MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

DEEP 42 Participants Make Weight

The participants of DEEP 42 IMPACT made weight on the 29th. Champion Yuichi Nakanishi and challenger Riki Fukuda both weighed in at 83.8 kg for their rematch and DEEP Middleweight title fight.

Kazuyuki Miyata, who will make his debut at Featherweight, made a successful weight cut coming in at 65.7 kg. According to himself, he has no exhaustion because of the weight cut. He might weight as much as 74 kg when the fight starts tomorrow.

 

[Shogun Locc]

HIROYA Added To July 13th K-1 MAX

HIROYA has been added to the July 13th K-1 MAX event. He will take on MMA fighter Kiko Lopez, in the third K-1 vs. MMA fight of the card. The fight will be fought at a 62 kg limit.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vacancies Fill for WEC 42

Two of the sport’s fast-rising bantamweights will put their skills on display when Joseph Benavidez meets Dominick Cruz in the co-main event at WEC 42 “Torres vs. Bowles” on Aug. 9 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The promotion announced the match as part of a 10-fight card on Monday.

A protégé of former WEC featherweight king Urijah Faber, the unbeaten Benavidez (10-0) last appeared at WEC 40 in April, when he cruised to a unanimous decision against Jeff Curran. The soon-to-be 25-year-old, perhaps one win away from a crack at the WEC bantamweight title, has delivered eight of his 10 career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission, though each of his appearances in the WEC has gone the distance.

Cruz (13-1) -- whose only career defeat, ironically, came against Faber -- will carry a four-fight winning streak into the bout. The former Total Combat featherweight and lightweight champion has not appeared in the cage since he earned a unanimous decision against Ivan Lopez in April.

Meanwhile, Takeya Mizugaki, fresh off his stirring five-round battle with bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, will clash with Curran in a pivotal 135-pound matchup.

Mizugaki (11-3-2), a Cage Force bantamweight tournament winner in 2008, has posted five wins in six fights. The 25-year-old has only been finished once as a professional -- a TKO loss to Kenji Osawa -- and fought divisional stalwart Masakatsu Ueda to a draw at a Shooto show in 2007. A former Shooto Rookie of the Year, Mizugaki prefers to stand and trade, as more than a third of his victories have come by knockout or TKO.

The 31-year-old Curran, one of the sport’s most respected jiu-jitsu players, finds himself in desperate need of a win. In the throes of a three-fight losing streak for the first time in his career, he dropped a unanimous decision to Benavidez at WEC 40 in April. A BJJ black belt under Pedro Sauer, Curran (29-11-1) has dipped his toes in MMA waters all across the globe, from Pride Fighting Championships and the UFC to King of the Cage and the International Fight League. He holds notable victories against world-ranked featherweights Wagnney Fabiano and Rafael Assuncao but has not won a match since he outpointed Stephen Ledbetter in August 2007.

Other WEC 42 matchups will pair former featherweight title challenger Leonard Garcia with Jameel Massouh, one-time lightweight championship contender Marcus Hicks with Shane Roller and four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao with Cole Province.

A long-awaited bantamweight championship match between Torres and top contender Brian Bowles will headline WEC 42. The two were originally scheduled to meet in April, but the undefeated Bowles (7-0) was forced to withdraw from the match with a back injury. Torres (37-1) has rattled off 17 consecutive victories in a streak that stretches back to November 2003.

WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles
Sunday, Aug. 9
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas

WEC Bantamweight Championship
Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles

Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz
Ricardo Lamas vs. Danny Castillo
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Jeff Curran
Leonard Garcia vs. Jameel Massouh
Fredson Paixao vs. Cole Province
Marcus Hicks vs. Shane Roller
Ed Ratcliff vs. Phil Cardella
Rani Yahya vs. Kenji Osawa
Rafael Dias vs. Diego Nunes

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mikey Burnett puts breaks on talk of Pat Miletich rematch, hints his career is over

Former UFC fighter and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" cast member Mikey Burnett (5-2), who hasn't fought professionally in a decade, said a potential rematch with Pat Miletich (29-7-2) that would take place in Strikeforce is no longer an option.

Burnett, posting on mixedmartialarts.com's popular forum The Underground, said a troublesome neck will make the Miletich fight – any future fights – impossible.

"I'll never be cleared to fight again," Burnett wrote. "Got a new MRI a few weeks ago. Arthritis has set in my spinal cord, and [the doctor] is not sure the surgery would change anything this long after – too much damage done to the cord."

Burnett posted last week that his fight with Miletich could take place at a future Strikeforce show in Tulsa, Okla.

(Strikeforce executives never returned messages to confirm the fight was a possibility.)

Burnett and Miletich first met 11 years ago for the first-ever UFC welterweight title at UFC Brazil in 1998. Miletich won a controversial decision, and Burnett would fight only once more before injuries and alcohol abuse sidelined his career.

Burnett appeared on "TUF 4" in 2006, where he was seen blasting a whole into a wall by charging into it with his head. Burnett filed a lawsuit last year against the show's producers and its insurance company claiming they failed to provide a safe environment and treatment for the injury.

Miletich, meanwhile, recently returned from a two-year layoff to beat Thomas Denny in the main event of Adrenaline MMA II. Miletich won the January 2008 fight with a second-round knockout.

The Miletich Fighting Systems founder, who now does broadcast work for Strikeforce on Showtime, has recently discussed his desire to fight again before year's end.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fukuda Captures Deep Middleweight Title

TOKYO -- EliteXC veteran Riki Fukuda captured the Deep middleweight title from Yuichi Nakanishi in the main event of Deep 42 Impact on Tuesday at Korakuen Hall.

In victory Fukuda avenged his decision loss to Nakanichi in May 2008, when Nakanichi originally won the title at Deep 35 Impact's middleweight tournament.

While Fukuda took the title by split decision, his performance was less than convincing. Throughout all three rounds, the southpaw Fukuda chased Nakanishi and looked to wing big left hands for the knockout. Nakanishi played a counter game, maintaining distance to land with counter rights and a myriad of solid kicks to the body. For every solid left straight that Fukuda stung Nakanishi with, there were at least two body kicks or a one-two waiting for him in response.

A standout wrestler, Fukuda only attempted four takedowns over the three rounds, opting instead to seek the knockout. While Nakanishi defended all the takedown attempts and played a smart counter game, it appeared as if Fukuda's forward momentum and handful of clean lefts won him the bout on the scorecards of judges Samio Kimura and Kenichi Serizawa. Only judge Koichi Takemura ruled the bout for the defending champion, Nakanichi.

Dream and K-1 Hero's vet Kazuyuki Miyata powered his way to a majority decision over Dream vet Takeshi Yamazaki in one of the evening's fight of the night candidates. Though Yamazaki had Miyata in trouble with a tight kneebar into heel hook combo in the first period, Miyata evened things up with big punches and top control over the remaining two rounds. Miyata also soccer kicked Yamazaki in the head in the first, suplexed him late in the third period and generally ground him up with punches on the mat to convince judges Kimura and Serizawa that he deserved the win, though judge Takemura curiously ruled the bout a draw.

Deep mainstay Ryuta Sakurai and Japanese MMA veteran Hiromitsu Kanehara fought to an entertaining draw. After Sakurai controlled with takedowns, dominant position and kimura attempts in the first round, Kanehara rebounded in the second period, stuffing takedown attempts to get takedowns of his own. From top or in riding time, Kanehara won the second round to even up the fight on Kimura’s and Umeki's scorecards for the draw, with only judge Takemura awarding the bout to Kanehara.

Things could have gone better for Japanese TV personality Bernard Ackah, who racked up two yellow cards for three low blows on Young “Ryo” Choi. Ackah's inability to move his head had him eating hard right hands in the first period, and his multiple infractions -- including a rope grab that prompted an in-ring conference by all four referees to decide whether to disqualify Ackah -- didn't seem to do him any favors by the second and final frame. In spite of Ackah's tenacity, judges Takemura, Serizawa and Umeki awarded the bout to Choi.

Koji Kanechika used excellent head movement to weave his way into range to land vicious overhands on Kazuhisa Tazawa. Though Tazawa showed a little more energy in pushing a grappling game in the first period, Kanechika's cumulative damage sapped Tazawa's strength, gassing him to the point of a yellow card for inactivity. Judges Umeki, Takemura and Kimura thus gave the nod to Kanechika.

Toshikazu Iseno took a sound decision over Kleber Koike, using the BJJ stylist's penchant to pull guard from the clinch to rack up points by punching from above. This, in addition to the few solid punches Iseno landed on the feet, proved more worthwhile than Koike's two guillotine attempts for judges Serizawa, Takemura and Umeki, who ruled the bout unanimously for “Ise.”

There didn't seem to be a punch that Myeon Ho Bae could miss, sparking Yusaku Tsukumo early to pound out a dominant first-round effort. Bae indulged Tsukumo in some grappling in the second period, and while Tsukumo could more or less hold his own, Bae still handily controlled and punched his way to a sound unanimous decision.

Shigetoshi Iwase dominated Shooto banger Taisuke Okuno with superior wrestling and grappling over two rounds, racking up points for the unanimous decision. Okuno made it easy for Iwase by pressing forward and looking for big punches, but left himself open to takedowns and counterpunches. Though Okuno typically managed to power out of bad positions, his lack of control cost him the decision.

Other Results

Yusuke Kagiyama def. Yasuhiro Kawasaki -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2
Tatsumitsu Wada def. Tatsuya Tsuchida -- Submission (RNC) 2:14 R1
Tomoya Kato def. Motoki Awaji -- TKO (Punches) 1:30 R1
Ryota Uozomi def. Pat Uncangco -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2
Tomoya Miyashita def. Hiryu Okamoto -- Submission (Guillotine) 1:34 R1
Hiroki Sato def. Kenji Nagai -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2

 

[Shogun Locc]

BACK TO THE WALL, IT'S DO OR DIE FOR MAC DANZIG

Coming into season six of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig was believed to be one of the most well rounded and respected guys out of any season. An early favorite to win, he showed the versatility which would be essential for a fighter exiting TUF and transitioning into the big show that is the UFC.

Submitting runner-up Tommy Speer en route to a six-figure contract with the 800-pound gorilla organization would mark his fourth submission victory in a row, including his three exhibition bouts during his time in the house. His exhibition wins included Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Joe Scarolla via triangle choke and the always tough John Kolosci twice by rear naked choke, none making it out of the first round.

The self-proclaimed vegan was successful in his first bout outside of the TUF banner. On his pay-per-view debut at UFC 83 "St. Pierre vs. Serra II,” Danzig submitted Mark Bocek in the third round in front of his fellow Canadians after softening him up with superior stand-up, using effective knees and boxing from the outside, changing levels and sticking his jab.

Though many were optimistic of Danzig’s potential as a true lightweight contender, he has been on a stroll down ‘bad luck lane,’ unsuccessful in his last two outings, outwrestled by the enigmatic Clay Guida and than submitted by Miletich product Josh Neer.

There is no such thing as an easy fight in the UFC.

In familiar territory, Danzig has been here before. His entrance into The Ultimate Fighter house came on the heels of two consecutive losses; a decision loss to Clay French losing his King of the Cage lightweight title, and in his next fight, a knockout loss to Japanese star Hayato Sakurai for the now defunct Pride organization.

The pressures of losing always looming over a fighters head is difficult in itself, but the Pittsburgh native is faced with a whole new pressure. Most would say being the winner of any season of The Ultimate Fighter is almost like walking around with a bulls-eye on your back and coupled with facing the adversity of new challenges awaiting him, Danzig is using this fight as motivation in ways unimaginable.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself leading up to that Neer fight and fighters are superstitious. I try not to be too superstitious, but I can’t help it sometimes, it’s the nature of the beast. Looking back at it, maybe I shouldn’t have put so much pressure on myself. Going into this one, let’s face it, it’s do or die for me.

“I don’t want to lose my job with the UFC.”

The newly minted father of a seven-month old baby girl will look to take on another difficult challenge in opponent Jim Miller, who is coming off of a loss of his own to Gray Maynard, another prized lightweight prospect and training partner to Danzig out of the famed Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas.

Always one to keep his composure, Danzig will need his sense of self when he faces Miller in what is hyped to be the biggest card in the company’s history at UFC 100 on July 11 in Las Vegas. Though most are openly ecstatic at the opportunity, Danzig takes a different approach to the situation, as a true professional would.

“It depends on how you think of it. I try to do my best not to think of stuff like that because I don’t want to get over excited or nervous, I just try to stay focused on the task at hand and I try to treat it just like any other fight and that’s the best way for me to deal with something like this mentally.

“I’ll enjoy it more when the fight is done,” he explained.

Though New Jersey's Miller is an opponent who brings many dangerous tools into the fight, it’s his name recognition that is still lacking inside the UFC. He is still looking for a signature win to make a big impact in his division.

“I’m facing an extremely tough guy. It’s a tough fight because he’s one of those guys where he doesn’t really have a big name in the sport yet because he hasn’t got a chance to show what he’s all about against guys on a main card. People from the main stream fans that don’t really follow the sport closely probably expect me to win and it’s a tough situation.”

With fight time nearing and training culminating this week, Danzig will lay it all on the line once again in order to cement his job inside the organization where a wayward East to West Coast trip seven years ago has brought him to today, in this moment.

“What else can I do but train my ass off and fight? That’s what I’m gonna do. The pressure is there, but I gotta put that out of my mind and do my best to beat this guy.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 100: JIM MILLER, "I WANT TOUGH FIGHTS"

Jim Miller seemed to be on the fast track towards a title shot, since making his long anticipated debut in the big show at UFC 89, when he squared off against the highly touted David Baron. Baron just had come off the biggest win of his career, submitting prized Japanese fighter Hayato Sakurai in the first round.

After handing Baron his first loss in five fights with an impressive third-round rear naked choke (garnering Submission of the Night), he followed up the victory with another exciting performance with a unanimous decision win over Ultimate Fighter veteran Matt Wiman, who was on a four-fight win streak inside the Octagon.

Now on the heels of his first loss inside the UFC and only second overall coming against rising prospect Gray Maynard, the New Jersey native will look to regain the momentum he lost when he faces Season Six winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig. The bout marks one of his sternest tests to date as a professional fighter and a win would undoubtedly cement his spot back near the top of the lightweight ladder.

Not to mention his fight with Danzig is to be on the UFC’s centennial card, which by no stretch of the matter is a big deal in and of itself.

“(The UFC) is going to put on such a big show; that’s so respectful,” explained one-half of the Miller brothers.

“The size of the event, I think just all of Vegas, there’s gonna be a buzz with the UFC itself. It should be great publicity to be on the card.”

While Miller garnered his first loss back in 2006, against fellow UFC fighter and current training partner Frankie Edgar, he is well aware of how to adapt a loss and turn it into a positive, gaining the most from the situation in order to continue to improve himself as a fighter.

“Like they always say, you learn more from a loss than you do from a win.”

Though Danzig has been on a slide as of late, going 0-2 in his two most recent outings in the UFC against the grizzly Clay Guida and the always-tough Josh Neer (respectively), Miller chooses to ignore those performances and judge Danzig as a whole. He recognizes the talents and the ferocity that Danzig will bring into their bout when they lock horns on July 11. It's a bout that could very well be a ‘loser leaves town’ kind of bout.

“I’m coming off one loss, he’s coming off two. If I was coming off another loss in a row I’d definitely be really fired up to go out there and whoop some ass. I’m actually looking forward to it; I hope he comes after me. I want to be in a fun fight.”

Always one to please, Miller is approaching this bout like any other and is well aware of the dangers of Danzig, knowing full well that despite the losses, he is as complete a fighter as there is in the lightweight division, using his stand-up and ground game effectively in all of his fights. However, it’s the threat that Danzig brings that excites Miller the most, who constantly wants to test himself to prove that he belongs amongst the best in his class.

“I know he’s dangerous everywhere. He’s probably one of the better guys everywhere that I’ve fought. He definitely has a great (submission) game and he’s got very solid hands, so he’s a threat wherever the fight leads. I just look at it as I want tough fights. That’s what I want, that’s why I’m here. The Gray (Maynard) fight was my third fight in the UFC and I’m fighting a top contender, in a matter of months. It’s where I think I belong and it’s where I want to stay.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kyle Kingsbury and Razak Al-Hassan agree to UFC 104 bout in October

A light-heavyweight bout between Kyle Kingsbury (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Razak Al-Hassan (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), originally targeted for UFC 102 in August, will instead take place in October at UFC 104.

A source close to the fighters today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and the fight could be signed as early as this week.

UFC 104 takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and the Kingsbury vs. Al-Hassan fight is expected to take place on the night's un-aired preliminary card.

It's a must-win fight for both competitors, whose initial fight date was postponed because of Al-Hassan's injured elbow. Rather than take another fight, Kingsbury decided to wait for his opponent to heal.

Kingsbury, a replacement fighter who was eliminated from "The Ultimate Fighter 8" by eventual show winner Ryan Bader, returned at the show's live finale in December. He suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Tom Lawlor at the event but wasn't cut from the organization's roster of fighters.

Al-Hassan, meanwhile, suffered a dislocated elbow when he refused to tap to Steve Cantwell's armbar attempt at UFC Fight Night 16. The December bout marked the Midwesterner's debut in the organization and resulted in his first loss in seven professional fights.

Although UFC 104 has not been officially announced by the organization, UFC President Dana White confirmed the fight date during a UFC 98 press conference.

As MMAjunkie.com recently reported, UFC 104 features a main event between recently crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CERRONE VS HENDERSON IS FOR THE INTERIM TITLE

World Extreme Cagefighting is heading to Youngstown, Ohio for WEC 43. Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is fighting Ben Henderson in the main event. Current lightweight champion Jamie Varner, however, is not being stripped of his title.

Cerrone vs. Henderson is for a title, but it will be an interim lightweight belt, as MMAWeekly.com first reported late last week.

There was some confusion surrounding the title designation for the Cerrone vs. Henderson bout stemming from a report on Vindy.com, which stated that Varner was going to be stripped of the belt due to the uncertain time frame for his return from injury.

"I think there was just some misunderstanding in what I said and it is an interim belt. It is not a vacant title," WEC General Manager Reed Harris told MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.

He added that there are no plans at all to strip Varner of his title. The interim title fight is just that, an interim championship to keep the division moving forward while Varner recovers.

"What we wanted Jamie to do prior to actually scheduling (a rematch with Cerrone) was to get cleared by his physician and his physician wouldn't clear him. So what we decided is we need to move the division forward. Then we decided to do an interim belt," explained Harris.

"(Varner's recovery time) is indefinite and we're going to wait to hear from Jamie and his physician as far as him being cleared to fight. As soon as he's cleared to fight, I'd be more than happy to set up a fight for him."

Until Varner does return, the WEC will have a new champion come Sept. 2 after the promotion lands in Ohio for the first time in its history. The interim title bout pits two of the top rising contenders in lightweight division, and two men that will be counting on their high-paced styles to bring excitement to the bout, not the out of the cage war of words surrounding Cerrone and Varner.

“He's got an awesome ground game and he’s a superior wrestler,” Cerrone said of Henderson. “The only thing he lacks is his stand-up. I believe that I have what it takes to become champion. I know Ben well and like him, but when the cage door closes, I want to win that belt.”

“There are guys who get in the cage and you can see in their eyes that they’re a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing,” Henderson said. “I don’t think I’ll be overwhelmed. I love Cerrone’s game and his ‘Terminator’ style. He just keeps coming forward. As far as standing up with him and trading some blows, I’d love to. Let’s go out there and have fun.”

Cerrone vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on the Versus network.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Is Brock Lesnar too big and too slow for MMA?

“Honestly, I think big guys are easier to fight. They don’t move as fast, they get tired quickly and they’re not as technical…. If I want to sharpen my tools I have to work with somebody who’s not a sitting target like Forrest. Who moves around a lot, he’s extremely conditioned. He’s fast and can throw 300 punches compared to 30 punches a round. Forrest is my worst nightmare. Basically you have to go for broke and knock him out, and if you don’t he’s still going to be standing there coming after you…. There’s so many things going on in the fight. I think his mind will be paralyzed because he’s having to deal with so many new elements. Instead of going for things real slow and powerful, I may as well go for speed so I can add more chaos to his brain.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Stephan Bonnar: ‘I have to win. I need to win’ against Mark Coleman at UFC 100

“Winning is so important. It’s not just about fighting in the UFC. We get paid significantly more if we win. I have to win. I need to win…. I’m feeling better and I’ve learned to taper back a little bit. For example, I felt a little run down a few weeks ago, so I took a couple days off. Now, in the last two weeks of training, I’m only pushing hard once a day, while the second workout is lighter, not as intense…. I’ve been working on [my wrestling] a lot more. And, I kind of know he’s been working his standup a lot . So I wouldn’t be surprised if he traded with me for a little bit. But I expect his instincts to kick in and take me down, or try to take me down…. His biggest strength is wrestling and being on top of someone. Even with Shogun, you could see when he got him down, it was hard for Shogun to get up. It’s not a good place to be.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 100 To Air On Televisa in Mexico

Jaime Martinez with The NHB Show has news on the UFC finding a broadcaster for UFC 100 in Mexico. The show will air live on Televisa. Televisa is one of the two big networks in Mexico, the other being TV Azteca, so this should provide for an excellent clearance for UFC programming. The TV deal looks to be a prelude to an event in Mexico in the future, judging from comments UFC President Dana White made to Mexican paper El Universal:

Of course, our prime objective is to bring a live UFC event to Mexico in the next year. We always knew that Mexico is a market we wanted to be in. UFC 100 is a great event with great fights, three of which will be featured on our live fight card. It’s a great opportunity to introduce the UFC to Mexico.

[Mexico] is just like the U.S. in that professional wrestling is very big; but we know that there are fans who love real fights. We know that we had to construct a solid foundation in the U.S. We are now the largest pay-per-view event in the world. We beat out boxing and the WWE. Now, Mexico is a priority for us.

This deal joins the WEC deal that was done recently with the WEC airing on Cadena Tres in Mexico. Zuffa also provide a wealth of Spanish language programming through their deals with “El Octágono del UFC” on Galavision and Fox Sports Espanol’s carriage of the WEC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

AKIHIRO GONO RETURNS TO JAPAN AT SENGOKU 9

World Victory Road on Tuesday announced the opponent for Akihiro Gono's return to Japan. He will face Dan Hornbuckle at Sengoku 9 on Aug. 2 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Gono returns to compete in his home country following an unsuccessful stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States. He was 1-2 in his three UFC appearances defeating Tamdan McCrory in his Octagon debut before losing back-to-back bouts to Dan Hardy and Jon Fitch.

In his 15th year as a professional mixed martial artist, Gono is an extremely popular fighter in Japan, having spent the better part of his career fighting for Shooto, Pancrase, and Pride.

Hornbuckle is an accomplished fighter from the Midwestern United States. He has fought once before for World Victory Road, losing to Mike Pyle at Sengoku 2. He brings with him a 17-2 professional record, but will be facing his sternest test to date in Gono.

Sengoku 9 features the semi-final and final rounds of the promotion's Featherweight Grand Prix tournament. The main card will air on HDNet in the United States.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ishii To Las Vegas! Xtreme Couture Training

Satoshi Ishii left Japan yesterday, heading to Las Vegas and Xtreme Couture for one month of training. Ishii confessed that since arriving home from the Machida training in Brazil he has, side by side with his MMA training, trained Shotokan Karate in the metropolitan area three times a week.

Ishii was originally going to head to Holland and train under Fedor Emelianenko, but because of circumstances with schedules and such, it has been postponed. SENGOKU then advised him to once again train in America.

His neck which he had surgery on recently is doing good. He said that he wants to fight a Japanese fighter in his debut, which will probably happen in November. He also said that he is planning to attend UFC 100 where his senior, Yoshihiro Akiyama, will make his UFC debut.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Monteiro! SENGOKU Return In September?

Reports say that Fabricio Monteiro still has a four fight deal with SENGOKU and that he is ready and thinks he will return to the SENGOKU ring in September. It seems that SENGOKU have had trouble finding him opponents until now. That will hopefully not be the case in the future with their their current focus on the welterweight division.

Monteiro lost in his sole SENGOKU appearance against Nick Thompson, a fight which some people thought should have been scored differently, back at the first event of the organization in March of 2008. After that he has only had one MMA fight, on July 12th of last year in Brazil where he defeated Japanese Yoshitomo Watanabe.

Monteiro is definitely a welcome addition to the SENGOKU Welterweight title rush which could end at SENGOKU NO RAN 2010 where two fighters who keep winning their welterweight fights in the organization were/are planned to face off.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Middleweight Rob Kimmons signs new four-fight deal with the UFC
Following a 2-1 record in the world's premier MMA organization, middleweight Rob Kimmons has signed a new four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

A source close to the fighter today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the 28-year-old fighter recently accepted the new deal.

Kimmons (22-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) most recently defeated Joe Vedepo via first-round submission at UFC Fight Night 18 in April.

It was the sixth win in seven fights for Kimmons, a Midwesterner who's now 13-2 over the past three years.

Kimmons, who's fought throughout the Midwest and twice headlined cards for the now-defunct (and once popular) International Fighting Organization, made his octagon debut in 2008 and defeated Rob Yundt via first-round submission at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale. He then suffered a submission loss to rising contender Dan Miller at UFC Fight Night 15 before rebounding for the win over Vedepo.

During a six-year pro career, Kimmons' only losses have come to fighters who have fought in the UFC (Miller, Joe Riggs, Ryan Jensen and Marvin Eastman). In 22 career wins, he's gone to a decision only three times.

Kimmons is currently awaiting word from the UFC's front office on his next fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Javier Vazquez says Din Thomas, state commission to blame for "Ultimate Chaos" fiasco

As with any dispute, there are always two sides to every story.

And as "Ultimate Chaos" victor Javier Vazquez today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) such was the case with this past Friday's weigh-in fiasco in Biloxi, Miss., which ultimately cost Din Thomas a chance to fight – and took money from Vazquez's pocket.

"I never went up to the commission," Vazquez said. "I never bitched and complained. I never said anything. It wasn't my job to do that. That's the commission's job to do that."

Thomas, who began rehydrating immediately after weighing-in at 146.6 pounds for the featherweight contest, on Monday told MMAjunkie.com Radio that Vazquez was the one insisting the extra weight be shed despite a reported pass from the Mississippi State Athletic Commission. Vazquez said he was asked a simple question, to which he replied as he would in any other situation.

"We weighed in, and Din was about half-pound over," Vazquez said. "I never said anything. I figured since he was over he was going to have to cut anyways. Its not my job to say, 'Go cut.'

"Someone from the show came up to me and goes, 'Hey, he's a half-of-a-pound over, do you want him to cut?' I'm like, 'Yeah, I want him to cut.' That's as far as I went."

Vazquez, who said he was approached no more than "one minute, two minutes tops after I walked off the stage," said he had no idea Thomas had already started rehydrating.

"I wasn't worrying about him rehydrating," Vazquez said. "I was worried about me rehydrating. I'm not looking over my shoulder to see what he's doing.

"My job is to make weight, get rehydrated, and that's it. Everything else should be on the commission. I'm not going to be running up there and start bitching and complaining. That's not what I did."

Thomas said he received verbal approval from the commission to begin his rehydration process, but Vazquez said he wasn't aware any sort of edict was issued.

Later that night, with Thomas unable to shed weight safely and the bout in jeopardy, Vazquez said he was approached about taking the fight despite his opponent's miscue. Vazquez said he asked for 20 percent of his opponent's purse, which he insisted is fairly standard practice in the industry.

"It's standard – and whether it's written or not, I've been in this business for over 10 years – if you don't make weight, your opponent gets some part of your purse," Vazquez said.

An 11-year-veteran, Vazquez said he believes Thomas turned down the fight based on something other than his frustration at a 20 percent fine.

"I personally think he knew he was going to lose that fight," Vazquez said. "He felt like crap, and he saw that the weight cut wasn't an issue for me. He knew he was going to have a very tough fight, so he said, 'Screw it, I'll regroup and we'll try to make the fight later. But for him to be blaming it on me I think is a bunch of crap because it wasn't my fault.

"I'm not the one that showed up over weight. I'm not the one that missed weight. Everything I did was what I was supposed to do. I showed up on time, on weight and ready to fight. That's not my problem. The one that screwed that up was him. Do I blame the commission? Yeah, I blame the commission because they're a bunch of idiots. But I also blame him."

Vazquez defeated last-second replacement Mark Kergosien in just 19 seconds, but the change in opponent also resulted in a significant reduction in "Showtime's" win bonus. And while Vazquez believes the commission dropped the ball, he believes Thomas was ultimately to blame.

"One thing that I agree with Din about was that commission was a complete disaster," Vazquez said. "The other part of the blame I do blame on Din because he knows the weight we had to make and where he was supposed to be at. He should have known better.

"He's been doing this a long time; he knows he has to make weight. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know we were getting a pound. I was asking for weeks and weeks and weeks. Just to be on the safe side, I was at 145 pounds."

An unfortunate situation all the way around, the bumbled weigh-ins at "Ultimate Chaos" have created an unlikely rivalry – one that Vazquez says may be revisited very quickly.

"I'm definitely interested (in a rematch)," Vazquez said. "We're kind of working on maybe trying to put that together, shortly, so long as he can make weight. I don't think he can make the weight and be healthy. But it's not my problem. He's only going to hurt himself.

"[Thomas] is an amazing fighter, but he won't be able to last. That's up to him. If he wants to take the chance of fighting me again, he knows he's going to be in for a war. He knows I'm not afraid of him, and he knows he's probably going to lose.

"Probably sooner, rather than later, but we're just finishing up some logistics on a couple of things. You might be able to see that fight sooner than you guys think."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Edgar Garcia: ‘I Come To Fight’

Fighting has long been a way of life for the heavy handed Edgar Garcia. The youngest of four rough and tumble brothers, Garcia had to learn how to hold his own as a necessity. From fist fights in the kitchen to the octagon, the transition has been a natural one for the Arizona based fighter.

An Arizona State Wrestling Champion in high school, you would never know it by watching him fight as Garcia likes to let his fists do the talking for him.

Garcia racked up an undefeated record of 7-0 with five knockouts prior to his disputable split decision loss to Brad Blackburn at The Ultimate Finale 9. A fight that earned both men “Fight of the Night” honors and a $25,000 bonus check.

With the explosive power in his fists and his never say die attitude, Garcia is set to make a major impact on the UFC’s welterweight division in the near future.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com had the opportunity to catch up with Garcia recently to discuss his recent slugfest with Blackburn, his future in the octagon and much more.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you feel like slugging it out with your brothers while growing up had a lot to do with the development of your heavy handed punching style today?

Edgar Garcia: Yeah, I guess we fought a lot while growing up. However I have give credit to my boxing coaches for helping me fine tune my talent.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Would you guys go out in the backyard and box, or where would you end up throwing down most of the time?

Edgar Garcia: Wherever we were at we just threw down, the kitchen, the living room, wherever. We weren’t going to go that far to fight. It was all just spur of the moment..

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: When did the tide start to change where you actually started winning some of those fights against your older brothers?

Edgar Garcia: We stopped fighting and punching each other as we got older and more mature so I don”t really know when that happened. As I got into high school and started wrestling, we would wrestle for hours around the house. I was the only wrestler but my bothers could hold their own.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I know you have a background in wrestling, but would you say that you prefer to stand and slug it out by nature?

Edgar Garcia: Of course, fighting is about hitting people isn’t it? You don’t fight somebody thinking hey I am gonna wrestle this guy, you think I am going to knock this guy out,

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Did you suffer from any pre fight jitters in your UFC debut, or do you think your prior experience with the WEC enabled you to feel relatively comfortable in there?

Edgar Garcia: Well, I had some jitters because the UFC is the biggest you get.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Blackburn seemed like he wanted to jump right on you in the beginning and possibly take advantage of it being your first time in the UFC. Was there ever a point where you were stunned early in the fight?

Edgar Garcia: That is probably why I got rocked in the beginning but once I realized he didn’t hit that hard I was settled down and knew I was the better stand up fighter

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Were you a little surprised with how tough Blackburn’s chin was?

Edgar Garcia: It’s not that I am surprised he has a good chin, he does have a good chin, I was just missing my mark. He did a good job of avoiding my hook. I knew when I caught him he would go down. I just wasn’t tagging him like I wanted to until the end of the fight when I caught him with that hook.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you feel like you may have been able to finish the fight if it had gone just 10 or 20 more seconds? How bad did Blackburn look hurt at the end of the fight?

Edgar Garcia: I don’t think 10 or 20 seconds would have allowed me to finish him. He did stand up pretty quickly. Maybe bout a minute and I would have finished him. As far as him looking hurt, he didn’t look as bad as I wanted him to.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Have you had a chance to actually go back and watch that fight, and do you feel that you did enough to be awarded with that decision?

Edgar Garcia: Yes, I have watched it plenty of times. I clearly think I won the first and third round which would have been a decsion in my favor. The second could have gone either way depending on the judges.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is that a fight that you want back at some point down the road?

Edgar Garcia: If I don’t think I need the fight to get to the next level then I don’t see why I would re-fight him. I mean, if he is in my way of me getting a title shot or into title contention somewhere down the line then of course I will fight him again. I would rather beat better guys and move forward. I am not a big fan of rematches, but if the UFC wants to see it I will do it no questions asked.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: At twenty five years of age and a record of 7-1, do you feel like it’s safe to say that you have a lot of room left to improve?

Edgar Garcia: I think no matter who you are you should have room to improve. I watched the film by myself and with my coaches many times. I have the tools I just need to put them all together. More kicks, takedowns, different combinations etc. I need to mix it up a bit more.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What can UFC fans expect from Edgar Garcia in the future?

Edgar Garcia: Winning, more excitement and action packed fights. I come to fight. Maybe some knockouts or submission attempts.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Thanks a lot Edgar, is there anyone you would like to thank?

Edgar Garcia: I want to thank MTX Audio for making it possible for me to fight full time and train properly. I want thank Aztec FightGear for their support. And mostly my friends and family because they put up with with all of the training and time away. I want to thank my training partners and my coaches. They are always there for me.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva likely for Sengoku in September, return to U.S. action possible

Former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (12-1) will likely appear at the as-yet-unannounced World Victory Road's "Sengoku 10th Battle" event in September.

Silva's manager and American Top Team founding manager, Alex Davis, today informed MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) of the potential bout, as well as his client's desire to return to action in the U.S.

"I think that probably by next year you'll see him back in the U.S.," Davis said. "I'd like him back in the States; that's our goal. Right now we still have a contract with Sengoku. He's probably going to fight in September. If that goes well, possibly for a Sengoku title at the end of the year."

Silva is currently suspended in the U.S. following a failed drug test after a July 2008 bout with Justin Eilers under the EliteXC banner. Silva and his American Top Team camp have remained adamant that the heavyweight never touched any sort of performance enhancing drug, despite the claims to the contrary by the California State Athletic Commission.

Despite the troubles with the CSAC, Davis believes Silva will fight again in the U.S.

"You're going to see him back in the very near future," Davis said. "I think we're past that problem with the commission. It was very unfortunate."

Silva, who is currently on a five-fight win streak, last fought in a January win over Yoshihiro Nakao for Sengoku. Davis believes it's important for "Bigfoot" to return to the U.S. in order to fulfill the massive potential his client has shown in flashes during his four-year-old career.

"Once we get him [Silva] in the picture, and once he's feasible again, we're open," Davis said. "Who knows? It could be UFC, could be Strikeforce, could be Affliction – wherever he has good fights that make sense. Antonio needs to fight the big names.

"Antonio is capable of being the best heavyweight in the world. It's not because I manage him. It's because I know the guy. I've seen him grapple with the Nogueira brothers. Everybody has seen his striking, which he just learned in the last three years. The guy is a phenomenal athlete. He could give Fedor the fight of his life, I'm absolutely sure of that. We just need to get him against those big names again so he can prove it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Heath Herring taking time to clear head, refocus; timeframe for return not yet established

It doesn't take more than simply glancing over UFC heavyweight Heath Herring's (28-14 MMA, 2-3 UFC) record to see what kind of fighter he is.

While "The Texas Crazy Horse" hasn't won every fight he's ever entered, Herring has fought the world's toughest fighters throughout his 12-year career.

But despite having fought 42 times in bouts all over the globe, his UFC 99 withdrawal provided Herring a new experience that has forced him to take a little time away from the sport.

"That was the first time I've ever had to pull out of a fight before, and it was pretty tough," Herring today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "It didn't sit too well with me."

Herring was scheduled to face fast-rising prospect Cain Velasquez (6-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at the June 13 event in Germany, but an illness in the month before the contest forced him to withdraw.

"Because of my asthma, anything I get in my lungs, obviously, is aggravated," Herring said. "I couldn't take these cortisone inhalers that clear everything up because it would make me test positive. So it was kind of a vicious cycle, so to speak.

"I was stuck in my bed for about two or three weeks right before the fight. So you're stressing out anyway, then I talked to the doctors and they were like, 'There's no way.' We had to pull out."

Besides losing 15 pounds while unable to train, Herring said the entire experience of putting in months of training only to lose the chance to fight at the final moment has been very difficult to process. The heavyweight said he wants to take a little time off to refocus on his career.

"After this last one, I just need to get my head cleared for a little bit, so it's going to be a little while," Herring said. "I'm going to take some time off."

Herring is leaving his Las Vegas residence behind temporarily in order to focus on a restaurant in California in which he's invested before returning home to Texas for an extended vacation. Once he returns to action, Herring said he would be interested in revisiting the bout with Velasquez.

And while a UFC 103 appearance in Dallas – less than 100 miles from his native Waco, Texas – would seem a natural fit, Herring said he's not sure what the future holds.

"I don't know," Herring said. "That's the big thing. We've got to definitely set up camp if that's going to happen. We'll see.

"I've been doing this for so long, 13 years, and having to pull out of that fight, I just need to get my head cleared and get everything set back up the way it needs to go before I jump in and do something stupid."