MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Two Middleweight GP Fights Announced! PANCRASEism Vs. GRABAKA

WVR announced three fights for their SENGOKU V card on September 28th today. In two Middleweight GP fights Yuki Kondo will face Yuki Sasaki and Shooto champion Siyar Bahadurzada will take on Evangelista Cyborg. In a Lightweight fight Ryan Schultz returns quickly after his KO loss at the hands of Mizuto Hirota to take on Jorge Masvidal, who also has one loss in SENGOKU. I think the Kondo vs. Sasaki fight is the first time two Japanese have met in SENGOKU.

Update: The winner of the Schultz vs. Masvidal fight will get a spot in the reserve fight of the Lightweight GP Finals at SENGOKU VI (probably in early November).

Update #2: Ribeiro’s opponent is already decided, but as the contract hasn’t been signed yet, they couldn’t make an announcement today.

Update #3: The last two GP participants, who are American and South Korean, will be announced early next week along with the match-ups they are in. Don’t be surprised if the Korean is Min Suk Heo. I really hope it’s Eun Soo Lee instead though.

SENGOKU V
Date: September 28th, 2008
Place: National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan

Lightweight Fight:
Ryan Schultz vs. Jorge Masvidal

Middleweight GP Series 2008 1st Round:
Evangelista Cyborg vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Yuki Kondo vs. Yuki Sasaki
Jorge Santiago
Kazuhiro Nakamura

Participants:
Xande Ribeiro
Roger Gracie

Possible Participants:
Ryo Kawamura

 

[Shogun Locc]

James Thompson To Sign With Either DREAM Or SENGOKU!

All this talk of Kimbo Slice returning to action got me wondering about what's going on in the life of James Thompson? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like these two characters will be linked together for many years to come. That is, of course, if Kimbo can help explode both of Shamrock's ears on national television.

Anyhow, MMARated.com has learned that despite earlier reports stating that Thompson had agreed to fight for the Montreal-based TKO promotion and then Cage Rage, "The Colossus" is in serious talks with both DREAM and World Victory Road to return to action in September. For the record, DREAM has their sixth event scheduled for September 23rd while WVR returns with Sengoku 5 on September 28th. No word yet on any potential opponents.

Thompson is stuck in a three-fight losing streak, however, a return to Japan just might be what the doctor ordered as his last victory came in Japan against Don Frye at PRIDE 34 (PRIDE's final event). In fact, Thompson is just 2-7 in his last nine fights with both those wins coming in, you guessed it, Japan.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With guaranteed title shot on line, Rob McCullough finalizing game plan

Eight months after losing his WEC lightweight title to Jamie Varner, "Razor" Rob McCullough (16-4) is finalizing preparations for his bout with undefeated up-and-comer Donald Cerrone (8-0).

And according to McCullough's recent comments to TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), the winner of the bout will be next in line for a title shot.

"That's the word around the campfire," McCullough said. "This is a No. 1 contender fight. Whoever gets this one goes for the belt."

McCullough and Cerrone are scheduled to meet on the main card of "WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown" on Sept. 10. Held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., the bout will air live on VERSUS.

Training out of Albuquerque, N.M., with Team Greg Jackson, Cerrone has won all eight of his professional bouts by submission. McCullough recognizes the challenges that will be presented by such a dangerous opponent.

"[Cerrone] is a tall individual," McCullough said. "(He has) long legs, which he usually uses for submissions. (He's) supposed to have a pretty good kickboxing record, which is cool. It looks like it's going to be a great fight."

McCullough believes he also sees weaknesses in Cerrone's game. With a revitalized focus on the stand-up prowess that has led to nine career knockout victories, McCullough feels he's ready to capitalize on any Cerrone errors.

"[Cerrone] doesn't really have any wrestling," McCullough said. "So you kind of catch these guys when they go in to take you down.

"I've been working a lot of stand-up with (head trainer) Colin Oyama. I kind of got back on the horse with that one to get my timing down. Been doing a lot of wrestling, a lot of jiu-jitsu with some of my new guys in the camp. I've been training my butt off since they said, 'Hey, you've got a fight.'"

McCullough also believes a more aggressive game plan will be beneficial in earning the victory.

"The last fight (with Varner) I was kind of toying with him," McCullough said. "I did so much wrestling with my camp. It was primarily a lot of wrestling, a lot of ground guys. So I kind of got away from what got me here, which was my stand-up.

"Even my sparring was more so of me doing the takedown or stopping the takedown and getting back up to my feet and kind of throwing. I already knew I could knock people out if I caught them with a good solid punch. (So) I kind of got in that whole zone, and I got away from, 'Hey, close the gap and peel this guys hat back. Knock his head off, go home and drink beer.'"

Now in his second fight back from the stunning knockout defeat at the hands of Varner, McCullough appears ready to regain the form that had earned him nine straight victories before the loss.

And with a shot at Varner and a second chance to reign as WEC's lightweight champ hanging in the balance, McCullough is focused on the task at hand.

"I'm ready for redemption on this one."

McCullough also discussed the details of his developing clothing line, as well as the advantages of training with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson. To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of "TAGG Radio," available for free in the free TAGG Radio archives.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"ShoXC: Hamman vs. Suganuma II" official fighters salaries

Main-card winners and EliteXC prospects Jared Hamman, Fabricio Camoes and Ray Lizama were the top earners at this month's ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series event.

The event, which aired on Showtime, took place at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, Calif.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today received the list of salaries directly from the California State Athletic Commission.

ShoXC events are designed to showcase mostly prospects within the ProElite, Inc. organization and has served as a launching pad for many of EliteXC's now-established stars.

The total disclosed payroll for the Aug. 15 event was a modest $56,560.

The full list of salaries included:

Jared Hamman ($8,000) def. Po'ai Suganuma ($5,000)
Fabricio Camoes ($6,000) def. Sammy Morgan ($4,000)
Rosi Sexton ($3,260) def. Debi Purcell ($4,000)
Ray Lizama ($6,000) def. Keith Berry ($2,000)
David Douglas ($3,000) def. William Jacobson ($800)
Lucas Gamaza ($3,000) def. Kenny Johnson ($2,000)
Jesse Brock ($3,000) def. Josh Rave ($1000)
Robert Vargas ($2,000) def. Ralph Lopez ($1,000)
Katrina Alendale ($1,500) def. Melanie La'Croix ($1,000)
Now, the usual disclaimer: the figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other special bonuses the organization may have paid its fighters.

In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WVR Sponsor Buys Stake in Pancrase

A strong source in the Japanese MMA industry has confirmed to Sherdog.com that Don Quijote, the primary sponsor of World Victory Road's Sengoku, is now a controlling partner of Pancrase.

The Japanese powerhouse chain retailer is best known for their penguin mascot and sponsorship of Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) and Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures). Don Quijote’s chairman Takao Yasuda is also a powerful figure within the World Victory Road promotion.

After years of operating in the red, Don Quijote has bought out Pancrase's debt and now has a controlling stake in the promotion. With the change, former Pancrase leader Masami Ozaki has been replaced by former Pancrase director and matchmaker Yasushi Sakamoto.

Pancrase will still operate as a separate and autonomous promotion despite drawing a considerable chunk of their resources from the same pool of capital. However, the influence of new leadership was on display at the Aug. 27 Pancrase card. Not only was Yuki Kondo (Pictures)'s main event bout hyped around his participation in the Sengoku middleweight grand prix, but Venezuelan freestyle wrestler Maximo Blanco made his MMA debut on the event's undercard after being signed by Sengoku as a developmental prospect. Also, sitting quietly in the corner on turnbuckle pads was Donpen, the penguin mascot of Don Quijote.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Schultz-Masvidal

WVR announced a lightweight bout between Ryan Schultz (Pictures) and Jorge Masvidal (Pictures) for the Sept. 28 card.

Schultz, a favorite in the promotion’s lightweight grand prix, was viciously ousted in his opening round bout against Mizuto Hirota (Pictures) on Aug. 24 via second-round knockout. Masvidal saw his chance to participate in the tournament shattered in June when he was stopped by eventual grand prix participant Rodrigo Damm (Pictures).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Maeda meets Yahya in WEC, KO promised

Amidst turmoil for Pancrase champions, promotional poster boy and reigning featherweight King of Pancrase Yoshiro Maeda (Pictures) has been putting together a successful run abroad as a bantamweight in the WEC. The native Osakan will look to continue his streak on the undercard of the stacked forthcoming WEC card on Sept. 10 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

In opposition, Maeda will take on fellow former WEC title challenger and grappling all-star Rani Yahya (Pictures).

The 26-year-old Maeda impressed many new sets of eyes in June, when he waged a classic bantamweight war with WEC kingpin Miguel Torres (Pictures) in a “fight of the year” candidate. Halted after the third round due to a badly swollen right eye, Maeda suffered no serious damage to his right orbital bone and after receiving ophthalmological clearance last month, was able to quickly jump onto the top-to-bottom brilliant Sept. 10 WEC bill.

Yahya last saw action on New Year's Eve, where he was plowed by Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto on K-1's annual “Dynamite!!” card. His previous stateside appearance came last September, where after opening up a grappling clinic on then-WEC champion Chase Beebe (Pictures) in the first round, was outlasted by the tough-as-nails Chicago native who picked up the five-round decision.

"Examining himself after the last Torres fight, we think Yoshiro Maeda (Pictures) has become even stronger," the Pancrase Office said in a prepared statement. "Although Yahya is one of the best on the ground, Maeda has promised a KO victory. Before the fight reaches the floor, he will attack and finish the fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

K-1's Ishii out of the clink, into the clutch

Just over three weeks since his release from prison, the godfather of K-1, Kazuyoshi Ishii is already back in business operations.

Ishii, the founder of K-1, was released from Shizuoka Prison on good behavior on Aug. 7 after serving 14 months of a 22-month sentence for tax evasion. Ishii, who was reportedly a model prisoner, was arrested and indicted on charges of tax evasion in December 2002, in which the former K-1 boss was accused of concealing 900 million yen (at the time, approximately 7.8 million USD) and evading up to 300 million yen in conjunction with Itoman Co. Ltd.

Ishii was initially sentenced to prison time by the Tokyo District Court in 2004, but made the most of the appeal process in order to delay his sentence. In November 2006, the Supreme Court of Japan halted Ishii's exhaustive appeals, handing down a peremptory decree, ensuring that Ishii would spend his 22-month sentence in prison.

Ishii has wasted little time getting back to business since his release. The K-1 founder has met extensively with Sadaharu Tanigawa, the president of K-1 and Dream parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group in recent weeks.

"We've been talking almost everyday to each other about the future of K-1 and what would be a good next step to take," said Tanigawa of their meetings.

While Tanigawa's statements may seem benign on their own, Sherdog.com has also learned from a source close to Ishii that he has had additional discussion with J-Rock president and World Victory Road executive Takahiro Kokuho. The source could not substantiate the content of the meetings, but did confirm that since his release, Ishii had met on multiple occasions with the Sengoku executive.

Although it is too early to speculate or attempt to divine business plans, it is necessary to recognize the allegiances Ishii holds. While in prison, Ishii's sole contact in the Japanese MMA world was the notorious Seiya Kawamata, an admitted intermediary between Japanese promoters and organized crime groups, and a central figure in the Shukan Gendai tabloid's now-infamous negative smear campaign against Pride parent company, Dream Stage Entertainment. Kawamata has also continued to work in relation with Kokuho and World Victory Road since the promotion's inception.

Furthermore, FEG's revamped MMA promotion, Dream, has brought on board several former Dream Stage Entertainment staff, including former DSE executive director Hiroyuki Kato and current Dream event producer Keiichi Sasahara. In addition to growing tensions over television ratings, the Dream promotion's operations have largely been carried out by the former DSE staffers with whom Ishii has a longstanding rocky relationship with.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Garcia, Pulver Promise Shootout

Leonard Garcia's upcoming fight with former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver at WEC 36 on Sept. 10 in Hollywood, Fla., serves as a return to competition that only a few months ago he thought might never happen.

In late March, Garcia was implicated by a criminal informant as being part of a narcotics ring in Texas. Facing federal charges, his promising fight career was suddenly in jeopardy of being terminated permanently. The prospect of spending several years in prison hovered above him.

“At one point in time, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to fight again,” says Garcia, who was eventually cleared of all federal charges. He believes he will face no jail time for a pending state obstruction of justice charge and maintains his legal problems stem from “hanging out with the wrong crowd.”

Having his future as a mixed martial artist cast in doubt provided Garcia (11-3) with motivation from which to draw while training for his latest bout, a fight with Pulver that seems certain to have title implications in the WEC featherweight division.

“I think about it when I’m tired, if I don’t want to train, if I feel sore, anything,” he says. “Mentally, I say to myself, ‘Think about suffering right now, or think about what you would have done if you were sitting in jail.’”

For Pulver (22-9-1), a nine-year veteran of the sport and the first-ever UFC lightweight champion, motivation for the fight stems from a desire to prove himself as more than simply relevant in MMA’s changing landscape. He hopes a victory over Garcia will earn him another shot at the featherweight belt after he dropped his first bid against reigning titleholder Urijah Faber by decision in June. The though of wrapping another title around his waist drives Pulver at this stage of his career.

“It would be the biggest thing for me; all those other things are in the past,” Pulver says. “When I won [the UFC lightweight title], don’t get me wrong, it was great, but winning [a title in the WEC’s featherweight division] now would go to show everyone else that I’m still competitive, that I’m still one of the best. It would be bigger than any other time in my career.”

Training for this fight opened a door to the past for Pulver, who once again relied heavily upon the tutelage of his longtime coach, Pat Miletich (Pictures), something he strayed from in recent years. Pulver says training under Miletich’s direct supervision keeps his fight preparation focused and has reacquainted him with being a student of the sport.

“He has a workout; he has things to do, and I don’t have to think, ‘I could go in there and do this, or I could do that,’” Pulver says. “Really, I can just start learning again. It’s just like old times.”

Garcia’s preparation also has him revisiting the past, as he trained in Minnesota with former opponent Roger Huerta (Pictures). Garcia’s battle with Huerta, a unanimous decision loss at UFC 69 in April 2007, was considered a “Fight of the Year” candidate by many. Garcia admits training with “El Matador” brought back feelings from their epic encounter, a match made famous not only for the relentless action inside the Octagon but also a photograph taken of Huerta unleashing a front kick on Garcia that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.

“Everybody said [watching us train together] was like watching our fight all over again, except this time more technical,” Garcia says. “We were basically just going at it. I feel like I gained a lot of steps since our last fight.”

Garcia -- who has trained at the Jackson’s Submission Fighting camp in Albuquerque, N.M., and in Vail, Colo., for high-altitude work -- claims Pulver’s legendary status does not leave him awed, even though he has wanted to fight “Little Evil” as a featherweight for quite some time.

“He’s just like anybody else,” Garcia says. “Basically, any fight you come into in the WEC or UFC, there’s always going to be people who are saying, ‘This guy did this, or this guy did that.’ My attitude towards every fight, unless I’ve fought the guy before, is he’s never done it against me.”

Styles make fights, and, on paper, the matchup between Garcia and Pulver appears as volatile as they come. Both fighters know a victory could serve as a direct path to Faber and a shot at his WEC crown.

While Pulver maintains his rededication to training under Miletich helps make him a more technical fighter and less reliant on winning matches in a slugfest, do not be surprised if some seriously heavy leather starts flying between him and Garcia.

“The thing about Jens is he comes forward,” Garcia says. “For me, the dogfights, the fight where someone is going to push you, it’s the perfect matchup, not only for me but for the fans, as well.”

“I’m trying to get better technically, catch up with the sport and not be so one-dimensional,” says Pulver, a moment before his hot-blooded “Little Evil” alter ego surfaces to qualify the statement. “I like power; I like throwing punches. Basically, I like playing with knives: I’m going to get cut, but I’m going to cut somebody. I love to shoot it out with the hands.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 88: Martin Kampmann finds no weaknesses in Nate Marquardts game

“Most of the guys I’ve fought, I’ve been able to pinpoint a weakness in their game. Not with Nate. He is very well rounded, and one of best guys in the UFC. It’s going to be tough, but I am looking forward to it…. Before I was injured, I was supposed to fight in a main event. I got injured and was out for over a year, and people forgot about me. It was a long time out. Now, it’s time to fight my way back and remind people of who I am.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rampage: “I thought I heard the voice of God…”

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in an exclusive interview with the OC Register, spoke about what was going through his mind during his July 15 police chase through the streets of Costa Mesa and I don’t know if it’s all a ploy to help him during his upcoming trial or whether it’s legitimate. What I do know, however, is that it’s pretty f’n ridiculous:

He said he thought he was on a mission to save a friend – who had recently lost his faith in God – and was unaware that he had hit any other cars or was being pursued by a phalanx of police cars.

“I thought I heard the voice of God telling me to go save Brian,” he said in an interview today after his arraignment on two felony evading arrest charges. “I felt if I didn’t get to Brian, he would die.”

Unaware that he hit other cars? Unaware that the police were chasing him? That’s pretty ridiculous, right? But wait, it gets better. Not only did Rampage think that God was talking to him but apparently the movie “The Secret” was heavily influential during this whole ordeal as well:

And then to compound things, Jackson said, he stayed awake for most of the night before the wild pursuit watching the movie “The Secret” on his DVD player, over and over again. “The Secret” is a story about using free will to make things happen in life. The film has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show and has been used as motivation in court-ordered classes for drunken-drivers, according to Lavacot.

Jackson said he watched the movie to the end that night and saw its message in a new light. Jackson, who became a born-again Christian about four years ago, said he connected the teachings of the movie with the teachings of the Bible.

“The Bible told me to have faith,” he said. “But ‘The Secret’ taught me how to have faith.”

But then he also remembered he had loaned a copy of “The Secret” to his friend Brian Talbert, also a UFC fighter. He said he somehow got it in his mind that if he didn’t warn his friend to watch the movie all the way to the end, Brian would die.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Noons: ‘I Always Wanted Diaz’

Ultimatums have been a regular occurrence during K.J. Noons (Pictures)’ tenure with EliteXC, says the 160-pound champion.

At least one of those demands found its way into the public forum last week, when an EliteXC employee reported to the media that Noons has been given a 24-hour deadline to accept a rematch with Nick Diaz (Pictures) for an Oct. 4 live broadcast on CBS.

Noons and his manager Mark Dion had been negotiating a new pay scale for the bout for over a month and talks had reached a stalemate. But now the 25-year-old fighter’s courage and heart were suddenly thrust into question.

With the deadline come and gone, Noons will not be defending his title against Diaz on Oct. 4. From the look of things, Noons isn’t quite sure he’ll be fighting for the promotion ever again -- but he does knows that at no point did he ever not want the fight out of fear.

“I always wanted to fight Nick Diaz (Pictures),” said Noons. “It’s the most marketable fight for me, the best style fight for me. I think the fans want to see it. But you have to pay for something you want to see.”

Noons is not afraid to admit that his compensation was at the root of the breakdown between his reps and Pro Elite, the struggling parent company of EliteXC, ShoXC, and a handful of other promotions scattered throughout the world.

“It is about the money and how they we’re paying somebody I already beat three times more,” says Noons.

The San Diego resident says he’s made approximately $83,000 in two years and four fights. Diaz received $60,000 for his third-round bashing of Thomas Denny (Pictures) on July 26 in Stockton, Calif.

A lot has changed since Noons joined the Pro Elite stable in early 2007.

Eighteen months ago, Noons (7-2) was a hot prospect for the debuting promotion, touted by former EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw as a double threat. Noons says Shaw, already an established boxing promoter, signed the son of accomplished kickboxer Karls Noons to separate contracts in both combat sports. But good will quickly began to unravel following Noons’ inaugural run in the EliteXC cage against Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett in February 2007.

“I think the relationship kind of went sour when I fought ‘Krazy Horse’ and I lost,” says Noons. “After I lost, I know I was put on the black list. It became all about ‘Krazy Horse,’ which is fine because he won, but it was nothing on me.”

Noons -- who was surprisingly knocked out in the first round -- requested a rematch with the gold-toothed Bennett, but said the promotion turned him down. Instead, the Hawaii native was steered toward the main event of the first ShoXC “Elite Challenger Series,” a sub-promotion that would spotlight up-and-coming talent.

Noons felt a sense of demotion in more ways than one.

“I wasn’t going to get paid what was on my contract. They we’re like ‘Hey, we’re gonna lower your pay, put you in the main event, and you really need this fight, but we’re not going to budge –- you’re gonna take it or leave it’ type deal,” he said. “There was an ultimatum: ‘Either you fight, you take this or we’re not going to even fight you.’”

Noons’ opponent, Edson Berto, was another protégé from esteemed combat sports lineage. Berto’s father Dieusuel has fought at UFC 10, while brother Andre represented Haiti in the 2004 Summer Olympics. With Shaw a family friend and dual promoter, Noons believes ulterior motives were afoot in the matchmaking process.

“Why would you put your friend’s son on a main event against someone that you didn’t think you could build him up against?” asks Noons.

Despite stopping Berto in the third round with a blunt knee, Noons’ doubt in Pro Elite led him and his manager Dion to request a non-title fight against Diaz for their November 2007 encounter in the hopes of hitting the free market afterward.

On the third and final bout of his contract, Noons says EliteXC was eager to re-sign him beforehand, but only if he’d fight Diaz for a newly created 160-pound title. However, the pay scale offered for the inevitable champion was too low, particularly with fight bonuses.

“They gave me options to buy stock, which I would be in the hole with now if I bought them,” says Noons. “It came down to an ultimatum again. It was either ‘take this fight or nothing.’”

Noons signed a new agreement in May, but a clause was added that forbid the promotion from speaking directly with the fighter regarding negotiations.

Noons impressively defended his title in front of his hometown Honolulu crowd last June with a 48-second knockout of the more seasoned Yves Edwards (Pictures) (34-14-1), though he says the treatment he’s received as EliteXC’s champion –- from being denied extra event tickets for relatives to getting passed over for marketing opportunities -- has been less than encouraging.

In July, Pro Elite presented Noons’ manager Dion with the Diaz rematch, after an in-cage tussle at the Hawaii event between the two fighters sent interest in the bout skyrocketing. Noons and Dion already decided that now was the time to make a stand.

“It’s been such a grind and I don’t know why. I wanted the Diaz fight, but it was about little things in the contract at the time,” says Noons. “It was about a few things I wanted taken out of the contract that broke the deal and couldn’t make the Diaz fight happen.”

Noons didn’t specify what details he wanted extracted from his contract, though his disdain for elements within the agreement are obvious.

“It’s like if you don’t take the fight, they can extend your contract by their own discretion,” he says. “They can keep on extending your contract. There’s a championship clause, where you can’t get out unless you lose.”

Though he hasn’t spoken with Pro Elite executives directly, Noons has often stood next to his manager Dion and listened in on phone calls with the organization. In recent weeks, he says the calls have included threats of litigation.

Noons says he still has at least one to two fights remaining on his existing contract, though recent public filings revealed that Pro Elite is more than $55 million in debt. Meanwhile, Shaw -- who was downsized to the role of consultant for EliteXC in June -- has yet to deliver on three of the four boxing matches he promised Noons in his contract, says the fighter.

What course this impasse takes in the next few weeks or months is not certain. Jeremy Lappen, EliteXC’s Head of Fight Operations, said last week the promotion was undecided on the promotion’s next course of action with its wayward champion.

Noons seems to have already made up his mind though.

“I can guarantee you that for MMA, I won’t be sitting on the sidelines,” he says. “I want to continue with my dream of pursuing two sports.

“I’m not Tito Ortiz (Pictures). I’m not Randy Couture (Pictures). I’m not a Fedor or B.J. Penn (Pictures). I’m not one of those guys that has a big name in all these fights. I’m not asking for this type of money. I’m just asking for what’s fair.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Alves predicts a knockout against Sanchez

The most natural destiny for Thiago “Pitbull” Alves after the impressing knockout against Matt Hughes is a titleshot, but after that he’ll have to prove his talent one more time against a tough opponent: Diego Sanchez. “I’m preparing something different (for Sanchez). He developed his stand-up game, I’m looking forward to exchange some punches with him, to show him the difference between a Striker and somebody that just learned it now”, said Pitbull. In an exclusive interview to TATAME, that you’ll read here tomorrow, the ATT athlete spoke about the fight, the next match (if wins) against St. Pierre and a dream fight against BJ Penn, and a lot more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Emelianenko & Randy Couture grappling session in L.A

 

[Shogun Locc]

JAMES LEE: "I WANT TO CLIMB UP THE LADDER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3330.html?PHPSESSID=64e969ec1b6d33c34bd16795e59bd816
"I was looking forward to a real nice showing and showcasing what I'm capable of doing in this fight, but shit happens and I will be back," stated UFC light heavyweight James Lee as he talked about his injury and his disappointed in having to pull out of his clash with Tim Boetsch at UFC 88.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC To PPV in 2009

An article on Yahoo! Sports MMA discusses the Zuffa’s plans to cut some of the divisions in the WEC and in the discussion this little bit of info was dropped:

That’s particularly true given White’s plan to add pay-per-view shows to the WEC’s offerings, perhaps as early as May.

The ability for the WEC to draw on PPV will be more dependent on the company’s ability to sell the 135 and 145 divisions. Part of being able to draw successfully is convincing your customer they are receiving a world class product. That case can be easily made at the 135 and 145 levels, and would be next to impossible with the 185 and 205 weight classes. The 205 class isn’t worth much discussion at all, while the 185 class has a world class fighter in Paulo Filho, but a collection of journeymen, rookies, and never will be’s underneath him…not the most marketable of collections.

The WEC have the luxury of having two marketable stars in those lower divisions with champs Miguel Torres and Urijah Faber. Getting rid of the 185 and 205 divisions will allow them to concentrate and build up the fighters in the lower weight classes, boosting the profiles of the champs but also building up the other fighters in those divisions so that they are seen as plausible contenders. An example of this would be the upcoming Faber vs Mike Brown fight. If you are a hardcore fan, you know that Brown is a plausible contender, but the ability to sell him as such kind of gets lost in the shuffle when some of the WEC cards are being filled with non-starters at the 185 and 205 level on Versus.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Hamill Is Ready to Fight Childhood Friend Rich Franklin

On Monday August 25, 2008 the city of Utica N.Y. threw a pep rally for Matt Hamill. Matt is fighting the toughest fight of his life on September 6, 2008 at UFC 88 in Phillips, Georgia. Matt will be fighting his childhood friend Rich Franklin. After Matt graciously greeted, shook hands, signed his autograph, and took pictures with fans, I spoke with him to get his thoughts on the upcoming fight. First thing I wanted to know was about his friendship with Rich he told me, "Yes. He is a really good friend of mine. I helped him with wrestling takedowns. Rich and I we grew up together. We were raised and born in Cincinnati, Ohio. One day he asked me. He wanted some help with his takedowns so I just helped him out with takedowns and we’re still friends. No matter what, inside the ring or outside the ring. We leave friendship at the door. We two are professionals. I know it’s sad. It’s like fighting my brother but I have to do this. I fight for my daughter. I’m getting my name out there. I know he has more experience then I have. I’m inexperienced. My record is 6 and 1 and his record is 25 and 3. So that could be a stepping stone for me. He is a former World Champion that’s got me more motivated. I want to show what I got. I’m getting better every time I fight. So don’t miss my fight Sept 6th because I’m ready!"

Rich is fighting this fight by moving up in weight class from a middleweight to Light Heavyweight. I asked Matt if Rich was at a disadvantage for moving up in weight class. "No because he goes up in weight class he gets more energy. He had a hard time getting down to 185. Normal weight for him is about 220 so now he only has to go down to 205. My disadvantage is I won’t have a coach in my corner. I’m deaf. I cannot hear. So I have my own game plan. But that’s alright. I’m going to go out there and do my thing. Rich is a world class stiker. I have to keep my eyes open. It’s not going to be easy. There will be blood. I know that for a fact. I’m going to go out there with 100 percent and show them what I have."

Matt has 30 acres where he plans to have a gym. He told me, "I’m a country boy. I like to train in the country."

Attending the pep rally was an organization Matt has been working with to get mixed martial arts legalized in N.Y. State. I asked Matt what his contribution has been. He said, "When I found out there was no MMA in N.Y. UFC or any other MMA. I was shocked. I went to the senate and testified but they vetoed. I think it’s because it’s a bloody sport and they don’t like that." You may check out the info for the organization called Anger Management at: http://www.angermanagement4mma.com. Matt has his own webpage as well. http://matthamill.com/.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction and Mike Skinner partner for Sunday's NASCAR Pepsi 500

Affliction Entertainment and Michael Waltrip Racing on Friday unveiled Affliction Entertainment’s “Day of Reckoning” #00 Toyota. The race car will be operated by veteran driver Mike Skinner, as he competes in this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway.

Affliction Entertainment is the first mixed martial arts organization to sponsor a car in NASCAR. Fully wrapped in Affliction Entertainment’s “Day of Reckoning” graphics promoting the upcoming Oct. 11 MMA Pay-Per-View event from Las Vegas, the car driven by Skinner will compete in Sunday’s 250-lap event set to start at 5 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Aug. 31 from Auto Club Speedway in San Bernardino County, Calif. and will be shown on ABC TV via ESPN-ABC Sports.

“Affliction is proud to make racing history as the first MMA organization to sponsor a car in NASCAR,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. “NASCAR fans are huge supporters of MMA and this is a great collaboration for both sports.”

“It’s great to have Affliction Entertainment as a Michael Waltrip Racing partner,” said Michael Waltrip, driver of the #55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota and founder of Michael Waltrip Racing. “Our partnership with Affliction and MMA allows us to connect with millions of fans in a unique way.”

In addition to Affliction’s sponsorship of the Michael Waltrip Racing #00 entry, the company will work with Auto Club Speedway to promote “Day of Reckoning” to the multitude of fans who attend the events planned at the world-famous speedway this Labor Day weekend. Utilizing the venue’s multiple promotional opportunities, Affliction and Auto Club Speedway have packaged an entertaining mixture of promotional opportunities to make the fans aware of Affliction’s upcoming event.

“We’re bringing together the excitement of NASCAR racing at Auto Club Speedway and the full contact action of Affliction Entertainment MMA Events,” said Gillian Zucker, president of Auto Club Speedway. “We’re thrilled to host the debut of Affliction in motorsports.”

Roy Englebrecht Events, Donald J. Trump and Affliction Entertainment in association with Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino present Affliction “Day of Reckoning” featuring the WAMMA heavyweight elimination match between Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Original "TUF" cast member Alex Schoenauer expects return to UFC

Xtreme Couture light heavyweight Alex Schoenauer (14-9 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a cast member on the original season of "The Ultimate Fighter," may soon be stepping back into the octagon.

The IFL veteran recently signed with the WEC as a late replacement for Mark Munoz in a Sept. 10 WEC 36 bout against Steve Steinbeiss.

Schoenauer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that it is the first of several planned bouts under the Zuffa LLC banner.

"I believe it's a five-fight deal," Schoenauer said. "Only one is with the WEC and the rest are supposed to be with the UFC. [The WEC] is supposed to be moving all of the 205 (pounders) from the WEC to the UFC. This is supposedly their last 205 (pound) show."

Schoenauer's new contract forced him to veto a previously proposed deal with the California-based Palace Fighting Championship.

"I didn't actually sign to Palace," Schoenauer. "I was about to, but I didn't go that route. I'm exclusive with the WEC."

Schoenauer was eliminated in his first "TUF" fight, losing to eventual show champion Forrest Griffin. Schoenauer returned for the finale but was quickly defeated by Mike Swick.

Since then the 32-year-old has fought for several organizations, most recently the IFL. The native Argentinean appeared on the IFL's first card, and he fought 10 times (with a 5-5 record) for the organization before its demise.

Schoenauer said the eventual collapse of the organization was becoming obvious in recent months.

"[The IFL] didn't let anybody know what was going on," Schoenauer said. "They just kind of told everybody, 'Everything's cool.' But as time went on, you could see that (with) the way they were doing business, they weren't really into the best interests of the fighters anymore.

"That's how it started. It was about the fighters. It really was a great thing the way they had the salary. They had the medical (insurance). Everybody bought into it. [The IFL fighters] were like, 'Yeah, this is awesome.' Finally we have some security. We get salary every month. We get medical (expenses) covered plus you get paid to fight. You were fighting regularly. It was a great deal.

"Then it just kind of started changing. They started moving things around. Then there's no teams. All of the sudden, there's camps. It was just kind of coming down on itself. They had a couple more shows to go, and they canceled the shows. Then the IFL disappeared."

With the IFL in his past, Schoenauer is looking forward to returning to the octagon and displaying the skills he has developed in the last three years.

"The UFC is kind of where I started," Schoenauer said. "I'm looking to get back in there with this contract and perform.

"When I first started with the UFC, I really didn't know what I was doing in the sport. I only had six months to a year of training professionally. Now I've had some time to train with some quality trainers and fighters. This is an opportunity to show what I've learned and how I've improved in my game."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Overeem: Cro Cop Bout 'Definitely Happening'

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (Pictures) confirmed to Sherdog.com that he will meet former Pride Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Pictures) at Dream 6 on Sept. 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“The fight is definitely happening, and I’m really glad,” the 28-year-old Dutchman said. “I am already training very hard, and I’m 100 percent certain that it will not go the distance. I don’t care if it is going to be by knockout or by submission, I don’t want the fight to go to a judges’ decision. I want to finish Mirko Cro Cop.”

Overeem would not divulge if he had received a contract yet for the heavyweight bout.

Should the fight come to fruition, it would be Filipovic’s first appearance inside a ring since his first-round obliteration of overmatched Japanese grappler Tatsuya Mizuno (Pictures) in March. Overeem, meanwhile, has stayed busy in recent months, as he knocked out Korean Ssireum fighter Tae Hyun Lee (Pictures) in June and submitted dangerous New Zealand kickboxer Mark Hunt (Pictures) in July.

The rivalry between Cro Cop and Overeem turned personal when the Dutchman started calling out Filipovic publicly, beginning with an interview on Sherdog.com on June 12. Overeem has remained persistent about making the bout happen, challenging the Croatian on the house microphone after each one of his wins.

After a proposed fight with Jerome LeBanner (Pictures) and grappling match with Ralek Gracie (Pictures) failed to materialize this summer, Cro Cop -- who turns 34 in a little more than two weeks -- opted to have surgery on his knee and elbow in early July. Following six weeks of rehabilitation, Filipovic traveled to Amsterdam, Holland. There, he began preparing for his Sept. 23 bout with Overeem, working alongside Remy Bonjansky, Gilbert Yvel (Pictures) and legendary trainer Ivan Hyppolite at Vos Gym.

Struggling to keep its television ratings on TBS respectable, the Japan-based Dream promotion hopes the Filipovic-Overeem match can help meet the demands of one of the country’s major commercial broadcasters and its advertising partners.