MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Tim Sylvia and Houston Alexander back in winner's circle at Adrenaline MMA IV

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two fighters desperately in need of victories got them at Friday's Adrenaline MMA show.

Tim Sylvia (25-6) stopped Jason Riley (6-2), and fellow UFC veteran Houston Alexander (9-4) shut down Sherman Pendergarst (11-15) in a pair of first-round TKO victories.

The fights co-headlined "Adrenaline IV: Sylvia vs. Riley," which took place in front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The night's main card aired live on HDNet.

Although looking in questionable shape at a less-than-svelte 287 pounds, Sylvia had little trouble with his opponent. The former UFC heavyweight champion, fighting for the first time since his embarrassing nine-second knockout loss to 48-year-old boxer Ray Mercer in June, continually battered Riley with one-two combinations and quick strikes from the clinch.

Sylvia finally ended it when he clipped Riley with a left hand that sent the Ohio-based fighter crashing to the mat. The referee called a halt to the bout at 2:32 of the first round.

The victory was Sylvia's first in nearly two years; following a unanimous-decision win over Brandon Vera at UFC 77 in October 2007, the former worldwide top-10 heavyweight suffered three consecutive losses, all via stoppage.

Meanwhile, Alexander, a Nebraskan who received arguably the night's biggest ovation, fed off the crowd's energy and instantly went to work on his opponent's legs. A quick succession of low kicks wobbled Pendergarst, and Alexander rushed in to deliver a series of knees to the body once he sensed the damage.

Pendergarst ultimately crashed to the mat and covered up to protect himself. Alexander, who moved up to heavyweight for the fight, briefly followed with punches before the referee called a stop to the lopsided affair at 1:51 of the first round.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported after Alexander's booking for the Adrenaline event, the popular fighter remains under contract to the UFC. However, with three consecutive losses since he splashed onto the UFC scene with violent knockouts of Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara, Alexander needed a victory, something that's eluded him for the past two years.

Pendergarst, meanwhile, continues his oh-so-brutal skid. "The Tank" earned a shot in the UFC after launching his career with an 8-3 record. However, since his loss to Antoni Hardonk at UFC 65, Pendergarst has floundered with five straight losses and 11 defeats in his past 14 fights.

Also picking up victories on the night's undercard were two UFC vets. Forrest Petz (15-7), just 2-6 since a win over Sammy Morgan in his August 2006 octagon debut, topped fellow ex-UFC fighter Chad Reiner (21-9) in a lopsided bout. Petz did damage with early blows, and a winded Reiner never recovered. A big right hand put Reiner on the mat and forced a TKO stoppage at 2:28 of the first round.

Joe Vedepo (8-3), meanwhile, moved to 8-1 in non-UFC bouts with a swift and stunning 14-second knockout of Webster Farris (2-1). The Iowa-based fighter, who competed for the first time since a 0-2 stint in the UFC, connected on a right hand that instantly knocked Farris out cold and left him struggling to regain consciousness.

The full event results included:

* Tim Sylvia def. Jason Riley via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:32
* Houston Alexander def. Sherman Pendergarst via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:51
* Jeremy Lang def. Matt Delanoit via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
* Alonzo Martinez def. Ryan Williams via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
* Joe Vedepo def. Webster Farris via KO - Round 1, 0:14
* Forrest Petz def. Chad Reiner via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:28
* Jimmy Seipel def. Bob Tuttle via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:59
* Jordan Johnson def. Ryan Shell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
* Dakota Cochran def. Bill Holcumb via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:25
* Todd Meneely def. Cory McDonald via submission (Americana choke) - Round 2, 1:38
* John Hanson def. Dean Bradley via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 1:19
* Danny Black def. Matt Bentley via submission (triangle choke) - Round 2, 1:49
* Marcos Marquez def. Dustin Smith via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 2:22

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103: MATYUSHENKO SET FOR RETURN

A lot has changed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the six years since former light heavyweight title contender Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko last competed in the famed octagon.

In the span of six years the promotion has broken through to the mainstream, with the help of reality television, and is now arguably the fastest growing sport in the United States.

With the company’s newfound financial success and heavy event schedule, fighters such as Matyushenko have been welcomed back to the promotion, and he couldn’t be happier.

“It feels good,” said the soft spoken Matyushenko to MMAWeekly.com. “It’s like going back home.

“I never lost contact with the UFC. I’ve been cornering guys there, and it’s the same kind of feeling when you’re fighting when you’re cornering someone. You walk out and pretty much everything feels the same. I’m glad I’m back now.”

Since he last fought for the promotion at UFC 44, the biggest change Matyushenko notes is the company’s more consistent fight schedule, which he feels is a plus.

“I think they did a good job to keep up the show at a decent level (considering) the fact that they were losing money, but it was hard to see it,” he stated. “The fact that they’re doing a show almost every three weeks is great.

“It’s great for the fighters, and a lot of people will have an opportunity to fight on the shows.”

While he was able to bounce between heavyweight and light heavyweight, Matyushenko’s focus is now on the 205-pound division full time, which itself has seen a change over the last several years.

“It’s definitely much more competitive,” commented Matyushenko. “You see all kinds of fighters now. I think it’s a more crowded weight category at 205 in the UFC, but again, it’s a good thing.

“Because they can hold a show every three weeks, there will be enough fights for everybody and will show who is the champion. When you throw only a few shows a year, it’s hard to say that you’re a champion and that guy’s not, but now it’s more like a sport. It’s like wrestling, where I come from; you have to fight a lot to prove who you are.”

Matyushenko’s opponent for his UFC return is Igor Pokrajac, a member of Mirko Cro Cop’s team who will be making his UFC debut.

“It looks like he’s well-rounded,” said Matyushenko. “He’s got a lot of experience, with almost 30 fights, but I don’t see anything that’s extraordinary.

“I think Igor is just a big tough guy who is good on the ground, good standing, and has some good wrestling good too. I better be prepared for everything.

Should things go well against Pokrajac, the question was raised whether Matyushenko would like a rematch against fellow returning UFC veteran Tito Ortiz in the future.

“Yeah, definitely, (but) I don’t think it’s going to happen right away,” replied Matyushenko. “I think the UFC wants to see what kind of shape I’m in, and if I put on a good show and good win (against Igor).

“Definitely I think me and Tito could bring some viewers.”

As trends come and go and come back again, everything old is new once more, and Matyushenko looks to be a testament to that with his opportunity in the current era of the UFC.

“I want to thank all my sponsors; Tapout, Cage Fighter, Strada Wheels; and my gym, V-MAT, and all my sparring partners,” he said. “The fans have changed the face of the UFC. It’s no the fighters, it’s the fans who changed the perspective and the way society looks at MMA, thank you to them.”

 

[MrPeete]

Nice to hear Houston Alexander using some kicks

 

[B-Buzz]

I don't think it was his standup he needed to work on lol. But ya, good to see him and Big Tim get wins.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Fight Night 19 medical suspensions surprisingly go to just three fighters

Despite an evening full of some heavily bruised and bloodied competitors, this past Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 19 event resulted in medical suspensions for just three of the night's 20 competitors.

The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission issued headliner Nate Diaz and preliminary-card fighters C.B. Dollaway and Justin Buchholz 30-day mandatory suspensions.

The Sept. 16 UFC Fight Night 19 event took place at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, and the night's four-fight main card aired on Spike TV.

Diaz, who scored a come-from-behind submission victory over Melvin Guillard in the second round of their Spike TV main event, received his suspension for facial cuts suffered in the opening minutes of the fight. Diaz, though, persisted and pulled off the victory via guillotine choke in the second round.

Dollaway, too, was issued a suspension because of cuts. The fighter, who was the middleweight runner-up on "The Ultimate Fighter 7," scored a tough-fought unanimous-decision win over UFC newcomer Jay Silva.

Finally, Buccholz got his suspension when he was stopped in the first round by Jeremy Stephens after a series of knockout-force blows opened a deep, deep gash on his forehead.

Surprisingly, fighters such as Roger Huerta (who arms was torqued to gruesome level by opponent Gray Maynard's kimura attempt), Carlos Condit (who also suffered a deep facial gash) and Nate Quarry (who suffered significant bruising in a win over Tim Credeur) all dodged medical suspensions.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Shamrock latest addition to "EA Sports MMA" videogame roster

Former UFC and Strikeforce champion Frank Shamrock on Friday was announced as the latest addition to the "EA Sports MMA" videogame roster of fighters.

Shamrock joins a list that already includes Fedor Emelianenko (who was announced as the game's "headliner" last month), Randy Couture, Gegard Mousasi, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Jay Hieron.

"EA Sports MMA," an MMA-themed videogame that looks to contend with THQ and the UFC's immensely popular "UFC Undisputed" title, is slated for a 2010 release.

The game will be available on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 consoles.

Shamrock, 36, owns a 23-10-2 career record and was one of the UFC's most dominant champions in the 1990s. He's been involved in many aspects of the sport as a fighter, broadcaster, trainer, author and manager.

EA SPORTS President Peter Moore said the company, which has produced some of the biggest sports titles in videogame history, ultimately focused on MMA and fighters such as Shamrock because of overwhelming demand from fans.

However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported in July, UFC president Dana White blasted the company's decision to launch an MMA title. The UFC executive said EA Sports blew off the fight promotion when they first discussed doing a game.

"EA Sports told us, 'You're not a real sport,'" White said. "'We wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.'

"UFC Undisputed" has sold more than three million units since its launch earlier this year, and White said EA Sports is simply trying to piggyback off their success.

"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world," he said. "We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That's not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.

When contacted by MMAjunkie.com for comment, EA Sports officials pointed to an online statement from Moore.

"I know there has been some recent discussion about EA Sports bringing a challenger to this sport," he wrote. "I love mixed martial arts, and we've been working on a game concept since I came to EA two years ago. I have great respect for the organizations and individuals that have invested in the sport's growth over the past decade – so this is one that is near and dear to me."

Additional fighters for the game are expected to be announced over the next few months.

 

[Shogun Locc]

NO NERVES AS PAUL DALEY FINALLY MAKES UFC DEBUT

Considering Paul Daley has stepped into the firing line on short notice against Martin Kampmann, he is surprisingly relaxed. The nerves usually associated with making a UFC debut are yet to materialize for the Nottingham, England, based fighter. In typical “Semtex” fashion, all he cares about is getting in there and exploding into action.

“Things have been cool so far, everything is going smoothly and I am ready to go” he stated. “I’ve been really focused and the guys around me are being real strict, keeping me on track.”

For many fighters, the UFC has been the ultimate focal point of their efforts, a lofty goal to aim for, but Daley took a different route, eschewing the promotion in order to hone his skills before stepping up to the big time. He knew that there would be no easy fights for him once he arrived – and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

From U.K. based shows such as Cage Rage, Cage Warriors, and FX3 through Pancrase in Japan, MFC in Canada, as well as Strikeforce and EliteXC in America, Daley has proven that no matter where he goes, he will be throwing bombs. A 76% TKO/KO victory ratio is testament to that fact, and he is looking to up that number this weekend.

Martin Kampmann was originally set to face Mike Swick to determine the next logical challenger to George St. Pierre’s welterweight crown. But when Swick pulled out of the bout due to injury, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva scrambled to find a game opponent to step into the fray. With Daley already inked to clash with Brian Foster, few anticipated the change.

“Things were quite simple really. They offered the fight; I took it,” he stated emphatically. So does that mean that the winner of the fight will be the number one contender?

“I am not bothered (about that), I just wanna fight, and fight regularly. The UFC are pretty good at making career paths for fighters, so I'll just fight whoever they put in front of me.”

Moving on to Martin Kampmann, the fighter has been in top form since dropping a weight category and has shown a stunning versatility in his bouts. His core strength is on the ground, but he has proven that he is also very comfortable standing. His fight with Carlos Condit was a clinch master class. Styles make fights however, so how does Daley expect his opponent to play?

“He's a tough fighter, well rounded and game for a fight in all areas. He has traded a lot in previous bouts before going to the ground, but with this being such a big fight for him (given what’s at stake), I think he’s gonna want to take it to where he feels he has the advantage.”

Considering the British fighter’s critics will no doubt reference his fight with Jake Shields as evidence of Daley’s skills on the ground, all he could when asked about this is throw a wry smile across his face and simply state, “We shall see.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

BELLATOR CHAMP JOE SOTO BACK IN THE CAGE

While Bellator Fighting Championships irons out the details to secure its second season, several of its fighters are getting antsy to return to the ring. One such fighter that can finally quell his angst is featherweight champion Joe Soto.

Soto’s manager, Tom Call, told MMAWeekly.com that his fighter has signed to fight on the initial Tachi Palace Fights event on Oct. 8 in Lemoore, Calif. He will face undefeated upstart Mike Christensen.

“Bellator signed off on it, and Joe’s good to go,” said Call.

Other Bellator fighters are expected to follow suit since the promotion has delayed the start of season two from October to sometime in the first quarter of 2010. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney earlier this month told MMAWeekly.com that the delay stems from trying to secure the venues for season two to avoid some of the pitfalls of season one.

“From a venue procurement perspective, we had two or three episodes last season where the venue came together very late,” said Rebney. “While I’d like to kick off sooner, I’d much rather kick off and have every venue done and be able to pre-promote every venue for 60 days minimum.”

Soto (7-0) came into his own via Bellator’s inaugural season. He worked his way through a 145-pound tournament, defeating Ben Greer, Wilson Reis, and Yahir Reyes, to capture the title. He hasn’t fought since winning the title in June.

At 3-0 professionally, Christensen is also undefeated, albeit with much less seasoning. Like many fighters, including Soto, he got his start with the Gladiator Challenge promotion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Silva Interview

Two days after knocking Keith Jardine out on UFC 102, Thiago Silva was already training hard on American Top Team. Without thinking about rest, the Brazilian spoke with TATAME.com about his biggest objective on UFC. “I want the belt and I’m working hard for it. I get rest one day and it’s fine, I’ll start the battle if, when UFC call me, I’ll be ready“, said Thiago, who talked about his desire to fight Lyoto Machida again, the next title fight between Machida and Mauricio Shogun, the training with his old time rival, Luis “Banha“ Cane, Rogério Minotouro coming on UFC and more.

Two days after beating Keith Jardine and you’re already back to training?
Well, I think we have to take the opportunities. I made a good fight, didn’t get hurt, I think there’s no reason form e to be standing still. I want the belt, I’m fighting for it. I got rest one day and it’s great, I’m here again, start the battle for anytime UFC call me I’ll be ready. That’s it.

Do you already know who’s gonna bet the next? Did Dana White told anything about that?
No, not yet. He just told me he has great plans for me and that’s a big progress, I’m happy. I’m back showing my potential again to show I’m between the top fighters, I’ll stay between them, and that’s it, guys. I’m training, I have no reason to stop. Let’s go on the battle!

You and Cane are good with each other now and I want you to talk about it because people talk a lot about that when you had some problems but people almost didn’t talk now you’ve made up. I want you to talk about it.
I think everything was a big misunderstanding. It were rival teams, you know, both teachers were rivals, so we were standing each one beside your teacher. I never had nothing against him and nowadays his on team, a great friend of mine, he’s coming from Brazil today. I can’t wait for him to come, I like him a lot. He’s being a great friend, a great training partner. We’ve got everything it takes to work good together and make a good work on UFC.

And how was the first meeting? It was like "let’s talk, let’s get along…"?
It was very friendly. I was here at the gym training, he came, said hello, we talked, everything got clear, I understood. We’re professionals, we’re here and nowadays we’ve a strong friendship. He’s my brother, we’re training together.

The distance of Brazil made you get closes too...
Surely, and I can’t wait for him to come so I can have a train partner to be here with me, he’s awesome.

Thiago, you already fought with Lyoto and trained with Shogun. What do you expect of this fight?
I expect a really though fight, both fighters are high level, different abilities, of course. It’s Karate against Muay Thai, it will be really though fight. Lyoto will face a really tough guy on striking, technical too, and the best wins, there’s no way to talk.

And do you think about revenge with Lyoto, once you want the belt?
All the time. It hurts my soul, I gotta have this revenge, I’ll search for it until the end of my life, you can count on it.

Now we have one more Brazilian on top of category, Rogério Minotouro. How do you see this, Brazilians taking the ranking on this category?
I think Brazil have tough athletes and people have to valorize that, definitely. I think every Brazilian is welcome, and that’s it. Good luck for him too and we’re here, each one doing his work and trying to reach his goals.

There was some chances here, Ouali had some problems with his visa. Who are training you nowadays?
My coachs are Katel Kubis, my Muay Thai coach, he’s excellent. He’s an exceptional coach, and Parrumpa, my ground coach, now new coachs in Wrestling part are coming, Howard on Boxe. That’s my coachs.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ART OF WAR 14: GROUND ZERO

Since 2005, the Art of War Fighting Championship® has strived to establish itself as China’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Featuring China’s best martial arts athletes, the Art of War® is recognized by fans and industry experts as the pioneer and leader of China’s mixed martial arts revolution.

For the first time, our fans in Southern China will have the opportunity to witness the event live and in person. The Art of War Fighting Championship® 14 – “Ground Zero” will make its Macau debut at the Venetian® Hotel inside the fabulous Cotai® Arena.

Main Card:
72 kg – Andy Wang (Chinese Taipei) vs. Atsuhiro Tsuboi (Japan)
96+ kg – Rolles Gracie (Brazil) vs. Peter Graham (Australia)
84 kg – Daniel Madrid (USA) vs. Daijiro Matsui (Japan)
90 kg – Rodney Glunder (Netherlands) vs. Antonio Braga Neto (Brazil)
78 kg – Wang Sai (China) vs. Lee Yong Jae (Korea)
78 kg – Michael Costa (Brazil) vs. Simeon Thoresen (Norway)

Under Card:
72 kg – Dai Shuang Hai (China) vs. Arthit Hanchana (Thailand)
78 kg – Vaughn Anderson (Canada) vs. Kim Dong Hyun (Korea)
78 kg – Zhang Li Peng (China) vs. Claes Beverlov (Sweden)
84 kg – Moogie Dorjderem (Mongolia) vs. Elyorbek Akbarov (Uzbekistan)
78 kg – Li Jun Lei (China) vs. Jeong Soon Hak (Korea)
72 kg – Jason Schmidt (USA) vs. Kenichi Hattori (Japan)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Japanese MMA Magazines! Yuji Hoshino To SENGOKU?

The contents of the new issues of the Japanese MMA magazines are out (Kamipro, Gonkaku, and Kakutogi Tsuushin). Below are some of the interesting ones.

Will Dynamite!! and Ishii/Yoshida have a dual broadcast?

FEG’s Tanigawa: “K-1 won’t go bankrupt you know~~~!”

Gomi (VTJ09): “This might be my last fight in Japan.”

Cage Force champion Yuji Hoshino in SENGOKU.

Ryo Chonan to DREAM? SENGOKU? or…

Why is Satoshi Ishii studying traditional karate?
Satoshi Ishii with the Japan Karate Association (8th dan Masahiko Tanaka & 7th dan Takenori Imura)

Will the theme of SENGOKU’s new name be “the strongest man”?

WVR PR Kokuho (New Years): “I definitely want Gomi to appear. Kitaoka will also receive an offer.”

Will 22 year old Korean Won Sik "Parky" Park (7-1-1) challenge the cage of DREAM?!
“I want to fight Kikuno and Melendez. Kikuno’s crescent kick will be his weak point as well.”

DREAM.12 will be in a cage. DREAM EP Sasahara: “I don’t think that an 8-sided cage (octagon) is the global standard.”

New DEEP champion Takafumi Otsuka: “At the DREAM cage event I want to fight a name (someone known) at 63 kg.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103 fighter bonuses: Vitor Belfort, Rick Story, Brian Foster earn $65K awards

DALLAS – Headliner Vitor Belfort and preliminary-card fighters Rick Story and Brian Foster each earned $65,000 "fight night" bonuses for their performances at Saturday's UFC 103 event.

Story, in fact, picked up two awards – one as a Submission of the Night bonus and one for the Fight of the Night award – following his second-round submission victory over Foster.

UFC 103 took place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Portions of the card aired on both Spike TV and pay-per-view.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was on scene for the event and the night's post-fight press conference, where the awards were announced.

Story's $130,000 in bonus money was the result of an arm-triangle choke he secured in the second round of un-televised fight. After three fairly lackluster fights went to decision to open the event, Story and Foster re-energized a frustrated crowd with a wild first round heavy on offense and little no defense.

The crowd-pleasing matchup ultimately ended in the second when Story took the fight to the ground and forced Foster to tap out from an arm-triangle choke.

Belfort, meanwhile, picked up the Knockout of the Night bonus for his main-event victory over Rich Franklin. Belfort had plenty of competition from the likes of Paul Daley, Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero, who all scored impressive knockout wins on the undercard.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103 in Dallas a sellout with 17,428 attendees, $2.4 million estimated gate

DALLAS – The UFC's first-ever trip to Dallas was a sellout.

In the post-event press conference for Saturday's "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" event, UFC president Dana White announced that the show drew 17,428 fans to the American Airlines Center.

The soldout event produced an estimated live gate of $2.4 million.

Official figures from Texas' sanctioning body, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's Combative Sports division, should be available in the next couple weeks.

UFC 103 featured the first-ever 13-fight lineup in UFC history, headlined by a 195-pound catchweight fight between former UFC champions Vitor Belfort and Rich Franklin. Two of the night's bouts aired on Spike TV and five on pay-per-view. The event, which was heavily promoted to counter a competing boxing PPV of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez?, produced the largest sports gate in American Airlines Center history. (Only a 2005 Rolling Stones concert produced a bigger gate that UFC 103.)

Earlier in the fight week, White would make no promises about the organization returning to Dallas. However, in the post-fight press conference, he said the big turnout could possibly earn the city another event in the next year.

 

[Shogun Locc]

White says he and Jackson speaking again, though "Rampage" now out until March

DALLAS – UFC president Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson are once again on speaking terms.

But that doesn't mean the UFC exec is happy to hear what the aspiring actor has to say.

White confirmed at UFC 103's post-event press conference that he and Jackson have mended their recently broken relationship – and that Jackson may be out even longer than anticipated.

"[Filming of 'The A-Team'] was supposed to be done right around December," White said. "Now [Jackson] is saying that they have makeup dates and stuff like that, so he couldn't even fight in February."

Originally scheduled to face Rashad Evans in December, Jackson's current role as B.A. Baracus now he means he won't participate in that event. Or the UFC's traditionally large year-end show. Or the always star-studded Super Bowl weekend card.

White said "Rampage" is still interested in fighting against his "The Ultimate Fighter 10" coaching rival. But determining when it could happen is an entirely different story.

"We kind of made up," White said. "We're going to figure it out. [Jackson] wants the Rashad fight. He's in Vancouver doing this movie. It is what it is. Now we just have to figure out when. We'll see what happens."

Despite apparently moving past the troubles that have led White to recently unleash a few profanity laden tirades directed at Jackson, the UFC exec admitted he's still a bit upset at the circumstances.

"'Rampage' is an active fighter that took that spot on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' and he can say he did it for me or whatever, but there was a commitment there to fight at the end of the show," White said. "He could have fought in that fight and went and did seven movies for all I care. He could have took four years off and did whatever he wanted to do. He was obligated to take that fight.

"We put him on the show. Rashad went on the show, and Rashad is sitting on the sidelines. It affected a lot of different things."

While White has continued to support a near-retired Chuck Liddell's decision to appear on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," the UFC boss said his active fighters putting their primary careers on hold is a different story.

And to add insult to injury, White feels his fighters are being lied to in the process.

"Hollywood is a pain in my ass sometimes," White said. "The reality is that you get these Hollywood agents that start talking all this smack about what these guys are going to get, and these Hollywood agents deliver about four percent of what they're talking. They usually don't deliver.

"They got [Jackson] thinking that they're going to make this movie for nothing, and then the sequel he'll make $20 million."

With that negotiating strategy in mind, White joked he could provide an equally enticing offer.

"I'll pay [Jackson] nothing to fight Rashad, and then give him $20 million for the rematch."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lackluster UFC 103 loss for "Cro Cop" could prove Filipovic's last in organization

DALLAS – While Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's (25-7-2 MMA, 2-3 UFC) career-long reputation in combat sports as a feared striker will likely always be remembered, the Croatian undoubtedly wishes his time in the UFC be quickly forgotten.

Now after another lackluster performance in the octagon in the co-feature of Saturday night's UFC 103 event, it appears Filipovic's troubled UFC run may now be coming to an end.

"I'm not saying that I've ever been at the level of a Mirko 'Cro Cop' or any of these guys, but I used to fight," UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "You get to a certain age where you remember what you used to be able to do, and you can see all the openings. You just can't pull the trigger. I think that's where he's at."

After clearly losing the first two rounds of his contest with Brazilian prospect Junior Dos Santos (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Filipovic verbally submitted in the final frame. White said Filipovic's deteriorating skills undoubtedly contributed to the one-sided result, but he also praised Dos Santos for another solid performance in the cage.

"Junior Dos Santos is a young, hungry, explosive, nasty heavyweight, and Mirko 'Cro Cop' went three hard rounds with him," White said. "Listen, we all get older. I could see it.

"It happens to the best of us. It takes nothing away from who he is or what he's accomplished. We just all get old."

Just 35 years old, Filipovic certainly doesn't qualify as one of the oldest fighters in the promotion. But at just 3-3 in his past six contests, Filipovic's recent wins have come against opponents with a combined career record of 14-12.

Hardly top-level stuff, and White admitted Filipovic may soon be forced to finish his fighting days against sub-par competition in Japan rather than fighting the world's best heavyweights in the UFC.

"I don't know; I've got to talk to him," White said. "I'm pretty sure that he would say that to me right now, anyway. Mirko and I have always had a pretty good relationship. We'll see what happens."

As for Dos Santos, who is now 3-0 in the UFC, White says the win certainly vaults him to the top of the division.

"Dos Santos is no joke," White said. "He hits hard, and he's been knocking people out.

"Tonight was a big night for him that definitely put him on the map now. He's in the mix."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Daley unconcerned with next opponent, but White says it could be Swick

DALLAS – British slugger Paul Daley (22-8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) may have finally found a home.

The 26-year-old "Semtex" has bounced around from organization to organization in recent years, but Affliction's demise as a fight promotion led Daley to the UFC.

An injury to Mike Swick led Daley to Saturday's UFC 103 main card, and his explosive hands led to a win over Martin Kampmann and some high praise from his boss.

"This kid put himself on the map tonight," UFC president Dana White said of Daley at the post-event press conference. "I love guys that step up on short notice because it's an opportunity. He took the opportunity and made it happen."

Daley was originally scheduled to fight on the evening's preliminary card against Brian Foster. But when Swick's mishap led to an opportunity for a promotion, Daley jumped at the chance.

The Brit said it's the type of move fans can continue to expect from him in the future.

"I'm just happy to be here and happy to be fighting for the UFC," Daley said. "I'm a fighter's fighter. I'll fight whoever. I proved that by stepping up to fight Kampmann.

"I'll do it again, and I don't care who's standing in front of me. I'm just going to be the same fighter and go out there to finish people."

Kampmann was thought to have had a shot at current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre should the Danish striker have earned a win. With St. Pierre on the sidelines until February, Daley may now have time to work himself into that discussion as well.

Daley said he can't let himself be concerned by those scenarios at this point.

"I just wanted to make a statement in my UFC debut," Daley said. "Obviously getting the chance to fight Martin Kampmann is pretty big. Me and my team was confident that I was going to do the business, and I did."

But White, who must determine how to sort out the increasingly jumbled welterweight division, said perhaps a Daley match with Swick could decide the next title contender.

"Could be," White said of the potential bout. "The kid stepped up, took an opportunity, made it happen. He looked good tonight. He's got a good chin, and he hits hard."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo" in Las Vegas tickets on sale this week

As a reminder, tickets for "WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo" are on sale this week.

WEC.tv newsletter subscribers today received a pre-sale password to begin purchasing tickets, and the general public can stake claim to their seats beginning Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT).

WEC 44 takes place Nov. 18, three days before UFC 106, at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (22-4 MMA, 4-0 WEC) takes on top contender Jose Aldo (15-1 MMA, 5-0 WEC) in the night's main event.

The WEC has also confirmed that Leonard Garcia (13-4 MMA, 3-1 WEC) takes on fellow featherweight contender and "The Ultimate Fighter 5" runner-up Manny Gamburyan (9-4 MMA, 1-0 WEC) at the event. The winner could earn consideration for a title shot against the winner of WEC 44-main event.

Four of WEC 44's fights, including the above two, air on Versus.

Tickets for WEC 44 range from $50 to $175.

The latest rumored card for the event includes:

* Champ Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo (for WEC featherweight title)
* Manny Gamburyan vs. Leonard Garcia
* Rob McCullough vs. Anthony Pettis*
* L.C. Davis vs. Diego Nunes*
* John Franchi vs. Cub Swanson*
* Seth Dikun vs. Frank Gomez*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Returning Paul Buentello to get heavyweight Todd Duffee at UFC 107 in December

Returning to the UFC for the first time since a solid 3-1 run in the organization, Paul Buentello (27-10 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is expected to meet fast-rising heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in December at UFC 107.

A source close to the negotiations told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and that bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.

UFC 107, headlined by UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, takes place Dec. 12 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., and airs on pay-per-view.

Buentello, whose Aug. 1 fight with Gilbert Yvel was scratched with the promotional demise of Affliction Entertainment, returns to the UFC for the first time since his TKO victory over the late Gilbert Aldana at UFC 57 in 2006. Buentello suffered a loss to then-champ Andrei Arlovski in his previous bout and then left the organization after rebounding for the win over Aldana.

Buentello has strung together a solid run since that loss to Arlovski; he's 6-1 (with five stoppages) with the lone loss coming to Alistair Overeem in a November 2007 fight for Strikeforce's first-ever heavyweight title. Buentello most recently defeated Kirill "Baby Fedor" Sidelnikov at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" in January.

Duffee, meanwhile, looks to build off his record-setting performance at UFC 102. There, making his UFC debut, Duffee quickly stopped Tim Hague with punches to score the quickest knockout in UFC history. The seven-second knockout was the American Top Team fighter's fifth KO or TKO win in five career fights. Only one has gone past the first round.

The latest rumored UFC 107 card now includes:

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez (for lightweight title)*
* Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida*
* Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir*
* Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago*
* Paul Buentello vs. Todd Duffee*
* Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia*
* Kevin Burns vs. T.J. Grant*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce announces signing of 47-year-old NFL Pro Bowler Herschel Walker (Updated)

Former NCAA and NFL great Herschel Walker has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce.

The organization today announced the signing and Walker's addition to Strikeforce's heavyweight division.

No debut date has been set for the 47-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Pro Bowl running back, who's never competed professionally in mixed martial arts.

Herschel, a longtime martial artist and sixth-degree black belt in tae kwon do who's also trained in Muay Thai and Kenpo karate, has hinted at a possible move into MMA for the past few years. He's also been spotted at many MMA events and even was announced as part of an EliteXC/Mark Burnett reality show that never got off the ground.

Walker will begin a 12-week training camp with California's American Kickboxing Academy next month under trainer Bob Cook.

"I've been training for several years," Walker stated. "I would play college football games on Saturday and then compete in martial arts tournaments on Sunday after church. I'm now looking forward to opening up another chapter in my life and to competing in MMA."

Herschel wouldn't be the first NFL vet to compete in MMA, though the former Dallas Cowboy certainly would be one of the most known (and oldest). Four former NFL players were cast for the current 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and others such as Michael Westbrook, Rex Richards and Herbert "Whisper" Goodman have competed in organizations across the country.

"I flew to L.A. last month to watch Herschel train and was surprised to see his advanced wrestling and striking abilities," Strikeforce CEO and founder Scott Coker stated.. "He's got work ahead of him, but he's committed to training at one of the most notable gyms in the sport of MMA, so it will be very interesting to watch him progress."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103 medical suspensions: All 26 fighters suspended, "Cro Cop" indefinitely

All 26 competitors from this past weekend's "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" event were issued medical suspension following the event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) obtained the list of suspensions from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees combat sports in the state.

Although most of the suspensions run the minimum of seven days, some fighters received extended ones, including Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who has been suspended indefinitely.

UFC 103 took place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The event aired on both Spike TV and pay-per-view.

"Cro Cop" will likely need clearance from a doctor because of an apparent eye injury suffered in his co-main-event loss to Junior Dos Santos. Filipovic eventually waved off the fight after a blow appeared to affect his vision two minutes into the third round.

Also suspended for an extended time are headliner Rich Franklin, as well as Martin Kampmann, Frank Trigg, Hermes Franca, Cole Miller and Steve Lopez. All of the fighters were issued 30-day suspensions because of knockout or TKO losses. (Lopez's TKO loss was due to a dislocated shoulder, though as MMAjunkie.com reported on fight night, it was quickly put back into its socket after the fight.)

The full list of suspensions included:

Vitor Belfort (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Rich Franklin (suspended until Oct. 20)

Junior Dos Santos (suspended until Sept. 29)
def. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (suspended indefinitely)

Paul Daley (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Martin Kampmann (suspended until Oct. 20)

Josh Koscheck (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Frank Trigg (suspended until Oct. 20)

Tyson Griffin (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Hermes Franca (suspended until Oct. 20)

Efrain Escudero (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Cole Miller (suspended until Oct. 20)

Tomasz Drwal (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Drew McFedries (suspended until Sept. 27)

Jim Miller (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Steve Lopez (suspended until Oct. 20)

Nick Lentz (suspended until Sept. 29)
def. Rafaello Oliveira (suspended until Sept. 29)

Rick Story (suspended until Sept. 27)
def. Brian Foster (suspended until Sept. 27)

Eliot Marshall (suspended until Sept. 29)
def. Jason Brilz (suspended until Sept. 29)

Vladimir Matyushenko (suspended until Sept. 29)
def. Igor Pokrajac (suspended until Sept. 29)

Rafael Dos Anjos (suspended until Sept. 29)
def. Rob Emerson (suspended until Sept. 29)