MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

The Driver of UFC’s International Efforts

Friend of MMAPayout Ryan Harkness recently posted about the UFC’s plans for international expansion and raised some questions that were vexing him:

I’m still trying to figure out why the UFC pegged England and Europe for expansion first … I’d love to get the inside scoop on what Zuffa’s plan is. It might sound stupid hitting up Spain (Spain!!) before Brazil, but I have to hope that Dana and Lorenzo know what they’re doing and there is method to their madness.

I was going to just e-mail this to Ryan but since he threw it out there for consumption, I’ll share with our readers what I think the master plan is with regards to expansion.

The main prism through which to view the UFC’s international efforts is through a few words that Dana White once said. Dana is fond of saying “I’m in the PPV business, and every decision is centererd around making that bigger.” Lorenzo Fertitta echoed this sentiment in his interview with The Atlantic stating “We call it the wheel. The UFC wheel. You’ve got your core— the pay per view. That’s essentially your product, right? And then, you know, you have spinoff things.” While the UFC has added other facets to their revenue streams, the central profit center for the UFC are their PPV’s. That is the paradigm they know and are comfortable with, and one that they will look to replicate.

The driver of their international strategy is what augments their PPV revenues, to my eye. The UK and mainland Europe are the first targets in expansion because they represent the easiest path to implementing their template that has been so successful in the United States. The ability to get a market for their PPV’s up and running in a country and doing very good numbers will be the ultimate decider of where the UFC expands internationally. The UK was attractive for this very reason. The WWE with their Wrestlemania events and boxer Ricky Hatton have done impressive numbers on PPV in the UK, with the Hatton vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. PPV doing a rumored 1.4 million buys in the UK. The UK enjoy a high standard of livng and an advanced technological infrastructure that make it possible to reap windfall profits via PPV if the UFC are able to successfully market their product in the British Isles. It is this same reason that the UFC will expand further, from the UK into mainland Europe. In addition, with a UFC office and staff in the UK, the company can reach economies when doing shows in say Italy or Spain. Moving on the Asian or Brazilian market would require a full scale committal of assets, like with the initial launch in the UK. These cards in Italy or Spain can also be sold back to the UK PPV buyer to offset the cost of expanding. Much has been the case with US PPV buys of UK cards helping underwrite UK expansion. These economies are another major reason why the UFC is delving further into Europe rather than making a play in South America or Asia.

It is key to remember who they have placed as their chief man in the UK/Europe. Marshall Zelaznik is the UFC UK President, but his roots are in the PPV industry. Zelaznik was plucked from PPV heavyweight In Demand to head up the UK effort. He told Fighting Spirit Magazine that:

I don’t subscribe to the fact that it isn’t a PPV product here. We’re still getting people used to the idea of paying for the UFC, because for years they’ve had it free on Bravo. But by doing the UK events, which have a special appeal, I think over time that the UFC will become a PPV product in this market, and the revenue will be substantial.

Zelaznik was put in charge to boost the profile of the sport Ultimate Fighting in the UK and build an infrastructure. Both were needed but running parallel to these efforts has been the goal of making UFC a staple on UK PPV. Ryan asks why Spain or Italy over Brazil? I would venture to guess they see a bigger upside in selling their PPV’s in those countries in addition to the economies mentioned earlier. UFC pay-per-view events are shown on Globosat Programadora in Brazil, but sales in the country likely don’t generate the needed payback for a full scale expansion into the country to make sense. You also have to ask if there is the needed standard of living and technological infrastructure to to succeed in a big way via PPV. Iin the end that is what will motivate these initial stages of expansion: payback. How quickly can the country be made into a profit center via PPV?

 

[B-Buzz]

Staying up all night to watch a stream of Dream 8 was stupid but man was it worth it. Card of the year so far, make sure to watch it on HDNet next weekend. Zaromski vs. Ikemoto is early candidate for fight of the year.

 

[Shogun Locc]

$10,000 BONUSES HANDED OUT AT WEC 40

In a bout that saw both men pushed to their limits, the WEC awarded Miguel Torres and Takeya Mizugaki $10,000 each for Fight of the Night in the main event of WEC 40 at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago. In the end, Torres won a unanimous decision from judges, defending his bantamweight belt for the third time.

WEC newcomer Anthony Njokuani put himself squarely on the map of lightweights to look out for, stopping Bart Palaszewski with a furious punching assault, and picking up the Knockout of the Night bonus.

Submission ace Rani Yahya's quick choke-out of Eddie Wineland brought him the Submission of the Night.

WEC officials also confirmed the evening's attendance at 5,257, though gate figures were not immediately available.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TORRES HOLDS OFF MIZUGAKI TO RETAIN TITLE

The mark of a champion isn't always in the dominant victories. It's when a challenger pushes the champion to the breaking point, and they still come out with a win. That's exactly what WEC bantamweight champion, Miguel Angel Torres, did on Sunday night as he battled for all five rounds to finally get the win over challenger, Takeya Mizugaki.

It was clear early on that Mizugaki was ready to show no fear facing the defending champion as the Japanese fighter came out aggressive early and started winging big shots at Torres. The champion was able to hit back with shots of his own as the first round showed both fighters came to stand and bang.

Again in the 2nd round, both fighters seemed like a slugfest was in order with Torres starting to move forward on his opponent, but Mizugaki refusing to back down landing shot after shot of his own. Torres was able to control the clinch where he landed several shots and even used his shoulders to try and chip away at Mizugaki's defense.

Mizugaki once again came out strong in the third round and actually caused the most visible damage of the whole fight as he landed a glancing blow to the champion, opening a good sized cut just above his eyebrow. The fight was stopped momentarily for doctors to check the cut, but a few moments later Torres was back in the pocket swinging with Mizugaki.
Torres finally went for a takedown in the fourth round, but Mizugaki did a good job of defending and getting back up on his feet. The champion didn't lose confidence though and continuously moved forward going for strikes, as it seemed the Japanese fighter might be losing steam.

The final round again saw Torres come out gunning for Mizugaki, with a strong body attack, then moving to shots to the head. Mizugaki mustered everything he had to come back at Torres with punches and kicks, but the champion was crisper and more accurate with his strikes in the 5th round.

"Just to be a champion," Torres commented after the fight about his gameplan heading into the fifth round. "I wanted to fight the best guys in the world, Takeya's one of those guys, I knew I had to push him and make him tired, take the fight away from him, and that's what I went out and did."

As the judges' scorecards were read, Miguel Angel Torres was able to celebrate another successful title defense, in probably his toughest fight to date.

"Takeya, you're a great challenger, I didn't expect that big of a fight out of you, he came out and he banged, he was there the whole time," Torres said to his opponent. "I have a whole lot of respect for him. Nobody has ever taken me that far in my career yet. I have a lot of respect for Takeya and I want to say thank you for taking the fight on short notice."

Just after Torres was announced the winner, his original opponent, Brian Bowles, stepped into the cage to hopefully lay claim to the next shot at the WEC bantamweight gold.

"I'll be ready come August, I'll probably be ready," Bowles said addressing the crowd and discussing his recovery from a back injury.

Torres, ever the fighting champion, was ready and willing to accept the challenge.

"Brian get healthy, wherever you Brian, whenever you're ready, we'll do it," the champion said in closing to the Chicago crowd.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lawler-Shields Set for Strikeforce on Showtime

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will meet Jake Shields in a June 6 Strikeforce bout to be televised on Showtime, the promotion announced this week.

The matchup is set for the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

“My grappling’s better than his striking,” said Shields, 22-4-1, who has won 11 straight fights. “I’ve been working on my striking a lot, though, and I think it’s a lot better than some people give me credit for. I’m not going to say I’m a better striker than Lawler because that would be stupid. Lawler is one of the better strikers out there.”

Lawler, 16-4, is known for his punching power. He’ll also be the bigger fighter on June 6.

“It’s a fight that makes sense,” Shields said. “We’re both already known to the Showtime viewers. He’s a top middleweight and I’m a top-ranked welterweight. It makes me want to train really hard. I know I’ve got to be ready because, if I’m not, he’s going to kick me in the head or punch me and knock me out. I’m super-excited to come in at my best.”

Also announced was the first Strikeforce light heavyweight title defense for Renato “Babalu” Sobral, who will take on touted prospect Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brock Lesnar on 'Inside MMA'
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Brock-Lesnar-on-Inside-MMA-1963
On this week's HDNet "Inside MMA," Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten are joined by Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and undefeated heavyweight Brett Rogers to discuss the upcoming Strikeforce card.

Ron Kruck sits down with UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar for an HDNet exclusive interview.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Staying up all night to watch a stream of Dream 8 was stupid but man was it worth it. Card of the year so far, make sure to watch it on HDNet next weekend. Zaromski vs. Ikemoto is early candidate for fight of the year.

Sakurai beat the living hell out of aoki. he needs to stay at lightweight any ways.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shamrock-Diaz Means Nothing, Everything

Take away spring training in baseball and the Harlem Globetrotters in basketball, and you don’t find too many tenured sports that hold contests for the hell of it. Every game “means something,” usually as an avenue to a world title.

The UFC, MMA’s slightly less PC version of the MLB, organizes and arranges nearly every fight with the expectation that participants could someday vie for a divisional belt. Very rarely will they throw two athletes in a burlap sack for giggles. (The upcoming Wanderlei Silva/Rich Franklin catchweight fight a notable, noisy exception.)

This is a good thing. As a longtime sufferer of obsessive-compulsive disorder, my psyche insists on several things: that white socks don’t mix with black, that the TV remotes are arranged in descending order of size and that fights have a point beyond inflicting a bunch of bruises.

Saturday’s sore-thumb fight between Frank Shamrock and Nick Diaz -- held at a catchweight of 179 pounds -- will do my affliction no favors. It will not satisfy any questions about The Best in any particular weight class. (Though Shamrock, jovial, professional Internet troll that he is, would probably delight in making his very own 179-pound title out of cardboard and ego.) It will not add anything of significance to either man’s career. With Diaz bulking up and Shamrock slowing down, it’s a Frankenstein monster of a match.

And yet I’m looking forward to it nearly as much as any fight this year.

Something is clearly wrong with me.

It could be the residual goodwill I have for Shamrock, who has remained one of the few athletes in the sport to marry a dynamic personality with a dynamic in-ring presence. (Most athletes can muster one or the other, but rarely both.) Maybe it’s because Diaz is his perfect foil, an attitudinal Stockton bruiser with bravado so foaming he’s willing to attack an opponent while the two are in the same hospital wing.

Make no mistake: Nick Diaz will strangle you with your own IV tube. And that’s pretty endearing.

The fight itself appears destined to be three rounds of video game-style button-mashing. Diaz’s volume punching is probably not going to work against Shamrock, who escaped to stand-up training when his legs gave up on him. Likewise, Shamrock may have few answers (and not enough knee cartilage) if Diaz decides to shoot in on him. There’s never any complete guarantee against boredom, but these are not two guys who stand still and wait for something to happen.

Size is a non-issue. Shamrock, one of the smallest light heavyweights of his or any era, carries sparsely more muscle than Robbie Lawler, whom Diaz flattened. And while he may be built like a supplement ad, Shamrock has never relied on brute force for conflict resolution. He’s a craftsman, and so is Diaz.

What really interests is how Diaz’s new face -- Frank Stile, MD -- will hold up against Shamrock, easily the most accomplished and foreboding striker Diaz has met since having scar tissue removed and collagen implanted to reduce his frequent lacerations. A couple of years ago, I would’ve picked Shamrock via brow slicing. If Diaz embraces strategy and takes him down, it could be a different story.

A story with no gold MacGuffin, just bragging rights. The opposite is true of the following weekend’s Anderson Silva/Thales Leites bout, which is unique in that Silva has an opportunity to set a new all-time UFC record for consecutive fights won in the Octagon (nine). Leites, unfortunately, is a generic personality; Silva did himself no favors by engaging in a bizarre performance against Patrick Cote last October. It appears to have robbed him of the fanfare surrounding his previous performances.

Silva would, likely as not, knock both Shamrock and Diaz out of their kneepads and into the concession stands -- maybe even on the same night. But context is everything. Robert De Niro may be a far better actor than his peers, but damned if I’ll sit through “Righteous Kill” again.

Most of the time, a fight should mean something, a contest that adds order and balance to a sport that’s still struggling with cohesion. Other times, a fight should just be a fight, with nothing more on the line than the audience’s attention. Shamrock gets me because he gets storytelling: the idea that you have to have an emotional stake in a fight or fighter in order to get nervous for them. For most athletes, the title is the story. Frank takes more authorship. He is the only first-generation MMA athlete still competing on a high level, and that’s a tale worth following.

Fifteen years on this gig has taught him how to make us care about his exploits. And he does it better than anybody.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Takeya Mizugaki on Miguel Torres fight: Judges' decision was fair

CHICAGO - Prior to this weekend's WEC 40 event at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, most within the MMA community were talking more about future challenges for Miguel Torres (37-1) than Sunday's main-event bout with WEC newcomer Takeya Mizugaki (11-3-2).

Overlooked and certainly underappreciated, Mizugaki gave the WEC's bantamweight title-holder all he could handle in a close but unanimous-decision loss.

While the fight could have certainly gone either way, you won't hear any complaints from Mizugaki.

"I think the judges' decision was fair," Mizugaki said through a translator at the WEC 40 post-fight press conference.

Two of the night's three judges gave Mizugaki the first round, and all three gave him the third round. The second and fourth rounds could have gone either way, but the judges ultimately awarded them to Torres, who won the bout with scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46.

Torres wasn't surprised with his opponent's ability to give punishment. Torres, though, was suprised with just how much Mizugaki could take.

"I knew he had power, so that didn't surprise me," Torres said. "What threw me off was his ability to take punishment."

It was Torres, in fact, who looked far more battered in the post-fight conference. Although patched up, a cut he suffered above his right eye was clearly visible. The bumps and bruises were still fresh.

Still, Mizugaki was taking little comfort in the loss. Despite all the positives of his performance and the fact that he nearly made Torres taste defeat for just the second time in 38 professional fights, Mizugaki felt he didn't offer enough.

"You are never as good as you think you are," he said. "Miguel helped me know I can improve."

Despite the loss, the 25-year-old Shooto veteran remains a top contender in the WEC's quickly crowding bantamweight division. With a multi-fight deal in place and some much-earned respect among WEC officials and fans, Mizugaki will remain in the division's title picture.

Ultimately, he wants another chance to topple the champ, who now owns 17 straight wins.

"I hope Miguel keeps his undefeated streak going," Mizugaki said. "I want to get a couple more wins and hopefully get another title shot."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jens Pulver returns vs. Josh Grispi at WEC 41 in June

Following three consecutive losses in the WEC and five losses in his past six fights, Jens Pulver (22-11-1) will return to competition to fight Josh Grispi (12-1) at WEC 41.

The news comes from Michael David Smith of MMA FanHouse, who sourced WEC officials for the fight booking.

WEC 41 takes place June 7 at Arco Arena in Saramento, Calif., and features a main event between WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown and former title-holder Urijah Faber.

Although once considered one of the world's top fighters, Pulver, a former UFC champion, has struggled since his return to the UFC/Zuffa in 2006. Aside from a submission win over Cub Swanson, Pulver has suffered losses to all opponents, including Faber (twice), Leonard Garcia, B.J. Penn and Joe Lauzon.

The 34-year-old is in a must-win situation against Grispi, a 20-year-old who owns an eight-fight win streak, including WEC victories over Mark Hominick (submission) and Micah Miller (TKO). The Northeast-based fighter turned pro as a 17-year-old is and now looks to enter a crowded WEC featherweight title picture.

The latest WEC 41 card now includes:

* Champ Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber (for featherweight title)
* John Franchi vs. Manny Gamburyan
* Josh Grispi vs. Jens Pulver
* Donald Cerrone vs. Richard Crunkilton

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz: WAMMA near credibility-building sponsorship

The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts is on the verge of signing a recognized company as its first major sponsor in a deal that will build additional credibility for the start-up sanctioning body.

WAMMA is in late-stage discussions with the undisclosed company for a sponsorship that will, among other marketing tie-ins, brand the organization's championship belts with the company name.

"It's a feel-good sponsor; it's a sponsor that's not going to be able to be criticized by anyone," said WAMMA Chief Operating Officer Mike Lynch in an interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We're 99 percent there. It is something that's going to go a long way to forming up our credibility – not only in the sport but with corporate America."

The company is not part of the MMA industry and likely has no current agreements in place with promotions in the sport. Collaborating with WAMMA affords a sponsor the opportunity to test the MMA marketing waters with a largely independent organization, though WAMMA has partnerships in place with Affliction, M-1 and Adrenaline MMA.

"This strategic partnership will go a long way to help convince people that WAMMA is going to be here to stay," added Lynch, who expects to have the deal done within the next few weeks. "This will show that WAMMA is viewed by fans and by corporate America as a credible, legit sanctioning body that is here for the long term."

Long-term viability of MMA's first sanctioning body was something many fans and many in the MMA industry were skeptical of when the organization launched in November 2007. Critics were plentiful. A sanctioning body smacked of boxing and, without UFC buy-in, how could WAMMA find a meaningful foothold in the sport?

However, nearly 18 months later, WAMMA has made significant strides, including its close partnership with Affliction, the crowning of two WAMMA champions and inclusion of its rankings on ESPN.com's "MMA Live." (Disclosure: Four MMAjunkie.com staffers are members of WAMMA's Men's Ranking Committee.)

"We've really done a lot in the short time we've been around," Lynch said. "However, we have many more goals we're pushing towards. We'd like to form more partnerships with promotions. We'd like to gain greater industry acceptance, and we'd like to educate the public and the fighters about what WAMMA's true intentions are."

While striking a connection to the UFC would take WAMMA to another level, it's not happening anytime soon. WAMMA has had a single meeting with the promotion, which was more than a year ago. The UFC passed on the opportunity to support WAMMA. So far, the sanctioning body hasn't needed Zuffa in its corner to survive, though it does make recognizing a complete set of champions impossible. Currently, Fedor Emelianenko at heavyweight and Shinya Aoki at 155 pounds are the only two WAMMA titleholders.

If Affliction were to go dark, WAMMA would lose its highest-profile promotional partner, but even that is a development that the unendingly optimistic Lynch feels WAMMA can weather.

"How big of a loss would it be?" he pondered. "WAMMA would miss them as a cooperative partner. That being said, I think with other groups coming out … we have some important meetings coming up with some of the other dominant organizations. I think there are enough other strategic partners we could find, from Strikeforce, from Bellator (Fighting Championships), from Monte Cox's organization – all those organizations, I think, are going to be around for the long term. If Affliction was to no longer promote shows, it would be a loss but not anything we could not overcome."

WAMMA covets a closer working relationship with Strikeforce, which would give the organization additional exposure and the chance to crown a WAMMA women's champion. However, no agreement is in place to make that a reality.

In the meantime, WAMMA, which launched with the backing of angel investors, is focused on nailing down the aforementioned sponsorship. Privately held WAMMA has gone through a second round of funding, but with the anticipated sponsor revenue in place, Lynch said a third round of financing would not be necessary.

"You're going to see us do a lot in the next year," he said. "I'm happy with our progress to date, but there's a lot left to get done."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sponsors say little in wake of White tirade

Sponsors know what they are getting when signing up with UFC President Dana White.

They get the most-recognized personality in mixed martial arts, who is generally credited with bringing the sport back from the abyss with his leadership of the UFC earlier this decade. Corporate backers of the UFC also get an immense dose of White's trademark bravado and dialogue that often skews more drunken sailor than sports-league executive.

If he's anything, White is a known commodity. However, even UFC sponsors who do business with eyes wide open had to cringe following White's very public diatribe last week directed at Sherdog.com reporter Loretta Hunt.

In a more than three-minute profanity-fest captured on his video blog, White took shots at Hunt and, along the way, used derogatory terms found offensive by the mentally challenged and homosexuals.

It was White unplugged like never before, and the comments could not have sat well with the UFC's corporate sponsors in Milwaukee and St. Louis. This wasn't White just blowing off steam. This was White going after an individual in a prolonged, abusive verbal attack seldom seen publicly in sports – and never from a person in a role similar to White's.

MMAjunkie.com contacted the UFC's two flagship sponsors, Harley-Davidson and Anheuser-Busch, seeking reaction to White's remarks. Neither company provided a statement. Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson did not return calls, while an AB media-relations representative said the St. Louis brewer was "not commenting" on the matter.

An Internet report indicated that Anheuser-Busch did respond directly to inquires from fans and called White's comments "inappropriate, insensitive and out of line."

It remains to be seen how much harm was inflicted to UFC's sponsor relationships because of White's vocal assault. But, the UFC removing the blog entry from its YouTube channel, followed by an uncharacteristic apology from White, are clear indications that the UFC shifted into damage-control mode and took the controversy seriously.

White's comments are a vivid reminder to companies considering a sponsorship with the UFC that with the promotion they get the good, bad and, on occasion, the very ugly.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Arena officials: Dayton, Ohio, hosts Bellator's Week 5 show on May 1

Bellator Fighting Championships will hold Week 5 of its 12-week fight season at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio, according to venue officials.

MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp first reported the news in his "MMA Insider" column for today's edition of the Dayton Daily News.

Bellator officials were not immediately available to confirm the May 1 date at the 6,000-seat arena, but in the past, they mentioned Ohio as a possible location for a future Bellator show.

Hara Arena has since listed the show on its official website and MySpace page. Tickets are expected to go on sale this week.

No match-ups have been announced for the event, which – like all Bellator events – airs on ESPN Deportes via one-day tape delay.

Like many Ohio cities, Dayton has become a hotbed for mixed martial arts. The state, which began regulating mixed martial arts in 2006, now oversees more MMA shows than any other U.S. state athletic commission. Dayton, with a population of nearly 200,000, is home to fight promotions such as Bushi Combat and training facilities such as the Jorge Gurgel MMA Academy.

Ohio will be the fifth state visited by Bellator. The organization made its debut this past weekend in Florida and will soon head to Connecticut, Colorado and Oklahoma for upcoming shows.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Amir Sadollah set to face Johny Hendricks at UFC 101 in August

Amir Sadollah's (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) first opponent at 170 pounds - and first since defeating C.B. Dollaway at the June 2008 "TUF 7" finale - has been set.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that Sadollah will meet undefeated WEC import Johny Hendricks (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 101. Verbal agreements have been made, and bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.

Expected to feature a main event of UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn vs. No. 1 contender Kenny Florian, UFC 101 is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.

Sadollah recently announced his participation on the UFC 101 card in a segment entitled "Inside the Octagon brought to you by Burger King: Late Night News Your Way," which aired on Spike TV during the debut of the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Twice scratched from scheduled middleweight bouts with Nick Catone - first at UFC 91 in November 2008 and again at UFC Fight Night 17 in February - Sadollah will be fighting for the first time since his "TUF" victory.

A leg infection was the culprit for the first withdrawal. A dislocated clavicle suffered in training forced Sadollah from his February appearance, and the "TUF" champion told MMAjunkie.com the frustration was difficult to deal with.

"Personally I'm hard on myself about it," Sadollah said. "I feel like for me it's strike two out of three. But everyone has been really supportive."

Sadollah also announced his intentions to drop to welterweight at that time.

"For me the most important thing is to get back in there," Sadollah said. "I want to see where I'm at first and assess the weight. But definitely, 170-pounds is in my future."

Meanwhile, Hendricks will be looking to make an impact in his UFC debut after a successful two-fight run in the WEC.

The former two-time Division I wrestling champion and recent Grapplers Quest No-Gi Absolute champion earned two victories in the WEC before the organization elected to scrap the welterweight division.

The 26-year-old last fought in a unanimous-decision win over Alex Serdyukov at WEC 39 in March, a bout that was declared that evening's "Fight of the Night."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Welterweights John Howard and Tamdan McCrory to face off at UFC 101

UFC welterweights Tamdan McCrory (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and John Howard (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) have agreed to meet in August in the latest addition to the quickly filling UFC 101 card.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the event that both fighters have signed bout agreements.

Though not yet officially announced by the organization, UFC 101 is expected to take place on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia, headlined by a lightweight title bout between champion B.J. Penn and challenger Kenny Florian.

Howard will be returning to action for the first time since a "Fight of the Night" performance with Chris Wilson at UFC 94 in January. Earning a split-decision victory in the contest - also his UFC debut - "Doomsday" ran his current win streak to four bouts.

Fighting professionally since 2004, Howard came up short in previous decisions to current UFC fighters Dan Miller and Nick Catone before debuting for the world's biggest MMA organization.

McCrory last fought in a submission win over Ryan Madigan at UFC 96 in March. "The Barn Cat" also holds UFC wins over Luke Cummo and Pete Spratt, while he suffered submission losses to Dustin Hazelett and Akihiro Gono.

While not official, the bout is expected to take place on the evening's preliminary card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"The Ultimate Fighter 10" tryouts net 250 applicants, three NFL vets

SEATTLE - An open tryout for the upcoming 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" today netted 250 UFC hopefuls, including three former NFL players.

Spike TV officials today announced the turnout for the casting session, which took place at the Marriott Seattle Airport Hotel in Seattle.

Among those trying out were former Tampa Bay Bucaneer Marcus Jones (4-2), Indianapolis Colt Rex Richards (8-1) and Green Bay Packer Herbert Goodman (9-6).

Today's session was open to middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters. Jones and Richards compete as heavyweights, and Goodman recently defeated former UFC fighter Jordan Radev as a light heavyweight.

No coaches have been announced for "TUF 10," which begins taping this summer with a September debut date on Spike TV.

MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's tryouts, and we'll have a complete recap of the day's festivities posted on Tuesday.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Middleweights Chris Leben and Jake Rosholt to meet at UFC 102

A middleweight bout between veteran UFC middleweight Chris Leben (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and recent WEC transplant Jake Rosholt (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will take place in August at UFC 102.

A source close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) both competitors have agreed to the fight and that bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.

UFC 102 takes Aug. 29, most likely in Portland, Ore. Although not officially announced, a heavyweight bout between former champ Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is expected to headline the pay-per-view show.

Leben, an Oregon native, returns to competition for the first time since his unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping at October's UFC 89 event. Leben failed a drug test administered at the overseas show due to his use of the synthetic anabolic steroid Stanozolol.

News of the failed drug test first came from the UFC since the organization itself oversaw drug testing (UFC 89 took place in England, and the country has no regulatory body to oversee MMA events). As part of the announcement, Leben issued a statement apologizing for his decision to use the banned substance.

Prior to the Bisping loss, Leben, a cast member from the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," looked solid in back-to-back knockout victories over Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara. He'll now go for his third win in four fights.

He'll look to do so against Rosholt, who was moved to the UFC when his former home, the WEC, eliminated its middleweight division. Rosholt, a three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State University, faced a stiff test in his octagon debut when he was matched up against Dan Miller.

Rosholt's five-fight win streak came to a halt when Miller forced him to tap out from a guillotine choke just 63 seconds into their UFC Fight Night 17 bout.

A win over Leben, a proven veteran known mostly for his stand-up game, would be the biggest of Rosholt's young MMA career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Coloring MMA Badd

When I settled on a topic for this latest post-event opining, I thought I might have some 'splainin' to do as to why I was so sickened with Frank Mir's color commentary for WEC 40. However, after a quick peek into my inbox and a cursory glance at the Sherdog forums, I feel as though my objections are justified.

In case your TiVo exploded, here's a recap: Mir, routinely celebrated as a stellar technical analyst, ignores any and all offense from Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki in otherwise brilliant fights while butchering the names of any and all brave enough to step into the cage with the UFC's interim heavyweight champ on the mic (though I suspect Jameel Massouh may be used to it.)

Along the way, Mir confused grappling legend Saulo Ribeiro, who has no recollection of giving Jeff Curran his BJJ black belt (see: Pedro Sauer), before leaping into the cage during the main event to give Miguel Torres a sponge bath between the third and fourth rounds, though it may be hard to imagine why MMA's bantamweight king would have needed one. According to Mir, he didn't have to break a sweat over his 25-minute war with Mizugaki.

As a devout pedant, I could spend the next thousand words explaining why bungling names and facts is deplorable and undermines the WEC product, but based on how much flak Mir is getting from the MMA populace, I feel these ideas are understood if not entrenched. What I am keener to expose is why Mir's color commentary performance was so objectionable, and that it's not simply his own malfeasance that's to blame for this kind of gaffe-fest.

Mir's announcing indiscretions are particularly aggravating because he's clearly capable of more. Most people took note of his skills on the stick when, following his motorcycle melee, he took up color duties at UFC 50. It wasn't the first time he was in the booth (he also lent his insights to UFC 37). Yet at UFC 50, Mir was able to fully flex his mental muscles on the technical grappling game, where too often all that fans are given is a heavy-handed endorsement of Eddie Bravo's "Mastering the Rubber Guard." Four and a half years later, one would hope that Mir's commentary chops would've improved.

However, there is a simple reason why Mir's UFC 50 erudition is now an exception rather than the rule. Imagine starting any meaningful job in the world; there is an inherent marriage of performance anxiety and preoccupation with success. Naturally, people want to succeed. Coupled with their personal reservations about their new role, they tend to be efficient and impressive, just as Mir was. Now working WEC events routinely, Mir is complacent. There's no need to research, to learn names or to feign impartiality because there are no consequences, unless you're silly enough to think Versus and Zuffa care enough to axe him.

It may not even be realistic to suggest that Mir is capable of doing an outstanding job as a color commentator. Frankly, the attention to detail and research that should be part and parcel of preparing for a broadcast may not jive well with the fact that Mir happens to have another fairly important job in the industry.

If it came down to sitting in production meetings, learning about fighters on the card and watching tape or spending time in the gym to make sure Brock Lesnar doesn't put one of his canned ham hands through your face come July, which would you choose?

Complacency and time restraints don't address arguably the biggest and most fundamental plague facing Mir or any color commentator in MMA, though. Mir may be forced into his better instincts if he had a legitimate broadcast partner, which Todd Harris is not.

There is a real reason racing fans revolted against Harris (including a pathological obsession with Danica Patrick) and why he remains on the sidelines during college football telecasts. I can't feel total contempt for him, despite being a professional broadcaster and not having to worry about defending his heavyweight title any time soon. To me, his presence typifies the painful realities of MMA commentary booths.

Commentary is difficult, period. The fact that there are so few unanimously heralded and beloved commentators in sports that have been around for centuries speaks volumes as to how challenging the role can be. For MMA, which has been alive in its current form for roughly two decades, the talent pool of play-by-play commentators to draw from is very, very shallow. This creates an enormous technical difficulty in MMA booths, as play-by-play commentators who are normally the heart and soul of a great sports broadcast are forced to be essentially professional straightmen and facilitators.

The title "play-by-play commentator" denotes the calling of action; this is supposed to be the most basic requirement of the job. Yet, because of the technical complexities of the sport, MMA is replete with clueless "professionals" whose knowledge doesn't extend far beyond traditional stick-and-ball sports.

So, Harris is inadequate ... how does that impact Mir's performance? Unfortunately, commentary doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's about interactional chemistry. Because Harris can neither offer context, insight nor even properly call action, Mir is forced to call essentially all of the technical action himself on top of describing its intricacies. This pattern exists in basically every MMA booth because of the fact that there are really no gifted MMA play-by-play announcers. Even the comparatively hyper-experienced Mike Goldberg, who has called UFC events since before the Corn Laws were repealed, barely calls any action. Instead he relies on Joe Rogan, who is forced to fulfill both traditional commentary roles.

This is a fundamental flaw that is endemic to MMA and one that's not about to change in the near future. Therefore, guys like Mir, who are already ill-suited to color commentary because of their in-cage requirements, are forced to pick up an enormous amount of slack for a human being who is fit to do nothing but take a broadcast in and out of commercial breaks. As a result, on top of being ill prepared, Mir has to talk endlessly until the fighters in the cage can chill out momentarily and let Harris plug “Crank 2.” (Side note: How the hell is Crank now a franchise?) Of course, this is the complete inverse of how sports booths tend to functionally operate, where experienced professionals can carry the insightful but unnuanced athletes.

As gabby as I am, I could write volumes on the nature of MMA commentary, its semiotic failures, its lack of context and its inability to inform viewers. I'll save that for another time; this is about Frank Mir specifically. He has a mass of forces working against his success in the booth: a secure job, Brock Lesnar breathing down his neck with only 24 hours in a day, a failure of a broadcast partner who puts an enormous conversational load on his shoulders.

However, we’re talking about an individual who overcame a near-fatal motorcycle accident and a string of atrocious, out-of-shape performances to regain a version of the UFC heavyweight title, from getting pounded to a pulp by Pe de Pano to being the first man to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Fighting itself is about defying the odds. Here's hoping that, whether it be through YouTube, flash cards or a 25-hour day, Mir can salvage his status as a color commentator, too.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabiano Injures Hand; No Serious Injuries at WEC 40

Submission specialist Wagnney Fabiano was the only fighter sent to need further medical attention following WEC 40 on Sunday night in Chicago.

WEC officials confirmed Fabiano had suffered an unspecified injury to his hand and was going to the hospital to get it checked out.

Fabiano and opponent Fredson Paixao chose to keep their fight up, trading shots for three rounds on the evening's undercard.

In the end, judges gave the IFL veteran every round, awarding him 30-27 scores. It was his second consecutive victory in the WEC after making his debut at WEC 37, where he submitted the highly regarded Japanese featherweight Akitoshi Tamura by arm triangle.

Fabiano now stands at 12-1 in professional competition.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Riki Fukuda heading into M-1 Challenge after April 5 upset win over ‘Ninja’ Rua

Tapped to replace Dong Sik Yoon to fight former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua on just days notice, Riki Fukuda was considered a sizable underdog heading into their face off during DREAM.8 this past Saturday.

In spite of the long odds, Fukuda delivered in the clutch and won his fourth consecutive fight following a unanimous decision victory over Rua at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.

New admirers of Fukuda’s hard-nosed, well-rounded fight style won’t have to wait long to see him in action again. That’s because the Japan native is set to lead Team Japan against the United Kingdom during the next installment of the “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction” scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 in Tokyo at the Shin Juku.

Subtitled “Third Edition,” the April 29 M-1 Challenge event will feature teams from six different countries going head-to-head in three best-of-five matchups.

The 27-year old Fukuda formerly trained under Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto with Team Killer Bee in Japan and has fought for promotions such as EliteXC, Shooto, K-1, Pancrase and DEEP. A veteran of 18 fights, Fukuda holds notable victories in his career over current M-1 light heavyweight competitor Jason Jones as well as current UFC welterweight Brandon Wolff.

While the five-man squad for the United Kingdom is still being finalized, M-1 Global officials can reveal that Fukuda will take on Matt “12 Gauge” Thorpe in a middleweight matchup (184.8 lbs./-84 kg). Thorpe, 10-7, is a long-time veteran of Britain’s Cage Warriors promotion.

Fukuda will be joined on Team Japan by lightweight Luiz Andrade, welterweight Hidehiko Hasegawa, light heavyweight Tatsuya Mizuno, and heavyweight Yusuke Kawaguchi.

Andrade is a veteran of DEEP who is undefeated in his last three fights. He last competed at DEEP 39 this past December, where he recorded a majority decision victory over Shinobu Miura. The bout served as a rematch from their two-round draw at DEEP 37 this past August.

In addition to being a veteran of DEEP and Pancrase, Hasegawa is a returnee to the M-1 Challenge. Representing Team Japan against Team Spain in Kansas City, MO this past October, Hasegawa recorded a three-round unanimous decision victory over Javier Martinez. His last fight was another unanimous decision victory over Makoto Ishikawa at DEEP 40 this past February.

The 27-year old Mizuno was 2-1 in the M-1 Challenge last year with wins over Yoshiyuki Nakanishi in a superfight against Jose Beltran while representing Team Japan vs. Team Spain this past October. Mizuno might be best known for his March 2008 fight vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic during DREAM’s first-ever event. He also met current UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva during a 2007 bout while competing under the Pancrase banner.

Rounding out Team Japan’s impressive five-man squad is one of its best heavyweight prospects, the 8-0 Kawaguchi. Kawaguchi won DEEP’s 2008 Megaton Grand Prix Champion with wins over Nobuyoshi Takahara, Yoichi Babaguchi, Shunji Kosaka, and Shunsuke Inoue. He claimed the championship on Aug. 2 last year after defeating Kosaka and Inoue in the same night.

Complete lineups for “M-1 Challenge: Third Edition” in Tokyo are currently being finalized and will be made available on www.M-1Global.com.