MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Kyle Kingsbury targeted for return at UFC 102 in August

"The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member and longtime King of the Cage fighter Kyle Kingsburg (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will likely return at UFC 102.

A source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Kingsbury has been offered a bout, but his proposed opponent may not be available for the event.

Although not officially announced, UFC 102 is expected to take place on Aug. 29 in Portland, Ore.

Kingsbury initially was offered a fight with Razak Al-Hassan (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC). However, sources close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com that Al-Hassan may not be available for UFC 102, possibly because of lingering arm problems suffered in a December UFC Fight Night 16 loss to Steve Cantwell. Al-Hassan suffered a dislocated elbow when he refused to tap to his opponent's armbar attempt.

Regardless of Al-Hassan's availability, Kingsbury is expected to remain on the card. And it's likely a must-win fight for the 27-year-old.

Kingsbury, a replacement fighter who was eliminated from "TUF7" by eventual show winner Ryan Bader, returned at the show's live finale in December. He suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Tom Lawlor at the event and hasn't fought since then.

His UFC 102 bout will likely take place on the night's un-televised preliminary card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator Week 5 weigh-ins: Alvarez and Reynolds strike deal at 157.5 pounds

All 18 competitors scheduled for Friday's Bellator Fighting Championships Week 5 event have weighed in for the show.

After a late agreement by headliners Eddie Alvarez and Eric Reynolds to hold their fight at 157.5 pounds (rather than the usual 156-pound limit for lightweight contests), all fighters have made weight.

Friday's event takes place at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

The event, like all Bellator shows, airs via one-day delay on ESPN Deportes.

The show features two tournaments bouts, both of which are lightweight tourney semifinal fights. In addition to Alvarez vs. Reynolds, Jorge Masvidal takes on Toby Imada as the tournament's two finalists are determined.

The full weigh-in results included:

* Eddie Alvarez (157.5) vs. Eric Reynolds (157.5)*
* Jorge Masvidal (156) vs. Toby Imada (154.5)
* Dave Herman (238) vs. Josh Barnes (263)
* Joey Beltran (233) vs. Sherman Pendergarst (229)
* Raoul Romero (222) vs. Dave Evensen (252.5)
* Matt Jaggers (145) vs. Pete Dominguez (145)
* Jessica Pene (117) vs. Tammy Schneider (117.5)
* John Troyer (171) vs. Justin Edwards (169.5)
* Waylon Lowe (155) vs. Frank Carabello (154.5)

* - Fighters agree to meet at 157.5 pounds. No penalties issued.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Another opponent switch: Miller now meets Sonnen, not Herman, at UFC 98

After Yushin Okami (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was pulled from the card with a torn ligament, recent UFC 97 winner Ed Herman (15-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) was approached about filling in and fighting Dan Miller (11-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at UFC 98.

But instead, Chael Sonnen (21-10-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC), who's scheduled to fight Wilson Gouveia at UFC 102 in August, will take on Miller.

However, the UFC has yet to officially announce the latest change to a fight card plagued by injuries.

UFC 98 takes place May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay per view.

As MMAjunkie.com reported on Wednesday, the UFC confirmed Okami had been scratched from the main-card bout due to injury. Herman was then contacted about taking the open spot, and the bout appeared a lock.

However, the UFC instead has decided to go with Sonnen, who last competed at UFC 95, where he suffered a first-round submission loss to Demian Maia. Sonnen, who had been competing in the WEC before the organization eliminated its middleweight division, had won seven of his previous eight fights before the defeat.

Sonnen is currently in his second stint with the UFC. He went 1-2 in the organization from 2005-2006, which included a unanimous-decision win over Trevor Prangley at UFC Fight Night 4.

As of now, he's still scheduled to fight Gouveia in August.

Although not official, the Miller vs. Sonnen bout will likely remain on the night's televised main card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mandalay Bay to host closed-circuit viewing party for UFC 100

Although UFC 100 proved one of the quickest sellouts in UFC history, fans can still get a slightly smaller version of the Las Vegas fight night experience.

The UFC today announced the event's hosting venue, the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, will host a closed-circuit feed of the July 11 event.

A limited number of $50 tickets go on sale beginning tomorrow for the party, which will be held outdoors at Mandalay Bay Beach.

A video feed of the night's entire card will air on a LED video wall by the beach, which is an 11-acre tropical pool environment with real California sand, a wave pool and the only climate-controlled, poolside gaming in Sin City.

"I started hearing about UFC 100 around UFC 90," UFC President Dana White stated. "I am blown away by how excited fans were for this event, so I made sure to stack this card with the greatest fights and greatest fighters in the world, and keep ticket prices consistent with our other big events. Once again, our fans responded with a record sellout. This is another great milestone for the UFC, and July 11 is going to be an amazing event."

UFC 100 features three main-event-worthy bouts, including UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim title-holder Frank Mir, UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre vs. top contender Thiago Alves, and "The Ultimate Fighter 9" coaches Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

OPEN CHECKBOOK SENT ELITEXC SPIRALING DOWN

When EliteXC landed on CBS, the MMA world exploded with talk about the sport's explosion onto network television, but less than six months later the company that got the deal done was out of business, and a thousand questions were left unanswered.

What happened? How did it all go down? Who's to blame?

All valid questions about a company that showed so much promise when landing deals with Showtime and then CBS, but then didn't produce the revenue necessary to keep the wheels turning after less than two years in existence. Former EliteXC executive Jared Shaw spoke to MMAWeekly Radio recently and was able to shine a light on some of the dark spots that still remain about what happened to bring the company down.

One of the biggest problems Shaw says with EliteXC was how money was spent against the fight team's wishes, and the foolish way it was used and never capitalized upon.

"Everything was going towards a bum website, which a lot of the fight team was against. What we thought it should have been was something like, not taking the name of MMA.tv, but something like that where it's actually programming. You bought all these companies, you made all these foolish buys of all these different companies, when some of us at the company said don't make those buys, we're going to form EliteXC. We're going to build EliteXC from the ground up," Shaw said. "We're going to have one big organization, and then we're going to try to compete with the UFC, and eventually hope to fight them, and really bring the sport worldwide.

"You paid for all this foolish (expletive) like ICON and Cage Rage. Well at least if you're going to bolster up the library, let's put it on the Internet so people can watch it there. Let's give cameras to Gina Carano, and Krazy Horse, and Kimbo, and tell them to film themselves for a day. I'm sure people would want to watch those shows."

Part of the blame towards the end of EliteXC's run landed squarely on Shaw's shoulders after the former vice president was seen standing and shouting at a referee when star fighter Kimbo Slice was knocked out in an October 2008 fight against Seth Petruzelli. Even Shaw admits that some of his actions were not the best idea, but he knows that other industry leaders have felt the same kinds of pressure.

"On a personal level, I think I took on a lot of blame that (shouldn't necessarily) have been pointed in my direction. I certainly had my faults like anybody else. There was a lot to deal with, being 28 years old at the time, it's a lot just to understand as you grow up," he said.

Speaking about the incident during the Kimbo/Petruzelli fight, Shaw compares the situation to what UFC president Dana White did recently when Anderson Silva fought Thales Leites to a five-round draw at UFC 97.

"Dana (White) and I don't see eye to eye, but what he did last week was definitely on par with me standing up. I certainly didn't go in a corner and shout at anyone, but I can understand the man," said Shaw. "I can understand where your bread and butter is in your company, and you have a fighter who is not fighting the other way, and you have a fighter who is so superior, you want that fighter to take his head off. Especially cause you're putting your company's face on him."

Shaw also says there are definitely things to look back on at EliteXC and be proud of, none more so than the company landing with CBS, the first major network TV deal for a mixed martial arts promotion. He also lamented about the biggest fish that got away during his time as a matchmaker working with the fight team.

"The guy 100 percent was Shane Carwin," Shaw answered when asked about the one fighter he didn’t sign that he wishes could have landed with the company.

The former EliteXC executive told MMAWeekly Radio that a deal was set to go down with the Colorado native, but at the last minute he opted for the UFC instead. Still, Shaw is happy to have helped put many MMA fighters on television, and believes that fans should be on the lookout for Brazilians Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Fabricio Camoes, who could be the next stars for Strikeforce.

The outcome of EliteXC may not have been what he wanted, but Shaw remains positive in knowing that he took a shot at the MMA business, and that's something he'll never regret.

"I wanted to be a part of the MMA thing because boxing was going in a different direction, and I wanted to create something that was my own," Shaw stated.

Still busy working in the boxing world, and his own music career, Shaw remains a steadfast MMA fan, and hopes one day to get his foot back in the door of the MMA business and finish the job he started with EliteXC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tavares Notches Third Postive Test for Pot, CSAC Weighing Options

Bantamweight Jeremy Tavares, who last competed at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz, has emerged as the sole positive drug test from the event.

Tavares tested positive for marijuana, his third positive test in four professional fights, assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas confirmed to MMAInsider on Wednesday.

Tavares lost to Shingo Kohara by KO at the April 11 event. His record stands at 0-4.

CSAC will recommend a revocation of Tavares' fight license at a June 22 meeting, said Douglas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Demian Maia: The path to Anderson Silva begins at UFC 102 against Nate Marquardt

“I think [Marquardt is] great. It’s a great fight for me, a great test and a match that will help build me. He’s a real well-rounded fighter, good at everything. A really aggressive fighter. I believe the winner of this match will become a candidate for Anderson (Silva). I’ll train like I always do. I start in Brazil and finish up in the United States, with Rafael Alejarra and Wanderlei (Silva).”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dave “Pee Wee” Herman: ‘Nobody Ever Showed Me How’

Dave Herman is flat out one of the rawest talents currently competing in mixed martial arts’ heavyweight division. The man affectionately known as “Pee Wee” has put together stoppages over game opposition such as Mario Rinaldi, Kerry Schall and Ron Waterman, all without ever stepping foot inside an MMA gym. Herman stopped his first thirteen opponents with strikes all while ‘just lifting weights, staying in shape and conditioning’.

The up and coming heavyweight destroyer recently confirmed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that he has finally began to train at a professional mixed martial arts gym following his very first career loss at the hands of Choi Mu Bae at Sengoku in January. Not just training, but training twice a day, like an animal.

Just from speaking with Herman you have a sense that he is ready to debut an all new version of himself when he faces off with Josh Barnes in his Bellator debut on May 1. ‘My stand-up was terrible’, ‘The only thing I was really decent at was wrestling’, said the towering 240 pounder about his past performances in the cage, hinting that he is extremely confident hat he has grown tremendously since his previous defeat in Japan.

Now that Herman seems to have gotten his act together it’s going to be fascinating to watch as his blossoming career as a heavyweight continues to progress.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: While you were growing up, were you the type of kid that got into a fair amount of scraps?

Dave Herman: No, not since I was like four or five. In elementary school and high school I don’t think I got into a single fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I know you wrestled in college, do you feel like it was just a natural choice for you to pursue a career in mixed martial arts once your wrestling days were over?

Dave Herman: Yeah, you know unless you’re going to wrestle in the Olympics, there really isn’t anything else to do. I just really loved wrestling and I’ve always loved competing.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You didn’t look like your normal self in your last bout at Sengoku. What are your thoughts looking back on your performance?

Dave Herman: Basically I just wasn’t in shape. I wasn’t in the kind of shape that I could have or should have been, but I’m kind of glad that things went the way they did.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you think it will be one of those situations where you will take the loss as a learning experience that will help you develop in the future?

Dave Herman: Oh yeah. I’m at a gym now where I’m training actual fighting as opposed to just screwing around and doing my own thing. I feel like I’ve already improved a lot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Right, I know you’ve traditionally been a very self motivated guy that does a good amount of his training on his own. What gym have you been training at since your loss to Choi Mu Bae at Sengoku?

Dave Herman: I’ve been training at Ed Clay’s Nashville MMA since then.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How are you feeling physically heading into your fight with Josh Barnes?

Dave Herman: I’m feeling really good. In all of my fights prior to this one I had probably sparred like once while preparing for the bout. I would probably wrestle a couple times, spar once and other than that, just work on my conditioning. Right now I’m definitely feeling a lot more comfortable in different positions.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you’ve been noticing some significant improvements since finally training at a real MMA gym?

Dave Herman: Yeah, but I haven’t really had a chance to see where I’m at in a fight yet and it’s something that I’m really looking forward to doing. I mean, I was here for like two weeks and I noticed that I was able to do a lot of different stuff. I’ve been picking things up pretty quickly. I mean before, in Jiu-Jitsu, I don’t think I ever submitted anybody, but nobody ever showed me how though.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So up until just recently, how have you been preparing for your fights? Was it just lifting weights and wrestling around with your buddies in the living room? What did your training really consist of?

Dave Herman: Well I was still able to go in and wrestle at Northern Illinois University, but yeah, pretty much it was just lifting weights, staying in shape and conditioning.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are some of the key areas you have been focusing on in the gym since your last fight?

Dave Herman: Everything, just everything. Honestly, I pretty much needed a lot of work on everything. As far as technique and everything else, I was just winging it. Usually I came out on top, but that only lasts for so long.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you feel like even though you already have fourteen fights under your belt that there is still plenty left to learn and room for you to develop?

Dave Herman: Yeah, well my stand-up was terrible. The only thing that I was even really decent at was wrestling, and then I still didn’t even take anybody down.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: It seems like your striking has been getting the job done. You’ve knocked out nearly everyone you’ve come across so far.

Dave Herman: Yeah, but I mean, if you just go in there and swing away you can get the job done, but my chin was always up, bad form and my hands never seemed to stay near my face.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What do you know about Josh Barnes and how do you feel you guys match up?

Dave Herman: I heard that he wrestled and that he was pretty good at striking. I actually met him once and he seemed pretty nice.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Are you going to be looking to make a statement in this fight with Barnes to show that you are back?

Dave Herman: It would be nice. I really don’t know what to expect because this is my first fight where I have actually trained seriously so hopefully things go well for me.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you’re just kind of looking forward to getting back in there and showcase what you’ve been working on after this recent break?

Dave Herman: Yeah, I think especially with doing all of this new training, getting in there and fighting will actually help me in my training after that too. Training is great but there’s nothing like the real thing. It will help me assess where I’m at and figure out what I have to work on from there.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Dave Herman: I’d like to thank Ed Clay for taking me under his wing and helping me become a better fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC releases Vinny Magalhaes

After losing in the finals in last season’s light heavyweight tournament on The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC still had high hopes for Vinny Magalhaes. After all, the man is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu as well as a two time Brazilian National heavyweight champion.

However, after suffering a second consecutive loss in the UFC to Eliot Marshall at UFC 97 on April 18, Magalhaes will be looking for a new place to fight.

According to the latest print edition of “The Wrestling Observer”, the UFC has decided to release Magalhaes mainly because the company is trying to build new contenders in each weight class. The fighters who don’t have potential according to the UFC will be sent packing.

Magalhaes entered season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter with plenty of hype due to his impressive background in BJJ. He was widely considered one of the favorites to win the light heavyweight tournament. While on the show, he went on to defeat Lance Evans, Jules Bruchez, and Krzysztof Soszynski. In the finals he ran into the undefeated Ryan Bader who got the win with an impressive TKO victory in just a little over two minutes; ending Vinny’s dream to become the The Ultimate Fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Who Will Win the Race for a Weekly Live MMA Fight Series?

While MMA has seen it’s share of one-off live events as well as the reality TV offered by TUF, the sport has yet to see a true weekly live fight series, akin to a Friday Night Fights offered on ESPN or like the old Tuesday Night Fights offered on USA from the Blue Horizon. Bellator Fighting Championship has recently made indications that a slot may be in the offing on ESPN or ESPN2, possibly as soon as this fall. While all chatter on Bellator’s part is pointing to that conclusion, it remains to be seen if you will see it come to it’s fruition. In the event that they do make the big leap to one of the big two, there would still be the decision to go from a one day tape delay to a true live event. The current set up benefits Bellator’s production pieces that help build human interest in the fighters, so that may be an impediment to live shows even if they do hit ESPN/ESPN2.

While there hasn’t been much public discussion as of late about a live event series on a weekly basis on Spike, that doesn’t mean that those talks haven’t been made behind closed doors. Spike TV officials spoke with MMAPayout.com and intimated there have been “lots of discussions between the UFC and Spike on the topic…but not for this year.” Talks of a live weekly series on Spike TV was first put forward at the time of the UFC’s re-signing with Spike, with the the live show being a possible replacement for a phased out TUF. Since that time there has been little talk on the subject, though. Based on the comments of Spike Execs, this may be something that will take place in ‘10 or ‘11.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Masvidal has his eye on the title

There is no question that Jorge Masvidal believes he will be the Bellator Lightweight world champion. But before Masvidal starts celebrating his projected sweeping series of tournament wins, he must first take a good hard look at his Semi-Finals opponent, Toby Imada.

As a veteran of over 25 professional fights, Imada is often considered the best, most underrated fighter the sport has seen. Whether or not Imada’s iron chin is capable of withstanding the American Top Team standouts strikes is left to be seen, but one thing is for sure – Toby Imada is a very real contender for the title.

Imada claimed a victory early in the first round at Bellator I in Hollywood, Fla, easily defeating Alonzo Martinez via rear naked choke at just over three minutes into the matchup. The question remains whether or not Masvidal is taking Imada too lightly leading up to their Semi-Final bout in Dayton, Ohio on May 1.

If the fighters stay on their feet, the clear-cut striking advantage belongs to Masvidal, but should the match go to the ground, the advantage may be Imada’s. The only thing that is certain is that this Lightweight contest will not be your average matchup. This bout will either be the well-deserved highlight of Imada’s career or it will mark the beginning of Masvidal’s final step to $175,000 and the Bellator Lightweight title.

The winner of Masvidal/Imada will advance to the final round of the Lightweight World Championship and await the outcome of Alvarez/Reynolds bout also scheduled for Bellator V.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marlon wants more submissions at Sengoku

With a stand up triangle choke, Marlon Sandro secured his first victory in Sengoku and presence in the second stage of the Sengoku featherweight tournament pena weight of the event, which happens this weekend in Tokyo, Japan. In the next phase of the GP, the Brazilian will face the tough Nick Diaz. Expert in striking, the "Ninja of Love" is unbeaten in his career - like Marlon -, and won most fights by knockout in the first round.

The Brazilian fighter was training hard and suffered a contusion on the back that toke him out of the fight for a week, but he guaranteed that’s already back to the trainings and ready: "I had an inflammation on the back, I had to stop the training for a week. I made a specific training in the pool and took anti-inflammatory, but now I’m well", said the black belt, who pretends to take the Canadian down.

"As Nick’s specialty is Muay Thai, I pretend to take the fight to the ground, trying to submit. He must be training ground, but it isn’t the same thing. I want to get the same done of the last fight", said the black belt of Nova União team, also training the striking for this bout. "The standing part I'm training too, I train Boxing with Giovane Diniz, Muay Thai with Johnny Eduardo and Felipe Olivieri and train ground with Leonardo Santos, Marcelino Freitas and others. Thank God I'm 100% focused for this fight", ended.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Denis Using His Head

Nick Denis used his head in preparation for his Featherweight GP quarterfinal fight with Marlon Sandro on Saturday. He studied Sandro’s old fights as much as possible. He watched 4-5 of Sandro’s fights and since they went the distance, they were very convenient for him.

Denis also talked about him or his father having a dream. He said that his father called him and said congratulations. In his fathers dream, Denis defeated Sandro by TKO in the 2nd round with Sandro getting 2 yellow cards during the fight. I’m not sure if Denis got a call in real life or if Denis dreamed that he got call from his father that had a dream.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mann Sees ‘Problem’ for Sengoku GP Favorite Hioki

TOKYO -- All fighters reported on weight for Sengoku “Eighth Battle,” set to commence Saturday at Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium. In the main event, tournament favorite Hatsu Hioki (143.3 pounds) will face Ronnie Mann (142.6) in a featherweight grand prix quarter-final.

“He’s rumored to be one of the favorites to win the tournament, but the only problem with that is that he has to get through me first,” Mann (16-1-1) said. “I plan for an exciting and explosive fight.”

Unbeaten in his last seven fights, Hioki (18-3-2) has never been finished in 23 professional bouts.

“I’ve studied Mann a lot,” he said. “I watched all the footage there is and built a gameplan with my trainers for him. There aren’t many holes I can exploit, but with my technique, I think our bout will be great.”

Fellow featherweight tournament participants Nam Phan and Michihiro Omigawa also exchanged interesting words, thanks to Phan’s stated plans to finish Omigawa (5-7-1).

“To show an exciting fight and display good technique,” Phan said, “I’d like to finish Mr. Omigawa with the Kadowaki Special.”

When asked why he wanted to use the former Shooto 143-pound champion’s trademark finisher on Omigawa, Phan (15-5) spoke plainly.

“As a kid growing up, Hideki Kadowaki was one of my favorite fighters,” he said. “I beat him in the last round, and I guess I’d like to avenge him by doing his special move on Mr. Omigawa. Gotta show gratitude to Mr. Kadowaki for [inspiring] a young fighter.”

Omigawa’s reaction to Phan’s submission of choice was terse.

“It’s not his special move. He won’t catch me with it,” he said. “I will show my pure Japanese samurai spirit against Nam Phan and beat him.”

Chan Sung Jung only had eyes for Sengoku’s featherweight belt, for which the “Korean Zombie” vowed to fight on the promotion’s planned Aug. 2 card.

“I’m going to win tomorrow, and then go on to the final round in [the] Saitama Super Arena, where I would like to fight for the featherweight belt,” said Jung (6-0), a confident smile stretching his face.

His opponent, Masanori Kanehara, held similar sentiments but warned that he should not be overlooked.

“I’ve heard that [Jung] was already saying he’d knock me out, but I’ll lock up a solid submission tomorrow to put him away so that I can fight for the featherweight championship,” Kanehara (12-5-5) said.

Meanwhile, featherweight King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro and King of the Cage Canada featherweight champion Nick Denis kept their comments classy in advance of their tournament showdown.

“I trained really hard for this fight, for my opponent,” Denis (7-0) said. “I respect him a lot, and I think it’ll be a very good fight, an exciting fight. I wish him all the best.”

Sandro (13-0) submitted Matt Jaggers with an arm-triangle choke to advance to the quarter-finals.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to fight someone like Nick, who is one of the best fighters in our weight class,” Sandro said. “Tomorrow’s fight will be tough, since Nick Denis is a tough guy.”

Returning to the ring for the first time since his victorious mixed martial arts debut five months ago at Sengoku “Fifth Battle,” Alexandre Ribeiro will take on Japanese veteran Keiichiro Yamamiya in a light heavyweight bout.

The jiu-jitsu world champion discussed improving his striking with Andre Amade in Canada and Wanderlei Silva in Las Vegas.

“[Silva]’s one of the most experienced fighters in all of MMA,” Ribeiro said. “We trained together, and he talked a lot about his experiences of being in Japan and being a great champion. I think that’s my path now -- to come to Japan and become a great champion, too.”

Still, Ribeiro admitted he would likely pursue a jiu-jitsu game against Yamamiya (34-23-9).

“He’s got a lot of experience, around 13 years,” Ribeiro (1-0) said. “I got to watch a couple of his fights with Brazilian guys. He fought Paulo Filho, Nilson de Castro, [Gustavo] ‘Ximu’ [Machado], and I think he’s just a well-rounded, great fighter. He has good movement up top, can do jiu-jitsu, and, of course, experience counts a lot. I think the key of this fight is to impose my game and just overwhelm him with my jiu-jitsu.”

World Victory Road Public Relations Director Takahiro Kokuho indicated that the winners of the Ribeiro-Yamamiya bout and the Travis Wiuff-Stanislav Nedkov match would likely find themselves in the running -- alongside the currently sidelined Muhammed Lawal -- for the right to fight for the promotion’s vacant light heavyweight championship by year’s end.

As for championship bouts in other weight classes, Kokuho indicated that the winner of the Makoto Takimoto-Michael Costa bout would likely be slotted into the promotion’s welterweight grand prix later this year. Meanwhile, the winner of the Leonardo Santos-Kazunori Yokota bout will become a strong candidate to challenge Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka on Aug. 2.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC middleweight Dan Miller making the best of UFC 98 appearance

The situation has quickly changed for UFC middleweight Dan Miller (11-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

After three-straight wins in the UFC, Miller was set to face top 185-pound contender Yushin Okami at UFC 98 in May.

On Thursday, the Japanese product was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury suffered in training. While disappointed, don't expect to hear Miller complain.

"(My brother and UFC lightweight) Jimmy and I are pretty quiet," Dan Miller recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "We don't really talk much crap. We basically just go in and fight and do our job. That's it."

Miller has done his job well, winning his past nine official contests. Three of those have come in the UFC, including first-round submission wins over Jake Rosholt and Rob Kimmons.

Miller also earned a decision win over fellow IFL veteran Matt Horwich, and he was looking forward to the step up in class with Okami.

"I'm happy with what they've given me so far, but it does (frustrate me) a little bit," Miller said. "I believe I can compete with the higher level. Coming in and fighting, [the UFC] basically gives you the ground-level guys at first. So yeah, it frustrates you a little bit."

A win over perennial contender Okami at UFC 98 would have certainly propelled Miller to a contender slot of his own. Instead, it appears the New Jersey resident will face Chael Sonnen (21-10-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at the Las Vegas event.

While Miller doesn't want to delay his shot at the title, his division's belt is currently on hold anyway. Champion Anderson Silva will next face Forrest Griffin in the 205-pound division.

"It's tough," Miller said. "[Silva] sells a lot of tickets, and he's the champ. So there's not much really you can say. What am I going to say? If he wants to test himself, and they're willing to let him do it, then so be it.

"(But) It bothers me a little bit, just because it ties it up. If I keep winning, I'm going to have to wait longer for my shot."

While a change of opponent just over three weeks out is nothing unusual in the fight game, losing the chance to establish yourself as a contender in the UFC is obviously disappointing. While Miller falls into that category, he's still remaining optimistic.

Training partners Matt Serra and Frankie Edgar will still be appearing on the main card, and Miller plans on making the most out of his fourth trip to the octagon in eight months.

"I'm extremely excited to be part of this card," Miller said. "It's going to be fun to be out there and fight on the card. I wish I could watch it, but it's going to be great to fight on it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sengoku Eighth Battle weigh-in results

All 22 fighters from the night's 11-fight card have weighed in for World Victory Road's "Sengoku Eighth Battle" event.

The event, which features the second round of the organization's featherweight grand prix, takes place Saturday at the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

The event airs live in North America on HDNet on Saturday at 3 a.m. ET (midnight PT), and a replay is scheduled for later in the day at 9 p.m. ET.

The full weigh-in results included.

FEATHERWEIGHT GRAND PRIX SECOND ROUND

* Hatsu Hioki (143.3lbs/65.0kg) vs. Ronnie Mann (142.6lbs/64.7kg)
* Michihiro Omigawa (142.6lbs/64.7kg) vs. Nam Phan (142.9lbs/64.8kg)
* Masanoru Kanehara (142.9lbs/64.8kg) vs. Chan Sung Jung (143.3lbs/65.0kg)
* Marlon Sandro (143.1lbs/64.9kg) vs. Nick Denis (142.4lbs/64.6kg)

NON-TOURNAMENT BOUTS

* Leonardo Santos (154.1lbs/69.9kg) vs. Kazunori Yokota (154.1lbs/69.9kg)
* Maximo Blanco (154.1lbs/69.9kg) vs. Akihiko Mouri (154.1lbs/69.9kg)
* Alexandre "Xande" Ribeiro (203.5lbs/92.3kg) vs. Keiichiro Yamamiya (202.8lbs/92.0kg)
* Stanislav Nedkov (202.6lbs/91.9kg) vs. Travis Wiuff (204.8lbs/92.9kg)
* Michael Costa (167.3lbs./75.9kg) vs. Makoto Takimoto (166.2lbs/75.4kg)
* Kota Ishibashi (147.5lbs/66.9kg) vs. Shigeki Osawa (147.7lbs/67.0kg)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante "hungry" for DREAM.9 return with Kawajiri

It's been more than a year since top lightweight Gesias Cavalcante (14-2-1) last stepped into the ring.

And while fans of "JZ" are undoubtedly excited for his DREAM.9 bout with Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2) on May 26 in Japan, Cavalcante simply can't wait.

"I'm hungry to fight," Cavalcante recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I want to be back in the game so bad."

After a controversial bout with Shinya Aoki in DREAM's inaugural event resulted in a no contest, Cavalcante lost a unanimous decision to the submission ace in a rematch in April 2008. A knee injury then kept the Brazilian out of action for the remainder of the year.

Cavalcante said the injury is no longer a concern.

"The injury is good," Cavalcante said. "Thank God, I'm 100 percent. The body is perfect because I have been training hard.

"I practice twice a day. But sometimes in the morning I do two training (sessions), and then in the afternoon or evenings I do [another] one."

Cavalcante had hoped to return to action against Joachim Hansen in December 2008, but a last-second medical issue forced the Norwegian out of the bout.

"That was the hardest thing for me to get control and balance again," Cavalcante said. "I did everything. I lifted weights, I trained so hard. When I got to the venue, they said, 'No, no, no. Hansen's not going to fight.'

"Man, that was [expletive] up to me. After a while, I said, 'OK. I came ready to die inside the ring. If the fight didn't happen, I'm still alive. Move on.'"

Now Cavalcante will finally get the chance to look for his first official win since September 2007 – a night he picked up two wins in the same evening. His opponent, Kawajiri, will prove a tough test in Cavalcante's return to action.

"[Kawajiri] is pretty comfortable everywhere," Cavalcante said. "But me, too.

"We don't know how the fight's going to be. I'm going to come to fight like I always come. I'll come ready to fight for whatever goes. The stand-up, the ground – if I have to battle in wrestling, judo, whatever. I'm ready."

While ring rust might be a concern for other fighters coming off of a similar lay-off, Cavalcante believes his constant focus on training will leave him ready.

"Even when I was injured, I was at the gym," Cavalcante said. "I was helping, or I was lifting. I was doing something. Everybody here is pretty much the same."

And when Cavalcante says "everybody," the list is impressive.

"We treat everybody like family," Cavalcante said. "We are so tight, and all the guys are high-level guys. Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, Jorge Santiago, Mike Brown. If I named everybody, I'd be talking for the whole week."

While recent results and inactivity have left Cavalcante on the outside of most discussions on the world's top lightweights, his DREAM.9 bout with Kawajiri will still feature two of the world's top 155-pounders.

And if things go according to plan, Cavalcante will once again show the world that he belongs in those talks.

"To be tough in this sport, you've got to deal with everything," Cavalcante said. "I'm going to collect all the tools I can, then when I step into the ring I can use everything."

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC still eyeing pay-per-view model, female bouts also a possibility

As the WEC prepares for a possible organizational record-setting crowd at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., for "WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber II," company executives are still looking to grow the brand.

While it was initially believed WEC 41 would air on pay-per-view, the decision was ultimately made to air the card on VERSUS.

But WEC co-founder and current executive Reed Harris recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio host "Gorgeous" George Garcia the move to pay-per-view events is still coming.

Harris appeared on the radio show "Good Sports" (co-hosted by Garcia).

"Eventually, we would like to do a pay-per-view," Harris said. "And part of doing a pay-per-view is providing the fans with fights that they'll pay for, and that's what we're working toward.

"You can see we're building up these divisions. I mean if you look at the rankings in the 135-pound and 145-pound division, I think in the 135-pound division we have nine of the top 10 fighters in the world."

In March, WEC vice-president Peter Dropick told VERSUS.com that the June event might wind up on pay per view. Harris said it was only at the insisting of the network that the event ended up on VERSUS.

"One of the things that happened was [VERSUS] said, 'We want this fight. We want the Brown-Faber II fight,'" Harris said.

In addition to pay-per-view events, Harris said the organization is still considering adding female bouts to its schedule. While UFC President Dana White has been outspoken in his opposition to the female side of the sport, it appears WEC executives may have a different point of view.

"I think we're definitely interested (in female fights)," Harris said. "We've looked at that, and I've talked to Dana about that."

Harris also suggested that if he were able to bring women into the WEC mix, he would be far stricter on weight classes than other organizations have been up to this point.

"The thing I think I would want to do is really be strict about the weights," Harris said. "We've seen a lot of these fights – there was a fight a couple of weeks ago where one girl probably weighed 25 pounds more than the other girl. I don't want to watch that. I want to watch people compete at the same level.

"I mean, I wouldn't have my guy fight another guy if he's 25 pounds different in weight. I think they deserve that. I think that they deserve to go into an organization where the rules are the rules, the fights are fair – and not that that wasn't the case in this last fight, but we've just seen a lot of that."

Harris believes he simply wouldn't arrange fights at weight that were unreasonable to believe his athletes could reach.

"We've seen a lot of weights being moved up or down in order to compensate for someone's (weight)," Harris said. "And what I say is, 'Don't make the fight.'

"If that person can't make the weight, put it at a different weight, and let another competitor come in that fights at that weight and compete."

While the WEC has grown tremendously since it was purchased by ZUFFA in December 2006, company executives have vision for even further growth. And while recent changes have seen the subtraction of division, the company's next move will be the addition of flyweights.

"[Lightweights] are staying," Harris said. "We're adding [125-pounders], and I think at that point we'll be done."

 

[Shogun Locc]

RASHAD EVANS: "YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY"

There’s no class or seminar for being champion. You either accept it or face a bumpy ride. Life changes completely, and there’s no break.

UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans got a first taste of fame after appearing on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” though the attention wasn’t always positive. Some fans branded him a “showboater,” and met his wrestling-based style with suspicion. He always seemed to be fighting for acceptance.

Prior to “TUF,” Evans fought on the California circuit, slugging it out with other fighters paying their dues. Pay was low, and recognition was a pat on the back. Microsoft was a long ways away.

In December, he dealt critics their greatest blow with a TKO victory over Forrest Griffin, and the spotlight heated up. There aren’t as many haters as before, but everyone is watching.

“It’s been pretty good, man,” Evans says of life since the belt. “My life is… actually… excellent.”

Then, a heavy pause.

“You know, with being champion, there’s always stuff that’s coming at you left and right, and you’re like, damn, it didn’t need to be like this,” he continues. “I wish it was like the old days.”

That is, the days where fighting was just fighting. Though Evans’ history doesn’t run back to the old, old days, he’s been around long enough to see money change things. And nowhere has that been more present than his life as champ.

“When you have so many people coming at you from different angles, trying to tell you to do this and do that… the kind of person I am, I give everybody the chance,” he says. “Because I don’t know everything, and I don’t want to think I know everything. So I listen to a lot of people, but sometimes you can’t listen to everybody, because people don’t always know what they’re talking about.”

Of course, nobody asked him to be champ. Don’t cry for me, Argentina, they’ll say. And Evans is well compensated for his job – though maybe not as much as those in relative fields – and reaps benefits like Microsoft and Silver Star.

But it’s not always easy to remember that under the microscope, and the things he says and does are public, always.

“It is different, because you have all these expectations, people expect you to be this way, be that way,” he says. “I just want to be myself.”

Because he trains with Georges St. Pierre, people think he should be like the welterweight champion.

“People say, Georges is like this as a champion,” says Evans. “I’m not Georges, Georges is Georges. I don’t need to be like him. Georges doing what he’s doing and me doing what I’m doing are two different things. But it doesn’t make either one of us less of a champion.”

St. Pierre, however, has been a shoulder to lean on during the experience. It’s his advice that Evans has listened to most.

“Georges and I talk about it a lot,” says Evans. “Georges told me you can’t please everybody, so don’t even try. Don’t get so caught up in trying to appease everybody.”

While he continues to polarize fans, Evans is focused on doing what makes him happy and fighting without additional burdens.

“What you need to do is worry about yourself first and foremost, and then sort everything alone or with someone you can trust, somebody who gives you good advice,” Evans says of St. Pierre’s advice. “And don’t be obsessed in any one area. Don’t be obsessed with training, don’t be obsessed with hanging out and having a good time, partying. Have a perfect balance.”

He’ll need balance in every sense to defend against challenger Lyoto Machida, who appears to be one of the most unshakable fighters in the division. Fans have already brought out the negatives on the match-up, but Evans is unconcerned.

“I’m not going to add any pressure to myself to say it’s going to be this kind of fight or that kind of fight,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and fight my best. I really can’t worry about what people are going to say if they’re going to say it’s a boring fight. There’s always been harsh critics of me, saying this, that, and the other. If I listened to the fans every time, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”

And as fans have thought of him, an underdog, so he’d like to be remembered, whether he’s champ.

“As somebody who was never considered the best, but ended up being the best,” he says.

 

[Shogun Locc]

JAMES IRVIN VS. WILSON GOUVEIA AT UFC 102

The revolving door of fighters over the last 24 hours continues to turn as now it appears James Irvin, who was just forced out of his UFC 98 fight due to a knee injury, will get the chance to fight on Aug 29 instead against American Top Team fighter, Wilson Gouveia, at UFC 102.

The news was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Friday by sources close to the negotiations.

Gouveia was already scheduled at UFC 102 against Team Quest fighter, Chael Sonnen, but he was pulled from that slot and placed into a fight at UFC 98 against Dan Miller, who lost his original opponent, Yushin Okami, to a knee injury on Thursday.

Irvin will return in August after a torn miniscus kept him out of his scheduled fight for UFC 98 against Drew McFedries. The California based fighter isn't expected to need surgery on the knee, but will have to rehab it for approximately 5 weeks according to his manager, Mike Roberts, who discussed the injury with MMAWeekly Radio on Wednesday.

As it stands now Sonnen vs. Miller is set for UFC 98, while Irvin vs. Gouveia is a go from UFC 102 in August.

When contacted on Thursday about some of the fight changes, Chael Sonnen expressed an interested to fight in both May and August, but the decision has been made to only keep him in the May fight, and place James Irvin in his slot for August.