MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

SENGOKU V Fight Order Announced! Xande And Sugiura Get Main Event

The fight order for SENGOKU V has been announced. Xande Ribeiro vs. Takashi Sugiura got the main event spot while Roger Gracie vs. Travis Wiuff is the semi main-event. The pairings of the Lightweight GP semifinals were also announced today.

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

Light Heavyweight Fight:
8. Xande Ribeiro vs. Takashi Sugiura

Heavyweight Fight:
7. Roger Gracie vs. Travis Wiuff

Middleweight GP Series 2008 1st Round:
6. Yuki Kondo vs. Yuki Sasaki
5. Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Paul Cahoon
4. Jorge Santiago vs. Logan Clark
3. Evangelista Cyborg vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

Lightweight Fights:
2. Kiuma Kunioku vs. A Sol Kwon
1. Ryan Schultz vs. Jorge Masvidal

SENGOKU VI
Date: November 1st, 2008
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Lightweight GP Series 2008 Final Fight:
Kitaoka/Mitsuoka vs. Hirota/Yokota

Lightweight GP Series 2008 Semifinal Fights:
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Mizuto Hirota vs. Kazunori Yokota

Lightweight GP Series 2008 Reserve Fight:
Masvidal/Schultz vs. TBA

Middleweight GP Series 2008 Semifinal Participants:
Cyborg/Bahadurzada
Kondo/Sasaki
Nakamura/Cahoon
Santiago/Clark

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM: Ktaro Nakamura Interview

DREAM official website posted an interview of Ktaro Nakamura who participated DREAM.6. on Sep 23. (This interview was taken place on Sep 11)
- Could you tell me why you decided to come back?
I lost a motivation as a fighter when I was injured the eye. I found out the condition of the eye wasn't too serious later, and so I participated in a grappling fight to see my condition. I decided to come back when I won the fight.
- I think many fans expected to see you again for sure. What's your favorite techniques?
I like choking.
- What do you think about DREAM?
I think DREAM is the biggest MMA event in Japan.
- Could you compare DREAM with the UFC?
I think both events are in the same level. The lightweight class is extremely high level in both events. I want to see a fight of Hansen vs B.J.Penn personally.- You face Adriano Martins.
I found out Fanjin Son, who fights in SHOOTO and CAGE FORCE, trained with him. In his blog, he said "Martins was extremely strong. " So, have to be careful. - Martins saw your fight videos and said you weren't impressive.
He is just making a bluff.
- Who do you want to fight in the near future?
I want to fight Shinya Aoki because he is considered a No.1 lightweight fighter in Japan.
- What do you want to do in your fight?
I want to win by submitting him. I want to keep fighting in DREAM and I cannot lose this fight.
Assumed that I will fight in Sep, I have been training. I'm well prepared. I hope I will be popular with women as a result of winning this fight.

 

[naner12]

That September 28th card looks to be pretty dope and is definitely the best Sengoku card on paper so far.

 

[Shogun Locc]

now that Sengoku has a tv deal I expect to see FEG and WVR to bring back the japanese mma scene the way it was.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Trevor Prangley vs. Anthony Ruiz added to "Strikeforce at the Mansion II"

Anthony Ruiz (21-11), who replaced an injured Bobby Southworth (only to have opponent Renato "Babalu" Sobral also pull out of the fight due to an injury), will instead meet Trevor Prangley (17-5) at Saturday's "Strikeforce at the Mansion II" event.

Strikeforce today officially confirmed the fight.

The bout will be a rematch from the fighters' original meeting at an October 2006 Strikeforce event, where Prangley scored a first-round submission victory over Ruiz.

Saturday's event takes place at the world famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. A free stream of the event will be available through Sherdog.com.

Ruiz, who returns to Strikeforce for the first time since a five-round decision loss to title-holder Southworth in June, will go his eighth win in his past nine fights. In fact, in his past 11 fights, he's lost only to Southworth and Prangley.

Ruiz, 30, most recently scored a unanimous-decision victory over Jeremy Freitag at a July EliteXC event.

Prangley, meanwhile, was a victim of Affliction's recent cancellation of its Oct. 11 card. Prangley had been scheduled to fight Matt Lindland, but the event was recently postponed until January. The 36-year-old South African, who will go for his eighth win in nine fights, will compete for the first time since Strikeforce's four-man middleweight tournament in November 2007. Prangley scored an impressive knockout of Falaniko Vitale in his opening-round bout before suffering a tough-fought loss to Jorge Santiago in the night's finale.

 

[Shogun Locc]

In your face: MMAmania.com exclusive Clay Guida UFC Fight Night 15 interview

One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division is Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (23-9). A cardio machine, Guida is always on the attack, and his performances are often some of the most memorable of the night on whatever card he appears.

He’s 3-3 in the Octagon and has faced some of the division’s top fighters, including Roger Huerta and Tyson Griffin—both extremely close contests. He also holds a win over Marcus Aurelio and recently snapped Samy Schiavo’s six-fight win streak at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April.

Guida is now looking to put together a string of wins to climb the ranks of one of promotion’s thickest divisions. He faces a big test in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 winner Mac Danzig (18-4-1), one of the most experienced fighters to ever come off the TUF series and a five-time King of the Cage Lightweight Champion.

It all goes down tomorrow night at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer, which airs on Spike TV at 8:00 p.m. ET from the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

We recently caught up with Guida for a few quick minutes to find out how he plans to bring it to Danzig, check in on his ever-evolving cardio and discover a few interesting facts about the fighter that you might not have known before.


Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): The first big question is what is the plan of attack for Mac Danzig?

Clay Guida: The plan of attack for Danzig is pretty much the plan of attack for all my fights: stay in his face, stay gritty, establish takedowns and good position on top. Try not to stay in his guard for too long — you know just attack, attack, attack, man. I feel my stand-up has come full circle and people are going to see that Wednesday night.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): You have always been known for your cardio and pushing the pace; was this your fight plan from day one or have you evolved into that with the training at the Institute of Human Performance?

Clay Guida: I have been with them for close to a year now, and I think they definitely helped me step it up. I have always done the road work on my own, but got brought into a different environment with the personal training, and the conditioning program is awesome. I am really thankful to have my personal trainers out there, but people are going to see that I am more than just conditioning, that I am a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Do you have a long-term plan for going after the title and what you might be doing after fighting?

Clay Guida: Yeah, I’d like to put on Mac Wednesday night and get closer to the title, and if this ball keeps rolling the way it has been, just keep advancing in my training and eventually get to the title shot. I am in the UFC to be the champ, not just to say, “I fight in the UFC.” I have never been like that. I mean, I am having fun, fighting in the biggest echelon in MMA, but I am here for a reason, which is to get that strap.

Down the road, I’d like to open a couple of gyms with me and my brother. But right now, I am just concentrating on being the best fighter I can be.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Rich Franklin was a math teacher, Joe Lauzon was an IT guy, what would most surprise people about you?

Clay Guida: You mean, like, just an interesting fact?

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Yeah.

Clay Guida: I’ve traveled a lot. Since I was 18, I have just been out and about. (I was) in college for a while, lived all over the country, lived on an Alaskan fishing boat, which was just an awesome experience. I was out on the Bering Sea for about six months. It was a phenomenal experience and a lot of work.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Probably puts fighting in perspective.

Clay Guida: Exactly. It kind of makes fighting seem like a walk in the park, ya know. We worked 18 – 20 hours a day, seven days a week, with 30 – 40 foot waves almost every day.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Any certain hobbies to unwind when you are not fighting or training for a fight?

Clay Guida: I love to go boating. Me and my friends will hit up concerts and music festivals. I love to go to Cubs games — been to over a dozen this year. Bears games, I just love to travel. I think between my fight in April and this fight I was probably home for maybe four weekends. I train at other gyms here and there, but traveling is just my passion, I love it.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): Being a Chicago guy, do you think the Cubs are gonna do it?

Clay Guida: The Cubbies definitely have a chance. These past couple weeks have been kinda shaky, but I think they will pick it up toward playoff time. I think this might be the year.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): The 155-pound weight class is arguably the most competitive division in the UFC. With Dana trimming the roster lately, what do you think keeps you here?

Clay Guida: I am going to be in the UFC as long as I want to be, man. I dictate my career. Ws keep you in the UFC, exciting fights work for a little while, but I am here to win, not just put on exciting fights. I am here to win and get closer to that belt.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): After Mac Danzig, who would be next on your list?

Clay Guida: I am just concentrating on Mac Wednesday night, but whoever they put in front of me after this is who they pick. But Mac is my main concern.

Mike McColgan (MMAmania.com): All right, well, thanks for your time and good luck Wednesday.

Clay Guida: Thanks.

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Challenge set to premiere this Friday on HDNet

Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is set to premiere on HDNet this Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Over the course of the past year, 10 teams representing eight different countries (including two teams from Russia along with an international team) competed in events held all over the world to determine the first-ever winner of the M-1 Challenge.

Much like the IFL’s team concept, each country fields a team with a representative in the five major individual weight classes including lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.

Hosted by former PRIDE announcer Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith of the Discovery Channel’s “Fight Quest,” U.S. fans will be able to tune in each and every Friday and see how the tournament unfolded. Friday’s premiere episode will feature France taking on the famed Russian Red Devil team.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Another Unbreakable Diaz

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Inside Torres’ Pacific Coast Martial Arts, Team Stockton graffiti styles the white brick walls. As Nathan Diaz readies himself to headline a UFC event for the first time -- he will meet Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 15 this Wednesday in Omaha, Neb. -- “The Ultimate Fighter” season five winner remains more focused on fighting than fame.

Many mixed martial artists train in 90- to 120-minute bursts. Such is not the case for Diaz and his older brother, Nick. By 9:30 p.m. on this night, they have already trained for an hour and a half. Diaz plays around on a heavy bag and waits, as Nick rolls with his grappling class. This will serve as Diaz’s next to last night of real training before he collides with Neer.

The gym’s warehouse-style setup allows for a full view of every corner. Displaced work wood and steel pipes further the industrialized feel. With the garage door raised to the ceiling, the humidity being produced by the fighters inside can be felt from the street lined with tightly packed cars outside the training center.

Diaz enters the ground level cage in the back of the gym. In the center of the cage, Cesar Gracie sits with two unfamiliar characters. The mat is blue, yellow and marked with wrestling boundaries. Diaz takes his instructor’s back for laughs.

However, the Stockton-native soon becomes embroiled in a real grappling war. Caio Terra, who won both gi and no-gi world championships at super featherweight this year, is one of the men in the cage and pressures Nate with his unparalleled jiu-jitsu. Gracie and the other man watch the brown belt hold his own.

Nick, taking a short break, holds the outside of the fence and relays instructions to his younger brother in a tone so low it could not have possibly reached Diaz’s ears. The fight goes back and forth, with Terra finding his stride in speed but struggling against Nate’s size and long limbs. In a scramble, Nate locks up a deep armbar, causing Terra to grimace as he defends. If not for his experience and rubbery arm that seemed to be missing a bone, he might have tapped.

Nate switches to a triangle. Gracie, dressed in his usual cargo shorts and sponsored T-shirt, calls “time” from his wrist watch.

Road to the UFC

This world-class training in middle-of-nowhere Stockton is what has crafted Nate Diaz (9-2) into one of the UFC’s hottest prospects at 155 pounds. Entering his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in 2007, he was already a hometown hero due largely to strong showings in the Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting promotions. His family ties and his connection to Gracie added credibility to the MMA up-and-comer. Diaz’s early days were marked by patience.

At the time, I would just go one step at a time,” he says.

An impressive battle with UFC veteran and then WEC lightweight champion Hermes Franca saw Diaz lose via second-round armbar. However, Franca’s stellar resume and the fact that Diaz troubled him in the first round empowered the young Californian and increased his stock prior to his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

With a brother who had already competed successfully in the UFC, it was a big jump for the younger Diaz -- a fighter marked more by shyness than swagger. Being that he started his career after “The Ultimate Fighter” boom, it only made sense for Diaz, who was largely unfamiliar with the barnyard shows and extensive tours in Japan teammates Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez had experienced.

The loss to Franca forced Diaz to keep his mind in fights and analyze the mistakes that ended with his arm being locked up by the future UFC title challenger. He knew he had to try his best “not to f--k up and do something stupid, some stupid little thing like that, and train harder than everybody.”

With his MMA path paved in part by older brother Nick, Diaz was able to get through the reality show by following his gameplan and drawing upon his sibling’s considerable experience.

“I’m glad to be [Nick’s] brother, his teammate, training partner, and him being my coach and everything,” Diaz says. “Well, he’s a good guy to train with and look up to because he’s just the hardest worker. I don’t think you can find anyone that trains harder than Nick. I just try to follow footsteps, do everything he does, try to do it harder, which is pretty much damn near impossible. But I’m seeing whatever he does. I’m right there, and with training partners doing the same thing, coming up, you know?”

‘Always like this down here’

Diaz wanders out of the cage, looking relatively fresh after rolling with a jiu-jitsu world champion. He finds his way into a team takedown drill being led by his brother. Nick is his main coach, along with Gracie, and they are training Gracie’s affiliates in the 209 area code.

Diaz walks away from the takedown drills and puts on his boxing gear. The southpaw keeps his distance as he spars. Gracie grows restless, and the clock nears 11:30 p.m.

“It’s always like this down here,” Gracie says.

Tunes from The Rolling Stones and The Doors blare through the speakers between tracks by Eminem, System of a Down and the occasional underground artist. Diaz finishes sparring and starts working the pads, the thuds from which remind everyone in the gym -- whittled down from two dozen to just Diaz, his brother and a handful of stragglers -- of his focus on Neer.

“It’s going to help out my school and my team if I go there and put on a good show, so I’m working my ass off for that,” Diaz says. “And the pressure is the same amount for me in every fight, you know? I feel like I can beat anyone that I fight. The thing is you only have that night to do it in. Hopefully, it’ll go good for me and not for him.”

A veteran of 31 fights, Neer (24-6-1) has won seven of his last eight bouts, including a decision victory over American Top Team’s Din Thomas in April.

“Josh Neer is a less technical person, but with that [and] getting into the UFC, he’s had a bunch of tough fights,” Diaz says. “He’s not a guy to come out and quit. He’s a guy to go out there and go hard the whole time because he’s had it rough the whole time. He’s had to fight these technical guys his whole career. With all these fights he’s had, he’s learning the technical points. It’s definitely a tough fight, but I train with tough guys all the time.”

Diaz will enter the Octagon with the knowledge that his brother was able to finish Neer with a kimura when the two met at UFC 62 two years ago. In fact, Nick was the last person to submit Neer, a product of the famed Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“If he doesn’t [finish], it’s just gonna get worse off on him,” says Diaz, who has not competed since he submitted Kurt Pellegrino at UFC Fight Night 13. “If I had my way, I would not have time on these fights or make more rounds. Sometimes I’m a slow starter, but that’s what helped me get through [Pellegrino in April]. I had to wake my ass up.”

The exposure in a Spike TV main event can only boost Team Stockton’s growth. Opposed by a gritty fighter like Neer, Diaz knows only an on-point effort will showcase his skills in the right ways. Gracie, too, predicts an all-out war, a chin-versus-chin battle with some slick ground action.

Burning the midnight oil

As Diaz finishes up work on the pads, only five other fighters remain in the gym. Gracie leaves, unable to keep up for the entire training session. He stands on the ring apron, as Diaz, his prized 23-year-old protégé, gives him a departing hug.

Diaz continues to shadowbox with weights in the ring, as Nick waits for him to finish on the mats. The older of the two brothers recalls a tiresome six-mile-long bike ride earlier in the day, a ride for which Diaz most likely joined him. Killing boredom, Nick starts doing guard sit-ups around a heavy bag.

Diaz, meanwhile, exits and starts to play around in the mirror. Perhaps spurred by the lack of action, the lanky lightweight performs squat thrust pushups with no timer. He moves back into the cage and puts his body through sit-ups before he switches to leg raises and traditional pushups for good measure. It is now past midnight.

Diaz soon closes the garage door, shutting down the gym. After some rest and a verbal jab from his brother, he turns off the radio, and the lights go dark. His training concludes for the day.

Unaffected by fame, Diaz continues to put in the work that transformed him from a gangly kid from Stockton into a dangerous mixed martial artist, lethal on his feet and on the ground. Though he has rattled off four straight wins, he only needs to look to his brother to see how fast careers can change. In 2005, Nick -- a prospect of equal, if not greater value -- had a chance to cash in when he took on the then undefeated Diego Sanchez in the main event of “The Ultimate Fighter 2” Finale. A hard-fought decision loss sidetracked the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, as he became notorious for his antics inside and outside the ring, including run-ins with athletic commissions.

Diaz has steered clear of those obstacles thus far.

“I just want to fight everyone in the division,” he says, having openly pined for a match with Tyson Griffin. “There are some I want to fight more than others. No rush, they’re all going to be there. One at a time, and right now it’s Josh Neer. Whoever’s next after that, line them up.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Press Conference Notes! SENGOKU TV Deal Officially Announced

The SENGOKU TV deal with TV Tokyo was officially announced today. Hidehiko Yoshida, Takanori Gomi, someone from TV Tokyo and WVR PR Kuniyasu were present at the press conference. The September 27th special program will air from 13:00 to 13:55 and will have an introduction of the four Japanese Lightweight GP finalists, a look into the Middleweight GP and much more.

“SENGOKUG!” First Four Episode Contents:

October 5th: Special on Takanori Gomi + Middleweight GP Semifinal Pairings
October 12th: Special on Satoru Kitaoka vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
October 19th: Special on Mizuto Hirota vs. Kazunori Yokota
October 26th: Preview of the November 1st Lightweight and Middleweight GP Finals

Gomi said at the press conference that he wants to fight on SENGOKU VI in November. He also requested idol Yukie Kawamura to be the newscaster of SENGOKUG!.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tatsuya Kawajiri starts his project

Tatsuya Kawajiri starts "The CRUSHER Project." The purpose of this project is to make MMA more popular in Japan and improve the image of MMA. He is going to have events continually and every event will have a theme. The target of his first event on Oct 13 is women. He would like to have women come to see fights.

Tatsuya Kawajiri:
I start an event to contribute to the promotion of MMA. The first event is at Edogawa Sports Kaikan(Tokyo) on Oct 13. I'm going to hold events continually. When I compare MMA with other sports, MMA are not well-known and it seems like struggling. I would like to make MMA well known and attract more people. I suppose MMA are still considered to be nothing but violent for many people; therefore, I would like to improve the image of MMA through this project. In the event, I will show basic techniques, how to enjoy fights, self-defense techniques etc. I will answer questions from the audience.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Danzig is No Rock Star
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Danzig-is-No-Rock-Star-1766
You’d be hard pressed to find a more humble, genuine top-level fighter than UFC lightweight contender Mac Danzig.

The reality show champion spoke with Sherdog.com's Mike Sloan on a myriad of topics, including his time spent on SpikeTV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” and his preparation to face Clay Guida.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMANews.com Exclusive: Interview w/ Paul Daley

On October 4th, Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Paul “Semtex” Daley will look to add another welterweight title to his collection when he faces Jake Shields for the EliteXC title in the semi main event of the third installment of Saturday Night Fights on CBS.

The flamboyant Brit is riding a six fight win streak going into the bout that will air live on CBS and will look to make it seven in a row as well as make his case for a spot in the world top ten rankings with a win over Shields.

“Semtex” took the time out of his training schedule to answer questions from MMANews.com’s own Chris Howie about the fight with Shields, training with some of the best K-1 fighters out of Holland, and what he needs to do to become first fighter out of the United Kingdom to win a major title in North American Mixed Martial Arts.

Chris Howie of MMANews.com: How has your training gone in prepartion for this fight with Jake Shields?

Paul Daley: It's going really well, thanks. It's very intense, I'm here at Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, with Melvin (Manhoef) and the Dream 6 fight camp, So (it’s like) I’m really training to fight a Grand Prix, So i'm in great shape.

MMANews.com: What advantages and disadvantages do you feel you have going into the fight?

Paul Daley: I hit hard, and it only takes me one punch, kick, knee, or elbow to end a fight I’m strong and in great condition, my takedown defense is good, and my ground defense is stronger. Jake is a good wrestler and has good submissions.

MMANews.com: What aspects of your game did you work on going into this fight?

Paul Daley: Of course my takedown defense, my conditioning and my submissions and take down defense. We've had some judo guys, wrestlers and have had Antonio Carvalho through out the camp.

MMANews.com: Jake is known as a great ground fighter and submission expert, you on the other hand are known for your explosive striking and KO power. What do you feel will make the different in this fight?

Paul Daley: My mental state is real good now, I believe in myself, my team and training. To me the fight is already won.

MMANews.com: Who has helped you prepare for this fight?

Paul Daley: Mike at Mike's gym in Amsterdam, with Melvin Manhoef, Antonio Carvalho, Jason Jones and the guys. I'm going to the Armory Gym in Florida to do my final light preparation and to make weight.

MMANews.com: Being a champion in England, what would it mean for you to become a champion in the USA?

Paul Daley It’s not so much about being the champion, I just want to beat Jake Shields and be recognized as one the best welterweights in the world.

MMANews.como you feel you are the underdog going into this fight?

Paul Daley: Yes, but I like it that way.

MMANews.com: Do you feel Shields will be under pressure going into this one considering it will be his first title defense?

Paul Daley:I don’t care what Jake feels! It means nothing to me.

MMANews.com: You've had some issues with ProElite in the past, more specifically Cage Rage. What was going on behind the scenes with that company that caused problems for you?

Paul Daley: Nothing, all is good. Pro Elite have been great to me.

MMANews.com: You've been given a shot at the welterweight championship during a Primetime event on EliteXC. Did your opinion of Proelite change when they gave you a shot at the title?

Paul Daley: Nah, my opinion has always been the same of Pro Elite, they are good people, they had offered me the fight before, so I am grateful the chance came again.

MMANews.com: Although a lot of fans in North America may not have heard the name Paul Daley, you have been fighting for the last 5 years with the majority of your fights coming in the United Kingdom. How old were you when you got into the fight game and what made you become a fighter?

Paul Daley: I fought my first amateur MMA bout when i was 18. Since I seven years old I have been involved with the Martial Arts. It's my passion, I love competing, I love being a Martial Artist, and for me, I am living the dream. From watching the old Ninja movies, to being that real traveling warrior, that’s me.

MMANews.com:Who are some fighters that you have looked up to on your way to becoming a champion?

Paul Daley: Of course Melvin Manhoef. He is also a good friend, so away from him, I like Anderson Silva, Minotauro and others.

MMANews.com:Who are some of your favorite fighters to watch?

Paul Daley: Anderson Silva, Melvin Manhoef, GSP and Jon Fitch.

MMANews.com: Beyond Jake Shields, who are some other welterweight fighters in the world that you have your eye on?

Paul Daley: I want to be the best, the top ten.

MMANews.com: Right now you are riding a six fight win streak, what do you feel you need to do against Shields to make it seven and win the title?

Paul Daley: Keep the pressure on him, stop the takedowns, make him scared of me...as well he fucking should be, and knock him out!

MMANews.com: Of your eighteen victories the majority have come by way of T(KO), were you a natural striker or was it something that a lot of time and practice has gone into?

Paul Daley: I think I’m a natural striker, but I am not complete. I want to be the best at every aspect of the sport. But for the fans, the KO is best!

MMANews.com: You've trained in Holland before which is home to many great K-1 Champions and experts. Who have you trained with in the country and how have they helped you better develop your game?

Paul Daley: Well Mike's Gym is home to many great fighters and in some way they have all helped me. From just watching how they train, to sparring with them, and being taught new skills. Badr Hari, Joeri Mes, Melvin Manhoef, Bjorn Bregy, Belani Rashed and more.

MMANews.com: Do you have any sponsors you would like to mention or anyone you would like to thank?

Paul Daley: Hijakbaselayer.com and Lemarr.com. (There are a number of other sponsors that I maybe involved with but the papers ain’t signed yet, so it's there bad. Sorry 15-9-08)

MMANews.com: Any messages to your fans out there?

Paul Daley: Make sure you tune in on Oct 4th to EliteXC on CBS and watch the crowning of a new Champion and the first fighter from the U.K to do so.

MMANews.com: And finally Paul, how do you see your October 4th fight with Shields ending?

Paul Daley: I'm going to KO him, I’m real confident, I hope the fight is entertaining for the fans also though.

 

[Shogun Locc]

9/23 DREAM 6 - Aoki added

DREAM has added another fight to the already stacked card for DREAM 6. No doubt this is to draw more viewers, but that's never a bad thing. I am surprised to see Aoki return so soon, but it will be an exciting fight. I dont know much about Todd Moore, but he was undefeated before his WEC debut and should be a good fighter.

Added:
Lightweight: Shinya Aoki 17-3-0 vs. 9-2-0 Todd Moore

 

[Shogun Locc]

James Thompson Pulls Out

Cage Rage VIP Show Update ...16th September 2008

Due to the very nature of the sport, training accidents do happen and on this occasion, it couldn't get much worse as both the main bout fighters, Thompson & Kusmierz, have fallen foul of training incidents within 24 hours of each other. But as always, we have fighters who are ready at a moments notice and we are excited to be able to announce a Heavyweight replacement bout, featuring 2 fighters, who will give it everything in what promises to be a bruising encounter. Hold on to the edge of your seats as James Mcsweeney and Roman Webber collide at Cage Rage - VIP on 20th September.

 

[heyzel]

Thumbplay Moble and UFC Announce Partnership

THUMBPLAY JUMPS IN THE OCTAGON™ WITH UFC®THUMBPLAY JUMPS IN THE OCTAGON™ WITH UFC®

Lookin’ for a Fight® with Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Georges St-Pierre?

It’s Never Been Closer Than in the Palm of Your Hand

NEW YORK – August TK, 2008 – Thumbplay® (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment content service in the U.S.*, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), the world’s premier mixed martial arts sports organization, today announced the launch of a wide array of mobile content through the Thumbplay service. Effective immediately, UFC fans can hear from their favorite UFC fighters, replay videos of the most intense matchups and view the stunning Octagon Girls™ through the convenience of Thumbplay’s online and mobile content retrieval service.

Thumbplay, available on more than 2,000 mobile devices across all major U.S. carriers, will now showcase some of the most exciting throw-downs in fight history and other riveting content, including:
• Fighters: Download videos and wallpapers from various UFC fighters
• Octagon Girls: Arianny Celeste, Edith Labelle and Rachelle Leah heat up your background
• Events: Video Clips and stills from the biggest battles in UFC history
• Sound Effects: All the sounds of the Octagon in one convenient spot

“UFC has exploded on the sports scene and enjoys an enormous fan following that is as dedicated and passionate as the athletes themselves,” commented Are Traasdahl, Thumbplay’s CEO and founder. “Now, the fans will have an even deeper connection to their favorite athletes and all of the compelling content the UFC has assembled. And naturally, it is all delivered with the great service and easy access Thumbplay is known for.”

UFC, the world’s largest pay-per-view content provider with more than 12 events per year, is a mixed martial arts competition between highly skilled professional fighters who use such disciplines as jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling. UFC fighters are among the best-trained and conditioned athletes in the world hailing from such diverse countries as the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Holland and the United Kingdom.

“We are always pushing technology and looking for new ways to deliver the UFC experience to our fans,” stated Dana White, UFC President. “With Thumbplay, we can offer the UFC fighters, sounds and action from UFC events as downloads. This partnership makes new UFC content available to fans and can literally make the UFC come to life right on your mobile device.”

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library currently consists of more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content. Their award-winning direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing its consumers with the best possible customer experience, including live, “24/7/365” customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible. Thumbplay’s “locker” service also allows users to automatically back-up and store purchased items.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eric Schafer – Can a Guy Nicknamed “Red” still be a Bad Guy in Nebraska?

Quick with a one-liner or a dose of deadpan humor, Eric Schafer isn’t a fighter who is going to have too many enemies. But despite this, as well as the nickname “Red”,Schafer is likely to hear plenty of boos when he steps into the Octagon Wednesday night (Spike TV 8pm ET / PT) in Cornhusker territory to take on local Nebraska hero Houston Alexander.

Schafer’s cool with it though.

“I fought in a lot of fights in the enemy’s territory, especially early on in my career when I was trying to make the UFC,” he said. “And I actually think there’s less pressure being the away guy. All the people being there for you puts extra pressure on you – your family, friends, and everyone you know is there, so that’s extra pressure that I don’t really need. I’ll take the enemy role.”

At least he’ll do it with a smile. Unlike some of his peers, the Wisconsin native doesn’t put on a scowl at fight time or need to pump himself up to get into fight mode. In fact, he takes the opposite route, choosing instead to lighten the mood just before he makes the trip from the locker room to the Octagon.

“I want to have fun with this, and I want this to be a sporting event, even more than even a fight,” he said. “I don’t like to get pumped up for a fight, get angry, and get all tough guy. I’m the opposite. I like to calm down, have a little laugh, and the lower my anxiety is, the better. To me, that’s part of the fight game, learning to be like the Terminator, with no emotions. You’re just competing at your potential and any aggressive anger is just gonna make you drop a notch.”

Strangely enough, on the opposite side from Schafer is Alexander, whose intense scowl and pre-fight walk up the aisle has made him a favorite of fans, and the type of guy you want to avoid when the bell rings if you’re a fighter. That aggressive stance carries over to Alexander’s fighting style, and Schafer believes that’s a good thing for him – provided he doesn’t get in the way of any of the bombs launched by the ‘Assassin.’

“You look at him and he’s trying to kill you with every single punch,” said Schafer of his foe. “He looks like one of the scariest guys around. But in a good way, that’s the kind of guy I want – I want him to gas out trying to rip my head off. If every move you do is going a hundred percent, you’re gonna get tired in two minutes, and that’s fine with me. Every minute I survive is another minute where my gameplan’s taking over.”

Neither fighter’s game plan on Wednesday is a secret. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt wants to take Alexander down and submit him. Alexander wants to keep it standing and knock Schafer out. You may say that if Schafer can take a punch that the mesh of styles favors him, but Alexander and his camp had no qualms taking the fight.

“It’s kinda interesting, and I’m not sure if it’s true, but I heard he chose this fight,” said Schafer. “He is a striker first and the thing is, is that he’s a home run hitter. He can knock out anybody out there, so I think he would rather have a guy who’d play with him on the feet a little bit. Not that I’m not going to strike with him at all, but he’s going against a guy who probably wants to go right to the ground. We’re kind of tailor made for each other in a way that one of us is gonna win depending on what territory we go into. I’d assume he’d probably rather have a little bit more of a striker to strike with. But when it is on the feet, it’s gonna be his world, so he doesn’t have to worry so much.”

To get ready for what may be a painful experience while standing, Schafer has been working on his standup with Duke Roufus, K-1 vet Pat Barry, and UFC prospect Alan Belcher, and while he doesn’t expect to outstrike Alexander, he feels he has enough in his arsenal to either keep it at a distance where he can work his almost three inch reach advantage, or get close enough to lock Alexander up and take him down.

“Part of the key is, you don’t stop,” he said. “If you’re gonna go in there, you go in, and if you get hit, you keep going and go right through him with no hesitation, especially in the clinch. If I’m in there, I’m either pursuing a takedown, striking back myself, or at least yanking on him so he’s not settling in for those punches and stuff.”

And if it gets to the mat, Schafer believes that it will be game over.

“We’ve only got to see him on the ground for a little bit in the Thiago Silva fight and he didn’t look too good in that,” said Schafer of Alexander’s loss to the Brazilian last November. “But maybe it was just a bad fight or something. I wish I had more tape and a little more action to go off. But even if he was decent on the ground, that’s gotta be my world. If I lose on the ground, that’s my fault.”

Losing isn’t in the 30-year old Schafer’s mind right now, not after nearly a year away from the UFC as he regrouped from back-to-back Octagon defeats to Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar as well as a series of injuries.

“’07 was a very bad year for me,” said Schafer. “I had a lot of injuries, a lot of stupid little things going on, I had knee surgery, and then I fought Bisping (in December of 2006) and Bonnar. I was still pretty young when it comes
to experience in the big show, and those are two decent names who were more experienced than me. So I think my biggest problem was experience. In ’08, I was still under contract and I just wanted to fight, do a lot more grappling tournaments, get a lot of my ring rust off, and whenever they wanted me to fight, I was gonna do it. So I just kept taking fights and they gave me a call. I know it was coming, but if I didn’t have this fight, I would still be taking mid-level fights on the small shows. I just need to progress as a fighter, so I was cool either way.”

In 2008, Schafer returned to competition in style, submitting Ryan Antle in 41 seconds and stopping William Hill in 2:52 of the first round. He was also healthy and fighting and training full-time after leaving his day job as a lab tech.

“I teach and do seminars, but I’m pretty much a full-time fighter, so I’m a completely different athlete now,” he said. “That’s the good news.”

The bad news was informing his family, especially his mom, that he was going to put his Biology/Chemistry degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on the side for a bit as he pursues a fighting career. But the Magna Cum Laude graduate says that everyone is very supportive of him, even if his mother still worries. And hey, if you’re going to pursue a sport professionally, there’s probably none that tests you mentally more than mixed martial arts. That’s the point, says Schafer.

“What really attracts me to this is the mental game,” he said. “I have to use a different gameplan for every fight – ground game, striking, clinch, wrestling, jiu-jitsu. It’s almost like a game, and it’s the coolest sport in the world to me because of the mental part of it.”

On Wednesday, the mental meets the physical for Schafer, and after surviving the UFC jitters in his early Octagon appearances, he’s ready for anything Alexander can throw at him.

“All the fights in the world don’t matter, because once you’re in the UFC, it’s a different level,” he said. “You can be 20-0 in the small shows, maybe even against top guys, but when you’re in there and that guy’s Stephan Bonnar, the guy you’ve been seeing on TV for the last three years, it’s a totally different thing. And all that extra nonsense is what really gets to you. But I’m coming back now and I actually feel a lot more confident. I’ve been working my striking a lot in the last year, my ground game is as good as ever, if not way better, especially MMA wise, but athletically, I’ve been really busting my butt, and I’m as good as I’ve ever felt.”

 

[heyzel]

The Coutures venture further into fight promoting

By Steve Cofield


We'll get a glimpse of the future on Oct. 18 when Xtreme Couture holds another Las Vegas fight card at the Thomas & Mack Center. The card is expected to feature several fighters from the first Affliction Fighting card. We may see a lot more local fight promoting from Randy Couture once he's done with his fighting career



Technically, this is the second MMA card backed by the Coutures. They were instrumental in putting together the Free-for-All card in Las Vegas back in June. That was where Kim Couture made her pro debut. Aside from the John Allessio-Pete Spratt main event, that card featured mainly newcomers to the sport. This is a big step up with fighters the caliber of Mike Whitehead, Allessio, Mike Pyle and Jay Hieron, the former IFL welterweight champ, on the card. For a cheaper option, you can hit the Xtreme Couture smoker in Las Vegas on Sept. 27 for just $10.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Alexander Begins the 16th Minute

Celebrity in professional combat sports these days is easy enough to figure out – win a couple of fights in spectacular fashion, and you’re the greatest thing since pizza. Lose once, and you’re overhyped. Drop two in a row and, well, Houston Alexander can pick it up from here.

“I usually don’t read blogs, but a friend of mine told me that some guy said I ran out on my 15 minutes of fame, and I said, ‘man, I’ve been doing this for like ten years,’” chuckled Alexander, whose UFC knockout wins over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara were tossed to the wayside by fickle fans after back-to-back defeats against Thiago Silva and James Irvin. But ‘The Assassin’ takes the praise and the criticism with equal doses of maturity.

“As long as I’m providing for my kids and the people whose faces I have to look at every day respect the fact that I’m still representing our community, that’s all that matters,” said the 36-year old single father of six. “I don’t care what couch potatoes or internet warriors say. All I can do is keep working hard and pushing on, and once I win this fight, it all starts over again. We’re in the hunt again, etc., etc. I know how all this stuff works. I’ve been doing promotion work for years. I’m at .500 (in the UFC) right now. If I get above .500, I’ll be good.”

That’s as animated as the calm, cool, and collected Alexander will get outside the Octagon. Close the door and ring the bell though, and a whole new person emerges, and it was this aggressive, Tyson-esque banger who captured the imagination of the MMA world in 2007 when he blitzed Jardine and Sakara in a combined 1:49.

In his next fight, at UFC 78 last November, he was stopped by the unbeaten Silva, but most chalked it up to Alexander’s inexperience on the ground against a Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He would get it right, his followers said, against Irvin this past April. It was a battle of two gunslingers, and Alexander was deemed to have armor piercing bullets in his hands. Unfortunately for him, Irvin was the faster draw, and a Superman punch dropped Alexander immediately, with a stoppage coming at the eight second mark of the first round. The East St. Louis native wasn’t happy with what he felt was a quick stoppage, but he moved on.

“When you understand the game and have been around as long as I have, you take what they give you, and you don’t complain about it because when you complain about it, you end up being a whiner,” he said. “You’ve got to take it in stride and go in the next time and dominate. We’ll follow our gameplan and not even let it get to that point.”

His critics came out of the woodwork though, with the ‘15 minutes of fame’ remark the only one that stuck in Alexander’s head. But on Wednesday, Alexander’s 16th minute begins, and he’ll be kicking off the next phase of his career in familiar surroundings – his adopted home of Omaha, Nebraska, where he’s lived since 1980.

“I think that was the whole overall outlook that I had, that maybe we would have a UFC here, and when I got the call that it was gonna be here, I was real proud to have even had a voice in that happening,” said Alexander, whose repping of Nebraska knows no bounds. Plus, Alexander rightfully states that with the UFC bringing a fight to town, “You’re gonna change the whole economy in a week,” with fans coming in and not only buying tickets, but getting hotel rooms and eating in local restaurants. Jeez, if Alexander keeps this up, you could elect him Mayor soon. But he respectfully declines.

“If I could only get a skybox at the University of Nebraska, I’ll be good,” he laughs.

This week’s fight (Wed. Spike TV 8pm ET/PT) is no laughing matter, especially given the groundfighting prowess of his opponent, Eric Schafer.

“From what I’ve seen, Eric is a pretty well-rounded guy,” said Alexander. “Of course, one of his strengths is the ground game, but like I’ve said since I’ve been in the organization, all of these guys are here for a reason, and anything can happen. You’ve got a guy like Thiago Silva, a black belt in jiu-jitsu, knocking people out,
so times have changed, and people are really mixing it up and winning in different ways than what they’re known for, so I’m ready for everything.”

On paper, it’s the perfect meshing of styles, with Alexander the striker and Schafer the grappler, and it’s an intriguing bout to watch for fans. But as far as Alexander’s career is concerned, ‘Red’ is probably the last guy most fighters would want to tangle with coming off two straight losses. Team Alexander disagreed.

“They thought it was a good match, an excellent way to test me out, and he (Schafer) has got a couple of fights in the UFC, versus some of the other opponents they were trying to put me up against, so he has a track record.”

But what about the ground game that seemed to be his downfall against Silva? Is Schafer really the guy you want to test things out on?

“I know what type of fighter I am, and I just don’t wanna have to prove to other people what type of fighter I am – they’re just gonna have to see,” said Alexander. “Once I get a rhythm, it’s gonna be an incredible sight to see, because I’m probably ten times better than when I fought my first fight, and it just took my coaches to sharpen the knife. But the fans are going to see a more well-rounded and more knowledgeable fighter, and they’re going to see an even more aggressive fighter than what I was when I first got into the organization.”

The UFC obviously sees potential in Alexander as well, hence a recent contract extension.

“I guess the work we’ve already put in just shows that they believe in what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. “To me, it takes a little bit to gain some type of rhythm in the organization. You’re just not gonna come in and dominate everyone, and I knew that. Once I find my rhythm, I know I’m gonna be a lot better fighter than what people have seen.”

As for the critics, Alexander simply says, “I’ve got to give them something to talk about.”

Then he laughs.

“Win or lose, it’s been exciting, eh?”

Definitely.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Evan Tanner Funeral Announced

From Team Tanner organizer Kyria in an email to Fightlinker.
I spoke with Evan’s family today and they have finalized Evan’s memorial. His memorial will be held in Amarillo, TX on September 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Civic Center is located at 401 South Buchanan Street.

If anyone wishes to send flowers or cards, they can be sent to Jeff Tanner, 504 S Harrison Street, Amarillo TX 79101. The family has also set up a memorial fund with The Amarillo National Bank. If you are interested in donating to his memorial fund, please email me for details.

I have received so many emails about purchasing a shirt, beanie, etc. I do not know Evan’s family’s plan for Team Tanner so I do not have the information you are looking for. The family has a lot to absorb and also needs time to mourn the loss of Evan so please respect that. If and when they decide to move ahead with shirts, etc, I have kept all of the emails and someone will be able contact them with the details.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Quinton Jackson preparing for UFC 91 fight with Wanderlei Silva

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (28-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has begun preparations for a UFC 91 fight with Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

Sources within Jackson's new camp at the Wolfslair Academy tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Jackson has agreed to the Nov. 15 bout and has already begun a six-week fight camp with the U.K.-based team.

However, the UFC has yet to announce the bout, and neither fighter could publicly confirm the match-up.

The Jackson-Silva bout will likely serve as the co-main event to UFC 91's headline fight of UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar. The fight card, which also includes Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson, takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

MMARated.com first reported earlier this month that the Jackson-Silva fight was close to being finalized.

Jackson, who faces two felony (and four misdemeanor) charges stemming from a July hit-and-run and subsequent police chase in California, will return to competition for the first time since the bizarre incident and his recent split with longtime trainer and friend Juanito Ibarra. Under Ibarra's guidance, Jackson had won six consecutive fights, which included a first-round TKO of then-champ Chuck Liddell in May 2007, before his May title loss to Forrest Griffin.

Jackson, who recently pleaded not guilty to the charges, is currently scheduled for a Nov. 3 court date at which time he'll learn whether or not he'll go to trial due to his recent arrest.

Silva, meanwhile, recently picked up his first UFC win in nine years when he defeated Keith Jardine in quick and brutal fashion at UFC 84. He needed just 36 seconds for the knockout victory.

Silva competed in some early UFC events before heading to PRIDE to become one of the organization's biggest stars and most recognizable champions. However, his final two fights in the Japanese-based organization were both losses -- to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Dan Henderson via knockouts -- and he stretched the losing streak to three straight when he dropped a unanimous decision to Liddell during his octagon return at UFC 79.

The winner of the Jackson-Silva fight will be in the thick of the UFC's light-heavyweight title picture, which also includes undefeated contender Lyoto Machida. However, Rashad Evans, fresh off a stunning knockout victory of Liddell, has been granted the first shot at Griffin's title. That bout is expected to take place later this year or in early 2009.

Tickets for UFC 91 go on sale to the UFC's fan club beginning Wednesday, and the general public can place its orders on Saturday.