MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Koscheck has no plans to sign licensing agreement

During this week’s edition of ESPN.com’s MMA Live, Franklin McNeil of the NewarK Star-Ledger stated that UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck has not signed the infamous merchandising and licensing agreement that was one of the contributing factors for Jon Fitch’s brief release from the UFC last month.

Koscheck is a teammate of Fitch’s at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and is also represented by the same management company, Zinkin Entertainment. The former NCAA wrestling standout is set to face Yoshiyuki Yoshida at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops” on Dec. 10 in Fayatteville, North Carolina.

McNeil expressed uncertainty as to whether Koscheck will continue fighting for the UFC following the bout’s conclusion.

“If he loses - and even if he wins - this may the last fight he has in the UFC,” said McNeil. “As far as I know, he hasn’t signed the licensing agreement and has no intention of signing it.”

At the time of Fitch’s release, UFC President Dana White denied reports that he was released for his refusal to sign a contract with the UFC that would grant the company lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of future video game releases. Instead, White indicated the release was the result of strained relations with Fitch’s camp.

“(The release) doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either,” White said during a Nov. 19 interview on “The Carmichael Dave Show” on KHTK radio in Sacramento. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”

During an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com last month, Koscheck refused to respond to questions pertaining to the controversy between his camp and the UFC.

“I don’t think I’m really going to comment on it too much so that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say on the whole thing,” Koscheck began to respond when asked about the highly-publicised spat. “I’m not focused on the problems of contracts or the whole AKA and Zinkin Entertainment vs. the UFC thing. I’m focused on Yoshida on Dec. 10 and that’s where my priorities are right now.”

The day after Fitch’s release, reports surfaced that the former welterweight title challenger had contacted UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and had opted to sign the video game licensing agreement. At the time, the reports also indicated that communication between the UFC and AKA/Zinkin had resumed in hopes of coming to a resolution regarding Koscheck and undefeated heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez reportedly has said he has every intention of remaining with the UFC, however, McNeil’s recent comments cast a shadow of doubt regarding Koscheck’s future with the promotion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chuck Liddell Training With American Top Team

Chuck Liddell is training with American Top Team in a bid to get back on track after his knockout loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88.

The news was revealed by his coach John Hackleman, who trains and manages Liddell at The Pit, the gym he represents when he fights.

Hackleman appeared on FightHype to answer questions from fans, one of which was whether Liddell was trying to round his skills out by training with ATT.

"Yeah, you learn something new wherever you train. He's always cross-trained and had people come in. He will definitely learn from Liborio and Matt," replied Hackleman.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction Clothing Clairifies Their Brand’s Positioning In MMA

Tom Attencio of Affliction feels that there are some misconceptions about his brand in relation to MMA and he took the opportunity to air and correct these wrong perceptions in his appearance on Fox News FightGame. This wasn’t the first time Attencio has tried to set the record straight as to the role of MMA gear in the overall Affliction product mix, as he spoke with the LA Times in September on the issue:

Tom Atencio, a former MMA fighter and vice president of Affliction Clothing, bristles at pigeon-holing it as a fight brand, stressing that only 20% to 25% of sales at the Seal Beach company come from MMA-related merchandise, with the rest from men’s and women’s denim, eyewear, shirts, footwear and accessories sold at stores such as Metropark, the Buckle and Nordstrom

The interesting thing to me about Affliction has been their ability to take their own lifestyle brand and marry it to the concept of and almost become the definition of the MMA lifestyle brand. A lot of the imagery having to do with what we see on so much MMA gear - skulls, wings, snakes, gothic imagery - has little if any inherent connection to mixed martial arts. There are a few brands of apparel that have explicit ties to the sport itself, like say a Hurt Clothing that emphasizes many of the techniques used in the sport, but for the most part the clothiers emphasize the “MMA Lifestyle” aspect. Tom Attencio notes in the interview that their brand was very much a rock and roll and tattoo culture oriented brand that moved into the MMA space. While the Affliction people take their lumps from folks for their MMA Promotional efforts (rightly or wrongly so), they have been very keen in the MMA space branding and marketing efforts. If their brand does cool with MMA audience, they seem to have shown a portability of their brand that would extend out the life cycle of their t-shirt business.

videolink: http://mmapayout.com/2008/12/affliction-clothing-clairifies-their-brands-positioning-in-mma/

 

[Shogun Locc]

KOTC Responds To Booyaa Ban

Earlier this week news came out that the BooYaa Fightwear company had been banned from Zuffa events. The reasoning for the ban emanated from BooYaa’s relationship with the King Of The Cage fight promotion. MMAPayout.com contacted the promotion for comment on the situation as well as reports on the possible purchase of EliteXC’s assets by KOTC. KOTC Exec Peter Lamy issued this statement:

Dana White and ZUFFA have every reason to be concerned with KOTC regardless of EliteXC. No one has as much Knowledge or experience in the sport as Terry Trebilcock and Dana knows that. Things are moving forward and we are very excited of what the future holds for KOTC and the MMA world.

As far as BOOYAA goes you can’t find a better group of guys dedicated to helping fighters and it is the likes of BOOYAA and other clothing companies that allows fighters to stay in the game in the early days while climbing the ranks and also reap the benefits beyond a fight purse. But I guess ZUFFA would not understand that part of the industry.

 

[Shogun Locc]

K-1 World GP 2008 Final Results

Here are the official results for K-1 ‘World Grand Prix 2008 Final’:

K-1 World Grand Prix Final
Remy Bonjasky (82-14) defeated Badr Hari (77-8-1) by disqualification (0:53-R2)

K-1 World Grand Prix Semifinals
Badr Hari (77-8-1) defeated Errol Zimmerman (75-8-1) by KO (2:15-R3)
Remy Bonjasky (82-14) defeated Gokhan Saki (74-10, 1NC) by TKO (0:53-R2)

Reserve Fights
Melvin Manhoef (38-4) defeated Paul Slowinski (87-14-1) via KO (2:26-R2)
Ray Sefo (75-20-1) defeated Hong Man-Choi (17-6) via unanimous decision

K-1 World Grand Prix Quarter Finals
Badr Hari (77-8-1) defeated Peter Aerts (93-27-1) by TKO (1:39-R2)
Errol Zimmerman (75-7-1, 1 NC) defeated Ewerton Teixeira (7-1) via majority decision
Gokhan Saki (74-9, 1 NC) defeated Ruslan Karaev (18-7) via unanimous decision
Remy Bonjasky (82-14) defeated Jerome Le Banner (91-16-1, 1 NC) by TKO (Injury) (1:46-R3)

Preliminary Card
Mitsugu Noda (7-2) defeated Tsutomu Takahagi (1-6) by KO (2:49-R2)
Takeru (6-12) defeated Taisei Ko (1-1) via unanimous decision

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kimbo Slice 'strong possibility' to fight in Japan

Kimbo Slice says he's in Japan to explore his options with K-1 and DREAM.

When the former YouTube sensation arrived to Tokyo at the Narita Airport on Friday, Slice was asked if there was a possibility that he'll fight in Japan.

"Strong possibility," Slice responded, according to kamipro.com. "Before deciding. I'm going to size up fighters and figure out which events have more suitable opponents for me."

Slice will serve as a guest commentator for Saturday's K-1 World GP Final, but there are other obvious reasons for his presence.

"I came here to evaluate fighters in a Japanese event," Slice said. "I cannot wait to find out what is waiting in my near future."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fitch, 'Smokin' Joe Featured on HDNet's 'Inside MMA'
videolink:http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Fitch-Smokin-Joe-Featured-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1850
On this week’s HDNet “Inside MMA,” Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice were joined by UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch, Joey Villasenor and MMA writer John Morgan.

 

[SLRider510]

Hey shogun... for just about a year u have been bringing us the mma news... just wanna say thanks bro. this is a great thread for my lazy ass haha

 

[BROWN GUERRERO]

Hey shogun... for just about a year u have been bringing us the mma news... just wanna say thanks bro. this is a great thread for my lazy ass haha

yup yup right on shogun and everyone constantly posting news! i always check this thread first when i log on the siccness.

 

[Shogun Locc]

^^^^SLRider510, BROWN GUERRERO your welcome just doing my duty as a fan of combat sports. I started this thread for you MMA fans gotta keep it alive and I want to educate the noobs too. This is The worlds fastest growing sport.

 

[rylor206]

yup yup right on shogun and everyone constantly posting news! i always check this thread first when i log on the siccness.

Yep add me to that list. thanks brother

 

[killahoe666]

Yeh for real shogun I said it before when you first made this thread and i'll say it again THANK YOU!!!! this is the first thread I look for when I come here this shit needs to be the first VITAL

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC newcomer Brandon Wolff seeking full-time opportunity

The UFC may be fighting for the troops Wednesday night, but newcomer Brandon Wolff (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will be battling for his MMA future in his preliminary card bout with "The Ultimate Fighter 6" veteran Ben Saunders at "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops."

Wolff recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) his future as a full-time fighter hinges on his performance in the bout.

"If I do good on this fight, I'm going to be training full time," Wolff said. "I'll be able to fight four or five times a year, whenever the UFC wants me to. That's my goal, is to be real active after this fight. Just do it full time."

A six-year veteran of the sport, Wolff has had to balance his work in security with training. While the Hawaiian has fought for WEC, K-1, EliteXC and Rumble on the Rock, an opportunity to compete in the UFC demanded a change.

"When I got the call for the UFC, I knew that I had to get more training time," Wolff said. "So I actually took off of work and got some sponsors to help pay for my bills and stuff. So I was able to train full time. I got more training time and recovery time.

"Obviously this is the biggest fight of my life, so I'm taking it real serious. And I'm going to go out there and make a good first impression."

To make a good impression, Wolff will need to get past the undefeated Saunders. Riding a four-fight win streak, Wolff feels he's got a basic-yet-effective gameplan prepared.

"It's no big secret," Wolff said. "He has the reach advantage, and he's a southpaw. I'm going to have to get past his range and find my range inside the pocket. Do what I do in my range.

"I've just got to control the pace of the fight. I have a gameplan, but I don't like to talk about it too much because I don't want him to get a hold of my gameplan. But I'm just going to do the basic long-man gameplan. Just come in, stay nice and tight, find my range and let it go."

Three of Saunders' six career wins have come via submission. Wolff said he would prefer to stand and trade with his taller opponent, but that he will be comfortable if the action moves to the mat.

"I'm prepared for wherever the fight goes," Wolff said. "Ideally I'm going to want to keep it on my feet for this one.

"I think [Saunders] will have the advantage on the ground, especially if I'm in his guard. He has a lot more experience than me when it comes to that. But I think for him to get me to the ground is going to be a big challenge for him. I train with a lot of wrestlers, and I'm comfortable on my feet.

"I think it's just going to be a tough fight overall. We both have to bring our 'A' games. It's just going to be an exciting night for both of us."

Wolff has been in a few battles during his career, and the heavy-handed Hawaiian was earned three TKO wins. The UFC newcomer looks to turn in another exciting performance on Wednesday night.

"I always hope that all my fights are battles," Wolff said. "I don't worry about putting on a show for the crowd, but it always ends up being a good show. I go out there and I fight hard, and I let my actions do all the talking.

"I feel like I'm a well-rounded fighter, so wherever the fight goes there's going to be excitement. I just want to get out there and represent my team and my home the way we should be."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Brodie Farber refocused after devastating debut defeat

The flow of a mixed martial arts fight can change in the blink of an eye. Just ask Brodie Farber (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Farber had Rory Markham in trouble early in their July UFC Fight Night 14 bout. One well-timed kick from Markham later, and Farber had earned himself a spot on the wrong side of a highlight-reel knockout.

"I guess (I had) a lack of mental focus for a second," Farber recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I watched [the fight] quite a few times afterward. I just got too confident. [Markham] said he threw that kick just to get me away from him right when I was leaning in to throw a punch. It was just me doing something wrong and him doing something right more than anything."

Farber was carrying a six-fight win streak into that UFC-debut bout with Markham. The 28-year-old looked well on his way to winning that bout before the perfectly timed blow ended his night.

"I know I was real comfortable," Farber said. "I know I had him in trouble. That's kind of what I remember last in the fight, just hitting him and hitting him and walking him down -- then pretty much just waking up."

After the disappointing loss, Farber said he rededicated himself to his training routines.

"As soon as I could, I started training," Farber said. "Actually I went out to Thailand. I was out there for a month with Jon Fitch and Nate Mohr, and trained my ass off. I ran every morning, trained twice a day. I came back and kept it up. More than anything just take it as serious as possible."

Farner will now get a second chance in the organization on Wednesday's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops." Farber said he will be ready when he steps in the cage with Luigi Fioravanti.

"Before that last fight, I was off for quite some time," Farber said. "I got the call and tried to make up for it. I don't know if that had any role in the fight. I'm just 100 percent ready to go this time."

With seven knockouts or TKO's in his 13 career victories, Fioravanti is known for having a solid set of hands. Farber also prides himself on his boxing talents.

"I still feel that way," Farber said. "Minus the kicks, I would have been just fine [against Markham]."

Farber hopes to use those talents, along with some new skills he picked up during his training in Thailand, in a stand-up battle with Fioravanti.

"He's got really good takedown defense, so I don't want to waste a lot of energy trying to take him down," Farber said. "I know I've got better range and skill on my feet. He's a tough guy. I just plan on going out there and having him stay there for 15 minutes, and having a hard fight. I'm just ready for whatever he does."

And while a second-straight defeat in the UFC could possibly warrant a release from the organization, Farber isn't worried about anything that happens outside of the cage.

"The pressure is that there's another man that's going to be in front of me trying to beat me up," Farber said. "I put all this time into training. That's where the pressure is. It's not if I'm going to have a place in the UFC. It's just the pressure that I put on myself, that I want to perform well for myself and all the people that have put their time and effort in to me -- just get the rewards for all the hard work.

"Obviously I want to keep fighting in the UFC, but that's something that I don't really think about too much."

Instead, Farber will try and display the skills that had him well on his way to earning a UFC win -- while ensuring the momentary lapse that cost him the fight is avoided.

"I'd never been knocked out in my life," Farber said. "No one ever really hurt me in practice or anything like that. He hit me right and lights out. I just had to realize I do have that button like everybody else."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eddie Sanchez: We're going to stand on our feet and bang

Eddie Sanchez (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) gets it.

The 26-year-old may not be at the top of the heavyweight ladder. But as Sanchez recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he knows what it takes to make it in the UFC.

"I always feel every fight is a must-win situation for me, especially being in the top fighting organization in the world," Sanchez said." Either you've got to be well-liked by the fans, you've got to put on a superb show, or you've got to win and put on a superb show."

In Sanchez's 10 career fights, none have lasted the full 15 minutes. In fact only one -- a UFC 79 brawl with Soa Palelei -- has even made into the third round. Sanchez said his wild-swinging, brawling style wasn't developed by accident.

"I'm comfortable wherever [the fight] goes," Sanzhez said. "But you've seen my fights. I like to give the crowd what they're looking for. I like to definitely showcase my knockout power. And in this fight we're going to wherever it goes, but we're mainly going to stand on our feet and bang."

"This fight" refers to Sanchez's Wednesday night bout with Justin McCully at "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops." While it will be Sanchez's sixth fight for the UFC, he admits the excitement is still just as great as it was for his debut with the organization in 2006.

"I get fired up every time I get in the cage," Sanchez said. "If you're not nervous there's probably something wrong. But it's always good nerves that come along with stepping into the octagon."

Sanchez has earned knockout or TKO victories over Palelei, Colin Robinson and Mario Neto. But the North County Fight Club product has faltered when he has stepped up a level in bouts with Antoni Hardonk and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

Sanchez understands his position in the UFC's heavyweight division, and he knows the importance of putting on an entertaining bout.

"I fight because I love it," Sanchez said. "It's the best entertainment in the world. Sometimes it gets to me (that I'm not considered among the title contenders), but then I think, 'I'm so young. I haven't been in this sport that long. I still have a long way to go. I've made a name for myself as it is.'

"But to have [my name] out there on the marquee in lights? As long as I'm fighting in the UFC, the top league, that's all I care about. When I heard this fight was going to be a dark match, I kind of shrugged my shoulders and I said, 'You know what? That's fine. I have to work even harder for it to be shown on TV. In this fight I'll get a good knockout and they'll have to show it, for sure.' They end up playing my fights all the time."

With the UFC willing to release fighters after even single defeats -- and Sanchez coming off of a UFC 85 loss to Hardonk -- the heavyweight brawler knows a second-straight defeat could force him out of the organization. But Sanchez insists he has what it takes to remain in the UFC.

"There's always pressure on that side of the stage," Sanzhez said. "But I believe in myself. My heart's the biggest thing I have besides my right hand. That takes me all the way.

"I have a lot of confidence. In all fights I lose I learn sometimes more than in fights I win. I can't wait to fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Partners Golden Boy and Affliction to battle for ticket buyers

While the partnership between promoters Affliction Entertainment and Golden Boy Promotions has taken a few interesting turns since the September announcement of their alliance, the latest move by the group is puzzling, to say the least.

A world welterweight boxing title bout between champion Antonio Margarito and Golden Boy boxer Shane Mosley, previously announced for Jan. 24, will now be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Afflicition's second-ever event, "Day of Reckoning," is scheduled for the same night at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

When the partnership between Affliction and Golden Boy was initially announced, the two companies shared a vision of hybrid cards involving both boxing and MMA. Fan backlash led to the scrapping of that idea, though the two companies announced they were committed to working in unison on the promotion of MMA.

That commitment was first questioned with the Mosley vs. Margarito bout was scheduled for the same date as Affliction's second MMA card. But now that the the bout has been moved to Los Angeles from its originally planned Las Vegas locale, the partners will be competing not only for pay-per-view buys, but also ticket sales and media coverage in the Los Angeles area.

A report from the Los Angeles Times indicates multiple factors in the decision to relocate the boxing card, including a dispute with MGM/Mirage over ticket sales, as well as the two fighters' proximity to the Los Angeles area.

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Keith Kizer had also expressed an interest to the Los Angeles Times to confront Mosley regarding statements made to the grand jury that investigated the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative that he knowingly had taken the oxygen-boosting drug EPO -- despite previous claims to the contrary by the 36-year-old fighter.

Kizer said he did not believe the fight was moved to avoid the scrutiny of the NSAC.

"Affliction: Day of Reckoning," originally scheduled for Oct. 11, will feature a WAMMA heavyweight title fight between current champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. The full card includes:

MAIN CARD (PPV)

* WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski
* Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel
* Vitor Belfort vs. Matt Lindland
* Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. TBA
* Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon

PRELIMINARY CARD (HDNet)

* Vladamir Matyushenko vs. Antontio Rogerio Nogueira
* Jay Hieron vs. Jason High
* LC. Davis vs. Mark Hominick
* Antonio Duarte vs. Albert Rios
* Brett Cooper vs. TBA
* Paul Buentello vs. Kiril Sidelnikov

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Nate Loughran seeking to put Tim Credeur in check

Mixed martial arts has often been described as a game of "human chess."

For undefeated middleweight Nate Loughran, an avid chess player, that statement is only half-true.

"I wouldn't compare it straight over to chess," Loughran recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I would think of it more analogous to speed chess because you don't get to sit there and think about your move for as long as you want. You have to do it quickly."

Loughran is as qualified as anyone to make the comparisons. He's been playing chess since he was a kid.

"My dad taught me chess when I was in third grade," Loughran said. "The first time I saw it, I loved it. And I figure I played 1,000 games or so before I even won one. He would just crush me, and I wouldn't want him to go easy. My friend Eric, he would crush me, too.

"But I finally won, and now I beat them both. I love chess. It's a good analogy for life, and its great for fighting as well."

Mental images of chess-playing juniors usually don't combine well with future cage fighters. But Loughran has always struck a balance between the two.

"When I grew up, we didn't have too much money," Loughran said. "I always watched '[Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles' and 'Karate Kid,' Bruce Lee. I always wanted to box, kickbox, ninjitsu, all that. I wanted to do that, but it cost too much. It was $50 a month, and that was big time for my family back then.

"There was a Police Activity League here, and they had judo for $5 a month. So I started doing judo. And that's when the UFC was starting to emerge, and I noticed that the grapplers were better. So I was definitely happy that I started out with a base in grappling."

From those humble beginnings, Loughran begin to incorporate more grappling techniques with his instructors at NorCal Fighting Alliance. Loughran excelled in the techniques quickly, and has earned eight of his nine victories by submission.

Included in that tally is a submission win over Johnny Rees in Loughran's July UFC debut. Loughran enjoyed the experience, but admitted it was eye-opening.

"It was definitely an honor to compete in the UFC," Loughran said. "The experience in general was definitely humbling. You see how much more you have to learn. You see all the other skill sets that other people have. It's the more you know, the more you don't know. I realized I don't know even a lot more. It was definitely a learning experience."

A Loughran that continues to develop could be a fearsome product. Of Loughran's nine opponents, only two have made into the second round.

"It's funny because my whole strategy as a fighter is to win with my endurance," Loughran said. "I'll pressure them so that in the third round I will win. That's how my mentality has been since the first fight. And it will be for all my fights.

"I'll definitely always go for the win. It's really hard for me to consider a decision a win. Because we would still be fighting if there was no time limit. So I definitely always try and push the pace and always look for the finish."

Although he's never even seen the third round of a fight, Loughran believes he will be strong when he does.

"That's where I feel most comfortable," Loughran said. "I feel that's my greatest strength -- my conditioning and my mental strength. I'm looking forward to going to the third round, but I'm obviously looking to finish it if I get an opportunity before then. I feel I'll shine in the third round as opposed to the first or second because my endurance will be the main factor."

Loughran may get that chance on Wednesday when he faces fellow submission ace Tim Credeur at "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops." Loughran looks forward to the challenge.

"I'm here to test myself, and I'm curious, too," Loughran said. "That's one of the main reasons I'm here, to see what I'm made of. A lot of people talk about, 'Oh, I want to see what he's made of.' But I'm here to see what I'm made of. And the only way to do that is to truly get a test. And I'm hoping Tim Credeur will give me that."

If Loughran sounds confident, it's because he is. But don't mistake his words for cockiness.

"I know my place," Loughran said. "I know that on the UFC level I'm basically a scrub. I'm not trying to get it twisted and think this or that. But I've never felt like I was ever going to lose for one second at any time in a fight.

"As far as what parts of my game I need to improve? I feel every area. But I do feel I can fight with a lot of the better people in the sport and in the division in the UFC."

Featured on the televised portion of the evening's Spike TV broadcast, Loughran looks forward to utilizing his strengths and strategies in executing an impressive style of human chess.

"You can compare a lot of the advantages of chess to the advantages you can get in MMA -- material, positional -- there's so many advantages in chess," Loughran said. "The longer you play, the more you see those advantages. And then you learn to prioritize those advantages and act accordingly."

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC CHAMP CANTWELL READY FOR UFC CHALLENGE

Steve Cantwell may have one of the shortest title reigns ever in mixed martial arts and he never even lost his title.

Cantwell became the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion when he defeated Brian Stann back in August. Upon winning his title, Zuffa decided to merge the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions into the Ultimate Fighting Championship so the WEC could concentrate on their lighter weight classes.

It would seem that a fighter would be upset that their title was never defended, but for Cantwell, moving to the UFC is a very exciting opportunity.

“I'm extremely excited,” said Cantwell in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “It's like the first day of school. I've trained hard and did everything I can.”

While the WEC is certainly a first-class organization, it was always Cantwell's desire to join the number one mixed martial arts organization. “No doubt that was the goal. The dream was to make it to the UFC. I didn't think it would come so soon; overnight like that. But it's good.”

Cantwell was certainly not expecting to be moved to the UFC so soon. After all, the UFC has the best collection of top-ranked light heavyweights in the world. While Cantwell would have liked to get some more experience under his belt in the WEC, he welcomes the challenge.

“I have no complaints,” said the 22-year-old. “I have a nice shiny belt. I would have liked to have a couple more fights in the WEC to hone my skills a little bit more, but everything happens for a reason. I'm completely thankful.”

Cantwell boasts a 6-1 record with his sole loss coming at the hands of the man that he just defeated to gain his title from, Brian Stann.

Cantwell received a call that he was going to be fighting Stann once again to settle the score in the WEC, but when news surfaced of the merger with the UFC. He found out that he was going to take on Stann on the UFC Fight for the Troops card. Cantwell wasn't thrilled about fighting Stann already, being that fans just saw them fight a few months prior. However, as fate would have it, Stann was forced to pull out of the fight due to injury.

“I thought it was fair under the circumstances because we're 1-1. I wasn't too happy about it because I thought it was too soon,” explained Cantwell. “I didn't think the fans would want to see it that soon. Then they switched venues, because I was supposed to fight Brian Stann in the WEC, and then they called me a week later and told me I was fighting Brian Stann on the UFC Fight for the Troops. I was kind of thrown into his backyard. But whatever, that got me more pumped up for the fight. Another week went by and then he pulled out for the fight.”

Cantwell will now take on Razak Al-Hussan, who is undefeated at 6-0. Preparing for Stann was definitely an easier task being that there is a good amount of tape on him. However, Al-Hussan presents a different challenge because there is not a lot of footage and he is relatively unknown to the MMA scene.

“When they first told me I was fighting him, my coach pulled up a fight of his on YouTube, two fights of him,” he said. "The first one with some not too good footage and the other one with decent footage. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see them because they got pulled off of YouTube. My coaches and teammates have seen him fight, but I haven't.

"I think that's an advantage on his part, but I mix it up a lot in my fights. Guys watching footage on me doesn't really matter because I mix it up. I never do the same thing twice.”

The UFC is running a very special card for the troops on Wednesday night. The entire event is centered on the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to raise funds to build a hospital for traumatic brain injuries for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces. Thousands of soldiers from nearby Fort Bragg, the proud home of the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Forces, will be in attendance. More information about the facility, including ways to donate, can be found online at www.fallenheroesfund.org or by calling 1-800-340-HERO.

Cantwell is thrilled to take part. “I'm happy to be on the main card. It should be a good card and a good fight. There'll be a lot of energy in that place with those guys. I'm completely grateful to the UFC and the WEC for what they've done for me. I'm looking to put on a good show.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

JUNIE BROWNING FOCUSED ON MOVING FORWARD

Junie Browning became one of the most polarizing figures in the eight seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, gaining notoriety for his aggressive fighting style and one liners before generating endless discussion on mixed martial arts forums and around water coolers for his drunken exploits and short temper. Browning wants to put the reality show persona behind him and focus on becoming a better fighter.

In the Spike TV reality show's final episode, America saw Browning breakdown mentally and assault Shane Prim, nearly getting thrown off the show for a third time. Browning admitted he shouldn't have thrown the glass at Prim, but maintains the producers didn't show the entire incident on television. "They didn't show all the stuff. There was a lot more stuff said," commented the Kentucky lightweight fighter. "Prim, he's a cool guy and stuff, but they didn't show some of the stuff he was saying. Afterward, he knew I had anger problems and he knew he shouldn't have said some stuff. But I shouldn't have thrown the glass."

"We were outside debating the fights and stuff. All of us were debating more or less the fights like how buddies would at a football game or a boxing match or something. Just talking about the fights, and it was all cool," added Browning. "He's actually the one who sort of instigated all the taking stuff personally. We started talking about my fight. I was like I don't think he can do this or this. Prim was like, we'll see. I hope he kicks your (expletive). I mean, literally saying that stuff to me. Of course I'm going to get angry after that."

"I was so used to drinking out of plastic that I forget it was glass on the show," Browning joked. "I've always ate off Dixie."

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White was called to the house, again, and Browning thought he was going to be kicked off the show, again. "I thought I was gone, for a third time," said Browning.

White left Browning's fate in the hands of the other cast members who decided they'd rather see Efrain Escudero have the opportunity to send Browning packing rather than kicking him off the show before the semi final match up. Escudero defeated Browning by D'Arce choke in the second round advancing to the finals to face Phillipe Nover on Dec. 13.

"Going into the fight, I honestly knew I was going to lose anyway," said the 24-year old fighter. "I knew 100% that he was going to be in shape. He was training with Nogueira's team. I saw the way they trained. They came home from practice everyday and fell asleep. I came home from practice and was throwing (expletive) off the balcony. I knew I was out of shape."

Browning's coach, Frank Mir, commented after the bout that he felt like Browning quit in the fight, but Browning disagrees. "He caught me. The drive and explosiveness to get out of certain submissions that I normally would, I didn't have it. When you have lack of cardio and stuff, you almost just kind of lay there. That's the way I felt," explained Browning. "To be honest with you too, I didn't know he even knew what a submission was let alone a D'Arce. I was actually going to pull my butterfly hook in and he just trapped the arm and got it. I didn't think it was really that deep, so I didn't really fight it that hard. He had it in pretty deep."

Looking back on the season, Browning regrets having been on Team Mir. "It wasn't necessarily just Mir," said Browning. "Mir just trains differently. He's just more open to let you do whatever, but I'm the kind of person, I need someone to push me. At least I'm disciplined enough to know I need someone to push me. He'd be like, you should be doing your own cardio and stuff. Everyone doesn't just work like that. I need someone to give me that extra push and make me do it. That's what coaches are for."

At the end of the day, Browning got what he wanted out of The Ultimate Fighter 8. People now know his name.

Since the filming of The Ultimate Fighter, Browning has uprooted from Lexington, KY and made the move to Las Vegas, joining Extreme Couture where he hopes to hone his skills and become known for his fighting ability rather than his reality television persona. "There's so much stuff that I still have to learn. And I'm getting better. I'm trying to learn. I'm taking stuff more serious. I'm not like throwing glass at people in the club or anything," stated Browning. "I'm taking (expletive) serious. I'm not going to be (expletive) around or anything. I'm done with that. The show is over."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Leonard Garcia Gets Brown Belt in Gaidojitsu

WEC featherweight contender Leonard Garcia got a nice pre-Christmas present when he last arrived at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico: a fresh brown belt.

To clarify, Garcia says it's a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. He had been a purple belt for one and a half years, and had all the stripes to prove it.

Clay Pittman, a third degree black belt under Carlos Machado, and Greg Jackson, founder of Jackson's MMA, awarded the advancement to Garcia.

"I had this big certificate waiting for me when I got there," Garcia said. "That was a real honor."

Garcia will definitely put his belt to the test should he face new WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown in 2009.