MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
UFC 88: RASHAD READY TO WORKOUT WITH ICEMAN
Run ragged from a three-month camp, UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans needed to blow off some steam. His fight with former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell was two weeks away, and he needed to get his mind off the fight. He stepped into an Albuquerque movie theater to take in “Pineapple Express,” and lo and behold, Liddell showed up in the movie, putting a beating on Vernon “Tiger” White in the background of a scene.
So much for getting away.
“I’m trying to get away and think about something else, and Chuck’s beating up this black dude on TV,” Evans snickers. “I’m just like, damn.”
In approaching his main event tangle with Liddell at UFC 88, Evans is trying above all else to follow coach Greg Jackson’s words in taking on “The Iceman”: the fight is just a workout, and nothing more.
Eight years into his career as a mixed martial artist, Evans has picked up high profile fight experience since besting a field of eight heavyweights in the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” In November, he headlined the watery UFC 78 card in New Jersey, and took on Tito Ortiz in the co-main event of UFC 73. He’s no longer the TUF star trying to prove himself.
But he says the increased attention can get into your head, not to mention the burden of carrying an undefeated record. At 11-0-1, Evans has yet to experience that sting of defeat.
“When you fight from a position of trying to hold a status, or trying to protect something, then you don’t go in there and have great performances,” he says. “I’ve had many performances where I felt pressure to be undefeated, and you just don’t fight right. I’d just assume to forget about my record and start of this fight zero and zero.”
If that’s the case, Evans is a newcomer who could throw a wrench in the gears of the UFC’s matchmaking machine. It’s no secret that if Liddell wins, he’s a prime candidate (read: a UFC cash drop) for a Dec. 27 fight with current light heavyweight champion and original TUF star Forrest Griffin.
Should he win, Evans could possibly delay or prevent that big payday. So it’s smart that Evans is doing his best to ignore that possibility – and the fact that he’s fighting the most beloved UFC fighter in its history. The danger is in thinking about it too much.
“There is (danger) if you’ve got too much idol worship,” Evans says. “I respect Chuck and I’m a big fan of Chuck, and I love what he does for the sport. But then at the same time, I still want to go out there and kick his ass. It’s just the competitor in me. If we were playing air hockey, I’ll try to kick his ass in air hockey, just to compete.”
He has come a long way to fight Liddell, and he’s determined to make the fight about him, not the idol.
“Whenever you fight somebody, you look across the ring, they have a different face, but you’re pretty much fighting yourself. And it’s a challenge I get to present to myself to see if I can go out there and do it.”
On Sept. 6 at UFC 88, Evans will workout, and with any luck, it will be a good one.
Run ragged from a three-month camp, UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans needed to blow off some steam. His fight with former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell was two weeks away, and he needed to get his mind off the fight. He stepped into an Albuquerque movie theater to take in “Pineapple Express,” and lo and behold, Liddell showed up in the movie, putting a beating on Vernon “Tiger” White in the background of a scene.
So much for getting away.
“I’m trying to get away and think about something else, and Chuck’s beating up this black dude on TV,” Evans snickers. “I’m just like, damn.”
In approaching his main event tangle with Liddell at UFC 88, Evans is trying above all else to follow coach Greg Jackson’s words in taking on “The Iceman”: the fight is just a workout, and nothing more.
Eight years into his career as a mixed martial artist, Evans has picked up high profile fight experience since besting a field of eight heavyweights in the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” In November, he headlined the watery UFC 78 card in New Jersey, and took on Tito Ortiz in the co-main event of UFC 73. He’s no longer the TUF star trying to prove himself.
But he says the increased attention can get into your head, not to mention the burden of carrying an undefeated record. At 11-0-1, Evans has yet to experience that sting of defeat.
“When you fight from a position of trying to hold a status, or trying to protect something, then you don’t go in there and have great performances,” he says. “I’ve had many performances where I felt pressure to be undefeated, and you just don’t fight right. I’d just assume to forget about my record and start of this fight zero and zero.”
If that’s the case, Evans is a newcomer who could throw a wrench in the gears of the UFC’s matchmaking machine. It’s no secret that if Liddell wins, he’s a prime candidate (read: a UFC cash drop) for a Dec. 27 fight with current light heavyweight champion and original TUF star Forrest Griffin.
Should he win, Evans could possibly delay or prevent that big payday. So it’s smart that Evans is doing his best to ignore that possibility – and the fact that he’s fighting the most beloved UFC fighter in its history. The danger is in thinking about it too much.
“There is (danger) if you’ve got too much idol worship,” Evans says. “I respect Chuck and I’m a big fan of Chuck, and I love what he does for the sport. But then at the same time, I still want to go out there and kick his ass. It’s just the competitor in me. If we were playing air hockey, I’ll try to kick his ass in air hockey, just to compete.”
He has come a long way to fight Liddell, and he’s determined to make the fight about him, not the idol.
“Whenever you fight somebody, you look across the ring, they have a different face, but you’re pretty much fighting yourself. And it’s a challenge I get to present to myself to see if I can go out there and do it.”
On Sept. 6 at UFC 88, Evans will workout, and with any luck, it will be a good one.
UFC 88: PARISYAN READY FOR OLYMPIC CHALLENGE
Karo Parisyan has been that contender who has always been on the cusp of a UFC welterweight title shot. In 2005, he was slated to take on then reigning champion Matt Hughes at UFC 55 when he was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Parisyan never did receive his shot at the belt after healing and had lost to Diego Sanchez in his second fight back from injury.
He then defeated his next three opponents and was matched up in a potential No. 1 contender bout against Thiago Alves. Unfortunately for “The Heat,” he succumbed to a knee and a succession of punches that forced the referee to call the bout.
Now, the Armenian is looking to get back to his old form against a high level judoka in Yoshiyuki Yoshida. One thing that he'll also have to fight is a recent influx of panic attacks. “I had some panic attacks going on and I didn't even know what it was until I went to the doctor,” explained Parisyan in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I'm trying to cope with that stuff... at the same time, just training and trying to make my way up to the top again.”
Now that he has pinpointed what has been affecting him, he has been figuring out how to suppress the attacks. “Hopefully,” he said when asked if he had the attacks under control. “That's the one thing that you have to figure out... what triggers that (stuff) and once you figure it out, you try to stay away from stuff like that. Life is a whole experience.”
The experience was traumatic for the UFC veteran and prior to him having these panic attacks, he didn't even know what one was. “Everyday you find something new about yourself. I didn't even know what a panic attack was. The truth is that it's not about panicking. It's like your mind travels 135 miles-per-hour. Your heartbeat goes through the roof and you can't find yourself. The worst part is when you tell yourself, 'is this ever going to leave me? Am I ever going to get through this? Am I ever going to heal?' It starts kicking your ass.”
Parisyan had even made a trip out to Greg Jackson's camp to train, but unfortunately, the panic attacks seemed to keep him from staying there too long. Luckily, Jackson was able to come out for a little while and help Parisyan prepare for his upcoming bout.
“He had like eight guys fighting the day he came out here,” commented Parisyan gratefully. “He still made the trip out here to help me out, see where I'm at in my training, my conditioning. We worked on some technique. We put the game plan together and we'll see what's going to happen.”
One serious part of Parisyan's game that he has been working on diligently is his cardio. Many people have long said that his biggest weakness is his endurance and stamina. Realizing that he needed to work on that, he has taken a very serious approach to improving that part of his game. “I'm trying to concentrate on cardio. Doing a lot of sprint work, grappling, sparring, all kinds of stuff. A lot of pad work. Training is going pretty good. First time I'm going injury free. Everything is going okay so far.”
Yoshida is the toughest Judoka-turned-mixed-martial-artist that Parisyan has ever faced. He believes he is a better overall fighter than Yoshida, and that will be the difference maker in the fight. However, Parisyan holds a lot of respect for his opponent and was nothing but complementary about him.
“He's a real good judo guy. He has good ground and pound. He has fairly decent submissions. His strength is my strength so I think when we clash it'll be fireworks. This is the first time I fought a real athlete. No disrespect to the guys I've fought before. This is the first time I'm fighting an Olympic caliber judo guy and I have a lot of respect for him. I'm going to go in that cage and give it my all,” said the 26-year-old.
“I think I'm a better MMA fighter than he is, however you never know what will happen in a fight. I'm just hoping and praying that I'll come in good shape for this fight and give the crowd what they want to see.”
Karo Parisyan has been that contender who has always been on the cusp of a UFC welterweight title shot. In 2005, he was slated to take on then reigning champion Matt Hughes at UFC 55 when he was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Parisyan never did receive his shot at the belt after healing and had lost to Diego Sanchez in his second fight back from injury.
He then defeated his next three opponents and was matched up in a potential No. 1 contender bout against Thiago Alves. Unfortunately for “The Heat,” he succumbed to a knee and a succession of punches that forced the referee to call the bout.
Now, the Armenian is looking to get back to his old form against a high level judoka in Yoshiyuki Yoshida. One thing that he'll also have to fight is a recent influx of panic attacks. “I had some panic attacks going on and I didn't even know what it was until I went to the doctor,” explained Parisyan in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I'm trying to cope with that stuff... at the same time, just training and trying to make my way up to the top again.”
Now that he has pinpointed what has been affecting him, he has been figuring out how to suppress the attacks. “Hopefully,” he said when asked if he had the attacks under control. “That's the one thing that you have to figure out... what triggers that (stuff) and once you figure it out, you try to stay away from stuff like that. Life is a whole experience.”
The experience was traumatic for the UFC veteran and prior to him having these panic attacks, he didn't even know what one was. “Everyday you find something new about yourself. I didn't even know what a panic attack was. The truth is that it's not about panicking. It's like your mind travels 135 miles-per-hour. Your heartbeat goes through the roof and you can't find yourself. The worst part is when you tell yourself, 'is this ever going to leave me? Am I ever going to get through this? Am I ever going to heal?' It starts kicking your ass.”
Parisyan had even made a trip out to Greg Jackson's camp to train, but unfortunately, the panic attacks seemed to keep him from staying there too long. Luckily, Jackson was able to come out for a little while and help Parisyan prepare for his upcoming bout.
“He had like eight guys fighting the day he came out here,” commented Parisyan gratefully. “He still made the trip out here to help me out, see where I'm at in my training, my conditioning. We worked on some technique. We put the game plan together and we'll see what's going to happen.”
One serious part of Parisyan's game that he has been working on diligently is his cardio. Many people have long said that his biggest weakness is his endurance and stamina. Realizing that he needed to work on that, he has taken a very serious approach to improving that part of his game. “I'm trying to concentrate on cardio. Doing a lot of sprint work, grappling, sparring, all kinds of stuff. A lot of pad work. Training is going pretty good. First time I'm going injury free. Everything is going okay so far.”
Yoshida is the toughest Judoka-turned-mixed-martial-artist that Parisyan has ever faced. He believes he is a better overall fighter than Yoshida, and that will be the difference maker in the fight. However, Parisyan holds a lot of respect for his opponent and was nothing but complementary about him.
“He's a real good judo guy. He has good ground and pound. He has fairly decent submissions. His strength is my strength so I think when we clash it'll be fireworks. This is the first time I fought a real athlete. No disrespect to the guys I've fought before. This is the first time I'm fighting an Olympic caliber judo guy and I have a lot of respect for him. I'm going to go in that cage and give it my all,” said the 26-year-old.
“I think I'm a better MMA fighter than he is, however you never know what will happen in a fight. I'm just hoping and praying that I'll come in good shape for this fight and give the crowd what they want to see.”
ON THE RISE: MARLON SANDRO
Name: Marlon Sandro
Professional Record: 11-0
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 145lbs
Discipline: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai
Notable Wins: Daiki Hata, Miki Shida
Brazil’s team Nova Uniao has produced some of the best fighters in the world including former Shooto Champion Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, UFC fighter Thales Leites and IFL Champion Wagnney Fabiano Santos. Another name that may find its way onto the list is undefeated featherweight standout Marlon Sandro.
The Rio de Janeiro athlete started fighting at a young age of seventeen. Sandro practiced Capoeira early on and then transitioned into Jiu-Jitsu under the tutelage of Andre Pederneiras and Rafael Carino.
“I always liked the idea [of fighting],” said Sandro after mentioning he was influenced by action movies starring Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Lee. “I always wanted to do judo but as I didn’t have the money nor knew where to take classes. I started with Capoeira.”
As a fighter, Marlon Sandro is inspired by several other fighters. “I started with Randy Couture. Later, once I started training MMA with Shaolin [Vitor Ribeiro]…with his ground technique and all, I started finding inspiration in his style. Joao Roque as well.”
For those who have never seen Marlon fight, he describes his style as “aggressive; more technical than aggressive. Lately I've been looking to show more of my aggressive side, which is what people want to see. I prefer for my fights to take place on the ground.”
Sandro certainly displayed his aggressive side with an impressive knock out win over tough veteran Miki Shida back in March. The win increased his unblemished record to 11-0. The 31-year old fighter commented about the pressures of retaining a perfect record.
“These days I don't feel any more pressure. When I had seven or eight fights I did. Not anymore. I think that is because I’ve seen what my friends go through when they win and lose and I know they come back from losses,” revealed the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. “Now I just think about my fight.”
With two impressive wins over former title contender Daiki Hata and Miki Shida under the Pancrase banner, Sandro has positioned himself next in line for the 145-pound King of Pancrase title. To win the Pancrase featherweight belt would be a crowning achievement in Marlon’s career. However, his potential for future success won’t end there. Bigger organizations and opportunities await the Nova Uniao fighter in the U.S. and in Japan.
“I think Dream and Sengoku are much closer to me right now than fighting in the United States but I don't discard the possibility of fighting in the U.S. I would love the opportunity to fight there, to expand my horizons,” explained Sandro. “I guess it would all come down to getting an offer. As I'm already fighting in Japan, I think I'm much closer to fighting in Dream or Sengoku, which is also a dream of mine.”
“First I'd like to thank God for the good times I'm seeing. I'm grateful to everyone who supports me and is not able to be around me. I hope I will not disappoint them.”
Name: Marlon Sandro
Professional Record: 11-0
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 145lbs
Discipline: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai
Notable Wins: Daiki Hata, Miki Shida
Brazil’s team Nova Uniao has produced some of the best fighters in the world including former Shooto Champion Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, UFC fighter Thales Leites and IFL Champion Wagnney Fabiano Santos. Another name that may find its way onto the list is undefeated featherweight standout Marlon Sandro.
The Rio de Janeiro athlete started fighting at a young age of seventeen. Sandro practiced Capoeira early on and then transitioned into Jiu-Jitsu under the tutelage of Andre Pederneiras and Rafael Carino.
“I always liked the idea [of fighting],” said Sandro after mentioning he was influenced by action movies starring Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Lee. “I always wanted to do judo but as I didn’t have the money nor knew where to take classes. I started with Capoeira.”
As a fighter, Marlon Sandro is inspired by several other fighters. “I started with Randy Couture. Later, once I started training MMA with Shaolin [Vitor Ribeiro]…with his ground technique and all, I started finding inspiration in his style. Joao Roque as well.”
For those who have never seen Marlon fight, he describes his style as “aggressive; more technical than aggressive. Lately I've been looking to show more of my aggressive side, which is what people want to see. I prefer for my fights to take place on the ground.”
Sandro certainly displayed his aggressive side with an impressive knock out win over tough veteran Miki Shida back in March. The win increased his unblemished record to 11-0. The 31-year old fighter commented about the pressures of retaining a perfect record.
“These days I don't feel any more pressure. When I had seven or eight fights I did. Not anymore. I think that is because I’ve seen what my friends go through when they win and lose and I know they come back from losses,” revealed the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. “Now I just think about my fight.”
With two impressive wins over former title contender Daiki Hata and Miki Shida under the Pancrase banner, Sandro has positioned himself next in line for the 145-pound King of Pancrase title. To win the Pancrase featherweight belt would be a crowning achievement in Marlon’s career. However, his potential for future success won’t end there. Bigger organizations and opportunities await the Nova Uniao fighter in the U.S. and in Japan.
“I think Dream and Sengoku are much closer to me right now than fighting in the United States but I don't discard the possibility of fighting in the U.S. I would love the opportunity to fight there, to expand my horizons,” explained Sandro. “I guess it would all come down to getting an offer. As I'm already fighting in Japan, I think I'm much closer to fighting in Dream or Sengoku, which is also a dream of mine.”
“First I'd like to thank God for the good times I'm seeing. I'm grateful to everyone who supports me and is not able to be around me. I hope I will not disappoint them.”
Dropping weight classes a gamble for the WEC
Almost from the day that Dana White and his partners, Las Vegas casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, purchased the UFC in 2001, the UFC president was asked repeatedly about his interest in signing a particular fighter.
Without fail, White would express confidence in signing said fighter and then would launch into a diatribe in which he'd say, "I want all of them," in reference to the world's finest mixed martial artists.
Since the acquisition of the rival PRIDE Fighting Championship in 2006, White hasn't had to answer the question nearly as often.
He had better brace, though, because it seems that tired old question is going to return with a vengeance.
This time, though, he'll be asked about signing fighters for the World Extreme Cagefighting organization, which Zuffa, the White-led company that owns the UFC, purchased in late 2006.
The WEC purchase has been more than White could have hoped for. He acquired the talent of brilliant matchmaker Scott Adams in the process, as well as the contracts of a passel of elite fighters.
Two of the WEC fighters, featherweight champion Urijah Faber (No. 5) and bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (No. 7), are ranked in the Yahoo! Sports top 10 poll of the world's best fighters. Its welterweight champion, Carlos Condit, is in the top 20.
Zuffa's decision to trim the WEC from six divisions (light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight) to four by folding its light heavyweight and middleweight divisions into the UFC, however, will make it that much harder to fill cards.
That's particularly true given White's plan to add pay-per-view shows to the WEC's offerings, perhaps as early as May.
Since Zuffa bought the WEC, it has put on 11 live events in 20 months. The 12th will be on Sept. 10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when Faber defends his title against Mike Brown.
White, who holds as tight a rein on the WEC as he does over the UFC, said he's not certain exactly how many WEC cards Zuffa will stage in 2009.
Laughing, though, he said, "We're still figuring that out, but I can tell you this: It's not going to go down."
Therein lies the problem for Joe Silva, the most unappreciated man in mixed martial arts. Silva is Zuffa's vice president of talent relations and matchmaker and he makes the WEC's fights in conjunction with Adams along with all of the UFC cards.
The number of available fighters will drop by 33 percent – two of its existing six divisions are heading to the UFC – but the number of shows will increase.
And as good as Faber and Torres are, they can only fight a finite number of times.
The WEC has ridden Faber hard since adding him to its stable in 2007. Counting WEC 36 on Sept. 10, Faber will have fought in the main event on five of the 12 shows since Zuffa has owned the company, and was in the co-main event once.
There's no way he'll be able to keep up that pace, particularly if the WEC expands to 10 shows next year. Though White said he's not sure how many shows the WEC will do next year, going to 10 would seem likely, given the fact he said it's going to increase and he has a contract with the Versus cable network that he needs to fulfill.
And while losing the light heavyweights won't matter much to the WEC – only ex-Marine captain Brian Stann was headline worthy from that division and, as he showed at WEC 35, he's clearly a work in progress and far from an elite fighter – losing the middleweights will have an impact.
Middleweight champion Paulo Filho is among the four or five finest 185-pounders and there are some who believe he's worthy of being rated among the pound-for-pound best.
Only Faber seems capable of carrying a pay-per-view show now among those on the WEC roster. Torres undoubtedly will as he gains more exposure and Condit may in the future, as well.
If ex-UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver stays motivated, he's another who could do it. There aren't, though, many more good options.
There are plenty of excellent fighters, but not those who have the charisma, the fan base and the fighting skill to make a pay-per-view card a success.
White, as usual, insists he's hardly concerned. And while he defended the decision to add pay-per-view to the mix on the WEC side, he clearly isn't worried about oversaturating the market.
"Have you ever heard one person who said there are too many NFL games on," White asked.
No, but NFL games, he was reminded, are free. Fans are asked to pay $45 for the UFC pay-per-views.
Still, White said the same marketing that helped the UFC rise from near-extinction to become the sport's dominant promotional company will allow the WEC to succeed.
"We have a track record and all you have to do is see what we've done in the past to know what we're going to do with this thing," White said of the WEC. "There are a lot of moving parts right now. I have a million and one things on my plate. But I know this: The WEC is stacked with talent and there are a lot of exciting fights that we can make.
"We're going to do what we do and market the (expletive) out of this and build it day by day. The fighters are there, too, believe me. We're not new at this thing."
The fight game takes a physical toll on its combatants, however, and with a smaller pool of fighters to choose from, the same men are going to be asked to headline and appear on the pay-per-view shows. And if there aren't enough bodies to go around, White could come to rue the day he decided to lop off the middleweights and light heavyweights.
White, though, is undaunted.
"We're starting from a position in the WEC where guys like Faber and Torres, so many people know how great they are already," White said. "Remember where we were when we took over the UFC. We were off cable and we couldn't even get (venue operators) to answer our phone calls.
"The WEC has got great talent that people know and a good TV contract (with Versus). We're still going to put a lot of our best fights on Versus, so this thing is only going to get better."
To do it, he may have to raid the Japanese MMA promotions, where high-quality fighters such as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto are competing.
Because without an influx of big-time talent, this may be one challenge even White isn't up to filling.
Almost from the day that Dana White and his partners, Las Vegas casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, purchased the UFC in 2001, the UFC president was asked repeatedly about his interest in signing a particular fighter.
Without fail, White would express confidence in signing said fighter and then would launch into a diatribe in which he'd say, "I want all of them," in reference to the world's finest mixed martial artists.
Since the acquisition of the rival PRIDE Fighting Championship in 2006, White hasn't had to answer the question nearly as often.
He had better brace, though, because it seems that tired old question is going to return with a vengeance.
This time, though, he'll be asked about signing fighters for the World Extreme Cagefighting organization, which Zuffa, the White-led company that owns the UFC, purchased in late 2006.
The WEC purchase has been more than White could have hoped for. He acquired the talent of brilliant matchmaker Scott Adams in the process, as well as the contracts of a passel of elite fighters.
Two of the WEC fighters, featherweight champion Urijah Faber (No. 5) and bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (No. 7), are ranked in the Yahoo! Sports top 10 poll of the world's best fighters. Its welterweight champion, Carlos Condit, is in the top 20.
Zuffa's decision to trim the WEC from six divisions (light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight) to four by folding its light heavyweight and middleweight divisions into the UFC, however, will make it that much harder to fill cards.
That's particularly true given White's plan to add pay-per-view shows to the WEC's offerings, perhaps as early as May.
Since Zuffa bought the WEC, it has put on 11 live events in 20 months. The 12th will be on Sept. 10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when Faber defends his title against Mike Brown.
White, who holds as tight a rein on the WEC as he does over the UFC, said he's not certain exactly how many WEC cards Zuffa will stage in 2009.
Laughing, though, he said, "We're still figuring that out, but I can tell you this: It's not going to go down."
Therein lies the problem for Joe Silva, the most unappreciated man in mixed martial arts. Silva is Zuffa's vice president of talent relations and matchmaker and he makes the WEC's fights in conjunction with Adams along with all of the UFC cards.
The number of available fighters will drop by 33 percent – two of its existing six divisions are heading to the UFC – but the number of shows will increase.
And as good as Faber and Torres are, they can only fight a finite number of times.
The WEC has ridden Faber hard since adding him to its stable in 2007. Counting WEC 36 on Sept. 10, Faber will have fought in the main event on five of the 12 shows since Zuffa has owned the company, and was in the co-main event once.
There's no way he'll be able to keep up that pace, particularly if the WEC expands to 10 shows next year. Though White said he's not sure how many shows the WEC will do next year, going to 10 would seem likely, given the fact he said it's going to increase and he has a contract with the Versus cable network that he needs to fulfill.
And while losing the light heavyweights won't matter much to the WEC – only ex-Marine captain Brian Stann was headline worthy from that division and, as he showed at WEC 35, he's clearly a work in progress and far from an elite fighter – losing the middleweights will have an impact.
Middleweight champion Paulo Filho is among the four or five finest 185-pounders and there are some who believe he's worthy of being rated among the pound-for-pound best.
Only Faber seems capable of carrying a pay-per-view show now among those on the WEC roster. Torres undoubtedly will as he gains more exposure and Condit may in the future, as well.
If ex-UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver stays motivated, he's another who could do it. There aren't, though, many more good options.
There are plenty of excellent fighters, but not those who have the charisma, the fan base and the fighting skill to make a pay-per-view card a success.
White, as usual, insists he's hardly concerned. And while he defended the decision to add pay-per-view to the mix on the WEC side, he clearly isn't worried about oversaturating the market.
"Have you ever heard one person who said there are too many NFL games on," White asked.
No, but NFL games, he was reminded, are free. Fans are asked to pay $45 for the UFC pay-per-views.
Still, White said the same marketing that helped the UFC rise from near-extinction to become the sport's dominant promotional company will allow the WEC to succeed.
"We have a track record and all you have to do is see what we've done in the past to know what we're going to do with this thing," White said of the WEC. "There are a lot of moving parts right now. I have a million and one things on my plate. But I know this: The WEC is stacked with talent and there are a lot of exciting fights that we can make.
"We're going to do what we do and market the (expletive) out of this and build it day by day. The fighters are there, too, believe me. We're not new at this thing."
The fight game takes a physical toll on its combatants, however, and with a smaller pool of fighters to choose from, the same men are going to be asked to headline and appear on the pay-per-view shows. And if there aren't enough bodies to go around, White could come to rue the day he decided to lop off the middleweights and light heavyweights.
White, though, is undaunted.
"We're starting from a position in the WEC where guys like Faber and Torres, so many people know how great they are already," White said. "Remember where we were when we took over the UFC. We were off cable and we couldn't even get (venue operators) to answer our phone calls.
"The WEC has got great talent that people know and a good TV contract (with Versus). We're still going to put a lot of our best fights on Versus, so this thing is only going to get better."
To do it, he may have to raid the Japanese MMA promotions, where high-quality fighters such as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto are competing.
Because without an influx of big-time talent, this may be one challenge even White isn't up to filling.
Report: Aurelio replaces injured Tibau, meets Franca at UFC 90
A shoulder injury has forced Gleison Tibau (15-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC) out of UFC 90, and he'll be replaced by Marcus Aurelio (16-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a bout with Hermes Franca (18-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC).
The news comes from Sherdog.com, citing Franca. However, the UFC hasn't officially announced the bout.
UFC 90, which features a main event of UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote, takes place Oct. 25 at Allstate Arena near Chicago in Rosemont, Ill.
Franca, who tested positive for (and admitted) steroid use after a fight with then-champ Sean Sherk in 2007, served a one-year suspension and returned in July for UFC Fight Night 14. There, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Frankie Edgar, but he earned a $25,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus in defeat.
He'll look to snap the losing skid against Aurelio, a longtime friend and former instructor.
Aurelio, a PRIDE veteran who's had mixed success in the UFC, most recently suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC 86. Aurelio has struggled against top competition (suffering decision losses to Griffin and Clay Guida) while making short work of mid-level talent (with first-round stoppages of Luke Caudillo and Ryan Roberts).
Aurelio has now lost four of his past six fights.
A shoulder injury has forced Gleison Tibau (15-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC) out of UFC 90, and he'll be replaced by Marcus Aurelio (16-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a bout with Hermes Franca (18-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC).
The news comes from Sherdog.com, citing Franca. However, the UFC hasn't officially announced the bout.
UFC 90, which features a main event of UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote, takes place Oct. 25 at Allstate Arena near Chicago in Rosemont, Ill.
Franca, who tested positive for (and admitted) steroid use after a fight with then-champ Sean Sherk in 2007, served a one-year suspension and returned in July for UFC Fight Night 14. There, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Frankie Edgar, but he earned a $25,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus in defeat.
He'll look to snap the losing skid against Aurelio, a longtime friend and former instructor.
Aurelio, a PRIDE veteran who's had mixed success in the UFC, most recently suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC 86. Aurelio has struggled against top competition (suffering decision losses to Griffin and Clay Guida) while making short work of mid-level talent (with first-round stoppages of Luke Caudillo and Ryan Roberts).
Aurelio has now lost four of his past six fights.
UFC Quick Quote: Brock Lesnar needs ‘a lot’ of preparation before fight with Minotauro Noguiera
“[Brock needs] A lot [of preparation time]. Because Nogeuira’s very dangerous on the ground. Brock would have to outwrestle him and take him down. And be very careful that he doesn’t extend his limbs. Brock hits like a sledgehammer. He hits so hard and he’s fast. One thing we’re really working hard on is not pushing his strikes but launching strikes with crack and pop at the end. To have boxer-level hands. Also, his knees are devastating. I would not want to get kneed by Brock. His knees are huge. Heath had no idea that Brock was going to come out and throw a kick at him. As for a match with Nogueira, I have no idea what the UFC’s plans are. I know Brock has two more fights. Brock is such an incredible athlete. He could rise to the occasion. For me, he’s fun to train because he’s so ambitious. Brock is completely coach able. Some fighters I’ve worked with, you go for a week and you end up holding pads for them. With Brock, it’s, Can you teach me? Can you show me? Can you show me? It’s worth the time to go there.”
– Former mixed martial arts champion and current trainer for Brock Lesnar, Erik Paulson, shares his thoughts with MMAmemories.com on whether or not he is ready for a title shot against veteran UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. Lesnar is new to the sport and was caught in a submission in his Octagon debut against Frank Mir at UFC 81: “Breaking Point.” He rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Heath Herring at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” last month. And now there’s crazy speculation that he could next fight Randy Couture at UFC 91 on November 15. If he does indeed step into the cage with Couture — and wins — he’d likely be knocking on the door of a title shot whether he’s ready or not.
“[Brock needs] A lot [of preparation time]. Because Nogeuira’s very dangerous on the ground. Brock would have to outwrestle him and take him down. And be very careful that he doesn’t extend his limbs. Brock hits like a sledgehammer. He hits so hard and he’s fast. One thing we’re really working hard on is not pushing his strikes but launching strikes with crack and pop at the end. To have boxer-level hands. Also, his knees are devastating. I would not want to get kneed by Brock. His knees are huge. Heath had no idea that Brock was going to come out and throw a kick at him. As for a match with Nogueira, I have no idea what the UFC’s plans are. I know Brock has two more fights. Brock is such an incredible athlete. He could rise to the occasion. For me, he’s fun to train because he’s so ambitious. Brock is completely coach able. Some fighters I’ve worked with, you go for a week and you end up holding pads for them. With Brock, it’s, Can you teach me? Can you show me? Can you show me? It’s worth the time to go there.”
– Former mixed martial arts champion and current trainer for Brock Lesnar, Erik Paulson, shares his thoughts with MMAmemories.com on whether or not he is ready for a title shot against veteran UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. Lesnar is new to the sport and was caught in a submission in his Octagon debut against Frank Mir at UFC 81: “Breaking Point.” He rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Heath Herring at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” last month. And now there’s crazy speculation that he could next fight Randy Couture at UFC 91 on November 15. If he does indeed step into the cage with Couture — and wins — he’d likely be knocking on the door of a title shot whether he’s ready or not.
5 Oz. Exclusive: The camp for Brett Rogers issues another response to Kimbo Slice
The first time we posted a statement from the camp of Brett Rogers it got us kicked off of our server. Well, FiveOuncesOfPain.com was contacted again by Mike Reilly, the manager for Rogers as well as the head trainer at Team Bison, who has issued a second statement released EXCLUSIVELY to Five Ounces of Pain (note to other editors: feel free to use excerpts and post a link to the complete statement on our site, but unless the statement is released directly to you, you do not have our permission to run it in its entirety).
This second statement from the Rogers camp is in response to a rebuttal that had been issued by Team Kimbo late last week.
Below is the response to the response, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t crash the site:
OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE CAMP OF BRETT ROGERS
We laughed and laughed and then laughed some more… then sort of forgot what we were laughing about and then we remembered and laughed some more; grabbed a bag of Doritos and those KICK ASS brownies they sell at Costco (they fucking rule!) and came up with this response that Kimbo will understand.
With all the talk and about the Kimbo situation let me be Blunt. I would hate to see this whole deal go up in Smoke when Kenny hammers Kimbo. We don’t want to be a Chronic pest; like a Roach on a white rug but we want our shot. Now far be it from us to Harsh anyone’s Buzz so we will be nicer in our comments going forward.
My Auntie Mary Jane said what the world needs is more Tender Huggin Care (THC). So before any bridges get burnt we will put a lid on the negative. We are not just going to huff and puff; we will just wait ’till the numbers are right and then we will get out from behind the 8-ball, jump from limbo and just hope it happens sometime before Kimbo B-40. Right now I know a lot of hoppers be looking at us with Chinese Eyes wondering if we will set the whole world a blaze. But we like they will just have to wait and while our desire to hear the bell go bam grows like a weed; we will just lay in the grass biding our time with our buds.
Thanks
– Team Bison on behalf of Brett Rogers
P.S. Damn it is 4:20… I gots to go… Anyone see Kimbo tell him I said HIGH-HIGH
The first time we posted a statement from the camp of Brett Rogers it got us kicked off of our server. Well, FiveOuncesOfPain.com was contacted again by Mike Reilly, the manager for Rogers as well as the head trainer at Team Bison, who has issued a second statement released EXCLUSIVELY to Five Ounces of Pain (note to other editors: feel free to use excerpts and post a link to the complete statement on our site, but unless the statement is released directly to you, you do not have our permission to run it in its entirety).
This second statement from the Rogers camp is in response to a rebuttal that had been issued by Team Kimbo late last week.
Below is the response to the response, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t crash the site:
OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE CAMP OF BRETT ROGERS
We laughed and laughed and then laughed some more… then sort of forgot what we were laughing about and then we remembered and laughed some more; grabbed a bag of Doritos and those KICK ASS brownies they sell at Costco (they fucking rule!) and came up with this response that Kimbo will understand.
With all the talk and about the Kimbo situation let me be Blunt. I would hate to see this whole deal go up in Smoke when Kenny hammers Kimbo. We don’t want to be a Chronic pest; like a Roach on a white rug but we want our shot. Now far be it from us to Harsh anyone’s Buzz so we will be nicer in our comments going forward.
My Auntie Mary Jane said what the world needs is more Tender Huggin Care (THC). So before any bridges get burnt we will put a lid on the negative. We are not just going to huff and puff; we will just wait ’till the numbers are right and then we will get out from behind the 8-ball, jump from limbo and just hope it happens sometime before Kimbo B-40. Right now I know a lot of hoppers be looking at us with Chinese Eyes wondering if we will set the whole world a blaze. But we like they will just have to wait and while our desire to hear the bell go bam grows like a weed; we will just lay in the grass biding our time with our buds.
Thanks
– Team Bison on behalf of Brett Rogers
P.S. Damn it is 4:20… I gots to go… Anyone see Kimbo tell him I said HIGH-HIGH
Rousimar Palhares going to USA tonight
It’s time to relax and wait for the fight. Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares will travel today to UFC, where he faces, Saturday, the former Pride champion, Dan Henderson, that wants to win again after two losses in UFC, to Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva. Bebeo Duarte, leader of Brazilian Top Team, told TATAME that he’ll have Murilo Bustamante and Darrel Gohlar in his corner. “He’s ready since last week. Darrel was helping him here and we’ll be in his corner for the fight”, said Bebeo. A curious detail: Gohlar helped Henderson for his fight against Anderson Silva. “The American people keep saying that this fight will put Henderson back to wins and it’s an easy fight for him, but let them say… We’re putting no pressure on Toquinho. He’s like a horse ready to race and win”, guarantees Bebeo, that believes in another victory in UFC.
It’s time to relax and wait for the fight. Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares will travel today to UFC, where he faces, Saturday, the former Pride champion, Dan Henderson, that wants to win again after two losses in UFC, to Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva. Bebeo Duarte, leader of Brazilian Top Team, told TATAME that he’ll have Murilo Bustamante and Darrel Gohlar in his corner. “He’s ready since last week. Darrel was helping him here and we’ll be in his corner for the fight”, said Bebeo. A curious detail: Gohlar helped Henderson for his fight against Anderson Silva. “The American people keep saying that this fight will put Henderson back to wins and it’s an easy fight for him, but let them say… We’re putting no pressure on Toquinho. He’s like a horse ready to race and win”, guarantees Bebeo, that believes in another victory in UFC.
Henderson Hopes for 'Hollywood' Ending
Back-to-back losses are more than enough to motivate many a fighter to step up his or her training for the next throwdown.
Dan “Hollywood” Henderson (Pictures) isn’t among them.
Even though his middleweight fight Saturday against Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares (Pictures) at UFC 88 in Atlanta is his first bout since consecutive defeats at the hands and legs of then-UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (Pictures), Henderson said he’s training no harder for this fight than for the last two.
“I try to win every fight and I train hard to win every fight,” Henderson (22-7-0), one of MMA’s most battle-tested, accomplished veterans, said during a break from training at his Team Quest facility in rural Murrieta, Calif., about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles. “I feel like in those last two fights, I trained harder than ever, so …
“Just for whatever reason, my body wasn’t quite feeling so good in my last fight,” Henderson, a man of relatively few words, said of his March 1 loss to Silva. “And against Quinton Jackson (Pictures), I came up a little short. My weight cut last time, I didn’t quite do it properly, for whatever reason, but I’m right on track right now. Right where I want to be.”
If anything, said Art Santore (Pictures), one of Henderson’s regular sparring partners at Team Quest, Henderson has stepped down his training for the Palhares fight. That’s because, Santore said, he and Henderson’s other training partners feel they overworked Henderson for the Jackson and Silva fights, leaving his body a bit worn down going into those contests.
“I don’t think he’s overtraining for this one,” Santore said. “When he fought Anderson Silva (Pictures) and Quinton, we were pushing him pretty hard, so I think he kind of fatigued the body out a little too much. So I think on this one, we’ve learned not to over push him too much. I don’t think his body is as beat up as it was for those other two fights.
“He was definitely just worn out,” for the Jackson and Silva contests, Santore continued. “I mean, I was a little nervous for him. The body can only take so much. Whereas this fight, his body is healthy right now. He’s not gonna hit the plateau early.”
The fact that he’s not overtraining this time out should not be interpreted as meaning that Henderson, favored to win, is taking Palhares (8-1-0) lightly.
“He’s not very well known, but he’s very dangerous,” Henderson, 38, the heavy-handed, iron-chinned former Olympic wrestler, said of his opponent, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu submission specialist, 10 years his junior, who is on a six-fight win streak. “He’s gonna be tough and like I said, he’s dangerous for sure on the ground with his submissions. I’m aware of that and I’m sure the fight will end up on the ground and I’m comfortable there. It’s just that’s the only place I feel he can finish the fight, so I just want to be careful when I’m on the ground with him.”
Indeed. Three of Henderson’s seven career losses, including his defeat by Silva, have come by way of submissions. Six of Palhares’ eight wins have been via submissions, including his last fight at UFC 84 in May, where he scored an impressive armbar victory over wily veteran Ivan Salaverry (Pictures).
“This guy tapped out Ivan Salaverry (Pictures), and he made it look easy,” Santore said with begrudging respect.
Obviously then, Palhares is certain to try to take the fight to the ground early. Henderson, who has 10 career knockout victories, is equally certain to want to keep the fight standing up.
“Usually that’s where I have the best chance of finishing people, is standing up,” Henderson said. “It depends on my opponent, but yeah, I’m gonna try to knock him out. If I get on top of him, I’m gonna try to knock him out there too. Hopefully that happens, but I’m ready to do a full three rounds with him too.”
Krzysztof Soszynski (Pictures), another Henderson training partner (Henderson made it clear that he doesn’t have “trainers,” but rather “training partners”
, said it’s no secret where Henderson wants the fight.
“We definitely think Dan Henderson (Pictures) is a way better fighter than his opponent on the feet and in the clinch,” Soszynski explained.
Surrounded at Team Quest by Santore, Soszynski and other regulars like Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures), Bryan Harper, Jesse Taylor (Pictures) and Brian Foster (Pictures) (Pictures), Henderson’s morning workouts include lifting weights, focus mitt work and submission technique drills. His evening workouts include sparring and grappling, both twice a week, for an overall total of about four hours of training a day.
Soszynski added that Henderson also has been working with “some really good jiu-jitsu guys to help him with his ground game and who know their leg locks. We know that his opponent is a really good submission artist, especially with the leg locks. I think Dan is 100-percent ready to go.”
Soszynski agreed with Henderson that his consecutive losses to Jackson and Silva aren’t really a mental factor as he prepares for Palhares.
“He’s such a mentally strong fighter that having two losses doesn’t really affect him that much,” Soszynski said.
But Santore isn’t so sure.
“He knows that if he doesn’t win this fight, where then are they (UFC) going to put him?” Santore said.
Since coming over to the UFC in 2007 from Pride, where he simultaneously held the welterweight and middleweight belts, Henderson has yet to win in the Octagon, though certainly there’s no shame in losing to the likes of Jackson and Silva. Henderson’s last UFC wins were way back in 1998 at UFC 17, when he won the middleweight tournament.
“I’m sure he’s just like every other human,” Santore said. “I mean I always told myself that if I came out with three losses in a row, that I better pretty much fold it up because I can’t seem to get something right. Now as for Dan, I’ve never questioned him about that, but I’m sure he’s got to be feeling it just as any other fighter knows. You can’t expect to keep getting paid to continue fighting if you’re not winning.
“But being that I’m one of his trainers, I always think he’s going to beat everybody. There’s never a doubt in my mind that he’s going to be able to knock these guys out. I mean, I still think that he can beat Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and Anderson Silva (Pictures).”
And then of course there’s the fact that the only other time Henderson dropped two straight fights, back in 2002, with losses to Ricardo Arona (Pictures) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), he responded with four straight wins.
Will past be prologue? Will Henderson start a new win streak by disposing of Palhares? Or will he lose a third consecutive fight, giving Palhares a seventh straight win? All those questions, as UFC President Dana White is fond of saying, should be answered Saturday.
Back-to-back losses are more than enough to motivate many a fighter to step up his or her training for the next throwdown.
Dan “Hollywood” Henderson (Pictures) isn’t among them.
Even though his middleweight fight Saturday against Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares (Pictures) at UFC 88 in Atlanta is his first bout since consecutive defeats at the hands and legs of then-UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (Pictures), Henderson said he’s training no harder for this fight than for the last two.
“I try to win every fight and I train hard to win every fight,” Henderson (22-7-0), one of MMA’s most battle-tested, accomplished veterans, said during a break from training at his Team Quest facility in rural Murrieta, Calif., about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles. “I feel like in those last two fights, I trained harder than ever, so …
“Just for whatever reason, my body wasn’t quite feeling so good in my last fight,” Henderson, a man of relatively few words, said of his March 1 loss to Silva. “And against Quinton Jackson (Pictures), I came up a little short. My weight cut last time, I didn’t quite do it properly, for whatever reason, but I’m right on track right now. Right where I want to be.”
If anything, said Art Santore (Pictures), one of Henderson’s regular sparring partners at Team Quest, Henderson has stepped down his training for the Palhares fight. That’s because, Santore said, he and Henderson’s other training partners feel they overworked Henderson for the Jackson and Silva fights, leaving his body a bit worn down going into those contests.
“I don’t think he’s overtraining for this one,” Santore said. “When he fought Anderson Silva (Pictures) and Quinton, we were pushing him pretty hard, so I think he kind of fatigued the body out a little too much. So I think on this one, we’ve learned not to over push him too much. I don’t think his body is as beat up as it was for those other two fights.
“He was definitely just worn out,” for the Jackson and Silva contests, Santore continued. “I mean, I was a little nervous for him. The body can only take so much. Whereas this fight, his body is healthy right now. He’s not gonna hit the plateau early.”
The fact that he’s not overtraining this time out should not be interpreted as meaning that Henderson, favored to win, is taking Palhares (8-1-0) lightly.
“He’s not very well known, but he’s very dangerous,” Henderson, 38, the heavy-handed, iron-chinned former Olympic wrestler, said of his opponent, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu submission specialist, 10 years his junior, who is on a six-fight win streak. “He’s gonna be tough and like I said, he’s dangerous for sure on the ground with his submissions. I’m aware of that and I’m sure the fight will end up on the ground and I’m comfortable there. It’s just that’s the only place I feel he can finish the fight, so I just want to be careful when I’m on the ground with him.”
Indeed. Three of Henderson’s seven career losses, including his defeat by Silva, have come by way of submissions. Six of Palhares’ eight wins have been via submissions, including his last fight at UFC 84 in May, where he scored an impressive armbar victory over wily veteran Ivan Salaverry (Pictures).
“This guy tapped out Ivan Salaverry (Pictures), and he made it look easy,” Santore said with begrudging respect.
Obviously then, Palhares is certain to try to take the fight to the ground early. Henderson, who has 10 career knockout victories, is equally certain to want to keep the fight standing up.
“Usually that’s where I have the best chance of finishing people, is standing up,” Henderson said. “It depends on my opponent, but yeah, I’m gonna try to knock him out. If I get on top of him, I’m gonna try to knock him out there too. Hopefully that happens, but I’m ready to do a full three rounds with him too.”
Krzysztof Soszynski (Pictures), another Henderson training partner (Henderson made it clear that he doesn’t have “trainers,” but rather “training partners”
, said it’s no secret where Henderson wants the fight. “We definitely think Dan Henderson (Pictures) is a way better fighter than his opponent on the feet and in the clinch,” Soszynski explained.
Surrounded at Team Quest by Santore, Soszynski and other regulars like Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures), Bryan Harper, Jesse Taylor (Pictures) and Brian Foster (Pictures) (Pictures), Henderson’s morning workouts include lifting weights, focus mitt work and submission technique drills. His evening workouts include sparring and grappling, both twice a week, for an overall total of about four hours of training a day.
Soszynski added that Henderson also has been working with “some really good jiu-jitsu guys to help him with his ground game and who know their leg locks. We know that his opponent is a really good submission artist, especially with the leg locks. I think Dan is 100-percent ready to go.”
Soszynski agreed with Henderson that his consecutive losses to Jackson and Silva aren’t really a mental factor as he prepares for Palhares.
“He’s such a mentally strong fighter that having two losses doesn’t really affect him that much,” Soszynski said.
But Santore isn’t so sure.
“He knows that if he doesn’t win this fight, where then are they (UFC) going to put him?” Santore said.
Since coming over to the UFC in 2007 from Pride, where he simultaneously held the welterweight and middleweight belts, Henderson has yet to win in the Octagon, though certainly there’s no shame in losing to the likes of Jackson and Silva. Henderson’s last UFC wins were way back in 1998 at UFC 17, when he won the middleweight tournament.
“I’m sure he’s just like every other human,” Santore said. “I mean I always told myself that if I came out with three losses in a row, that I better pretty much fold it up because I can’t seem to get something right. Now as for Dan, I’ve never questioned him about that, but I’m sure he’s got to be feeling it just as any other fighter knows. You can’t expect to keep getting paid to continue fighting if you’re not winning.
“But being that I’m one of his trainers, I always think he’s going to beat everybody. There’s never a doubt in my mind that he’s going to be able to knock these guys out. I mean, I still think that he can beat Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and Anderson Silva (Pictures).”
And then of course there’s the fact that the only other time Henderson dropped two straight fights, back in 2002, with losses to Ricardo Arona (Pictures) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), he responded with four straight wins.
Will past be prologue? Will Henderson start a new win streak by disposing of Palhares? Or will he lose a third consecutive fight, giving Palhares a seventh straight win? All those questions, as UFC President Dana White is fond of saying, should be answered Saturday.
'Shogun' Talks Recovery, Possible December Return
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Shogun-Talks-Recovery-Possible-December-Return-1752
Following two surgeries to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Pictures) is still confident that he will return to the form that saw him claim the Pride 2005 middleweight tournament.
Sherdog.com’s Freddie DeFreitas caught up with the Brazilian to discuss his recovery from a second knee reconstruction and a possible December return to the Octagon.
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Shogun-Talks-Recovery-Possible-December-Return-1752
Following two surgeries to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Pictures) is still confident that he will return to the form that saw him claim the Pride 2005 middleweight tournament.
Sherdog.com’s Freddie DeFreitas caught up with the Brazilian to discuss his recovery from a second knee reconstruction and a possible December return to the Octagon.
Big John’s Gym A Breeding Ground For The Future
The Signal has an article on Big John McCarthy’s training facility in the SoCal area. The SoCal area as presented in the article is a blueprint for success for the future
Eight men at Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy in the Valencia Industrial Center are members of the gym’s mixed martial arts team.
According to the gym’s owner and operator, mixed martial arts personality and former referee John McCarthy, mixed martial arts teams number roughly 15 to 20 in Southern California.
Different gyms or schools put on amateur tournaments where the fighters are pitted against one another based on size and experience.
Having a wealth of gyms competing on the amateur level will be key to building up the talent level for the future. A healthy amateur scene will provide for a better finished product once these guys go up to the pro level and also allows for a greater volume of athletes to compete in MMA, casting a wider net if you will. The wider the net cast the better chance of finding diamonds in the rough who can be taken to the next level.
The Signal has an article on Big John McCarthy’s training facility in the SoCal area. The SoCal area as presented in the article is a blueprint for success for the future
Eight men at Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy in the Valencia Industrial Center are members of the gym’s mixed martial arts team.
According to the gym’s owner and operator, mixed martial arts personality and former referee John McCarthy, mixed martial arts teams number roughly 15 to 20 in Southern California.
Different gyms or schools put on amateur tournaments where the fighters are pitted against one another based on size and experience.
Having a wealth of gyms competing on the amateur level will be key to building up the talent level for the future. A healthy amateur scene will provide for a better finished product once these guys go up to the pro level and also allows for a greater volume of athletes to compete in MMA, casting a wider net if you will. The wider the net cast the better chance of finding diamonds in the rough who can be taken to the next level.
Fully Recovered, Liddell Looking for Title Shot
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Fully-Recovered-Liddell-Looking-for-Title-Shot-1753
Still riding the high of his impressive duel with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and the low of his shocking loss to Keith Jardine (Pictures), Chuck Liddell (Pictures) is just happy to be fighting again. Months removed from a serious hamstring injury, “The Iceman” will take on undefeated light heavyweight Rashad Evans (Pictures) at UFC 88.
Sherdog.com’s Greg Savage and Dave Mandel caught up with the former UFC 205-pound champion to discuss his return to the Octagon.
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Fully-Recovered-Liddell-Looking-for-Title-Shot-1753
Still riding the high of his impressive duel with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and the low of his shocking loss to Keith Jardine (Pictures), Chuck Liddell (Pictures) is just happy to be fighting again. Months removed from a serious hamstring injury, “The Iceman” will take on undefeated light heavyweight Rashad Evans (Pictures) at UFC 88.
Sherdog.com’s Greg Savage and Dave Mandel caught up with the former UFC 205-pound champion to discuss his return to the Octagon.
Josh Hendricks debuts at UFC 91 against Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC heavyweight newcomer Josh Hendricks (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his octagon debut against UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 91.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the bout, which was first reported by fiveouncesofpain.com, with a source close to Hendricks.
Bout agreements are expected to be signed this week.
UFC 91, which could feature the return of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar, takes place Nov. 15 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore.
Hendricks, who's competed throughout Ohio, is undefeated in his past 10 fights (with ONE no-contest). Five of the nine victories came via knockout and three Via submission. Hendricks, though, hasn't competed since a first-round knockout of James Powell at a November 2007 Legends of Fighting event.
The 32-year-old was a two-time All-American wrestler at Ashland University.
Gonzaga, meanwhile, began his UFC career with four straight victories to earn a title shot with champ Randy Couture in August 2007. Gonzaga, though, suffered a TKO loss in the fight -- and a subsequent TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80. The Brazilian now lookS to build upon a July submission victory over Justin McCully as he tries to re-enter the title picture.
UFC heavyweight newcomer Josh Hendricks (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his octagon debut against UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 91.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the bout, which was first reported by fiveouncesofpain.com, with a source close to Hendricks.
Bout agreements are expected to be signed this week.
UFC 91, which could feature the return of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar, takes place Nov. 15 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore.
Hendricks, who's competed throughout Ohio, is undefeated in his past 10 fights (with ONE no-contest). Five of the nine victories came via knockout and three Via submission. Hendricks, though, hasn't competed since a first-round knockout of James Powell at a November 2007 Legends of Fighting event.
The 32-year-old was a two-time All-American wrestler at Ashland University.
Gonzaga, meanwhile, began his UFC career with four straight victories to earn a title shot with champ Randy Couture in August 2007. Gonzaga, though, suffered a TKO loss in the fight -- and a subsequent TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80. The Brazilian now lookS to build upon a July submission victory over Justin McCully as he tries to re-enter the title picture.
UFC could host a military-themed event in December
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Spike TV are working toward a military-themed event that would likely take place Dec. 10 -- on a U.S. military base -- as a fundraiser for the Fisher House charity.
Sources close to the event tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that organizers have advanced past the preliminary planning stages, though a number of obstacles remain.
Spike TV officials could neither confirm nor deny the possibility of the event when today reached for comment.
However, according to multiple sources, the event would likely feature some UFC fighters who come from a military background (and many who don't). A main event for the card has not been determined.
However, one of the many obstacles slowing the military event is an already-scheduled event on Dec. 13. The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale -- the live conclusion to the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" -- is slated to take place in Las Vegas just three days after the proposed military event, and the UFC could stretch itself thin setting up equipment and organizing a production staff in that three-day span.
If the event does go on as planned, though, it's expected to benefit the Fisher House, which provides free or low-cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.
The UFC's most recent military-related event -- and the first to be held on a military base -- took place in December 2006. UFC Fight Night 7 featured a main event of Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs and was held at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego, Calif. The event, which took place in a large jet hangar and aired live on Spike TV, drew approximately 3,000 active Marines.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Spike TV are working toward a military-themed event that would likely take place Dec. 10 -- on a U.S. military base -- as a fundraiser for the Fisher House charity.
Sources close to the event tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that organizers have advanced past the preliminary planning stages, though a number of obstacles remain.
Spike TV officials could neither confirm nor deny the possibility of the event when today reached for comment.
However, according to multiple sources, the event would likely feature some UFC fighters who come from a military background (and many who don't). A main event for the card has not been determined.
However, one of the many obstacles slowing the military event is an already-scheduled event on Dec. 13. The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale -- the live conclusion to the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" -- is slated to take place in Las Vegas just three days after the proposed military event, and the UFC could stretch itself thin setting up equipment and organizing a production staff in that three-day span.
If the event does go on as planned, though, it's expected to benefit the Fisher House, which provides free or low-cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.
The UFC's most recent military-related event -- and the first to be held on a military base -- took place in December 2006. UFC Fight Night 7 featured a main event of Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs and was held at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego, Calif. The event, which took place in a large jet hangar and aired live on Spike TV, drew approximately 3,000 active Marines.
BOETSCH LOOKING TO ESTABLISH HIS PLACE IN UFC
Tim Boetsch's debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship was not your typical debut for a newcomer. It's very common to see a fighter clam up, or overextend themselves early or even get knocked out in their first fight on the big stage, especially when called on short notice. However, Tim Boetsch is not your common fighter.
Boetsch showed some excellent striking skills and power against David Heath. He also had a notorious rag-doll-like throw on Heath that made mixed martial arts fans stand up and cheer. So after his impressive debut, it was natural that his newly acquired fans expected big things from him.
His next fight against Matt Hamill was also taken on short notice, however it did not go as planned for the Pennsylvania native. Hamill had controlled Boetsch and ended up finishing him in the second round. Boetsch was noticeably gassed in the fight and part of that may have been due to not training in high altitude. “Going up to Colorado really zapped me faster than I've ever been before,” commented Boetsch in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “Not being able to recover like I usually can at lower altitude. That's the worst thing in the world is losing and that motivates me even more to get back in there and perform and show people what I'm actually capable of doing.”
Boetsch will have the opportunity for redemption at UFC 88 when he will take on Michael Patt. Patt is playing taking Boetsch's role as he was called on short notice to replace James Lee. “Sometimes that can really mess things up if you've been training for a specific opponent,” commented Boetsch when asked if the changing of opponents had an effect on his training. “But, the James Lee fight, I was planning on facing a guy with some submissions and had decent stand up. Mike Patt is pretty much that same criteria. He has real dangerous submissions and has some good stand up, so it's the same fight in my opinion. I didn't have to change anything.”
“The Barbarian” is not taking Patt lightly either and is expecting him to be in top physical condition for the fight, even though he wasn't given a lot of time to prepare. “From what I understand, Mike Patt just fought a few weeks ago so he should be in pretty good shape. It's a good opportunity for him and step up to the big stage.”
Even though Boetsch's original opponent had dropped out, he was just happy that he was stil able to compete on this card. “Initially, when I heard James Lee was hurt, I was just crossing my fingers and hoping they would find somebody,” he explained. “I don't like to sit on the bench or the sidelines very long. I like to get in there and stay active and do my thing. Mike Patt stepped up and I'm pumped to do it. I'm looking forward to fighting it.”
Not fighting on short notice is something that Boetsch actually had to adjust his training for, because his three previous fights all came up within weeks of the scheduled bout. “I actually had to pace myself initially,” said the 27-year-old. “I'm used to getting that call on short notice and pushing myself as hard as I can. As soon as I hung up the phone with my manager telling me I had a fight, I reminded myself not to train too hard because I'd burn out. This is a sport where you are doing so much and training at so many different angles that it's easy to over-train. That's almost as bad as under-training as far as the toll it takes on your body and whatnot. That was the main thing we had to watch out for with this amount of time and not overtrain.”
After Boetsch's explosive debut, and the UFC handing out bonus checks for fight-of-the-night and knockout-of-the-night, he's looking to put an exclamation point on the finishing of his opponent on Saturday night. “I'm just real excited to get in there because I'm feeling good, the training has been going good. Everything is just coming together here and I'm excited. I'm ready to get it there and get that bonus!”
Tim Boetsch's debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship was not your typical debut for a newcomer. It's very common to see a fighter clam up, or overextend themselves early or even get knocked out in their first fight on the big stage, especially when called on short notice. However, Tim Boetsch is not your common fighter.
Boetsch showed some excellent striking skills and power against David Heath. He also had a notorious rag-doll-like throw on Heath that made mixed martial arts fans stand up and cheer. So after his impressive debut, it was natural that his newly acquired fans expected big things from him.
His next fight against Matt Hamill was also taken on short notice, however it did not go as planned for the Pennsylvania native. Hamill had controlled Boetsch and ended up finishing him in the second round. Boetsch was noticeably gassed in the fight and part of that may have been due to not training in high altitude. “Going up to Colorado really zapped me faster than I've ever been before,” commented Boetsch in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “Not being able to recover like I usually can at lower altitude. That's the worst thing in the world is losing and that motivates me even more to get back in there and perform and show people what I'm actually capable of doing.”
Boetsch will have the opportunity for redemption at UFC 88 when he will take on Michael Patt. Patt is playing taking Boetsch's role as he was called on short notice to replace James Lee. “Sometimes that can really mess things up if you've been training for a specific opponent,” commented Boetsch when asked if the changing of opponents had an effect on his training. “But, the James Lee fight, I was planning on facing a guy with some submissions and had decent stand up. Mike Patt is pretty much that same criteria. He has real dangerous submissions and has some good stand up, so it's the same fight in my opinion. I didn't have to change anything.”
“The Barbarian” is not taking Patt lightly either and is expecting him to be in top physical condition for the fight, even though he wasn't given a lot of time to prepare. “From what I understand, Mike Patt just fought a few weeks ago so he should be in pretty good shape. It's a good opportunity for him and step up to the big stage.”
Even though Boetsch's original opponent had dropped out, he was just happy that he was stil able to compete on this card. “Initially, when I heard James Lee was hurt, I was just crossing my fingers and hoping they would find somebody,” he explained. “I don't like to sit on the bench or the sidelines very long. I like to get in there and stay active and do my thing. Mike Patt stepped up and I'm pumped to do it. I'm looking forward to fighting it.”
Not fighting on short notice is something that Boetsch actually had to adjust his training for, because his three previous fights all came up within weeks of the scheduled bout. “I actually had to pace myself initially,” said the 27-year-old. “I'm used to getting that call on short notice and pushing myself as hard as I can. As soon as I hung up the phone with my manager telling me I had a fight, I reminded myself not to train too hard because I'd burn out. This is a sport where you are doing so much and training at so many different angles that it's easy to over-train. That's almost as bad as under-training as far as the toll it takes on your body and whatnot. That was the main thing we had to watch out for with this amount of time and not overtrain.”
After Boetsch's explosive debut, and the UFC handing out bonus checks for fight-of-the-night and knockout-of-the-night, he's looking to put an exclamation point on the finishing of his opponent on Saturday night. “I'm just real excited to get in there because I'm feeling good, the training has been going good. Everything is just coming together here and I'm excited. I'm ready to get it there and get that bonus!”
What does Couture’s return mean for Nogueira? Ed Soares comments on the situation
A very good question was raised about two seconds after the rumors of Randy Couture’s return was announced. What about the UFC’s other Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira? As we all know Couture is being rumored to be returning at UFC 91against Brock Lesnar. An official announcement will be made shortly after this post goes up by the UFC on Couture’s return. So what does it mean for current interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira? Will his title be stripped? Will his fight with Frank Mir in December be for the belt he is holding? If Couture and Fedor do fight will it happen before or after Couture fights Fedor, if he is signed by the UFC down the road? Ed Soares spoke with Joe Ferraro of Sports Net and had the following to say.
On Couture’s return - “The UFC has not mentioned anything to us, but Randy coming back to the UFC would be great,” Soares said. “It’s definitely great for everyone involved.”
On a possible unification of the belt- “I fully expect the UFC to do the right thing,” said Soares. “From day one they have always been 100 per-cent honest with us and I am confident they will be in this scenario. Many people say bad things about the organization but we’ve never experienced anything negative at all.”
With Nogueira slated to fight Frank Mir after season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter the UFC probably did not want to wait another 3 to 4 additional months to have both champions meet. The question still remains if the UFC signs Fedor will Nogueira get the chance to fight Couture first? We know that Couture has said in the past he would love to fight Nogueira but wants to fight Fedor first. Will Nogueira be left out in the cold as the UFC takes a year to free up Couture from the fight he has wanted for a year now? Many questions remain hopefully the UFC will clear some up today with their press conference.
A very good question was raised about two seconds after the rumors of Randy Couture’s return was announced. What about the UFC’s other Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira? As we all know Couture is being rumored to be returning at UFC 91against Brock Lesnar. An official announcement will be made shortly after this post goes up by the UFC on Couture’s return. So what does it mean for current interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira? Will his title be stripped? Will his fight with Frank Mir in December be for the belt he is holding? If Couture and Fedor do fight will it happen before or after Couture fights Fedor, if he is signed by the UFC down the road? Ed Soares spoke with Joe Ferraro of Sports Net and had the following to say.
On Couture’s return - “The UFC has not mentioned anything to us, but Randy coming back to the UFC would be great,” Soares said. “It’s definitely great for everyone involved.”
On a possible unification of the belt- “I fully expect the UFC to do the right thing,” said Soares. “From day one they have always been 100 per-cent honest with us and I am confident they will be in this scenario. Many people say bad things about the organization but we’ve never experienced anything negative at all.”
With Nogueira slated to fight Frank Mir after season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter the UFC probably did not want to wait another 3 to 4 additional months to have both champions meet. The question still remains if the UFC signs Fedor will Nogueira get the chance to fight Couture first? We know that Couture has said in the past he would love to fight Nogueira but wants to fight Fedor first. Will Nogueira be left out in the cold as the UFC takes a year to free up Couture from the fight he has wanted for a year now? Many questions remain hopefully the UFC will clear some up today with their press conference.
KEN SHAMROCK: "I WANT TO DOMINATE HIM"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3342.html?PHPSESSID=331dee84184ce7a4aca3f1a21c0245f7
"I'm looking at this fight just like any other. He's an opponent across from me that is dangerous and as long as I stick to my gameplan, then I will beat him...I want to dominate him and get my hand raised," stated MMA legend Ken Shamrock as he talked about his intriguing clash with Kimbo Slice on the October 4th CBS/EliteXC Saturday Night Fights card. Check out what he had to say about Slice, the fight and much more.
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3342.html?PHPSESSID=331dee84184ce7a4aca3f1a21c0245f7
"I'm looking at this fight just like any other. He's an opponent across from me that is dangerous and as long as I stick to my gameplan, then I will beat him...I want to dominate him and get my hand raised," stated MMA legend Ken Shamrock as he talked about his intriguing clash with Kimbo Slice on the October 4th CBS/EliteXC Saturday Night Fights card. Check out what he had to say about Slice, the fight and much more.
Knees, Elbows, Foot Stomps Up for Review
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo has called on mixed martial arts fans to submit their comments to the Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee by 17 September.
“We are interested in any comments,” said Lembo. “All comments will be passed on to the Committee for their consideration.”
Topics on the Commitee’s agenda include:
Adding smothering of the nostrils or mouth as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing manipulating the clavicle as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing heel kicks to the kidney as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing the allowance of stomps to the feet by two standing fighters (as per the Montreal document).
Reviewing weight classes (as in the Montreal document).
Rules or prohibited strikes for amateurs.
Downward pointed elbow strikes.
Where strikes should be allowed to the back of the head.
Knees to the head on the ground.
And, scoring.
Comments must be submitted in writing by 17 September to:
Nicholas Lembo
State Athletic Control Board
Hughes Justice Complex
PO Box 180
Trenton, NJ 08625
The Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee consists of the following members:
Chairman Nick Lembo, New Jersey
Jim Erickson, North Dakota
Andy Foster, Georgia
Dale Kilparchuk, River Cree
Keith Kizer, Nevada
Armando Garcia, California
Josef Mason, Colorado
Mike Mazzulli, Mohegan Sun
Bernie Profato, Ohio
In addition, Lembo has announced a fighters sub-committee consisting of:
“Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3)
Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)
Stephen Haigh (4-2)
“Gumby” Jeremy Horn (80-18-5)
Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7)
Tara LaRosa
“Croation Sensation” Pat Miletich (28-7-2)
Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
And, an industry sub-committee of:
Monte Cox, Adrenaline MMA promoter
John McCarthy, broadcaster and referee
Lou Neglia, Ring of Combat promoter
J.D. Penn, Rumble on the Rock promoter
Joe Silva, UFC matchmaker
Marc Ratner, UFC vice-president
Jared Shaw, EliteXC vice-president
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo has called on mixed martial arts fans to submit their comments to the Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee by 17 September.
“We are interested in any comments,” said Lembo. “All comments will be passed on to the Committee for their consideration.”
Topics on the Commitee’s agenda include:
Adding smothering of the nostrils or mouth as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing manipulating the clavicle as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing heel kicks to the kidney as a foul (as per the Montreal document).
Removing the allowance of stomps to the feet by two standing fighters (as per the Montreal document).
Reviewing weight classes (as in the Montreal document).
Rules or prohibited strikes for amateurs.
Downward pointed elbow strikes.
Where strikes should be allowed to the back of the head.
Knees to the head on the ground.
And, scoring.
Comments must be submitted in writing by 17 September to:
Nicholas Lembo
State Athletic Control Board
Hughes Justice Complex
PO Box 180
Trenton, NJ 08625
The Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee consists of the following members:
Chairman Nick Lembo, New Jersey
Jim Erickson, North Dakota
Andy Foster, Georgia
Dale Kilparchuk, River Cree
Keith Kizer, Nevada
Armando Garcia, California
Josef Mason, Colorado
Mike Mazzulli, Mohegan Sun
Bernie Profato, Ohio
In addition, Lembo has announced a fighters sub-committee consisting of:
“Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3)
Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)
Stephen Haigh (4-2)
“Gumby” Jeremy Horn (80-18-5)
Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7)
Tara LaRosa
“Croation Sensation” Pat Miletich (28-7-2)
Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
And, an industry sub-committee of:
Monte Cox, Adrenaline MMA promoter
John McCarthy, broadcaster and referee
Lou Neglia, Ring of Combat promoter
J.D. Penn, Rumble on the Rock promoter
Joe Silva, UFC matchmaker
Marc Ratner, UFC vice-president
Jared Shaw, EliteXC vice-president
Team Link with new Muay Thai coach
Expert Muay Thai coach, Evilazio Feitosa trained guys like the UFC athletes Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Antonio Samuray, and now joins Marco Alvan and Gabriel Gonzaga’s Team Link. With more than a year in USA, he spoke to TATAME about his training at the new team. “The team is fantastic. The athletes are great and they really wanna make this team one of the best in world. The impressed me a lot here and you can bet this team will be one of the best in a few years”, said Feitosa, that bets on Gonzaga for the heavyweight title soon.
“I did some training with him here and I’m impressed with his technical part. He developed a lot his game now. I trained some of the best Strikers of the world, and I can tell you that he’s as good as them. He’s a real champion, and will get the UFC title”, said the Muay Thai coach.
Expert Muay Thai coach, Evilazio Feitosa trained guys like the UFC athletes Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Antonio Samuray, and now joins Marco Alvan and Gabriel Gonzaga’s Team Link. With more than a year in USA, he spoke to TATAME about his training at the new team. “The team is fantastic. The athletes are great and they really wanna make this team one of the best in world. The impressed me a lot here and you can bet this team will be one of the best in a few years”, said Feitosa, that bets on Gonzaga for the heavyweight title soon.
“I did some training with him here and I’m impressed with his technical part. He developed a lot his game now. I trained some of the best Strikers of the world, and I can tell you that he’s as good as them. He’s a real champion, and will get the UFC title”, said the Muay Thai coach.