MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

ROGER HUERTA SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH UFC

Popular lightweight Roger Huerta has apparently mended fences with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He signed a new five-fight contract on Monday with the industry leading promotion. Sources close to Huerta confirmed the deal to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.

In August, Huerta drew headlines for a controversial interview he gave to FIGHT! magazine in which he criticized the UFC’s pay structure. He later amended his comments during the post-fight press conference for UFC 87, where he lost a unanimous decision to Kenny Florian in a contender bout for the lightweight title.

“All I was saying, is that as a business decision – and you can’t argue about this – it’s in all businesses,” Huerta said. "If another company offers you something better for you and your family, you would do that. It’s the logical thing to do, and that’s all I was saying.”

Prior to the Florian loss, Huerta was undefeated in six appearances in the UFC since debuting at UFC 63 in September of 2006.

Huerta is expected to fight again in March, though no opponent has been named for his return. He is currently training in Minnesota with mentor Dave Menne and strength and conditioning coach Justin Heagan.

Huerta is also one of the dozen fighters that IGN.com has confirmed as being on the roster for the Spring 2009 release of the new UFC Undisputed 2009 video game being developed by THQ.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor's Manager Fires Back at Dana White

For a long time, Ultimate Fighting Championship President has talked about the management team Fedor Emelianenko in a disrespectful manner - referring to Vadim Finkelchtein and his team as the “crazy Russians”. Now, the Russians have returned fire.

During a recent M-1 Challenge event, Vadim Finkelchtein responded to White's statements in an interview conducted by M-1 executives Joost Raimond (serving as Finkelchtein's translator) and Jerry Millen (serving as the interviewer).

During the interview, Finkelchtein was asked by Jerry Millen what he thinks when he's referred to in the press by White as a "crazy Russian."

"Dana White has a tendency towards arrogance and everything not Dana White is either crazy or stupid," Finkelchtein began to respond through Raimond.

"All this stuff about us not wanting to work with UFC is just utterly and completely untrue," he continued. "We've always been completely open to basically working with anybody, including the UFC, because our goal has always been to put the greatest fighters against each other. And if the greatest fighter is a part of the UFC, fine, let's put him up against our best guy and see how they do."

Raimond added that Finkelchtein indicated that the UFC is very protective of their market share but that M-1 isn't looking to take the UFC's "pie" away, that his promotion simply wants to share some of it.

Finkelchtein also responded to a question from Jerry Millen regarding comments made by White during a November press conference in Toronto, Canada. In the interview, which can be seen on YouTube, White responds to a question from a fan regarding Fedor fighting for the UFC by stating at one point that he has never even met Fedor.

White's claim that he has never met Fedor is accurate, but it's also a situation that Finkelchtein is more than willing to rectify.

"The invitation is right there," Finkelchtein expressed through Raimond. "If Dana wants to sit down at the table, he can come to St. Petersburg - he is very welcomed here. He can meet up with (me), he can meet up with Fedor. It's not a problem at all."

Finkelchtein indicated during the interview that he has traveled to Las Vegas in the past to meet with White. And if White does not have time to travel to Russia, Finkelchtein extended him an open invitation to meet the WAMMA heavyweight champion in Anaheim, California before he competes against Andrei Arlovski on Jan. 24 just prior to the Affliction: Day of Reckoning event.

"We're not going to eat the UFC pie, but we want to share," said Finkelchtein. "The invitation stands. They are welcome at any point in time, and definitely at the Jan. 24 event. We'll talk about it (and) discuss it. We're open to any kind of deal."

The UFC can safely claim that they have the best fighters in the world - except at heavyweight. Fedor Emelianenko is the number one heavyweight in the world and many would say he is also the pound for pound number one.

 

[Shogun Locc]

What Does Resurrection Mean for EliteXC?

Everyone by now has heard rumors that there are multiple suitors to "resurrect" Pro Elite. Mark Ecko's name has been thrown around as a possibility, and Trebilcock has put together a few investors but not much cash in a bid to buy the company.

There are two major obstacles in any resurrection, those being debt and fighters. The KOTC people obviously want EliteXC, not Pro Elite, but the shareholders of Pro Elite are going to want a lot for it, considering the fact that they have nothing else of value, and have a mountain of debt to pay off.

So why hasn't Zuffa jumped into the mix to buy the company? CBS has waived its contractual opportunity to buy it first, the company is in bad financial straits. Zuffa is not interested because the fighter contracts are non-transferrable. Much like Pride, where the UFC could only make fighters that didn't sign with them sit out, that is the situation here as well. If Mark Ecko or anyone else buys EliteXC, they will not get the roster of fighters with it. They will have to sign all new contracts, and the most they can do to fighters that don't sign is make them sit out for a little while. If King of The Cage buys it, they may have a loophole to bring fighters over because KOTC is under the Pro Elite umbrella. Of course, this is just a small hurdle.

The crazy thing here is that all of this is in California, a state with courts that are notoriously pro-worker mobility. It's hard for me to imagine a judge in California holding that these fighters simply have to sit and wait forever for possible deals. The fighters need to come together and file a suit for declaratory relief on their contracts.

In the end, the situation is dire for anyone who takes EliteXC over with the hope of getting back on CBS. To get back on CBS they'll probably need to re-sign Kimbo and Gina, who will come at much higher prices this time, the latter in particular. They'll need to convince CBS executives that this go-around won't be a disgrace like the last. Last but not least, they'll have to run an expensive company in a tight credit market where CBS is offering next to nothing because the networks are going through a financial storm. Everyone's seen the news about NBC cutting back programming. No MMA company is going to get some amazing amount of money to run shows.

Perhaps the better model is a monthly Showtime show with 2 or 3 PPV shows a year. They need to make money somehow, and the 4 shows a year model just doesn't lend itself to PPV success, especially considering the ratings they have to pull just to stay on CBS.

 

[Shogun Locc]

What Does Resurrection Mean for EliteXC?

Everyone by now has heard rumors that there are multiple suitors to "resurrect" Pro Elite. Mark Ecko's name has been thrown around as a possibility, and Trebilcock has put together a few investors but not much cash in a bid to buy the company.

There are two major obstacles in any resurrection, those being debt and fighters. The KOTC people obviously want EliteXC, not Pro Elite, but the shareholders of Pro Elite are going to want a lot for it, considering the fact that they have nothing else of value, and have a mountain of debt to pay off.

So why hasn't Zuffa jumped into the mix to buy the company? CBS has waived its contractual opportunity to buy it first, the company is in bad financial straits. Zuffa is not interested because the fighter contracts are non-transferrable. Much like Pride, where the UFC could only make fighters that didn't sign with them sit out, that is the situation here as well. If Mark Ecko or anyone else buys EliteXC, they will not get the roster of fighters with it. They will have to sign all new contracts, and the most they can do to fighters that don't sign is make them sit out for a little while. If King of The Cage buys it, they may have a loophole to bring fighters over because KOTC is under the Pro Elite umbrella. Of course, this is just a small hurdle.

The crazy thing here is that all of this is in California, a state with courts that are notoriously pro-worker mobility. It's hard for me to imagine a judge in California holding that these fighters simply have to sit and wait forever for possible deals. The fighters need to come together and file a suit for declaratory relief on their contracts.

In the end, the situation is dire for anyone who takes EliteXC over with the hope of getting back on CBS. To get back on CBS they'll probably need to re-sign Kimbo and Gina, who will come at much higher prices this time, the latter in particular. They'll need to convince CBS executives that this go-around won't be a disgrace like the last. Last but not least, they'll have to run an expensive company in a tight credit market where CBS is offering next to nothing because the networks are going through a financial storm. Everyone's seen the news about NBC cutting back programming. No MMA company is going to get some amazing amount of money to run shows.

Perhaps the better model is a monthly Showtime show with 2 or 3 PPV shows a year. They need to make money somehow, and the 4 shows a year model just doesn't lend itself to PPV success, especially considering the ratings they have to pull just to stay on CBS.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Adrenaline MMA II preview: Cox expects boost from Miletich, Rothwell

Adrenaline MMA hopes Pat Miletich is recession-proof.

After stumbling out of the gate with a show that lacked a high-profile name and drew a crowd of only about 2,000 to the suburbs of Chicago in June, the start-up promotion is relying on one of the sport's legends to produce a better show and draw more fans this time around.

Adrenaline MMA II features Miletich, a former five-time UFC champion, against Thomas Denny in a welterweight main event Thursday night at the i wireless Center in Moline, Ill. It's a chance for Miletich to fight in front of his hometown Quad Cities fans (and an HDNet television audience), and for Adrenaline's Monte Cox to stage a show where he's had success in the past with the Extreme Challenge promotion.

In addition to Miletich, the card features plenty of Midwest talent, including former International Fight League heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell and other fighters from the Miletich camp in nearby Bettendorf, Iowa, such as light heavyweight Mike Ciesnolevicz and middleweight Ryan McGivern.

Cox hung at least some of the blame for the disappointing turnout for Adrenaline's debut at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on the weak economy. Since that June 14 show, headlined by Mike Russow and Jason Guida, the country has slid into a full-fledged recession, making it even more difficult to get cash-strapped fans to buy tickets. Adding to the challenge, the Adrenaline show is sandwiched between two UFC events that fans can watch at home on Spike TV free of charge.

However, Cox says he's not looking to compete directly with MMA's flagship promotion. He's looking to carve out a regional niche for Adrenaline with affordable ticket prices and a product that delivers fighters from the area in which events are held. In laying the foundation for Adrenaline, Cox is borrowing the formula used successfully by Scott Coker at Strikeforce.

"Strikeforce is the model," Cox told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following his first show. "You look at them … they have a loyal following. I think we can build that here."

Cox takes the next step with a card that's an upgrade from the inaugural show. Despite being 40 years old, and an occasional fighter at this point in his career, Miletich is one of the sport's marquee names and should be a draw for the local MMA faithful. The match-up against a free-swinging fighter such as Denny could produce a compelling main event.

In making another comeback, at least for one more fight, Miletich (28-7-2) has opened himself up to some criticism about the risk involved. He suffered a severe neck injury that required surgery several years ago and has fought only twice since. Miletich insists he's in top shape heading into the fight against Denny (26-17).

"I feel pretty strong, still, and I still feel like I have a lot of speed," he said. "I can still hit anybody with punches, almost at will. It's just a matter of at least becoming smarter about how you fight and, hopefully, that pays off."

Denny, 38, has been around the sport since 1999 and was a belt holder in King of the Cage. He's faced some of the more recognized names in the game, including Georges St. Pierre, Joe Stevenson, Yves Edwards and Nick Diaz, but hasn't beaten any of them. The lack of a signature victory has kept Denny from getting bigger fights.

In addition, the main card features heavyweights Rothwell (29-6) and Chris Guillen (13-11). It's an on-paper mismatch that should result in Rothwell getting back on the winning side of the slate in short order. "Big Ben" fought gamely in a third-round KO loss to Andrei Arlovski in July – his first defeat in 14 fights. Guillen is 1-5 in his past six bouts and has lost four in a row.

The best prospect on the card is 145-pound L.C. Davis, who posted a 3-1 mark in the IFL and enters the bout against Billy Kidd (7-7) with an overall record of 11-1. The 28-year-old Davis has finished opponents in 10 of his 11 victories.

The HDNet telecast of Adrenaline MMA II begins at 10 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. PST.

Adrenaline MMA II – i wireless Center, Moline, Ill.

MAIN CARD (TELEVISED)

* Thomas Denny vs. Pat Miletich
* Chris Guillen vs. Ben Rothwell
* Braden Bice vs. Michael Russow
* Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Derrick Mehmen
* Gabe Lemley vs. Dan Loman
* Ryan McGivern vs. Geno Rooderick
* Pat Curran vs. Ramiro Hernandez

PRELIMINARY CARD (UN-TELEVISED)

* Jesse Lennox vs. Ryan Williamst
* L.C. Davis vs. Billy Kidd
* Danny Rodriguez vs. David Fuentes

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Alves still next in line for UFC welterweight title shot

Soon after an April victory over Karo Parisyan, UFC welterweight Thiago Alves said he was next in line for the title shot right behind Jon Fitch.

Fitch got his shot in August and suffered a tough-fought unanimous-decision loss to champ Georges St. Pierre. And after decisively defeating late replacement Josh Koscheck in October, Alves figured he had moved to the front of the line.

He got assurance from Dana White on Wednesday during a fan question-and-answer session on the eve of today's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" event.

White confirmed Alves (16-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will get the next crack at the title after St. Pierre and lightweight champion B.J. Penn fight at UFC 94 on Jan. 31. The two title-holders will fight for the welterweight belt, and White said the winner will next face Alves.

And if he has to wait a little while for that fight, Alves doesn't mind.

"I'll wait," Alves told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com) and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) after his October win over Koscheck. "I have no problem. Since [September 2007], I did [five] fights in 12 months, or 13 to 14 months. That's a lot of fights back to back.

"I'm 25 years old. I can take it and everything, but I've just been training, training, training, training really hard. I got better in some areas, but I know I can get better. If I have to wait a couple of months, six to seven months to get a title shot, I don't mind waiting. I'll wait. It's just going to get me better and stronger."

After a 2006 loss to Fitch, Alves has since climbed to the top of the division with consecutive wins over John Alessio, Tony DeSouza, Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Chris Lytle, Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Koscheck.

His current win streak stands at seven (five of which came via knockout) -- one short of a record held by Royce Gracie, Fitch and Anderson Silva -- and he doesn't expect it to end once he gets his title shot.

"I see myself beating the champion," Alves said. "It doesn't matter who it is. Georges St. Pierre or B.J. Penn. It doesn't really matter. I'm going to beat him. I'm going to knock him out."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dave Herman to make World Victory Road debut at Jan. 4 Sengoku event

Undefeated EliteXC heavyweight prospect Dave Herman (13-0) will make his World Victory Road debut at the Jan. 4 Sengoku event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported WVR's interest in the 24-year-old fighter, and fiveouncesofpain.com today confirmed the booking with Herman's manager, Mike Camp.

No opponent has been named.

Herman, a 6-foot-5 250-pounder, turned pro in late 2006 and spent much of his early career with the Indianapolis-based Legends of Fighting organization. The former Indiana University wrestler has posted stoppages in all 13 of his professional victories -- all but one in the first round. He went 3-0 for EliteXC with wins over Mario Rinaldi, Ron Waterman and Kerry Schall.

Herman, who's still under contract to EliteXC, most recently fought Chris Guillen (13-11) at a Nov. 22 King of Kombat event in Texas. Herman forced a TKO stoppage due to strikes just 92 seconds into the fight.

He had previously defeated Schall in the main event of an Oct. 10 ShoXC event in Hammond, Ind.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Roger Huerta vs. Spencer Fisher possible for spring 2009 UFC event

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is considering a lightweight bout between contenders Roger Huerta (20-2-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Spencer Fisher (22-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) that would take place in the first half of 2009.

Sources close to both fighters recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the fight has been discussed and could be a featured bout for a major event, including a possible March 7 UFC 96 event in Columbus, Ohio.

The fight would be Huerta's first since his August loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 87.

Just prior to the fight, FIGHT! Magazine released a story in which Huerta discussed the UFC and his displeasure with how some fighters -- himself included -- are compensated. In the story, Huerta described how he no longer does grueling press tours for the UFC because he only received a $50 per diem for his efforts. He also hinted at a possible lack of loyalty from the UFC, though the story focused on many other aspects of his promising career.

The more-controversial comments caused a bit of a stir among fans when they showed up in MMA forums and websites. However, during that time, Neal Taflinger, the story's author, assured MMAjunkie.com, "The passages that have been cited ... are much less sensational in the context of the entire article."

Regardless, Huerta had been in the doghouse following the interview, but this week, he recently signed a new five-fight deal with the UFC.

With Huerta apparently back in the UFC's good graces, he'll likely next face Fisher, a longtime UFC fighter and perennial contender who's won three of his past four fights.

With Florian already promised a title shot following victories over Huerta and Joe Stevenson, and current 155-pound champ B.J. Penn moving up a weight class in January to contend for Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title, the lightweight title picture is in a bit of a holding pattern. But if the Huerta-Fisher fight does take place, the winner would move into serious contention in the quickly growing division.

Back in August, Huerta snapped a 17-fight undefeated streak with the unanimous-decision defeat to Florian. It was his first loss in four years.

Fisher, meanwhile, won both of his fights in 2008 with a unanimous-decision victory over up-and-comer Jeremy Stephens and a third-round submission win over Shannon Gugerty. Back in 2005, he delivered Thiago Alves -- the UFC's current No. 1 170-pound contender -- his first UFC loss.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 93's Henderson vs. Franklin main event to determine "TUF9" coach

The winner of a UFC 93 main event between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin will coach on "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K." after all.

Back in October, UFC President Dana White announced popular British fighter Michael Bisping would head the U.K. squad, and he said the Henderson-Franklin winner would likely head the U.S. team on the upcoming ninth season of the reality series.

Although neither fighter seemed especially interested in the coaching position -- and though White recently mentioned Demian Maia as a candidate, as well -- the UFC's head honcho recently confirmed he's sticking with the original plan.

He made the announcement during a question-and-answer session prior to Wednesday's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" weigh-ins in Fort Bragg, N.C.

The UFC 93 Henderson-Franklin fight takes place Jan. 17 at The 02 in Dublin, Ireland. Taping for the ninth season of "TUF," which features lightweight and welterweight fighters, commences soon after UFC 93 and will likely debut in April.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, a source close to Franklin said the fighter wasn't especially interested in the coaching slot, especially since he had already coached on the second season of the show. Additionally, training for his fights and outside endeavors have already kept him away from home for an extended period of time. However, the source said Franklin and the UFC recently talked about the possibility again, and the former UFC middleweight champion agreed to take the coaching slot if he's victorious at UFC 93.

Bisping, who recently dropped to middleweight, and the rival coach are then expected to fight sometime after the show's conclusion, though both Franklin and Henderson have been competing as light heavyweights in recent events.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ex-Naval officer Tim Credeur "honored" to fight for the troops

All but 30 public spectators in attendance for the UFC's first ever "Fight for the Troops" will be enlisted military personnel stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. While these men and women are currently in the service of their country, several of the nights combatants can relate to the crowd they'll be entertaining through their own personal military experience.

Wednesday's card, which features five fighters with previous military service to their credit, airs live on Spike TV and is designed to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund for soldiers that have suffered traumatic brain injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"The Ultimate Fighter 7" semifinalist and ex-Naval officer Tim Credeur recently talked with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about his training, his opponent, and why being on the fight card for this event was so important to him as a previous member of the U.S. military.

* * * * *

MMAjunkie.com: How are you feeling heading into this bout? Did you make any changes to your training camp for this fight?

Tim Credeur: Yeah, I feel great. No injuries to speak of, so it's been a good camp. I'm really more anxious than anything. I really want to get in there and scrap. I love fighting, and I've been training hard and doing a lot of tough sparring with my training partner, Rich Clementi, most of which is done with the little gloves. We train extremely hard and as close to the real thing as possible.

MMAjunkie.com: You're coming off an impressive first-round knockout of fellow "TUF" veteran Cale Yarbrough -- a knockout you said people shouldn’t have been so surprised with. What is it about your standup game that people need to be wary of?

Tim Credeur: Well, I'll always be a guy known mostly for my jiu jitsu, but I love boxing and I've been working hard at improving my striking for a long time now. None of [Nate Loughran's] fights have gone the distance, so I'm not sure he's ready to go for an extended amount of time. I'm ready to bang with him for 15 minutes if I have to. That's something I don't think he's going to be ready for, mostly because he's never had to do it.

MMAjunkie.com: Nate Loughran is also primarily considered a jiu-jitsu specialist with a small measure of standup ability. Do you think he'll try to take you down and turn it into a technical battle?

Tim Credeur: Nate is going to be a tough opponent, and I've always been a big fan of his instructor David Terrell. Do I think he's going to try and take me down? I think so. He's got nine wins, eight of them by submission. So to say he's probably going to try and take me down is a fair assessment, but I've been working all aspects of my game -- specifically on my take down defense. It's definitely not going to be that easy for him.

MMAjunkie.com: So we should expect to see a good amount of stand-up striking?

Tim Credeur: Like I said, I have no problem standing up. Even though I'm known as a jiu-jitsu fighter, I'd rather stand and bang. I'll do it from horn to horn if I have to. I'm prepared and conditioned for that 100 percent. If that's the way the fight goes, I'm ready. He knows about my jiu-jitsu game, but he's completely crazy if he thinks I'm not going to come out swinging and trying to end it early.

MMAjunkie.com: You recently opened your own gym, Gladiator's Academy of Lafayette, La. How has that affected your training?

Tim Credeur: Well I don't teach many classes. I usually stick to just training, especially with this fight coming up. But I will do a kids class here and there. South Louisiana is known for its tough surroundings and tough fighters. The gym is a good place for the kids and teens in the area to channel that energy into something constructive and keep them out of trouble. They needed a place like this, and I try and get involved in those instances.

MMAjunkie.com: The UFC's first ever "Fight for the Troops" is a not only a great fight card but it's all done for a really great cause. Do you feel your military background made you want to take part in this card more than someone without any history of military service?

Tim Credeur: I remember I was at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, and I got a chance to speak with (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva. I told him I was ready to go again as soon as possible and if I could, I'd like to fight at the Fight for the Troops show. I was in the Navy, so to be involved in a show that will raise funds for the men and women who have been wounded while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is a real honor for me. Regardless of your personal feelings about the war and its politics, it doesn't change the fact that there are men and women -- American men and women -- being shot at thousands of miles away from their homes and families. This cause helps rebuild those soldiers who pay the heavy toll that comes with a country at war. I'm extremely proud of the UFC for doing this.

MMAjunkie.com: Your UFC debut bout was supposed to take place during the The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale show, but to your surprise the Nevada State Athletic Commission postponed your fight after you tested positive for a banned substance. You informed them prior to the drug test that you were taking a prescription medication for attention deficit disorder. Why did they still postpone your fight?

Tim Credeur: I don't really understand it myself. I didn't even know the medication had a stimulant in it until the commission told me I popped positive. The medication I take is the lowest dosage available of prescription Adderall. I had the prescription to show them, and I told them I was taking the medication before they even tested me. But they still postponed the fight. Looking back I think it was more for safety reasons that the fight was postponed. I felt bad because I really wanted to fight, and I felt even worse for doing that to Cale. I learned my lesson though and stopped taking it a lot earlier this time.

MMAjunkie.com: You've said your goal is to aggravate your opponent as much as possible. How do you go about doing that?

Tim Credeur: By making them as uncomfortable as possible, doing what I can to take them out of their game. I think I've been able to do that with everyone I've fought previously. I was able to do it with C.B. (Dollaway) and Jesse (Taylor). With Cale, I didn't really get a chance to because the fight ended so quick. I think he was preparing for me to try and take him into the deep water and submit him, not stand and trade punches with him. I guess you could say I aggravated him too.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC makes its Tampa debut with UFC Fight Night 17 on Feb. 7

UFC Fight Night 17, a Feb. 7 event that airs live on Spike TV, will take place at the USF Sun Dome, a 10,000-capacity venue located on the University of Southern Florida campus in Tampa.

Lightweight Joe Lauzon, who fights Hermes Franca on the card, today announced the bout and the event location on The Underground, a popular MMA forum.

Although the event was originally expected to take place in Las Vegas, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was told that multiple Southeastern locations were considered before the UFC ultimately settled on Tampa.

As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, other fights expected at the event include "The Ultimate Fighter 6" winner Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer and "TUF 7" winner Amir Sadollah vs. Nick Catone. Rob Emerson is also expected to take on Kurt Pellegrino.

During its 15-year history and over the course of 119 total events, the UFC has hosted just four events in Florida. None have been held in Tampa; three shows have taken place in Hollywood and one in Miami.

However, mixed martial arts has proven to be a draw in Tampa, where the regional powerhouse Xtreme Fighting Championships organization has averaged more than 10,000 fans during its five-show existence – despite the fact the thriving organization has traditionally used local fighters and other prospects. In fact, in his recent "Anatomy of an MMA Show" series he wrote for MMAjunkie.com, XFC President John Prisco said he would love to see the UFC venture to Tampa and further bolster MMA's popularity in the region.

"The better the UFC does, the more popular our sport becomes – which means there's a greater pool of candidates willing to give our product a chance," Prisco wrote. "If the UFC elevates the profile of MMA by coming to Tampa, nobody will be happier than me because they'd be educating hundreds of thousands of Florida sports fans about the greatest, most exciting sport on the planet."

His theory will be put to the test on Feb. 7.

 

[Shogun Locc]

LEITES MAY CHALLENGE ANDERSON SILVA NEXT

While the door to move back to the 205-pound division is still open, it appears Anderson Silva's next fight will likely be another middleweight title defense, possibly against Thales Leites in February.

UFC president Dana White mentioned the fight when answering queries at a question and answer session in North Carolina on Tuesday.

"We're working on that right now," White said about Silva's next fight. "We're trying to set up a fight with him in February, hopefully, and we're thinking about Thales Leites."

Silva had been rumored as going back to the light heavyweight division against everybody from Chuck Liddell to one of the four top 205-pound fighters competing at UFC 93.

While nothing is concrete or signed at this point, based on White's comments, it appears Silva will take a crack at defending his title for a fifth consecutive time.

As for Leites, he has won his last five fights in a row over opponents such as Drew McFedries and Nate Marquardt, while working towards a possible title shot.

“I think I'm almost there,” Leites told MMAWeekly.com in early November about his championship hopes. “And I will keep doing my homework every time and going step by step until the title shot.”

Those final steps may have already been taking if this fight comes to fruition.

 

[Shogun Locc]

SWICK HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH GOULET

More than a year has passed since Mike Swick and Jonathan Goulet were originally set to square off in a welterweight bout that would have welcomed the former "Ultimate Fighter" season 1 cast member to the 170-pound weight class, as well as settled a grudge that started when the Canadian called Swick out on the MMAWeekly.com forums.

In the original thread that dates back to July 2007, Goulet addressed Swick by saying, "Wanted to fight Mike Swick to replace Leben at 170 for the UFC Fight Night in September, but he refused. Is he scared to go to sleep against me? I will beat his ass..."

Looking back, Swick's not even sure if Goulet was really calling him out or acting on someone else’s behalf, but either way he is going to get the fight he wished for on Dec. 10.

"I never even saw the comments that he said. I heard basically he was saying that he was going to beat me up and he's too much for me, and he wants to be my first welterweight fight," Swick told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "There was speculation after that, that his camp put him up to that to try to get back in the UFC and try to use me as a stepping stone to try to make a name.

"The bottom line is I think it's a big mistake. Whether he called me out for Ultimate Fight Night 11 or now, the bottom line is we'll fight on Dec. 10, and he did call me out and say he was going to do this, and he's going to do that, and good luck to him because if you're going to call me out and you're going to say those things, he's going to have the opportunity to back it up."

Picking up a win over Marcus Davis in his last bout, Swick had surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow and now he believes he is in the best physical condition that he's ever been going into the fight against Goulet.

"I wouldn't want to be in his place. I’m in a mean place right now in my mind and I'm in ridiculous shape and I feel like I’m the best I've ever been. So if he's willing to back it up and he can do it, much respect to him," Swick said. "I'm definitely going to give him the fight he says he wants."

Win or lose, Goulet has a reputation for putting on exciting fights and when he and Swick go to battle on Wednesday night that's exactly what the American Kickboxing Academy member is betting on.

"I know Goulet's going to bring it in all areas. He's going to come out there and we're going to strike it out, I hope that's all we do," Swick commented. "I hope we don't even clinch to be honest with you. But if we do, I'm just going to bring it in every area."

The grudge will be settled on Wednesday night when Mike Swick takes on Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight for the Troops in Fayetteville, N.C.

 

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NATE LOUGHRAN READY FOR CREDEUR'S CHALLENGE

Nate Loughran will get another opportunity to make his presence felt in the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Wednesday night when he takes on The Ultimate Fighter alumnus Tim Credeur. Loughran made his UFC debut back in July where he defeated Johnny Rees via triangle choke.

Fighters generally will admit that when they step into the Octagon for the first time, that nerves definitely play a factor in their debut performance. Loughran never really felt that way though during his first fight for the UFC and part of that is the way he doesn't let his nerves get the best of him.

“I try not to let it,” said Loughran when asked about it. “I stay pretty even keel and try to live in the moment. I know right now I'm not fighting and I try to keep that in mind so I don't get too excited. I try to keep that in mind so it doesn't waste too much energy with my thoughts.”

Part of the reason for Loughran's successful performance was the fact that he has a way to keep himself very calm, which allows him to stay focused.

“I didn't have too much nervous energy,” he explained. “A weird thing happens when I walk to the Octagon or the cage. I get pretty calm and cool and my heartbeat gets low. I just get real intense focus and everything happened the same in the Octagon. I didn't really expect it to go any different. I didn't expect to get cut that much in my debut. I figured he might have a lot of nervous energy. I was going to wait until he used it and then pour on what I had. That's sort of what happened.”

Fighters all over have explained how they always cross-train in every martial arts discipline that will make them a better, well-rounded fighter. Loughran does cross-train, but he also does a lot of other things to prepare for uncomfortable situations.

“I feel that one of the main things that I try to do is train for that situation... I do stuff that makes me uncomfortable. For example, one of the things I do is, I don't like cool water at all. I just go out here in Bodega Bay when it's 50-something degrees out there and sit in the surf. One of the things that I try to do is be calm and cool when I'm uncomfortable. That's an invaluable experience.”

Loughran's fight against Credeur is slated to be on the televised main card, which is always a nice bonus for a fighter to attempt to make a name for himself. The Californian isn't necessarily looking to get his name out in the mainstream with this fight. He just likes to get in there and fight.

“Honestly, I fight to fight. I'm not here for people to know my name or even to make money off of it,” he said confidently. “I just like to fight. It's my favorite thing on Earth that I do. The main reason I like being on TV is because none of my buddies could buy tickets to go there, and now they all get to see it. I know it's a great honor and I'm glad that I get the opportunity to do it. I'm there to fight.”

Sporting a perfect 9-0 record, Loughran has won eight of those fights by submission. Credeur is well-versed in jiu-jitsu and poses a tougher problem than any of Loughran's previous opponents. “I embrace a challenge. So does everyone else in MMA. If they didn't think it'd be a challenge, then they didn't know what they were doing. I definitely always look forward to a challenge and Tim will definitely be one. The guys I fought previously, I definitely had far superior jiu-jitsu. Now, I get to test it out and see how good it really is.”

Since Credeur and Loughran are both tough jiu-jitsu practitioners, nobody should be surprised if this fight ends up being a stand-up affair. Loughran is well aware of this fact and wouldn't be surprised if this will be the determining fact in his fight.

“I have noticed that anomaly,” he stated. “I've even noticed you'll get two strikers going to the ground too. It's funny like that. Tim's the kind of guy that can take a punch and, more important than that, he's willing to take a punch. I feel that I have the same mentality. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we had a three-round Thai fight with four-ounce gloves. It really wouldn't.”

 

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UFC Quick Quote: Brock Lesnar will never beat Frank Mir

"Brock Lesnar will never be able to beat me because he has no submission skills. What’s he going to do, knock me out? No one has never knocked me cold. What’s he going to do, armbar me? No way. He is powerful. He is big. But martial arts isn’t filled with guys from the NFL. Lesnar had to grab the cage not to get taken down by Randy Couture, who’s 220 pounds. Lesnar isn’t the phenom that everyone makes him out to be. He started at 30. Have you ever seen a boxer start at 30 and become a world champion?"

-Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir takes exception via MMA Fanhouse to the recent Lesnar hype heading into his showdown with interim division titlist Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 92 on December 27 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mir, who also doesn’t consider WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in the top ten pound-for-pound list, bested a very green Lesnar at UFC 81 after being bludgeoned with mutliple hamhocks. A rematch would naturally be in order if Mir can get past Nogueira at the end of the month. Easier said than done.

 

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Sean Sherk: ‘Id like to be the first guy’ to fight Diego Sanchez at 155

Sean Sherk is still looking to fight top contenders, and has some very strong ideas about whom he wants to face next.

MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday asked the former UFC lightweight champion about his plans for the future. At the moment, he is taking time off with his family, getting ready to sack it in for the holidays.

At the top of his Christmas list: a bout with Diego Sanchez.

“If he wants to drop to 155, I’d like to be the first guy that fights him,” Sherk said.

Later in the day, at a public question and answer session for the UFC’s pending “Fight for the Troops” show on Wednesday night in Fayetteville, N.C., UFC president Dana White confirmed that the first winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” was dropping to the 155-pound division.

“I think I match up great with him,” Sherk said. “I think his ground game is phenomenal, but so is mine. I know his conditioning is phenomenal. So is mine. His boxing… is okay. But I think it would be a great match-up. You get two guys that are really aggressive fighters who have great conditioning who are going to go and bang it out for fifteen minutes.”

As one of the division’s best ground and pound stylists, Sherk is well aware he may spend the entire fight fending off submissions.

“I’ve seen him at Abu Dhabi (Submission Wrestling Championships), and that’s when it really opened my eyes as to how good he is with his match against Marcelo Garcia; that match was close, real close, for ten minutes, then Diego made a mistake and got caught. But his ground game was phenomenal. So that would definitely pose some problems for me; I’d have to be at the top of my game, and wouldn’t be able to make any mistakes.”

Sherk would also like another crack at Kenny Florian, despite the fact he was victorious in their UFC 64 meeting that crowned him champion.

“Dana’s saying Kenny’s the number one contender, so I would love to get a shot with him, even though I’ve already beat him,” he said. “Whatever. I’d fight him again.”

A close, and maybe surprising, third is Nate Diaz. Sherk says the younger brother of Nick Diaz and winner of the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” is hot right now and deserves to face the upper echelon of the division.

“I would really put him as one of the top guys in the weight class right now,” he said.
The goal is still the same. Sherk wants his title back, and will not accept any tune-up fights.

“I want to push myself and challenge myself,” he said. “I’ve got 41 professional fights. I feel like I’ve accomplished everything in this industry a guy could ever dream of accomplishing, and now, at this point in my career, I only want to fight the best guys. That’s all I’m interested in. I’m not here to collect paydays. I just want to test myself and finish my career knowing that I fought the best of the best and beat them.”

 

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Dana White confirms Diego Sanchez’s move to lightweight

UFC President Dana White confirmed Tuesday that Diego Sanchez will be leaving the promotion’s welterweight division in order to compete under the UFC banner as a lightweight.

White made the announcement when asked by a fan about Sanchez’s next fight during a special Q&A session held at the Sports USA Bar in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Sanchez recently indicated in a blog posted on his MySpace account that he was making preparations for a drop in weight. His revelation was followed up by his agents at NCFC Fight Management indicating that it was the UFC’s decision regarding which weight Sanchez’s next fight would take place at. White’s pronouncement effectively ends any uncertainty as to which weight class Sanchez will fight at.

Sanchez entered the UFC as a middleweight after winning the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Following his first round TKO over Kenny Florian in the final, Sanchez immediately moved to the welterweight limit of 170 pounds. The transition to lightweight means that the 26-year old will now have to cut an additional 15 pounds in order to make the lightweight limit of 155 pounds.

After beginning his professional MMA career with a 17-0 record, Sanchez suffered the first losses at UFCs 69 and 76 against Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, respectively. Sanchez rebounded to go 2-0 in his last two fights, however, wins over Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden failed to generate the same type of buzz that surrounded him during the early part of his career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ronaldo Souza Interview

At Rio de Janeiro, Ronaldo Jacaré continues his preparation to come back to the rings – what, if depends on the will of the fighter, still happens this year. In na exclusive interview with TATAME after a hard session of trains in X-Gym, in Barra da Tijuca, Jacaré spoke about the life between the United States and Brazil and the good year in MMA. “My life is fighting, it’s one of the happiest years of my life and certainly happier years will come”, celebrates Jacaré, who wants to fight still more this year. Check below an exclusive interview with the fighter, who still spoke about Minotauro vs. Frank Mir, that happens in UFC 92, and a possible fight against Brock Lesnar, farther on to coment the preparation of André Galvão to fight for the belt in Canada, next Saturday (13).

How is the life in the United States?
I stay always travelling, in fact I don’t stay only in the USA, I’m travelling all the time. I’m went to São Paulo, then I’m passing in Rio and, sometimes, I go to USA and I stay some time there too. After leaving Manaus, I stay travelling all the time…

Which is the difference of train that you see here in Brazil, with the guys from, Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu, and your trains in São Paulo?
In Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu was where I fill myself better training, I trained well with Saulo, Xande Ribeiro and the whole Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu team, and unfortunately this time I wasn’t possible to go there, but I’m training well with the people here. I liking training here, I’m very happy of helping and being helped by André Galvão, by Josuel Distak, by the people here… I’d like to thank Minotauro (Rodrigo Nogueira), who opened the doors of his academy to me to train. It’s a pleasure to receive this propose from him... I’m a huge fan of him, as fighter and person, I think he’s a guy who has a heart bigger than himself.

Which is the balance that you make of this year in MMA?
My life is fighting, it’s one of the happiest years of my life and certainly happier years will come, because I already fought four times this year. It’s all that I wanted of my life and I’m happy of have fought four times this year.

Do you already closed the year or still have some fight to do?
I’m crazy to fight on December 31st, unfortunately I stayed a time withouth fighting, but until then, if Japan calls me, I’ll be ready to fight.

Are you negotiating that, is there any rumour?
In fact there is a rumour of “maybe I’ll fight” or “maybe I’ll fight”, and I believe that I’ll fight, so I’m waiting anxious (laughs).

Mousasi will fight in K-1 and you won’t have the opportunity of a reamtch with him, will you?
In fact I don’t stay looking for the opponents I won neither the opponents I losst. I leave the things go naturally and one day we can meet ourselves, and when this day arrives I’ll stay very happy.

How are you seeing Japan coming back with the big events?
Japan always was the prime of MMA, Japan made the first world show, Japan always treated well the athletes and isn’t today that this will stop. Dream is very beautiful, great, has only top athletes and I’m very happy of being fighting the Dream, that was the event that treated me better like athlete and like person, and that made me the better propose to fight.

You have trained now with Galvão and he’ll take a shot for a title at Canada. What do you expect to this fight?
Galvão is with an exceptional gas, and we both need to learn more the MMA part. We’re just starting now and we know our mistakes. We’re looking to improve that, we’re going to stay good in this thing.

Which is your goal to 2009?
Each day that passes I stay more expert, I’m learning a little in each day. I’m always improving, as in Jiu-Jitsu, as in the striking and the MMA part. I expect to be a year of many fights, it’s only what matters.

You’ve trained some times at Randy Couture’s gym and now he lost to Brock Lesnar… What did you think of the fight?
I thought that Randy would win because of the experience, because he’s very tough, he knows the octagon, has many fights than Lesnar, but that didn’t happened, and that proves that in MMA wins who is better, who is more trained and who does the better strategy to the fight.

And Nogueira, who opened the doors of the academy to you, will fight now in the end of the year with Frank Mir. Which is the expectative for this fight?
Besides being a great fan of Minotauro, I’m always cheer for him. It’s a five rounds fight and when the fight goes to a long time, Minotauro is Minotauro... Five rounds are good to Minotauro, because he’s a fighter of long fights. Like Anderson just said to me once, Minotauro never lost, the time ran over before he wins (laughs). And I trully believe that also.

And how do you think that would be a fight between Minotauro and Brock?
I think Minotauro wins because has more experience, more heart, supports more hits, has a very good ground, and without to count that are five rounds of five, and I’m Minotauro Football Club.

 

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Santiago: “Gesias is a monster”

One of the biggest friends of Gesias Cavalcante in American Top Team, Jorge Santiago is training for his fight at Sengoku, in January, when he takes a shot against Kazuo Misaki for the middleweight title. Set to fight in Japan in January 4th, Jorge Santiago will follow Gesias in his fight at K-1 Dynamite, against Joachim Hansen, champion of the Dream lightweight GP.

“Gesias is a monster! He’s training in a way that sometimes I don’t know where he takes so energy (laughs). He’s training to don’t happen any surprises at the fight, he’s with the ground, striking and Wrestling well-trained… You can wait that he’ll give a great show”, guarantees Santiago, that discards the ambience of revenge between the fighters, that faced themselves in Shooto, in 2004, and finished with victory of the Norwegian. “I don’t see it like a revenge, but like a new meeting. Gesias in that time was very young, that was his third professional fight and, of that time for now, he has changed a lot, like Hansen did”.

If in the first meeting between the fighters Hansen won, Jorge has not doubts in his bets. “I can tell you certainly that the fight will be completely different. If somebody tells me that Hansen is two times better today, I can assert you that Gesias is ten times better than before (laughs)”, guarantees Jorge, who continues in Japan after the fight of Gesias, to fight with Misaki in Sengoku and still support the team partner Antônio Bigfoot against Yoshihiro Nakao, in the same night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Satoshi Ishii's debut will be after the fall in 2009

Satoshi Ishii, who is the Judo gold medalist in Beijing Olympic, had an interview with Dailysports in Tokyo on December 9. In the interview, he said his debut would be after the fall in 2009.

He was expected to debut next spring. After starting his serious MMA training, he found out that he needed more time to be ready.

“I'm not even sure when I can officially make an announcement about the event I belong to. What I am focusing on right now is to develop both striking and submitting skills. I used to think I only needed to work on striking to debut. However, I realized that it was essencial to improve my submitting skills and learn how to combine both techniques.”