MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Manhoef out of retirement to face Slowinski, Kreshnik

Following his disappointing semifinal loss to eventual winner Gegard Mousasi at the Dream middleweight grand prix last September, Dutch knockout machine Melvin Manhoef announced his retirement from active competition in a panic reaction to spend more time with his wife and children. Overworked with seventeen bouts in seventeen months leading up to the Mousasi fight, “Marvelous Melvin” just needed a break to recharge his batteries.

Apparently he used a rapid charger, as the 32-year-old kickboxer has ditched his retirement just two months after announcing it, which beats even Paul Daley’s four-month resignation this spring.

Manhoef will take on Polish-Australian Paul Slowinski in an alternate bout at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in Yokohama, Japan on Dec. 6. The powerful slugger also has another kickboxing bout scheduled next year against Belgian top talent Rustemi Kreshnik on Feb. 8 at It’s Showtime in Antwerpen, Belgium.

Whether the popular former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion will stay with kickboxing for the moment or make a full comeback to MMA competition as well is undecided at this time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Amir Sadollah vs. Nick Catone rescheduled for Feb. 7

After being scratched from the undercard of "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar," a bout between "The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and UFC newcomer Nick Catone (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been rescheduled for February.

Catone confirmed the bout for the as-yet-unannounced UFC Fight Night 17 in a video interview with iguillotine.com.

"I was training about three months for the fight very hard and was definitely disappointed about not getting in there and making my debut," Catone told iguillotine.com. "But it looks like Feb 7, we're going to get it on at the Ultimate Fight Night 17."

The bout, originally scheduled for Nov. 15, was scrapped just four days prior to the pay-per-view event when Sadollah was hospitalized due to a leg infection.

The full details of the injury were not released, Sadollah discussed his concerns about the infection in a post on his official blog in the days leading up to the eventual cancellation.

"It started on Friday with a small mark on my leg," Sadollah stated. "I immediately went to the doctor, and he gave me medication and told me if it got worse to go to the hospital. Well, it got worse, and on Sunday I went in and have been here ever since. I am hoping they will discharge me by Thursday."

The February bout will be just Sadollah's second as a professional, and his first since defeating C.B. Dolloway in June in the finals of the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Catone, a Ring of Combat and Cage Fury Fighting Championships veteran, is undefeated in first five professional contests. Three of his wins have come via TKO.

According to Catone, bout agreements have been signed and UFC Fight Night 17 will take place at The Palms in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

New Strikeforce champ "Babalu" Sobral seeks "dessert" with Tito Ortiz

One time UFC light-heavyweight contender Renato "Babalu" Sobral is undoubtedly one of the top 205-pound fighters outside of the world's largest promotion.

After a TKO win over former champ Bobby Southworth at Friday's "Strikeforce: Destruction" earned the Brazilian the Strikeforce title, Sobral credited sacrifice for his win.

"People just see on the stage, or watching TV, they see good fighters beating up on each other," Sobral said at the event's post-fight press conference. "They don't realize it comes from hard training.

"A lot of things happen when we start training and walk in the cage. We have a hard diet and training. You don't give yourself fully to your family. You have to give up your family because you spend more time training. That's hard work."

Southworth entered the bout as the most physically impressive of the two fighters. Sobral admitted Southworth's physique was impressive, but insisted he did not underestimate his opponent during his preparation.

"I didn't take him lightly," Sobral said. "I was training hard. And he showed for this fight he was in 100 percent shape. He gave me a hard time to take down.

"Fortunately I caught him with an elbow. I'm very happy."

The elbow in question scored a direct hit to Southworth's right eye. The ensuing lacerations would be severe enough to cause the ringside physician to halt the bout.

"When I threw the elbow, I felt his cut," Sobral said. "It felt hard. I didn't see what happened because he put his face over my shoulder. But it hurt my elbow.

"When it hurts the elbow, it probably hurts his face, too."

Sobral said he was thankful the bout was stopped.

"When I was on the ground I felt a lot of blood coming over me," Sobral said. "I said,'[Here] it goes again. One more bloody fight.' I was happy they stopped the fight. I don't like to be covered by blood."

Sobral's, who has fought in four different organizations in his past four fights, is unsure who he will face next. But when asked, the Brazilian ground wizard said he would be more than happy to finalize a long-rumored bout with free agent Tito Ortiz.

"That could be awesome," Sobral said. "That could be great. That would be like a very good dessert."

 

[MrPeete]

I'm confused about this interim heavyweight title thing. Can someone explain what's going on there?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kenny Florian rides streak to second shot at summit

At first glance, Kenny Florian (11-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) doesn't look like he fits the role of fighter.

Especially in street clothes, Florian passes more for a guy who should be doing your taxes or fixing a PC, not choking out fighters and talking smack to an MMA legend (more on that shortly).

He didn't even look like much of a fighter when he was in the octagon for his first UFC bout in April of 2005. Florian was beaten about as thoroughly as a man can be when Diego Sanchez tore through him in less than three minutes to win "The Ultimate Fighter 1" middleweight finale.

However, the Massachusetts native -- perhaps more than any fighter in the UFC -- has excelled in turning defeat into a positive learning experience. Following the loss to Sanchez, Florian reeled off three straight victories to earn a shot at the vacant 155-pound title in a match-up with Sean Sherk.

Sherk used his superior strength to neutralize Florian's increasingly dangerous Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu skills to win a bloody unanimous decision. But once again, Florian emerged from defeat a stronger, more determined mixed martial artist -- one who hasn't lost again since the October 2006 bout against Sherk.

A six-fight winning streak has made Florian one of the hottest fighters in the sport, and he's taken out some quality opposition in Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Joe Lauzon and Din Thomas during the run.

While fighters like to say they get better with every match, in Florian's case you can see the improvement each time out in every facet of his game. He's no longer the overmatched, undersized kid from Boston who couldn't hang with Sanchez or Sherk. He's a legitimate title contender, whether he looks the part or not.

"My rule of thumb is that it always comes down, first, to technique," Florian said. "If they get by the technique, it's going to come down to who has better cardio. And if it comes down to cardio, and that's even, then it goes down to heart. ... Those three levels, I'm not concerned with anyone in the world. I don't think anyone will have that combination against me. I know that I have the technique. I know that I have the cardio, and I know that I have the heart. If you can get by all those levels, congratulations."

And that "anyone in the world" reference apparently includes UFC lightweight champion and hall-of-famer-in-waiting B.J. Penn. In an uncharacteristic move by the usually mild-mannered Florian, he stoked the fires for the title fight against Penn in his post-fight interview after beating Stevenson.

"I want B.J.'s belt," Florian said "B.J., you're one of the best fighters out there. I'm here to test myself. I think you're a great fighter, someone I look up to. I consider you a master. It's time to kill that master."

A year ago, Penn versus Florian wasn't a fight worth making. However, Florian has worked hard to close the skills gap with Penn, and Florian's confidence is at its peak. It's a far more interesting match-up today, and Florian is more than deserving of a second crack at gold.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FIORAVANTI GUNNING FOR A KO FOR THE TROOPS

Luigi Fioravanti has rarely had it easy in his UFC career. In two years and seven appearances, he’s taken bouts that no one else wanted, fights where he was the clear underdog.

The UFC keeps bringing him back, though, because he always comes to scrap.

“They need to let me go fight in England, build my record up,” he says with a laugh.

A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fioravanti has surely been tested outside the cage. He came to the UFC on a seven-fight win streak, facing then rising star Chris Leben at “Ultimate Fight Night 4.” Leben clearly won the fight, but Fioravanti never gave in to the outspoken brawler and went the distance. In his next fight, he knocked another “Ultimate Fighter” contestant, Solomon Hutchinson, into next Tuesday.

Fioravanti believes his “whatever” attitude is the key to longevity, he tells MMAWeekly.com.

“I don’t say no to anybody,” he says. “If (the UFC’s) like, we want you to fight Diego Sanchez. I’m like, of course. It’s an opportunity.”

The American Top Team fighter went on to defeat former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne before facing his toughest challenge yet, Jon Fitch. Fioravanti’s laissez faire approach to taking the fight won him points with the promotion.

“When I fought Fitch, my manager was saying guys don’t want to fight Fitch. They know that he’s a tough-ass fight. Anything can happen in MMA. I’m not going to back away from anybody, I don’t care who they are.”

Fioravanti, at 27 years of age, is 3-4 inside the Octagon, and next faces Brodie Farber on Dec. 10 at the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” event in North Carolina.

To say Farber’s first appearance in the UFC didn’t go well would be an understatement. For the first minute of his encounter with Rory Markham, he battered the former International Fight League fighter with crisp punches and kicks. Then, disaster struck when Farber walked clean into Markham’s head kick, dropping him in highlight reel fashion.

Farber’s knockout, the first in his career, will play into their fight according to Fioravanti.

“I think it’s going to affect him, because I hit pretty hard,” he says. “I think if I hit him one time real hard, he’s going to be like, ‘oh (expletive), I’ll think twice about standing in front of this guy.’”

Fioravanti says physics will be on his side when they trade punches.

“I think (knockouts) get easier every time,” he explains. “Maybe because of the trauma to the brain. It’s just a reaction. You get hit like that, your brain tells your body to just shut off. When you get hit like that again, you’re body’s going to be like ‘here we go again.’”

Improvement is the name of the game at this stage of Fioravanti’s career. He estimates he has two to three more years in the fight business before he retires. Toughness can only last for so long.

“Some of these guys, I think they are fighting past their primes a little bit, with a little bit of help from medical science,” he says. “I’m not going to beat around the bush – let’s be realistic here. Maybe a couple more years, and then I’ll try to open up a gym.”

For the mean time, he’s content to keep scrapping.

“I’m always trying to improve in everything,” he says. “I think I’ll be ready.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

DANZIG VS NEER AT FEBRUARY 7 UFC FIGHT NIGHT

Just after saying hello to his first child a week ago, "Ultimate Fighter" season 6 winner Mac Danzig is ready to get back to work. He will face Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 17 on Feb. 7 at the Palms in Las Vegas.

Danzig made the announcement via his MySpace page on Sunday.

In his last fight out, Danzig dropped a unanimous decision to Clay Guida in a tough fight between two very experienced ground fighters. Now, he looks to get back on track against a heavy-handed opponent in Josh Neer.

Neer recently lost a close decision to Nate Diaz at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, but he has been rapidly improving over the past few fights. He should prove to be a very tough test for Danzig.

The two lightweights are expected to be a featured bout on the card that will also feature "Ultimate Fighter" season 7 winner Amir Sadollah against Nick Catone.

The event is expected to originate from the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas on Feb. 7, although the UFC has still made no official announcement about the event, as of yet.

 

[Shogun Locc]

GEORGES ST. PIERRE WANTS TO BE A LEGEND

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Georges "Rush" St. Pierre won a split decision over B.J. Penn at UFC 58 on March 4, 2006 in a non-title fight. The rematch is set for Jan. 31 and St. Pierre wants to solidify his name as a legend in the sport of mixed martial arts with another win over Penn.

Both are current UFC champions ranked No.1 in their weight classes. Each are considered amongst the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. They're in their primes. This is a mega-fight.

"He's the guy that I want to fight. He's my best challenge right now, and he's the guy that I want to fight," St. Pierre told MMAWeekly.com recently. "I have to fight guys like B.J. to make myself a legend in this sport.

"When you're a world champion you have to set your goal even higher. I don't want to fight to be champion anymore because I'm already champion. I want to fight to become a legend in the sport, and that's what this fight will give me," the Canadian added. "I think if you ask somebody who's the best pound-for-pound in the world, a lot of people would say it's B.J. Penn. So, for me, it's a great challenge as well."

In the thirty-two months since their first encounter, the two have improved and are different fighters with different attributes. "He has improved a lot. I have improved a lot," said St. Pierre. "So, it's going to be a clash."

Asked what's different this time heading into a bout with Penn, St. Pierre stated, "Every fight is always a problem. B.J. Penn is a big problem, but I think that I'm going to be able to solve it.

"I'm more experienced and way more skilled than I used to be," added the UFC welterweight champion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eddie Alvarez next fight set for Extreme Challenge on Jan. 23

It’s more than likely not a showdown with Nick Diaz or a rematch against Joachim Hansen … but it’s something.

Former Elite XC fighter and 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix show stealer, Eddie Alvarez (15-1), will make his return to competition at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, N.J., on January 23 under the Extreme Challenge banner.

An opponent for the Philadelphia native has not been announced at this time.

Here’s a snip from Alvarez discussing the fight during a recent interview with iGuillotine.com:

“The only thing I know 100 percent sure right now is January 23 I’ll be fighting here in Atlantic City at the Tropicana. You know, bring it back home. I’ve been fighting overseas a lot lately, and the jet lag and everything else, it’s good to just drive 40 minutes from home, get a fight and then go home and rest.”

Alvarez was supposed to face off against Nick Diaz for the vacant Elite XC lightweight title on November 8, but the event was canceled less than a month out after the promotion apparently filed for bankruptcy and called it quits.

The fight was set to be the second of a three fight deal he signed with Pro Elite back in January. After his debut with the company that same month — a relatively easy second round stoppage over Ross Ebanez — he was invited to compete in the Japanese promotion DREAM’s lightweight grand prix.

Picked by many to be a dark horse in the 16-man tournament, Alvarez defeated Dida Amade, Joachim Hansen and Tatsuya Kawajiri en route to a spot in the final against Shinya Aoki. However, he was unable to face Aoki because of some swelling around his eyes he suffered during his semi-final bout against Kawajiri.

That was the official explanation, anyway.

Hansen filled in for him in the final, defeating Aoki to win the tournament and earn the first-ever DREAM lightweight title. Afterwards, Hansen announced to the crowd that Alvarez would get the first crack at his belt.

That match, however, has yet to come to fruition.

A lot of people figured the Hansen fight to be Eddie’s next match, but most of the fighters who were under contract with Pro Elite are still wondering what’s going to happen with their old deals. Eddie’s situation, however, is a little bit different according to his manager Monte Cox, who also happens to run Extreme Challenge.

Here’s a snip from a recent Sherdog.com feature:

“Eddie’s contract with Pro Elite was also a contract with Adrenaline and Extreme Challenge, and also a contract with Dream. That contract allowed him to fight in any of those places. (Pro Elite) only owned a piece of Eddie. I put in his contract that he would fight in EliteXC and then Extreme Challenge, Adrenaline, or Dream. We were alternating. The deal also says if one of the organizations doesn’t schedule a fight or is unable to put on a fight, they lose a turn.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Edgar earns Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt under Ricardo Almeida

Frank Edgar recently earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu while training at Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu in Hamilton, N.J., according to TheGarv.com.

Almeida — the star pupil of Renzo Gracie — is a world champion jiu-jitsu player who has also competed in mixed martial arts as a professional in the UFC, Pride FC and Pancrase since 2000. He is among the top grapplers in the sport today.

In short, he knows a thing or two about good ground skills, which makes the promotion of Edgar that much more impressive.

“The Answer” is a decorated high school (Toms River High School East) and collegiate (Clarion University) wrestler out of Toms River, N.J. He currently moonlights as an assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University.

Thanks to his strong wrestling credentials and experience, Edgar made a successful transition to mixed martial arts in 2005. In fact, he rattled off eight consecutive wins to begin his professional career — and he didn’t do it against tomato cans, either.

Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek and Spencer Fisher are just a few of the notable opponents who Edgar has handled, which has helped him rise to the top of the very crowded UFC 155-pound division in short order.

Edgar recently rebounded from the first professional loss of his career to Gray Maynard (unanimous decision) at UFC Fight Night 13 to outpoint former number one contender Hermes Franca on all three judges scorecards at UFC Fight Night 14: “Silva vs. Irvin” in July.

The latter bout was dubbed the “Fight of the Night,” earning Edgar and Franca each an additional $25,000 for their performances. It came as no surprise — Edgar is often involved in action-packed battles.

He’ll get to put his new belt to the test soon enough. Edgar is slated to co-headline UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” against Matt Wiman at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C., on Wednesday, December 10.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chuck Liddell and Matt Lindland head to American Top Team (ATT) …

to hold down a “super seminar” at American Top Team in Coconut Creek. Fla., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 7:

“Former UFC champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and UFC veteran Matt Lindland…. Lindland … will handle takedowns. Liddell will cover the striking aspect of mixed martial arts along with John Hackleman of The Pit. Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Ricardo Liborio, ATT co-owner and master, will lecture on the ground game. The three-hour seminar, which will cover all aspects of mixed martial arts, is open to all clubs and students from beginner to advanced. Entry fee is $100 at the door.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wilson Reis expected to sign with the Bellator Fighting Championships

EliteXC bantamweight (140 pounds) champion Wilson Reis is expected to sign a contract with the Bellator Fighting Championships, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned.

Reis’ agent, Matt Stansell of North County Fight Club Fight Management, told Five Ounces of Pain that the 23-year old jiu-jitsu black belt has not formally signed his deal with Bellator but that it could be finalized within days.

Reis is still technically under contract to ProElite but Stansell indicated that he believes that the promotion is in violation of the terms of the contract and any legal attempt to prevent Reis from working with Bellator would unlawfully hinder his ability to earn a living.

Once signed, Reis is expected to be the centerpiece of Bellator’s featherweight (145 pounds) division and will compete for the promotion’s vacant featherweight title in a eight-man, single elimination tournament that will be televised over the course of several months on Disney-owned ESPN Deportes, a Spanish language version of ESPN.

In addition to featherweight, Bellator is also expected to hold tournaments at lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight. According to a press release issued by the promotion last week, tournaments will commence in April of 2009.

Separate sources have also revealed to Five Ounces of Pain in recent weeks that Reis also received a contract offer from Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting but that the proposal was not as strong as the one submitted by Bellator.

 

[Shogun Locc]

A “lighter” Danillo Villefort at WEC 38

The Brazilian Danillo “Índio” Villefort had no luck when he was set to fight at WEC. Without no losses for more than two years, Villefort was near to debut in WEC’s octagon in two opportunities, but visa problems postponed his participation in the show. With all problems resolved, Danillo finally will make his first appearance in the event in January 25th edition, and he is excited to the fight. “I’m training normally. The expectation is the best possible, and it already was postponed twice because of a bigger power”, reminds the fighter, who has news about the fight.

“They don’t have the middleweight division anymore, then Scott Adams, one of the (WEC) bosses, spoke with me and did a indecent proposal. He asked me if I’d go down to welterweight category. I spoke with my coaches and my manager and we agreed with that. In January 25th we’ll see a thinner Danillo (laughs)”, told the Brazilian, who don’t expect many problems to make weight at the new category. “I don’t weight 170 pounds since I was 17 years old, but I don’t know if you ever heard about a (Andr&#233 Benkei… It’s him who’s making this magic! He makes miracles”, jokes the fighter, who normally weight 205 pounds.

Still without a defined opponent, the fighter maintains himself focused in make good fights in WEC, but with an eye in a possible chance in UFC. “He (Scott) spoke that I also can make appearances in UFC, but I don’t think in this now, my focus is in the diet and after that in WEC”, told Villefort, who lives a for more than two years in United States and celebrates the good phase in American Top Team. “I don’t see myself training in another place. Today my brothers Douglas and Yuri are with me, they train, teach classes and help me in my academy. I’ve opened a team in Miami with Léo Lerner and the academy is very well, we’re moving now to a bigger area with a very good structure, with a bigger tatame, a 20 feet cage, Muay Thai area and a very nice after school program… 2009 will be a tough year (laughs)”, celebrates Danillo.

And if Danillo could not represent ATT in WEC 36, another talent of the team did a good job in the same night. Challenging Urijah Faber for the featherweight belt, Mike Brown surprised the public knocking the champion out the champion and winning the title for the team. “We had the pleasure to make one more champion. He’s very nice, a little monster”, commented the Brazilian, who had already alerted the opponent’s coach about the knockout power of the team partner. “Fábio Pateta is Urijah Faber’s Jiu-Jitsu coach. We were talking a few days before the fight and he asked me about Mike. I smiled and said: ’He needs to get only one and that guy will fall’. And it happened”, reminds the fighter, who took advantage to congratulates José Aldo by the beautiful victory: “Zé Aldo gave a show! He is very good”.

About the preparation to the next fight, Danillo is switching sparrings at ATT. “Today I`d train with Thiago Silva and Wilson Gouveia, but I’m with the diet and if I don’t watch out in training I can hurt myself, so I’m already with the 170 guys”, said, pointing Thiago Alves, Gesias Cavalcante, Gleison Tibau and Lorenzo Borgomeu as his best sparrings: ”Here we have great 170 guys (laughs), there are only strong guys. Thanks God we have a very nice team that help us in all aspects”, spoke Villefort, who commented the advantage of having a top level group at ATT. “We feel very comfortable in any territory. We’re not a team of strikers or grapplers, we are a MMA team with a Jiu-Jitsu background. And without mentioning the coaches and teachers that we have, like Libório, Parrumpinha and Conan in Jiu-Jitsu, Mohamed Ouali and Cha in Muay Thau and Darrel Gohlar in Wrestling... These guys gives you a great security”.

Allied to the big team in the technical part, Danillo detaches the importance of Benkei’s work in the physical part. “Old Benkei is full of new toys, making his little monsters. Prime Time is like Nasa. There are days that you wanna cry. Train there is very good, but we leave all dead (laughs)”, jokes the fighter, who sens a message to his friends in Brazil: “I wanna leave a big hug to all my friends who I left in Brazil, Judo friends, BTT, Brasilia, and a big kiss to all my family. We, Brazilians here of ATT, are making everything to represent Brazil in America”, finished the fighter.

 

[B-Buzz]

I'm confused about this interim heavyweight title thing. Can someone explain what's going on there?

When Randy left as the champ the UFC decided to have an interim title just in case Randy never returned, which was Nog vs. Sylvia, Nog won it then signed to fight Mir before Randy came back, so when Randy came back he got his belt back making him the champ and Nog still the interim champ. The plan is to unify the two so whoever wins the Nog vs. Mir fight will fight Brock and whoever wins that will be the undisputed champ. Basically, Nog's title doesn't really mean anything, the belt that Brock has is the title belt, but there's no point in stripping Nog's title since they're going to end up unifying it anyways sooooo ya I guess that's it.

 

[Shogun Locc]

IRELAND VS. ENGLAND AT UFC 93 IN DUBLIN

Thomas Egan and John Hathaway will face each other at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland at Jan. 17, Top Team International recently confirmed to MMAWeekly.com.

Egan, represented by Top Team International, will be making his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut. Undefeated as a professional, he is a member of the Irish Top Team, which was formed earlier this year in Dublin by trainer John Kavanagh.

This will also be Hathaway's first fight in the Octagon. Also undefeated as a professional, he fights out of England.

"Both fighters are undefeated and will put on an exciting fight," said Ernesto Cespedes, Director of International Operations for Top Team International. "Tom is preparing for this fight both physically and mentally and will be ready for a win (on) Jan. 17 at the O2 Arena in front of a local crowd.”

UFC 93 is headlined by a pair of light heavyweight bouts pitting Rich Franklin against Dan Henderson, and Mark Coleman in his UFC return against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Coleman last competed in the Octagon a decade ago at UFC 18.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BILL DOUGLAS APPOINTED BY CSAC

The California State Athletic Commission on Monday announced that Bill Douglas, a staff analyst of three years for the CSAC, has been formally promoted to Assistant Executive Officer.

Mr. Douglas was appointed last week to oversee the administrative offices of the regulatory body following the departure of Executive Officer Armando Garcia. The promotion formalizes his duties until the search for a new Executive Officer is completed.

Mr. Garcia will technically remain the Executive Officer until his contract with the CSAC expires on Dec. 31, though the commission does not expect him to serve in any capacity for the remainder of his term.

“I'm honored to be selected for this position,” Douglas told MMAWeekly.com via email. “There is a lot of work to do and I'll let my actions speak for me.”

Mr. Douglas said he had not considered whether he would apply for the open position of Executive Officer.

“It's too soon to think about it at this time as there is much to do,” he continued.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BABALU HAPPY WITH TITLE WIN, STILL WANTS TITO

On Friday night, Renato "Babalu" Sobral claimed his first major championship in the United States when he defeated Bobby Southworth to win the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship.

The fight didn't end the way Sobral surely hoped it would, as he opened a large cut over Southworth's right eye during the first round that was obviously a danger to him, and the doctor's put a stop to the bout.

After the fight was over, Babalu celebrated. While he has already offered to give Southworth a rematch, he is still happy to have the gold around his waist.

"I'm happy to be the champion and I trained hard for this fight," Sobral said. "Right now I'm the Strikeforce champion and I have to defend that."

The end maneuver that put Southworth out of the fight came midway through the first five-minute session, as the fighters clinched against the cage and Sobral threw a short elbow that connected flush on his opponent's forehead.

"No, I wasn't because when I threw the elbow I felt his skull on my elbow," Sobral answered when asked if he was surprised the fight was stopped when it was.

The original gameplan for the fight was to take Southworth to the mat, but Babalu complemented his opponent's preparation and skill in the fight.

"I tried to take him down, he showed high level skill, wrestling skill," Babalu commented. "He defends very well against the cage and I couldn't take him down, but I was comfortable on my back."

Following this fight, Babalu will head straight back into training as a fight against Matt Lindland on the Affliction "Day of Reckoning" card on Jan. 24 looms just around the corner. And as for his Strikeforce title defense, Babalu can't escape the questions about a possible match-up with former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz.

"It would be awesome," Sobral said about a fight against Ortiz. "That would be great, that would be like a very good dessert."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nate Mohr vs. Dennis Siver set to take place at UFC 93 in January

UFC lightweight competitor Nate Mohr is expected to return from injury to take on Dennis Siver at UFC 93 on Jan. 17 at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the matchup on Monday afternoon with sources close to the fight.

Siver, 12-6, is a native of Germany with a strong amateur wrestling background. He’ll be returning to the Octagon after fighting outside of the UFC last month in Darmstadt, Germany at Mix Fight Gala VII. Siver was victorious after submitting Chas Jacquier with a guillotine at 4:21 of round 1.

Prior to the win over Jacquier, Siver was coming off two consecutive losses in the UFC. His two fight losing streak began at UFC Fight Night 12 this past January when he lost a unanimous decision to Gray Maynard. The streak was extended after he was TKO’d just 36 seconds into a fight against Melvin Guillard at UFC 86 this past July.

Mohr, 8-5, has not fought since losing to Manny Gamburyan at UFC 79 last December in Las vegas. Matched up against the former TUF 5 veteran in a preliminary bout, Mohr tapped to an Achilles lock at 1:31 of round 1. Prior to the Gamburyan loss, the Team Curran product had recorded a unanimous decision victory over Luke Caudillo at UFC Fight Night 10 in June of 2007.

UFC 93 is scheduled to be headlined by a light heavyweight matchup featuring Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson. Additional matchups includes Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman, Denis Kang vs. Alan Belcher, Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes, and Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Needs to Adapt Management Philosophy

Dana White has almost single-handedly navigated a tarnished brand and a banished sport from the brink of death to the brink of mainstream acceptance and international popularity.

Along the way, he has used an unparalleled level of cunning skill and unrelenting passion to micro-manage every detail of the UFC in order to carve it a sporting niche. The UFC President is quite literally involved with every aspect of the UFC from matchmaking to fighter relations to public/media relations to marketing to event production to…well, you get the point.

But, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the UFC needs to move away from this micro-management philosophy.

In this day and age of rapid globalization, how many other CEOs of multinational, half-billion dollar firms can you point to that are involved in as much of everything as Dana White is with the UFC?

I’m having a difficult time pointing to any significant precedence for this sort of management philosophy and probably for good reason: the inefficiencies and impracticalities of executive micro-management at the multinational level can severely hinder firm performance.

I see in Dana White a man under enormous pressure and duress due to an overwhelming slate of travel and responsibility. He has proved his competence time and time again, but even the most competent of individuals cannot perform at their peak without the requisites of a healthy life – rest, diet, and free time.

If burn out hasn’t already arrived at White’s doorstep, it will shortly.

The increasing frequency that disputes with fighters, agents, other organizations, TV networks, and retail organizations have gone public is alarming. So, are the questionable negotiating tactics from the sometimes openly frustrated White.

While certainly, there are two sides to every story, one cannot help but wonder if the end-goal of the UFC couldn’t be accomplished without the fist pounding and ultimatums. An individual well-versed in the art of negotiation, especially within the sports industry could be an extremely valuable asset.

The UFC has brought in some extremely talented people over the last few years – Marc Ratner, Craig Borsari, and most recently, Lorenzo Fertitta – and not only is it important for this talent acquisition to continue, it’s also important for these individuals to be given larger roles and responsibilities within the organization.

The wisdom, trust, and patience necessary to surround oneself with quality people and then actually allow them to do what they do best are what separate the good leaders from the truly great leaders.

There’s no doubt that White is wise enough to surround himself with great MMA talents – he already has - but does he possess enough trust in and patience with these individuals to hand over some of his decision making responsibility?

Thus, it seems quite apparent that the ability of Dana White and UFC management to adapt their management style to the growing needs and demands of their increasingly international business will largely determine their success moving forward.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMAPayout’s Falzon Joins WAMMA Rankings Committee

MMAPayout.com’s own Andrew Falzon has recently been named as a voting member of the WAMMA Ranking Committee. The goal of WAMMA is to recognize the very best MMA athletes in each weight division, without regard to promotional affiliation. WAMMA Rankings are released on the 15th of each month (with slight variability depending on fight schedules) and compiled by the WAMMA Rankings Committee.

Based in New York City, Falzon has an extensive background in broadcast news and has appeared on FSN and HDNet as ringside reporter for the International Fight League, and as an editorialist on NBCSports.com.

Andrew Falzon is a regular guest on FoxNews.com’s FightGame and a contributor to MMAPayout.com. His writing has also appeared in FIGHT! Magazine and on ESPN.com.