MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Nogueira’s coach better; still in the hospital

Interned since Tuesday on the hospital Santa Terezinha, Rio de Janeiro, after a car accident, the trainer Luiz Alves is fine. According to Artur Mariano, who stood there to follow his friend’s recovering, Rodrigo Minotauro’s Muay Thai trainer is getting better.

“He’s steady, going well. He made the tomography yesterday, but as is swelled they couldn’t see very well. AVC is confirmed, but thank God is everything going well”, Mariano said, revealing that Luiz is already talking to the friends and family.

“He knows everything that’s happening, recognizes everyone. We waiting day after day. Doctors will say something later, but he has to stay here until he gets 100%, then he will go to the room”, explains. TATAME is following the master’s recovering. Stay on to more information.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hector Lombard: “I would kill Mousasi”

On February 4, the Bellator middleweight champion will be back. The American Top Team fighter, who shone on the five fights he made in 2009, wants to keep the rhythm this year. After a train session commanded by Stéfane Dias at ATT camp, the fighter talked to TATAME and revealed to have ambitious plans to this season.

With 25 fights on career, Hector suffered only two defeats on Pride. On the last time, against Gegard Mousasi, he remembers they called him over time. “When I fought on Pride I was without training for seven months, I was hurt, wasn’t ready“, said.

“I want to face him for a long time, I fight with him whenever he wants... A lot changed since that fight, now I train on ATT, I have train partners”, explains, previewing a different result. “I would kill him now... Is just Bellator and Strikeforce make it happen”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Title Fight Official! The Piranha Enters DREAM

The rumored DREAM Featherweight title fight between champion Bibiano Fernandes and Joachim Hansen was officially announced at a press conference at the Metropolitan Hotel today.

Also announced was PRIDE and UFC veteran Ryo Chonan, who hinted on his blog a couple of days ago that his next destination would be announced soon, as the latest signing of the promotion. He will make his DREAM debut at DREAM.13.

Update #1: Some announcement will be made within a week regarding Aoki’s actions and Misaki’s protest about the early referee stoppage on NYE.

Update #2: DREAM will hold events in March, April, May, July, September, and November this year and the April event will most likely be held in South Korea. If the South Korea event goes well a November event might be held abroad as well (with Taiwan or Macau as possible locations). Like the 2009 Osaka event, a cage event is planned for this year too.

A Light Heavyweight GP consisting of 8 or 16 fighters (planned for the May, July, and September events or two of them if it’s an 8-man GP) will take place this year and Gegard Mousasi will play a leading role in it.

Middleweight and Heavyweight champions will also be crowned in 2010 so by the end of the year all weight classes in DREAM will have champions. The Heavyweight champion will be decided through a single fight and not a GP. Alistair Overeem will likely be one of the two participants of the Heavyweight title fight.

They want to hold crossover fights with other organizations this year as well, especially with SRC and Strikeforce. They think it’ll be a hot thing. DREAM EP Sasahara also said that, if possible, he wants to talk with Yoshida Dojo.

Update #3: Other possible participants for the event are Katsunori Kikuno, Hideo Tokoro, Minowaman, Marius Zaromskis, Eddie Alvarez, and Andrews Nakahara.

Update #4: The Lightweight title fight between Aoki and Kawajiri could happen in May or July. Kawajiri is still recovering from an injury on NYE and it looks like neither will participate in DREAM until their fight. They want to set the fight up at the optimal time and place.

DREAM.13
Date: March 22nd, 2010
Place: Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan

DREAM Featherweight Title Fight:
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Joachim Hansen

Participant:
Ryo Chonan

Possible Participants:
Murilo Ninja, Katsunori Kikuno, Hideo Tokoro, Minowaman, Marius Zaromskis, Eddie Alvarez, Andrews Nakahara

 

[B-Buzz]

Shine Fights signs Abu Dhabi champ Braulio Estima to multi-fight deal

The upstart Shine Fights organization has added an intriguing prospect to its roster in advance of an anticipated April fight card.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Braulio Estima (0-0 MMA), the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club 88-kilogram and Absolute division champion, has signed a multi-fight agreement with the Shine Fight organization.

The Gracie Barra black belt is currently training alongside Renzo Gracie and is expected to make his MMA debut at Shine Fights' as-yet-unannounced third event, which is expected to take place in April.

Terms of the deal were not revealed, but the contract is believed to be a multi-fight, U.S.-exclusive agreement.

The head instructor of the Gracie Barra academy in Birmingham, England, Estima's stock has never been higher in the grappling world.

A black belt since 2003, Estima is a multiple-time World, European and Pan-American champion. Estima defeated noted grapplers and current MMA fighters Andre Galvao (3-1 MMA) and Alexandre "Xande" Ribeiro (2-0 MMA) en route to claiming his two titles at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club championships.

Estima competed in the 88-kilogram class in the Abu Dhabi tournament, which equates to approximately 194 pounds.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that Estima's first contest is likely to take place at a catchweight somewhere between the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

An opponent for Estima's MMA debut has not yet been named.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream GP Semi-Finalist Warren Chooses Bellator

Bellator Fighting Championships on Monday made a significant splash on the free agent market.

The fledgling tournament-based promotion announced it had agreed to a long-term promotional contract with 2009 Dream featherweight grand prix semi-finalist Joe Warren. He will compete alongside Georgi Karakhanyan, William Romero, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Bao Quach in Bellator’s Season 2 featherweight tournament. Specific details of Warren’s deal were not released.

“We are very excited about this signing and being the MMA organization that brought Joe back to the states,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “Joe has the ability, drive, confidence and personality to become a star in our sport. His first two wins would make a good career for most fighters, and, as his stand-up continues developing, the sky is the limit.”

A decorated amateur wrestler who won gold at the 2006 Pan-Am Games, the 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships and the 2007 Wrestling World Cup, Warren was an All-American at the University of Michigan. The 33-year-old stunned the mixed martial arts community in 2009, when he debuted with a first-round technical knockout win over former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe and then outpointed Japanese standout Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.

“My hands are getting quicker, I’m seeing the openings quicker … I’m just getting better every single day,” Warren said. “I’m already 1,000 times better than I was in my last fight. With my style and my experience and my never-lose, never-die attitude, it’s gonna be really exciting for Bellator and for everyone who’ll be watching on TV.”

Anchored at Team Quest, Warren last appeared in October, when he submitted to a first-round armbar from the world-ranked Bibiano Fernandes at Dream 11. Married with one child and another on the way, he loves the challenges MMA provides and the opportunities it presents.

“My family has always been behind me, and they believe in me a lot, which drives me,” Warren said. “I’m a family man, but I’m also a warrior. I’ve been through a lot of battles in my life so I thrive on it. In the heat of battle, some people turn, some people run and some people stand up and fight. I see this as a battle, and I can promise that I’m gonna stand up and fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Escudero-Lauzon Agreed for UFC 114

Coming off the first loss of his professional career, “The Ultimate Fighter 8” champion Efrain Escudero looks to bounce back at UFC 114 when he faces the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC.

Escudero and Dan Lauzon have agreed to face off at UFC 114 on May 29 in Las Vegas, a source close to the negotiation told Sherdog.com. Bout agreements have not yet been signed.

Escudero and Lauzon, who once trained together through UFC veteran Drew Fickett’s camp in Arizona, are coming off losses that saw them trapped in submissions that earned their opponents “Submission of the Night” awards. Evan Dunham submitted Escudero with an armbar at UFC Fight Night 20 on Jan. 11, while Lauzon tapped to a combination triangle choke and kimura by Cole Miller at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

Escudero and Lauzon briefly trained partners when the Massachusetts-based 21-year-old, traveled to Arizona, where Escudero is based, for a brief training stint. Lauzon and his older brother Joe recently returned from a visit to Hawaii where they trained with B.J. Penn.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz says Georges St-Pierre just fine for his next opponent

For as much praise as new Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz (21-7 MMA, 3-0 SF) receives for his grappling prowess, it's his voluminous striking attack that has led to his most recent surge in popularity.

Never was that more evident than in this past Saturday's "Strikeforce: Miami" main event, where Diaz defeated DREAM champ and vaunted striker Marius Zaromskis at his own game.

Now the question for Diaz becomes, "What's next?" And the scrappy Californian isn't afraid to ask for the best.

"I want to fight Georges St-Pierre," Diaz said. "That's the one fight I'm talking about."

Calling out the UFC's welterweight champion may prove an exercise in futility for Diaz. The company has stood by its vow not to cross-promote with other organizations, and every effort by fans, media and "crazy Russians" to get UFC brass to waver has fallen short.

Performances like Diaz's on Saturday night must get UFC president Dana White to at least take notice of the efforts of his former employee, but the likelihood of the exec offering up his champion is slim-to-none.

In the meantime, Diaz will have to find targets within Strikeforce's grasp.

Many observers believe Jay Hieron (19-4 MMA, 2-0 SF), who on Saturday fell victim to a technology failure and was once again unseen by fans not in attendance, should be next in line, but Diaz isn't so sure.

"I'd rather fight someone that's a little more important than Jay Hieron," Diaz said. "His fight wasn't even on the main card. Why am I going to fight him when no one saw [his fight]? I don't even know who he is.

"They keep bringing me these guys that nobody even knows who they are."

While Diaz's recent Strikeforce victims Scott Smith and Frank Shamrock might beg to differ, Diaz has a point. While his latest win will undoubtedly garner him further respect in the worldwide rankings at 170-pounds, Strikeforce might find it difficult to convince the public that bright prospects like Andre Galvao (3-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) or Tyron Woodley (6-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) are prepared for the matchup.

Fans have for years called for a rematch of a 2004 UFC bout between Diaz and current Strikeforce middleweight contender Robbie Lawler (17-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), but the new 170-pound champion seemed to rule out that possibility.

"I fought Robbie before, and we fight at different weights (now)," Diaz said. "But we're friends as far as I'm concerned, so I don't even want to talk about something like that.

"Robbie Lawler's not talking [expletive] trying to fight me, so I'm not going to have anything bad to say about him."

A rematch with former EliteXC foe K.J. Noons (7-2 MMA, 0-0 SF), a recent Strikeforce signee, is also possible. But the bout would almost certainly be a catchweight affair, something that neither fighter would necessarily be keen to, and Noons is creeping up on two years without a mixed martial arts contest – a fact not lost on Diaz.

"Who is Noons?" Diaz asked. "He hasn't fought in forever. This guy doesn't even fight anymore. He quit. He's scared.

"What's he going to do? Is he going to fight or what?"

A rematch (or third meeting if you count their legendary post-fight hospital encounter) with Joe Riggs (32-11 MMA, 3-3 SF) was ruled out with "Diesel's" Saturday night loss to Hieron, so Diaz's next move is currently uncertain.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker seems to think a bout with DREAM fighter Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) could prove fruitful, but with the 34-year-old mired in an 0-2 slump and lacking a bankable name in the U.S., there is certainly no guarantee that the promotion's broadcast partners will buy into the plan.

So after notching his 10th win in his past 11 bouts, Diaz will sit back and wait for the smoke to clear. For his next appearance, Diaz asks only that his employers bring him the very best opponent – and paycheck – the sport has to offer.

"I want to fight the best," Diaz said. "I want to fight the people who everybody thinks is the best out there because they don't seem to notice me. They don't put me on any magazines. They don't put my brother on any magazines.

"Whoever you're going to pay me the most money to fight, I'm going to fight. ... I'm down to fight whoever."

 

[Shogun Locc]

After quitting job, Hague banking on peak performance against Tuchscherer at UFC 109

Tim Hague (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is climbing the UFC's heavyweight ladder all over again.

Hague, a native of Boyle, Alberta, Canada, first came to the octagon on the heels of a pink slip from his job as a kindergarten teacher when only two kids showed up for the first day of school.

This time around, Hague is fighting on his own dime out of choice after quitting jobs as an environmental soil sampler and construction hand to fight Chris Tuchscherer (17-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) this Saturday at UFC 109.

The stakes are just as high; in his most recent UFC appearance, he wound up on the wrong side of the fastest knockout in the promotion's history when he ran full-force into Todd Duffee's jab at UFC 102 this past August.

"I'm 100 percent ready to prove that wasn't the real Tim Hague in that fight and that I'm a much better fighter than I showed," Hague recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Hague remembers being anxious to score a knockout against Duffee and loading up a little too much for his favorite combination: a right-hand feint followed by a left hook. He remembers falling and muttering an expletive before Duffee finished him off.

But Hague is not the type to soul-search after a loss. There's no big lesson – he just got too hyped up.

"I don't know if it's the hardest I've ever been hit, but it's the hardest I've ever ran into a punch," Hague said with a chuckle.

Another type of anxiety also colored Hague's octagon debut at UFC 98 this past May.

Unemployed with a newborn back home, Hague fought the urge to cry when he thought of the unknowns inside the cage. He could get hurt and not be able to work; he could come back home just $5,000 richer for almost three months of sweat.

But Hague prevailed that night when he submitted seasoned striker Pat Barry in a come-from-behind victory. He missed a "Submission of the Night" bonus but took home a $10,000 check.

Earning $15,000 for a year of work isn't exactly Fortune 500 income, but the 264-pound fighter said the lean times leading up to this fight are a small price to pay for another octagon victory.

"If I have to scrape by, I'll scrape by," Hague said. "My wife and I make sacrifices where we need to."

Following the Duffee loss, Hague's camp moved to a different gym in nearby Edmonton. The Canadian also brought in a new strength and conditioning coach along with a 270-pound collegiate wrestler to prepare for Tuchscherer.

The 258-pound Tuchscherer is a wrestling standout that has amassed a 17-2 record and trains with UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Not unlike Hague's over-before-it-started turn with Duffee, Tuchscherer got a raw deal in his UFC 104 debut when Gabriel Gonzaga soccer-kicked him in the groin and took away any chance of a fair fight.

Hague holds Tuchscherer partly responsible for the outcome with the Brazilian.

"He came out against Gonzaga and did the exact same thing he always does," Hague said. "He was up against a better striker, and he put his head down and tried to bull-rush Gonzaga, and you saw what happened."

Hague would love to stand and bang this weekend but expects Tuchscherer won't let him do so for too long.

"If he comes out and tries to strike with me, I'll be more than happy to oblige," Hague said. "But I'm prepared that once he starts eating a little leather, he's going to go back to what he knows best and try and take me down."

Tuchscherer had a chuckle of his own when he heard Hague thought he was a one-trick pony.

"He can go ahead and think that," Tuchscherer told MMAjunkie.com. "That's all the better for me."

While Hague would welcome a chance to train at the somewhat top-secret gym where Tuchscherer rolls with Lesnar and others, he has no intention of changing his style.

"I like to tell it like it is, and personally, I think [Tuchschere's] fighting style is a little boring," Hague said. "But that being said, he's built himself a 17-2 record for a reason. To beat him I'm going to have to be on the top of my game."

With both men coming off losses, Hague and Tuchscherer each need to impress on Saturday.

Hague realizes that as well, and he is confident that his time away from blue-collar life has been well spent.

"I can't wait to fight and show everyone that my last fight was just a minor speedbump," Hague said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

David Loiseau gets charity fight, headlines MFL 2 to benefit Haitian earthquake victims

After his pleas for a charity fight initially fell on deaf ears, David Loiseau has finally secured a bout – the proceeds of which will benefit victims of the January earthquake in Haiti.

Loiseau (18-9), a former top UFC middleweight contender, headlines "Mixed Fight League 2: Battleground" against Isidro Gonzales (16-13) on Feb. 27 at the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The event also features UFC vets Marvin Eastman and Jon Murphy, and $2 from each ticket sale will be donated to the American Red Cross to benefit the Haitian relief efforts.

MFL 2 currently features 10 bouts with Loiseau in the featured spot against Gonzales (who's fought notables such as Joe Riggs, Carlos Condit, Josh Burkman, Trevor Prangley and others).

Loiseau, a popular French-Canadian fighter whose family comes from Haiti, recently said it took him two days to receive confirmation from his mother that his grandparents and uncles living in Haiti were safe, though members of his extended family weren't so fortunate.

"We lost my grandmother's first cousin," Loiseau recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "She was older; her house collapsed. She didn't get out in time. My best friend's mother, who was living in Montreal and visiting Haiti – she was like a mother to all of us in the neighborhood, we all grew up together – she passed in the earthquake."

And though he wanted to find a fight to do his part to help the victims, he knows he can also raise awareness in the MMA community with his fight.

"Most people, they lost their house, and they're sleeping either in a park or in their car," he said. "There's a lot of dead bodies in the streets. Even though there's a lot of help, still a lot of people are looking for food."

The MFL 2 card currently includes:

* David Loiseau (18-9) vs. Isidro Gonzales (16-13)
* Steve Bosse (6-1) vs. Marvin Eastman (16-12-1)
* Bruno Hosier (3-0) vs. Tom Murphy (5-0)
* Sébastien Garguier (5-3) vs. Martin Grandmont (9-4)
* Derek Gauthier (5-0) vs. Jesse Ronson (1-0)
* Mark Fraser (1-4-1) vs. Dimitri Waardenburg (3-4)
* Louis-Philippe Carles (6-1) vs. Chris Vorano (3-5)
* Justin Poissant (0-0) vs. Nordine Taleb (1-1)
* Pierrot Marcoux (0-1) vs. Lyndon Whitlock (0-0)
* Joey Gambino (1-0) vs. Louis-Philippe Gauthier (0-0)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham welterweight fight added to UFC 111 prelims

Nate Diaz (11-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) moves up a weight class to fight Rory Markhman (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) next month on the preliminary card of UFC 111.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the likelihood of the bout last month, and UFC executives recently made it official.

UFC 111 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The fight card, which includes two title fights, will be complete once a previously reported welterweight bout of Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch is officially announced for the main card.

Diaz most recently competed at UFC Fight Night 20, where he met Gray Maynard in the main event of the Jan. 11 card. Diaz dropped a close split decision to the fellow contender and then heavily criticized the decision while saying he initiated the action and suffered little to no damage in the sometimes-slow-paced affair.

In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com, Diaz said the cut to 155 pounds was taking its toll.

"I could have been more explosive if I felt better," said Diaz, who weighs up to 190 pounds between fights. "But I think that was probably his best day, and that was pretty much the worst I could have felt."

After launching his UFC career with five consecutive victories, Diaz has since suffered three losses (two via split and one via unanimous decision) in his past four fights. "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner, who's previously defeated notables such as Melvin Guillard and Josh Neer and Kurt Pellegrino, looks to rebuild in the 170-pound division.

He'll get a test in Markham, who recently pulled out of a January UFC 108 bout with Martin Kampmann due to a strained Achilles tendon. Prior to the injury, the former International Fight League standout appeared at UFC 95, where he lost by knockout to now-top contender Dan Hardy.

Markhman made his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 14 in 2008, where he scored a highlight-reel head-kick KO of Brodie Farber to win a "Knockout of the Night" bonus.

The latest UFC 111 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (for welterweight title)
* Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (for interim heavyweight title)
* Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch*
* Martin Kampmann vs. Ben Saunders
* Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
* Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino
* Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
* Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
* Ricardo Funch vs. Matthew Riddle

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

AGENT TALKS HIERON FREE AGENCY; UFC AN OPTION

There are no guarantees in life or in the fight game.

That's the motto that Jay Hieron has lived his life by lately due to some unfortunate timing and opponent changes that left the former IFL fighter off of the latest Showtime televised card and without an expected title shot.

Now officially a free agent able to negotiate a new contract, Hieron's agent, Ken Pavia from MMA Agents, clarified the timeline for his client's next deal.

"He has an exclusive negotiating period with Strikeforce, but beyond that he is, he has no more fights left on his deal," said Pavia in an interview with MMAWeekly.com on Sunday. "There's an exclusive negotiating period, and then there's also a right to match, which is pretty standard in the industry at this point."

Pavia wasn't 100 percent sure of the exclusivity or the right to match time period, but he's confident that the right deal will get done for Hieron.

Following the fights, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that despite his win over Joe Riggs on Saturday night, Hieron was not a lock for a title shot in his next fight. When asked if this was a serious offense or just a negotiation tactic, Pavia reacted calmly about the comments.

"It's words until it happens. I wouldn't read into it too much," he commented. "We think Jay's entitled to a title shot. We've thought he was the top contender for a couple fights now and we've won, but until they officially announce who's fighting for the belt, I'm not going to concern myself too much about that until something actually occurs.

"A lot of stuff has to be sorted out before hand. I believe it will be good faith negotiations and I'm sure a resolution will come, whether it's a title shot or something else that happens."

Of course the question immediately comes when speaking about free agents in MMA, will the UFC get involved and would they consider a return for Hieron to that organization instead?

"You've got to consider every option and opportunity for a fighter. You've ultimately got to way the benefits and the detriments for everyone. It's basic logic, you've got to consider everything," said Pavia.

"That being said, he's not unhappy with Strikeforce. I mean he's unhappy he hasn't made television and it affects his sponsorship money. He's unhappy that he didn't get to fight for the title shot, but we also recognize that it's not all Strikeforce's fault. There are a lot of different issues that come into play, so it's not to say we wouldn't have issues if we were in the UFC, or with a Japanese organization."

Timing is everything for the contract negotiations, and Pavia says that Hieron had to get eight stitches after the fight. Financially his client is doing well, and with only one teammate with a fight coming up soon, he's alright taking a little time off to make sure the right deal gets done.

Hieron's agent is also quick to point out that while a lot of people want to point fingers at Strikeforce for not putting his fighter in the right place, he understands that they still paid him his full fight purse and win bonus for a non-televised fight, when they could have easily delayed things and pushed the bout back to another card.

Pavia says that Hieron will not play the victim in all of this, and he's mentally ready for whatever the best option happens to be, even if it's not a title shot. At the end of the day though, money talks, and anyone that tells you different isn't telling the truth.

"I think there's a multiplicity of factors and money being the number one factor, but not the only factor. There's television, there's title opportunities, there's opponents, there's timing, there's so many factors that come into play and as an agent we go out and cultivate the opportunities, and try to maximize every element out there," Pavia commented.

"If they tell you it's not about money, they're lying. It's always about money. That's an overwhelming factor. And time and time again, people say it's not about the money, they're lying to you. It's always, always, always about the money, but everything else does chip away at that ultimate motivating factor.

"Next to money he wants to fight the toughest guys and he wants a title shot, and I respect that."

 

[Shogun Locc]

THE HAMMER STILL HUNTING TITLES AT 45

He's a UFC Hall of Famer. He's a former UFC heavyweight champion. He's a Pride Grand Prix champion. For all of his accomplishments in mixed martial arts, Mark Coleman, at age 45, still isn't done hunting for more titles to add to his collection.

The Ohio State alum is set to face Randy Couture at UFC 109, and Coleman is quick to point out that he's hoping with a win that a title shot could loom in his future.

"I'm not just in this to play around. I'm in this to be a winner. I'm in this to be a champion still. I'm still a competitor," Coleman said. "If I put in the time, if I work my ass off, if I train hard enough, at 205 I feel like I can compete with anybody. That's the goal. I don't want to look past Randy. I'm not looking past Randy, but with everybody asking that question you kind of have to sometimes."

Coleman's potential for a title shot could hinge on the upcoming rematch between champion Lyoto Machida and top contender Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113 in Montreal. Coleman and Rua have met in the past, with each picking up a win over the other.

A great storyline also follows Coleman and Rua, who battled in Pride some years ago. The resulting broken arm that Rua suffered coupled with the rivalry that broke out between Coleman's Hammer House team and Rua's Chute Boxe academy is the stuff of legend.

Still, Coleman plays down the rivalry with Shogun, and believes that ultimately it would just be a good fight to get again.

"For the most part I've never had a problem with any fighters. The Shogun fight, it was hyped up as a lot of hatred there, but basically that was mainly Shogun," Coleman stated. "He had had a problem with me and I could understand that. He's a lot younger, and I can understand why he had a problem with me, I never had no problem with him."

The question has come up time and time again, if Coleman were to win, and if Shogun defeats Machida, could we be in for a rubber match between to two Pride veterans?

"Certainly if I was to beat (Couture), and Shogun could beat Machida, then obviously that would be a nice little match-up. Me and him for round number three," Coleman said. "With both of us coming in, in top shape, it would be a hell of a fight."

Now it's just up to Coleman and Rua to win and that very scenario could just play out in the future, possibly as soon as later in 2010.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ON MEND, TYSON GRIFFIN COULD BE IN VANCOUVER

UFC lightweight standout Tyson Griffin was forced to withdraw from his most recently scheduled bout against Jim Miller at UFC 108 in early January. It was the first time in his career he had to bow out due to injury.

MMAWeekly.com sources close to the situation on Monday indicated that Griffin is well on his way to being fully healed, adding he’s likely to return to the Octagon on June 12 in Vancouver.

Griffin’s manager, Tom Call, told MMAWeekly.com on Monday, “Tyson is back training. He’s doing good, progressing well.”

But what about the rumored return at UFC 115 in June?

“He would be ready by then for sure,” said Call. “But we don’t have a date or opponent yet. We’re just focused on getting Tyson back to 100 percent, expecting another tough challenge, whoever they throw at him.”

Griffin has been one to rise to the challenge more often than not. He has amassed a 14-2 record with more than half his fights in the Octagon. His only miscues have been decision losses to title challenger Frankie Edgar and former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

Griffin hasn’t fought since a second round stoppage of former WEC champion Hermes Franca last September.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pat Miletich: Frank Shamrock may be nervous about getting slapped around

Pat Miletich is the last of a dying breed.

At forty-one years young, “The Croation Sensation” is part of an exclusive an prestigious club of mixed martial arts pioneers that seemingly hasn’t lost a step based on his last outing. If anything, much like fellow UFC legends Randy Couture and Mark Coleman, Miletich may have found the fountain of youth as the founder of Miletich Fighting Systems looks as good now as he ever has before during his career inside of the cage.

Much like Miletich, fellow all-time Octagon great Frank Shamrock has also managed to keep himself relevant and fresh in a sport that has a tendency to leave those that can’t seem to evolve in it’s rubble.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently had a chance to catch up with Miletich to discover that there is no other man he would rather throw down with than the previously noted Shamrock. Apparently the bout has been verbally agreed to, but according to Miletich, it’s in Frank’s hands as to whether it takes place or not.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesofPain.com: Is there any word on when we will see Pat Miletich back in action?

Pat Miletich: We were hoping to put together a fight in March, but now it looks like that may not happen. We might have to wait for April or May. Who knows if it will ever happen. Frank Shamrock and I have verbally agreed to fight each other, but from what I understand he’s being difficult in the negotiations. For whatever reason he may have, I think it’s too bad because I think it’s the type of fight that would draw a lot of attention. It would be two guys that were UFC champions and have done a lot for that organization, and now they’re involved with Strikeforce. I think it just made sense. But for whatever reason I think he’s having trouble pulling the trigger. He may be nervous about getting slapped around, but that’s the way it sits right now. Hopefully I can find someone else to fight if he doesn’t want to do it. I want to get in there before Summer.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Have you signed with Strikeforce?

Pat Miletich: Frank and I – or from what I understand, I think Frank is too – but we’re both free agents right now. Whether it’s against Frank or whoever… I plan on fighting at least by April.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: But is the plan to fight for Strikeforce, or has that not really been fully determined at this point?

Pat Miletich: That’s who I would like to fight for. Frank and I both work for them, so it would make sense. I get along with Scott Coker and all of the people at Showtime and Strikeforce very well. I think Showtime and Strikeforce are very good companies. They treat their people very well, which says a lot to me. So yeah, that’s where I would like to end up, but we’ll see what happens.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Now you said that Frank’s being a little difficult in the negotiations; Do you think that’s due to him not wanting to fight you for whatever reason?

Pat Miletich: I think it could be. I think he knows what is most likely going to happen. We’ve rolled before so I have a sense for what he’s got. Obviously I’ve watched him fight for years and he’s a talented guy, but I don’t think he has anything to hurt me with. Maybe he knows that.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Do you think it may be a situation where he might not feel confident that he could get you to the ground and may not want to stand up with you?

Pat Miletich: He definitely doesn’t have the power to hurt me, he’s not going to submit me, he can’t out-box me, and he definitely can’t take me down. Maybe he’ll pull off something like he did in the Renzo Gracie fight so he can get out alive. Who knows.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: But if he steps up to the plate, do you still have a strong desire to fight Frank?

Pat Miletich: There was talk of Frank and I fighting when we were both champions in the UFC, but then he had contract negotiation problems and he left. So yeah, I think it would be a really fun fight.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: If, for whatever reason, you don’t end up fighting Frank, is there someone else you would like to match up with?

Pat Miletich: I would prefer to fight at 170 pounds, but I’d fight Frank anywhere. I don’t care what the weight is. It doesn’t matter. But I think I’d like to try to snag something from somebody at 170 pounds. I look at the 170 pound rankings and I see a lot of guys that I can beat.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: With that being said, what are your thoughts on Nick Diaz?

Pat Miletich: A lot of people have a different view of him because they only see him on TV, but when Nick and Nate see me, we’re very cordial with each other. I like both of them. I really like their attitude. I know a lot of people think it’s disrespectful but that’s what they do to get themselves pumped up for their fights. I love watching them. Nick Diaz is pretty fun to watch. He really is. He’s a creative and very talented kid. But yeah, I would definitely like to step in the cage with him. If he gives me a shot, that would be a blast. I think the crowd would love that fight too.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Would you ever fight Robbie Lawler under the right circumstances, or is that just absolutely off limits in your mind?

Pat Miletich: To me, Robbie’s like my little brother. We had the same wrestling coaches in high school. So the guys that took care of me my whole high school career, Paul Castro and Frank Freeman, were also Robbie’s coaches. Paul Castro called me when Rob was like sixteen and said, “Hey, I have a kid with a lot of ability and a lot of talent. He’s a really smart kid, but maybe he’s not surrounded by the best people”. So he asked, “Can he come over and start working out with you guys”, and I knew who Rob was. I’d watched him play football and wrestle, so I said, ‘Absolutely’. He started training with me when he was sixteen, so to me, that completely 100% would never happen. I couldn’t do anything to Rob to hurt him.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: I remember seeing you in his corner during a local fight in Iowa when Robbie was like seventeen where he knocked some kid out; I’d imagine that would be a little bit like fighting an adopted son in some ways…

Pat Miletich: And I really don’t want to get hit by Rob Lawler (laughs).

FiveOuncesofPain.com: Right, that would never be a fun thing. But I know you’ve been in training for the last month or two for this possible fight with Shamrock; How do you feel right now compared to say, ten years ago? Honestly?

Pat Miletich: You know what, I train smarter now. I know what to do and when to do it. I’m doing a little bit of sparring and grappling, but for the most part I’m just doing strength stuff right now. I’m using the heavy clubs, the kettle bells, medicine ball, squats, cleans, and all of that sort of stuff. I’m getting my body really physically strong again. I run maybe once or twice a week, but nothing really hard right now because I really want to develop my power. But I feel very strong, and I feel good.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: So you’re feeling confident at fighting at 170 pounds then. You fought your last fight against Thomas Denny at 170, right?

Pat Miletich: Yeah. In that fight I made it my goal to not get hit one time, and I didn’t get hit once. I think he may have slapped me a couple of times while I was on top of him, but I made it my goal to not get one time in the entire fight, and I did it. It’s fun to set goals like that. If you can go into a fight and say, ‘He’s not going to hit me once’, and then you do it during a fight that lasts seven minutes or whatever it was; That’s not bad.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: It seemed like you looked better in that fight than you had in a long time leading up to that one. Do you think you discovered something post 2006 that you were lacking before?

Pat Miletich: I just decided to be mean to people again. I made it my intention to finish people the way I did in the beginning of my career. I was so worried about winning safely before – so I wouldn’t get cut from the UFC and things like that – so I was basically fighting way too reserved. In my Muay Thai/Kickboxing and early MMA career, I pretty much finished all of my fights in pretty violent fashion, so I just decided to start being mean to people again.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: I know you’ve done a lot of work in law enforcement and military training over the last fourteen years helping to develop self defense programs with different law enforcement and military training companies; Are you still actively involved in that work.

Pat Miletich: I’ve finally decided to just do it on my own. I’ve launched that at PatMiletich.com. You can check out the Law Enforcement/Military page over there to keep updated on when the big trainings are coming.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Hughes: Robbie Lawler doesn’t get the credit he deserves

Fan favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler put on another crowd pleasing show during “Strikeforce: Miami” in Sunrise, Florida.

At one point it looked like Lawler was in trouble as Melvin Manhoef, one of Strikeforce’s recent acquisitions unleashed a punishing series of brutal non stop leg kicks and body shots. The packed house watched in what was almost an eerie silence as it looked like Lawler might go down.

“What was hard for me was sitting there and watching my teammate partner/ brother get kicked like he did,” said Matt Hughes, Lawler’s training partner and former welterweight UFC champion. “Melvin threw some vicious kicks, so I mean it was a very hard fight to watch in the corner.”

Lawler managed to pull through despite his painful injuries while basically only having one good leg to use. In one fell swoop he landed a short overhand right knocking Manhoef down, and followed that with another powerful shot on the mat.

“Robby doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said Hughes. “He is very smart. He knew what he was doing the whole time, he tried suckering him a couple of times beforehand acting like he was hurt and Melvin really wasn’t going for it so. Robby is good at playing possum he did it well and it paid off for him tonight.”

According to Hughes, it was all part of a well thought out game plan by Lawler, who despite his injuries remained calm.

“Melvin had a great game plan,” said the former UFC champion. “He just made the mistake of dropping his hands and Robby watched enough tape to know that is what he does typically when he is trying to finish a fight.”

Next up for “Ruthless”, a well deserved time out.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Scott Coker: A fan at heart

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker looked like a little kid in a candy store on Saturday evening as he watched “Strikeforce: Miami” in Sunrise Florida.

In an exclusive conversation with FiveOuncesofPain.com, Coker stated that the business never gets old for him and he is first and foremost of fan of the sport.

“When I look back at the event tonight, the Robbie Lawler fight was a great fight,” said Coker. “I knew someone was going to get knocked out, but I didn’t know who. Both of these guys are very good stand up fighters, good power, explosive and not that much ground fighting.”

And someone did get knocked out. In what looked at first like a certain Manhoef victory turned into a come from behind win for “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in round one.

Manhoef delivered a series of punishing and painful kicks to Lawler leaving him hurt and limping. However, Lawler did not give up sticking with “his game plan” and unleashing a huge right that sent the 5′8″ fighter from Amsterdam sailing to the canvas.

Despite some of the sceptical rumblings about former Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker and his MMA debut, he looked good while racking up a TKO victory in the third round over Greg Nagy.

“Herschel is so strong. I can’t believe how strong he is. In the end it was great natural sprawling and wrestling ability,” said Coker.

Last night’s televised event on Showtime kicks off what promises to be a great year for Strikefore as the promotion plans to increase its televised fights to twenty in 2010, splitting them up between Showtime and CBS starting in March.

Next up for Strikeforce, the “Challengers” fight series in San Jose on Friday, February 26 at the Civic Auditorium where undefeated power puncher Sara Kaufman (10-0) will challenge Japan’s Takayo Hashi for the first Strikeforce women’s world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship and a middleweight bout between Karl Amoussou ( 11-2-1) and Trevor Prangley (22-5).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jon Madsen (3-0) vs. Rolles Gracie (3-0) set for UFC 109:

"ATO just confirmed with a source at the HIT squad that Jon Madsen has accepted the fight and will face undefeated Rolles Gracie next weekend."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Silva’s trained talks fight with Belfort

Vítor Belfort’s ex trainer and Anderson Silva’s boxing trainer nowadays, Josuel Distak analized the combat scheduled to UFC 112, in Abu Dhabi. Distak talked about the strong spots on both athletes, but guaranteed that Anderson will win. "Anderson will be the winner. I don’t know Vitor’s strategy, but our is kept in secret", said the trainer, who also talked about the possible fight between Paulo Filho and Kazushi Sakuraba on Bitetti Combat, in Brasília. "Paulão well trained is the best of the world", guarantees.

So Distak, the training are hot here...
Yes. We’ll make Rodrigo Damm, who will fight in February... We’re full of work, 2010 started with a lot of work. Rodrigo Damm, Erick Silva, Ronaldo Jacaré, Galvão, Rafael Feijão and we have Anderson Silva in April. After Anderson’s fight we’ll rest a little.

Anderson Silva went to Abu Dhabi. It was the first time that he met Vitor since the rumors?
Yes, for a long time, it’s the first time he will met Vitor up there to sign the contract, to promote the show.

How is he? Is he 100% recovered?
He’s already recovered, he’s ready and he’s training to keep our belt, whoever the opponent is.

You already trained Vitor, so you know both games a lot. In your opinion, who will take this fight?
Vitor’s game... we’ve trained on the past, he changed. Anderson’s too, is an evolution sport. We’re training to keep our belt, Anderson will win.

How do you think the combat is going to be?
Look, I don’t know the strategy I’ll be doing, but ours we kept in secret.
Why did Anderson avoid so much to talk about this combat?
Let’s say that you’re preparing a war, so you can’t say your strategy or your target.

Paulo Filho fought on Bitteti twice... Are still training him?
Now he’s training Jiu-Jitsu and Amauri will put him on Bitteti again, he told me yesterday it will be with (Kazushi) Sakuraba. Here he can train more to be Paulão again. Everybody knows, I think that Paulão well trained is the best fighter of the world.

Can you bring him to train here with Anderson and all these guys?
I’m praying in the name of Jesus so he came down X-Gym’s stairs, that’s his place, where he will be back to his pedigree. He’s talented and he has to enjoy this talent. Brazil wants to see Paulão again, on a pedestal, where’s his place, number one.

And to face Sakuraba may be the greatest fight on Paulão’s career?
Sakuraba is a legend, whoever beats Sakuraba nowadays... It’s a good fight for Paulão to be back, he’s a tough guy, fought a lot of Brazilians, he was stopped by Wanderlei Silva, then by Arona, now it’s Paulão’s turn to finish it. It’s an important fight for Paulão so he can be back to American and Japanese market. He deserves it. Every man has defects, but Paulão have an issue that calls depression. Will be as he says: “On top of the ring I’m the pitbull“.

 

[B-Buzz]

can't embed the video but here's a great interview with Jorge Masvidal. Talks about being on the receiving end of the best submission of 2009, the upcoming rematch with Imada in this year's Bellator tournament, fighting BJ Penn in the streets and more.

"...I won't repay him with submission of the year, but I'll definitely (win) breaking a jaw of the year..."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Diego Sanchez books return to welterweight, bout with John Hathaway expected at UFC 114

Recent lightweight title challenger Diego Sanchez (21-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) made waves in January when he teased a potential return to the welterweight division, and now it appears he'll make good on that promise.

Sanchez today posted on his Twitter account that he will face 170-pound Brit John Hathaway (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at the as-yet-unannounced UFC 114 event.

Although not yet officially announced by the organization, UFC 114 is expected to take place on May 29 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in conjunction with the UFC's second-ever fan expo. "The Ultimate Fighter 10" coaches Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson are expected to face off in the evening's main event.

Hathaway fights for the first time on U.S. soil after UFC wins in England, Germany and Ireland. The English native has defeated Paul Taylor, Rick Story and Tom Egan in his UFC run, and eight of his 12 career wins have come via stoppage.

While Hathaway has developed a bit of discussion with his unblemished record, the 22-year-old could make major strides in the division with a win over Sanchez.

Meanwhile, Sanchez returns to the welterweight division after a 2-1 run at 155 pounds. "Nightmare" earned decision wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida before falling victim to B.J. Penn in a lightweight title bout in the main event of this past December's UFC 107 event.

While the return to 170 pounds came as a surprise to many MMA observers, Sanchez said prior to the bout with Stevenson, his first at 155 pounds, that lightweight was never intended as his permanent home.

"I don't see myself staying at lightweight forever," Sanchez said. "That's one of the reasons I dropped to lightweight was because I was like, 'Hey, if I'm going to drop to lightweight, I better do it now while I'm in my 20s.' Because when I get into my 30s, it's only going to get harder. And from what everyone says, when you hit your 30s, it's so hard to lose weight."

While UFC 114 has yet to receive any official bout announcements, the Hathaway vs. Sanchez contest appears a likely candidate for the evening's main card.