MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Top British fighter Jim Wallhead signed for Bellator's season-two welterweight tourney

After signing notables Dan Hornbuckle (19-2), Jacob McClintock (6-0) and Ben Askren (3-0) for its upcoming eight-man welterweight tournament, Bellator Fighting Championships has added another star competitor to the field: top British 170-pounder Jim Wallhead (18-5).

Bellator officials today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that "Judo Jim" has signed a multi-fight deal with the organization to compete in the tournament.

The organization soon hosts eight-man tourneys in four weight classes to determine No. 1 contenders for its season-one champions.

The second season, which commences in April, airs live on FOX Sports Net affiliates on Thursday nights, and highlights packages air on NBC and Telemundo over the weekend. Both the second and third seasons take place in 2010 and run for 12 weeks.

Wallhead makes his promotional debut with a six-fight win streak and 10 wins in his past 11 fights. The Cage Warriors and M-1 Challenge vet owns six knockouts and seven submission victories among his 18 career wins.

"Adding Jim to our welterweight division is magic for Bellator," Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. "As one of Europe's top welterweights, Jim will no doubt use our April tournament on FOX Sports Net to introduce U.S. MMA fans to what European fans already know. Jim is the real deal. As a fan, I can't wait to see Wallhead, Askren, McClintock and Hornbuckle face off."

The 25-year-old Wallhead, a native of Leicester, England, earned his Judo black belt at 16 and won the country's under-21 Judo championship as a 19-year-old. He made his pro MMA debut at 21 and has since defeated the likes of UFC vets Jason Tan and Steve Lynch and former Cage Rage champ/"The Ultimate Fighter 9" competitor Che Mills.

"I've been looking for a home in a big promotion for quite a while, so I'm just over the moon about signing with Bellator," Wallhead stated. "I watched the Bellator shows last year, and it's really just a great, high-standards promotion. I'm relishing the challenge to let it all hang out, to take some risks, and hopefully, to have some success against the top competition in the world."

Bellator's lucrative tournaments can earn each division's winner nearly $200,000 over three fights and three months. Wallhead looks to win the welterweight tournament to earn the right to fight season-one champ Lyman Good.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Strikeforce: Evolution" draws 14,749 for $634,000 live gate

Strikeforce's longtime home produced another solid crowd as 14,749 attendees packed the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., for this past weekend's "Evolution" event.

The crowd created a live gate of $633,674.50, California State Athletic Commission officials confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)

The Showtime-televised event featured Scott Smith's dramatic, come-from-behind win over Cung Le in the night's headliner, and interim champ Gilbert Melendez unified the lightweight titles with a unanimous decision win over former champ Josh Thomson in the co-headliner. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal also had successful promotional debuts.

Both the attendance and gate figures are solid for the organization. "Evolution" was largely overshadowed by last month's "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" event and had a far smaller marketing push. However, with its roots in the Silicon Valley city and the many San Jose-based fight camp (including the American Kickboxing Academy), Strikeforce has consistently drawn well when hosting shows at the HP Pavilion.

Of Strikeforce's six events at the HP Pavilion in the past two years, "Strikeforce: Evolution" had the third highest attendance.

The full list includes:

1. 16,326: "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le" (March 2008)
2. 15,211: "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz" (April 2009)
3. 14,749: "Strikeforce: Evolution" (December 2009)
4. 13,976: "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" (August 2009)
5. 8,152: "Strikeforce: Destruction" (November 2008)
6. 7,288: "Strikeforce: Thomson vs. Melendez" (July 2008)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Injury-plagued UFC 108 fight card officially set with 11 bouts

Ravaged by injuries and jokingly referred to as cursed, the fight card for next month's "UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva" event is officially set.

For now, anyway.

In addition to a headliner of Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva, the UFC 108 main card also includes Dustin Hazelett vs. Paul Daley, Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout, Jim Miller vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig, and Junior Dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel.

The event takes place Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Currently, the UFC.com fight card lists Dos Santos vs. Yvel as a preliminary-card bout that "may not be televised," though event officials have assured MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) it'll be part of the night's pay-per-view broadcast.

Additionally, as MMAjunkie.com reported late last week, the event will also feature a "UFC Prelim" broadcast on Spike TV that includes preliminary-card fights of Martin Kampmann vs. Jacob Volkmann and Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon. An official announcement of the live, hour-long PPV teaser is expected in the next week.

The official UFC 108 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
* Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett
* Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout
* Duane Ludwig vs. Jim Miller
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Martin Kampmann vs. Jacob Volkmann
* Dan Lauzon vs. Cole Miller

PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)

* Steve Cantwell vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
* Ryan Jensen vs. Mark Munoz
* Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Pyle
* Rafaello Oliveira vs. John Gunderson

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dos Santos: “I wanna be a big champion”

Junior “Cigano” dos Santos’ career jumped in a way that even he couldn’t imagine. Debuting as unknown on UFC, he knocked Fabrício Werdum out to jump to the fame, as the victories over Stefan Struve and Mirko “Cro Cop” just make him to shine more.

On the chat of December’s edition of TATAME Magazine, that’s already on the newsstands around all Brazil, the heavyweight told his history and talked about his relationship with Minotauro, trainer and idol.

“I owe everything I am in fight to Rodrigo. When he has the belt, I’ll be his guardian. To fight with him, they’ll have to fight with me first”, said the heavyweight, laughing. With defined return on UFC 108, against the rough Gilbert Yvel, revealed that his biggest dream is to be on top of the world. “As fighter I’m not different of anyone, I also want to be a big champion, to be a big name as Minotauro and Minotouro”, said.

 

[hitthegas]

watched le vs smith last night, awesome last round

 

[Shogun Locc]

Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazuo Misaki set for “Dynamite!! 2009″

Feared Dutch Knockout specialist Melvin Manhoef is all set to do battle with none other than the “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki at the year end DREAM and Sengoku promoted event, “Dynamite!! 2009“.

FiveOuncesofPain.com has recently received confirmation of the match-up through sources close to one of the fighters.

“Dynamite!! 2009″ will be taking place on New Years Eve, December 31, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with the live broadcast being televised stateside on HDNet.

Widely considered to be the most ferocious knockout artist in the sport with 22 of his 23 victories coming by way of devastating KO or TKO, Manhoef recently signed with Strikeforce and made his intentions to face off with fellow power puncher Robbie Lawler quite clear. Melvin has gone 6-2 in his last eight bouts, with recent knockouts over Kazushi Sakuraba and Mark Hunt to his credit. A veteran of the K-1 organization, “No Mercy” trains alongside Badr Hari and others out of Mike’s Gym in Holland.

Long regarded as one of the best middleweights in the business, Misaki will be returning to the ring following a suspension due to legal troubles stemming from an incident where the popular Japanese fighter attempted to flee from the police after being caught talking on the cell phone while driving. The suspension was recently lifted during a SRC commission meeting at the world Victory Road headquarters, clearing the way for the former PRIDE welterweight GP winner’s participation on New Years Eve. Misaki has notched impressive victories over the likes of Ed Herman, Phil Baroni, Joe Riggs , and most notably, Dan Henderson during the course of his career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM Lightweight champ vs SRC(formerly Sengoku) Lightweight champ and Kawajiri vs Yokota

Shinya Aoki vs. Mizuto Hirota and Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazunori Yokota announced.

FieLDS Dynamite!! ～The Power Of Courage 2009～
Date: December 31st, 2009
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

MMA Fight:
Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida

DREAM Vs. SRC:
Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto vs. Masanori Kanehara
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Hideo Tokoro vs. Marlon Sandro
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Akihiro Gono
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hiroshi Izumi
Alistair Overeem vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Melvin Manheof vs Kazuo Misaki
Shinya Aoki vs. Mizuto Hirota
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazunori Yokota

K-1 MAX Fight (5×3 minutes, 1×3 ext.):
Masato vs. Andy Souwer

K-1 Fight:
Ray Sefo vs. Yosuke Nishijima

Super Hulk Tournament Final:
Minowaman vs. Sokoudjou

 

[B-Buzz]

Damn was looking forward to Aoki-Crusher. At least those fights should be good, and if they both win the eventual fight will be a little bit bigger.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Rafael Rebello out; George Roop vs. Eddie Wineland in the works WEC 46 prelims

After WEC bantamweight Jesse Moreng was forced to withdraw from the preliminary card of "WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson," George Roop (10-5 MMA, 0-0 WEC) found himself without an opponent.

Now, that has changed.

Rafael Rebello, who was scheduled to face former WEC champ Eddie Wineland (15-6-1 MMA, 2-2 WEC) on the same card, was also forced to pull out of the event. Rather than seek two new opponents, the WEC has elected to pit Roop against Wineland.

News of the change was first reported by The Northwest Indiana Times, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since been able to verify with sources close to the event that verbal agreements are in place for the new matchup.

Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.

"WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson" takes place Jan. 10 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif.

Roop is perhaps best known for his stint on "The Ultimate Fighter 8." The Arizona native beat Rolando Delgado and John Polakowski en route to a semifinal berth in the tournament, but eventual finalist Phillipe Nover defeated Roop via submission.

Roop fought most of the season with an an injured and badly swollen hand, and the show of heart earned him a spot on the season's finale. Roop dropped a split decision to Shane Nelson at the finale, the first of two losses in the UFC split by a win over David Kaplan.

The January fight will be Roop's first in the WEC, and his first since dropping down two divisions from his previous lightweight slot.

Meanwhile, Wineland hopes to move himself back up the WEC's bantamweight ladder after an impressive unanimous-decision win over Manny Tapia at WEC 43 in October.

Wineland defeated Antonio Banuelos in May 2006 to become the WEC's first-ever bantamweight champion, though he would lose the belt in his first defense, a March 2007 loss to Chase Beebe.

After opening his career just 3-4-1. Wineland has since earned victories in 12 of his past 14 contests.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Mark Hominick vs. WEC newcomer Bryan Caraway targeted for WEC 46

After a few recent injuries forced WEC officials into a bit of minor card-shuffling, it appears the promotion's next event is once again complete.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that Mark Hominick (16-8 MMA, 0-2 WEC) is likely to face WEC newcomer Bryan Caraway (14-3 MMA, 0-0 WEC) on the preliminary card of "WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson."

The WEC was forced to look for a new opponent for Hominick when Yves Jobouin was forced to withdraw from the card this past week.

WEC 46 takes place Jan. 10 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., and a main card headlined by WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner vs. interim title-holder Benson Henderson airs on Versus.

Hominick, a former UFC fighter, hopes to avoid his third consecutive loss in the WEC. He suffered submission defeats to Rani Yahya and Josh Grispi, though the WEC appearances were separated by a couple wins over Ben Greer and Danny Martinez in the Canadian-based TKO organization, which has been a longtime home for the Ontario native.

Meanwhile, Caraway seeks a win in his WEC debut. The Washington resident has had brushes with major organizations before including two appearances under the Strikeforce banner and one bout for EliteXC. Caraway has earned 12 of his 14 career wins by submission, and his lone career losses have come to former EliteXC champion Wilson Reis and recent UFC signee John Gunderson.

With the change to the card, WEC 46 now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Jamie Varner vs. interim champ Benson Henderson (to unify lightweight title)
* Raphael Assuncao vs. Urijah Faber
* Mike Brown vs. Anthony Morrison
* Dave Jansen vs. Kamal Shalorus
* Mackens Semerzier vs. Deividas Taurosevicius

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Akitoshi Tamura vs. Charlie Valencia
* Wagnney Fabiano vs. Frank Gomez
* Bryan Caraway vs. Mark Hominick*
* George Roop vs. Eddie Wineland*
* Will Campuzano vs. Coty Wheeler

* - Not yet officially announced

 

[drunkaholic707]

Fight Path: Self-professed "nerd" Phil Davis seeks structure in UFC debut

Phil Davis' elementary school contemporaries in Harrisburg, Pa., were surely looking forward to their share of cartoons on Saturday mornings.

"Instead of doing that, we were at the museum," Davis told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in recalling his education-oriented childhood. "It was so crazy because it was always the same museum, and we would just learn about the same stuff."

With a mother who was a college professor and a father who received a Master's degree and was educated, Davis jokes now, on "exactly how to be a nerd," Davis and his two older brothers took the regular visits with the expected amount of enthusiasm.

"We saw the same demonstrations, spun the same wheels," Davis said. "It was like, 'OK, I get it, centrifugal force.'"

Since becoming one of the country's best collegiate wrestlers at Penn State University, though, Davis' post-college career hasn't taken the expected path. In about 21 months, Davis went from an NCAA Division I national champion at 197 pounds to the highest level of mixed martial arts.

Last week, Davis agreed to a deal with the UFC after beginning his professional career 4-0. The four victories coming in a span of just eight months. The move both boosts the organization's light heavyweight division and brings an intelligent and thoughtful fighter who excelled at the highest level of collegiate wrestling.

For Davis, the signing continues an unexpected career path that began, basically, on a dare. After four amateur fights, Davis found distaste for the imprecise nature of the amateur world and thirst for the strict guidelines he faced as a wrestling competitor.

Soon, fans will get to see the 25-year-old San Diego resident in the cage, where his educated countenance turns into years of trained competitiveness.

It's in the heat of a fight that Davis finally sheds his inner nerd.

"It's hard to say exactly what will happen," Davis said of his future aspirations. "I just want to be the best, get that belt."

One of the country's best

As a kid, Davis' list of athletic participation included everything from football and baseball to figure skating and track. But, in a home with two education-centered parents, books took precedence.

He attended a selective public school at the elementary level, where he had classes in two languages as well as advanced work in other subjects. In junior high, he went to the local public school and continued to excel in academics.

During that time, Davis began a wrestling career that would lead to a string of impressive statistics and accomplishments. They include:

* A 112-17 career record in high school
* Runner-up finishes in Junior National Greco-Roman competition in 2002 and 2003
* A 116-20 career record at Penn State
* The 2008 Division I national title at 197 pounds.
* The fourth four-time All-American in Penn State's wrestling history

Through his college career, Davis watched teammates and others involved in wrestling train for or make moves into MMA, and the prospect of future competition intrigued him. When he completed his incredible four-year run with the national championship, Davis searched out a State College, Pa., gym.

Soon, he would become one of the fastest-rising light heavyweights around.

Need for order

About two months after starting his MMA training, Davis was offered his first amateur fight.

"The guy was a lot older than I was," he said. "I pushed the guy against the cage, hit him a few times, got him with a knee, then he chased me a little bit and I hit him and dropped him."

It was the first of four amateur wins in four fights, but the world of amateur MMA clashed with Davis' background.

"I came from a world that was extremely organized with extremely rigid rules," he said. "For weigh-ins, we had to have a certain scale and no others. In some of those fights, there was just like a bathroom scale on carpet. That's rife with inaccuracy.

"Plus, in wrestling, if you're one minute late, you're done. There were times they would say it would start at 3 and it would actually start at 5. I was seriously rethinking my career choice."

Instead, Davis turned to a professional career. He made his debut in October 2008 at a No Boundary event and scored a two-round decision victory. By June 2009, he fought three more times and collected three first-round victories, two on TKO by punches and another with a rear-naked choke.

The quick start and successful background made Davis an attractive addition, and the UFC worked with his managers for a deal. He had already moved to San Diego to concentrate on MMA, so his kinesiology degree from Penn State will have to wait.

But Davis certainly hasn't turned his back on his childhood traditions.

"I've been to the ballpark and the museums," Davis said of new home San Diego. "Luckily I've found some nerdy friends to go with me."

 

[007SYBORG]

MERRY X MAS TO ALL THE MMA FANS ON HERE

 

[drunkaholic707]

Dana White introduces UFC newcomer Gilbert Yvel in UFC 108 video blog

One of the sport's most vicious strikers makes his octagon debut at this weekend's UFC 108 event, and UFC president Dana White gives fans an introduction in his latest video blog.

The fighter is Gilbert Yvel, a former PRIDE and Affliction fighter who replaced Gabriel Gonzaga, signed with the UFC, and now fights Junior Dos Santos on the UFC 108 pay-per-view main card.

"This guy is an incredible striker," White said. "The Dos Santos-Gilbert Yvel fight is one of the fights I'm most excited about."

The heavyweight clash takes place this Saturday, Jan. 2, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs on Spike TV (two preliminary fights) and PPV (main card). Top light heavyweight contenders Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva meet in the night's main event, and Yvel vs. Don Santos is the night's key heavyweight attraction.

White meets up with Yvel, a Dutch kickboxer who's 8-1 in his past nine fights, at Modern Martial Arts in Las Vegas with former UFC fighter John Potenza. While there, White tells Yvel a victory over an opponent such as Dos Santos will immediately propel him into the thick of the heavyweight title picture.

For the full conversation and footage of Yvel's training session, check out the enclosed video.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Bellator adds notable Steve Carl to season-two welterweight tournament

Add Steve Carl to the star-studded pool of fighters who will compete in Bellator Fighting Championships' season-two, eight-man welterweight tournament.

Bellator today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the signing.

Carl, a 25-year-old U.S. Army sergeant who served in the Iraq War, owns a 10-1 career record since turning pro in 2006.

He joins Dan Hornbuckle (19-2), Jacob McClintock (6-0), Ben Askren (3-0) and Jim Wallhead (18-5) in the upcoming tournament, which commences in April. Bellator's second and third seasons both take place in 2010 and air live nationwide on FOX Sports Net affiliates. Highlights programs will also air on NBC and Telemundo.

Carl, who took up MMA while stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, has eight stoppages among his 10 career wins. (The lone loss came to current UFC fighter Brian Foster in 2006.) Although he received offers from other organizations, he ultimately settled on Bellator.

"I was getting offers from the UFC and others, but Bellator was just a better opportunity for me," Carl stated. "I'm really excited about the exposure that Bellator's TV deal will bring me and the chance to fight against some awesome competition."

Although he was told he might not fight again after shattering his right leg in a December 2006 auto accident, Carl returned 18 months later and launched his current six-fight win streak. The victories have come over veteran fighters such as Brian Green (19-12), James Warfield (8-4), Matt Delanoit (13-8) and Victor Moreno (25-14).

"After the accident, everyone wanted me to move on from MMA," Carl stated, "But I knew it in my heart beforehand that I had a chance to make it to the top, and I didn't want to give that up. Now I've got the chance to show what I can do in front of the whole country on national TV."

For more on the Bellator season-two welterweight tournament participants, who fight for the right to meet current champ (and season-one tournament winner) Lyman Good, check out our previous reports:

 

[drunkaholic707]

Sam Stout says UFC 108 bout with Joe Lauzon anything but "striker vs. grappler"

It's been nearly eight months since UFC lightweight Sam Stout (14-5-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has been seen in UFC action, and the Canadian striker is anxious to get back in the cage.

Stout, who had a September bout with Phillipe Nover canceled mere hours before the contest, will get that chance when he faces Joe Lauzon (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on the main card of Saturday's "UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva" event.

And while the bout may appear on the surface to be a classic "striker vs. grappler" contest, Stout recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that would be an unfair assessment.

"You can say it's striker vs. grappler, but it's not like I don't have any ground game, and it's not like [Lauzon] doesn't have any striking game," Stout said. "I see him as a guy that likes to strike his way into a takedown. I'm a guy that likes to strike and defend takedowns. I think that's where it becomes interesting."

With eight career victories by knockout or TKO, "Hands of Stone" has earned his nickname. But while Lauzon owns 14 of his 18 career wins by submission, Stout said you can't discount "J-Lau's" abilities on his feet – or his own capabilities on the ground

"We can both strike," Lauzon said. "I feel like I've got a little edge on him striking-wise, but I'm definitely going to be trying to defend his takedowns and keep the fight in my realm. But I'm not going to be jumping back up to my feet immediately if it does end up on the ground and I end up in a good situation. I'm going to stay there and try and do some damage while I'm down there."

Stout's most recent appearance was a hard-fought unanimous-decision win over Matt Wiman at April's UFC 97 event. The much-needed win snapped a two-fight slide for Stout, though he said he remained positive despite the losses to Terry Etim and Rich Clementi.

"I always try and keep a positive mindset," Stout said. "I've had some losses, but they weren't those kind of losses that really beat you down and make you feel like you don't belong. I wasn't finished in any of those fights, and they were very close fights – to the point where before they announced the decisions in both those losses, I was kind of thinking I was going to get the nod.

"It put pressure on me, and it kind of had me worried about what my future was going to be in the UFC, but I wasn't beating myself down over it too much, and I knew it wasn't like I had to rethink my whole gameplan. I just knew I needed to make some adjustments to my game. I think I've been doing that, and I think I showed it a little bit in the Wiman fight, and I think I'm going to continue show it in this fight against Lauzon."

Stout knows he's got a long way to go before he can start concerning himself with the UFC's lightweight title picture. But as he continues to slowly make his way up the 155-pound ladder, the hard-hitting Canadian feels he improves with each step.

With Lauzon's lone UFC loss coming to top contender Kenny Florian, Stout feels Saturday night will prove his toughest test to date.

"I have a ton of respect for [Lauzon] as a fighter and as a person," Stout said. "I'm looking forward to fighting him. I'm looking forward to taking it to him, and I think it's going to be a good chance for me to showcase my skills and the improvements I've made in my game.

"This sport is all about testing yourself. That's what makes it so fun to do. That's what I'm in it for, is to push myself to new limits and push myself to points the average person doesn't get to push themselves to. That's what I think is one of the coolest things about this job. To fight Joe Lauzon is just going to be that next push. I'm looking forward to it, and I think I'm going to handle it well."

 

[drunkaholic707]

WEC 45 drug tests come back clean

All nine fighters who underwent drug testing following their performances at the Dec. 19 event "WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff" tested clean for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancing drugs.

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today confirmed the results in an email to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The fighters tested at the event included main-event competitors Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff, as well as WEC 45 winners Anthony Njokuani, Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen, Zach Micklewright, Chad George, Brad Pickett and Erik Koch.

Preliminary card competitors Bart Palaszewski and Brandon Visher were the only two WEC 45 winners that were not subjected to testing.

The event took place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and aired on Versus.

The NSAC tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, as well as drugs of abuse such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin. All of the competitors tested negative for both classifications of drugs. The NSAC traditionally tests all main-event fighters, all winning competitors, and any fighters who have previously failed drug tests.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Shine Fights inks 51-fight veteran Nick Thompson to multi-fight deal

UFC, Strikeforce and Sengoku veteran Nick Thompson (38-12-1) will fight in 2010 under the Shine Fights banner.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that "The Goat" has signed on to compete for the upstart organization.

Though exact terms of the contract were not disclosed, Thompson is believed to have agreed to a multi-fight, U.S. exclusive deal.

A targeted date for Thompson's Shine Fights debut was not released. Thompson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com.

While Thompson comes to Shine Fights on the heels of a two-fight losing streak, the 28-year-old does own notable career wins over Eddie Alvarez, Ansar Chalangov, Paul Daley, Josh Neer and Mark Weir, among others.

Thompson had won 22 of his previous 24 contests before the current skid.

Once among the busiest fighters in the sport, Thompson competed 12 times in 2004 and 15 times in 2005. Thompson has since slowed the pace a bit while successfully completing his law degree.

While Thompson recently competed as a middleweight for Strikeforce, he's expected to compete in the welterweight division, a class more suitable for his natural body type, when he debuts for Shine Fights.

After hosting two shows in 2009, Shine Fights looks to conduct its third event in early 2010, though details for the card have yet to be revealed.

The promotion has been on a non-stop signing spree in recent weeks with the additions of Jeff Monson, Eduardo Pamplona, Giva Santana, Din Thomas, former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga, Alexander Shlemenko, Luiz Azeredo and Murilo "Ninja" Rua.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Gegard Mousasi vs. Gary Goodridge set for year-end "Dynamite!! 2009" event


A recently rumored contest between Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1) and UFC and PRIDE veteran Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) is apparently on.

While DREAM, World Victory Road and K-1 officials have yet to make an official announcement, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today spoke with Mousasi's manager and M-1 Global executive Apy Echteld who confirmed "The Dreamcatcher" is currently en route to Japan for the matchup.

Goodridge was not immediately available for comment.

While "Dynamite!! 2009" will feature a collection of kickboxing contests in addition to mixed martial arts bouts, Mousasi and Goodridge will reportedly compete under full MMA rules.

Goodridge seeks to snap a four-fight losing streak. "Big Daddy" fought most recently in November 2008 and was submitted by Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in a bout contested in The Netherlands' Ultimate Glory promotion.

Goodridge has also dropped bouts to Paul Buentello, Terroll Dees and Mu Bae Choi during his current stretch.

An eight-time UFC veteran, Goodridge is probably best known for his brutal, 13-second knockout of Paul Herrera in 1996's "UFC 8: David vs. Goliath." Goodridge went on to defeat Jerry Bohlander that night, as well, before falling to Don Frye in the evening's tournament finals.

Goodridge's near-14-year career also includes wins over Dan Bobish, Frye, Jan Nortje, Valentijn Overeem, Bob Schrijber and Oleg Taktarov, as well as losses to Fedor Emelianenko, Heath Herring, Ricco Rodriguez, Marco Ruas, Igor Vovchanchyn and Gilbert Yvel, among others.

Meanwhile, Mousasi enters the bout on a 14-fight winning streak. That stretch includes Mousasi's successful run in the 2008 DREAM middleweight grand prix. The 24-year-old later vacated that title in order to make a move to the light heavyweight division, and Mousasi quickly claimed Strikeforce's light heavyweight title with a 60-second win over Renato "Babalu" Sobral in August.

Mousasi has since defeated Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in a non-title affair at November's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers" event.

Mousasi is expected to return to action in the U.S. in April on an as-yet-unannounced Strikeforce event that will also feature Emelianenko and Dan Henderson.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann added to UFC 109; Josh Koscheck reportedly out

Former collegiate wrestling standout and recent UFC signee Phil Davis (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his organizational debut on Feb. 6 in a preliminary card matchup with Brian Stann (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

The UFC today officially announced the matchup for "UFC 109: Relentless" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

During just 14 months of pro MMA competition, Davis has posted a 4-0 record. The past three victories, which came in organizations such as Palace Fighting Championships and Ultimate Warrior Challenge, have all come via first-round stoppages.

The Pennsylvania native currently trains at the Alliance Training Center in San Diego and the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.

Meanwhile, former WEC champ Stann looks to build on a two-fight win streak. After dropping his final WEC contest to Steve Cantwell and his UFC debut to Krzysztof Soszynski, Stann has since avenged his loss to Cantwell and earned a unanimous-decision win over UFC newcomer Rodney Wallace.

The addition to the card comes just as AOL FanHouse reports that welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (14-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) has been forced to withdraw from the event due to an undisclosed injury.

Koscheck was originally set to face Brazilian Paulo Thiago (12-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a rematch of the pair's February meeting, which Thiago won with a shocking first-round TKO.

Thiago was scheduled to face Brazilian slugger Thiago Alves at UFC 107 earlier this month, but a scheduling shuffle left the submission fighting Jacob Volkmann at November's UFC 106 event. Thiago earned a unanimous-decision over Volkmann and ran his record to 2-1 in the UFC.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) wasn't immediately able to verify the report, though AOL FanHouse said the UFC plans on arranging an alternate matchup for Thiago at the event.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Report: Mike Swick replaces teammate Josh Koscheck at "UFC 109: Relentless"

With welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (14-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) forced to bow out of a planned UFC 109 contest with Paulo Thiago (12-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), UFC officials were forced to search for a replacement.

They didn't have to look far.

Koscheck's American Kickboxing Academy teammate Mike Swick (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been tagged as Thiago's new opponent according to a report from AOL FanHouse.

An additional report from Sherdog.com states that Swick has verbally agreed to the contest, though bout agreements have yet to be distributed.

Featuring a main event between UFC Hall-of-Famers Mark Coleman and Randy Couture, "UFC 109: Relentless" takes place Feb. 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs live on pay per view.

Koscheck on Monday confirmed that he had been forced to withdraw from the contest due to an undisclosed injury suffered in training.

Should the UFC finalize the matchup, Swick will look to rebound from a November loss to Dan Hardy. The loss was Swick's first since dropping to the welterweight division following an April 2007 loss to Yushin Okami.

Swick had enjoyed a four-fight winning streak at 170 pounds, and the loss allowed Hardy to move on to a March meeting with current welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Meanwhile, Thiago looks to build on a November win over late-replacement Jacob Volkmann at "UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin II."

Thiago splashed on the scene earlier this year with a stunning first-round knockout of Koscheck. It was the 11th consecutive win for the Jungle Fight vet, who's posted 10 stoppages in his 11 career wins. However, his win streak came to an end in July when Koscheck's teammate, Jon Fitch, posted a unanimous decision win at UFC 100. Thiago won the first round of the matchup, but Fitch took control in the final two.

With the changes, the UFC 109 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Mark Coleman vs. Randy Couture
* Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago*
* Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
* Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
* Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Justin Buchholz vs. Mac Danzig
* Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres
* Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann
* Rob Emerson vs. Phillipe Nover
* Rolles Gracie vs. Mostapha Al Turk

* - Not officially announced.