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Feb 7, 2006
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THIAGO DRAWS NEWCOMER VOLKMANN AT UFC 106

In an ironic sort of round robin, Paulo Thiago has been removed from UFC 107 to face newcomer Jacob Volkmann on Nov. 21 at UFC 106.

Initially reported by Fighters Only, MMAWeekly.com confirmed verbal agreements to the bout with sources close to the fighters.

Thiago (11-1) was originally slated to face Thiago Alves at UFC 107, with Jon Fitch fighting Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106. Almeida had to withdraw due to a knee injury, at which point UFC officials moved Fitch into Thiago’s spot to fight Alves at UFC 107, and now putting Thiago at UFC 106 with Volkmann.

Thiago is 1-1 in Ultimate Fighting Championship action. His only loss came in his last bout, ironically enough to Fitch.

Volkmann (9-0) fights out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, home to UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and former lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Donald Cerrone and Chris Horodecki likely to take co-headliner spots at WEC 45

With World Extreme Cagefighting looking to build up some of the contenders who could soon challenge the organization's stable of champions, lightweights Donald Cerrone (10-2 MMA, 3-2 WEC) and Chris Horodecki (13-1 MMA, 0-0 WEC) are expected to be featured in co-main events at WEC 45 in December.

Although not officially announced, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported earlier this month, Cerrone is expected to take on Ed Ratcliff (7-1 MMA, 3-1 WEC) while Horodecki will likely make his WEC debut against Anthony Njokuani (11-2 MMA, 2-1 WEC) at the upcoming show.

However, WEC officials today could not confirm the plans for the event, which takes place Dec. 19 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The night's main card, including the co-headliners, airs on Versus.

The Cerrone vs. Ratcliff fight technically will take the top spot on the card. Cerrone suffered a loss to Benson Henderson for the WEC's interim lightweight title earlier this month, but the decision – which could have gone either – did little to hurt his standing in the title picture. Cerrone is 0-2 in title fights, but like the Henderson loss, his defeat to champ Jamie Varner earlier this year could have easily gone his way.

However, Cerrone now faces another fighter with title aspirations. Making his fifth WEC appearance, Ratcliff moved his career mark to 6-0 with TKO victories over Johnny Sampaio and Alex Karalexis to launch his WEC career. "9mm" then hit a roadblock and suffered a first-round submission loss to Marcus Hicks in March. Hicks, though, rebounded for a unanimous-decision win over Phil Cardella in August.

In the night's expected co-headliner, Horodecki makes just his second appearance in nearly two years. Horodecki has struggled with injuries and contract issues over the past year, but WEC officials are banking on the youngster becoming a star in the organization and lightweight contender, as evidenced by his co-headline spot in his promotional debut.

Looking to spoil the debut is Njokuani, who debuted with the WEC in January and suffered a loss to now-interim champ Henderson via second-round submission. However, the Nigerian has since rebounded for a pair of impressive TKO victories over IFL stand-out Bart Palaszewski and Muhsin Corbbrey (which was worth a $10,000 "Knockout of the Night" award).

Although WEC 45 has not been officially announced the organization, WEC officials are expected to release additional event details in the coming weeks. Despite no title fights, many of the organization's top contenders will be in action, which could provide for a deep card.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Barnett Granted Second Extension for CSAC Appeal

LOS ANGELES –- Josh Barnett was granted a second extension Monday for an appeals hearing the fighter had requested after the California State Athletic Commission denied his re-licensure in late July due to a positive pre-test for an anabolic steroid. The new hearing will be held on Dec. 8.

CSAC Interim Executive Officer David T. Thornton informed the commission that Barnett’s attorney, Michael J. DiMaggio, contacted him last Friday to request the extension, as the law firm is still awaiting additional information from the UCLA laboratory that conducted Barnett’s tests.

Barnett was pulled from a headlining bout against Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The event was cancelled a few days later.

The CSAC notified Barnett on July 21 that he had tested positive for the anabolic steroid 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one in a June 25 pre-test conducted to renew his license. A second sample was laboratory-tested and came back with the same results on July 29, according to the CSAC.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Barnett, 31, for six months in 2002 due to a post-fight urinalysis that revealed the presence of three anabolic agents (Boldenone metabolite, Fluoxymesterone metabolite and Nandrolone metabolite) in his body when he defeated Randy Couture to win the heavyweight title at UFC 36. Barnett denied using the anabolic steroids and challenged the NSAC’s testing protocol.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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CSAC Addresses Ticket Scandal, Re-Opens EO Search, Adds New Commissioner

LOS ANGELES -- The California State Athletic Commission unanimously adopted a “strict no-gift” policy Monday that will apply to its commissioners, office staff, as well as its licensees and potential licensees.

In a memorandum distributed by the state agency Friday, a “gift” is defined as “any item having a cost or financial value, including, tickets, food or beverages, entertainment, or travel, as well as licensee-sponsored meals or parties.”

Commissioners and approved licensees can still attend events as credentialed attendees on “official business.”

California’s ethics agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, opened an investigation in September regarding CSAC members using their positions to secure free tickets for family and friends to MMA and boxing events the CSAC regulates.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported about the probe, also published multiple internal email communications between numerous commission members and CSAC staff requesting free tickets for guests. In one email, a commission member offered up his state-issued credential to a friend to use in his place.

Following the Times’ initial report, State Senate leader Darrell Steinberg announced that he would not hold confirmation hearings for commission chairman Timothy Noonan and commissioner Peter Lopez.

Noonan resigned shortly after, citing the Department of Consumer Affairs failure to approve CSAC-approved executive officer candidate Patrick Russell.

Meanwhile, the Senate Rules Committee appointed Dr. Van Lemons last week as a new commission member. Lemons, who has served as a ringside physician for boxing and MMA events in the state, replaces former commissioner Howard Rose, who recently resigned.

Commissioner Mario Rodriguez, formerly vice-chairman, has assumed the role of chairman, vacated by Noonan.

Finally, the DCA and CSAC have re-opened their search for a permanent executive officer for the CSAC, after a previous interview process did not yield an appointee. Armando Garcia abruptly vacated the position in November 2008 and Davis T. Thornton has served as the interim executive officer for the last five months.

The final filing date for applications is Nov 2.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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K-1 MAX 2009 tournament final results

For most MMA fans, the weekend’s non-stop MMA marathon of UFC 104 and DREAM 12 was already quite a feast.

For the dedicated followers of MMA and K-1, the weekend festivity ended with DREAM 12 but the marathon continued into a new week with K-1 MAX 2009 Tournament Final on Monday, Sept. 26. The event aired in North America on HDNet starting at 5 a.m. ET (perfect excuse to skip work on Monday).

At Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, four finalists of the 2009 K-1 MAX Tournament vied for the crown and possible bid to challenge the retiring K-1 MAX icon, Masato, at Dynamite! MMA/K-1 hybrid event on New Year’s Eve.

The tournament favorite, Giorgio Petrosyan, made a quick work of Yuya Yamamoto in the semi-final round. From the opening bell, Petrosyan picked Yamamoto apart from the inside and outside with superior technical striking. Yamamoto was clocked with a massive left hook early in the first round. Though he managed to get back to his feet and continue, Petrosyan swarmed him with a flurry of punches and scored a decisive KO at 2:09 of Rd. 1, proceeding to the final fresh and dangerous.

In the second tournament semi-final bout, the two-time K-1 MAX champions, Andy Souwer and Buakaw Por Pramuk, engaged in a furious war in hope of a triple crown at the end of the night. After three rounds, the bout was ruled a draw. In the extra rounds, Souwer eked out a split decision.

The tournament reserve bout pitted the 2006 and 2007 K-1 MAX Japan champion, Yoshihiro Sato, against the 2008 champion, Yasuhiro Kido. Sato landed a series of low kicks in the first round while Kido scored with jabs. Both fighters switched to a higher gear in the second round, picking up one knockdown each. Then they took the center of the ring for a fierce exchange: Sato emerged the winner with a right cross that shut off Kido’s light.

Petrosyan and Souwer passed the medical inspection and met in the ring for the much-anticipated tournament final. Petrosyan, clearly the fresher of the two, aggressively pursued the battle-worn slow starter. Souwer started the second round with urgency but Petrosyan utilized his sound defense to avoid damage and dropped Souwer with a punishing combination. The combo also opened a cut that Souwer sustained earlier in the night against Pramuk. Petrosyan cruised to victory and earned his first K-1 MAX crown.

Upon the crowning of 2009 K-1 MAX Champion, the question regarding who Masato will face at Dynamite! was quickly resolved. Masato stated earlier in the night that he rooted for Souwer to win the tournament for the grudge match — Souwer has defeated him twice in as many encounters — to materialize; however, he did not hesitate to step into the ring and ask Petrosyan for the fight. The young Italian eagerly accepted, confirming the main event of the NYE card.

Also on the card, K-1 veteran, Kozo Takeda faced the inaugural K-1 MAX champion, Albert Kraus, for his farewell bout. The 37 year-old Takeda has enthralled K-1 fans over the year with his fighting spirit. After a relative inactivity during the last few years, he finally stepped into the ring for one last time.

Once again, he lived up to his warrior reputation by displaying his kill-or-be-killed fighting style. He countered Kraus’ punches and landed his trademark low kicks in the first round. Even after absorbing a devastating low kick from Kraus, Takeda proceeded to the second round. Despite being picked apart at will, he fought courageously until the doctor forced a stop to the fight later in the round after checking the gash on his face.

K-1 MAX 2009 tournament final results:

Opening Fights

#1 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Masaaki Noiri def. Keisuke Miyamoto via unanimous decision (3-0)

#2 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Shota Shimada def. Hiroki Akimoto via unanimous decision (3-0)

#3 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
Katsuki Ishida def. Tsukasa Fuji via unanimous decision (3-0)

#4 – K-1 Koshien Final 8 – 3R x 2 min.
HIROYA def. Ryuya Kusakabe via split decision (2-1)

Main card

#1 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 1R)
Xu Yan def. Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima via KO (left hook) at 1:04 of round one

#2 – K-1 MAX Final 4 – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Giorgio Petrosyan def. Yuya Yamamoto via KO (right hook) at 2:09 of round one

#3 – K-1 MAX Final 4 – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Andy Souwer def. Buakaw Por.Pramuk via split decision (2-1) in extension round

#4 – Reserve Fitght – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Yoshihiro Sato def. Yasuhiro Kido via KO (right hook) at 2:23 of round two

#5 – 62kg Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Jae Hee Cheon def. Kazuhisa Watanabe via split decision (2-1) in round three

#6 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Albert Kraus def. Kozo Takeda via TKO at 2:19 of round two

#7 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 1R)
Gago Drago def. Taishin Kohiruimaki via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three

#8 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
Artur Kyshenko def. Toofan “Storm” Salafzoon via KO (right straight) at 1:50 of round three

#9 – Super Fight – 3R x 3 min (Ext. 1R)
HINATA def. Mike Zambidis via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three

#10 – K-1 World MAX 2009 Tournament Final – 3R x 3 min. (Ext. 2R)
Giorgio Petrosyan def. Andy Souwer via unanimous decision (3-0) in round three
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Matt Horwich edges fellow UFC vet Jason Lambert at debut Aggression MMA event

Two former UFC fighters desperately needed a win but only one got it when Matt Horwich topped Jason Lambert via split decision over the weekend.

The middleweight bout headlined Aggression MMA's debut show, which took place Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Edmonton EXPO Centre (previously the Northlands AgriCom) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Notable light heavyweight Cyrille "Snake" Diabate and World Victory Road/KOTC veteran Nick Denis also picked up wins.

Horwich (24-13-1), a former champion of the now-defunct International Fight League, joined the UFC in 2008 but suffered back-to-back losses to Dan Miller and Ricardo Almeida. He was then dropped from the organization, and the skid continued in June when he suffered a decision loss to Bryan Baker at a Bellator event.

However, his three-fight losing streak came to an end when he edged Lambert (23-11), a longtime UFC fighter who's now suffered five consecutive losses since his upset of Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 68 in early 2007. After that signature win, Lambert then dropped three straight in the UFC and then suffered a decision loss to Vladimir Matyushenko at a May event in California.

Diabate, meanwhile, scored an 89-second submission of Canadian KOTC vet Marcus Hicks (9-18). The EliteXC and Cage Rage veteran has now won four straight fights.

Denis (8-1), who went 1-1 in the Sengoku featherweight grand prix earlier this year, topped Jason Townes (5-3) via second-round TKO.

As MMAjunkie.com reported in a Sunday feature dubbed "The MMA Rock Star," former glam rocker Robin Black (2-3) suffered a swift, first-round submission loss via guillotine choke to Cory Lautischer (1-1) on the night's undercard.

The full results from Aggression MMA I included:

* Matt Horwich def. Jason Lambert via split decision
* Nick Denis def. Jason Townes via TKO - Round 2
* Nick Ring def. Yannick Galipeau via submission - Round 1
* Cyrille "Snake" Diabate def. Marcus Hicks via submission - Round 1
* Len Bentley def. Kurt Southern via submission - Round 1
* Cory Lautischer def. Robin Black via submission - Round 1
* Adam Lorenz def. Rolando Perez via unanimous decision
* Len Wheeler def. Amir Uddin via TKO - Round 1
* Tony Bibby def. Cory Knapp via submission - Round 1
* Josten Tardif def. James Petryk via TKO - Round 2
* Sean Carr def. Ivan Lepki via submission - Round 1
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Pat Barry Nets Six-Figure Bonus for UFC 104 Performance

Though the main card fighters may have initially earned higher salaries entering Saturday night’s events it was the undercard’s participants who laid claim to all three UFC “…of the Night” bonuses.

Reigning supreme amongst the evening’s bonus winners was the affable Pat Barry, who overcame an early eye-poke to bring his professional MMA record to 5-1 with a hard-fought second round TKO victory over fellow kickboxer Antoni Hardonk. Barry earned an additional $120,000 on top of his previously scheduled purse for winning both “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” honors. Hardonk was also awarded $60,000 for his participation in the bout.

“Submission of the Night”, and the sixty thousand dollar reward attached to the distinction, went to 6’11 Stefan Struve. Struve weathered an early attack from opponent Chase Gormley to lock in a Triangle Choke for the first round win.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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ProElite Purchased for $2 million

Stratus Media Group, Inc. has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire a 95% stake in ProElite, Inc. for $2 million.

Stratus Media Group, Inc. (OTCBB: SMDI ), a live entertainment company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 95% interest in ProElite, Inc. (PK: PELE), a sports, entertainment and media company that has produced arena-based mixed martial arts (MMA) events.

Prior to the sale of significant revenue-generating assets, ProElite recorded $13.5 million in MMA event and television revenues during the 18 months ended June 2008. ProElite has engaged in an extensive restructuring that included the sales of these revenue-generating assets for cash and a share of future revenues, significant expense reductions, the elimination of $12 million of direct and contingent liabilities and the shedding of unprofitable subsidiaries.

“ProElite, a globally recognized brand, is a great addition to our portfolio of companies and live entertainment events and provides an experienced management team with demonstrated success in operating MMA events and generating broadcast revenues,” stated Paul Feller, President of Stratus. “By combining ProElite with sufficient capital and Stratus’ strengths in event production and sponsorship sales, we intend to re-establish ProElite as a leading international MMA company.”

Stratus will purchase Series A Preferred Stock of ProElite, convertible into 95% of the outstanding Common Stock of ProElite, for $2,000,000. The acquisition will be closed when certain conditions have been met, which the company expects will occur within the upcoming weeks. Upon closing, all of the current directors of ProElite will resign and the board of directors of ProElite will consist of Paul Feller and Glenn Golenberg, both current members of Stratus’ board of directors, and a third director to be announced. Paul Feller, Stratus’ Chief Executive Officer, will become ProElite’s Chief Executive Officer. Certain present and former key ProElite executives will continue employment with ProElite or will enter into employment agreements with Stratus.

Payout Perspective:

The purchase is a little surprising, because there’s not much left to ProElite other than some brand recognition in the name and certain elements of the former management team.

The acquisition certainly begs a number of questions:

* Without the revenue-generating assets that essentially made ProElite/EliteXC, is the company really worth paying $2 million dollars for?

* One could quite fairly question whether ProElite’s experienced management team is really the right group to lead an MMA company to profitability.

* Lastly, what does Stratus know about MMA, and how can they make a difference to ProElite? Stratus has yet to turn a profit since they recommenced operations in 2006 off of a 5-year hiatus (the company only made $40k in revenue last year). Not surprisingly, they’ve also got substantially negative cashflows from operations - nearly $500,000 in the first six months of 2009. They’re a company planning to host a series of vintage car shows in the future; that’s hardly the same expertise needed to target, attract, and cater to the MMA demographic.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC 109: Ronnys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard

The Brazilian Ronnys Torres already has a date to debut on UFC. After eight victories in a row, five of them on the first round, the Nova União’s athlete will face Melvin Guillard on UFC 109, which takes place on February 6.

“The expectations are the best as possible... He’s going back to trains now and until there he will be 100%“, the coach André Pederneiras guarantees, telling the news to TATAME.com at first hand. About the strategy, Ronnys must keep the same game he did in his last fights. “The strategy is always the same: take down and try to submit all the time“. In ten fights in the UFC, Melvin has six victories, the last one by split decision against Gleison Tibau.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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WVR Close To Signing Japanese WW?! Who Is It?

WVR PR Kokuho reveals in the latest issue of Kamipro that they want a Japanese Welterweight who they are longing for to participate in SRC (which means that they already have or are very close to signing him, or else he wouldn’t talk about him).

He says that the Japanese Welterweights in SRC will be fairly complete if he signs and that he’s a fighter that if signed makes a tournament possible.

I have little doubt that this fighter is Ryo Chonan.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC 104 fighters salaries: Machida ($200K) and Rua ($155K) top $922K payroll

Headliners Lyoto Machida ($200,000) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua ($155,000) were the top earners at this past Saturday's UFC 104 event and combined for 38.5 percent of the night's disclosed $922,000 payroll.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently requested and received the event's official fighters salaries from the California State Athletic Commission.

UFC 104 took place Oct. 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and portions of the event aired on both Spike TV pay-per-view.

Lightweight Joe Stevenson was the night's next-highest earner, pocketing $94,000 for his second-round win over Spencer Fisher.

The full disclosed payroll for UFC 104 included:

Lyoto Machida: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: $155,000

Cain Velasquez: $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus)
def. Ben Rothwell: $50,000

Gleison Tibau: $38,000 ($19,000 win bonus)
def. Josh Neer: $14,000

Joe Stevenson: $94,000 ($47,000 win bonus)
def. Spencer Fisher: $26,000

Anthony Johnson: $30,0000 ($15,000 win bonus)*
def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $12,000

Ryan Bader: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Eric Schafer: $13,000

Pat Barry: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus)
def. Antoni Hardonk: $16,000

Chael Sonnen: $54,000 ($27,000 win bonus)
def. Yushin Okami: $18,000

Jorge Rivera: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
def. Rob Kimmons: $9,000

Kyle Kingsbury: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
def. Razak Al-Hassan: $3,000

Stefan Struve: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus)
def. Chase Gormley: $10,000

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other "locker room" or special bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays.

For example, as discussed above, the figures above do not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. The UFC awarded $60,000 each to Struve (Submission of the Night) and Hardonk (Fight of the Night), and $120,000 to dual-award winner Barry (Knockout of the Night and Submission of the night).
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC 104 GENERATES $1.9 MILLION AT THE GATE

The California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday released the numbers for the final attendance and gross receipts for UFC 104, which took place Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

UFC 104 pulled in a final attendance of 14,892, including complimentary tickets, for total gross receipts of $1.9 million.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship held one previous event at the Staples Center, UFC 60, featuring Matt Hughes versus Royce Gracie, on May 27, 2006. That event drew a similar attendance of 14,765, but gross receipts totaled a much larger $2.9 million.

Though UFC 60 shadowed UFC 104 in gross receipts by a cool $1 million, it did not in disclosed fighter payroll. The fighter pay reported to the athletic commission for UFC 60 totaled $740,000, while UFC 104 weighed in at $922,000. It should be noted that the payroll figures do not include any types of bonuses, percentages of pay-per-view revenue, or other sources of income for the fighters.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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DREAM Signs M-1 Global fighter Karl Amoussou

French MMA fighter Karl Amoussou has signed a 4 fight contract for fight for the Japanese organization DREAM. Amoussou’s debut with DREAM is unknown at this time, however sources have indicated that his first fight will be announced shortly.

Amoussou, who was recently named by Sherdog.com as the number 1 European prospect has recently signed an exclusive management contract with M-1Global, and joins Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi, and the Number 1 Heavyweight in the world Fedor Emelianenko in M-1 Global’s list of top level fighters.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC Quick Quote: Takanori Gomi could knock out BJ Penn — if Dana White wasn’t so hard to deal with

“I want to fight BJ Penn again. He knows I’m the unique guy of this division able to knock him out. It would be the biggest champions fighting. Imagine how this match would be … but it’s not close to coming true. I don’t want to talk over UFC … Mr. Dana White is a great promoter and I respect him but is a person hard to deal with. I’m not an martial arts beginner, I am a former MMA champion. What about him? What would he be?”
 
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UFC Quick Quote: Takanori Gomi could knock out BJ Penn — if Dana White wasn’t so hard to deal with

“I want to fight BJ Penn again. He knows I’m the unique guy of this division able to knock him out. It would be the biggest champions fighting. Imagine how this match would be … but it’s not close to coming true. I don’t want to talk over UFC … Mr. Dana White is a great promoter and I respect him but is a person hard to deal with. I’m not an martial arts beginner, I am a former MMA champion. What about him? What would he be?”
Japanese Fighters suck balls in the UFC.
 
Sep 20, 2005
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FUCK YOU
Shane Carwin slowed by "strain of the swine flu" during UFC 106 preparations

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar wasn't the only UFC 106 headliner dealing with illness.

Earlier this week Lesnar notified UFC officials that a nearly month-long illness had forced him out of a Nov. 21 UFC 106 main event fight in Las Vegas.

His opponent, undefeated Shane Carwin, today said he, too, was sick with a "strain of the swine flu" but had never considered pulling out of the title fight.

"Last week was the first week that I actually started feeling better from a strain of the swine flu," he wrote in a blog entry on his Web site, www.shane-carwin.com. "I had lost over 15 pounds, something I could not afford to [lose], and had just pulled some muscles in my leg during training."

However, unlike Lesnar, Carwin said he hadn't considered backing out of the pay-per-view headliner.

"I would have never pulled out of the fight," he wrote.

With Lesnar vs. Carwin now expected to take place in early 2010, UFC 106 will instead feature a main event (and rematch) between former UFC champions Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz, who were originally slated to meet in the night's co-main event. And as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported earlier today, the UFC also bolstered the card with a bout between welterweight contenders Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson that will serve as the new UFC 106 co-main event.

As for the postponement, Carwin believes it'll work to his advantage.

"Fighting for the UFC belt is my path, and honestly, Brock coming down with his illness only gives me more time to be in that much better shape," he wrote. "It is a blessing if you want to know the truth."

Carwin (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned his title shot after beating Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96. Although his resume is impressive (every fight has ended via stoppage in two minutes and 11 seconds or less), Carwin earned the title shot partially because he spoke openly and criticized Brock Lesnar's antics at UFC 100, according to UFC president Dana White. Soon after unifying the heavyweight titles and defeating Frank Mir at UFC 100, Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) took verbal shots at the fans and a UFC sponsor alike.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Fight Path: Despite cozy upbringing, Strikeforce's Shane Del Rosario in a hurry to impress

Shane Del Rosario used to have a problem early in his mixed-martial-arts career.

Early in his fights, he would come out too quickly. Even though he had been training fulltime for nearly a year before he took his first fight and was well prepared, the pace was foreign to him.

Strange, perhaps, for a kid who grew up in Orange County to not be relaxed.

But that's the thing about his background, Del Rosario will say. Even though there are perceptions about those from this cozy community of Laguna Niguel, his time there didn't make him lazy or weak.

Hence the rushing out. For the first few fights, it was truly a problem.

"I went out crazy and would try to knock the guy out right away," Del Rosario told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "My only loss, in a Muay Thai fight, I wasn't relaxed, and I got caught with a head kick. I got intense. I just gassed myself.

"Now my main focus is strength and relaxing."

The method has worked. In winning all eight of his professional MMA fights, the 26-year-old Del Rosario has earned a place on the Strikeforce Challengers main card on Nov. 6 in Fresno, Calif., where he will fight 5-0 Brandon Cash.

Del Rosario got the opportunity as he feels his career is rising. He was fortunate, he says, in that he was able to begin training fulltime by taking a teaching job at the gym and gaining help from his parents, who provided his comfortable upbringing in California.

But he has also taken advantage of the opportunity. In taking seven of his eight victories in the first round, Del Rosario has shown that, even though he has calmed his nerves, he still works quickly.

"I feel like I have a lot of work to do and need more fights to prepare myself," Del Rosario said, "but hopefully in the next year or two, I can become a top contender for a belt. Hopefully that's Strikeforce or maybe in a few years even in the UFC."

Cozy, but not weak
The town is called Laguna Niguel, and it sits in Orange County as a mostly well-off community of successful families. This is where Del Rosario was raised by his parents, who grew up knowing only hard work.

His father hailed from tiny Lanai, Hawaii, where he grew up working on a pineapple plantation before moving to Montana to play college football. There, he met Del Rosario's mother, where she, too, was raised in a small, nose-to-the-grindstone community.

Del Rosario's father eventually earned higher degrees and became the CEO of a semiconductor company while his mother took work as a paralegal.

He will acknowledge that he didn't have the type of difficult upbringing that many in the MMA community did. But, it instilled a different kind of pressure, he said.

"It's motivation to work even harder to provide for my kids," Del Rosario said. "Since it's been a good life, there's the motivation to stay there, or to do even better."

He was a star athlete, mainly in basketball, and he was physical at that. He guarded bigger players, and he fought for his space. It was perhaps natural, then, that Del Rosario began dabbling in MMA training while a junior in high school.

He attended the University of California-Irvine and studied psychology. He also worked to continue his MMA training, which was difficult because of his dedication to his studies.

"Midterms or finals would come up, and I would be out of the gym for a few weeks," he said.

The gym would soon enough be his life.

Fulltime fighter

When he finished college, Del Rosario considered graduate school. But, he heard from enough people who were part of his training that he had enough skill to be successful if he committed himself.

So, he did. For the past four years, he has either taught or trained at Team Oyama, an Irvine gym run by Colin Oyama, who has trained Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Tito Ortiz.

Because of his teaching job, he was able to focus on fighting and progress faster than some. Oyama stressed patience before beginning a fighting career.

"I was training, but we also do a lot of hard sparring," Del Rosario said. "Then I started in with smokers, amateur Muay Thai fights, three of those. I planned to get to 10, but King of the Cage came up."

That was August 2006, and Del Rosario dispatched Gabor Nemeth with a first-round TKO at a KOTC show. Then, he was a professional fighter sooner then he had planned.

After winning at three EliteXC shows, Del Rosario was 5-0 as of September 2008 and gaining steam. He then went worldwide, heading to M-1 events in Japan, Korea and Russia.

Now, it's Strikeforce. With an eye toward proving that his training has been complete and effective, including his increased attention to jiu jitsu and wrestling, Del Rosario hopes to take his next MMA step.

"The competition is getting better, and I can feel the fights getting bigger," he said. "I'm getting to that point where I feel like I'm about to turn a corner.

"It's kind of an exciting time."