MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Alvarez vs. Aoki to determine first-ever WAMMA lightweight champ

The highly anticipated New Year's Eve matchup between Eddia Alvarez (15-1) and Shinya Aoki (18-3) is no longer just for bragging rights.

The FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 bout will also determine the first ever WAMMA lightweight champion.

After weeks of speculation, the organization made the announcement early Monday morning via press release. FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 is scheduled for Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

"New Year's Eve is rich in both history and tradition for combat sports in Japan," stated WAMMA Chief Operating Officer Michael Lynch. "FEG officials have put together an amazing night of fights and WAMMA is looking forward to recognizing the winner of the Aoki vs. Alvarez fight as our first-ever lightweight champion."

Alvarez is currently ranked No. 2 by WAMMA, with Aoki holding the No. 3 slot.

WAMMA has been the subject of much criticism throughout its history, and the organization's plan for the introduction of their first lightweight title has proved no different. With the Zuffa, LLC-owned UFC refusing to acknowledge WAMMA, current WAMMA No. 1 ranked lightweight B.J. Penn will not be involved in the immediate title picture.

Lynch said he is aware of the criticism and addressed the situation in the press release.

"WAMMA's board of directors supports the WAMMA pollsters in their recognition of B.J. Penn as the No. 1 rated lightweight fighter in the world," Lynch stated. "However, Penn has not fought since May 24 and isn't scheduled to compete again until Jan. 31. His Jan. 31 fight will be contested at welterweight against Georges St. Pierre for the UFC's 170 pound crown. If Penn wins, UFC President Dana White has already stated that Penn's next fight will be a welterweight title defense against Thiago Alves. Needless to say, Penn's future as a regular competitor in the lightweight division is uncertain.

"With our number two and three ranked lightweight fighters scheduled to compete on one of the sport's biggest stages, we felt that the fight was worthy of determining WAMMA's first-ever lightweight champion. But we're a fan-forward organization and we are aware of the criticism. If after the St. Pierre fight it becomes clear that Penn's future is at lightweight, WAMMA will approach the UFC with the hope of facilitating a fight between Penn and the WAMMA lightweight champion."

The lightweight belt will be just the second belt issued by the organization. WAMMA crowned heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko as their first recognized champion after the Russian's July win over Tim Sylvia at "Affliction: Banned."

Unlike several other weight classes that are made up primarily of Zuffa-controlled combatants, only three of WAMMA's top-10 ranked lightweight fighters compete in the UFC or WEC.

The current WAMMA top-10 lightweight rankings are:

1 - B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
2 - Eddie Alvarez (15-1)
3 - Shinya Aoki (18-3)
4 - Kenny Florian (11-3)
5 - Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
6 - Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
7 - Takanori Gomi (29-4)
8 - Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)
9 - Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2)
10 - Josh Thomson (16-2)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eilers’ Shooter a Former Sheriff, Stepfather

Details released by the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office describe a frantic effort to save the life of Justin Eilers, who was fatally shot late Christmas night at his mother and stepfather’s residence.

Eilers was wounded once in the chest by his stepfather James Robert Malec, a former deputy sheriff, during a domestic dispute. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:36 p.m. MST after emergency medical technicians could not revive him with CPR.

Canyon County Coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morris confirmed that the single shot had punctured Eilers’ lung before it exited his back.

Canyon County sheriffs were the first to arrive at the residence at 11:00 p.m. MST, and found Eilers on his back in the living room. Eilers’ mother and ex-girlfriend were over the body, attempting to apply pressure to the wound until paramedics arrived around 11:15 p.m., confirmed Capt. Dana Maxfield.

An argument between Eilers and an ex-girlfriend, who have a son together, had broken out earlier and she had left the residence, according to Capt. Maxfield.

Tensions continued in the kitchen between Eilers and Malec, said Maxfield. Unverified reports suggest Eilers was asked to leave, but refused. Maxfield said glass and other items were found on the kitchen floor, knocked over by Eilers in protest.

“He [Eilers] was verbally challenging Malec,” said Capt. Maxfield.

Eilers was shot with a large caliber handgun standing in the doorway adjoining the kitchen and the living room and fell back into the living area.

Maxfield said Eilers’ mother witnessed the shooting. Earlier reports that Eilers’ 8-year-old son was also present in the room were false, though he was on the premises with other family members. Eilers’ ex-girlfriend was not present at the time of the shooting, but returned afterward, said Maxfield.

Maxfield confirmed that both Eilers and Malec had been drinking.

“Alcoholism was a contributing factor to the entire incident,” said Capt. Maxfield. “This is a good example of how, in many instances, firearms and alcohol don’t mix.”

Malec, 48, was arrested at the scene for second-degree murder and arraigned Friday. He is being held at the Canyon County Jail on $1,000,000 bond.

Malec served as a Canyon County deputy sheriff from April 1996 to July 2000. Malec had been assigned to the detention center and also worked as a canine handler. Numerous firearms were found in the home, said Maxfield.

Malec exercised his Miranda Rights and declined to be interviewed at the sheriffs’ office, according to Maxfield.

A former Iowa State middle linebacker, the well-liked Eilers was a member of the Miletich Martial Arts team and fought for the UFC and EliteXC heavyweight titles in 2005 and 2008.

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Jan. 1 from 2-6 p.m. at the Alsip Funeral Home in South Nampa, Idaho. Funeral services will be held on Jan. 2 at 10 a.m. at The Church Of Latter Day Saints, also in Nampa.

A benefit dinner and auction, as well as a trust fund for Eilers’ son are being organized by friends and family, according to FullContactIdaho.com. More information on donations is available at the site.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chuck Liddell named as possible headliner for UFC 96

With Randy Couture recently quelling previous rumors of fourth bout with "The Iceman," the next appearance for former UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC) is still an uncertainty.

But at Saturday night's post-UFC 92 press conference, UFC President Dana White hinted that the fan-favorite could possibly headline the recently announced UFC 96 on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio.

"We're kicking around who we want in Columbus," White said. "It could be Liddell. We don't know. We're still working on it."

Liddell last fought in September's UFC 88, suffering a brutal knockout at the hand of new light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. It was Liddell's third defeat in his past four bouts.

Liddell himself mentioned in a recent appearance on the CBS Radio program "The Tom Leykis Show" that he was eyeing a March return. Liddell also stated he was interested in a rematch with Keith Jardine, though White did not mention any possible opponents for the 39-year-old at the press conference.

UFC 96 will again coincide with the Arnold Sports Festival, a three-day sports and fitness exhibition held annually in March. This will be the third consecutive year the UFC has visited Ohio during the festival.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 92 medical suspensions issued to 11 fighters

After a night that featured eight knockout or TKO stoppages, 11 of the 20 fighters that participated in "UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008" have been suspended with a wide array of injuries.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today obtained the list of official suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversaw the Dec. 27 event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Forrest Griffin, who lost his light-heavyweight title and suffered a third-round knockout defeat to Rashad Evans in the night's main event, is suspended until June 27 for possible injuries to his left hand, though he can be cleared early by a doctor.

Mostapha Al Turk, Reese Andy and Dan Evensen, each of who suffered their own knockout losses, are also suspended until June 27 due to injuries inclusing nasal fractures, orbital fractures and knee damage.

The full list of suspensions includes:

* Forrest Griffin - suspended until June 27 due to possible broken left hand (can be cleared early by orthopedic doctor and negative x-ray); minimum suspension until Feb. 12 with no contact until Jan. 28 for precautionary reasons
* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - suspended until Feb. 27 with no contact until Feb. 12 for precautionary reasons
* Mike Massenzio - suspended until Jan. 28 with no contact until Jan. 19 for precautionary reasons
* Wanderlei Silva - suspended until Feb. 27 with no contact until Feb. 12 for precautionary reasons
* Mostapha Al Turk - suspended until June 27 due to broken nose (can be cleared early by orthopedic doctor); minimum suspension until Feb. 27 with no contact until Feb. 12 due to lacerations over left eye and on top of head
* Mike Wessel - suspended until Feb. 12 with no contact until Jan. 28 for precautionary reasons
* Mat Hamill - suspended until Feb. 12 with no contact until Jan. 28 due to cut under left eye
* Reese Andy - suspended until June 27 due to possible orbital fracture (can be cleared early by orthopedic doctor and negative CT Scan); minimum suspension until Feb. 27 with no contact until Feb. 12 for precautionary reasons
* Brad Blackburn - must be cleared by neurologist for left arm tingling/numbness before next fight; suspended until June 27 due to nasal fracture (can be cleared early by ENT doctor); minimum suspension until Feb. 12 with no contact until Jan. 28 for precautionary reasons
* Dan Evensen - suspended until June 27 due to left knee damage (can be cleared early by orthopedic doctor); minimum suspension until Jan. 28 with no contact until Jan. 19 for precautionary reasons
* Patrick Barry - suspended until Jan. 28 with no contact until Jan. 19 due to right elbow injury

 

[Shogun Locc]

Why didn't EliteXC work under Gary Shaw?

 

[Shogun Locc]

DYNAMITE!! 2008 Pre-Event Fighter Interviews

PRESS RELEASE:

DYNAMITE!! 2008 Pre-Event Fighter Interviews

TOKYO, December 29, 2008 -- Around the world, New Year's Eve means wild parties and midnight countdowns, the lifting of glasses and the ringing of bells. In Japan -- between kagamimochi cake and otoso rice wine -- December 31 is also occasion for the most spectacular fightsport extravaganza of the year.

Tens of thousands will fill the Saitama Super Arena, and tens of millions will watch on nationwide television, as 36 fighters go head-to-head in FieLDS DYNAMITE!! 2008.

The event features a dozen DREAM MMA bouts in a variety of weight classes; a quartet of K-1 Rules contests; and the culmination of the K-1 Koshien high school tournament. With the opening bell just 48 hours away, participating fighters met the media today at Tokyo's East 21 Hotel.


DREAM MMA Rules

CroCop vs Choi

Croatian mixed martial arts master Mirko CroCop will step in against Hong-Man Choi of South Korea in a Heavyweight (93.1kg/205lbs+) match. Choi is a former ssirium grand champion, who, at 218cm/7'2" will bring a 30 cm/12" height advantage to the ring. At 167kg/355lbs, Choi is also some 65 kg/125lbs heavier than CroCop.

While Choi has size on his side, CroCop has much more experience -- since his MMA debut in 2001, CroCop has established himself as one of the world's best all-round fighters. Choi, meanwhile has competed just twice under MMA rules.

Choi usually trains in Japan prior to fighting, but changed his tact this time: "I stayed in Korea, where I trained very hard, and actually I just arrived in Japan. I haven't seen Mirko's fight videos, and I'm not interested in seeing them. I know he's a southpaw but I trained as I would for any other fighter. Because 2008 has not been a good year for me, I want to finish this fight quickly and get a good start for next year."

Mirko CroCop did not appear for interviews.


Sakuraba vs Tamura

Living legend Kazushi Sakuraba of Japan will fight compatriot Kiyoshi Tamura at Middleweight (84kg/185lbs). These two attended the same dojo a long time back, and, before Sakuraba went pro, Tamura thrice beat him in wrestling matches.

Sakuraba didn't appear worried about confronting his old nemesis: "I trained the same way as I always do. I know Tamura is a good fighter, but he hasn't had nearly as many fights as me, so I don't have any particular impression of him. I think that for Tamura and for the media, this might be a big deal, but for me it's only one more fight

Said Tamura: "It's also a regular fight for me. I know there has been a lot of fan and media interest, but that does not affect me. Of course I have personal feelings but I know we both have changed since the old days, so I just want to make a good fight on Wednesday."


Hansen vs Calvin

This year's DREAM Lightweight (70kg/154lbs) Grand Prix Champion, Joachim Hansen of Norway, will meet the man who previously held HERO'S highest Middleweight honors, Brazilian jujitsu fighter JZ Calvan Brazil.

Asked how he felt fighting as the Champion on New Year's Eve, Hansen was humble:
"I haven't changed my training or let it affect my emotions, and I've prepared for this fight as for any other fight. JZ is an all-round fighter like me, and we can both stay on our feet or go to the ground. I plan to keep my guard tight, I think that's key for me, then I will make a dynamite show for Dynamite!"

Said Calvan: "I'm in very good shape, I'm always in very good shape. I had time to prepare for this and I'm very excited. I love to fight in Japan, the fan are so respectful, and I want to give their energy back inside the ring, so I'll do my best."
Calvan laughed when asked if he'd changed his style: "If you're born a banana, you're going to die a banana -- you just get more mature. I think attitude is the difference between me and Joachim -- the positive things I do in life, to get better and better every minute, every day, every fight!"


Aoki vs Alvarez

Shinya Aoki of Japan will meet Eddie Alvarez of the USA, in a fight that didn't happen at the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix 2008, when semifinal winner Alvarez was not cleared by doctors to continue to the final.

Said Alvarez: "This fight was supposed to happen before, and I think on that night I would've had the advantage because I'd fought fewer minutes than Aoki in the tournament. But in any case this will be a good fight to determine who is the number one fighter in DREAM. As for my strategy, I always believe it's important to impose my will on any fighter, regardless of his fighting style, and to control the fight every moment. I want to fight with all my spirit and put on the best show that I can for my fans."
Informed that Aoki had joked that being married with children might give Alvarez an advantage, the American responded, "The fact that Aoki doesn't have a wife and kids may allow him more time to focus on training, but I believe fighting is an occupation, and my wife and kids are my biggest inspiration to succeed in my job. It's more important for me to be well-rounded as a person, and I'm a very happy man to have this balance.

Aoki laughed when asked how he felt going into his last fight of the year: "It may not be my last fight of the year, you never know what might happen before midnight! Anyway, I want to enjoy myself in the ring, as always. I'm happy and proud that I've been able to fight great fighters this year, like JZ Calvan, Caol Uno and Joachim Hanson. And now, on New Year's Eve, it's great to meet Eddie Alvarez in the fight we couldn't have earlier in the year. If I weren't fighting in the ring, I would want to watch this fight from the audience! I think this will be a great contest, the best on the Dynamite card. Other fighters have gimmicks and so on to finish 2008, but this will be a real MMA fight that will entertain the crowd purely with technique and skills!"


LeBanner vs Hunt

In a showdown of Heavyweight sluggers, French K-1 veteran Jerome LeBanner will meet Mark Hunt of New Zealand, who fought frequently in MMA after winning the K-1 World GP in 2001, but has been less active recently.

Hunt was nonetheless confident: "I've been training for MMA and striking both, as always. Of course Jerome is a great fighter but I've never seen him fight in MMA so I don't know, we'll see how it goes. I don't think he's going to be a strong challenge to me in MMA because I have much more experience. I want to put him away with a submission but sometimes you want a fight to go one way then it goes the opposite way, so I'll try to finish him with anything I can get. I'm ready to fight and win, I want to make some money! Wish me luck!"

LeBanner did not appear for interviews.


Schilt vs Mo

Also in the Heavyweight class, three-time K-1 World GP Champion Semmy Schilt of Holland will meet scrappy Samoan-American Mighty Mo.

Mo's last K-1 fight was almost five months ago, and he was asked what he'd been up to since: "I've been spending a lot of tie with my kids, and I've been training to learn MMA rules and techniques, working with Josh Barnett on takedowns and knee and arm bar submission holds. I know groundwork, because I wrestled in college, and I think I'm very strong on the ground, where my hook is probably even stronger. Of course, fighting Schilt, it's a whole different game, but that's to my advantage because I have strength when we get inside, on the ground, where he'll be weak because of his build. I'm not saying it's impossible to knock Schilt out standing up, but if I'm smart and get inside, I have the advantage."

Said Schilt: "I'm very excited to be fighting in MMA again, it's been a long time but I am confident, I think. I did some MMA training, but really I want to show the fans a standup K-1 fight, worthy of a K-1 Champion, because I'm good at that.
Told of Mo's preference for ground fighting, Schilt replied, "I'm not afraid of groundwork, I can do more than a triangle choke, so we'll see where the fight goes. If the fight goes to the ground I have the skills to win there as well, my groundwork is capable of neutralizing his attacks. However, I want to knock him out, because that's Semmy Schilt!"


Sapp vs Mantaro

Commensurate with Dynamite's wide appeal is the wide range of bouts on the card, and one of the more bizarre is American Bob "The Beast" Sapp's matchup with a flesh-and-blood anime character, "Kinniku Mantaro," from Parts Unknown, in a Heavyweight bout.

"I've focused on muscular endurance and speed training, I've lost weight and I'm in great shape," said Sapp, who rejected the suggestion he was slumping. "If you check my win-loss record I only have three losses over a nine-year span, I fail to see losing three fights as a slump. In fact, I think with the world economy in a slump, it's MMA itself that's also in a slump, so that's why I'm here! I enjoy this role, and I welcome all pressure, I will be victorious and I will show everyone why I fight, why Japan is number one, and why The Beast is number one!"

The costumed Kinniku Mantaro briefly materialized in the interview space, but said nothing.


Zimmerman vs Minowaman

Errol Zimmerman, a rising Dutch K-1 fighter, will test his MMA skills against Japanese pro wrestler Minowaman.

Zimmerman was asked if he was nervous fighting under MMA rules: "If I felt nervous or frightened, or felt that I couldn't beat him, I wouldn't have taken the fight. I have no impression of Minowaman, I'm just confident I'm going to win. There's nothing different about this fight, I got the call two weeks ago, so I started training, that's all. I may use strikes, I will use what is necessary -- maybe like Badr Hari, I'll stomp him on the head!"
Informed that stomps are also illegal under DREAM MMA Rules, Zimmerman feigned surprise: "Oh shit! There goes my plan

Said Minowaman: "I just want to show my own style of fighting, beyond pro-wresting. Zimmerman is a total fighter, but I want to do my best, do what I can do in this fight to please my fans.


In other DREAM MMA Rules fights, it will be Japanese Welterweights Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Katsuyori Shibata; Lightweights Hideo Tokoro and Daisuke Nakamura; and Yukio Sakaguchi versus Andy Ologun of Nigeria at Welterweight.


K-1 Rules

Hari vs Overeem

After accepting penalties imposed by governing body FEG for the foul he committed against Remy Bonjasky at this year's K-1 World GP, Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari was invited to a Dynamite dance with Dutch MMA fighter Alistair Overeem.

Hari's thoughts on the Bonjasky-stomping were the first question asked: "I think 2008 was a very good year and I had a lot of great fights, but I messed it up a little bit in the final. What can I say, I could say a lot but I'll just say I got my punishment and I accept it. I don't look backward, I just look forward."
Although Hari had no conciliatory words for Bonjasky, he did reach out to his fans, "I will try to do my best to show the fans that I'm a sportsman. I regret what happened and apologize to my fans and all the people who supported me, I learned my lesson and will do my best to make sure these things don't happen again."

Hari said the incident didn't affect his preparation for the fight: "At first, I didn't know if I would be suspended or not, so I wasn't sure I'd fight at Dynamite. But I stayed in shape, so I'm ready. Overeem's a good MMA fighter but he doesn't know K-1. Maybe he thinks he does when he trains in the gym, but I'm on different level -- I've knocked out the best, why not him?"

Hari laughed loudly when told that Overeem had pledged to teach him a lesson: "What kind of lesson? I don't care what he says, actually I think if he says that in public, they'll take him to a mental hospital for saying strange things…He'll never beat me!"

Said Overeem, who will be fighting under K-1 Rules for the first time since 2005: "I've seen Badr Hari fight, he's one of the best K-1 fighters right now, he's very fast and very explosive, and he has a very big mouth! I was a bit surprised, like everyone, by his unsportsmanlike behavior in the K-1 finals, but also excited that he wants to fight me. I feel strong, I've trained at Golden Glory with fighters like Errol Zimmerman and Gokhan Saki, and it's also part of my normal training to train in K-1 rules. So I'm very confident. Hari and I are going to have two fights, this New Year's Eve in K-1 rules then later in the year in DREAM rules. I can't wait to get my hands on him. He knocked out [fellow Golden Glory fighter] Zimmerman, so this is a little bit of a revenge match for me!"


Musashi vs Mousasi

Also under standup rules, Japanese K-1 veteran Musashi will fight Dutchman Gegard Mousasi in a battle of near namesakes.

Mousasi is another MMA fighter new to K-1 Rules: "Yes, this is new for me, so I don't know how I'm going to perform, but it's exciting. Because of my weight at 84kg, I was more focused on my ground game in the past, but I've been sparring with Jerrel Venetiaan, and training with the pads with Ernesto Hoost and my kyokushin karate friends. I have to read the K-1 rules again (laughs), but it's kicking kneeing and punching, so I think I'll be alright. I'm now going for a 93kg fighting weight, and once I get over 100kg I'll want to fight more in K-1 rules. I've watched Musashi's K-1 fights, and I know he's a good fighter and has experience that I don't, so I'll make up for that with speed and explosiveness."

Musashi arrived at the interview space merrily singing a song: "I'm in top condition and two days away from the fight, so I feel great," said the seidokaikan stylist. "I had injuries this year, maybe I wasn't treating them early with massage and so on so they got worse. I think I have to be more cautious now because I'm getting older, this year I learned to take better care of myself. Dynamite is my last fight of the year, so I want it to be a good one. Because Mousasi is lighter than me he can move faster, so the key will be keeping up with him, so I trained mainly for speed. I've seen videos of Mousasi's fights, they are mostly MMA fights, but I've also heard he has good striking techniques. Still, I think if I can fight my style of fight with speed, then I'll be ok."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jerome Le Banner - Not Fighting!

It’s been Confirmed - Jerome Le Banner has pulled from the Fields Dynamite Card due to a lung infection. the FEG has yet to make it official and no word on if a replacement will be made to fight his counter part.

Dreamfighters.com is waiting to hear back from the FEG, which we expect to hear back from soon to announce a replacement fighter, or if there will be a replacement fighter at all.

 

[caff]

Rampage Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva III



http://morrisvideos.com/watch_video.php?v=511ce723ff234d6

 

[SLRider510]

Rampage Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva III



http://morrisvideos.com/watch_video.php?v=511ce723ff234d6

I LOVE IT

hahaha dam wadda KO

 

[Shogun Locc]

‘Dynamite’ Loses Ill LeBanner; Manhoef to Face Hunt

TOKYO -- Jerome LeBanner was noticeably absent from a Tuesday press conference to promote K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite,” scheduled for New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

According to Fighting and Entertainment Group President Sadaharu Tanigawa, LeBanner -- who has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Mark Hunt -- remained at home after being stricken with influenza. He reported that the Frenchman was beset by a 102.2-degree fever, was having difficulty breathing and had been hospitalized.

Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef will face Hunt in LeBanner’s stead, FEG representatives confirmed. One of the combat sports world’s most-feared knockout artists, Manhoef (22-5-1) will enter the match with wins in five of his past six fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Event Magic.tv deal fails, FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 will not air live in U.S.

FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008, the star-studded New Year's Eve event, has been unable to secure a TV or internet broadcasting contract and will not be seen live in the U.S.

Officials from both FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 promoter Fight Entertainment Group and potential internet broadcast partner Event Magic.tv released the disappointing news on Monday.

The mammoth, 19-fight event is scheduled for Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

While Event Magic.tv and FEG recently announced they were in negotiations to secure a worldwide internet streaming contract, Jeremy Ta'kody of Event Magic.tv on Monday eliminated that possibility in a post on the Underground, a popular mixed martial arts message board. A portion of the unedited original post is below.


Unfortunately we will not be streaming K-1 Premium Dynamite!! 08 live.

I tried everything I could to get this event live as a world wide internet ppv broadcast.

In the end it came down to not being able to connect up a second satellite to redirect the live feed from Japan to our encoding facility in Vegas.

FEG did everything they could to make this happen, in the end it came down to a mixture of last minute preperation and difficult timing in booking a second satellite.


Mike Kogan of FEG USA on Monday told MMAFighting.com that the company had also attempted to air the event on HDNet, but programming deadlines were missed while negotiating a deal.

"So unfortunately as of right now, there is no preferred way to watch this event at all," Kogan told MMAFighting.com.

According to Ta'kody, FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 will be available on DVD and HD-quality video on demand pay-per-view beginning Jan. 6.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rashad Evans forced to battle Sandman prior to facing Griffin

Rashad Evans (13-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) took an emphatic step forward with his third-round knockout win over Forrest Griffin (16-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at Saturday's "UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008."

While the performance was indeed impressive, one has to wonder how much better Evans would have looked had he simply been awake.

"I got my hands wrapped (before the bout), and the next thing you know I feel like going to sleep," Evans recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It was the worst. I remember going out there thinking, 'Man it would be so cool if there was a bed right here. I could go to sleep right now.'"

Evans said it took a solid shot from Griffin in the opening minutes of the light-heavyweight title fight to snap him back into focusing on the task at hand.

"Once he hit me a pretty good time, I was like, 'Oh, OK. We fighting now," Evans said. "I started to get into the fight a little bit more, but I don't think I really opened up until probably towards the end of the second round. I didn't fight early on the way I had planned it in my mind."

Once the new champion was able to settle into his prescribed gameplan, the 29-year-old's confidence began to quickly grow.

"When [Griffin] got off his little flurry on me, and he gave me everything he had, I was like, 'Oh man. I've seen every trick in the book,'" Evans said. "And I knew that there was nothing he could do to really hurt me.

"I felt all his power, and I was like, 'Man, I've got this. I've got this now.' And I wanted to let him know that, 'You can't hurt me. It's going to be a long night from here on out.'"

Evans relayed his message to Griffin through a quick kiss of his hand and a motion towards his crotch. The gesture has since drawn heavy criticism from many of Evans' detractors, but the undefeated champion said it was a harmless act meant completely in jest.

"It was just a little fun," Evans said. "Me and Forrest were sitting there smiling. I'd hit him with a good shot, and he'd give me a little smile or something. We were just going back and forth.

"When you're in the gym or something like that, it's just some stuff we go on with a little trash-talking and stuff like that. It's nothing personal. It's just getting into the fight."

From that moment on, Evans knew he simply had to bide his time and pick his shots. The Greg Jackson product said maintaining the proper discipline while still creating an exciting spectacle was particularly challenging.

"It's hard to get in and get out without making it look like you're running when you're going against somebody like Forrest that puts a lot of pressure on," Evans said. "So that's the problem that I was having all night was finding the area that I could get in and get out without looking like I'm running.

"Forrest was using a lot of great footwork as well. He wasn't just a stationary target. So it kind of made it hard for me to get in and get out. I was just like, 'You know what? I've got to stand in the pocket and trade with him for a second.'"

Once Evans found his position in the pocket, Griffin's belt was in jeopardy. Evans timed a leg kick from his opponent perfectly, catching the blow and delivering a counter-right hand that dropped Griffin to the canvas.

"I hurt Forrest," Evans said. "When I caught his leg, I threw a short right hand that caught him on the jaw. And I knew he was dazed from that because when he went down he was all sloppy. And he didn't recover from it."

Evans remained calm once the fight hit the floor. The former collegiate wrestler worked his way through Griffin's shaky defense and ended the bout with a barrage of ground-and-pound blows. The performance earned the former "TUF" champion the UFC's light-heavyweight crown.

Evans said he is adjusting quickly to the roll of champion.

"It feels pretty good," Evans said. "It kind of feels like it did before, but now I know I have a lot more work to do. Now I know that I have to go out there and stay hungry because there are a lot of people that want that belt."

Evans also elaborated further on his gameplan for the bout, his thoughts on potential bouts with Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, what he plans on doing with his $60,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus, and why he was the first Greg Jackson fighter in recent memory not to tweak his nipples before the bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Demian Maia agrees to face Chael Sonnen at UFC 95 in London

Undefeated UFC middleweight Demian Maia (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has agreed to face former WEC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (21-9-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC 95 according to a report on Maia's official website.

UFC 95 is scheduled for Feb. 21 at the 02 Arena in London.

To date, the UFC has only released the evening's main event bout of Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson, though other rumored bouts have been confirmed by the combatants involved.

The bout will mark Maia's first action since a first-round submission win over Nate Quarry at UFC 91 in November. Since debuting for the organization in October 2007, the 31-year-old Brazilian has won all four of his UFC bouts via submission.

Chonnen had a three-fight stint with the UFC in 2006, but the 31-year-old left the organization after a submission loss to Jeremy Horn at UFC 60. Sonnen has compiled a 7-1 record for the WEC, BodogFIGHT and SportFight since his departure from the UFC.

Sonnen last fought in a November bout at "WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown" with Paulo Filho. Sonnen earned a unanimous decision victory over the WEC middleweight champion, but the bout was considered a non-title affair after Filho failed to make the 185-pound weight limit.

Initial attempts by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) to reach Sonnen and confirm his participation were unsuccessful.

With the addition of Maia vs. Sonnen, the rumored fight card now includes:

Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson
Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt
Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen
Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim
Shannon Gugerty vs. Tom Lawson
Stefan Struve vs. Junior dos Santos
Neil Grove vs. TBA

 

[Shogun Locc]

GRICE VS SOTIROPOULOS SET FOR FEB 7 FIGHT NIGHT

After a lengthy layoff to attend the police academy, Oklahoma native Matt Grice is ready to return to action as he will face off against former "Ultimate Fighter" competitor, George Sotiropoulos at the UFC Fight Night show on Feb 7.

The bout has been signed by both competitors according to sources close to the situation as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Monday.

Currently holding a 1-1 record in the Octagon, Matt Grice had high hopes for his future after a "Fight of the Night" performance in his second fight against Jason Black at UFC 77 in 2007. Following that win though the husband and new father decided to forgo another fight in favor of attending the police academy to provide stability and security for his new family.

"I was perfectly happy with the way everything went," Grice said about the UFC allowing him to leave and come back at a later date. "You hear a lot of bad things, but I base my decisions off personal experience. From everything I've experienced with them, they've done nothing but take care of me and done great things for me, so I have nothing but the highest regards for the UFC."

His opponent, George Sotiropoulos is coming off of a long layoff of his own after suffering an injury that kept him out of his last scheduled bout, the Serra Jiu-Jitsu student is looking forward to a return to action.

The bout between Grice and Sotiropoulos will be the untelevised undercard portion of the show at this point. The main event of the UFC Fight Night show will feature a lightweight showdown between Joe Lauzon and Hermes Franca.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TROY MANDALONIZ VS. PAUL KELLY AT UFC 95

"The Ultimate Fighter" season six alum Troy "Rude Boy" Mandaloniz is packing on the pounds for his next fight.

The Hilo, Hawaii native will on Tuesday sign his bout agreement for a welterweight scrap with Paul Kelly at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London, England. Kelly is expected to sign his agreement in the coming days.

Though U.K. native Kelly has expressed a desire to fight at lightweight, it appears he is putting off the cut for now. The Wolfslair fighter went toe to toe with fellow Brit Paul Taylor at UFC 80 in an all out slugfest. In his last outing, Kelly suffered his first loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 89. Overall, Kelly carries a record of 7-1 in professional competition.

The 28 year-old Mandaloniz made his last appearance over a year ago at the season six finale of the reality show. There, he defeated fellow cast mate Richie Hightower in the first round with punches. He carries a professional record of 3-1 in professional competition.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Yushin Okami guaranteed title shot by Dana White

UFC middleweight Yushin Okami defeated Dean Lister by unanimous decision at UFC 92. Even though the fight was not the most exciting bout on the card, UFC President Dana White confirmed that the victory puts Okami back in the hunt for the middleweight title currently held by Anderson Silva.

“Yushin Okami will be getting a title shot. Definitely,” White said.

Okami was very close to receiving a title shot earlier in the year after beating Evan Tanner at UFC 82 (Silva defeated Dan Henderson on that same card). Unfortunately, Okami was injured during training and the matchup could not be finalized.

Okami and Silva have an interesting backstory in that Okami is the last man to beat the champion. Okami defeated Silva by disqualification due to an illegal kick. The match took place in January 2006 for the Rumble on the Rock promotion.

Prior to Silva vs. Okami being signed, Silva will first have to defeat Thales Leites. Silva and Leites are set to square off in April.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ninja wants EliteXC back in business

Without fighting since the collapse of EliteXC, Murilo "Ninja" Rua whishes to return to the octagon where he shined and won the belt of the category. "I'm focused now on Mauricio’s (Shogun) fight and I have nothing planned for my situation yet. I'm still connected to EliteXC and have to wait. I see it (possibility to EliteXC’s back) as very good news, I would be very happy and if the rumors confirm... It’s wait to see", said Ninja, helping on his brother preparation to UFC 93, against Mark Coleman. "We’re focused on Mauricio’s fight, training a lot... I’m sure he’ll bring us one more victory", bets.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DIN THOMAS: "I JUST RECENTLY SIGNED WITH EVO MMA TO MAKE MY DEBUT AT 145"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content4055.html?PHPSESSID=9b039c59e1e12b5ffb89846247f99504
"Although I consider myself a seasoned vet, I'm in no rush to jump directly into the mix. This is a new weight class for me and I want to treat myself like a rookie. I want to take my time to settle into this weight class and progressively beat everybody," stated MMA veteran Din Thomas as he talked about his recent signing with EVO MMA, his future plans and much more. Check it out!

 

[Shogun Locc]

Aoki Subs Alvarez; MMA Trumps K-1

TOKYO -- Despite last-minute absences, late replacements and the lack of certain marquee New Year’s Eve fighters, Fighting and Entertainment Group still delivered the goods Wednesday with its final card of the year, Dynamite.

Due to the last-minute withdrawal of Joachim Hansen, who had an unspecified head injury that prevented him from passing a preliminary medical check to fight Gesias Cavalcante, grappling sensation Shinya Aoki and former Bodog welterweight champ Eddie Alvarez took co-main event honors before a sold-out Saitama Super Arena.

Alvarez stuffed a double-leg early, and Aoki chased him around the ring while butt-scooting. Realizing that the ground was the absolute last place he wanted to be with Aoki, Alvarez continued to backpedal until referee Noguchi stood Aoki up.

Alvarez then delivered a middle kick, which Aoki caught and used to capture the back clinch. In response Alvarez whipped Aoki over his hip with a harai-goshi, landing on top in mount, but Aoki escaped immediately and put Alvarez in guard. The Japanese fighter then dove for Alvarez’s leg, taking the American to the mat.

As neither man had worked up a sweat yet, Aoki had the adequate grip to lock on the heel hook and put away yet another opponent by the submission of choice according to the Nippon Top Team playbook. Alvarez tapped out at 1:32 in the opening frame.

Despite an entertaining night of fights, the Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Kazushi Sakuraba main event brought the evening to an anticlimactic end as Tamura capped their 15-year feud with a safe but dominant unanimous decision.

Stuffing Sakuraba’s single-leg attempts in the opening moments, Tamura bullied his way into the IQ Wrestler’s guard to drop hammerfists and punches -- much to the surprise of the 25,634 fans in attendance, who didn’t expect striking on the ground from this UWF throwback bout. Sakuraba attempted submissions from bottom, but Tamura shrugged them off to wear away at his one-time UWF Dojo junior with punches. Weary under the mounting damage, Sakuraba hung on and survived the 10-minute round.

The second period saw more of the same, prompting a double yellow card from referee Daisuke Noguchi, who warned both fighters for not fighting aggressively. Outside of slamming three hard low kicks that buckled Sakuraba’s legs, Tamura continued to punish from the top position in guard until a last-minute reversal from Sakuraba put him in top position. It was too little too late, however, as the previous 14 minutes clearly belonged to Tamura. As such, all three judges ruled the bout for Tamura.

Though a last-minute replacement, Dream middleweight grand prix semifinalist Melvin Manhoef shockingly and quickly put away Mark Hunt in brutal fashion. As Hunt jumped into action to throw punches, Manhoef backpedaled and planted a hard left-right hook counter square on the “Samoan Monster’s” jaw, knocking him stiff for the knockout at a mere 18 seconds into the first.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic took his time dispatching the “Techno Goliath,” Hong Man Choi, and backpedaled for the majority of the fight. Both Cro Cop and Choi received yellow cards for not fighting aggressively. However, a hard left low kick from Filipovic came shortly after the penalty and landed on Choi’s knee as he tried to check it. The blow sent the Korean crashing down, gripping his knee in pain, for the stoppage at 6:32.

Hayato Sakurai took a handy TKO over Katsuyori Shibata in a 7:01 beating that saw the pro-wrestling convert helplessly eat punches and knees off of his back for most of the bout. Sakurai ate a few punches early en route to getting Shibata to the ground, but once there, that’s where the fight stayed. Sakurai transitioned from side mount to full mount to knee on belly at will, dropping big punches and knees on a defenseless Shibata. Just beyond the halfway point, referee Moritaka Oshiro decided he’d seen enough, calling the bout to award Sakurai the TKO.

Three-time K-1 world grand prix champ Semmy Schilt bested Salia “Mighty Mo” Siliga in their MMA bout by way of submission. Mo surprised early, barreling the taller Schilt over to take the top position and drop big punches from guard. Schilt tried to control both Mo’s posture and his wrists, but Mo threw punches regardless, racking up the points as Schilt crept his legs up for submission attempts. Soon enough, though, Schilt’s efforts were rewarded as he triangled his legs on a tired Siliga for the tap at 5:31 in the opening frame.

Despite the cartoon exterior, what lay under the Kinniku Mantaro mask was a bona-fide Japanese wrestling stud in Akihito Tanaka, whom FEG has had under contract for four years. However, Tanaka’s four-year prep time proved ineffective against Bob Sapp’s fists. After controlling Sapp on the ground for most of the fight, Sapp eventually powered out and reversed position on Tanaka. Tanaka escaped to standing, but was soon eating punches. As he turned into the ropes to evade the barrage, referee Daisuke Noguchi stopped the bout at 5:22.

In the battle of fighters with famous brothers, Andy Ologun separated Yukio Sakaguchi from consciousness. Sakaguchi cinched an early triangle attempt, but Ologun punched his way free to guard, prompting the stand-up call. Sakaguchi then lunged with a wide right, but was countered by a big Ologun right uppercut, left hook combo, dropping the Japanese fighter. Ologun lunged to finish and planted a big left hand on Sakaguchi’s chin that caused referee Samio Kimura to save Sakaguchi at 3:52.

In the grappling highlight of the evening, Daisuke Nakamura proved too heavy a test for Hideo Tokoro, as the former 176-pounder was just as nimble and quick as his featherweight opponent. Though Tokoro has faced larger opponents in the past, the story of his giant-slaying career was not much different on New Year’s Eve 2008 as Nakamura overwhelmed Tokoro’s spirited efforts on the mat. Wrenching out armbar and kimura attempts between defending a lone Tokoro armbar attempt, it was only a matter of time until Nakamura had one of Tokoro’s arms fully extended. With Tokoro tangled in Nakamura’s legs and with no avenue of escape, referee Oshiro called the bout at 2:43 of the opening frame.

Starting off the evening, Ikuhisa Minowa dispatched MMA neophyte Errol Zimmerman with ease, taking him to the floor to lock a scream-inducing toehold for the tap at 1:01 in the first round.

In the kickboxing bouts, all of MMA’s representatives did their sport proud by thoroughly whipping on their K-1 counterparts. Tatsuya Kawajiri destroyed the thoroughly shop-worn Kozo Takeda with four knockdowns -- one by a particularly brutal flying knee -- while Alistair Overeem knocked out 2008 World Grand Prix finalist and Moroccan Bad Boy Badr Hari, putting an exclamation point on the evening’s MMA dominance. Also, Dream middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi blitzed an unsuspecting Musashi until the referee was forced to save the Japanese kickboxer from suffering a third knockdown while eating punishment against the ropes.

K-1 Koshien Under-18 Kickboxing Tournament Results:

Hiroya def. Koya Urabe -- Unanimous Decision 3:00 R4 (extra round)
Hiroya def. Shota Shimada -- Unanimous Decision 3:00 R3
Koya Urabe def. Ryuya Kusakabe -- TKO (Doctor Stop) 2:21 R3
Taishi Hiratsuka def. Daizo Sasaki -- KO (Punch) 1:00 R2

 

[Shogun Locc]

St. Pierre on Penn: 'I Want to Take Him Out'
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/St-Pierre-on-Penn-I-Want-to-Take-Him-Out-1868
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre -- roughly a month away from his ballyhooed rematch with lightweight king B.J. Penn -- wants to take care of the business he left unfinished.

St. Pierre (17-2) will defend his belt against Penn at UFC 94 on Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas in what many are calling the most anticipated bout of 2009. Controversy surrounded their first confrontation, as the popular Canadian eked out a split decision over Penn (13-4-1) at UFC 58 in March 2006, and St. Pierre wants to provide a decisive conclusion to their rivalry.

“This time, I want to go for the finish,” St. Pierre told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “I don’t want to go to a decision. I want to take him out.”

Should St. Pierre survive Penn, a showdown with fast-rising Brazilian striker Thiago Alves could await. The 25-year-old American Top Team welterweight has won seven consecutive fights -- his list of recent victims includes former welterweight titleholder Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle -- and will enter his next match with plenty of momentum.

Alves (16-3) last competed in October, when he cruised to a unanimous decision victory over the highly regarded Josh Koscheck at UFC 90.

“The way he beat Josh Koscheck was very impressive, and it proved he’s a very serious contender for the title,” St. Pierre said. “Right now, I’m focusing on B.J. Penn. When the time [comes to face Alves], I truly believe that I’m a better fighter than he is, but there’s only one way to find out.”