MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Razak Al-Hussan expected to replace Thomasz Drwal at UFC 87

Undefeated Midwest prospect Razak Al-Hussan (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is expected to replace Thomasz Drwal (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a UFC 87 bout with IFL veteran Andre Gusmao (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Sources close to Al-Hussan tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the UFC newcomer accepted the fight with Gusmao this week.

The reason for Drwal's likely absence from the Aug. 9 bout wasn't immediately known.

UFC 87 takes place Aug. 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and airs live on pay per view.

Drwal, a native of Poland who debuted with the UFC (and suffered a loss to Thiago Silva) in September, was also forced out of a February fight with David Heath because of a knee injury. However, it's not known if that injury is related to his likely withdraw from UFC 87.

Al-Hussan, meanwhile, debuted professionally in February 2007 and has posted four stoppage victories (three via submission and one via TKO) in his five pro fights. The Des Moines-based fighter most recently scored a first-round submission victory over Josh Karney at a May 10 World Cage Fighting event.

Gusmao, one of many recent UFC signees from the struggling IFL organization, had also been scheduled to meet Heath at UFC 81. However, the tentatively scheduled bout was scratched when it was learned the jiu-jitsu expert was still under contract to the IFL.

Like Al-Hussan, he'll make his UFC debut at UFC 87.

 

[Shogun Locc]

James Irvin faces long odds against Anderson Silva

James Irvin knew he shouldn't waste a lot of time formulating a game plan to fight Anderson Silva because, he said bluntly, it's an impossible thing to do.

Irvin will meet the world's top pound-for-pound fighter on July 19 at the Palms Hotel in what will be Silva's debut at light heavyweight.

Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, has all but cleaned out the 185 pounders, so is now looking to explore the possibilities at 205 pounds.

It didn't take Irvin long to accept the bout. Nor did it take long for him to realize what he's up against.

"He's a scary, menacing guy," the one-time college football player at Azusa Pacific said of Silva.

Silva is not only scary and menacing, but he's also as multi-faceted as anyone in mixed martial arts. Irvin, a one-time WEC heavyweight champion, quickly understood the futility of trying to map out a technical game plan with Silva.

He's too good, Irvin admitted. Irvin decided he's simply going to go in and brawl with Silva and hope that his size and strength wins out over Silva's speed, quickness and precision striking.

"Since I've taken the fight, a lot of people have come up to me and asked, 'What's your game plan? What's your game plan?'" Irvin said. "I go, 'What kind of a game plan can I have against the guy? He's better than me on the ground. He's better than me standing up. What am I going to do?' I don't have to go in there and beat him at jiu-jitsu or beat him at Muay Thai. I can go in and fight the guy. I'll go in and mix it all together and see if my style works with his or not."

Irvin is a refreshingly honest sort who realizes that the bout with Silva is his chance to prove he belongs in the upper echelon. He's been in the middle of the pack of an incredibly deep division, far below names such as Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Thiago Silva, Lyoto Machida and Wanderlei Silva at the top of the heap.

The UFC threw the card together late and put it on Spike TV in a bid to hurt the pay-per-view prospects of Affliction, which has a heavyweight-dominated card it's selling in Anaheim, Calif., the same night.

When Silva told UFC president Dana White he was amenable to fighting at light heavyweight, White began calling potential opponents.

According to Irvin, several big names at light heavyweight turned the bout down.

"That was really disappointing to hear," said Irvin who, like White, refused to identify the fighters.

Irvin was working out on the day the fight offer came, but he'd been ignoring his phone as it rang incessantly. Finally, a friend came into the news with the word he had an offer to fight Silva.

But Irvin had the wrong Silva in mind.

"I thought it was Wanderlei, someone we've asked for ever since he's come here," Irvin said. "He's a guy I'd been really wanting to fight. I thought my style would match up real good with his. I never imagined it would be Anderson.

"He seemed so far out of the picture. I don't really deserve a shot against that guy right now. He's pound-for-pound the greatest fighter on Earth right now. I'm going to make the most of my moment. I'm going to make the most of July 19 and I'm going to bring the best James Irvin I can that night."

The best James Irvin will bring power and physicality. There is little subtly to his game. He's going to stand and trade until someone falls down.

He set a UFC record in April when he knocked Houston Alexander out in just eight seconds. Alexander had recorded several quick knockouts and was gaining a big reputation, even despite a stoppage loss to Thiago Silva.

Irvin had struggled through a terrible 2007 and seemed a long shot to get past the fast-rising Alexander. Irvin, though, insists he knew he would leave Broomfield, Colo., with a victory.

"I had no doubt in my mind," Irvin said. "As crappy as '07 was and as crappy as my year was … in that fight, the same as this fight, I had no stress, no pressure on me. I didn't try to knock him out with that punch. It was more of a statement. I was saying, 'I'm not going to back up from you. You're not going to be the bully in the fight. I'm going to throw this punch at you as hard as I can.' "

Irvin raced across the ring at the opening bell, leaped in the air and clocked Alexander on the jaw. When Alexander collapsed in a heap, Irvin pounded on him until referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped it in a record-tying eight seconds.

Irvin isn't expecting to pull a similar stunt against Silva, but he's just as confident that he'll find a way to win. He said he doubts that Silva will be as quick or as fast as he is at 185 when he puts on 20 pounds. And Irvin is used to taking blows from bigger men, so he said he thinks he'll be able to do what he needs to do to pull what would be a stunning upset.

It may not rank alongside Buster Douglas' win as a 42-to-1 underdog against Mike Tyson in a heavyweight championship boxing match in 1990, but even Irvin admits "it would be huge."

"I just don't see myself losing," Irvin said. "I'm expecting to take a lot of damage. I'm expecting to eat a lot of his shots, but I've sparred and trained with guys who hit a lot harder than he hits. I'd rather take three or four of his punches than fight someone like Quinton Jackson, who will just knock you out with either hand.

"I don't think he has that kind of knockout power. I really don't think he does. I'm not taking anything away from him, because he's so well-rounded, but I don't think he has that heavy handed punching power that someone like Scott Smith or Quinton Jackson does."

 

[Shogun Locc]

5 Oz. Feature: Underdog Thomas “Wildman” Denny ready for the opportunity of a lifetime

Thomas “The Wildman” Denny has been a staple of the regional California MMA scene since the turn of the 21st century. While most of his fights have come with the King of the Cage promotion, Denny has also competed for other California-based promotions such as the Palace Fighting Championships and World Extreme Cagefighting (prior to Zuffa’s acquisition).

Born in Huntington Beach, Calif., the 37-year old father of three also owns and operates his own fight school in Victorville, Calif. According to Denny, the school has over 200 tuition students, including 34 professional and amateur fighters that train under him.

Despite a professional fight career that dates all the way back to 1999, Denny now finds himself on the verge of graduating from the California MMA scene and onto the national stage. On Saturday July 26, he will receive the biggest opportunity of his career when he squares off against Nick Diaz in a 160 pound lightweight clash during CBS and EliteXC’s second-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights.”

Denny made his EliteXC debut during a March ShoXC event in which he was declared the victor by disqualification after being on the receiving end of illegal elbows from Malaipet Team Diamond. Against Diaz, a fighter who he has been scheduled to fight several times in the past, Denny finds himself playing the underdog role as he takes a major step up in competition. It’s a role he has played many times in the past and one that he relishes.

“I’ll take being the underdog any day of the week than being the (favorite),” Denny was quoted as saying during a conference call with the media this past week. “When you’re expected to win and you’re expected to perform and you’re in front of all your fans, you have so much more pressure. Everybody’s expecting me to lose. Everybody thinks I don’t even belong in there. Man, I’m excited because everybody felt I didn’t belong in the ring with Tony Fryklund, that he was going to smoke me. I was an 8?1 underdog, whatever. I went out there and finished him in 1 minute and 12 seconds. I love fighting when I’m the guy who shouldn’t even be in there.”

While Denny is getting the opportunity to compete on primetime network television, he is doing so in Diaz’s hometown of Stockton, Calif. But just as he is unphased by being in the role of underdog, Denny sounds unconcerned about Diaz having a potential hometown advantage.

“It’s just him and I when we get in there,” Denny responded when asked if he felt fighting in Stockton was a disadvantage. “Obviously he’s going to feel a little more pressure than I am, because that’s all his friends and fans. They all hate me as it is. So do I have pressure? Not really. I think if you look at it, he’s going to be the one dealing with a little more adversity than I am. I’m expecting them to throw bottles at me, cuss at me, flip me off, everything else. If he goes out there and loses in front of his hometown, he’s the one that’s going to be shunned upon. I feel he has more pressure than I do.”

While Denny is pretty relaxed when it comes to the issues of Diaz being favored and fighting in his hometown, he wasn’t as laid back when asked about Diaz’s inability to make weight for his June 14 fight in Hawaii against Muhsin Corbbrey.

“Rules are rules,” he answered when asked about fighters not making weight. “They’re meant to be followed. If you sign a contract that says you’re going to weigh 160, you should come in at 160, not 169. So, I don’t know, I just think it’s unprofessional.”

While Corbbrey was willing to sign off on the weight disparity, Diaz better be on weight this time around, otherwise, there might not be a fight.

“If he comes in nine pounds overweight, the fight probably won’t happen,” remarked Denny. “It’s just ridiculous. I think he knows and he has something to prove that he is a professional. So I think he’ll come on weight and I think the fight will happen.”

But Denny isn’t looking for a way out. The fight vs. Diaz is one that he wants to happen, as he knows what an upset win would do for his career.

“It shoots me to the top [if I win], man and hopefully sets me up for a fight against K.J. [Noons] or Yves [Edwards],” Denny said. “I would love to fight K.J for the belt. That’s a lot to ask for. But, hopefully, I go out and shine like I feel like I should and maybe I’ll get recognized enough to get the title shot.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Belfort training hard to Affliction

A few days from his return to the octagon since September 2007, when he defeated James Zikic in the Cage Rage, Vitor Belfort is already in the U.S. training hard to his bout at Affliction, which will be hold on July 19, when he will face Terry Martin. "I'm in Las Vegas . I am focused on looking for another victory in my career. I miss my wife and children, but nothing in life is achieved without sacrifice, here I am literally meet the old days of my career", wrote Belfort in his blog, and thanked the fans support and rooting for the victory. "I am paying the price to be the champion. I hope that on 19th I achieve the victory, in the name of Jesus", said Vitinho that posted on his blog some photos from his training at North America .

 

[Shogun Locc]

NATIONAL PANKRATION TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Up to 12 Teams will compete for the Dual Team National Championships. Each team will have a fighter in 9 seperate weights.

Teams will match up against each other, man to man, weight by weight. Individual wins will score 3, 4, 5, or 6 points for their team. At the end of all individual matches the winning team advances in the bracket. Losing teams can come back for 3rd place.

Four minute matches on an open mat under Pankration Rules = Lots of action, No Stalling, and Clean Matches.

NATIONAL PANKRATION TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sat. July 26, 2008
Santa Ana High School
520 W Walnut St
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Start Time Noon: detailed schedule to be posted proir to event.
Spectators: $8 or $5 kids 12 and under
** Proceeds go to Santa Ana H.S. wrestling**

For Rules and Pankration info see: www.fightleague.org

CONFIRMED MEN'S TEAMS:

1. Team Millenia
2. Team Camp Pendleton
3. Team City Boys
4. Team Ruckus
5. Team Shen Wu
6. Team CSW
7. Team Cleber
8. Team Vo

THE FOLLOWING TEAMS ARE STILL IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL FIGHTERS. Interested Applicants can contact them individually. Onlay Amateur/ Non Licensed Fighter may apply.

1. Team Riverside is in need of a 220 lbs and 220 plus fighter. Contact [email protected] to join.

2. Fight Club 29 is in need of Military Fighters at 135, 165 and 175. Branch of Service and base is not limited to Marines/ 29 Palms. Contact [email protected] to get on the team.

3. Team Nor Cal may have openings contact [email protected] to get on the team.

4. Team San Diego has team openings at 165, 175, 185, 200, 220 and 220 plus. Contact [email protected] to get on the team.

***Note: We will alow up to a 5 lb weight allowance for mens divsions. The fighter who is over will start the match minus 1 pt per pound and the team will lose 3 team points.

Any other team that may be interested in Competing must Contact me ASAP.

KIDS (Cadet -11-13yrs) TEAMS INCLUDE:
1. Kids Team Orange County
2. Kids Team Riverside
3. Kids Team Ventura Team ???? (has not re -conatct to confirm)
4. Need one more team
Instested Cadets can e-mail [email protected] to form another team, location is not a determing factor . We need the following weights 80, 95, 100, 125 and 125 plus.

Team Entry fee is $200 Men's Team and $100 Kids. OR $20 per Fighter.

****Team sponsors get a free venders booth and can post their banner inside the venue.****

 

[Shogun Locc]

Svelter Baroni Rebounds at Cage Rage

LONDON -- "New York Badass" Phil Baroni (Pictures) went some way to resurrecting his career Saturday night, with his impressive three-minute destruction of the game, but significantly overmatched Brit Scott Jansen (Pictures) at Cage Rage 27 "Step Up" inside the Wembley Arena. In his first fight at welterweight, Baroni -- who'd spent his entire career at 185 pounds -- imposed his will from the start and scored with a solid takedown. Working from side control, the American came very close to sealing an early finish with a tight straight armbar in which he appeared to hyper-extend Jansen's arm.

Baroni was unable to finish and following a standup by the referee, he reverted to his bread-and-butter attack. After a brutal right to the body, Baroni switched upstairs immediately, landing a haymaker of a right hand on Jansen's chin. Jansen dropped heavily, his head bouncing off the floor.

Afterward, Baroni went to check on Jansen and was blindsided by a friend of the flattened fighter that had made his way into the cage with the Brit's cornermen. Holding up his hands to fend off a headbutt, the Baroni kept his cool and the encounter didn't escalate.

"It took a lot of courage to get in here," Baroni said, rebounding from three back-to-back losses. "I had a lot of doubts going in here, but I erased them with that right hand. I feel really lucky to have this opportunity."

His debut bout at 170 pounds now under his belt, the Las Vegas resident looked to his next challenge.

"Who's next?" asked Baroni. "Who's the next best guy? I want to meet him. I've fought the best in the world, up a weight, now I'm at my natural weight, I'm where I should be. I'm starting from the bottom and I'm going to prove that I've still got what it takes."

South African heavyweight Neil Grove (Pictures) fulfilled his promise of stopping Sunderland fighter Robert "Buzz" Berry some 89 seconds into the second round of their much anticipated rematch. Grove started the fight in unusually cautious fashion, chopping down his opponent with hard low kicks.

Berry appeared to suffer in the standup and as a result bullied Goliath to the mat late in the first round. Unfortunately for Buzz, he was unable to do any real damage.

Early in the second round, Grove landed a hard right hand and a left hook, dropping his opponent and finishing the fight with some heavy shots on the floor in impressive fashion.

Mustapha Al Turk earned the Cage Rage British heavyweight title by taking down and bashing overwhelmed former K-1 fighter James McSweeney (Pictures). After rushing forwards with some stiff jabs, Mustapha took the fight to the floor and quickly made his way to rear mount. An unanswered stream of hellish blows to the head forced an end to the contest after two minutes of action.

After some furious exchanges of punches, Tom Watson (Pictures) appeared determined to take his fight with John Phillips (Pictures) to the floor at every possible opportunity. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter was able to dominate position, landing some brutal strikes and moving into a comfortable lead on the scorecards. Phillips looked determined and capable, but ultimately, any offense was stifled by Watson's tight ground game en route to a comfortable unanimous decision.

Sure Grip Vale Tudo fighter Stav Economou (Pictures) went head to head with Piotr Kusmierz in a rough battle of attrition, both men landing heavy blows in a series of wild exchanges. The fight went back and forth, but "Crazy Bear" Economou was able to score with several slams, even launching his 125 kg (275 lbs) frame in the air to come crashing down on his exhausted Polish opponent. Despite his face showing some significant battle damage, Economou dominated the standup encounter toward bout's end and scored a well-deserved unanimous decision in his Cage Rage debut.

Robbie "The Flame" Olivier defended his Cage Rage British featherweight title as he choked out Pancrase London fighter Ashleigh Grimshaw (Pictures) four minutes into the second round. Grimshaw threatened for much of the first round stalking his opponent and throwing unusual combinations. However, his Tsunami Gym opponent had some successes of his own and scored a solid takedown in the second round, consolidating his advantage by pounding Grimshaw on the mat and eventually sealing victory with a rear-naked choke.

In another featherweight bout, local favorite Brad "One Punch" Pickett gave his supporters an early scare when Italian fighter Cristian Binda (Pictures) rocked him with some brutal left hooks. However, Pickett showed a useful left hook of his own as he knocked his opponent down towards the end of the first round and proceeded to hammer him on the floor. In the second round, Brad Pickett (Pictures) sealed victory with a tight guillotine choke, leaping into the submission after almost three minutes of close action.

Straight Blast Gym representative Aisling "Ash The Bash" Daley delivered another very impressive performance as she dismantled her Czech opponent Eva Lisko in only 78 seconds. Tearing across the cage and straight into the clinch, Ash quickly forced the contest to the floor, where she dominated and finished with a rear-naked choke.

Jason Young (Pictures) and Francis Heagney (Pictures) went to war for three rounds in their clash for the vacant Cage Rage British lightweight title. Heagney dominated the opening stanza, and threatened constantly with a D'Arce and then a guillotine choke. However, the young Titan representative refused to be dominated and controlled position on Heagney for the remaining two rounds, battering the Irish fighter from mount with punches, rightfully earning himself the British championship.

In a very impressive debut performance, Wesley Johnson battered his bewildered opponent Mark Brown, taking him to the floor and smashing him with punches in only 31 seconds.

After a back-and-forth first round where both fighters had their opportunity to finish with punches from the mount, Jody Cottham (Pictures) scored a guillotine victory three minutes into the second round after being pressurized for much of the round on the canvas.

In an exciting opening fight of the night, London Shootfighter Dave Van Gasse (Pictures) survived a hard second round to hammer out and choke James Elson (Pictures) at 3:43 of the third round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Daley, Thorenson Shine at Cage Warriors

NOTTINGHAM, England -- Paul Daley (Pictures) marked his return to action with a first-round knockout against previously unbeaten Bojan Kosednar at Cage Warriors "Enter The Rough House 7" Saturday at the Harvey Haddon Sports Centre.

Daley took center stage in his hometown for the first time in his return from a short-lived retirement to tackle the unbeaten Slovenian. The highly touted 25-year-old entered to a superstar reception.

Daley took the initiative early and looked poised to make short work of heavy underdog Kosednar. The Englishman's well-tooled standup skills were on full display as he mixed up his attacks to outfox his Slovenian foe.

The British star landed a hard knee to the left side of Kosednar's ribs. Daley followed up with a hard right that floored the man from Ljubljana.

Daley looked like he hadn't missed a step while he'd been away, moving and unloading at will to put Kosednar down twice more in quick succession through punches.

With seven seconds left in the opening round he fired off a deadly left hook that put Kosednar out cold. Kosednar, who took his first professional loss, eventually left the cage on his own accord.

A teeming crowd was overcome with euphoria as Daley sent a welcome reminder of his talents to his American employers, EliteXC, who are expected to stage his next bout.

In highly anticipated welterweight action, unbeaten Norwegian Simeon Thoresen (Pictures) recorded the most publicly prominent win of his career with the scalping of Team Colosseum's Matt Thorpe (Pictures).

Submission ace Thoresen, whose eight victories have all come within the distance, looked a star in the making as he made short work of Cage Warriors' mainstay Thorpe, forcing the Englishman to tap from a kimura.

Team Rough House's "Judo" Jim Wallhead (Pictures) passed the biggest test of his career against Fabricio Nascimento (Pictures) in arguably the fight of the night.

Wallhead, who holds wins over UFC vets Jason Tan and Steven Lynch (Pictures), has chalked up some hard-fought and impressive decision victories in his career and Saturday was no different.

The Leicester, England native was dominant and looked every inch the star package he's regarded as domestically. Italy-based Brazilian Nascimento rarely threatened and favored some off-the-cuff tactics as he looked to get back in the fight.

Nascimento's gamesmanship, prolonged facial expressions and gesturing was spotted by referee Marc Goddard (Pictures) who warned the BJJ black belt.

But Wallhead was far from being flustered by Nascimento's antics and escaped a brief scare, a leglock attempt, to rack up a deserved and well-received unanimous decision.

Abdul Mohamed (Pictures) and Andre Winner (Pictures), two of Britain's finest lightweights, couldn't be separated as they fought to a majority draw.

While the well-matched pair cancelled each other's efforts out, Mohamed did enjoy some success with his heralded wrestling skills and took Winner down repeatedly.

Mohamed, who's recently linked up with the Wolfslair Academy, looked to wear down Team Rough House's lightweight standout, but Winner was more than equal to his opponent's advances.

Paul "Metabolic" McVeigh battled back from a first-round onslaught to stop Steve McCombe with a rear-naked choke in the second and retain his Cage Warriors bantamweight title.

Former pro boxer Wayne Buck (Pictures) fell in the first loss of his career against Italian Matteo Minonzio.

Nottingham man Buck suffered a cut under his eye and with his vision impaired the bout was brought to an early stop after three minutes of the first.

Team Rough House's submission whiz Lee Livingstone (Pictures) improved his record to 5-1 with Doncaster's Wayne Murray having no answer to a well-crafted triangle choke.

Cliff Hall of Nottingham's Total Dojo forced Rocci Williams (Pictures) to tap to a guillotine choke in the second round, while Chris Cooper (Pictures) grounded and pounded his way to victory over Norway's Tommy Rasmussen (Pictures).

Team Rough House's Eddie Podolski (Pictures) bested John Brotherhood while Peter McGurk (Pictures) overcame Stoke-on-Trent's John Phillips (Pictures).

In kickboxing action Newcastle's Lee Donald lost out to Team Rough House's Kristoff Woodhouse (Pictures).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Anjos Slips by Otsuka at Fury FC 6

Rafael dos Anjos was looking to follow in the footsteps of Thiago Silva (Pictures) and Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares (Pictures) by using Brazilian promotion Fury FC as a springboard to the big stage.

However, the upstart was unable to heat things up in his lightweight title clash with Japan's Takafumi Otsuka on a chilly night inside the Pedro Jahara Gymnasium in Teresópolis, Brazil.

Anjos looked every bit the star prospect over the first half of the fight, dominating the first round in top position while pinning Otsuka in the corner of the ring and methodically pounding away on top. Early in the second stage, it looked as if it would be more of the same, as dos Anjos elevated Otsuka sky-high for a single-leg slam.

Otsuka was able to stifle dos Anjos' offense late in the second frame, and took the top position to arguably steal the round with a potent salvo of punches and hammer fists on top.

The third period was a copy of the second, as the Gracie Fusion grappler fiercely sought the takedown, but was unable to mount any offense on top. Late in the stanza, Otsuka was able to finish a takedown of his own, and again laid in with a late flurry of punches to make the bout a difficult decision for the judges.

When the scorecards were announced, dos Anjos took a razor-thin split decision, securing both the Fury FC lightweight championship and a mixed response from the Teresopolis crowd.

In a 170-pound affair, Fabricio "Pitbull" Monteiro (Pictures) got back into the win column with a first-round submission of Japanese import Yoshitomo Watanabe (Pictures).

Monteiro had lost three straight, with his last bout being a highly controversial decision to welterweight standout Nick Thompson (Pictures) on Sengoku's inaugural card in March.

"Pitbull" made the most of what amounted to a tuneup fight, trading with Watanabe on the feet before putting his adversary on the canvas and advancing position until he got his opponent's back.

A slick rear-naked choke followed, ending Monteiro's three-fight skid.

In the Fury FC lightweight grand prix opening round, Vitor Toffanelli took a unanimous decision over Paulo Bueno, Henrique Mello (Pictures) stopped Gabriel Veiga with punches in the first frame, and Mauricio Reis took a well-earned unanimous nod over Giovani Diniz (Pictures). The most impressive fighter to punch his ticket to the final four was Gracie Fusion's Eduardo "Edu" Pachu, who battered Adriano Goncalves both standing and on the floor, before finishing his foe with an armbar late in the third.

The promotion's middleweight grand prix also unfolded, and saw Jorge Michelan knock late replacement Matheus Serafim down and out in the second round; Cassiano Tytschyo (Pictures) took a guillotine submission victory over the massively popular Rodrigo Ribeiro Ximbica in the first; and Leandro "Batata" Silva (Pictures) stopped Rodrigo Pimpolho with a short hook in the opening period.

By far the best performance in the middleweight quarterfinals was turned in by BJJ standout Eduardo "Telles" Moreira. The innovator of the turtle and octopus guard in the grappling world showed off his KO power, starching previously undefeated prospect Rafael Sapo with a head kick early in the second.

Fury FC promoter Victor Costa announced to the crowd that the semifinals and finals of the lightweight and middleweight tournaments would be contested later this year, on Nov. 8 in Teresópolis.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Garcia Cleared of Drug Ring Allegations

Seven days in jail gave World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight contender Leonard Garcia (Pictures) time to think, pray, hope and despair. What else can a man do with his reputation on the line at age 28?

Arrested by federal authorities in Texas on March 27 for his alleged involvement in a suspected drug trafficking ring, Garcia was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Had the charges stuck, they could have netted the talented Texan a three-year prison term.

Garcia, however, was cleared of all federal charges last week. Released on a recognizance bond in April, he spent two months under house arrest. A possible state charge for obstruction of justice still hangs over his head, though it would net him only probation if he were convicted.

"My attorney called me and told me [federal prosecutors] didn't feel like it was something they wanted to take to trial," said Garcia, who claims his entire ordeal was a matter of guilt by association. "The federal guys looked at the case and determined they didn't have enough evidence."

Garcia was one of 13 individuals targeted by the sting, which hatched out of five federal indictments. The suspected ring operated in a nearly 300-mile-wide swath in Texas, from El Paso to Lubbock, according to law enforcement officials. The arrest forced Garcia to re-examine the friends with whom he surrounds himself.

"It was a shock," Garcia said. "There were some times when it looked bad, but I hadn't been around those guys in two, two and a half years. It was like a nightmare. I went from being on top of the world to being stuck in jail with a bunch of nobodies. It's definitely something I never want to go back to."

Six weeks before he found himself in handcuffs, Garcia (11-3) made a triumphant return to the WEC promotion, as he knocked out the highly regarded Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) in 91 seconds at WEC 32 in Albuquerque, N.M. His stock was on the rise, and the victory put him on a short list of potential contenders for Urijah Faber (Pictures)'s featherweight crown. Two months away from regular training, however, have left Garcia in a state of limbo.

"I couldn't do anything [on house arrest]," he said. "I tried to run with the ankle monitor on, but it cut into my ankle. Two months of training is a long time [to miss], especially when you're trying to fine-tune your skills. I feel like I have lost time to make up for."

The incident gave him a new appreciation for what was at risk in terms of his professional mixed martial arts career. A fighter in his prime, Garcia has much to lose.

"I feel like they tried to take my life away," he said. "I went from having everything to losing everything in a matter of seconds. It made me realize that if I have the opportunity to do something, I need to go for it."

Garcia hopes to land a fight on the WEC card in September, though nothing has been finalized. His trainer, Greg Jackson, has not seen Garcia since his arrest four months ago but plans to welcome him back to the Jackson's Submission Fighting camp in New Mexico soon.

"It's impossible to tell how this affected him as a fighter without seeing him," Jackson said. "Leonard's a really tough guy with a strong heart, and he needs to get back in there. I think he learned that you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time when you hang out with old friends."

Garcia burst on the international MMA scene at UFC 69 in April 2007, when he went toe-to-toe with lightweight contender Roger Huerta (Pictures) in a memorable three-round slugfest in Houston. The duo landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated soon after. Respected for his toughness, Garcia has yet to be finished in 14 career bouts.

"He's one of those nice guys, and he's a talented fighter who's got your back if something goes down," Jackson said. "He's super loyal, always there when you need him."

Garcia also put to rest speculation that he had been dumped by the WEC, even though his profile was removed from the promotion's Web site following his arrest. He said his manager remained in close contact with WEC officials throughout the ordeal.

"I was terrified that's what was going to happen," Garcia said, "but they never cut me."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sylvia's Ultimate Test
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1684
Sherdog.com's Greg Savage and Dave Mandel sat down with former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (Pictures), who takes on "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) at Affliction "Banned" on July 19.

In this exclusive interview, Sylvia discusses how he matches up with the widely-regarded top heavyweight in mixed martial arts.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction VP Tom Atencio wants to work with UFC

Less than a week away from Affliction's debut show "Banned," Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio is unfazed by UFC president Dana White's recent verbal outburst.

In fact, he's committed to Affliction and UFC at some point working together to create unified champions in all the sport's weight classes.

Atencio discussed the plans while a guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

White recently called Atencio an "idiot who sells T-shirts for a living" and predicted severe financial losses for Affliction during an interview with Y101 FM in Richmond, Va.

"I would assume it comes from competition," Atencio said. "[White] obviously is worried about what we're doing."

Atencio maintained that Affliction is flattered by the UFC's decision to broadcast an event on cable television the same evening as the Affliction pay-per-view broadcast.

"[White] is obviously worried," Atencio said. "By him putting on another show, he sees us. We're in his sights. So we're obviously a threat to him, so maybe he feels like he needs to attack me."

Atencio also hopes White will eventually let down his guard and work with other organizations in an effort to declare true world champions.

"If we can all come together and work together as one organization and we have an undisputed champion -- heavyweight, lightweight, middleweight, etc. -- then, yeah it's great," Atencio said. "But is it going to happen? I don't know."

But regardless of future opportunities, Atencio said the comments from White were all a matter of protecting the UFC's own financial concerns.

"[White] used to wear our clothes," Atencio said. "He used to wear our T-shirts. Anybody who knows us, anybody who knows this line, knows we're not a T-shirt company. We are a clothing company. We manufacture denim. We do sandals, board shorts, hoodies -- everything you can think of.

"But, apparently (to White), we're a T-shirt company. Where does that comes from? I think it's just business. I completely understand. Business is business, and he's protecting his."

Atencio also discussed the WAMMA belt, future Affliction shows, and a possible showdown between Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko later this year. To hear the full interview, download Friday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

[Shogun Locc]

VITOR BELFORT READY FOR 185 DEBUT AT AFFLICTION

When you think of legends in mixed martial arts, names like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz are commonplace. However, it’s hard to make a list like that without including the name Vitor Belfort.



Belfort made his debut at UFC 12 where he defeated Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo. He was only 20 years old at the time. He had extremely fast and accurate hands and soon became one of the most feared strikers in the Octagon. His 44-second win over Wanderlei Silva remains as one of the most exciting knockouts in the history of MMA.



“The Phenom” quickly became one of the most popular figures in the sport. However, his career has weathered some ups and downs. He briefly held the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight belt before losing it in his very next fight to Randy Couture. He lost a razor-thin split decision to Tito Ortiz in his last Octagon appearance back at UFC 51. Since then, he’s had mixed results in Pride and Cage Rage.



The past has been written for Belfort, but he is looking to author a new future for himself at a new weight class. He will be dropping to middleweight in his next fight this Saturday on Affliction’s debut show.



Belfort spoke with MMAWeekly Radio recently to discuss his upcoming fight. “I'm really excited,” he exclaimed. “It's a great event. We look forward to it becoming big. The sport's already huge. We just need the right people around the sport; the right promoters taking care of fighters. Everything is right there; it's just waiting for us.”



One of the biggest changes Belfort has made is his transition to Xtreme Couture, which is quickly earning a reputation as the premiere MMA training facility today. The training has yielded positive results for the Brazilian.



“I think the mentality of Xtreme Couture is wonderful. It's a great facility, a great group of sparring partners, good trainers. I really enjoy it. Everybody is equal over here. Coach Tompkins is wonderful. I'm having a great time with him and other coaches over here too. I think it's the perfect environment for a fighter. It's been a pleasure. I've developed my skills and I'm ready to go. I'm really enjoying it and being ready for my next fight.”



A believer in fight unity, Belfort feels that the fighters are what drive the sport and that they need to stick together outside of the cage.



“We need people who stick together,” he stated. “We can fight against each other, but we're friends. We're all on the same page. We're fighting for the same reason. We're trying to put food on the table at home. There is going to be some time when we get together like a union.



“Everybody can watch from each other. We get our respect from the promoters. We get our respect from the fans. When we get that, we'll get more power. Not just to get better pay, but also we are going to have more respect from the fans when they see that we are a union. We are there to fight. We respect each other. We'll help each other. We'll be like a family.”



While some stars in sports such as baseball and football have alienated the fans and forgotten who pays their salary, Belfort recognizes how important the fans are to MMA.



“The fans are the ones supporting this thing. All the sports in the world including soccer, American football; without the fans they are nothing. That's why I'm always thinking of them. They are always on my mind. One of the reasons I'm still doing this is for them. I'm really excited to fight in America for my fans.”



With an excellent training camp at Xtreme Couture, Belfort feels he is in great shape and ready to resurrect his career to what it was.



“I'm ready to go right now,” he said excitedly. “If the fight was to go tomorrow, I'm ready. It's so good to be here and have everyone correct me. Everybody is helping each other. We help so many fighters here. It's like a family. I'm safe. I'm happy. People can look in my eyes and see how ready I am; my body, my mind, my soul, my spirit. I just have to take my time and listen to the trainers. I'm here to accomplish my job.”



Some fans have wondered what Belfort’s aspirations are at middleweight. Will they witness the return of the “Old Vitor”?



“My goal is Terry Martin. But if you asked me what my goal is to be at the top of this weight division, to fight the best and be the best. That's everybody's goal – to be in the spotlight. I want to accomplish so many things. One of the things I want is to be the champion and fighting the best. Right now I'm working for Affliction. Whatever is in front of me, I just have to take it. The promoters decide. I have my agent. I'll be ready to go.”



Terry Martin is a dangerous competitor who has very good wrestling and power in both of his hands. Belfort realizes the strengths of his Chicagoan opponent, but he feels confidently that he will be ready for wherever the fight may go.



“Terry's a tough guy. He's very strong. He has heavy hands. I'm facing a lion, man. Two lions are going to face each other on the 19th, so I'm ready to go. I'm ready to knock him out. I'm ready to finish him on the ground. I'm ready to take him down. I'm ready for anything!”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction PPV buys: Can Fedor Emelianenko be a big draw?

“All Fedor’s wins and mystique hasn’t quite made him a top box office draw. In Japan, where Emelianenko has fought most of his career, he never had the mainstream appeal of fighters like Mirko Cro Cop, a spectacular KO artist, Bob Sapp, a freakish American who wasn’t a top fighter but had a huge personality, or Wanderlei Silva, an aggressive exciting fighter who had a legendary series of matches with national hero Kazushi Sakuraba. In the U.S., his last fight on pay-per-view, on April 14, 2007, when he faced natural middleweight contender Matt Lindland for Bodog Fight in Russia, drew a miserable 13,000 buys and essentially set that company on the fast road right out of business. Previously, as the main eventer on a loaded 2006 PRIDE show in Las Vegas, facing Mark Coleman, the show did about 40,000 buys, also considered a huge disappointment.”

As Dave Meltzer points out, Fedor Emelianenko — considered in some circles to be the top mixed martial artist alive — is historically not a money-making machine when it comes to selling pay-per-view (PPV) events. That could be a problem, considering Affliction MMA is opening up its check book for the Russian to compete in the main event of its debut show, “Banned,” against Tim Sylvia at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on July 19. However, the upstart promotion has supplemented the pay-per-view (PPV) card, which is priced at $39.95, with other great match ups. The million dollar question — literally — is will it be enough to be deemed a success. We should know the answer to that question in less than one week. T-minus six days until showtime.

 

[Ethereal]

Redbelt DVD SCREENER XViD-PUKKA

http://flyupload.flyupload.com/?fid=7360873

 

[SuiPSYedKing]

^^^I just downloaded this last night still have yet to see it.^^^

 

[Shogun Locc]

PHIL BARONI DISMISSES HEADBUTT ATTACK

The ‘New York Badass’ Phil Baroni has decided not to press charges following an assault on him at Wembley Arena on Saturday night, witnessed by millions on live television.

Cage Rage officials have, however, banned the brother of his defeated opponent, Scott Jansen, from attending future fights following the incident at Cage Rage 27 presented by EliteXC.

First, the American banged out plucky Brit Jansen in a blistering battle, which lasted just 3:18 of round one. Then as Baroni went to check on Jansen’s condition, he fended off an attacker that, without warning, headbutted the 32-year-old.

A sanguine Baroni has decided to let the matter rest. “These things happen,” said Baroni. “It must be tough to see a loved one get knocked out like that. Emotions ran high. I want to put this behind me.”

Dave O’Donnell, Cage Rage co-promoter stated, “We launched an immediate investigation into cage-side security and have issued a ban on a member of Scott’s family attending future fights.

“This should not have happened. Baroni has shown a lot of dignity throughout. Many fighters might have responded and escalated the situation.

“It was great to see the guys in the bar after the fight shaking hands and joking.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rizzo Ready for Tough Challenge
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1685
Sherdog.com's Gleidson Venga spoke with Pedro Rizzo (Pictures) in Brazil, where the striker prepared to face Josh Barnett (Pictures) at Affliction "Banned."

 

[Shogun Locc]

DRUG TEST NETS TIGER WHITE 9 MONTH SUSPENSION

At a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission last week, Vernon “Tiger” White was officially suspended stemming from a positive drug test result for the banned diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide. The drug test was following a May 31 kickboxing bout for Xtreme Fighting Association.

White received a nine month suspension, was fined his entire $2,000 win bonus, and the fight was changed from a victory for him to a no contest result.

"I'm not going to try to talk myself out of trouble, it was a stupid mistake,” said White during the hearing.

Due to the positive test result and impending suspension, White was removed from a fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira that was to take place on Saturday’s Affliction “Banned” event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Fellow UFC veteran Edwin Dewees, who has signed a multi-fight contract with Affliction, subsequently replaced him. Dewees’ first action for Affliction will be against Nogueira on Saturday night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hominick Hoping to Bounce Back at Affliction
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1686
Sherdog.com's Freddie DeFreitas sat down with Mark Hominick (Pictures), who takes to the cage this weekend at Affliction "Banned" against Trenell "Savant" Young (Pictures).

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC CONTINUES COUNTER PROGRAMMING TACTICS

As mixed martial arts continues to grow, the competition is getting more heated. In reaction, the Ultimate Fighting Championship continues its counter-programming trend with the announcement of a July 26 replay of UFC 84 on Spike TV.

EliteXC and CBS Television are scheduled to air the second edition of CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights on July 26. The live CBS telecast features a middleweight title defense, as champion Robbie Lawler defends against Scott Smith in a rematch of their bout from the first Saturday Night Fights telecast in May.

UFC 84, featuring one of the promotion’s biggest fights of the year thus far in B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk, will air directly opposite Saturday Night Fights from 9:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The UFC 84 replay will be the UFC and Spike TV’s second counter-programming offering in as many weeks. The promotion quickly put together a UFC Fight Night that will air on Spike TV on Saturday, July 19, to counter the debut offering of Affliction’s new mixed martial arts promotion, which will air two fights on Fox Sports Net and its main card on pay-per-view.

Affliction “Banned” features a main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, while UFC Fight Night features UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s light heavyweight debut against James Irvin.