MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

NICK DIAZ CAMP RESPONDS TO HIERON ASSERTIONS

As Strikeforce’s fall schedule takes shape, several of the promotion’s marquee fighters have grown antsy, and they’re pointing fingers at each other.

Jay Hieron, a July addition to the welterweight stable, wants to fight Nick Diaz and says he is tired of waiting in limbo after choosing Strikeforce over the UFC.

“I don’t have any control over it,” he told MMAWeekly.com Monday afternoon. “It definitely gets frustrating, man. It’s the story of my career.”

Diaz’s manager/trainer, Cesar Gracie, says his fighter is not to blame.

“It has nothing to do with Nick,” Gracie told MMAWeekly.com Monday afternoon. “He doesn’t care who he fights, and that includes Jay Hieron. It’s all Strikeforce.”

Hieron was set to fight Nick Diaz at Carano vs. Cyborg on Aug. 15 for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title, but wound up fighting Jesse Taylor after the California State Athletic Commission removed Diaz for failing to appear at a pre-fight drug test. It was the second time Hieron’s opponent fell through this year.

Hieron, a former IFL welterweight champion, said Diaz is responsible for the holdup.

“I went with Strikeforce for the title shot,” Hieron told Steve Cofield of Yahoo! Sports last week. “It's not necessarily their fault what happened, so I can’t really put that much blame on them. But now, Nick Diaz, I'm calling Strikeforce every week going, 'What's up, what’s going on with my title shot?’ And pretty much it’s Diaz... but Diaz is (expletive) around.”

Gracie said Diaz wants to fight on Strikeforce’s live network television debut, set for a two-hour telecast Nov. 7 in suburban Chicago.

“Realistically, Nick will fight in December, but we did want him to fight in November, ideally, and that is still possible that he will fight on the CBS card, as of yesterday,” said Gracie. “They’re trying to get that through, and they’ve got to work with the executives at Showtime.”

Hieron, however, says they’ve missed that boat.

“Even if they came today and said that fight, it’s too close," he said. "I haven’t had time to prepare.”

So far, only two of the four fights scheduled for “Strikeforce on CBS” are set, with Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers headlining and Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Jake Shields second-billed for the middleweight title.

Showtime retains final approval of Strikeforce cards as part of a broadcast deal struck in February. However, CBS Senior Executive Vice President Kelly Kahl said CBS was working with the companies to finalize the network event.

A third Showtime card, expected for early December in San Jose, Calif., is currently in the planning stages. Lightweight champion Josh Thomson told MMAWeekly.com he expects to rematch interim champion Gilbert Melendez at the December event. Both Hieron and Diaz have been approached about fighting on the California event, but confirmation remains elusive.

Hieron Monday afternoon told MMAWeekly.com he was offered a fight with Diaz at Dream 12, scheduled for Oct. 25, but declined due to the limited amount of preparation time.

Diaz last fought in June, defeating the heavy-handed Scott Smith in a 180-pound catchweight bout. The Stockton, Calif., native has been an outspoken advocate of medical marijuana, which he maintains a license for and uses to treat symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. Gracie in August admitted Diaz would have likely failed the pre-fight drug test due to the drug's presence in his system.

Meanwhile, Showtime lashed out at Diaz’s no-show.

“If you’re going to be a main event fighter, or a fighter at this level, you’ve got to show up,” said Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Showtime Networks, in an August radio interview with Cofield. “If you can’t, and you’re not reliable, who can count on you, and where are you going with your career? You’ve got to make a commitment. Either you’re going to do it right, or not do it at all. You only get one or two shots at that, and then it’s done.

“I don’t see how I can promote and spend hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars promoting somebody who’s not going to show up. It’s just bad business.”

Gracie was uncertain whether Diaz’s limbo was a result of the pre-fight drug test incident.

“I think that the problem is Showtime executives not letting him fight on (the November) card,” said Gracie. “And not necessarily because they’re mad at him, I mean, who cares if they are, good.

“If they’re mad at him and they’re not letting him fight somewhere because of that, please release him from his contract and you’ll see him in the UFC a month later. I don’t know if that’s the case. I’m assuming it’s because they want him to headline the December card, they want some star power on the December card. If it’s because Showtime is a little irked at him, then here, dude, don’t get irked anymore, let him fight somewhere else.”

Diaz has two fights remaining on his Strikeforce deal and plans to box professionally in 2010. He is scheduled to compete in a jiu-jitsu tournament Oct. 10 in San Francisco against world champion grappler Lucas Leite.

Showtime executive Chris DeBlasio said that while his network had rightfully taken Diaz to task, they hadn’t spoken negatively about the fighter since.

“If anyone is making those comments about the upcoming card, they are welcome to call Ken,” said DeBlasio.

Hieron said he would continue to train at Xtreme Couture and wait for word of his next night, hopefully against Diaz.

“You’ve gotta focus on the positive, otherwise all that stuff can mess you up," he said. "I think me versus Diaz for the title is the fight that makes the most sense outside the UFC.”

 

[drunkaholic707]

Mark Coleman pulls out of UFC 106 co-main event with Tito Ortiz (Updated)

Tito Ortiz (15-6-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) said his opponent for UFC 106's co-main-event bout, Mark Coleman (16-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC), has pulled out of the fight.

Ortiz posted the news on Twitter overnight and stated he's awaiting a new opponent for the November event.

A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Coleman has notified UFC officials that he will be unavailable for the Nov. 21 fight.

The reason is believed to be injury-related, though and as of Tuesday morning, the UFC had made no official announcement, and the bout was still listed on UFC.com.

UFC 106 takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The night's main card, including the headliner of UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, airs on pay-per-view.

The upcoming fight makes Ortiz's first since May 2008, when he suffered a decision loss to now-light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. At various time over the past year, Ortiz announced he was close to signing deals with promotions ranging from Affliction Entertainment to EliteXC to Strikeforce. However, over the summer, he ultimately made up with UFC president Dana White and inked a new deal to return to the octagon.

Coleman, a UFC hall-of-famer who returned to the organization earlier this year with a loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, had looked to build off his July upset win over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100. The victory was Coleman's first since a February 2006 win over Rua under the PRIDE banner – and his first in the UFC since February 1997.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rothwell Pumped for UFC Debut

videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Rothwell-Pumped-for-UFC-Debut-2053
Ben Rothwell has fought everywhere over his 10 years in mixed martial arts, but he will be making his UFC debut Oct. 24 against rising heavyweight star Cain Velasquez.

Rothwell sat down with Sherdog.com to discuss his first fight in the sport’s premier promotion and his high-profile opponent. He also discusses moving from the undercard to the co-main event and the potential bearing a win will have on his career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Following recent win, free agent John Alessio looking for permanent home, possibly with UFC

Following back-to-back losses to notables Paul Daley and Andre Galvao earlier this year, veteran fighter John Alessio needed a new game plan.

Alessio, a veteran of organizations ranging from the UFC to PRIDE to the WEC to DREAM, knew he wanted a long-term home but knew a contract was unlikely with the recent skid. So he took it one contracted fight at a time.

But now, following a submission win over Andrew Buckland in May and a third-round knockout of Luigi Fioravanti this past weekend, Alessio (26-13 MMA, 0-3 UFC) today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he is hoping opportunity knocks. And he'd love for the UFC to be the one at the door.

Alessio has fought for the UFC during three different one-fight stints. He suffered a submission loss to then-UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich in 2000 and then dropped decisions to Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves in 2006.

His inability to secure a win on MMA's biggest stage made his most recent victory all the sweeter.

Facing Fioravanti, who fought nine times in the UFC (with a 4-5 mark) before his recent release, Alessio took comfort in the win.

"I've got a ton of respect for Luigi," said Alessio, who secured the KO at the 1:34 mark of the third round. "He's a really tough guy. I've got a lot of respect for anyone who wins in the UFC."

In fact, the 28-year-old Alessio hopes he gets one more chance at a victory in the octagon. While he's heard Strikeforce may be interested in his services, and while he's begun preliminary talks to fight MFC champion Patrick Healy in December, Alessio has his eye on the UFC. Even if they've rarely had their eyes on him.

"My phone has never rung off the hook from the UFC," joked Alessio, who's faced only champions or top contenders in the organization. "I've never gotten a fight where they called and asked like, 'Do you want to fight a Shannon Gugerty.' No offense to him. ... It's like, 'Josh Koscheck or Diego Sanchez. That's the only way to get back there in the UFC.'

"But I'd love to go in there and just get a damn W. I could die a happy man. Hopefully, I'm opening their eyes again."

If the UFC again passes on Alessio, the Xtreme Couture fighter would consider heading to Strikeforce, though he said he wouldn't fight teammate Jay Hieron, who's likely to fight for the title in his next bout. That makes the decision tough since he knows he's unlikely to earn a belt with the organization.

"I'm not going to be able to fight for a title there," Alessio said. "I'm not going to fight Jay."

Regardless, Alessio said his game has never been sharper (which he attributed largely to his recent work his trainer Gil Martinez), and he hopes to return to action soon.

"I'm just a little bruised," he said. "My hand's swollen, but there aren't any breaks. ... I'd love to fight again before year's end."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Following recent win, free agent John Alessio looking for permanent home, possibly with UFC

Following back-to-back losses to notables Paul Daley and Andre Galvao earlier this year, veteran fighter John Alessio needed a new game plan.

Alessio, a veteran of organizations ranging from the UFC to PRIDE to the WEC to DREAM, knew he wanted a long-term home but knew a contract was unlikely with the recent skid. So he took it one contracted fight at a time.

But now, following a submission win over Andrew Buckland in May and a third-round knockout of Luigi Fioravanti this past weekend, Alessio (26-13 MMA, 0-3 UFC) today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he is hoping opportunity knocks. And he'd love for the UFC to be the one at the door.

Alessio has fought for the UFC during three different one-fight stints. He suffered a submission loss to then-UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich in 2000 and then dropped decisions to Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves in 2006.

His inability to secure a win on MMA's biggest stage made his most recent victory all the sweeter.

Facing Fioravanti, who fought nine times in the UFC (with a 4-5 mark) before his recent release, Alessio took comfort in the win.

"I've got a ton of respect for Luigi," said Alessio, who secured the KO at the 1:34 mark of the third round. "He's a really tough guy. I've got a lot of respect for anyone who wins in the UFC."

In fact, the 28-year-old Alessio hopes he gets one more chance at a victory in the octagon. While he's heard Strikeforce may be interested in his services, and while he's begun preliminary talks to fight MFC champion Patrick Healy in December, Alessio has his eye on the UFC. Even if they've rarely had their eyes on him.

"My phone has never rung off the hook from the UFC," joked Alessio, who's faced only champions or top contenders in the organization. "I've never gotten a fight where they called and asked like, 'Do you want to fight a Shannon Gugerty.' No offense to him. ... It's like, 'Josh Koscheck or Diego Sanchez. That's the only way to get back there in the UFC.'

"But I'd love to go in there and just get a damn W. I could die a happy man. Hopefully, I'm opening their eyes again."

If the UFC again passes on Alessio, the Xtreme Couture fighter would consider heading to Strikeforce, though he said he wouldn't fight teammate Jay Hieron, who's likely to fight for the title in his next bout. That makes the decision tough since he knows he's unlikely to earn a belt with the organization.

"I'm not going to be able to fight for a title there," Alessio said. "I'm not going to fight Jay."

Regardless, Alessio said his game has never been sharper (which he attributed largely to his recent work his trainer Gil Martinez), and he hopes to return to action soon.

"I'm just a little bruised," he said. "My hand's swollen, but there aren't any breaks. ... I'd love to fight again before year's end."

 

[Shogun Locc]

OVEREEM FACES TUF 1 ALUM HOGER AT GLORY 11

Alistair Overeem's international calendar just got more crowded.

The 29-year-old Strikeforce heavyweight champion is expected to face original "Ultimate Fighter" alum Sam Hoger at Glory 11 on Oct. 17 in his home city of Amsterdam.

Triple Crown Fighter's Steve Ruisch, who brokered the deal for Hoger, told MMAWeekly.com Monday afternoon that the deal was "95 percent finalized."

Overeem recently appeared in a promotional video for Dream 12, to be held eight days after Glory 11 in Osaka, Japan. His opponent was unnamed. The event will be Dream’s first to utilize a hexagonal cage.

It has been almost two years since Overeem won the Strikeforce belt against Paul Buentello at the promotion's lone MMA tournament, “Four Men Enter, One Man Survives,” in November 2007. He was twice scheduled to make his U.S. return this year, but a lingering hand injury forced him to withdraw from bouts in April and June.

Since then, several reports have questioned Overeem's contractual status as well as his motivations for staying overseas.

In an interview with MMAWeekly.com last month, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker asserted there were no serious issues between his promotion and the Dutch fighter.

"I’ve read all the blogs and statements about Golden Glory and what they’re saying, Alistair not honoring his contract," said Coker. "That’s all stuff I call the National Enquirer gossip. We’re not going to respond to that. We know Alistair’s going to be fighting in Strikeforce. We have an agreement. The relationship is strong. They’re thankful that we’re letting them fight in Dream. But I still think Alistair is going to be a champion in Strikeforce that’s going to be a formidable opponent for either Fedor (Emelianenko) or Brett Rogers."

Coker said his agreement with Overeem wasn't beholden to other promotions, but based instead on professional courtesy.

"In the past, we’ve always used the K-1 agreement, and they fought for us because I asked K-1 or Dream or Pride at the time, can I use Vitor Belfort, can I use Alistair Overeem?" Coker continued. "And they said sure. Now, with the relationship with CBS and Showtime, we have direct contracts with Alistair that have nothing to do with Dream. He’s obligated to fight, it’s just scheduling the time now."

Finding that time, it appears, is the hitch. When Strikeforce makes it's CBS network debut on Nov. 7 in suburban Chicago, Emelianenko and Rogers will be front and center.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 105: Dan Hardy’s mind games cannot penetrate the Swick mental armor

“Hardy realized that he could not only talk his way into getting the fight, but he knew he could also *affect Davis’ performance. There is no question *Hardy did a real great job of that. But it does not matter if Dan’s nice to me or talks crap like he did with Davis. I am a harder guy to *figure out than Davis – my *buttons are not so obvious. Neither of us are going to break mentally, so we have to break each other physically. It is going to be a war as there is so much at stake for us. There is so much I want to do in the UFC and this guy is not stopping that from happening. I like Dan –- but he is going down!”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shogun Rua: Beating Lyoto Machida is a matter of time and space

“The key to beat him is work the question of the space in the Octagon. Lyoto is very good on it, and besides that, I tried to take in account all the possibilities that may happen in the fight. I have even trained with karatecas to understand their game. Lyoto plays in the distance and counter attack also in the short distance. So I’m very confident to find the right timing and win.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Coming To Arizona In 2010

After recently regulating MMA to mirror Las Vegas rules in May of 2008, the UFC will finally be making it’s way to the beautiful Arizona desert sometime in 2010.

UFC President Dana White confirmed the news in an interview with ULTMMA.com during a recent trip to “The Grand Canyon State”.

“Yeah, we’re talking about coming out here next year,” revealed White when asked when the UFC would me making its way to Az. “We’ll be here next year with either a Fight Night or a pay-per-view.”

Some of the Arizona residents currently under contract with the UFC include Ryan Bader, C.B. Dollaway, Aaron Simpson, Efrain Escudero, Steve Steinbeiss and Edgar Garcia.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wanderlei: “I wanna fight the best”

Former Pride champion and one of the biggest names in the MMA history, Wandelei Silva still wants to fight the best. Visiting the champion’s house in Las Vegas, TATAME Magazine spoke with The Axe Murderer about his new phase, leading a camp in the United States. In the exclusive interview, that you can read in TATAME’s September edition, Wanderlei spoke about his desire to keep fighting, even after two losses in a row.

“I wanna fight the best, even because for what they pay me they won’t put me against anybody. I wanna fight every time better, fight the best, teach my training method, help the Brazilians that need to come to the US. I wanna create champions”, said Wanderlei, revealing the desire of becoming a coach in the future. “I’m very happy that I can teach my students the philosophy of victory that I received from my master Rudimar all my life”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pezao Speaks! Title Fight On NYE?

In a new interview with Portal das Lutas, Antonio Silva reveals that he will fight for the SRC Heavyweight title at Sengoku Raiden Championship on NYE, likely against Josh Barnett.

PDL – Is there a chance you will dispute the belt in Japan?

AP – Yes. I’m going to dispute the belt at the end-of-the-year event. I’m still waiting on my opponent, but it looks likely to be Josh Barnett.

PDL – Will you ever fight in the United States again?

AP – Yes, possibly at the end of November I’ll be back on American soil.

PDL – What about the UFC, is that in your plans?

AP – I do think about the Ultimate [Fighting Championship], but I’m happy in Japan. I have a contract and I can’t sign with the UFC because all their athletes are exclusive.

There are two Strikeforce events in November so it looks like his possible American return will take place there.

Sengoku Raiden Championship
Date: December 31st, 2009
Place: Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan

Heavyweight Fight:
Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida

Possible Fights:
Antonio Silva vs. Josh Barnett
Masanori Kanehara vs. Hioki/Omigawa

Possible Participants:
Mizuto Hirota
Satoru Kitaoka
Takanori Gomi
Hiroshi Izumi

 

[Shogun Locc]

CHASE BEEBE SPEAKS OUT ON CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

Former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe spoke exclusively to MMAWeekly.com on Monday about his controversial decision loss to Mike Easton at Ultimate Warrior Challenge on Oct. 3 in Fairfax, Va.

By all accounts, Beebe dominated the five-round title fight, using his grappling base to nullify Easton's stand-up work. Yet two of the three judges appointed by the state's athletic commission, the Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program, gave the fight to Easton by a score of 49-46, with one judge dissenting 48-47 in Beebe's favor.

The commission's program administrator, David Holland, could not be reached for comment on Monday regarding the decision.

Beebe has little time to dwell on his misfortune. On Oct. 25, he flies to Japan to face hardened vet Yoshiro Maeda at Dream 12.

MMAWeekly: Do you feel the judges’ decision was an injustice?

Beebe: I don’t know, if you watch the fight, you tell me. If you’re a mixed martial arts judge, and you watch that fight, any person who’s remotely a fan could call that I won decisively.

MMAWeekly: Are you planning on doing anything about Saturday’s decision?

Beebe: I don’t know. I talked to the commissioner, and he just pretty much told me it’s an opinion thing. It sucks, man. My manager and trainer texted me and said they were going to try to appeal for a no contest (Author’s note: Beebe’s manager, Monte Cox, Monday confirmed that he was filing an appeal with the VPBWP). Hopefully, at least it doesn’t go on my record.

I’ve probably watched it two or three times, and I control him. The first two rounds were close. You could probably give him round two, but I just completely dominated for 3, 4, and 5. Something’s up with that. The way I see it, as long as everybody thinks I won, that’s what really matters. Obviously, I don’t get my cool belt and my payday, that really sucks, but I’m fighting in Japan still. I’m going training tonight. I don’t feel beat up in any way. My left hand feels beat up from punching him, but that’s about it. On the bright side, I still get to go to Japan.

MMAWeekly: That’s a positive.

Beebe: Yeah, it’s going to be a tough fight. So I’ve got to get right back at it. I’m not taking any time off. Hopefully, I’ll start cranking out some wins. This is four in a row now; it’s terrible.

MMAWeekly: Are there any plans for a rematch on the promotion’s side that you’re aware of?

Beebe: Yeah, he’s sitting there telling me, he’s all upset about it, probably because everybody was sitting there telling him they’re all upset about it, because it was, man. It was bull crap. So I don't know, man.

MMAWeekly: Would you like a rematch with Easton?

Beebe: I mean, yeah, I’d love the rematch, but I don’t know if I’d like to fight for that organization again. I might just fight in Japan for right now. I’d really enjoy a rematch in a different state. There’s no way I’d fight in that state again. Even if I did, I know I’d win better and more decisively. If I won this decisively this time around, I don’t think I could ever win unless I knock him out or submit him.

MMAWeekly: It’s interesting because you took this fight in part because you had to back out of the February fight, and now this happens. It must be frustrating for you.

Beebe: No, I’m just happy now that the tables have turned. The promoter started talking crap about me. The promoter realizes that I was scared to fight this kid. It wasn’t an issue about, oh, I don’t want to fight two weeks before Dream. That was never the issue. I feel 100-percent right now to fight in Dream three weeks later. I’m a fighter; I love to do this. I know my performance in Dream is going to be that much better, because I was in that cage. I love being in that cage as much as I can. That’s why these six month layovers take a toll on me, because you’ve really got to be in there and be on top of it. Because, man, it’s just crazy. Psychologically it’s hard to adjust. Like the first two rounds of the fight, I was trying to adjust psychologically and trying to get in the zone, but once round three hit, my instincts just kicked in. I just think I beat him pretty doggone good.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 105: COUTURE VS. VERA TO AIR ON SPIKE TV

Legendary five-time UFC champion Randy “The Natural” Couture will headline a fight card on Spike TV for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 14 (8:00pm ET/PT same day tape) in the main event of UFC 105. Emanating from the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, Couture will square off against highly regarded veteran Brandon “The Truth” Vera in a bout in the light heavyweight division.

The 46-year-old Couture (16-10) is a former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, and will be making his return to the 205-pound weight class after fighting the last two-and-a-half years as a heavyweight. His last bout as a light heavyweight was a loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 in February 2006. The mixed martial arts icon, fighting out of Las Vegas, is on a quest for an unprecedented sixth world championship in the UFC.

“I would love to be a six-time UFC champion, to set the bar very high in that regard, and that’s what I want to accomplish at 205 pounds,” said Couture. “That is my immediate goal. I am very intrigued by the current light heavyweight division, there are some great matchups for me here, and I believe I have to tools to win back the light heavyweight title.”

Couture, who grew up in Lynwood, Wash., was an All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State and a three-time alternate on the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team. He has competed in a record 15 title fights, and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006. Couture’s most recent championship reign was in the UFC’s heavyweight division, a title he captured with a dominating performance over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in March 2007.

Fighting out of San Diego, Calif., Vera is 11-3 in his mixed martial arts career and is trying to win his third consecutive fight. He most recently snapped the six-fight winning streak of the highly rated Krzysztof Soszynski with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 102 in August. Prior to that bout, Vera dismantled Michael Patt at UFC 96 with a series of brutal leg-strikes, which led to a second round TKO victory.

Now Vera says he is ready to take on an all-time great and begin carving his own legend in the UFC as he continues his ascent towards the light heavyweight title. "It will be an honor and a privilege to fight a living legend like Randy Couture. He has been someone that I have looked up to and I can't wait to get in there and fight in November,” he said.

The UFC 105 co-feature is a welterweight showdown as native Englishman Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy (22-6) meets Mike Swick (14-2-0) inside the Octagon. Hardy will be looking to remain perfect in the UFC and win his fourth straight bout, while Swick tries to extend his winning streak in the UFC to five in a fight that could vault the winner into number one contender status in the 170-pound division.

Also on the card is a match-up with huge implications in the middleweight division between the UK’s own Michael “The Count” Bisping (17-2-0) and Canadian Dennis Kang (32-11-1), a bout pitting “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.” welterweight division winner James Wilks (7-2-0) and the always exciting Matt “The Immortal” Brown (12-7-0), and a fight between “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.” lightweight division winner Ross Pearson and Aaron Riley.

 

[drunkaholic707]

oh shit sick so its gonna be free

 

[Shogun Locc]

Versus debuts "WEC's Greatest Knockouts II" one-hour special tonight

Some good news for those of you who still get Versus.

The cable station tonight debuts "WEC'S Greatest Knockouts II," an hour-long special that highlights some of the biggest knockouts from the past year of WEC events.

The special, which covers fights from August 2008 to August 2009, airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Featured match-up include Brian Bowles vs. then-champ Miguel Torres at WEC 42, Mike Brown's championship fight with Urijah Faber at WEC 36, and rising contender Jose Aldo's memorable bout with Cub Swanson at WEC 41.

A replay of "WEC'S Greatest Knockouts II" airs this Saturday, Oct. 10, at midnight ET following the live broadcast of "WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson." The live event, which takes place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio with a main event between Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson for the organization's interim lightweight championship, kicks off at 10 p.m. ET.

And as a reminder, MMAjunkie.com Radio hosts a special WEC 43 preview show on Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). We'll break down Saturday's event and interview competitors from the night's card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi confirms Nov. 7 title fight on CBS

As expected newly crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) will, in fact, defend his belt at Strikeforce's Nov. 7 event, which airs on CBS.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported that Mousasi was expected to be part of the Chicago-area card, and the M-1 fighter today confirmed his participation with M-1global.com.

No opponent has been named for the fighter.

Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz recently told MMAjunkie.com that the organization hoped to secure Mousasi for the card but that nothing was official. The M-1global.com article suggests possible opponents for Mousasi include Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (who easily defeated Bob Sapp at DREAM.11 on Tuesday) and former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho, who's openly campaigned for the fight.

The Nov. 7 Strikeforce event, "Strikeforce: Emelianenko vs. Rogers," takes place at the 11,000-seat Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and features a headliner between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. The broadcast kicks off a multi-event deal between Strikeforce and CBS, which previously aired EliteXC shows before the company's 2008 demise.

As MMAjunkie.com has reported in recent weeks, Strikeforce's CBS debut will also feature a middleweight title fight between contenders Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Bobby Lashley are also possibles for the televised portion of the card.

Mousasi returns to Strikeforce for the first time since his 60-second destruction of then-champ Sobral in August. A few weeks later, Mousasi took part in an exhibition sparring match at "M-1: Breakthrough." However, an injury (possibly from the exhibition match) forced Mousasi out of DREAM's open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament. Mousasi defeated Mark Hunt in the opening round but was forced out of a semifinal fight with at Sokoudjou at DREAM.11. (Sapp took Mousasi's spot and suffered a first-round TKO loss.)

One of the top breakout fighters in recent years, Mousasi enters the Nov. 7 bout with a 13-fight win streak, which included winning DREAM's middleweight grand prix in 2008.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kevin Randleman likely to meet Stanislav Nedkov at Sengoku 11th Battle on Nov. 7

In his first bout since a comeback fight at "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" earlier this year, former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman (17-13) is expected to fight undefeated Stanislav Nedkov (7-0) at World Victory Road's Sengoku 11th Battle event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported last week that Nedkov will appear on the card, and a source close to the event today said verbal agreements are in place for the Randleman fight.

Sengoku 11th Battle takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet.

Fighting for the first time in 13 months, Randleman met Mike Whitehead during Strikeforce's St. Louis debut in June. The fight, though, was largely a disappointment as a tentative first round was followed by two slow-paced frames that drew boos from the crowd and disappointment from the Showtime TV audience. Randleman ultimately suffered a unanimous-decision loss, which dropped his record to 2-6 since June 2004.

However, the 38-year-old Randleman, who was married earlier this year, recently said he's in the best shape of his career and injury-free for the first time in years. The former PRIDE fighter hopes to reclaim some of the dominance that led him to past wins over the likes of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Pedro Rizzo and Renato "Babalu" Sobral.

Nedkov, well-versed in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, garnered some attention in May when he topped veteran Travis Wiuff (56-13) via third round TKO at Sengoku Eighth Battle. (It was just Wiuff's second loss in his past 13 fights.) Nedkov, a Bulgarian who previously competed for Shooto, has now won all seven of his career fights via stoppage. Five of the seven came in the first round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" prelims to include Miller vs. Davis, Uflacker vs. Novaes

With the clock ticking and time winding down to shore up the night's fight card, Strikeforce has secured two bouts for the preliminary card of its Nov. 7 event in Chicago.

"The Ultimate Fighter 9" cast member Mark Miller (9-5) takes on Deray Davis (5-1-1), and Christian Uflacker (2-0) meets Jonatas Novaes (4-2). Miller confirmed the fight via Facebook, and the matchups were first reported by AOL FanHouse.

"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" takes place at the 11,000-seat Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and the night's CBS-televised main card features a headliner between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) could not reach Strikeforce officials for confirmation of the fight bookings. The organization officially hasn't announced any bouts except the headliner.

All four of the preliminary-card additions are Strikeforce newcomers.

Miller, a former IFL fighter who was knocked out of the "TUF 9" tournament with a loss to Nick Osipczak, looks to snap a two-fight losing skid at the Strikeforce event. He's competed professionally just twice in the past two-plus years and suffered TKO losses to then-IFL champion Jay Hieron in April 2008 and current UFC fighter Mike Pierce at SportFight 24 in September 2008. However, Miller defeated UFC vets Josh Neer and Brad Blackburn in his previous two fights.

He'll now take on fellow welterweight Davis, who's fought with EliteXC (under its "ShoXC" banner) and Bellator. Davis began his career with a 5-0-1 mark; however, he fought for Bellator in May (just two weeks after a three-round decision win in Indiana's Corral's Combat Classic promotion) and suffered a TKO loss to the surging Jesse Juarez.

Meanwhile, the Uflacker vs. Novaes fight pits one Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace against another. Uflacker, who runs an academy in Chicago, turned pro last year after success in BJJ tournaments and has posted two wins via submission. Novaes, a three-year pro, has rebounded from losses in his first two pro bouts with a current four-fight win streak that includes three straight first-round submission victories.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Although Strikeforce contract possible, War Machine says one-fight deals have perks

After butting heads with UFC management and earning his walking papers in 2008 – only to rack up an impressive five-fight win streak for a variety of organizations – many people have one question for War Machine (10-2).

When's he going to sign a multi-fight deal with a major organization?

But War Machine (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver), who fights David Mitchell at Thursday's Tachi Palace Fights event, on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) his recent globetrotting has many benefits.

War Machine first hit the MMA map after appearing as a replacement fighter on "The Ultimate Fighter 6" in 2007. Although he was knocked out of the competition by eventual show runner-up Tommy Speer, War Machine posted an impressive TKO win over Jared Rollins at the show's live finale and earned a UFC contract.

But after a loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida, controversial MySpace postings about the late Evan Tanner and UFC management, and his request to skip a fight with UFC newcomer Brandon Wolff in favor of an opponent with more name recognition, War Machine was dropped by the organization.

Since then, he's ventured from Arizona to Montreal to Virginia to Mexico City to headline a host of cards for smaller, but well-respected, organizations such as the Ultimate Warrior Challenge, Total Combat and Xtreme Fighting Championships. In fact, his agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, has even talked to Strikeforce about War Machine competing on one of the organization's November "Challengers" cards to launch a multi-fight contract.

But he has reservations about the potential deal.

Why?

"I've been trying to avoid signing the bigger contracts," he said. "I'm just kind of taking advantage of being able to bounce around and headline smaller shows. I'm making decent money. I'm getting a lot more ring experience. I'm still only 27, and I have a lot to learn. I think I'm just kind of polishing my technique before I get back in there with the top, top-level guys."

There's also the matter of scheduling. War Machine prefers to fight more often than not, and he doesn't like pinning so much of his potential income on a few annual opportunities.

"On those big shows, you're only guaranteed to fight a couple times per year," he joked. "I don't work (outside of MMA), and I'm not good at managing my money. It's kind of like whenever I get broke, 'Hey Pavia, get me another fight. I'm broke.' So I fight again and get some money coming in."

But doesn't the exposure (and corresponding sponsorship deals) make the big shows more lucrative?

Not always, War Machine said. After all, many of the mid-majors now have broadcast deals of their own (either through online pay-per-view or traditional outlets such as HDNet), and there's no guarantee he'll be featured as prominently on those bigger shows.

"Some of these smaller shows have been televised, so there's some sponsor money," War Machine said. "Sponsor money is definitely where it's at. But if I sign with Strikeforce or one of the bigger shows, there's no guarantee my fight will be on TV. If it's not on TV, all I get is my purse. And the purse isn't always enough. ... I've already fought like five times in the past year, and I'm making good money.

"But it's eventually going to be time to tie it down and start getting serious again and try to fight in the big shows. But for now, I'm good where I'm at."

That philosophy led him to Thursday's Tachi Palace Fights event (the re-branded version of Christian Printup's popular California-based Palace Fighting Championships), where War Machine is part of a rather robust and intriguing fight card.

War Machine takes on an undefeated fighter, but he's hardly inspired by Mitchell, who's 7-0. In his case, War Machine said, the fight is simply about the paycheck.

"I watched his fights," War Machine said of his opponent. "I know he's 7-0, but I don't know how he's 7-0. He has no stand-up, no wrestling, and he pulls guard. I'm going to smash him. I'm there to get paid."

For more on War Machine, including his supposed beef with fellow prospect Roger Bowling, the prospects of him joining Strikeforce and whether he's put his past legal troubles behind him, download Tuesday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.

 

[Shogun Locc]

RYAN COUTURE MAPS OUT PLANS TO GO PRO

Having one of the most famous surnames in mixed martial arts, there's been a lot of attention paid to Ryan Couture's amateur fighting career. Son of legendary UFC fighter Randy "The Natural" Couture, Ryan has had five amateur bouts. With his first round submission victory over Nick Albert at Sportfight 26 on Oct. 2, Couture is eying turning pro and planning his professional MMA debut in 2010.

"I'm not setting anything in stone at all, but I'm feeling great. I get more comfortable in there every time out," said the younger Couture. "I'm hoping if all goes well and I keep progressing that sometime mid-next year I'll be making that transition to pro."

On name recognition alone, Couture could get professional fights in any number of organizations, but rather than take the leap too quickly, he has opted to gain experience competing as an amateur.

"You've got to have that foundation and get some of those kinks out of the way before you really start fighting on a big stage I think," Couture told MMAWeekly.com.

"The stakes go up when it's pro. Everyone is paying more attention and your record really counts a lot more, so starting out as an amateur and getting some experience this way I can sort of get through some of those speed bumps that everyone has in their career before it's really important and it's really going to be held against me."