MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Juanito Ibarra hasn’t filed a formal protest on UFC 86 judging … yet

In the wake of the UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” main event, Juanito Ibarra — the manager and trainer for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson — has been saying he plans to protest the unanimous decision his fighter dropped against new 205-pound champion, Forrest Griffin.

Following the fight, Ibarra told anyone who would listen that to become champion “you have to beat the champion.” He clearly feels “Rampage” was robbed of a win … and his championship belt.

Challenger Forrest Griffin won the fight 48-46 on two judges cards and 49-46 on the third.

Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said Tuesday that no formal protest has been filed and that he does not expect one from Ibarra.

Kizer said, however, Ibarra did contact with complaints about the first round scoring. In that round Jackson landed some nice uppercuts, including one that seemed to hurt Griffin.

But, Kizer pointed out, giving the round to Jackson would only mean Griffin would take a majority decision and still be the new UFC light heavyweight champion — perhaps that’s the reason no formal protest has been filed at this time.

Changing the first round would mean the following:

Adalaide Byrd scored the fight 48-46 and gave the first to Griffin. Her decision would become a 47-47 draw.

Roy Hilbert scored the fight 49-46 and also gave the first to Griffin. His
decision would become 48-47, still for Griffin.

Nelson Hamilton scored the fight 48-46. But he awarded the first round to
Jackson. His score would remain 48-46 for Griffin.

Interestingly, many of those on press row had the bout scored a draw giving Jackson rounds one, three and four, while believing Griffin took a 10-8 round in two and won the fifth.

The result is apparently all in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Shamrock: Deal to fight Tito Ortiz is ‘progressing nicely’ (Video)

videolink: http://mmamania.com/2008/07/09/frank-shamrock-deal-to-fight-tito-ortiz-is-progressing-nicely-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Anderson Silva claims the 205-pound title belongs to Lyoto Machida

“[Fighting at 205 pounds] is an experience we are doing for several reasons, and one of them is a request from Dana White…. I don’t have a desire to fight in this category and am only doing it because I was asked and I think I can. I have no desire to dispute this belt because Lyoto has already proven that it belongs to him. I am taking this fight because I like to fight and I like the challenges.”

UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva shares some insight on his move up to light heavyweight to take on James Irvin at UFC Fight Night 14. “The Spider” reveals that he has no intentions of competing for the 205-pound belt as long as undefeated training partner and friend, Lyoto Machida, is in the picture. However, there is not telling when Machida will get his shot at championship glory — there is quite a long line of potential challengers in the division.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Counter programming alert: UFC 84 to air for free on Spike TV July 26

UFC 84: “Ill Will” — perhaps the most action-packed pay-per-view (PPV) event for the promotion thus far in 2008 — will air for free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET on July 26 — the same night and time as Elite XC “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS. And just in case you miss that episode it will re-air again at 11:30 p.m. ET.

In addition, Spike TV will feature a full day of mixed martial arts programming that begins at 4 p.m. ET with a rebroadcast of UFC Fight Night 14: “Silva vs. Irvin” special that is set to take place on Saturday, July 19.

Those who follow this sport know that the UFC hastily put together the UFC Fight Night 14 show to likely draw interest away from the debut of Affliction: “Banned” on PPV the same night. It has been billed as an opportunity to watch the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world strut his stuff on free television.

That’s a nice sell for those who don’t want to pony up $39.95 to get their fight fix that night.

And of course on July 26 — the same night as the UFC 84 showing — Elite XC is set to trot out its latest live network television special on CBS dubbed, “Unfinished Business.”

It’s likely no coincidence — the UFC counter programmed the Elite XC May 31 debut show on CBS with a tribute to perhaps the most popular mixed martial artist on the planet, Chuck LIddell, called “Ultimate Iceman.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason Day regroups and refocuses for UFC return

The Cinderella story of Jason Day came to an abrupt end when he collided with Michael Bisping at UFC 85: “Bedlam” last month at the O2 Arena in London, England.

“Dooms” scored one of the early upsets of the 2008 fight season when he stopped the super tough Alan Belcher in the first round of his Octagon debut during their 185-pound scrap at UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ back in April.

Of course, in the UFC no good deed goes unpunished. So when Chris Leben was jailed for a probation violation just weeks before his fight with “The Count,” the promotion turned to Day on relative short notice and offered him the biggest fight of his career.

It didn’t go his way. However, Day is determined now more than ever to prove that he was not a one-hit wonder.

“I took a few weeks off after my loss to regroup and relax because I had been training constantly since last September and needed a break,” Day recently told MMAmania.com. “Obviously, the result in London was not the one I was looking for but I am just getting started. And that loss just motivated me to make the changes necessary to take my game to the next level.”

Those changes include making a full-time commitment to training. Yes, believe it or not even fighters who compete at the highest level in this sport often need to supplement their incomes. Day is no different — when he is not training or fighting he is building houses full-time up in Canada.

In fact, he owns a home building company with his parents; however, the pair have been very supportive by picking up the slack when Day has to take off to train or fight.

That slack will more than likely increase as Day dedicates more time to his blossoming fight career.

“I am currently making arrangements to stop working and make fighting my full time job,” said Day. “I am very anxious to get back in the cage and avenge my loss, but I want to take the time to have a solid training camp and be the best fighter I can be next time I step in the Octagon.”

That journey to become the best fighter he can be has already begun. Day just returned from an intense week of training in Las Vegas, Nevada, with several high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu players who all share the same management agency.

It was a fantasy camp designed to help fill-in the gaps and help him prepare for the super talented opponents that lurk on the horizon.

“I had the oppurtunity to train with Frank Mir, Tim Boetsch, Miguel Torres — who is the current WEC 135-pound champ — and James Horn who I think will be making waves in the near future in this sport,” said Day. “Our sessions were lead by Robert Drysdale who is an absolute wizard on the ground. It was a great eye opener and Robert helped correct alot of little details in my ground game.”

It was an eye-opening experience and one that will certainly not be the last now that he has made the decision to make more time to refine his game. With more time to train and more time to improve his skills, Day hopes that the focus and hard work will translate to more wins within the eight-sided cage.

“I am hoping I will be fighting at the end of October or November,” Day said. “It will be more than enough time to get sharp and continue to maximize my potential.”

And now with a full-time commitment perhaps Day’s fairy tale will pick up right where he left off, taking dudes out with bunches of punches.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Takanori Gomi vs. Pang Sung Hwan at Sengoku 4

The Korean site MFight is reporting that the opponent of Takanori Gomi will most likely be Korean Pang Sung Hwan. Hwan would be a very good and legitimate opponent for Gomi. He is the current DEEP Lightweight champion after knocking out SENGOKU Lightweight tournament participant Kazunori Yokota in under 4 minutes and handing him his first ever loss. Looking at their styles it should be a very entertaining fight if it happens. Hwan also has a win over Jutaro Nakao and a KO of Dokonjonosuke Mishima in a tag team MMA fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

GLADIATOR Update!

The GLADIATOR card for August has been updated.
Michihiro Omigawa returns to Japan after his good effort in the UFC, losing but going the distance with Tavares and Wiman. Bernard Ackah who recently lost a K-1 fight in the K-1 Japan GP will participate. Jan Nortje will return after his good showing against Peter Aerts in K-1 Yokohama to take on Tom Erikson in a K-1 Rules fight. Also on the card are long-time fighter Jutaro Nakao and Hikaru Sato, who got KO’d while in mount position in his last fight.

Japan-Korea International Goodwill Kakutougi Taikai GLADIATOR
Date: August 16th, 2008
Place: Momotaro Arena in Okayama, Japan

Superfights:
MMA Rules: Minowaman vs. Don Frye
CMA KPW Open-Weight Title Match: Daijiro Matsui vs. Eun Soo Lee
K-1 Rules: Gary Goodridge vs. Hiromi Amada
K-1 Rules: Jan Nortje vs. Tom Erikson
K-1 Rules: Tsuyoshi Yokoyama vs. Marcelo Nascimento

Japan Vs. Korea, 5 MMA Fights:
Jutaro Nakao vs. Yong Fun Lee
Michihiro Omigawa vs. Jong Jang Song(?)
Shamoji Fujii vs. Sang Su Lee
Hikaru Sato vs. Min Suk Heo
Akihiko Mouri vs. Kim Tae Kyung(?)

Participants:
Bernard Ackah

 

[Shogun Locc]

Final Notes from the Akasaka Fight Festival

Throughout last week Dream stars Shinya Aoki (Pictures), Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Caol Uno (Pictures), Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) and others were present for open training sessions and interviews at FEG's Akasaka Fight Festival.

Fellow Dream grand prix participants Aoki and Kawajiri appeared together in what seemed to be a straight man/funny man comedy act, although Kawajiri didn't get the memo.

Aoki carried much of the interview, hitting on a female host and attempting to look down her top while she was talking to him. While under a barrage of abuse and being jokingly accused of sexual harassment by the host, Aoki suggested that T-Blood teammates Kawajiri and Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) were two of the biggest perverts he had ever met and that they constantly talked about girls backstage.

Kawajiri's mood was much more solemn. He rarely gave more than a one- or two-word answer and did not speak with Aoki.

After finishing their sparring exhibitions, Kawajiri took the microphone.

"On July 21st is Dream 5," he said. "I will have a good fight and win the championship. Everyone, please come to Osaka and cheer for me!"

Aoki then immediately took the microphone.

"In Osaka, I think I will be the one smiling at the end," he said. "I will definitely win the championship."

Uno, who has recently been dubbed "The Prince" in Japan for FEG's latest marketing push toward female fans, gave some insight into his more emotional side.

"When I first fought with B.J. Penn (Pictures) in the UFC, [Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (Pictures)] was my second. When I lost the fight in 11 seconds and when I was crying backstage, he scolded me and said, ‘Don't cry when you lose.' I learned from that, and when I had the rematch with B.J. Penn (Pictures) and resulted in a draw, I cried because I was happy."

Kohsaka was also asked about his impression of Uno. "Even though he is a veteran fighter, he continues to try to learn new things," he said. "This ambitious attitude is good."

"Uno-san is great at concentrating, even during the actual fight or training," commented Uno's training partner and Sengoku standout Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures). "There are lots of things to learn from him because he is hardworking. Uno-san will 100-percent win the lightweight GP. I think he will have an exciting fight, even against Aoki."

FEG's push to market Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) as MMA's latest pretty boy could not be more transparent. After greasing up and battering Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) at the Dynamite 2006 show, Akiyama has become the fighter that fans love to hate. Last Saturday was a different story, however, with all the female fans being moved to ringside and their male counterparts being relegated to the back rows.

Over the next 30 minutes, some of Japan's biggest TV stars discussed exactly why Akiyama is so damn sexy. His impeccable fashion, his soulful singing voice, his popularity in Korea and of course his body were all quoted.

"Usually, fighters have ‘on and off' [periods in training]," said Genki Sudo (Pictures). "But Akiyama-san always has that body. He is always ready to fight."

When he finally appeared, fans went predictably wild and one female host unsuccessfully proposed to the Japanese-born Korean.

"I would like to fight with [Mike] Tyson or Asashoryu," said Akiyama when not talking about his latest pair of crocodile skin loafers and breaking hearts. "I would like to fight against the bad boys."

Mongolian Asashoryu is one of the most dominant and controversial sumo grand champions in history. He is frequently in attendance at FEG-run events, but no hint that he would ever enter the ring was given.

When Akiyama heard that Katsuyori Shibata (Pictures) had challenged him earlier in the week, he replied, "Are you serious? I didn't know that. I think it would be interesting to fight with Japanese fighters."

Shibata's challenge had been a humorous and pessimistic one, stating that he "always loses" and that although he has no right to fight Akiyama, he would like to.

One reporter asked the pro wrestler if he had any chance of winning.

"There is no one who thinks about losing before even fighting!" Shibata abruptly replied and then ended the interview.

Masakatsu Funaki (Pictures), who also appeared with Shibata to discuss pro wrestling, said he would like to have one more fight this year.

"I would like to show how different I am from the last fight," Funaki said. "Please cheer for me."

Hideo Tokoro (Pictures) appeared with a team of ZST compatriots and put on an entertaining tag team grappling match. He also offered his thoughts on his back-and-forth battle with unheralded Darren Uyenoyama (Pictures).

"I lost my stamina during the fight, so I am working on increasing my stamina right now," he said.

Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (Pictures) explained that Tokoro is not used to striking while grappling.

"You cannot give damage unless you constantly find chances to strike," Kohsaka said.

Regarding his inevitable bout against Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, Tokoro said he would like to fight him at the end of the year or early next year.

"I would like to improve more," he said, "so I can fight against Kid-san."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thomson Back to Work after Triumph
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1682
Sherdog.com's Mike Sloan caught up with Josh Thomson (Pictures) Saturday evening in Las Vegas, where the Strikeforce lightweight champion discussed his victory over Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) and getting back in the gym.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM.5 Update! Akiyama Vs. Shibata Announced

At a press conference not long ago three additional DREAM.5 fights were announced. Yoshihiro Akiyama will take on Katsuyori Shibata who challenged him last week, Joachim Hansen will fight Black Mamba in the Lightweight GP reserve fight, and UFC veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka will take on undefeated Motoki Miyazawa in a welterweight bout. Mark Hunt was also announced as a participant.

HEIWA DREAM.5 Lightweight GP 2008 Final Round
Date: July 21st, 2008
Place: Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan

Lightweight GP Final Fight:
Kawajiri/Alvarez vs. Uno/Aoki

Lightweight GP Semifinal Fights:
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Eddie Alvarez
Caol Uno vs. Shinya Aoki

Lightweight GP Reserve Fight:
Joachim Hansen vs. Black Mamba

Featherweight Fight:
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Joseph Benavidez

Middleweight Fight:
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Welterweight Fight:
Motoki Miyazawa vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka

Participants:
Mark Hunt

 

[heyzel]

Competition sends White back to basic

By Dan Wetzel,


LAS VEGAS – Dana White offered a cocksure laugh borne from battles past; proof that the business of cage fighting can be as cutthroat and unforgiving as the sport itself.

“It’s about how much pain are you willing to take,” the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship said last week.

As mixed martial arts has boomed into a colossal business, no one has been smarter or tougher than White. In just seven years he turned a fledgling fight promotion into an estimated billion-dollar company.

He’s done it by building up the UFC and tearing down virtually everyone else. This month he’s at his best, attempting to inflict on Affliction plenty of pain.

Affliction, the T-shirt company that surged in popularity thanks in part to UFC fighters donning its unique, if garish, designs, is making its foray into fight promotion July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. It doled out an estimated $4 million to put together a top-notch lineup, including a headline fight featuring Fedor Emelianenko, considered the best heavyweight in the world, against two-time former UFC champion Tim Sylvia.

“It’s a dream card,” promoter Tom Atencio said.

Only if it turns a profit – or at least breaks even. Otherwise, it’s a nightmare.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’m not in the business to lose money,” Atencio said.

White, however, is in the business of trying to curb, if not crush, all would-be challengers. So White took one look at that Affliction card that had fans buzzing and decided to cut its legs out.

On the same night Affliction is hoping fans will pay $39.99 to watch its show, White will air his own tremendous card on basic cable’s Spike TV. The headliner is UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and a major draw.

It’s unheard of in the fight game to put a star of that caliber in a “free” fight. It proves White believes sometimes the best offense is a great defense.

The interest in the Affliction card remains significant. However, if White can peel away just 10 or 20 percent of its would-be customers he could cause the promotion to take a financial bath and perhaps never be heard from again.

“We’re competitors, so let’s compete,” said White, smiling. “The guy sells T-shirts for a (expletive) living, and now he wants to be a promoter? A T-shirt guy doesn’t know what he doesn’t know about this business yet.

“He’s going to find out, though.”

Atencio laughs softly at White’s bravado. He says he’s been around MMA for 15 years, enough time to learn how to promote a fight.

“I think it’s flattering,” Atencio said. “He obviously views us as a threat. Do I blame him? No. He’s doing what he feels he needs to do to protect his company. I think people will buy our event and TiVo his. It’s not hurting us.”

Others think staying on top may be more difficult than White envisions.

“Remind Dana that being hungry and running a business is a whole lot different than being hunted and running a business,” said Mark Cuban, the self-made billionaire whose HDNet television channel shows MMA programming and has produced a few cards.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


With a shaved head, a blue-collar attitude and a love of profanity that could make a sailor blush, White, 38, is the pioneering force behind the growth of MMA in America.

The New England native dropped out of UMass Boston. After years as a boxing trainer and MMA agent, in 2001 he teamed up with casino moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to purchase the fledgling UFC for $2 million. Today it’s worth an estimated $1 billion.

His goal now is to get the UFC as big as possible as soon as possible, taking it worldwide while turning it into a brand synonymous with the sport the way NASCAR is with stock car racing. If he can, the UFC may be unstoppable.

That’s why Affliction, and threats like it, must be attacked.

This is personal, too, White said. He soured on Atencio and Affliction last year and banned his fighters from wearing the T-shirts as they walked to the octagon. White wouldn’t say specifically why. He was direct, though.

“I don’t like him,” White said of Atencio. “If I liked him, I’d probably lay off him. The guy has an attitude problem, and I’m going to fix it for him.”

This is probably not how they teach corporate communication at Wharton. Not that White cares.

“I don’t know where that comes from,” Atencio said. “That’s fine. I don’t live with him. I don’t go home with him. What does it hurt me?”



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


At this point, nothing infuriates White more than talk of competition. He sees the daily growth, solidifying strength and vast possibilities for the UFC and scoffs at almost everyone else as minor league. He has a point. Even if Affliction put on a great and financially successful card, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the UFC in terms of cash, talent or market share.

“I know where we’re at,” Atencio said. “When (you) say ‘MMA,’ the lay person has no idea what you’re talking about. If you say ‘UFC,’ 50 percent of the people say, ‘Oh, yeah.’ ”

And yet White keeps getting asked about other promotions and keeps working himself into a rant.

“Every month it’s the new thing,” White said. “ ‘Ooooh, the IFL is going to take over the UFC,’ and all this (expletive). They had $800 million, and they had a network television deal. Their stock is at two cents, and they are gone …”

(The International Fight League canceled its August promotion “in light of the company’s current financial condition.” For once, White actually oversold his competition. IFL stock is trading at one cent per share.)

” … ‘CBS is coming in! CBS is coming! Oh my God!’ You saw the CBS fight. Kimbo Slice wouldn’t win ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ And I’m not being a wise ass, that’s the truth.

“The last guy he fought (James Thompson), they got him from the (expletive) morgue. That’s where they got that guy. He’s been knocked out his last five fights. And he was beating Kimbo’s ass before his ear exploded. Which is insane too. How could that fight even happen with his ear looking like that? Nobody knows how to drain an ear? … “

(CBS will broadcast its second EliteXC card on July 26, which is expected to be a more professional production than the heavily panned first show. Industry rumors, though, speak to a shakeup in EliteXC management. And for the record, Thompson actually was knocked out in only three of his previous four fights prior to taking on Slice.)

” … ‘Oh my God, Mark Cuban is coming.’ Where did Mark Cuban go? Where’s Mark Cuban? You know where he is, he’s smart; he stuck his big toe in this thing and said, ‘Oh, you are going to lose a lot of money in this. I’m out.’ ”


(“Just let him know that HDNet Fights is far from out and HDNet is more committed to MMA than ever before,” Cuban said. “In fact, we continue to expand our lineup of fights and shows, with ‘Inside MMA’ continuing to be the best show in the business. In fact, Dana must be concerned with HDNet; he’s still afraid to provide clips to ‘Inside MMA.’ We know exactly what we are doing. … “)


And now it’s Affliction, headed by what White divisively refers to as “T-shirt guy.”

“It’s so (expletive) annoying,” White said.

“Our card speaks for itself,” Atencio said. “It’s stacked from top to bottom. I’m real confident if we put on a good event we can (move forward).”

White scoffs at that, of course. He predicts Affliction won’t make enough money to survive, just like so many others. He predicts this will all go away soon and the media will annoy him with another pretender to the UFC power.

Like most things in the business of MMA, Dana White may be correct and no one can stop the UFC at this point.

Just in case, Anderson Silva is headed to basic cable.

 

[heyzel]

I Love Dana White's Ruthlessness

by Luke thomas


UFC 84: “Ill Will” — perhaps the most action-packed pay-per-view (PPV) event for the promotion thus far in 2008 — will air for free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET on July 26 — the same night and time as Elite XC “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS. And just in case you miss that episode it will re-air again at 11:30 p.m. ET.

In addition, Spike TV will feature a full day of mixed martial arts programming that begins at 4 p.m. ET with a rebroadcast of UFC Fight Night 14: “Silva vs. Irvin” special that is set to take place on Saturday, July 19.

I do not buy the argument that Dana White doesn't care about MMA by virtue of the fact that he decides to - GASP - actually compete with his competitors. The argument is quite strange, actually. On the one hand, critics assert there is this infinite universe of top shelf MMA other than the UFC universe, yet need White to not interfere for their universe to gain any footing.

And the argument that White must adopt some bastardized version of laissez faire towards his opposition for the good of the sport is absurd, although strangely reflective of reality. It's precisely because White & Co. have done so much to improve the image of the sport, it's legal status and revenue generating potential that competitors decided to enter the market. It's because they succeeded that others now want a share of the pie. To then further suggest that White and the UFC should take a step back once competitors enter the market after largely creating the market itself is the height of lunacy.

Competition is good for MMA and it's good for the fans. And in MMA, we expect the fighters to earn their keep. We should ask no less of the fighter promoters and organizations. There's no such thing as unfair matchmaking when its voluntary in the world of business. EliteXC and Affliction invited themselves to join the party and must deal with the realities as such. Either get better or get out.

 

[heyzel]

MMA sheds violent image

BY BRIAN McCALLUM FLORIDA TODAY • July 10, 2008

It took 11 years for Jonathan Lowell to feel comfortable enough with public acceptance of mixed martial arts to include those words in the name of his business.


Although he opened his business in Satellite Beach in 1997, it was only this year that his studio became Master Lowell's Mixed Martial Arts Academy in its newest location on North Wickham Road.

"It really wasn't exactly acceptable," Lowell said of early attitudes toward mixed martial arts. "I continued to call my school a black-belt karate school because I wasn't sure how parents would accept us."

Today, Lowell teaches both parents and their school-age children. Though he follows traditions learned in Japan, and has "a very, very high standard" and a code of discipline based on those teachings, he is not at all turned off by the striking or other contact in today's MMA.

Neither are 35 states that have sanctioned mixed martial arts on the professional level. Only a handful allow amateur mixed martial arts fights, but that could change if an organization emerges to provide governance. Amateur fights became legal in Florida on July 1.

"What we have to have is regulations for amateurs. We need one set of rules," said Marc Ratner, vice president of government and regulatory affairs for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

While his work involves getting state legislators to accept the professional version, he and those in his organization know it is at the grassroots level where explosive MMA progress will be sustained.

"With the growth of the sport, there's going to be more and more involvement," Ratner said. "We're very much in favor of (amateur sanctioning)."

Ratner comes from a boxing Background, and is a former director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. But with the blessing of state legislatures, he seems to indicate more potential for grassroots growth in mixed martial arts than in boxing.

"If I went to the center of town and drew a five-mile radius around it, you'd find karate studios and martial arts store fronts everywhere," he said. "You'd be hard-pressed to find more than a few boxing gyms. You'd have to know where they were."

While it waits for more amateur approval, the pro organization is looking to expand into the few states that haven't embraced MMA at all. Next on the agenda are Massachusetts and New York along with South Carolina and Indiana.

The effort already has expanded beyond U.S. borders. The UFC has staged pay-per-view events in the United Kingdom and Canada.

"We're looking at going to Germany. We're talking to the French sports ministry," Ratner said. "The Fertitta brothers (two of the UFC's ownership group) are in Australia as we speak. We're going to have a global footprint."

Changes help safety

That is possible thanks to changes from the early days of UFC fights with no weight classes and few rules. Today, mixed martial arts has weight classes and -- though it still can be bloody -- has established rules for the protection of competitors. Hits to the spine are illegal, as are hits to the back of the neck, the throat or the soft middle of the top of the head. Rules limit attacks with the elbow or strikes with the feet or fists any time an opponent is not standing. Fighters wear fingerless gloves that limit the damaging effects of knuckles.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine studied 171 pro MMA fights in Nevada during a three-year period and documented 96 injuries in that span. Of those, 46 were cuts to the face. The study determined the sport had progressed from its "brutal, no-holds-barred" origins thanks to improved regulations, and that the risk of brain injury was lower than in boxing, in part due to the lower rate of knockouts.

That, along with the fact that almost a third of fights end with a voluntary tapout, means mixed martial arts has developed a
safer image.

"It does look like it's becoming more mainstream," said Dr. Bruce Thomas, a local MIMA physician who has worked with combat sports as a member of the U.S. Olympic medical team. "In any combat sport, head trauma is one of the main concerns."

Ratner works to educate legislators who still see the UFC as it was in 1995, when the sport had almost no rules.

The changes got the UFC back on television, brought approval in that growing list of states and made it palatable to a larger portion of the public. That, in turn, made it less likely for traditional martial artists to turn up their noses at the new brand of fighters.

Acceptance growing

The acceptance came despite the visible differences. Whereas Lowell can be seen through the glass front of his studio bowing in the traditional karate uniform, area trainer Marco Slayne walks the halls of the Palm Bay Community Center in jeans, looking more like a tattooed bodybuilder.

But that is only a first impression. Slayne came from long-ago days of underground fighting, but the state of mixed martial arts has made him a businessman with the task of spreading the sport along a corridor running from Miami to Melbourne.

"We do hold to our own traditions. We don't hold to classical tradition, but these guys aren't just out on the street," Slayne said of his students. "I expect classical martial artists to treat me as a martial artist and not as a thug."

Joe Silva of the UFC has his own theory on the acceptance his sport has seen from the established martial arts world: money. Silva has been involved in martial arts since the age of 14, and said training studios have typically followed the latest trends. Crazes such as those brought on by Bruce Lee, the Karate Kid and Thai Bo have been used to appeal to customers.

"What's the new hook that we can get people into the dojos with?" Silva said of an attitude that has disgusted him in the past. "Now you have Tae Kwon Do schools and they (say), 'Yeah, we have grappling.' " They're looking to appeal to the consumer, and the consumer is watching UFC on TV, on Spike TV and on pay-per-view."

 

[heyzel]

Brutal scoring

by Jason MacDonald

Congratulations to Forrest Griffin for becoming the new light-heavyweight champion. Griffin went out there and won that fight against Quinton (Rampage) Jackson. Basically, it came down to the fifth round. Forrest went after it and tried to win the fight. Rampage didn’t. Jackson continued to move backwards and really only tried some small combinations that weren’t landing.

Griffin won it with pure hard work. He was throwing kicks, keeping busy and pushing the pace. When the bell went before the fifth round, both fighters must have known the fight was pretty even and whoever worked harder would get the decision. I really expected more out of Rampage.

As far as the scoring went however, I didn’t agree. I was expecting a split decision. Like I said, I thought the fight was even through the first two rounds and then Griffin won the fifth round. But the judges saw it a little differently, even though ultimately the right guy won.

MMA judging right now is so ridiculous. What needs to be done is it needs to be laid down very clearly what the criteria is for judging a round, and what the percentage is for each area being judged. For example: submissions. Do you get more credit for attempts? Or do you get more credit for escaping an attempt?

It looks like right now all you get credit for is punches and takedowns. We’re seeing guys who are stealing rounds by just getting a takedown at the end of a round. If you dominate a whole round, can you win it with one takedown right at the end?

How do you score Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida fight a split decision? Almeida did nothing in that fight. So how does he get points for any rounds? You’re telling me not only did a judge give one round to Almeida, but one actually thought Almeida won two rounds!? He maybe threw 10 punches the whole fight and a bunch of them were while he was on the ground.

Right now, it seems if you’re on your back, you’re losing the fight, even if you’re going for submissions or landing some good shots. That’s unfortunate, because you can land some nice elbows and punches from the bottom.

And I don’t think it’s not a problem with the judges themselves. They know what they’re doing, they just don’t have clear guidelines. It’s just so up in the air. It’s not definitive on what a fighter is judged on. They’re talking about unified rules. How about unified judging?

Some people think the 10-point must system is a problem. But it’s not the system, it’s the criteria that gets you the 10 points that’s the problem. It needs to be made definitive how you earn your points, because I think it’s also quite subjective right now. If a judge likes seeing certain things, they’ll give more points for that, which is how you get discrepancies.

It’s quite frustrating as a fighter, especially because it’s at such a level now that many fights are going the distance. Guys are so good at so many things, they’re not getting submitted and they’re not getting knocked out. And then it’s scary going to the scorecards.



At least I’m glad the decision went Cote’s way because, from a fighter’s perspective, and I was 20 feet from the Octagon, I absolutely thought he won.

Cote stayed off his back, stayed off the ground, threw lots of punches and combinations, and stayed busy. He decided he wasn’t going to do any jiu-jitsu with Almeida and when he was down he got right back to his feet, which is exactly what he needed to do to win.

I felt like Almeida didn’t do anything to win the fight. He tried to take him down but wasn’t really successful.

I think he got him down maybe a couple of times.

And back to Forrest, he isn’t necessarily the best fighter in the world, but he’s the toughest and the hardest working. And he went out and won the belt.

I don’t think there’s any call for a rematch, or a protest from Jackson’s camp. Quinton could have gone out there and worked his butt off and won the fight.

But he didn’t

 

[heyzel]

Q&A with Tim Sylvia

Affliction has put together an incredible card for "Banned," the biggest mixed martial arts event of the year, which is scheduled to take place July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. Headlining the fight is Fedor Emelianenko, the man who has been considered the top fighter in the world for the past few years. He’s going up against one of the best heavyweights in the world, Tim Sylvia. Sylvia recently left the UFC and become one of the few high profile free agents in the sport. I recently caught up with Sylvia to talk about Fedor, MMA judging, Kimbo Slice, the growth of the sport and more



MMA Stomping Grounds: How’s the training going for Fedor?

Tim Sylvia: Good, real good. I’m preparing the same way I prepare for anyone else, I train my ass off and may the best man win.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you win against Fedor, do you think you would deserve the title of No. 1 heavyweight in the world?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’ve answered this question a couple times. I just don’t think, in MMA it’s hard to label someone as No. 1. I think the top five guys are all No. 1. It’s just so tough, we’re all so competitive. It’s so close and in MMA anything can happen at any given moment. I don’t care about being ranked No. 1, I care about beating the best guys out there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What appealed to you about Affliction?

Sylvia:They are friends of mine, they had six of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, and with me they have seven. That’s the best place for me to be to fight all the best fighters out there, so I have to be there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: It’s been awhile since Fedor has fought a top heavyweight. Do you think that will factor into this fight at all?

Sylvia: I’ve fought top 10 guys the past three years and he hasn’t. His competition hasn’t been very good. He’s fought fat middleweights or he’s fought freakshows who weren’t good fighters. I think it’s going to benefit me a little bit.

MMA Stomping Grounds: There are some rumors floating around now -- I think Michael Bisping mentioned something about it -- that Fedor may be injured. Do you give any credence to stuff like that?

Sylvia: I don’t give a [expletive deleted] about any of that. We’ve all fought injured. It happens, so when it comes fight-time, if he’s injured, it won’t bother him at all.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Can Affliction compete with the UFC?

Sylvia: I don’t think Affliction is even considering competing with the UFC. They are just looking to put on quality shows, pay the fighters well and have a good time doing it because they can.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you beat Fedor, who would you like to face next?

Sylvia: It doesn’t matter to me. I really don’t want to talk about those questions. Let the fight happen first and then I’ll be happy to talk to you about what’s next.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Down the line, do you see yourself back in the UFC or have you put that behind you?

Sylvia: Yeah, eventually I would like to be back in the UFC. Right now, I have other opportunities and there’s a chance for me to make some money as a free agent so that’s what I’m going to do right now.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you have friends in the UFC who are coming to you with complaints now that you’re currently out of the organization?

Sylvia: I was with the UFC for five years. I have a lot of friends in the UFC, eh, you know what, no comment. I eventually want to fight back there some day and I left on good terms.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change anything about the sport, what would it be?

Sylvia: There’s a couple things. I would like to see knees and foot stomps allowed on the ground and I would like to see all the judges go to classes and get certified and have to re-certify every year. Just like fighters have to apply for licenses. I think judges have to take classes and know more about MMA. You can’t just have boxing refs judge doing MMA. It’s not working and fighters are getting screwed because of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Sylvia: I think people just think I’m mean and hard to approach because I’m big. I’m not, I’m a good guy. I’m just more of a country boy, a redneck and I just like being with my friends and stuff. I find it hard to believe that people just want to get my autograph and get pictures with me. It’s really hard to fathom, even to this day. I’m just fighting for fun and it just happens that they put me on TV now and they pay me to do it. I just love the sport so much, I’m fortunate I guess.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When did you first really notice the fan appreciation and recognition?

Sylvia: After I beat Ricco Rodriguez. Overwhelming, it was overwhelming. I just could not believe it. I had his family taking pictures with me and getting autographs and stuff. It was my second fight in the UFC.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Have you had any weird encounters with fans before?

Sylvia: Oh, God yes. I’ve had fans offer me their wives before and just stupid stuff like that. Fans wanting me to sign their wife's boobs, guys getting tattoos of my signature on their arms. One guy told me was a huge fan of mine, I said ‘thank you’ and he said, ‘can we hang out sometime?’ I said, ‘what do you mean?’ He said, ‘grab a bit to eat, hang out, like friends.’ I’m like, that’s weird, I don’t even know you, man.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s one thing about you that most people might not know but that you think they should?

Sylvia: I’m a huge outdoorsman. A big, big hunter. If I’m not training and fighting I’m in the woods. I’ve got some farmland and I love being in the outdoors. I go to Canada to hunt black bear every year and I go all over the U.S. to hunt all species of turkeys. I’m a huge, huge bow hunter.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you enjoy most about the sport?

Sylvia: Just the level of competition. I used to play semi-pro football. If you lost the football game it was like, 'I lost but I could still kick your ass,' but [MMA] is the pinnacle. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, you know who the best guy is. It’s kind of a male thing, we want to prove our masculinity and see who the toughest guy is, and we really find out in this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you ever have guys who try to prove their toughness by starting things with you?

Sylvia: I get guys running their mouths, hoping I’ll smack them and they can sue me and get paid. But, the majority of public knows I’m 6-8 and 250 pounds, and they know if they mess with me they will get their butt beat, but I do get guys trying to make a little bit of money.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What excites you the most about the sport’s growth?

Sylvia: Um, just being mainstream. And big sponsors are going to start coming in and then bigger sponsors and maybe the sport will be in the Olympics. It would be a huge accomplishment and I’d like to think I was a big part of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With the Olympics, is that something you hope can happen during your career?

Sylvia: That would be a lifelong dream but it’s not gonna happen while I’m still fighting. I would kill to be in the Olympics. That would be amazing. I think it’s still 10 to 20 years from the Olympics but I think it will be eventually and I will sit back, hopefully in the Hall of Fame then, and I can say I dug the trenches for this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s the biggest misconception most casual sports fans have about MMA?

Sylvia: The biggest thing is they think it’s barbaric or they think it's fake. We need more mainstream coverage, bigger shows, bigger events. The UFC eventually getting on prime time, showcasing the superstars they have and not using Internet idiots to produce the sport and publicize it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Speaking of Internet idiots, what do you think about Kimbo Slice?

Sylvia: I commend him for becoming somebody and making a living for himself. I’m not mad at Kimbo for making a living -- he’s a self-made man. They put his fights on You Tube and then they said, I wanna pay you $300,000 to fight on prime time TV. You can’t get mad at him for that. You gotta get mad at the people putting fights on TV. There are better guys to showcase, guys who have busted ass, who have fought for 200 bucks and had to get stitches and have paved the way for other fighters. A guy like Kimbo can walk in and be on prime time to fight a bum -- it’s not fair to the true mixed martial artists.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think about Brock Lesnar?

Sylvia: I think once again, he’s a guy who it’s not fair to come in and be the co-main event. To have one fight and get half a million, it’s not fair to guys like me and guys like [Antonio Rogerio] Nogueira. I know why they try to do this -- to get more fans -- but there are guys out there who have been loyal to the sport and when stuff like this happens it’s like a slap in the face.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think about the decision in the Forrest Griffin-Quinton Jackson fight? Did you think Griffin won?

Sylvia: No, I didn’t. I love Forrest, he’s a great guy and they are both good friends of mine, but that’s why I was talking about judges. I really believe Forrest won round two and I believe he won five, and Quinton dominated the first round -- maybe a 10-8 round -- and won rounds three and four 10-9, but judges just weren’t educated enough in MMA.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Looking back on your career, do you have any regrets, would you change anything?

Sylvia: Um, no. I’m pretty happy with the way my career has gone and the way I’ve been portrayed and I’m looking forward to the future and my legacy and this next big fight.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When you talk about legacy, do you have a plan in mind for the rest of your career or are you just going to keep fighting until you’re not on top of your game anymore?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’m thinking three, four, five more years. As long as I stay healthy and I’m at the top. If I lose three, four or five fights in a row, I’m going to be done.

Photo: Tim Sylvia (left) and Fedor Emelianenko will square off in Affliction's "Banned" show on July 19. (Handout photo)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Lindland throws hat into political ring

If Matt Lindland were a pitcher, he'd be the guy who'd want to protect a one-run lead with the bases loaded and Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz due to bat.

A 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling silver medalist, Lindland thrives the tougher and the more pressure-filled the situation.

The 38-year-old is fighting for the first time in almost a year and a half when he meets Fabio Negao in a middleweight match on the Affliction: Banned mixed martial arts pay-per-view card on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

On that card are five of the top 10 heavyweights in the world. And if Lindland had his druthers, he'd rather be fighting one of them, with no disrespect meant toward Negao.

"As an athlete, you always seek out a challenge," said Lindland, whose last fight, coincidentally, was against top-rated heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, the headliner of the Affliction card. "I think any athlete would much rather face a guy everyone knows, a guy who is highly ranked. That's just what it's like to be a competitor."

None of those types of fighters were out there, though, as Affliction built primarily an all-heavyweight card. Just getting back into the cage, though, is enough to motivate Lindland, a plain-spoken sort whose game evolved from the slow, lay-and-pray style that some fans despise into one in which he's looking to finish at all time

He's had a lot of time to work on his finishing moves in the game, though, because he's been on the shelf so much recently. After essentially being blacklisted by the UFC because he wore the logo of an unapproved sponsor to a weigh-in, Lindland has had to scramble to find fights over the past three years.

For much of that time, he had to fight out of his class. He challenged powerful light heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at a World Fighting Alliance card in Los Angeles on July 22, 2006, in a bout he lost by a razor-thin split decision.

And then after wins over Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton, Emelianenko submitted Lindland on April 14, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Russia, in a bout that gathered so much attention in Russia that then-President Vladimir Putin attended.

Emelianenko's skills are such that he's almost a mythical figure in MMA. He outweighs Lindland by nearly 40 pounds, but Lindland battled him on more than even terms until Emelianenko smoothly maneuvered into position to apply his trademark armbar and end the bout.

The bigger the fight, the more Lindland likes it, but he may have taken on a meaner, dirtier fight than he could have ever imagined this time.

And no, that's not a knock against Negao.

Rather, it's an acknowledgement of the reality that nothing is as rough and tumble as the world of politics, which Lindland entered by running as a Republican for a seat in District 52 of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Lindland said he opted to file when he arrived at the courthouse on the final day to declare for office and discovered there was no Republican candidate running.

The Democrats control the legislature in Oregon and Lindland believes they've taken the state far off track, particularly fiscally. And since a Republican, Patti Smith, was retiring and giving up her seat, Lindland didn't want to cede it to a Democrat.

"It just seemed to me to be kind of the way the system should operate," Lindland said of his on-the-spot decision to run. "It's a citizen legislature and it just seems logical that if you go and see who is running for your party and you don't see anyone you feel is more qualified, you should do what is right and step up and run. And so that's what I did."

Politics might be the most cutthroat business on earth, but Lindland is surprisingly calm about his campaign. He's committed to his issues and said he has a clear plan, if elected.

Politics has none of the risk associated with his primary career, he notes. And though he wants to win badly, because he believes he's the best candidate and that his district needs a voice to speak out against what he says is wasteful state spending, he said he doesn't believe his stomach will be in knots on election night.

"Nobody is going to punch me," he said. "Nobody is going to kick me in the head. I'll be making my case to the people over the next couple of months that I'm the best person for the job. But if the people don't turn out, there's nothing you can do about it. It's like fighting in that I can only control what I do."

But Lindland's life over the next week or so will be fighting, which has gotten his competitive juices flowing again. After leaving the UFC, he coached and fought in the International Fight League, has promoted matches himself and signed a contract to compete for BoDog Fight.

BoDog staged his bout with Emelianenko, but he wasn't offered another bout. He was thrilled when Affliction came along, because it provides an outlet for him to compete.

With the UFC not interested in him, the IFL on the verge of bankruptcy and BoDog essentially going under, Lindland's choices were getting slim.

And while Affliction faces a steep uphill task competing against the more established UFC, at least it's a start.

"They're getting the right athletes," Lindland said of Affliction. "As much as guys who are fighting for the UFC say they're happy with it in public and in the media, there are plenty of them who aren't, and that includes guys who say there are. I hope this company can be successful, but I realize what it's up against. This isn't easy. The UFC is good. It's put the time in, the money in and the resources in.

"Anyone who is willing to do that could possibly have success, but there hasn't been anyone yet who's really been willing to hang in there and do that. I hope that (Affliction) is ready and that this is a start of something."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Honda Center to host "Affliction: Banned" weigh-ins on July 18

Weigh-ins for "Affliction: Banned," which features one of the greatest collections of talent in MMA history, take place Friday, July 18 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The same venue hosts the following day's 11-fight event, which airs on FSN and pay per view.

The event's weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

Fans planning to attend the weigh-ins are asked to enter the Honda Center (2695 E. Katella Ave.) through the Katella Avenue entrance. Doors to the event open at 2 p.m. PT (local time), and the first fighter hits the scale at 3 p.m. PT.

"Affliction: Banned" features a main event between longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC title-holder Tim Sylvia. Other notables in action include Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Matt Lindland, Ben Rothwell, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and others.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Manager: Anderson Silva fights Yushin Okami after July 19 fight

After making his light heavyweight debut against James Irvin at next week's UFC Fight Night 14 event, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (21-4 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will return to 185 pounds to defend his title against top contender Yushin Okami (22-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

Ed Soares, Silva's manager, confirmed the plans while a guest on today's edition of TAGG Radio (taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

However, Soares said that a date for the Silva-Okami fight won't be determined until after the July 19 fight with Irvin.

Silva and Soares want to have a better idea of the fighter's health status before committing to a date for the fight with Okami. (However, sources close to the event tell TAGG Radio and MMAjunkie.com that the UFC has tentatively targeted UFC 88, which takes place Sept. 6 in Atlanta, for the fight.)

Silva, who's 6-0 in the UFC (with six stoppages), has made short work of the UFC's middleweight division, posting three consecutive title defenses (and a victory over Travis Lutter in a non-title affair) after defeating former champ Rich Franklin for the title in October 2006.

When the UFC needed a headliner for UFC Fight Night 14 to counter Affliction's debut show (a star-studded affair that also takes place July 19), Silva agreed to take it. The UFC and Spike TV have since launched a marketing campaign that lets fans know they can watch "the world's best fighter" on free basic cable. "Banned," meanwhile, comes with a $39.95 pay-per-view fee.

However, Soares, who also manages top UFC light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida, said that Silva doesn't expect to make a run at the 205-pound title, and instead, will only move up when it satisfies their goal of "being involved in some of the biggest fights in UFC history."

"[Silva] doesn't want to make a run at the (light-heavyweight) championship because his friend Lyoto is in the line for it," Soares said. "He doesn't want to fight Lyoto, and Lyoto doesn't want to fight him."

Despite his perfect 13-0 overall record and 5-0 mark in the UFC, Machida likely won't get the first crack at new UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, who won the title this past weekend at UFC 86. Soares said that Machida will likely have "one more fight" before he gets a shot at the belt. (Soares said Machida's fight will take place in October, an opponent has been determined, but it hasn't yet been signed.)

As for Silva, Soares repeatedly stressed that he wants his fights to be "events."

"We'll take it one step at a time," Soares said. "But what he's looking forward to fighting the best in the world and creating events. At this point in his career, he wants every fight to be an event."

The 205-pound division could provide that with superstars such as Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson and Griffin providing interesting and marketable fights with Silva.

However, Soares said the middleweight division will remain Silva's focus.

"As the (middleweight) contenders come up, he's still going to defend the belt," Soares said.

Soares also gave updates on clients Paulo Filho and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during today's segment. To hear the full interview, download today's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 86 scores $3.35 million gate

Despite a noticeable lack of buzz heading into the event, "UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin" proved to be a hit with ticket buyers.

The event, which featured Forrest Griffin's upset of Quinton Jackson for the UFC's light-heavyweight title, drew 10,990 attendees for a live gate of $3,350,730 (approximately $305 per ticket).

The Nevada State Athletic Commission today emailed the figures to media members, including MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The event, which aired live on pay per view, took place July 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and featured other notables such as Patrick Cote, Tyson Griffin, Josh Koscheck and Joe Stevenson. Of the 10,990 tickets, 9,630 were paid attendees (1,360 were complimentary).

The event's live gate is the sixth highest in UFC history.

Additionally, an additional 673 spectators (533 paid) showed up at Mandalay Bay for a closed-circuit TV feed of the event. That gathering accounted for an additional gate of $33,650 (approximately $63 per paid attendee).


* * * *


The NSAC also recently confirmed the gate total for The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale, which took place June 21 at The Palms Las Vegas.

The event drew 1,853 attendees (1,566 paid) for a live gate of $495,350.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kampmann still recovering, gunning for October return

UFC middleweight contender Martin Kampmann (Pictures) has no idea when he'll be able to fight again, but the powerful Danish brute is hopeful he'll be able to compete as early as October. Kampmann last fought at UFC 85 on June 7 in London after being sidelined for fifteen months thanks to a severely torn knee. Kampmann's win over Jorge Rivera (Pictures) kept him in the thick of things as far as title contention goes, but according to a source close to the Denmark fighter, he will have to undergo more arthroscopic knee surgery. The process shouldn't hamper him as long if he rehabs it properly. Kampmann and his team are hoping to land a spot on an October UFC card, but he could fall back onto the proposed November roster in Portland, Ore.