Nogueira did one of the best MMA fights of all time against Maurício “Shogun” Rua, and now goes to the octagon with Luis “Banha” Cane, at UFC 106.

“I consider it a great change in my career, we’re taking this debut very serious here. They have a lot of new guys coming, so we have to innovate and always train hard”, Minotouro said. With Shogun fighting for the belt against Lyoto Machida, Rogério revealed he wants to rematch the former Pride GP champion.

“Shogun is a great fighter, a great champion, and he was in the best shape of his career. He has his merits, in the end of the fight I tried to get his back... It could be different, but that’s ok. I’d like to do this fight again”, Nogueira guarantees, revealing that he’ll become a father soon. “I’ll fight now for my daughter’s milk (laughs)”.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD

 

[007SYBORG]

Werdum vs. Bigfoot possible for Strikeforce

After a great debut in Strikeforce, Fabrício Werdum waits for an opponent for his next fight in the octagon. According to sources close to the fighters, the former UFC fighter will likely face the former EliteXC champion Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva in November 7 event. TATAME.com just learned the fight was agreed, and spoke with Werdum about the possibility.

“My manager called me asking if I agree to fight him, and I said yes and that I was ready, but I think this fight won’t happen anymore”, Werdum said. “He’ll probably fight for Sengoku’s title. Strikeforce made a partnership with Dream, so my manager said I can also fight in Japan, at Dream”. Stay tuned on TATAME.com for more news about the fight, that still can happen in “Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers” event.

THAT WOULD BE A GREAT FIGHT,HOPEFULLY THEY MAKE THIS HAPPEN

 

[Shogun Locc]

ASKREN JOINS ZINKIN, PICKS UP AKA TRAINING

Decorated wrestler turned MMA fighter Ben Askren has signed with Zinkin Entertainment, joining the likes of Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Cung Le, and a host of American Kickboxing Academy stars for fighter representation.

Zinkin Entertainment announced the news in a press release Thursday afternoon.

The 25-year-old Askren will add AKA to his pre-fight training regimen in addition to his work with Arizona Combat Sports and the Lion's Den Scottsdale.

The two-time NCAA champ and former Olympian made his MMA debut in February 2009 and has gone 3-0 this year. In his off time, Askren is an assistant wrestling coach at Arizona State University. He is a purple belt in jiu-jitsu.