MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 106: Lesnar & Tito, Big PPV Potential

Yesterday, it was leaked, and then confirmed by various sources, that Shane Carwin is indeed Brock Lesnar’s next opponent. The bout will headline UFC 106 on November 21st from Las Vegas, Nevada; the same night that Tito Ortiz is reportedly set to take on Mark Coleman.

Carwin was supposed to face Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in Los Angeles, but it appears as though the UFC is looking to avoid having either man eliminated from the heavyweight title picture. Velasquez, however, will still fight on the UFC 104 card against former IFL Heavyweight Champ Ben Rothwell.

Payout Perspective:

This has the potential to be a very serious PPV card. Lesnar or Ortiz headlining on their own have the potential to do huge numbers, let alone if both are on the same card. It may seem as though some are now trumpeting every UFC card to do 1 million+ buys, but here is why I think this card has a legitimate chance to actually make that mark:

* Brock Lesnar is the sport’s biggest draw: he’s been in a headlining position (main or co-main event) four times; none have ever done less than 600,000, and each has been successfully stronger than the last (UFC 81: 600k, UFC 87: 625k, UFC 91: 900k, UFC 100: 1700k).
* Heavyweight championships sell: no division in combat sports is a potent of a draw as the big men are.
* Lesnar’s UFC 100 Performances: he mauled Frank Mir, flipped off the fans, insulted Bud Light, and gave us a little TMI - people everywhere - hardcore, casual, curious, or otherwise - are more interested now than ever before.
* Ortiz is an MMA legend, one of the greatest draws of all time: he’s headlined two record breaking events on PPV and another on Spike (UFC 61: 775k, UFC 66: 1050k, Ortiz Shamrock III: HH 3.1 peaking at 4.3 ).
* UFC’s super-marketing machine: The UFC has a great deal of incentive to pump up the vaunted UFC hype machine for this event in order to set the tone and build momentum for a very busy year’s end (TUF 10 Finale, UFC 107: Rampage vs. Rashad, and UFC 108 which is an event that could likely feature the return of GSP on January 2nd).

 

[Shogun Locc]

DirecTV-Versus Impasse Possible

Luke Thomas over at Bloodyelbow.com covers an interesting situation brewing between satellite carrier DirecTV and the network channel home of the WEC, Versus. The two are currently involved in last minute negotiations to extend the distribution agreement, which expires August 31st. An impasse and prolonged battle are possible, something that could result in DirecTV possibly dropping Versus (and hence the WEC) from its line-up.

Thomas sums up the situation fairly accurately:

The crux of the issue is that Versus believes it’s beefed up sponsor-friendly sports programming (both traditional sports in hockey, college football as well as combat sports in the form of the WEC, boxing, Contender and Contender: Asia, etc.) as well as adding enough households to warrant a higher fee for their product. Clearly, DirecTV believes Versus is asking for a price outside of the existing market value, hence the impasse.

Payout Perspective:

The numerous blogs that have already covered this situation have probably done it justice. I will address, however, the potential impact of this on the UFC-WEC merger that I discussed in detail earlier this week.

The fact that Versus is asking for more is nothing astonishing or earth-shattering; and, it’s probably not a concern for the UFC, nor is it likely to be a factor in their decision whether or not to merge with the WEC. However, if these stalled negotiations becoming something of a habit and Versus starts losing big chunks of their 75 million subscriber base, you can bet the UFC will revisit the situation.

I’d also just like to point out that, since announcing the flyweight division in January, we’ve yet to see any fights at 125 from the WEC. If the UFC and WEC were to merge, there would likely only be seven divisions: 135 and 145, plus the existing 155, 170, 185, 205, and 265lbs.

Integrating 135 and 145, plus a handful of top 155ers from the WEC, into the UFC would be difficult enough. Forget trying to build a new 125lbs division from scratch. The purpose of the merger would be to add marketable entities to the UFC line-up and strengthen its main card offerings, adding an unknown set of flyweights to the fray would defeat that purpose.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Todd Duffee ready for the UFC debut

Undefeated after five fights, Todd Duffee is training hard for his UFC debut, against Tim Hague, at UFC 102.Without fighting since his victory over former Pride and UFC Assuerio Silva, at Jungle Fight, the American Top Team heavyweight is ready.

“I feel great, I’m prepared”, guarantees, praising his opponent, who won ten out of five fights in the MMA career. “He’s a big guy, very strong, have fought in Canada and is very experienced”. Coming to the heavyweight division, which is stacked of big names like Brock Lesnar, Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop, Duffee is excited.

“The division is very strong, they have tough guys who are ready to fight, former Pride champions… I think that only three or four tops are outside the UFC. The division is amazing and I’m excited to be part of it”, finished the fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM.12! Experiment


DREAM has put up a promo video of DREAM.12 on their YouTube channel and it contains the management discussing the “experiment” of DREAM.12 that was hinted at last week. It might be a change of the fighting surface.

However, in the video it says: “not in the UFC”, “violence”, etc. So could it be the introduction of soccer kicks and stomps in DREAM? But Sasahara said last week that it will be the first of its kind in MMA.

Sakuraba in the video (from the last event) says: “It’s useless to escape”/”I must not escape”. You can’t escape from a cage?

My guess 6 sided Ring

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Global’s Gegard Mousasi blogs about “Trilogy” and “Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg”

Hi MMA fans.

The month august supposed to start well with me fighting at M-1/Affliction show on august 1 against Babulu. My preparation went well and I was really exciting. The first bad news came when I heard Josh Barnett was caught on steroid use. We where 10 days before the event and then such a thing came up. I was a little bit surprised because normally testing is before the fight and the outcome are always after the fight. Barnett was tested prior therefore he wasn’t fined or anything expect he wasn’t getting a license to fight. I was surprised that the commission started to do their new policy at a Affliction show, that decision raised my eyebrows a little but enough about that. It’s still his mistake by using steroid but then again there was still a big fight line up and even so I wasn’t worried about finding a new replacement for Fedor. Who doesn’t want a change to fight the number one in the world?

Then the second news came in; the show was canceled. I was shocked to hear that and at the same time I was very pissed. So many fighters trained for that moment and then you hear something like that! I couldn’t understand a bit of the decision and there statement didn’t make sense to me. Because we are fighters and don’t have a monthly income such fights like that are very important, especially for me personal because I just purchased a new building and I need the money to fund that. Trust me I was sick of it. But they told me that there are solutions to this all so we decided to go to the US.

Of course not everybody was mourning about the death of Affliction because UFC found a new sponsor in the process. Unbelievable that Affliction and UFC where bitter rivals and now they are sleeping together again. What a soap! UFC managed to get some fighters of the Affliction roster and also Strikeforce was a serious promoting to pick up the loose. The contact between my management and Strikeforce was already in place so a meeting with promoter Scott Coker sound obvious. It was a great meeting and a deal was quickly finalized. The same fight where I trained for could go on two weeks later on 15 august. Another extra was that the fight would be a title fight, so the fight came more interesting for me.

Training with Fedor at B.J. Penn
Of course Fedor was also in the U.S. because he was getting the most attention, everybody wanted to know what Fedor would do now that Affliction was death. Is Fedor going to the UFC or Strikeforce. Myself thought he was going to go to Strikeforce. As a M.M.A fan I would love to see Fedor going to the UFC but his choice to go to Strikeforce was understandable. Many people consider UFC the biggest fight promotion and I have to agree but saying UFC has the best heavyweights in the world I’m not so sure. The UFC is the biggest when it comes to lightweight, welterweight, light heavyweight divisions but the middleweight and heavyweight division is rather weak comparing to the rest. I honestly think that there are some great challenges in Strikeforce for Fedor. Everybody knows M-1 and Fedor chose Strikeforce and a lot was written and said about it. But don’t forget that Strikeforce will have the best female fighter of the world, the best heavyweight in the world and the best lightheavyweight in the world, yes that’s me hahahaha. But enough about that let’s get back to my journey. While everybody was make a big deal of Fedor going to Strikeforce we where chilling. Fedor and I and the rest of the crew went to the beach to relax and then we went to BJ Penn his gym, RVCA. Was nice to see that BJ Penn – the best lightweight in the world – has a lot of respect for Fedor. BJ Penn didn’t know me that much but that time will come. Fedor is the man and you could see that Penn was delighted that he came by.


Training with Belfort?
You would think that I’m joking but it’s true. Belfort and I had a few words through the media about a possible fight between us. Of course nothing was personal but I was aware that the fight was on but he denied it and few words where spread so my going to his gym wasn’t something on my agenda. But live has does turn of events. I was doing some shopping and guess who I bumped in to, yep it was Vitor Belfort. It wasn’t all that surprisingly because his people and my people set up a meeting about the cancellation of Affliction and if there are some legal actions that could be made against Affliction. Meanwhile they were discussing I had the chance to talk to him. He’s a very nice guy and we had some good talks. I asked him if I can train with him and he was all right with that so I took the opportunity. It was a nice training and it’s always nice to see how a colleague works out and in what circumstances

Boxing at Freddie Roach’s
My trip to the US was primarily to look for a solution to the Affliction problem. Because we made a deal very soon I had a lot of spare time left. The thing is you have two things to think about, you know you have a fight in two weeks but on the other hand you are in the US so you want to have some holiday time. I choose to do both. I trained but at the same time I made sure I had some fun things to do. Because I was in the US I wanted to visit the famous boxing coach Freddie Roach. I stated numerous times that I wanted to fight a boxing match, because I did it before I started M.M.A., so what’s the best way to test yourself at one of the best gyms in the world. So I went there and start sparring with the guys of Freddie Roach. Roach was in my corner and taped me for the sparring session. It went well and maybe in the future I would do a boxing match. Freddie Roach is a great trainer and maybe someday I will visit him again.


Happy Birthday!
On the M-1/Affliction show I was supposed to have my birthday at the same time. My birthday is 1 august. I was sleeping like a baby and then all of sudden there was a knock at my door. The whole M-1 crew was there with a cake singing happy birthday. I wasn’t entirely awake but it was nice to start the day with a surprise. My day started with a training at Freddie Roach (see previous chapter) and afterward there was a photoshoot for Strikeforce. When that was finished it was time to visit my friends. There is a big Armenia community and I had good contact with them prior to my trip. So every time I go to the States I try to visit them. The guys train at Gokor gym and I trained with them and afterwards we went to dinner with 15 people. It’s always nice to relax and have fun with guys that you consider friends. At 23.00 I went to my hotel and went to bed.


Back to Holland and back to the U.S. again!
Despite that I was already in the U.S. I could choose to stay until my fight. The only thing that I’m very attached to my home environment so being a long time from home isn’t something for me. I wanted to be home before I step in the cage. So it was for only a week but I wanted to get back to my preparation with my group. I was nice to have some rest in the US but it was back in business for the 15e of august.

When I arrived in the U.S. I went straight to my hotel to prepare myself for the next day, because there were some interviews planned. I was surprised that I had to do so many interviews for radio and TV. For somebody like me who never fought in the U.S. and then getting so much attention it was great, it’s nice to see that your achievements outside of the U.S. is respected. I have to see that the organization was very good, they picked me up and brought me back to the hotel. The day after was more of the same. I was lucky I had some spare time left so I did some shopping in a big mall and went to the beach. I have to say that the last three days before the fight I never train and let my body rest. I was surprised that I hadn’t have to cut weight. With my first trip I weighed in at 95 kilo (+/- 210 lbs) but by arrival at my second trip I was 93 kilo (205lbs), so not having to cut weight is good. The day after it was time to weigh in. Everything went relaxed and afterward a interview with MMA Insight. Then I saw Babulu, you never know how your opponent is going to react if you see each other but he was nice and said hi to each other and there was mutual respect.

Time to Fight!

The day of the fight was there. It started great because I didn’t need to go to the venue that early so I had some time for myself. Because my fight was late I was picked up at 18.00. By arrival the event was already in progress. I had to go straight to the medical. Damn those guys are strict. I had a little cold so I wanted to use my nose spray but they didn’t allowed it. Even a redbull drink was prohibited, maybe the where afraid I would fly away When I was a the dressingroom I was waiting time. Oh by the way what I really liked was the thing that every fighter has his own cutman. Those guys know what they are doing so they tape you up and are in your corner. Very professional! During the waiting time I always take a time for myself and think of all the effort I put in and think for who I’m doing this; my family, my brother and my friends. I’m trying to motivate myself by being calm and collective.

The Fight

Once you’re on that catwalk nothing happens to me. A lot of questions came later on what I was feeling but I couldn’t give a straight answer. I just walk to the ring nothing special there. I know I’m ready and when I entered the cage I feel pretty good. The cage is pretty big so I knew I had the space to circle around a keep a good distance. Yes, the cage suits me. During the fight itself everything is going on autopilot. I had the takedown and had good position against te cage. I hit him a couple of time and when I landed the last punch I knew he was KO and the you stop automatically. Me stopping before the referee came was also one of those question I couldn’t understand. My answer was just like walking in the ring, it happens automatically. It’s a sport we are in too and there is no hate so why should I go on if I see he’s out. But then again it’s in my nature I guess.

Ending

After the fight you realize what you have done and that I have a new title. That’s the moment when I enjoy myself. I knew I could win the fight but I wasn’t expecting to win in just one minute. I’ve stated in interviews that I would ground and pound him so I guess my predictions where good hahah. When I walked back I was congratulated by Bas Rutten and Kevin Randleman. After the fight I received my check and that’s always rewarding. In Japan that’s a different story. After I dressed myself I went to dinner with the boys from EA games and they promised me that I would receive every EA title, it’s good to be me hahah. When I arrived at the hotel I was greeted by many people and had to sign autographs and went on pictures. It wasn’t my first time doing it but I’m always a little bit shocked that people want me on the picture and have my autograph. Afterward I went to my hotel room and looked on the internet and watched my fight and the reactions on the boards. I’m not that type a guy that will party all night long so I stayed in my room and went to sleep.

Oh almost forgot to tell, I have a new sponsor, Tapout. We made a deal and they told me that I will get my own shirt. So keep your eyes open. I’m going to give some to my fans. Check facebook, a close friend of mine Harry opened a account. The only thing he misspelled my name hahah so look me up on facebook under the name Gerard Mousasi. I will post my fights and story and I will give away some goodies like shirts.

Furthermore I would like to thank people for their support and I read the good reactions on the internet.

A big thanks go to the people who helped me in this fight: Bert Kops, Kita, Abdulla, Jessy Gibbs, Gewik, Ricardo, Floris, Michael, Chris Dolman and the rest of the guys from the gym.

Then there is the best doctor van Holland Frederiek, the trainers of M-1, the boys of Slamm, mister Guus for his counseling along with Jelte, Goksel, Apy, Joop, Jacob, Fabrice and the rest of the M-1 crew and of course my family and friends. Oh, almost forgot; Luc my old boxing trainer, without all of them I wasn’t where I am right now!! Thanks guys!

I’m out!!

Greetings

Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi

 

[Shogun Locc]

“Psycho” Amoussou ready to make his name in the U.S. at “HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 BREAKTHROUGH”

Voted by Sherdog.com as the number one European MMA prospect, Frenchmen Karl “Psycho” Amoussou is no secret to die-hard MMA fans.

For the past year and a half, Amoussou has been a staple of M-1’s M-1 Challenge telecasts on HDNet each and every Friday night. But for the first time ever on Friday, Aug. 28, Amoussou will look to take his career to new heights when he competes on live television in the U.S. for the first time ever.

“I’ve already fought in Kansas City during last year’s M-1 Challenge against Korea but I’m very proud to fight again in the us,” Amoussou said during an exclusive interview with M-1Global.com. “The U.S. is a great country. I’m back and I announce that I’ll come back a lot of times because there are lots of fighters who fight in American organizations that I have to knock out.”

Originally scheduled to fight former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion Nick Thompson, Amoussou recently learned he will instead face resurgent M-1 Challenge fighter John “The Iron Bull” Doyle during “HDNET PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH.”

Preparing for a new opponent on Amoussou should be not be difficult for a fighter that Wanderlei Silva has branded “the future of MMA.” Nicknamed “The Psycho” for his tactics of psychological warfare outside of the ring and his devastating style of fighting inside of it, Amoussou is receiving elite-level training as he finds himself on the cusp of superstardom. Originally trained by his brother, former PRIDE fighter Bertrand Amoussou, Amoussou now works with Jean Marie Merchet of High Tension.

“Bertrand was my trainer during my finals year in judo and then and in my early years of MMA,” he said when asked how his brother has impacted his career. “He showed me great judo and grappling techniques and helped me win my first fights. He is huge in grappling.

“However, for the last year and a half he hasn’t been my trainer.My trainer is now Jean Marie Merchet and my team is Haute Tension (High Tension). He has helped develop my muay thai skills.”

Amoussou is a one of the more distinguished fighters in the sport and has drawn comparisons to one of his idols, the aforementioned Silva. But Amoussou is also a distinguished figure outside of the ring, with his full-time job in his native France being that of a police officer.

“I work as a policeman in a special group against criminality and drugs,” Amoussou responded when asked about his law enforcement background. “I don’t have a uniform, I’m wearing my daily clothes to be discreet.”

While Amoussou spends his time in deep cover, it is becoming increasingly hard for him to protect his identity.

“Last week I caught a guy — once he had been handcuffed he told me: ‘Hey Psycho, I didn’t try to escape because I’ve seen your videos on YouTube and I’m not crazy.’”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Former UFC welterweight Danillo Villefort devastated by the effects of two UFC-related cuts

Earning your way into the UFC is all about winning. Staying there is a numbers game.

With the world's biggest mixed martial arts organization constantly looking to bring new talent to sport's biggest stage, holding on to your roster spot requires consistent effort, success in the cage, and fighting the way the UFC expects you to fight.

But what happens when you're but seconds away from winning your UFC debut when the rug is pulled out from under you?

A near win turns into a loss, and your UFC dreams are ended with a phone call from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

Former UFC welterweight Danillo Villefort (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) losing his dream in the blink of an eye – or in the time it takes for an accidental headbutt to slash open a forehead – is a memory he still can't quite comprehend.

"Tuesday morning when I was at the gym watching my partners training, my manager, Alex Davis, called and gave me the sad news," Villefort said. "The UFC told him that I had not fought well, that I had run away from the fight, and that they were cutting guys due to the fact that they had a lot of fighters under contract at the moment. They said for those two reasons they had decided to cut me."

It was Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The beginning of the end

Three days prior, Villefort had been facing Jesse Lennox in the opening bout of "UFC 101: Declaration" in Philadelphia. Villefort, after earning a first-round TKO over Mike Campbell at WEC 38 in January, was making his debut for the UFC.

Villefort was riding a five-fight win streak, while Campbell was on a three-fight run of his own. After two rounds of action, the fight was tied at one frame each.

Then it happened.

After a tentative start to the third round, Villefort looked to toss Lennox to the mat. Lennox defended the throw and wound up in top position as the two hit the floor. Calm and comfortable on his back, the Ricardo Liborio black belt cinched in an armbar.

Lennox instinctively rolled away, but Villefort transitioned to a more dominant old as his opponent turned to his back. Villefort tried again to torque the hold, but Lennox was able to escape and work back to his feet. Villefort was unable to follow, and it became immediately evident why.

Villefort had suffered a deep cut over his eye in the scramble, and the ringside doctor was rushed in to evaluate the gash. The physician wasted little time in making a decision as the blood flowed from Villefort's head, and Lennox was awarded the TKO win.

Villefort said he was shocked that the fight was stopped.

"To be honest, I didn't even consider that the fight might be stopped," Villefort said. "If I had known, I would have kept on the way I was."

With the fight in the books, in-arena replays clearly showed what had ended the contest. An illegal blow – an accidental headbutt – in the fight's final sequence was the culprit.

Lennox's TKO win had been falsely awarded.

The aftermath

The cut on Saturday was frustrating. The cut on Tuesday was devastating.

"I thought my manager was kidding me," Villefort said. "I was already really sad due to the loss. I know it wasn't my best day inside the cage, but from my perspective, the fight wasn't that bad. I have seen worse fights without the participants being released.

"It was my first fight in the show, and it's is a lot of pressure fighting in the UFC for the first time. I had not realized that. I just feel that I should have had another chance to show what I am capable of."

Villefort won't get that chance, at least not for now. The UFC's staffing decisions are made swiftly, and the decisions are firm. The Brazilian said despite the move coming 10 days ago, he just now built up the courage to tell his family.

"This was a huge shock for me," Villefort said. "I didn't even have the courage to tell my family at first, but I told them after a week. That was a hard week.

"I had tears in my eyes, and I had the feeling that I failed my mission, my friends and my team. But I know I will be back, and I will not make the same mistakes."

Villefort said he holds no ill feelings toward the UFC, and he understands the difficulty of managing a roster of nearly 200 world-class athletes. But "Indio" admits he believes the organization may have made a mistake.

"Alex told me that Joe does not like to have to cut people, but this is a tough business – tough for them, the promoters, tough for us, the fighters," Villefort said. "Like in any other business, you need to please your customers. If you don't, you will not have them; you will not make money and stay alive.

"I understand that as a professional fighter, its not always enough to win; you also need to entertain. I tried to do some different things like spinning back kicks, elbows, and a couple good knees. Next time I will just try to finish the fight as fast as I can."

Villefort refuses to believe there won't be a next time. An American Top Team-trained fighter, the 26-year-old has seen his share of fighters come and go from the UFC. And despite finding himself on the outside of the world-famous octagon, Villefort says he'll make it back to the UFC.

"All in all, [UFC officials] have always been nice to me," Villefort said. "I want to fight in that cage again. I was just really upset at the way things panned out.

"But I don't want to make excuses. It wasn't anyone's fault that the referee didn't see when Lennox headbutted me. I just thought that I should have another chance."

And if another chance won't be given to him, Villefort said he'll earn it. Perhaps a victim of bad luck, unfortunate timing or misguided officiating, Villefort said he will take control of his own path back to the UFC.

"I have seen a lot of fighters that get cut, go out, fight again, do well, and come back, and that is what I am going to do," Villefort said. "I want to fight. I love to fight. I am already back to training so that when my manager calls me, I will be ready to go."

 

[Shogun Locc]

JON "BONES" JONES JOINS JACKSON'S CREW

Undefeated UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones is the latest fighter to join Team Jackson's in Albuquerque, N.M., headed by highly sought after trainer Greg Jackson.

Jackson told MMAWeekly.com content partner Tapout Radio, "Jon Jones has joined our team and he's out here training. He's just a pleasure to work with. He's incredibly creative. That he's got so far with his creativity is amazing.”

Jones initially trained with Team BombSquad out of Cortland, N.Y., then with the Tristar Gym in Montreal. The 22-year-old's move to New Mexico and Team Jackson is said to be a permanent move.

"He brought his family out and he's clicked with the team perfectly," added Jackson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FRANK SHAMROCK PLANNING DECEMBER RETURN

Frank Shamrock expects to return to competition in the Strikeforce promotion in December, but an opponent has not been named.

"A time line for me to fight is December," Shamrock told MMAWeekly.com content partner Tapout Radio.

While no opponent has been named, Shamrock threw out a few names he'd like to fight: Matt Lindland and rematches with Nick Diaz and Cung Le. But at the end of the day, Shamrock doesn't care who's standing across the cage from him for his next bout.

"If Nick Diaz can stop smoking dope, if whoever else the hell we've got can show up at the weigh-ins, I honestly don't care," stated Shamrock. "I'm interested in promoting the sport of mixed martial arts. Who ever comes in front of me, I'm interested in facing."

Shamrock's accolades include UFC middleweight titleholder, interim King of Pancrase, and WEC light heavyweight champion, as well as Strikeforce middleweight titleholder.

Shamrock rose to the top of the sport by winning the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title at UFC Ultimate Japan 1 in 1997. He defended his belt four times before leaving the promotion in semi-retirement.

He made a full-time return to fighting on March 10, 2006, setting the then U.S. attendance record against Cesar Gracie in San Jose, Calif., in what was California's first sanctioned mixed martial arts event. He's gone 2-3 since his official return losing his last two outings, to Cung Le and Nick Diaz.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 43 weigh-ins slated for Sept. 1 in Youngstown, Ohio

Weigh-ins for "WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson" take place Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The weigh-ins are set for the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio, the same venue that hosts the following day's Versus-televised event.

WEC 43, the first-ever WEC event to take place in the Buckeye State, is headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between top contender Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson.

Doors to the weigh-ins open at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT), and the first fighter is on the scale at 4 p.m. ET.

As always, the weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) will be on scene for all of the WEC 43 festivities with live results and photos of the weigh-ins and complete fight-night coverage of the un-aired preliminary card and the televised main card.

The finalized WEC 43 card includes:

MAIN CARD

•Donald Cerrone vs. Benson Henderson (for WEC interim lightweight title)
•Dave Jansen vs. Richard Crunkilton Jr.
•Damacio Page and Akitoshi Tamura
•Rafael Assuncao vs. Yves Jabouin
PRELIMINARY CARD

•Scott Jorgensen vs. Rafael Rebello
•Wagnney Fabiano vs. Erik Koch
•Manny Tapia vs. Eddie Wineland
•Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Anthony Njokuani
•Charlie Valencia vs. Coty Wheeler
•Mark Hominick vs. Deividas Taurosevicius

 

[Shogun Locc]

WERDUM READY FOR TITLE, FEDOR, WHOEVER

It was a far cry from the title shot that he had anticipated, but Fabricio Werdum made the most of his fight at the recent Strikeforce “Carano vs. Cyborg” event in San Jose, Calif. He still made the Showtime televised portion of the fight card and submitted his opponent, Mike Kyle, just over a minute into the opening round.

“The fight went exactly as I planned it,” he later told MMAWeekly.com. “The only thing that surprised me a bit is that Mike tried to submit me.”

Not a bad Strikeforce debut. Werdum quickly served notice that he was worthy of being considered for the title shot against champion Alistair Overeem – who had to withdraw due to a lingering injury – despite leaving the UFC following a TKO loss to Junior dos Santos last October.

“Overall, I do not know if the win rates me higher in (Strikeforce’s) rankings, but hopefully it does. I believe that I am one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world,” said Werdum. “In terms of heavyweights in Strikeforce, I would like to think that I am top three.”

Even with the recent addition of Fedor Emelianenko – a near unanimous choice as the number one heavyweight fighter in the world – saying Werdum is one of Strikeforce’s top three isn’t much of a stretch. With Overeem currently laying claim to the title, Werdum should easily be considered one of the top contenders alongside Fedor and Brett Rogers.

The former grappling coach for Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, he feels he matches up well against all three of the other top Strikeforce heavyweights.

“I think the match up would be great,” he said of Fedor. “My jiu-jitsu against his sambo. Fedor is a dangerous unorthodox striker that anyone must be careful of. Brett is a great fighter, too. This match would be a good one as well because you would see Brett tested for the first time in his career.”

And Overeem is a fighter that he knows all too well, having submitted the Strikeforce champ a little over three years ago when the two were fighting for Pride in Japan.

“I think my past fight against Alistair, when I beat him, speaks for itself.”

That said, Werdum is a company man. He just wants to fight, and will face whoever Strikeforce puts in front of him.

“I prefer to fight,” he told MMAWeekly.com, “Against who, does not matter to me. Showtime and Strikeforce work closely with one another in making matches and I understand that the match must have a broader television appeal than just going for the hardcore MMA fan.”

It’s unclear how soon Overeem will be able to defend his title, and with the addition of Fedor, it’s also unclear who will get the next crack at him.

Current plans put Fedor in his first Strikeforce bout in October or November, according to CEO Scott Coker, but it is unlikely that he’ll be facing Overeem. It’s more likely that it will be Fedor debuting against either Werdum or Rogers.

Regardless of how the match-ups pan out, rest assured, Werdum is ready and willing for any of them.

 

[Shogun Locc]

After latest changes, Friday's HDNet-televised "M-1 Breakthrough" boasts 12 fights

After a series of changes to the night's undercard, "M-1: Breakthrough," the first of what M-1 officials say will be a "premium fight series," is close to final with 12 total bouts.

Despite the changes, the night's main event between two-time UFC tournament winner Mark Kerr and fast-rising prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal remains intact.

The same goes for the night's co-feature attraction: a five-minute sparring exhibition between famed heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and recently crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.

The event takes place Friday, Aug. 28, at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., and airs on HDNet.

M-1 officials announced on Friday that Joe Wilk suffered an injury, and his original opponent, Eric Marriot, will now fight replacement Tim Bazer.

Additionally, Cindy Dandois, whose lone career win came against Strikeforce's top female contender Marloes Coenen (16-3), will not compete on the card because an opponent could not be secured.

"I started offering crazy numbers to opponents and they still refused to fight her," an M-1 spokesperson stated. "I offered a local Kansas City fighter a guarantee that was even higher than what the local male fighters are getting, and she still turned it down."

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently spoke with Dandois, who now has her sights set on Strikeforce's quickly filling women's divisions.

M-1 booked a bout between local fighters Sean Wilson and Josh Orocho to take her spot on the card.

The full card now includes:

MAIN CARD

•Mark Kerr vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
•Fedor Eemlianenko vs. Gegard Mousasi (five-minute sparring exhibition)
•Lucio Linhares vs. Mikkail Zayats
•Rob Broughton vs. Jessie Gibbs
•Karl Amoussou vs. John Doyle
•Michael Kita vs. Lloyd Marshbanks
•Ferrid Kheder vs. Daisuke Nakamura
PRELIMINARY CARD

•Rogent Lloret vs. Alexey Oleinik
•Tim Bazer vs. Eric Marriot
•Josh Orocho vs. Sean Wilson
•Rudy Bears vs. Brendan Seguin
•Mollie Ahlers-Estes vs. Andria Caplan

 

[Shogun Locc]

With "Little Nog" likely heading to UFC, Murilo "Ninja" Rua fills in at Bitetti Combat

After his twin brother first revealed earlier this week that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is close to signing a deal with the UFC, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported the fighter was scratched from a Sept. 12 fight at Bitetti Combat.

Now, taking his spot on the Brazil-based card is PRIDE veteran Murilo "Ninja" Rua, who meets Alex Stiebling.

A source close to the fighter today confirmed the plans, which were first reported by Fighters.com, with MMAjunkie.com.

However, the organization has yet to officially announce the change.

Bitetti Combat, which organization officials hope will spotlight Brazil's longtime pipeline of top MMA fighters, takes place in Rio de Janeiro and is the first local MMA event to air live in Brazil. Other featured bouts on the card include Pedro Rizzo vs. Jeff Monson, Ricardo Arona vs. Marvin Eastman and Paulo Filho vs. Alex Schoenauer.

During a UFC 102 conference call to promote his fight with Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira said his twin brother, "Minotoro" Nogueira, will soon be announced as a UFC fighter.

His departure from the Bitetti Combat card likely indicates the UFC deal is imminent.

"Minotoro" Nogueira, a former PRIDE and Affliction fighter, owns a 17-3 career record and current five-fight win streak. The 33-year-old turned pro in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the top 10 or 15 fighters in the light-heavyweight division. His career includes victories over notables such as Alistair Overeem (twice), Dan Henderson, Guy Mezger and Kazushi Sakuraba.

Rua (16-10-1), meanwhile, returns to action for the first time since his decision loss to Riki Fukuda at DREAM.8 in April. Rua, a former PRIDE fighter who became EliteXC's first middleweight champion in 2007, went 5-1 before his recent back-to-back losses to Benji Radach in October 2008 and Fukuda.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 102 fighter Krzysztof Soszynski says he's finally figured out MMA's mental game

It took him nearly five years to figure it out, but it couldn't have come at a better time.

Now, just a week away from his UFC 102 fight with Brandon Vera, Krzysztof Soszynski said he's finally figured out the mental part of mixed martial arts.

"When I started in this sport, I was 25 years old with absolutely no background in mixed martial arts whatsoever," Canada's "Polish Experiment" recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I had never taken a class, never been in a street fight, even. I didn't even know what it was like to punch somebody in the face."

Soszynski has no problem doing that these days.

The 32-year-old IFL veteran, who found his way into the UFC through the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," is now 18-8 with six consecutive victories, three of which have come in the UFC.

After two Submission of the Night performances over Shane Primm (The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale) and Brian Stann (UFC 97), Soszynski served as a late replacement and fought just 35 days later to defeat Andre Gusmao via first-round knockout at UFC 98.

Now, he replaces an injured Matt Hamill in a fight with Vera.

However, Soszynski said he first agreed to another fight.

"Actually, I was called six weeks before the (UFC 102) fight to fight someone else, Jason Brilz, at UFC 103," Soszynski said. "We accepted that fight, and then a day later Dan Henderson calls me and says, 'Hey, hold off on that Jason Brilz fight. They might be asking for you to fight Brandon Vera as Matt Hammil got injured.' It took about four or five days for them to finally figure out what was going on and who I was going to face.

"They finally said, 'Yeah, Brandon Vera it is.' About five-and-a-half weeks out, I put the pizza down and got ready for a fight."

Brilz ultimately got Eliot Marshall for a preliminary-card fight at UFC 103. Soszynski, though, gets a pay-per-view main card bout with Vera, a well-known commodity in the UFC.

"I think it was a better opportunity for me to fight Brandon Vera," said Soszynski, who competes on his second UFC PPV card. "I get to fight on the main card, which is a huge opportunity – and in Portland, on top of that, with Randy Couture and Nogueira on the card. I was very excited about that."

While Soszynski no doubt has the skills to hang with the 205-pound division's best, it was only recently he could convince himself of that.

Soszynski never turned down fights against tough fighters, but he struggled against them early in his career.

After a 7-1 start to his pro campaign, the quality of competition increased, and Soszynski went winless (0-4-1) against the likes of Matt Horwich, Mike Kyle and Ben Rothwell.

"I used to be such a bad mental fighter," Soszynski admitted. "Now everything has just turned around completely. Everything is coming together, and it's the perfect time for me to fight Brandon Vera."

So what exactly clicked?

"Bas Rutten and Shawn Tompkins, they started to slowly help me out with that," Soszynski said. "Now, over the course of time with Dan Henderson and how cool, calm and collective he is – how relaxed he is – it just kind of helps out. One day it clicked. You have to go out there and have fun. All the hard work you put in during the training camp and the practices with your teammates, the fight is the fun part. My last two fights, I came out with a smile on my face, singing my song, shaking hands with everybody and giving hugs to my opponents. It's all about having fun, now."

Now set to face the toughest test of his promising UFC career, Soszynski has replaced feelings of anxiousness and uneasiness with anticipation for the Vera fight.

"He's probably the first person in the UFC that I'm fighting that's really well-rounded, from striking to wrestling to his jiu-jitsu," Soszynski said. "It's going to be a huge test for me, but I'm really excited for the opportunity. I'm looking forward to this fight. I think it's going to be fireworks. We're going to stand and bang and see what happens."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 106: Shane Carwin explains his ‘hate’ for Brock Lesnar …

“I think hate is a strong word, but yeah, I hate what he did after UFC 100. I hate that he disrespected the greatest sporting fans in the world and I can’t wait to fight him. … Really it comes down to respect and I do not think that he respects the sport or the fans of this sport. He may be well known, but fame does not equal respect.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Former Olympian Daniel Cormier plans to debut as a heavyweight

The waters in the heavyweight division just got a little bit deeper as plus sized brawlers such as Brock Lesnar, Fedor Emelianenko, Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin can expect company in the form of a massively powerful Olympic level athlete that hails from Lafayette, Louisiana.

Wrestling powerhouse Daniel Cormier recently made news by announcing his intentions to make the transition to mixed martial arts, signing with Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management and joining up with the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California.

A two-time United States Olympian, and an astounding six-time U.S. National Champion, Cormier put together an astonishing record of 117-10 while competing out of Oklahoma State University against the highest caliber grapplers college wrestling had to offer.

Being that Cormier had traditionally competed around the 211 pound mark in his wrestling days, the question on everyone’s minds has been,’What weight class will he compete at?’. Will it be 205, or heavyweight?

Of course anyone familiar with the type of weight cutting that goes on with wrestlers at the level Cormier competed at will tell you that getting to their “ideal” weight is no easy task. When FiveOuncesOfPain.com had the chance to catch up with Cormier recently in between training sessions at AKA he admitted that somehow shrinking himself down to 205 pounds is not a current concern of his, stating,”I cut a lot of weight when I was wrestling, so I’m going to stay up for right now.

“I probably walk around at about 250. I’m big, but I was cutting from 245 to 211 during wrestling.”

After barely a month of formal training, Cormier definitely has the right mind set about things; take things one step at a time, learn how to walk before you start running.

“Right now I just want to enjoy this transition,” explained Cormier. “I don’t need to worry about weight management at this point in my career. What I need to be doing is worrying about getting better, and by staying up and not worrying about weight control, it’s going to allow me to just focus on my training and improving my skills.”

Make sure to check back early next week as 5 Oz’s will have a full, extended interview with Cormier where the future superstar speaks about wanting to fight in the big show ASAP, growing up with Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, turning tragedy into triumph and much, much more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez in the works for UFC 105

A lightweight title bout between UFC 155 pound champion B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez is currently in the works for UFC 105.

According to a recent report on the Fighters Only Magazine official website, Sanchez has recently been offered the match-up, although nothing has been agreed to at this time.

UFC 105 will take place in Manchester, England on November 14. Also rumored for the card is a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Denis Kang.

Penn is coming off of a dominating fourth round submission victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 101 while Sanchez most recently edged out Clay Guida by split decision in a hard fought “FOTN” performance at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vitor Belfort Interview

Even with Anderson Silva’s declaration, criticizing Vitor Belfort, the “Phenom” will be back to the UFC octagon focusing only in Rich Franklin. But the former UFC light heavyweight champion guarantees he doesn’t have any problem with the UFC champion. In the exclusive interview, Belfort said he’d fight anyone, leaving an open way to the UFC make a rematch between him and Wanderlei Silva, besides commenting his training with Gegard Mousasi, the Armenian’s knockout victory over Renato Sobral, the possibility of moving to the US and Rodrigo Nogueira’s fight against Randy Couture, next weekend.

How were the training with Kely Slater?
Man, we did a MMA training… He loves fights. We knew each other ten years ago and have so friends, some guys from fight, then he spoke with me and said he’d like to train with me.

I heard some rumors that you had trained with Mousasi. Is that true?
We trained once, yes. It was cool, we did a very great training. He’s a good and cool guy. He’s young, has a huge future in this sport. I thought (his last fight) was great, very good… He surprised everybody. He’s very fast, a dangerous guy.

And your training to go back to the UFC? Where are you training?
Where I always trained for my fights, at Xtreme Couture with Shawn Thompinks and some sparrings from here. I’m not training with Randy, even because he’s gonna fight a guy who I love (Rodrigo Minotauro), and here everybody has his own training. From Brazil, I bring Jaime, Vinícius, my karate coaches, and some guys who train with me.

How is the life in the US?
If you want the gold, you have to buy the field. Nothing comes in life without sacrifice. It’s hard for the kids to understand that… I try to explain to them, but it happens again and again. If I need to come here more, I’m gonna buy a house here, so they’re gonna come with me.

Do you plan moving to the US?
I don’t say move, but have a base here.

Talking about Couture, you fought him and trained with him, besides training with Rodrigo. What do you think Minotauro should be careful in the fight?
He (Randy) will do the same game, try to control Rodrigo and do his game. I think Rodrigo will try to go for a submission and impose his rhythm, and Couture will try to annul his game. It’s gonna be a very studied fight, they can’t do any mistake, but I think Rodrigo has more weapons. Now, it’s wait and see what’s gonna happen.

Will you go there to watch it live?
No, because I’m training hard here and won’t be able to go there.

You’re coming back to the UFC to face Rich Franklin in a catchweight. After this fight, will you go to 185 or 205 divisions?
I’ll go down, even because my normal weight is this, 195, 190…I don’t need to cut a lot anymore, so it doesn’t make sense go to 205.

How do you see your weight in the UFC now, with big names as Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Demian Maia, Wanderlei Silva, Nate Marquardt…
There’s a lot of good guys, which is great. The level is high and that’s good, makes the sport more entertainment. It’s good to face guys like that, good, great champions.

When UFC announced your return, you and Anderson Silva were involved in some polemical, when he criticized you. Were you surprised with that?
The problem is that Anderson has too much people around him. I like him, I still like him after everything he said. I still cheer for him, but I think he has a lot of people around him. A great champion, everybody clapping hands, tipping, a lot of gossipy… I can’t take it to the personal area, because I know we’re gonna stop fighting one day and what we’re gonna take home is our character, our values. The guys were thinking about this fight and maybe he were upset about it, too, but we can’t pick up fights. That’s a fight I wouldn’t like to do, for sure. I like him a lot, no matter what he says.

Do you think this situation started when you went to the UFC in his division, like when Wanderlei Silva decided to move down to middleweight?
Maybe yes… I think Anderson’s identity, today, is related to his belt. As a champion, he shouldn’t take it to the personal side. His identity is not in his belt, it’s in his values. If he’s threatened, he takes it to the personal side. Nobody has nothing against him… I cheer for him a lot, admire him, I know nothing he has were easy to get, I saw him conquering everything. I can’t let the champion syndrome be over him… He has to remain the same person he is, simple.

Coming back to the UFC in Wanderlei’s division, the fans are already thinking about a rematch. How do you face that?
Look, now I can’t think anything else besides Rich Franklin, but, for sure, this possibility exists. Wanderlei is professional, I’m too, we’re here to work.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paulo Filho Interview

Back to victories at Dream, submitting Melvin Manhoef in the first round, Paulo Filho is ready for Alex Shoenauer at Bitetti Combat 4, but already aims tougher challenges overseas. With Dream’s new partnership with Strikeforce, the black belt eyes Gegard Mousasi, who knocked Renato Babalu Sobral out to become the new light heavyweight champion. In the exclusive interview, the black belt remembered that he and Mousasi were in the same Pride tournament, but Mousasi was submitted got out when he was submitted by Gono, commented the training for Bitetti Combat, Dream’s partnership with Strikeforce and more.

How are the training to fight at Bitetti Combat?
Everything alright. He trains with a friend of mine, Sérgio Penha, and we’ll check it out. I’m prepared, I’m gonna fight in my weight (205), I’ll be stronger… We won’t move back, we’ll go there to finish.

In the ground, do you think you’re in advantage?
That’s complicated, because maybe he has that secret move that can surprise me. I’m a long time away from the jiu-jitsu competitions, I didn’t have enough time to gat back all that knowledge that I had when I was 20, but I think I’m still gonna give trouble to a lot of guys. I consider my ground game superior to anyone’s in any division.

With Dream’s partnership with Strikeforce, will you be back to the US?
I wanna fight now at 205lbs, and I’d like to fight Mousasi. He fought at my GP at Pride, the one that I unfortunately injured against Misaki. He knows me, he knows that it’s a whole different thing. It’s good to know that Strikeforce has this partnership with Dream…I wanna fight Mousasi and show that with against me is a whole different thing… He doesn’t have my strength, he doesn’t have my level on the ground. He can be a better striker, but he doesn’t have my strength and he’ll go down once and be submitted.

Did you watched his fight against Babalu?
Yes, and I thought that he disrespect Babalu… He were there making fun of him and Babalu got nervous. He’s well trained, but I don’t think he’s healthy enough to beat me… If he wins, I don’t even want my salary. But I guarantee he’ll be beaten more than he was against (Akihiro) Gono.

The his fight against Ronaldo Jacaré at Dream’s GP?
That was totally accidental, (Jacaré) tried a super man punch and got an up kick, but until then it was easy for Jacaré. I don’t this he has strength enough to beat me, he’d need to eat a lot more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Japanese MMA Magazines! Vale Tudo Japan 2009

The contents of the new Japanese MMA magazines are out. Below is some information that you can get from just the contents.

Rumina Sato and Lion Takeshi will participate in the October 30th Vale Tudo Japan 2009. Sato will face a Japanese fighter and Lion Takeshi might face Alexandre Franca Nogueira. Takanori Gomi (not likely) and Satoru Kitaoka could also participate.

Hideo Tokoro wants to win the Featherweight GP and defend the belt against KID on NYE. Yoshiro Maeda will appeal for a Dynamite!! appearance after his August 30th DEEP fight.

Kozo Takeda’s retirement match will be on the October 26th K-1 MAX event.

It seems like Satoshi Ishii will/is do(ing) special training with Robert Drysdale, who will face Roger Gracie in this years ADCC.