MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic returns; UFC officially announces UFC 99 bout with Mostapha Al-Turk

As expected following recent comments by the heavyweight fighter, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (24-6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will return to the UFC and fight Mostapha Al-Turk (6-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at next weekend's UFC 99 event, the UFC today announced.

Filipovic, who replaces UFC newcomer Todd Duffee on the card, returns to the UFC after a three-fight stint in Japan.

The Filipovic vs. Al-Turk match-up has been added to the televised main card, which as of Monday morning, now features six televised bouts (rather than the usual five).

UFC 99 takes place June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. The pay-per-view show, which is the UFC's first event in Germany, features a main event of Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva at a catch-weight of 195 pounds.

Filipovic, once considered one of the world's top two or three heavyweights, left the UFC following back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. In March 2008, he defeated an over-matched Tatsuya Mizuno via 56-second TKO at DREAM.1. Six months later he fought rival Alistair Overeem at DREAM.6. Overeem controlled the fight, but the bout was ruled a no-contest when he delivered an illegal knee to Filipovic's groin.

Three months later, in his most recent bout, Filipovic defeated 7-foot-2 kickboxer Hong Man Choi via first-round TKO.

Last month the Croatian fighter announced he was returning to the UFC following the year-long stint in Japan.

He'll now face Al-Turk, a Cage Rage veteran who suffered a first-round TKO loss to Kongo during his octagon debut at UFC 92. Prior to the loss, Al-Turk went 6-1 with six first-round stoppages to earn a UFC contract.

The full UFC 99 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (televised)

* Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
* Cheick Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez
* Ben Saunders vs. Mike Swick
* Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
* Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno
* Mustapha al Turk vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-televised)

* Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim
* Dale Hartt vs. Denis Siver
* Peter Sobotta vs. Paul Taylor
* Roli Delgado vs. Paul Kelly
* Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve
* John Hathaway vs. Rick Story

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 98 competitors test clean for drugs

The Nevada State Athletic Commission's traditional fight-night drug testing netted no failed tests at UFC 98.

The May 23 event took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In an email sent today, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer confirmed the following participants tested clean for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancing drugs: George Roop, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Krzysztof Soszynski, Kyle Bradley, Brock Larson, Frankie Edgar, Chael Sonnen, Matt Hughes, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida.

All fighters were tested for drugs of abuse (such as marijuana and cocaine), as well as anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancers.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported a few weeks prior to the pay-per-view event, the NSAC also administered random pre-UFC 98 drug tests to Edgar, Hughes, Matt Serra and Sean Sherk. All four competitors passed the tests.

The NSAC's year-round testing was implemented in 2008. MMA fighters are subject to drug testing at any time – for just about any reason – throughout the year, regardless of whether or not the fighter is scheduled for an upcoming event. However, the testing is usually reserved for scheduled fighters.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tough times as Strikeforce's Tim Kennedy tries to balance MMA and Army careers

When professional fighters say, "I'm going to war with this guy," most of us with military experience cringe.

They don't know how hollow that statement is – especially in this era of real war with an elusive and determined enemy. Mixed martial arts, for all its raw competition and connection to our primeval side, is not war. It's a sport.

But unlike most of its participants, some MMA athletes have seen war firsthand and experienced in Technicolor detail its bitter pains and surprisingly sweet rewards.

Staff Sergeant Tim Kennedy, best known in MMA for his brawl with Jason "Mayhem" Miller at an HDNet Fights event in late 2007, will return to the cage at a June 19 Strikeforce Challengers event in Kent, Wash., against veteran Nick Thompson.

The bout follows an 18-month hiatus. During that time Kennedy has served in Afghanistan and other theaters as an Army Special Forces weapons NCO.

"One of the greatest parts about being in the military is you get exposed to so many different cultures, which means many different foods," Kennedy told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm a fat kid on the inside, and I love trying a variety of cuisines. The low part would be seeing the lack of respect that the terrorists had. They would do anything to save themselves. They would hide behind their own kids. I'm a father, and seeing that broke my heart."

In 2003 Kennedy faced a life-altering decision. He was motivated by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. He wanted to serve his country, but he also had a promising career in MMA, training with the then-invincible Chuck Liddell at John Hackelman's The Pit in California.

When the Army launched the 18 X-Ray program that allowed recruits to enlist directly into Special Forces, his path was clear. Up to that point, a soldier wishing to be a Green Beret had to serve at least five years before going through Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) at Camp McCall, N.C. It was the Army's way of ensuring its elite forces had sufficient experience and maturity before they'd be put in situations of great responsibility. But with the 18 X-Ray program, guys such as Kennedy could come off the street and tryout for Special Forces, which is exactly what he did.

Kennedy became a Green Beret, and though it's a life he loves, MMA was that exotic ex-girlfriend that he just couldn't get out of his head. While on active duty, he had intermittent fights with the IFL and HDNet Fights, but he was always a soldier first. So whenever the Army called, he would make sure to answer.

Kennedy deployed with the 7th Special Forces Group to Afghanistan in 2008, and he wrote about his experiences for FiveOuncesofPain.com.

Now that he's back and training fulltime, Kennedy is once again experiencing the highs and lows of MMA and being reacquainted with unique and different types of pain it brings.

"It's kind of strange," he said. "The best and worst parts are the way that I'm beating my body up. The worst part is not having those constant scabs on your traps and back from hot shell casing getting stuck between your kit and your skin or the calluses that are disappearing from my hands from not fast roping all the time. Now it's bruised shins and black eyes with ice on everything. These are also the best parts of training fulltime again."

Approaching the end of his enlistment, Kennedy once again faces a life-altering choice: continue to serve in the brotherhood of Special Forces or use his fighting talents as a fulltime MMA athlete. Financially there's no comparison, with MMA easily offering a much higher paycheck. But when it comes to job satisfaction, he was predisposed to work for the military.

"I will always be part of that community," Kennedy said of the military. "Once you are there, no matter where you go, you never really leave. I can tell you that some of the guys that I worked with for the past few years are getting ready to deploy again. Knowing that I'm not going to be deploying with them is a torture I can't begin to describe. Perhaps this will be the one thing I will regret for the rest of my life. These are the most gifted men on the planet. You can't help acknowledging the pain of missing a single day apart from your brothers."

Kennedy is currently in talks with the Army to remain on active duty and fight fulltime, similar to the Army's World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson, Colo. But there has never been a professional MMA fighter who was allowed to remain on active duty (UFC light heavyweight Brian Stann separated from the Marine Corps last year), so Kennedy is blazing a trail that others may follow. If he's unable to reach a settlement with the service, he may be forced to end his enlistment, though that's not what he wants.

"My dream is to be able to continue to represent my brothers and sisters in uniform while fighting," Kennedy said. "I know that I can have a huge impact of bringing the right people for the right job in the military. I'm confident that we will be able to work something out. If we can't then, I will separate my service, but I will continue to represent the uniform that I had the honor of wearing."

When a professional fighter says he's going to war with another fighter, he means it with the true desire to win battle inside the octagon. The fighter has devoted his entire mental and physical energy to compete in a combative event that could end in severe injury. But for Kennedy, a man who's seen the horrors of combat and known the joys of having an enemy shoot at him and miss, referring to a sporting event as a "war," no matter how violent it may be, seems hollow. But ever the professional, Kennedy shrugs it off with an understanding of real combat, both inside and outside the ring.

"When they say things like that I'm not bothered, but I do smile inside knowing the difference," he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

After two losses, Xavier Foupa-Pokam released by the UFC

Xavier Foupa-Pokam’s tenure in the UFC has concluded after just two fights. The talented striker known as “Professor X” was released by the promotion on Monday.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon Foupa-Pokam’s agent, Ken Pavia.

Foupa-Pokam earned a spot in the UFC’s middleweight division after compiling a 20-9 record with and a seven fight win streak. He made his Octagon debut in Montreal this past April at UFC 97, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Denis Kang.

The Paris native then stepped up on short notice just last weekend at UFC 98 to face Miletich Fighting Systems product Drew McFedries. Unfortunately, Foupa-Pokam suffered a TKO due to punches just 37 seconds into the bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Gegard Mousasi confirmed for DREAM Super Hulk Tournament

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has recently been informed by sources close to the situation that Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou will be facing off with Gegard Mousasi in the next round of DREAM’s Super Hulk Tournament.

Sokoudjou rebounded from consecutive losses at the hands of Luiz Arthur Cane and Renato “Babalu” Sobral when he stopped the much larger Jan Nortge by TKO with a storm of punches in the first round of the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament .

The Team Quest fighter fell under a great amount of criticism after failing to cease his assault on the fallen Nortje when the referee called a halt to the action. Sokoudjou recently apologized for his actions on the latest episode of Inside MMA.

Mousasi is fresh off of his first round submission over Mark Hunt at the same Super Hulk Tournament that was held on May 26, 2009. He has gone undefeated in his last twelve straight bouts.

Recent reports have speculated that Mousasi will be facing off with Renato Sobral at the upcoming Affliction III: Trilogy event as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Biggest Signing Of The Year!! Satoshi Ishii To SENGOKU!

A press conference was held in Tokyo today, announcing that 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, Satoshi Ishii, has signed with World Victory Road to fight in their SENGOKU event. No debut date was announced but he is expected to debut within the year. This is easily the biggest signing of the year and a HUGE signing for WVR.

Update #1: Ishii has signed for more than one fight. He has signed a provisional contract and on Thursday he will sign the real contract at an open to fans contract signing event in Japan.

Update #2: Ishii came out to the theme of “The Last of the Mohicans” movie (he’s a fan of Rickson Gracie) and said “thank you for coming to my wedding”.

Update #3: Ishii said that his decision to debut in Japan came after discussions with various people in the U.S., Japan, and Brazil. Also, e-mails and letters from fans and his University classmates showing respect towards him made him feel that he wants to fight in front of such people in Japan. He also wants to show his grandmother a match since she might not live much longer.

When speaking about the reason he chose SENGOKU he said that in Japan, SENGOKU is the organization he respects the most. He also said that Josh Barnett will face the worlds strongest in Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction. If Josh wins he will become the strongest in the world and with a fighter like that existing in SENGOKU, it will have another attraction. Another reason is that his Judo seniors such as Yoshida, Takimoto, and Nakamura are SENGOKU fighters.

Update #4: Some of his answers from the Q&A with the press. A telephone discussion with his close friend and Sumo Wrestler Asashoryu was also part of the reason why he chose SENGOKU. For him a debut match is OK at anytime. About his future training schedule, Ishii thinks he will leave for Holland at the end of this month. He is also considering training together with Fedor.

His objective: “World champion”. He wants to fight in the Heavyweight division. When asked about if he would like to face Hidehiko Yoshida he said that he’s not in the position to choose his opponents. For him anyone is OK.

Update #5: For the open to the public contract signing on Thursday, WVR are considering an outside open space in the Metropolitan Area of Tokyo where around 3000 to 5000 persons could fit. Ishii’s contract is for 2 years. WVR’s Kokuho said that due to the signing of Ishii the amount of Heavyweight fights in SENGOKU will increase from now on.

 

[UCDgreek]

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Gegard Mousasi confirmed for DREAM Super Hulk Tournament

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has recently been informed by sources close to the situation that Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou will be facing off with Gegard Mousasi in the next round of DREAM’s Super Hulk Tournament.

Sokoudjou rebounded from consecutive losses at the hands of Luiz Arthur Cane and Renato “Babalu” Sobral when he stopped the much larger Jan Nortge by TKO with a storm of punches in the first round of the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament .

The Team Quest fighter fell under a great amount of criticism after failing to cease his assault on the fallen Nortje when the referee called a halt to the action. Sokoudjou recently apologized for his actions on the latest episode of Inside MMA.

Mousasi is fresh off of his first round submission over Mark Hunt at the same Super Hulk Tournament that was held on May 26, 2009. He has gone undefeated in his last twelve straight bouts.

Recent reports have speculated that Mousasi will be facing off with Renato Sobral at the upcoming Affliction III: Trilogy event as well.

that means the other fight is minowa and hong man choi which sounds weak. would like to have seen mousasi vs soukodjou in the finals. but i guess cant complain as long as they fight each other.

 

[UCDgreek]

MAIN CARD (televised)

* Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
* Cheick Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez
* Ben Saunders vs. Mike Swick
* Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
* Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno
* Mustapha al Turk vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

this main card looks really good. i want to see each one of these fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PATRICK COTE SIGNS NEW 4-FIGHT DEAL WITH UFC

It looks like the "Predator" will do his stalking in the UFC for the foreseeable future. Patrick Cote has signed a new four-fight deal with the promotion, as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Monday by sources close to the negotiations.

Cote has been out of action since an October 2008 loss to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The Canadian blew out his knee in the third round, forcing a stoppage in the title fight.

Currently rehabbing and waiting for clearance from his doctors, Cote has one less thing to worry about now that he knows for the immediate future he will continue to call the Octagon his home.

"I want a big fight right away. I want a top five or top ten guy," said Cote when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio in late April about his return fight. "I already say that to the UFC management. They say they are able to do it. They are going to give me a top guy, for sure."

While nothing is set in stone for his official UFC return, all signs are pointing towards a possible bout in October at the show announced for the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 24.

When Cote spoke to MMAWeekly Radio he commented that within a few months he hoped to get back to training full speed. He will resume his fight camps splitting time between Montreal and Mark DellaGrotte's Sityodtong camp in Boston.

 

[Jaysav]

Solid card. Can't wait to see Cain and Kongo fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Winner of UFC 100's Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson fight gets a title shot

A UFC 100 main-card bout between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, who are coaches on the currently airing ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," will earn the winner a middleweight title shot.

That's according to the Manchester Evening News, which cited a "UFC spokesperson" who confirmed the plans.

If Bisping, a U.K. fighter, emerges victorious, his title shot against current champ Anderson Silva will come in Manchester, England, according to the official.

Bisping vs. Henderson took third billing on the July 11's stacked UFC 100 card, which also features UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Frank Mir and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre vs. top contender Thiago Alves.

Bisping was an early selection to coach Team U.K. on the show, which is the first season to use a country-vs.-country format. Henderson won the Team U.S. slot by beating Rich Franklin in January.

Bisping, the light-heavyweight winner on the second season of "TUF," is currently 17-1 overall and 7-1 in the UFC. His lone loss came via close split decision to Rashad Evans at UFC 78. The loss prompted Bisping to drop to middleweight, where he's now 3-0 with wins over Charles McCarthy, Jason Day and Chris Leben. A victory over Henderson would undoubtedly be the biggest of his career.

Henderson, meanwhile, is gunning for his third title shot since rejoining the UFC in 2007. He was unsuccessful in bids to take Quinton Jackson's light-heavyweight title in 2007, and in his very next fight, he failed to take Silva's belt in a 2008 middleweight title shot. Since then, though, he's defeated Rousimar Palhares (at middleweight) and Franklin (at light heavyweight) to move to 24-7 (4-2 in the UFC).

Current champ Silva is slated to take a non-title fight against light heavyweight Forrest Griffin in August at UFC 101. If Bisping is victorious at UFC 100, that would give Silva a full three months to prepare for the Manchester event.

Although not officially announced by the UFC, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) is told by sources close to the organization that the Manchester show, UFC 105, is slated for Nov. 14. It's expected to air (via delay) on Spike TV.

 

[Shogun Locc]

LINE 'EM UP; WARREN WILL KEEP KNOCKING 'EM DOWN

Nobody told Joe Warren he wasn’t supposed to win.

Last Wednesday, the decorated wrestler turned fighter, in just his second MMA fight, dispatched Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto at Dream 9, knocking the star out of a featherweight tournament bent towards his participation.

The Japanese were professional, but even if they didn’t say anything, it was clear to Warren what they thought of his chances.

“It’s their superstar,” Warren said of his victory over Kid shortly after returning from Japan. “They love that guy; that’s their man. It was a hostile environment. I was ready for it. I was used to going into other countries and competing against the best people they had.”

The relentlessly optimistic newcomer wouldn’t have been listening anyway.

“I don’t give a crap what anyone thinks,” he said. “I’m there to fight and win for myself and for my family. I know what kind of competitor I am, and they underestimated me. To me, I don’t see that as a negative. People keep underestimating me, and I’m going to keep beating the crap out of people. I know they think I’m there to get my ass kicked, and that’s fine. It makes me laugh a little bit.“

For Warren, the equation is the same for wrestling and MMA: flawless technique equals victory.

Flawless is the last word he’d use to describe his performance.

“The match was sloppy,” he said. “I was in and out of positions I didn’t want to be in. Our plan was to get him in a front headlock; I wasn’t able to do that. I was upset that I didn’t finish the fight for the extra money. I did feel at one point that I could have finished it, and I slowed the match down, stopped the striking. I just wish I would have pushed a little harder.”

Fans gave Warren a tremendous amount of respect for the punches he took during the fight, shots that have dropped weaker men. But it’s not something he wants to repeat.

“I got hit with a lot of shots that I shouldn’t have gotten hit with,” he said. “If I would have kept my head moving a little better, I could have avoided that. He threw some hard shots and I took them. I didn’t want to; I didn’t even know I did until last night when I got home and I saw the HDNet episode. I thought I won that fight hands down, and then after watching that fight on TV, I thought that was a lot closer than what I expected. It was a better fight than what I thought it was in my mind.”

He came back mostly unscathed, except for a knot under his left eye and bruising on his inner thigh, where he took several hard leg kicks.

“I found a whole new respect for Muay Thai after this fight,” said Warren.

He went into the fight with an injured right hand, courtesy of a training session with Dan Henderson at Team Quest South, which ended up being a blessing in disguise. In a meeting with trainer Heath Sims three weeks before the fight, he stated his case.

“I’m not getting the training I need at Team Quest, because the guys are too big,” Warren told Sims. “I can’t really tell if my striking is getting better because I’m fighting with Dan Henderson. Or I’m fighting with Jason Miller. They’re just too big. So I went up to Ultimate Fitness, and they have 10, 12 guys in there every day that are my size and fight professionally. Hands down that’s the best training in the world for lightweights.”

Warren spent the remainder of his time with WEC staples Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, soaking up the game plans they had worked on in anticipation of a showdown with Yamamoto (Yamamoto had been scheduled to face Benavidez at Dream 5 before pulling out due to injury).

“I just wanted to make it a barn-burning fight; just throw off the gloves and get after it, and that’s what it ended up being,” said Warren.

After the fight, Warren asked Yamamoto if he could train with him.

“If I could get half of the striking skills that he has for this next round, I’ll be unstoppable,” said the world-class wrestler. “If my hands and my kicks get better, I’ll finish fights in the first minute.”

Warren will soon be working with striking coach Trevor Wittman, a longtime associate of Greg Jackson’s camp, to further round out his game.

But ultimately, he’s learned the most in the ring.

“The only way you learn is in competition,” he said. “You can train all day, you can be the best technician in the world, and then you go into a competition and you get worked. Because you’re not used to the pressure, you’re not used to the focus, you’re not used to being hurt and focusing through it. With each fight, I’m getting better.”

And with a victory over one of the world’s most highly regarded featherweights, God only knows what he’ll do when he reaches perfection.

 

[Shogun Locc]

VITOR BELFORT VS JORGE SANTIAGO AT AFFLICTION 3

Middleweight Vitor Belfort will take on Jorge Santiago at Affliction 3: "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif.

MMAWeekly.com confirmed the match-up through sources close to the fight. It is expected to be on the event's main card.

Belfort took the bout following reports he would take on Gegard Mousasi at a catch-weight. Mousasi later confirmed he would face Renato "Babalu" Sobral on the clothing company turned fight promotion's third show.

An Affliction regular, Belfort last appeared at "Day of Reckoning," where he destroyed Team Quest original Matt Lindland in 37 seconds. Prior to that, he knocked out Terry Martin in the second round of the promotion's first show. Since his exit from the UFC in early 2005, he has gone 6-3, and maintains an overall record of 18-8.

Santiago, a mainstay of American Top Team, found great success after leaving the UFC in late 2006, winning fights for now-defunct Bodog, Strikeforce, and recently, Sengoku, where he's notched five straight victories. In his last appearance, he submitted top-ten middleweight Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku: No Ran.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC could make Dallas debut in September

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a major event in Dallas, possibly as soon as this September.

Sources closes to the organization and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's Combat Sports division recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the tentative plans.

The UFC is expected to hold UFC 103 on Sept. 26, and though originally expected to take place in England, the event could instead be held in Dallas.

The UFC has ventured to Texas once before, but no shows have been held in Dallas. UFC 69, which featured Matt Serra's stunning upset of then-champ Georges St. Pierre, drew more than 15,000 spectators to Houston's Toyota Center in April 2007.

Texas has proven a hotbed for MMA and is home to a number of successful regional promotions, including the popular Shark Fights organization. It's home to many notable fighters, including the "Texas Crazy Horse," UFC heavyweight Heath Herring.

A likely venue for a Dallas show is the 21,000-seat American Airlines Center, which is home to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and NHL's Dallas Stars. The city's other major venue, the 17,000-seat Reunion Arena, will be demolished later this summer.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy bad blood boils over during UFC 99 conference call

The UFC conducted its UFC 99 conference call this afternoon. Featured on the call were headliners Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva, along with featured fighters Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy.

And if the fireworks on the call are a precursor of what’s to come in the cage, it should a heck of a fight between “The Irish Hand Grenade” and “The Outlaw.” In fact, the long-running war-of-words between the two fighters overshadowed the main event.

Things started pleasantly enough when Davis fielded a question about why he thinks several fighters — such as Chris Lytle and now Hardy — have expressed interest in fighting him. Davis said that he thinks people look at him as a gatekeeper to the Top 10. In his own words: “At least that’s the feedback I get from other people. If you make it past me, you’re up there in the Top 10. I’m kind of like that line you gotta cross.”

Things really heated up when Hardy was asked if he thinks he went too far in hyping the fight by making fun of Davis for his emotional display at UFC 93. The fight card took place on Ireland, a country Davis derives heritage from.

Hardy admitted that it was a valid question, but said that he was first approached by fans who wanted to see him fight Davis. Hardy then intentionally poked fun at Davis as an effort to bait him into asking the UFC for the fight. Otherwise, he said, the fight never would have happened.

“Originally the fight was put to me by the fans — the fans were the ones who wanted to see the fight. So I thought it was my responsibility to try to get this fight on. Realistically, it’s not a good fight for his career. To be fair, he’s way ahead of me. He should be really looking toward a title shot — looking toward getting a couple more wins toward that. To fight a guy who’s just went to the UFC and had two fights, I really didn’t think he’d end up taking the fight, so I did a few things to try and make sure that that paper was signed.”

Hardy continued: “I don’t care if he walks out in a kilt or whatever. But I knew that poking a bit of fun at him would get a reaction out of him, which is exactly what happened. And then from there it started to get kind of silly. He came on to a couple of different radio stations and TV shows in the U.K. and he was doing all the trash talking. Some of the stuff he was saying — calling me a coward and things like that. How somebody’s a coward when they’ve already signed to fight you, I don’t know how that works, but … So I don’t really know where you draw the line.”

From there, things got a little more out of hand. And if you’ve witnessed any of the Photoshop controversy, you already know what we’re talking about. If not, Google “Marcus Davis Photoshop,” and you’ll get the idea. In a nutshell: Davis accused Hardy of encouraging fans to post Photoshopped pictures of Davis, the majority of which were … how do you put it? Gay-friendly? Hardy denied the connection.

Hardy: “I started with trying to get the fight on for myself and for the fans, and Marcus got really upset about it. What more can I say? The Photoshop thing was nothing to do with me, apart from the fact that I just posted the Photograph up there, and the fans did what they wanted with it. I just think any other person would have laughed it off, but Marcus seems to be a bit too sensitive.”

Asked if he felt Hardy crossed the line, Davis was quick to respond, “Oh, he definitely crossed the line.” Davis claimed that he only called Hardy a “coward” after Hardy had instigated the Photoshop attack by encouraging U.K. fans to post pictures of Davis online. But Davis added, “I’ve always said that I respect Dan Hardy’s fighting ability, that I’ve always said I’m not going to belittle his ability to fight, because he can fight. But I’m not going to respect him as a person, because he’s not giving me any respect as a person.”

Hardy followed up by saying he too respected Davis as a fighter, but that would not matter when they fought because Davis would not beat him. Hardy also denied being the instigator, saying that the Photoshop drama was started by the fans.

“Saying that I wanted to get the Photoshop pictures posted everywhere is nonsense. That was emailed to me by a fan, and they said, ‘Have you seen this photograph, it’s pretty funny.’ And all I did was post it and put ‘Photoshop, anybody?’ with a question mark … ”

And that’s when it snowballed out of control:

Hardy: “I didn’t ask for anybody to post it anywhere. That was just the fans having fun. And if a 35 year old man can’t laugh that off — ”

Davis interrupted: “That’s not true, you’re a liar.”

Hardy: “No, I’m not a liar.”

Davis: “I saw the form when you put it on there.”

Hardy: “No, I did — ”

Davis: “You’re a liar, ‘cause I saw the form, and then I saw after the pictures went on, I saw you go on there. I saw what you wrote. You wrote, ‘Hey guys, go put them on Sherdog and MMA.tv.’ That was your friggin’ picture by it, and you’re the one that put it on there.”

Hardy: “That’s a lie.”

Davis: “So don’t say that you’re not the one that asked them to go do that, ‘cause you did ask them to go do that.”

Hardy: “No, I didn’t. No, I genuinely did not.”

Davis: “Well then somebody’s using your picture and using your name, Dan Hardy, on that U.K. forum that other U.K. fans emailed me — that’s how I found the forum, they emailed me and said, ‘You have to go to this forum and see what he’s doing.’”

Hardy admitted that it was entirely possible that someone else had posted in his name, attempting to get a Photoshop contest started, but was adamant in saying that it was not him. So Hardy asked Davis a question of his own:

“Now why would I (insult you behind your back)? Do you think I’m scared of you or something? Is that what you think, really?”

Davis: “No, I don’t … You wouldn’t be a fighter if you were afraid of anybody that you were fighting. That’s just not in our genetic makeup. I don’t care if you fear me or you don’t fear me.”

Hardy: “So what’s the thing on your blog about saying that I won’t say anything to your face, etc. I’ll look you in the eyes on June 12 at the weigh-in, and I’ll tell you I’m not afraid of you. And on June 13, I’ll show you I’m not afraid of you.”

Davis: “Yeah, we’ll see, buddy.”

Phew, for a minute there I thought we were back in the high school cafeteria.

Regardless of the tiff, one thing both fighters could agree on is that neither anticipates this little pre-fight skirmish will have any bearing on their mental states, come fight time. Hardy admitted that Davis is a “tough guy” who comes ready to fight. Davis agreed: “I won’t take it into the ring that night and act like a wild man, and I know he won’t either. So we’ll just go out there and perform the best that we can perform, and that’ll be it.”

The original war of words between these two began soon after Hardy’s first round knockout victory over Rory Markham during the UFC 95 event in London, England.

During a post-fight press conference for the event, Hardy called into question Davis’ penchant for playing up his Irish roots.

“He’s had a couple of fights in the U.K., and he’s kind of building himself a fan base, but he’s not English; he’s not Irish,” said Hardy. “I was born here, and I’ve been bred here. I don’t mind taking on that challenge and showing him this is my home and not his.”

Davis responded to the comments and stated that he’s tired of his tribute to his Irish heritage being constantly called into question.

“I’m getting sick and tired of everyone saying I’m a fake Irishman or a fake this and fake that. I never told anybody I was an Irishman. What I am is proud of my heritage, which is Irish, Welsh and Scottish.”

At this point, every fan should be ready for the UFC’s first trip into continental Europe. UFC 99 will emanate from the Lanxess Arena June 13 and will feature former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva taking on former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle official for prelims of 11-bout Strikeforce card

Strikeforce's June 6 event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, "Lawler vs. Shields," is finally set, as Mike Kyle (11-6-1) was today officially named as an opponent for Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (7-1).

Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz officially announced the bout on a media call promoting the event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the possibility of the contest after Jared Hamman was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury suffered in training.

The Cavalcante vs. Kyle bout will be the evening's final preliminary card bout and is not guaranteed to make the event's broadcast on premium cable television network Showtime.

Cavalcante will be fighting for the first time since a July 2008 win over Travis Galbraith in the now-defunct EliteXC. The Brazilian light-heavyweight prospect won three-straight fights in EliteXC, all by first-round stoppage.

Kyle, who steps into the bout with less than two weeks' notice, is an American Kickboxing Academy fighter who has fought in the UFC, WEC, Pancrase and King of the Cage. Kyle has fought twice previously for Strikeforce, losing by submission to Wayne Cole in March 2008 and a settling for a technical draw with Krzysztof Soszynski in March 2006.

With the official addition to the card, "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields
* Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers
* Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
* Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
* Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
* Josh Bumgarner vs. Jesse Finney
* Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods
* Lucas Lopes vs. Scott Ventimiglia
* Pat Benson vs. Dave Cochran
* Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nogueira brothers celebrates 33 years today

On July 2 of 1976, the brothers Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira was born on Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia. But, what Marina Corrêa didn’t know is that hew sons would become two of the biggest MMA fighters of the world, known by the nicknames Minotauro and Minotouro. On the 57 times they entered the rings and octagons around the world, bring 48 victories to the Nogueira family.

Besides the celebration for their birthday, TATAME Magazine honors Minotauro for another important moment. On July 12 of 1999, the former Pride and UFC champion submitted David Dodd, winning the first of 31 victories in the career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The old Thales Leites for Sakara at UFC 101

Seeing his sequence of victories broken in the title fight against Anderson Silva, Thales Leites has returned to the trainings for his next challenge. Scheduled to the UFC 101 against Alessio Sakara, the Nova União athlete wants to show why he got won five fights in a row and beat the ATT fighter. In interview to TATAME.com, Thales talked about the fight against Sakara and promised: will go inside on August 8th.

"All the guys who I fought are strikers, but, independent of that, my strategy is always to take the fight where I feel comfortable, which is the ground fight. I’ll always search for that, no matter who is my opponent", said Thales, recalling the defeat to Anderson. "I always go inside, look for the submission, and this is what I’ll do, I’ll go inside all the time. I couldn’t do that way, but it was a great learning"

 

[Shogun Locc]

Open Training Session! Satoru Kitaoka

Satoru Kitaoka held an open training session today in preparation for his fight against Yukio Sakaguchi in Pancrase on June 7th. When he grappled during the training session he got successive submissions and tapped his training partner. Kitaoka said that his striking has become good and that when he used elbows, it surprisingly just clicked for him. However, he thinks that his role in MMA is to go for submissions.

Kitaoka might also attend the contract signing of Satoshi Ishii on Thursday. Another SENGOKU fighter who might show up is Hidehiko Yoshida, so don’t expect just a boring contract signing.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 98 officially draws 12,606 for $3.25 million gate, according to NSAC

"UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida," held May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, featuring a light-heavyweight title match between former champ Rashad Evans and new title-holder Lyoto Machida, officially drew 12,606 attendees for a live gate of $3,257,350.

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today emailed the figures to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The attendance total matched the preliminary figure UFC officials issued at the evening's post-event press conference, while the live gate total was down slightly from the original $3.4 million report.

Of the 12,606 attendees, 3,056 (24 percent) received complimentary tickets. The remaining 9,550 tickets were sold at an average cost of $341.08.

Although the figures don't crack the UFC's top-five gate or attendance marks at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a frequent stop for the UFC, the gate figure is well above the organization's average and a positive sign for the UFC during a challenging economic climate.

The UFC returns to Las Vegas for UFC 100 on July 11, an event that sold out before tickets were even made available to the general public.

The UFC's all-time top gates:

* UFC 66 (Liddell vs. Ortiz II): $5,397,300 gate (12,191 attendance)
* UFC 83 (St. Pierre vs. Serra II): $5,100,000 gate (21,390 attendance)
* UFC 79 (St. Pierre vs. Hughes): $4,994,050 gate (9,704 attendance)
* UFC 91 (Couture vs. Lesnar): $4,815,675 gate (13,224 attendance)
* UFC 71 (Liddell vs. Jackson): $4,304,740 gate (13,224 attendance)