MMA News Thread

[drunkaholic707]

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at DREAM.9: HDNet Fights Video Vault

Earlier this year, the Japanese-based DREAM organization put together a star-studded DREAM.9 card that featured the opening round of the open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament, the the second round of the feather grand prix, and two super fights.

One of those non-tournament bouts, Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, took top the main event slot.

The two middleweights fought a year earlier with Souza winning a close decision, and both were fired up for the rematch.

Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature. And Souza vs. Miller II clash is no exception.

After a lot of public trash talking, the rematch was finally set for DREAM.9 in May. And to sweeten the deal, DREAM executives announced that the winner would earn the middle belt that Gegard Mousasi had recently vacated to compete in heavier weight classes. The fight quickly became one of the year's most anticipated.

With the previous win over "Mayhem," Souza entered the bout with 10 wins in his previous 11 fights and a 10-2 record overall. A loss to Mousasi in September spoiled an impressive 10-fight win streak (with nine wins via submission), but eight months had passed, and Souza was well rested for the rematch.

Miller, meanwhile, entered the fight with a 22-6 record and four wins in his previous five fights. In fact, aside from the loss to Souza and one to current UFC welterweight Frank Trigg for the ICON Sports middleweight belt, Miller was undefeated (9-0) in the four years since a loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 52.

Check out the embedded clip for the full rematch and the controversial ending.

And don't forget a third fight between the two fighters is possible; Miller recently made his Strikeforce debut (with a loss to Jake Shields in a middleweight title fight), and Souza recently signed with the organization and takes on Matt Lindland next month at "Strikeforce: Evolution."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Strikeforce's Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers event peaks with 5.46 million viewers

The return of MMA to the CBS airwaves netted the network 5.46 million viewers for the Strikeforce/M-1 Global main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, official today announced.

Overall, the two-hour-plus broadcast averaged 4.04 million viewers and a 2.5 household rating.

The event, which took place this past Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., also scored top ratings in key demographics.

The event, which CBS held under its "Saturday Night Fights" banner, won the men 18-24 and adults 18-34 demos. In fact, ratings were up sharply in all of the key demos compared with CBS' previous Saturday night programming, including 117 percent in the men 25-54 demo.

Because the event ran over its two-hour time limit, final ratings numbers weren't available until today. Initial estimates on the 9-11 p.m. lineup, which included three main card bouts (but not the main event), put the audience at 3.79 million viewers. The highly anticipated Emelianenko vs. Rogers bout, which Emelianenko won with a stunning second-round knockout, was the most watched segment of the broadcast and pushed the average audience over the four million mark.

CBS previously brought MMA to major U.S. network television for the first time in history in 2008 with the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. The three CBS-EliteXC broadcasts drew total audiences of 4.85 million viewers (May 2008), 2.6 million viewers (July 2008) and 4.56 million viewers (October 2008) before the organization's eventual financial collapse a few weeks after that last show.

The solid ratings mean Strikeforce should return to the CBS airwaves in early 2010. Strikeforce and CBS executives were mum on future plans last week during pre-event festivities for "Fedor vs. Rogers."

"Those are decisions that will be made next week once we've had a chance ... to look at the numbers," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

While the Strikeforce event was heavily promoted and available on free TV, keep in mind that the UFC scored a staggering 5.3 million viewers for the record-setting third episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" in September. The show, which featured an opening round (and previously recorded) matchup between Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Roy Nelson, aired on Spike TV (a basic cable station) and peaked with 6.1 million viewers.

However, the UFC's most recent non-pay-per-view event broadcast, UFC Fight Night 19 in September, drew 2.5 million viewers.

In fact, the UFC and Spike TV countered the CBS-Strikeforce broadcast with a two-special entitled "UFC Main Events," which included four major pay-per-view fights, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Randy Couture at UFC 102, that have taken place in the past couple months.

Regardless, the "Rogers vs. Emelianenko" event remains the highest rated in Strikeforce history.

For more on the Strikeforce ratings and the fallout of Emelianenko vs. Rogers, check out this week's edition of MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz.

 

[Shogun Locc]

'Mayhem' Miller Loses Fight, Wins Fans


Jason “Mayhem” Miller said he fought two fights at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Rogers” Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

“The first fight for me is the entrance,” said the extroverted Miller, who bounced into the arena surrounded by a bevy of gyrating dancers toting red umbrellas, much to the delight of the 11,512 spectators in attendance. “I like putting on a little show. I had fun during that part.”

Miller’s second battle that night -- a five-round grinder against Jake Shields for the promotion’s vacated middleweight title --didn’t go as well. Miller lost a unanimous decision to Shields, who steered much of the 25 minutes with takedowns and aggressive grappling.

“I walked out and didn’t perform well in the fight. I under-performed,” said Miller. “So, I’ll take victory in the first fight and a loss in the second one.”

In the night’s popularity rankings, Miller was a resounding winner. The audience jeered the decision as it was read, and hissed at Shields while the belt was strapped to his waist. The response was unwarranted, as Shields, a respectful but not overly dynamic personality, executed a well laid-out game plan. However, that is the price Miller’s opponents pay for fighting the court jester of MMA.

The 28-year-old Miller has had plenty of practice in stealing away the hearts of fans. In Japan, where fighter entrances are treated as performance art, Miller perfected his craft.

He also stars as the host of MTV’s popular “Bully Beatdown” reality series, where neighborhood tormentors get a taste of their own medicine squaring off in brief, separate grapping and striking contests in the cage with a rotating cast of fighters. It’s the perfect platform for the quirky Miller’s quick tongue and hip vernacular.

In the art of entertainment, Miller has a PhD. He also believes that putting on a show for the fans is a necessary piece of his process, just as much as rolling on the mats or hitting the pads backstage.

“For me it’s like a little warm-up,” he said. “I go through my choreography and have a good time. And then afterwards, it’s just the same thing in a different form. I have these choreographed motions that I do inside the cage, which you call fighting. I have to freestyle while I’m in there.”

In Saturday’s dance with Shields, Miller missed a few steps. Though a proficient grappler himself, Miller didn’t earn points with the judges as the constant defender.

“I didn’t do that part so well,” said Miller. “I have to sharpen some things up and get back in the gym because I don’t think I prepared well enough for this fight and he exposed that I didn’t.”

Specifically, Miller wished he’d trained his wrestling more. The madcap middleweight admitted he’d emphasized his striking drills during training camp, hoping to catch Shields on the feet. Ironically, Miller’s greatest moment in the fight came where he least expected it -- on the canvas. With 30 seconds left on the third-round clock, Miller managed to secure a rear-naked choke, but Shields, a schooled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, relaxed into the hold and rode out the final seconds.

“He did what he had to do to win and I just didn’t sink in that choke enough,” said Miller. “I didn’t do enough to capitalize on the chances that I had, so I deserve to lose.”

Miller’s loss in the Strikeforce cage was overshadowed by the ovation he got for his fearless individuality. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker noted what a compelling personality Miller was at the event, which drew in close to four million viewers on CBS’s “Saturday Night Fights.” That will be victory enough for Miller, who is all but guaranteed a return invitation to the promotion in the coming months.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ON HIS WAY, VERA READY TO REALIZE HIS POTENTIAL

Brandon Vera doesn’t want to be the guy who failed to reach his potential.

He admits he’s been that in the past, the one with a heap of talent and an ego that sabotaged its development.

As a 20-year-old at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., he wouldn’t quit in competition, but got yelled at for not sweating hard enough during workouts. He questioned the logic behind killing himself in the weight room. He never took advantage of the expertise available at the center.

He did, however, look up to a Greco Roman specialist that trained there who demonstrated an armbar for he and the other wrestlers one day. Randy Couture was just beginning his career as a fighter and finding the roots of his hybrid style. Then again, Vera was cocky and didn't give anyone too many props.

After three years in pursuit of medals, his career was cut short by a severe elbow injury, and like that, his promise went dormant.

Vera says he knew he would eventually face Couture when he became a professional mixed martial artist. In September, his premonition came true when the UFC asked him to step in for Rashad Evans against Couture in the main event of UFC 105 in Manchester, England; a moment he says was the dream and nightmare come true.

“Granted, when I was running my mouth when I first came out, I thought it was going to be sooner than later,” said Vera. “But it is what it is, and we’re at where we’re at.”

Where he’s at now, he says, is on the cusp of a breakthrough. Last October, a year after battling his way back to the UFC from contractual limbo, he asked his trainers if he was living up to his potential following a split decision loss to Keith Jardine.

His coach started laughing at him. “Nowhere near it,” he said.

Vera made big waves when he entered the UFC as a heavyweight in October 2005, racking up four quick victories including a TKO win over former champion Frank Mir before the standoff between his former manager and the promotion.

Vera said the victories made him feel more invincible. Even when he lost two straight fights, to former champion Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum, he says he lacked a "hard lesson" in humility.

For many fans, though, his potential was already being questioned.

Vera was sitting in his living room weeks later when he got his trainer’s message.

“It just came to me: ‘Yo, (expletive), you’re not doing what the hell you’re supposed to be doing,’” he said. “When you’re in high school, you have to write an essay... where do you see yourself in three years, in five years, in 10 years. And I started reflecting and I was like, man, I’m not where I’m supposed to be.”

Since then, Vera has made it his policy to say yes to whomever the UFC asks him to fight. Small or big name, he trains equally hard.

It just so happens for this fight that it’s one of the biggest names in the sport, and an idol. To many observers, that could play head games with Vera. But he says the fight will close a loop in his path to being the fighter he’s wanted to be.

“When they raise my hand, I want Randy to look over and be like, that mother (expletive),” he said. “I want Randy to be proud of me for turning into the fighter that I always talked about becoming. I want him to know, that little bastard is on his way.”

To prepare for Couture, Vera has gone old school, getting out the crash pads and calling decorated wrestlers like Mark Munoz and Phil Davis to train with him.

When he spoke to reporters the weekend of UFC 104, he was walking around just under 210 pounds.

He still wants to be a champion in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions and says he has five years to accomplish that goal. He wants to fight Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar, and Todd Duffee, and doesn’t care if people think he’s unrealistic. At 32, he’s more aware of ups and downs in fan sentiment that follow a long-term career.

Couture, 14 years his senior, taught him that.

“If you don’t have a goal that you’re reaching for, then what are you fighting for?” he said. “One belt is not good enough for me. I want to do something ridiculous, that something that nobody’s ever done. I want to be that guy.”

Couture has said he wants to return to his ground and pound roots in the Nov. 14 fight, but Vera doesn’t think he can be beaten in the clinch or ground game.

“I’ve just got to touch that chin and see how much is left,” he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CUNG LE COMMENTS ON SURPRISE MMA RETURN

In what was one of MMA’s busiest 24-hour stretches, which saw two Strikeforce events in two separate states sandwich a Sengoku show from Japan, one of the biggest happenings was something that took place outside the ring.

After more than 20 months away from the fight game, onetime Strikeforce middleweight Champion Cung Le made the surprise announcement that he would be returning to action in December to take on the ever-dangerous Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith.

“I wasn’t planning to fight this year,” Le admitted to MMAWeekly.com. “I was getting ready to do a movie, a project that I’ve been working on from scratch – working with a writer on a script, getting a director – and the project got pushed to next year.

“My plan was to come back after I finished this project and start training to get back into the cage next year, but when I found out a couple weeks ago that the project would be pushed to next year, I spoke to (Strikeforce promoter) Scott Coker, and he asked me if I’d be interested in coming back.”

From there things quickly escalated into Le making his return to fighting, with the approval of one of his trainers.

“I wasn’t far from being out of fight shape, because I’ve been training with fighters when I had the time,” said Le. “(I was) getting Anthony Johnson ready for his fights, James Terry, and a bunch of other fighters.

“The first couple weeks went well, and Javier Mendez gave me the green light, thinking I would be fine to get back in and do a super fight.”

And what a fight it will be, as Le steps in to face possibly the most dangerous fight of his career in Scott Smith.

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic fight,” he exclaimed. “Scott Smith always comes to fight. We’re two exciting fighters who like to stand up and put on a show.”

While people are happy to hear of Le’s return to MMA, one can’t help but wonder what if he hadn’t relinquished his title, which was claimed by Jake Shields about 24 hours after Le’s return announcement.

“I knew what I was doing,” said Le. “I didn’t want to do (just fighting or acting), I wanted to do both, and to do that I had to make sacrifices and that’s what I did.

“Life doesn’t work out the way you want it to sometimes, you have to go with the flow, and that’s what I’m doing. If my (winning) streak keeps going good, then maybe I’ll come back and make a run at it.”

With two highly anticipated films due in China over the next several months, and an original project in the pipeline, it’s not clear whether or not Le will be able to commit to a full-time fight career in the coming year, but he remains optimistic.

“I know there are a lot of people who thought I wouldn’t return; well they can eat their words now,” he stated. “I’m going to fight in December, and then I’m going to try to push this project, and then get in another fight next year or maybe two.

“I’m not going to overlook Scott Smith, he’s one of those dangerous fighters who has a powerful punch and is a game fighter. I’ve got to treat this like a title fight, and whatever happens after this fight, happens. Right now I’ve just got to take it one fight at a time and see how it goes.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC CONFIRMS NOG VS. VELASQUEZ, EVANS VS. SILVA

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday confirmed earlier reports by MMAWeekly.com, releasing the feature bouts for UFC 108.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez will headline the Jan. 2 event in Las Vegas in a heavyweight contenders match, while The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights coach Rashad Evans will face Brazilian Thiago Silva in the co-main event.

“Nogueira vs. Velasquez is a great matchup between the present and the future of the heavyweight division,” said UFC president Dana White. “Nogueira showed in the Couture fight that he still has plenty left to offer at the top level of the game, and Velasquez was devastating in his win over Ben Rothwell, so with both guys in top form, we’re definitely going to see a number one contender emerge from this fight to take on the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin title fight.”

Lesnar vs. Carwin was originally slated for UFC 106, but that fight was bumped off of the card, and a subsequent attempt to reschedule it for UFC 108 derailed, due to Lesnar suffering from a case of mononucleosis. That bout won’t take place until Lesnar’s health starts to improve and they have a better idea of when he’ll be able to start training at full speed again.

Most felt Velasquez was already in line for a shot at the winner of the Lensar vs. Carwin bout after his win over Rothwell at UFC 104, but with the uncertainty of the timing of the championship bout, he opted to stay busy and test himself against Nogueira.

“I am excited to fight a legend like Nogueira. He’s one of the fighters I watched growing up and admired – he’s definitely one of the greats, and a win over him is what I need to set me up for my shot at the title,” said Velasquez. “I have a lot respect for Nogueira and look forward to facing him in the Octagon.”

UFC 108 takes place on Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CBS Exec Says Jake Shields Is Still Marketable

Message boards around the MMA world savaged Jake Shields after his decision victory over Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers on Saturday.

The hater consensus was that Shields was a boring fighter and had erased the popularity he had earned over a 10-year career as one of the world's top non-UFC welterweights (and newly minted middleweight).

But CBS Primetime exec Kelly Kahl on Sunday said that's just not the case.

"I don't know who those people are," he said. "Look, he's the champion and he did what it took to win a championship belt. I'm not going to fault him for that.

"Was it as exciting as some matches? Probably not, but the guy did what he had to do to win the bout."

Kahl said there were "a lot of moving parts" to Strikeforce's next show on CBS, but was pleased overall with the way the first effort turned out.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture looking to make Brandon Vera fight a ‘wrestling match’ at UFC 105

“Well, I definitely don’t want to stand around and allow him to establish his range and hit his rhythm. I’d like to make it as much of a wrestling match as I can. That’s what’s going to put me in the best position to win. I’ve seen Brandon fight a lot and I’m very familiar with his style, with how he uses his hands, with his motion. If you’re a fighter, you definitely have to fashion your training camp to work out the right game plan for your opponent, to be ready for the problems he poses and to make the right plan to beat him. I’ve studied the places he likes to be and where he doesn’t like to be and now it’s up to me to use that in the Octagon.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antwain Britt planning for Dec. 19 Strikeforce debut against Scott Lighty at ‘Evolution’

Vendetta Fighting Championship (VFC) veteran Antwain Britt (9-3) will reportedly make his Strikeforce debut opposite Scott Lighty (5-0) at “Evolution” from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 19, according to The Curtis and Kyle Show.

“The Juggernaut” competed four times this year including three under the VFC banner. In addition to compiling a respectable 3-1 record, he’s finished seven of his nine wins by (T)KO including a knockout over Antonio Mendes back in May.

Welcoming him to the promotion will be Scott Lighty, who made a successful Strikeforce debut with a TKO win over Mike Cook at the “Carano vs. Cyborg” event last August.

The win pushed the Pure Combat and ShoXC veteran to a perfect 5-0.

Strikeforce: “Evolution” is expected to feature an interesting match up of styles between Matt “The Law” Lindland and Ronald “Jacare” Souza as well as the return of former middleweight champion Cung Le against Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith.

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and Josh “The Punk” Thomson are expected to be in action as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dear Critics: Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal has only been fightin’ for a year, dawg (Video)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Mir looking to ‘end Brock Lesnar’s career’

Frank Mir has one thing left on his UFC bucket list before he rides off into the Las Vegas sunset, and surprisingly it’s not to become the UFC champion once again.

In a recent conversation with Fighters Only Magazine, Mir stated that he had one goal he would like to achieve before it’s all said and done, and that is, “To end Brock Lesnar’s career. Really, it’s what I think about all the time. Brock Lesnar exploited a huge weakness in my game and no matter who I crush after this, I have to crush him to show I’ve improved that weakness.”

However, don’t be so quick to assume that Mir had his feelings hurt when Brock taunted the former champion after “removing the horseshoe from his a**” at UFC 100. According to Mir, it’s all about patching up the holes and evolving as a fighter.

“It’s nothing about how he talked to me in my last fight, I could care less about it,” explained Mir. “If I took it that personal there are other ways to handle situation like that outside of a cage, but honestly I just want to fix what was exploited.

“If you’re a true martial artist you don’t do it for money or titles, just to be the best human being possible, and if someone exploits a weakness, who better to see if you’ve fixed it than the guy who exploited it.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor out four to six months with hand injury; Overeem likely next opponent

It appears as though Fedor Emelianenko will likely be forced to the sidelines for the next four to six months due to a series of injuries sustained in his recent second round TKO over Brett Rogers on this past Saturday’s Strikeforce card that aired live on CBS.

According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker in a conversation with the L.A. Times, Fedor suffered a fracture and tendon damage in his left thumb, along with a fractured nose in the Rogers clash.

“[The hand injury] could’ve been from that blow when he had Brett on the mat at the end,” Coker said. “We’re hearing he could be out for four to six months.”

According to the recent report, Coker is planning to use Fedor’s time off to help promote current Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, who is currently the front runner to face off with Emelianenko upon his return to the cage.

As of right now Overeem is expected to headline a Strikeforce card in early 2010 which will air on Showtime, the question is: Who will Alistair face in the tune-up bout? Will it be Brett Rogers or Fabricio Werdum? Is there a “safe” tune-up bout for Overeem in Strikeforce?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic Revamps Training Team, Hires Ivan Hippolyte

"After the defeat by Dos Santos, Filipovic has announced drastic changes in the training methods and composition of Team CroCop,"

"Marjan Zizanovic is no longer his boxing coach. Instead, CroCop is now working with the Dutch Muay Thai legend Ivan Hippolyte, who these days resides in Zagreb. Filipovic will combine training at his own facility with visits to the Netherlands where he can train with top-notch sparring partners,"

"Igor Pokrajac, CroCop’s long-time friend and sparring partner, is also no longer in Filipovic's team. Pokrajac continues his career with the UFC, but is no longer training with Filipovic although the pair remain on good terms."

 

[Shogun Locc]

BRETT ROGERS' TRAINER WANTS SHOT AT OVEREEM

Mike Reilly is proud of the way Brett Rogers fought Saturday, even if he came up short.

Rogers took a hard right hand to the chin from Fedor Emelianenko in the second round of their Strikeforce headliner on CBS and was unable to recover.

Reilly, Rogers’ chief trainer, on Sunday told MMAWeekly.com that while he disagreed with the fight’s stoppage, he wasn’t going to second-guess referee “Big” John McCarthy.

“You can’t fall down like that in an MMA fight,” he said. “He was defending himself, he wasn’t knocked unconscious, but it is what it is.”

The former Sam’s Club employee drew first blood with a stiff jab that cut Emelianenko’s nose open. He took a hard left hand shortly after, but surprised many by gaining top position and raining down blows.

Though Emelianenko eventually reversed the position, Reilly scoffs at the Russian’s post-fight statement that he was in no trouble.

“(Fedor) saying he was in no trouble was just a flat out lie,” he said. “He was in plenty of trouble. It wasn’t in his plan to break his nose and lose the first round.”

The fight was an entirely new experience for Rogers, who earlier this year was struggling financially in his goal of becoming a professional mixed martial artist. Rogers went out of his way to promote the fight as much as possible, doing countless interviews and traveling to help the hype train run smoothly.

Reilly admitted that experience gap between Rogers and Emelianenko may have been too much.

“It’s a guy who’s been fighting at the top of the sport for nine years, as opposed to a guy who’s been fighting at the top level for five months,” he said.

Still, he would love for Rogers to get another opportunity to face the Russian.

“We would love to do it again today,” said Reilly. “Go find us 10,000 people and we’ll do it today.”

Which path Rogers and Reilly choose to get there is the question. Reilly said he was open to whatever Strikeforce had in store, but a few options stuck out.

“We would love the experience of going to fight in Japan,” he said. “And we’re on Overeem’s heels, so wherever he goes. He sets foot on American soil; we’re on him. We were supposed to fight him in September. It grates on our nerves that the champion that’s been holding his belt for the last two years hasn’t defended his belt.

“If we’ve got to go through Antonio (Silva) or Fabricio (Werdum), then that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Reilly said Rogers would take no mercy on his next opponent.

“Whoever Brett’s fighting next, they should make their peace with God.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

MOUSASI'S STOCK RISING; WELCOMES HENDO

Heading into Strikeforce on Saturday night, light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi was a huge favorite against former UFC fighter Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, but the fight had some great back and forth moments that challenged the 205-pound titleholder.

In the end, Mousasi was able to get the upper hand and finish off Sokoudjou in the second round. Following the fight, the champion remarked that he knew his opponent was tough and no one should have underrated him going into the bout. That said, Mousasi, who is now on the radar as one of the top fighters on the planet, misses the role of playing the underdog. A position he occupied just a couple of years ago before some huge wins burst him into spot he sits in today.

"I like more the underdog position; there's no expectation," Mousasi told MMAWeekly.com in an interview following the win. "That's better for me cause I don't like to be the favorite."

As the champion, Mousasi will likely be the favorite in most of his fights moving forward, but the challengers seem to be at a minimum right now. Following his destruction of former champion Renato "Babablu" Sobral and the win on Saturday over Sokoudjou, Mousasi will have to wait and see who Strikeforce brings in to challenge him next.

One thing is for sure, Mousasi will not be going back to his former weight class to look for a challenge while waiting for the next 205-pound contender.

"I won't make it anymore. It's not healthy for me, so 185 (pounds) I will never do," Mousasi said. "Maybe for an experiment go for heavyweight, but that's also too soon. I'm just going to stick with 205, there's a lot of good fighters coming now, a lot of shows. With Dream in cooperation with M-1 Global and Strikeforce next year I heard they have 20 shows, so eventually they will build up contenders and I'm pretty sure I will have tough opponents in the future."

One name that kept popping up all night for Mousasi after the win was a potential match-up against Dan Henderson, who has been discussing his future options which could include Strikeforce in the very near future. Mousasi believes that a fight against Henderson could be a big seller in the United States as opposed to some other fighters that could be brought in for the challenge instead.

"It depends on what's best for the U.S. market. I think a fight against Dan Henderson would be more interesting than fighting a guy like Ricardo Arona because he's from Brazil, I'm from Holland," commented Mousasi. "It depends on the opponent and what Scott (Coker) decides and what the audience wants to see."

Following the win over Sokoudjou, which was a non-title affair, Mousasi commented that "it doesn't make a difference" if his next fight is a defense of his title or not, but with his recent success, if Strikeforce can find the right opponent, he could find himself in main event territory.

 

[Shogun Locc]

HDNET'S MEZGER LOOKS BACK ON DREAM 12

As mixed martial arts sees its popularity rise in some areas and fall in others, sometimes previously unconventional tactics must be used to maintain the balance of the sport and keep it prosperous worldwide.

It is with this idea in mind that Dream recently decided for the first time to hold an event in a cage, hoping to capitalize on the rise of the UFC’s popularity in the U.S. and perhaps kickstart its own popularity in America and reinvigorate interest in Japan.

Thus the White Cage of Destiny was born. A six-sided white cage made of Japanese fishing mesh, separating Dream’s version from the UFC’s, and hopefully distancing itself from the longstanding disapproval the Japanese public has for fighting in an American style cage at the same time.

To talk about what was labeled “the great experiment,” Dream 12 commentator Guy Mezger spoke to MMAWeekly.com about what went down at that historic show.

“I’ll be honest, when I first looked at it on paper, I wasn’t interested, but it really turned out to be a much better show than I first anticipated,” said Mezger of Dream’s first cage show.

“I think a lot of guys weren’t accustomed to the cage, so they didn’t use it to its best advantages, but I think overall it was a good show and it will be interesting to see how the Japanese respond to the cage (in the long run).”

While it’s currently unknown if Dream will continue to use the cage in future events, Mezger does believe that things are on the upturn for the promotion, based on how the fans reacted at the show.

“The thing is, fans in Japan are a little more subtle, but they’re getting a little more boisterous and a little bit more outspoken,” stated Mezger. “I don’t know if it relayed well in the broadcast, but the audience was very much into the fights. I was a little surprised by that.”

Of the evening’s matches that had some of the more memorable outcomes, Mezger was asked his opinion on the controversial win by Dong Sik Yoon over formerly undefeated late replacement fighter Tarec Saffiedine via split decision.

“To be honest, the problem is the scoring system,” commented Mezger. “It is really so arbitrary. I understand why they do score it that way, to encourage fighters to try to finish the fight, but it doesn’t always work that well.

“I didn’t agree with the decision (at the time), I still don’t agree with the decision, but I understand how it comes about.”

Then there was Kazushi Sakuraba pulling victory out of the jaws of defeat once again by submitting Zelg Galesic with a kneebar after eating what seemed like an overabundant amount of unprotected shots to the face, which in some cases may have caused a stoppage for a less revered fighter.

“I do think they should have stopped the fight sooner, and of course, people will argue that (Sakuraba) did get the kneebar, but I’m thinking long-term,” said Mezger. “He’s 40 years old, and the shots stay with you, so I don’t think they did him any favors in that fight (by allowing him to take such punishment).”

Lastly, the evening’s most explosive moment belonged to Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis, who once again staked his claim to being one of the sport’s premier strikers with a 19-second head kick knockout of Myeon Ho Bae.

“There’s just something about him,” stated Mezger. “I don’t know if it relates on TV, but if you meet him in person, he’s got this look in his eyes and you know he’s something special.

“You can tell that the Korean fighters are not accustom to the really hard Thai-style kicks, because they just put one hand up to block. He actually blocked Zaromskis’ kick, but he got hit so hard that his forearm got driven into his jaw and he got knocked out anyway.”

Zaromskis has since signed a multi-fight contract to also compete for Strikeforce in the United States.

Impressive wins also came for Yoshiro Maeda, Eddie Alvarez, and Alistair Overeem, all leading up to possible spots on Dream’s biggest night at the Fields Dynamite!! 2009 show on New Year’s Eve.

“The Dynamite show is the culmination of serious matches, freak shows, and the gimmee matches,” said Mezger. “I expect it to be an interesting card. There will be something for everybody on it.

“You know, by the end of the year we’ll have done 38 live events on HDNet, and that’s more programming than anyone else. We’re definitely the home for MMA, and I hope the fans keep supporting us and keep watching.”

 

[drunkaholic707]

Nogueira vs. Velasquez headliner, Evans vs. Silva announced for UFC 108

With the loss of a planned main event between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and challenger Vitor Belfort, the UFC will instead pit former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and undefeated contender Cain Velasquez (7-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 108.

The UFC today officially announced the rumored fight, as well as a co-headliner between former champ Rashad Evans (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) and Thiago Silva (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC).

UFC 108 takes place Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported the fight as a possibility last month. Upon news of Silva's elbow surgery (due to bone spurs) and unavailability for UFC 108, we then reported Nogueira vs. Velasquez would likely take the top spot at the UFC's first-of-year show.

The UFC was under pressure to book the headliner; tickets for UFC 108 go on sale to the general public on Thursday, and main events are usually set before the on-sale dates.

A former longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion, Nogueira earned the UFC's interim belt with a win over Tim Sylvia in February 2008. In what many considered a fairly significant upset, he then lost that title to Frank Mir at UFC 92 in December 2008, though Nogueira was slowed by injury and illness in the fight. Nogueira then bounced back with a win over Randy Couture in the main event of UFC 102 in a bout likely to earn consideration as the 2009 "Fight of the Year."

Nogueira was believed to have been next in line for the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin for the heavyweight title, but the recent cancellation of that would-be UFC 106 headliner and the current uncertain nature of the contest led to the the new fight for "Minotauro."

Meanwhile, Velasquez looks to keep his perfect record unblemished. Velasquez, who entered the UFC after just two pro fights because opponents were so difficult to find, has earned five straight wins in the promotion, and the stretch includes four victories by TKO. Velasquez most recently fought in an impressive mauling of veteran heavyweight Ben Rothwell in the co-main event of UFC 104 in October.

The winner of the Nogueira vs. Velasquez matchup will certainly emerge as a primary contender for a heavyweight title shot.

Evans, meanwhile, seeks to rebound from the first loss of his five-plus-year career. The 30-year-old lost the UFC's light heavyweight title in May when Lyoto Machida dropped him in the second round of their UFC 98 main-event contest. Silva also recently suffered the lone loss of his career to Machida. After suffering a first-round knockout to "The Dragon" in January, Silva has since bounced back with a TKO win over Keith Jardine at UFC 102.

The latest UFC 108 card includes:

* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
* Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga*
* Carlos Condit vs. Paul Daley*
* Tyson Griffin vs. Jim Miller*
* Martin Kampmann vs. Rory Markham*
* Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout*
* Dan Lauzon vs. Cole Miller*
* Ryan Jensen vs. Mark Munoz*
* Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Pyle*

* - Not officially announced

 

[drunkaholic707]

Source: Spike TV to broadcast UFC 106 prelim fights, including Davis vs. Saunders

For the third consecutive UFC pay-per-view event, Spike TV will air a portion of the night's preliminary card.

A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Spike TV will carry live two fights from next week's "UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin II" card.

The one-hour broadcast will feature a potentially exciting welterweight contest between strikers Marcus Davis (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Ben Saunders (7-1-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), as well as a middleweight bout between Kendall Grove (10-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Jake Rosholt (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

Spike TV officials could not comment on the broadcast when contacted today by MMAjunkie.com, but an official announcement is expected in the next few days.

UFC 106 takes place Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and features a main event (and rematch) between former UFC light heavyweight champions Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.

The Spike TV broadcasts is expected to air live at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

The UFC first decided to do a Spike TV two-bout preliminary card broadcast in September for UFC 103 as part of a large promotional push to counter the night's Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel PPV boxing offering. The Spike TV special proved so successful (with 1.4 million viewers) that the UFC put together a similar broadcast preview for UFC 104, which drew another 1.4 million viewers.

Davis looks to bounce back from a hotly contested split decision loss to Dan Hardy at June's UFC 99 event in Germany. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak (which included a submission win over Paul Kelly and a split-decision win over Chris Lytle) for "The Irish Hand Grenade," who posted 11 straight wins (six in the UFC) from 2006 to 2008. His opponent, Saunders, looks to rebound from a disappointing TKO loss to Mike Swick at UFC 99. The second-round defeat was the first loss of "Killa B's" career. The American Top Team and cast member from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" product had secured seven straight victories after opening his career with back-to-back draws.

Grove, hoping to break some of his recent inconsistency, looks to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 101 in August. The loss curbed the momentum "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner had gained with a split-decision win over Evan Tanner and a knockout of Jason Day in his prior two bouts. Rosholt, meanwhile, looks to build off his UFC 102 submission victory over Chris Leben. The performance, which earned Rosholt a $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus, was arguably the biggest win of his career. The three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion made his octagon debut earlier this year and suffered a submission loss to Dan Miller

 

[drunkaholic707]

UFC 108's Nogueira vs Velasquez winner guaranteed title shot

Today's officially announced UFC 108 headliner between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Cain Velasquez (7-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will, in fact, determine a No. 1 contender.

The winner of that fight, which takes place Jan. 2, will meet the winner of UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin.

Lesnar vs. Carwin originally was slated as next week's UFC 106 headliner, but the bout is now on hold due to a bout of mononucleosis that's slowed the champ.

Following the UFC 106 cancellation, Lesnar vs. Carwin was then expected to headline UFC 108, but Carwin later posted a blog saying that date was also scratched.

That ultimately led to the Nogueira vs. Velasquez booking for the UFC 108 main-event slot. The UFC needed to announce a headliner for the show because tickets go on sale to the general public this week.

While certainly main-event worthy, the fight has added importance now that UFC officials have confirmed it'll determine a No. 1 contender. That caveat was expected but not official until today's announcement.

"Nogueira vs. Velasquez is a great matchup between the present and the future of the heavyweight division," UFC president Dana White stated. "Nogueira showed in the (Randy) Couture fight that he still has plenty left to offer at the top level of the game, and Velasquez was devastating in his win over Ben Rothwell, so with both guys in top form, we're definitely going to see a No. 1 contender emerge from this fight to take on the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin title fight."

However, because the fight is a No. 1 contender's bout (and not for an interim title, for example), it'll go the normal three rounds.

Nogueira's only loss in the UFC came to Frank Mir in December 2008, when he lost his interim title. However, Nogueira was slowed by a staph infection and a knee injury, and he was even hospitalized for five days just a few weeks before the fight. However, he looked sharp in his return and defeated a game Couture in August.

Velasquez, one of the sport's top prospects, entered the UFC after he and American Kickboxing Academy founder Javier Mendez struggled to find opponents in other organizations. A series of no-shows and cancellations led to a 15-month break from competition just two months after the collegiate wrestling standout turned pro. He's now 5-0 (four knockouts) in the octagon with recent wins over notables Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell.

 

[drunkaholic707]

M-1 exec Jerry Millen: Fedor Emelianenko will fight Brock Lesnar for free

First, it was Randy Couture. Now, it's Brock Lesnar.

Each time former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) adds another win to his already impressive career total, fans from across the world call for the Russian to face the UFC's reigning king.

Emelianenko toppled the previously undefeated Brett Rogers at Saturday night's Strikeforce and M-1 Global co-promotion, "Fedor vs. Rogers," and those requests have already begun again. While the UFC's unwillingness to co-promote has proved an insurmountable roadblock in the past, M-1 Global USA vice president Jerry Millen has a simple solution: do it for free.

"If these guys in the UFC truly wanted to fight Fedor, they'd find a way," Millen recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "Come to his training camp. Come to Stary Oskol, and we'll do three, five-minute rounds in the ring or the cage. We'll do it for fun.

"If you really want to fight him for competition, and it's not about the money for the guys in the UFC, then tell Brock Lesnar to jump his ass on a plane, take a train, and come to Stary Oskol. If these guys really want to fight Fedor, then come to Stary Oskol and lets get it on there for no money."

UFC president Dana White has often been less-than-complimentary in regards to Emelianenko and Millen's partners at M-1 Global. Some critics of the Russian fighter have suggested Emelianenko's refusal to fight in the UFC was a result of his desire to keep his nearly unblemished record intact.

Millen finds the thought of Emelianenko "ducking" stiff competition laughable.

"[Emelianenko] loves fighting," Millen said. "He loves the competition of it, and he'll fight any comers. That's why when I hear these jerks say, 'He's ducking the UFC. He's afraid of Brock Lesnar' – Frank Mir's like, 'Oh, he's afraid of us' – give me a break. That's the biggest bunch of bull I've ever heard. Fedor's not afraid to fight anybody."

As he always has, Millen maintains the only thing stopping "The Last Emperor" from fighting in the octagon are the terms being offered by the UFC.

"It's got to be a good deal," Millen said. "When you sign with the UFC, most guys sign their soul away. Fedor doesn't have to sign his soul away, number one, because he's at the top of the game, and he's doing very well without signing with the UFC. So he doesn't have to sell his soul. He's the kind of guy that won't sell his soul.

"If you ever see Fedor (in the UFC), if that ever happens, it's going to be a very fair deal."

Millen said he believes the UFC has been great for the sport but that the contract terms offered by the promotion aren't always in the best interest of the organization's athletes.

"The fighters in the UFC are great, but the UFC, to me, is the WWE model," Millen said. "They want to own the guys. They have their own rankings. There's a lot of fighters out there that are undiscovered that don't get a chance to fight in the UFC, so they're not going to get ranked because they're not going to fight the guy that's ranked No. 4.

"The UFC is the Q-tip of MMA. It's great what they've done for the sport, but PRIDE was there before that. Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Cage Rage. There's a lot of promotions out there that helped the sport, and when I hear people say that the UFC has made MMA what it is, the UFC has made MMA what it is in America. Not worldwide."

As a part-owner of M-1 Global, Emelianenko may not ever make a UFC appearance. But Millen said if Lesnar, Mir or any other UFC heavyweight wants to face the current WAMMA heavyweight champion, Emelianenko waits on the other end of trip to Russia.

"I get so sick of hearing, 'Oh, he's afraid,'" Millen said. "That's the biggest bunch of crap I've ever heard. [Emelianenko] is an athlete. He's not afraid of somebody beating him up. He gets punched in the face all the time. What would he be afraid of? Losing? He's not afraid to lose. He's at peace with losing. That's all bull.

"Dana will talk his trash. Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, they're all trying to goad him. But honestly, [Emelianenko] doesn't listen to any of it. It doesn't affect him. He just does what he does, and if you want to fight him, come on. He'll fight you. Bring it."