MMA News Thread

[drunkaholic707]

For Renzo Gracie, "middle-age crisis" includes defending family's honor

At 42 years old, it's been more than two years since MMA pioneer Renzo Gracie (13-6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has set foot in a cage.

But this April, Gracie will debut for the UFC on the main card of "UFC 112: Invincible" in Abu Dhabi when he takes on UFC legend and future Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes (43-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC).

It's a bout rife with storylines, and Gracie recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that he's in the best shape of his life as he prepares to deal with what his wife calls a "middle-age crisis."

"I'm feeling like a kid," Gracie said. "I lost 27 pounds, and I'm back in the game. I can't wait to fight.

"I'll be 43 when I fight [Hughes]. My wife says instead of buying a motorcycle or a sports car, my middle-age crisis is to get back in the ring."

An eight-time PRIDE veteran, Gracie has also fought under the IFL and EliteXC banners during his lengthy career. But after previous bouts at middleweight, Gracie will now compete at 170 pounds, and he says he's truly focused on just himself for the very first time.

"I'm very fortunate," Gracie said. "I was able to set up all the goals I had before – to set-up my schools and tune-up my business so I could push my art to future generations of my family. I was able to do that, so now my business is running by itself, and I can just concentrate on myself for the first time in my life and just train to fight.

"I believe I'm going to surprise a lot of people."

Gracie currently runs a training academy that oversees 1,100 students. Among those that have been guided by Gracie's tutelage is former welterweight champion Matt Serra – a man Hughes defeated this past May after a lengthy verbal rivalry.

And of course, Hughes also defeated Gracie's cousin, Royce, in a 2006 superfight.

In other words, Renzo has ample motivation.

"I love my cousin," Renzo said. "In that fight, in particular, [Royce] came up short against Matt Hughes. He was having a life that wasn't fit for a fighter. He was working every weekend and doing seminars. He was booked for two years in a row. You can't fight under those circumstances.

"I hope to fight that guy. That's the guy I want to see in April – in that kind of shape. I want to test myself against the best that [Hughes] has ever been. I hope he's in good shape. I believe where Royce came up short, I'm coming up to get the flag. We are a large family, and anywhere a Gracie comes up short, someone should be there to push that thing forward."

Of course, in order to defeat Hughes, Gracie knows he'll have to leave no question as to the result, even if the bout does take place in Abu Dhabi, a location Gracie calls a "second home" after years of traveling to the locale to train some of the area's most wealthy residents.

"Matt Hughes became kind of a hero for the UFC," Gracie said. "It's a guy that has like 40-something fights. To beat him, you have to really beat him.

"You can't go in there and have a tough fight. If you give a little margin to the referees or the judges on the side, they will pull the rope toward him. I know that already, and I'm glad I'm fighting in Abu Dhabi. That's my second home."

And while the Gracie name is synonymous with ground fighting, Renzo knows he must present a well-rounded attack if he hopes to gain control of the action.

"You cant take a wrestler down," Gracie said. "If you've got a Division I wrestler, I'm not taking him down. I will need the striking to take him down. If I get him out of balance by striking, I'm able to shoot, and even a Division I wrestler will end up on his butt. But if you just go in, and he's not afraid of getting hit by you, you're going to be on your back every single time.

"How are you going to take a guy like Matt Hughes down if you're not going to strike? That's the reality."

Gracie's past three wins have been against MMA legends Frank Shamrock, Carlos Newton and Pat Miletich. Adding Hughes to that list would certainly provide Gracie with another impressive feat to add to his already lengthy list of credentials.

But Gracie said he has even more reasons to hope for a win: the fans.

"A lot of fans come up to me and are very angry with [Hughes]," Gracie said. "I don't know if success went to his head or he insulted people in certain ways, but a lot of people come to complain about his attitude. When they come to me, it's like, 'Teach him a lesson.'"

Gracie will try to do just that at UFC 112. But if you think his mid-life crisis will end there, know that he has five more fights in his UFC contract.

"They offered me three (fights), and I said I'll only sign if it's for six," Gracie said. "If I have to dive, I dive head-first."

 

[drunkaholic707]

"King Mo" Lawal on Gegard Mousasi: He can forge my signature if he wants to

Just six fights into his MMA career, Muhammed Lawal (6-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) is widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in MMA.

But for the man known as "King Mo," prospect status isn't enough.

Lawal recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that he's so ready to take on current Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1 MMA, 2-0 SF), he'd let "The Dreamcatcher" sign the bout agreement for him.

"He can forge my signature of he wants to," Lawal said. "Just write, 'M-O' and 'X.' If he wants to put the little crown and 'King Mo' inside, he can do that, too.

"I don't need to sign nothing. He can forge my signature. That's how ready I am for this fight. That's how bad I want it."

A Mousasi vs. Lawal bout has been rumored for months, but Strikeforce has yet to officially decide anything.

"I'm just waiting for Strikeforce to say something and give the go-ahead," Lawal said. "I can't predict anything.

"I don't know what they're going to do, but right now it looks like – and I'm hoping – that it's me vs. Mousasi. I can't say nothing yet, but if it is, hey, I'm excited."

Mousasi hasn't shown the same enthusiasm and has openly questioned Lawal's readiness for a title shot so early in his career.

But Lawal points out that Mousasi was granted a title shot in his first Strikeforce appearance when he defeated former champ Renato 'Babalu' Sobral in August 2009.

"When it comes down to it, what did he do to deserve a shot at 'Babalu' for the title?" Lawal asked. "He's talking about that I don't deserve a title. He can't pick and choose who he wants to fight. Strikeforce does that.

"Obviously he must be a little worried if he's talking about, 'Mo don't deserve the fight.' If they came to me saying, 'Mo, fight so-and-so,' I'd fight them. I'd fight my mama. I don't give a damn."

Lawal has fighting professionally for less than a year-and-a-half, but the confident former wrestling champ doesn't have any doubt that his time is now.

"I know I'm ready," Lawal said. "I think people are just buying into this hype about how good Mousasi is. But they don't understand, his past don't mean nothing to me.

"Anybody can lose. The past means nothing. It's all about now."

 

[drunkaholic707]

"UFC 109: Relentless" draws offical attendance of 10,753 for $2.27 million gate

The UFC's second event of 2010, "UFC 109: Relentless," drew 10,753 attendees for a $2,273,000 paid gate at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Of the total attendance, 3,321 tickets were issued complimentary. An additional 84 tickets went unsold.

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today emailed the official numbers to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The attendance was slightly larger than the 10,687 attendees originally reported by UFC president Dana White at the evening's post-event press conference, and the live gate was also slightly larger than the $2.27 million the UFC exec shared.

The revenue per ticket of the 7,432 tickets sold for UFC 109 equated to $305.84 each.

"UFC 109: Relentless" featured a heavyweight main event between UFC Hall-of-Famers Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Couture finished the fight with a second-round submission, and Coleman has since been released by the organization.

The official attendance figure is a slight increase from the UFC's prior visit to the venue, "UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin II," which took place in November 2009 and drew 10,529 attendees. However, the official gate for UFC 106 netted $3,003,250.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Low-paying jobs, TAZER-gun attacks and MMA bans haven't stopped Claude Patrick

Things have never been easy for Claude Patrick.

Despite an 11-1 record with 9 first-round stoppages, the former IFL welterweight has battled tooth and nail to keep a career in mixed martial arts going in a Canadian province where mixed martial arts is not yet legal.

He's battled injuries, bad jobs, bad luck, and a bevy of wannabe "pitfighters" while building his name in Toronto. But somehow, he's managed to make it all work.

"I'm telling you, man, I could write a book," Patrick recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Patrick hails from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, where MMA remains illegal. It's the most densely populated province in Canada with an estimated population of 13 million people and, by UFC president Dana White's estimation, the most rabid fan base the sport knows.

But Section 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code summarily bars prizefighting – meaning you can't buy a ticket to watch a fight. Local competitors have to travel to different provinces to get experience.

As such, Patrick has never been the hometown hero when he fights.

"You're always the guy they bring into lose," Patrick said. "You've always got to spoil the party when you beat the hometown guy."

And Patrick has done that just about every time out of the gate.

In his young twenties, Patrick got a traveling education in MMA and moved to Montreal to train with Wagnney Fabiano and Georges St-Pierre, and later, migrated briefly to Las Vegas to work with then blue belt Robert Drysdale before he settled in Toronto to fight with the IFL.

He now owns a gym in the city but shies away from saying he teaches mixed martial arts.

"That's a very important distinction," Patrick said.

Instead, he teaches jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and boxing. If a student wants to find his way to mixed martial arts, he's there to help them. He's certainly not advertising it, though.

Nevertheless, the sport has grown leaps and bounds in recognition from the time Patrick first started training; he doesn't feel as much of a pariah. But like many cities with a new fan base, MMA has given rise to a lot of self-described "pitfighters" who fight on the "underground" circuit.

"Then you've got Johnny's Tae Kwon Do teaching MMA around the block now, and all of a sudden they're an expert," Patrick said.

Patrick, who has often worked security in rough clubs, is both amused and exasperated by the surge in popularity.

"We have the most pitfighters in the world here per capita," Patrick said. "They can come above ground and start making some money or they can stop talking and get real. These guys watch too much 'Braveheart' and Van Damme and run with it."

For all he's been through, Patrick doesn't need to fake toughness.

Last July, he was working for a television show at an MMA event in Gatineau, Quebec, and partied with friends afterward. At the end of the night, Patrick walked into the promoter's hotel room and was reportedly cornered by up to ten men wielding stun guns, the result of a dispute over the event's production costs. He woke up two days later in the hospital after doctors put him in a medically induced coma.

"People asked me to tell them what really happened," Patrick said. "I honestly don't remember. I think the promoter didn't pay some unsavory characters. Wrong place at the wrong time."

Patrick earned a one-fight stint in the IFL's Dragons where he defeated Ray Steinbeiss but was cut from the organization after he blew out his ACL. He was on the sidelines for nearly a year.

A low point was working a $60-a-day job in a foundry to make ends meet.

"It was like the Terminator, you know that steel pit where he goes to fight the T1000?" Patrick asked. "The boss was like, 'You're a hard worker. Stay in school and don't come back here. Don't end up here like me.'"

Patrick has gotten back on his feet since and is now anxious to prove himself on a bigger stage. He's not a fan of the tough-guy image many famous fighters live by.

"Without the guy I'm fighting, I have no guy to fight," Patrick said. "So how can I really hate this guy? He's doing the exact same thing that I'm doing. How can I really hate this guy? It's ridiculous. If you hate everybody you fight, you will be hating five guys a year for the rest of your life. That's a lot of hate in your lifetime.

"I'm not going to be one of these guys (who says) 'I'm going to kill him, I'm going to bite his head off. I'm going to kill his mom.' You see your mom watching that, she's going to be embarrassed to know you."

In a place where it's illegal to step into the cage, the true warriors stand out like sore thumbs.

"If 98 percent of people are driving a red car, two percent are driving a blue car, so that's a lot of blue cars on the road," Patrick said. "The blue cars are guys like Sean Pierson, Mark Bocek, etc.

"The real guys all know each other because you're used to dealing with these other guys so much. Anybody with a glimmer of reality really shines through."

Patrick looks forward to the day MMA is legal in Ontario. For once, he'd like to be the hometown hero.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Maximo Blanco vs. Chang Hyun Kim added to WVR's Sengoku Raiden Championships 12

World Victory Road today officially announced an additional contest for its upcoming Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 event.

Maximo Blanco (4-2-1 MMA, 2-1 SRC) meets Chang Hyun "Armbar" Kim (15-5 MMA, 0-0 SRC)

The event takes place March 7 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs on HDNet in North America.

Nicknamed "Armbar," Kim has earned eight of his 15 career wins with the maneuver. A nine-time Spirit MC veteran, Kim took a two-year hiatus from the sport but returned to action in 2009 with three-straight wins.

Kim is currently on a six-fight win streak overall.

Blanco, known in Japan as "Maxi," comes to the card on a two-fight win streak. The 26-year-old Venezuelan turned pro in August 2008 and opened his career just 2-2-1, but he has reeled off back-to-back TKO wins in recent appearances.

A 2007 Pan American Games bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling, Blanco has fought exclusively in Japan, competing for both Sengoku and Pancrase.

With the addition to the card, World Victory Road's Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 now includes:

* Champ Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov (for Sengoku middleweight title)
* Yuji Hoshino vs. Wilson Reis
* Kyung Ho Kang vs. Shigeki Osawa
* Kiuma Kunioku vs. Leonardo Santos
* Akihiro Gono vs. Diego Gonzalez
* Henry "Sentoryu" Miller vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
* Maximo Blanco vs. Chang Hyun Kim

 

[drunkaholic707]

Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao completes 11-bout "WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz" card

A WEC 47 featherweight matchup between Courtney Buck (6-2 MMA, 0-1 WEC) and Fredson Paixao (8-3 MMA, 0-1 WEC) that was previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was today made official by the fight promotion.

Buck steps in for an injured Bryan Caraway, who was originally expected to face Paixao.

With the addition, the full card for "WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz" is now complete.

Featuring a bantamweight title fight between current champ Brian Bowles and top contender Dominick Cruz, WEC 47 takes place March 6 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The night's main card airs on Versus.

Buck again fills in as a late replacement; the Minnesota Top Team fighter made his WEC debut and filled in on less than a week's notice when he replaced Tyler Toner at WEC 45 in December. Buck suffered a TKO loss to Brandon Visher late in the third round and snapped a six-fight win streak.

Paixao, meanwhile, also looks for his first WEC win. After dropping a unanimous decision to Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 40, Paixao then suffered a split-decision defeat to Cole Province at WEC 42. However, the Province loss was overturned to a "no decision" when Province failed a post-fight drug test (due to Methasterone metabolite, a designer steroid).

Both fighters will likely need a positive result in the preliminary matchup in order to maintain their position in the organization.

With the official addition to the card, the full WEC 47 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz (for bantamweight title)
* Joseph Benavidez vs. Miguel Torres
* Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez
* L.C. Davis vs. Deividas Taurosevicius
* Karen Darabedyan vs. Bart Palaszewski

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Chad George vs. Scott Jorgensen
* Erik Koch vs. Chad Mendes
* Danny Castillo vs. Anthony Pettis
* Leonard Garcia vs. Diego Nunes
* Bendy Casimir vs. Ricardo Lamas
* Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao

 

[B-Buzz]

video of Sengoku featherweight contender "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung kickboxing last weekend. Apparently he didn't know the rules, and spinning back fists were illegal, but this is still badass.

 

[B-Buzz]

some quick notes from Strikeforce today:

- Alistair Overeem has confirmed he's fighting Brett Rogers on May 15th. It'll be UBEREEM's first title defense since he won it 30 months prior.
- Andrei Arlovski has signed a multi-fight, 16 month contract.
- Josh Gross is reporting Gilbert Melendez will fight DREAM's LW Champ Shinya Aoki on the April 17th CBS card in Nashville. Not clear if it'll be for the SF, DREAM or WAMMA titles. The card also features Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields for the 185 lbs. title and Gegard Mousasi vs. Mo "King Mo" Lawal for the 205 lbs. title.

 

[007SYBORG]

^^^THOUGHT I READ IT WAS GONNA BE A NON-TITLE FIGHT
http://mmajunkie.com/news/18133/cha...ay-15-strikeforce-fight-with-brett-rogers.mma

Champ Alistair Overeem confirms May 15 Strikeforce fight with Brett Rogers
by Steven Marrocco on Mar 01, 2010 at 7:05 pm ET
Alistair Overeem (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) wants American fans to get ready. There are no more obstacles in the way of his American MMA career; Strikeforce is the priority for 2010.

In an exclusive interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said he is likely to meet Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) in a non-title fight on an as-yet-unannounced card set for May 15 in St. Louis, Mo.

Although Strikeforce has not placed an event permit request to the Missouri State Athletic Commission, all signs point to a second trip to the 22,000-seat Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The promotion made its first visit there this past June for "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler."

Overeem announced the Rogers fight earlier today on his Twitter account but clarified that the matchup is not confirmed. He also added that a rumored appearance at DREAM.13 against Neil Grove or Josh Barnett is also unconfirmed.

"I'll know this week," he said.

Keeping up with the Dutch fighter's schedule has proven a difficult task for American fans. Overeem was slated to face Rogers at "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler" in 2009 before he injured his hand in an Amsterdam nightclub brawl and suffered severe complications, which he said shelved him for a follow-up appearance two months later against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."

Just 11 days after the proposed Werdum fight, Overeem entered the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix and made two appearances for the kickboxing promotion before he lost to Badr Hari in the tournament's semifinals. Along the way, he picked up two MMA wins (via submission over Tony Sylvester and James Thompson) before he defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in his most recent appearance at the Dec. 31 "Dynamite!! 2009" event in Japan.

Overeem has not defended his title since November 2007, when he won the vacant belt by defeating Paul Buentello at "Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives."

Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, said his fighter made far more money competing for K-1 and assured American fans he will return in April or May. Boon, though, would not confirm the Rogers bout.

Meanwhile, Overeem said he hopes to fight in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix but that Strikeforce obligations come first.

"If I can do K-1 after these fights or in between, that's OK, but if not, then I will go for Strikeforce," he said. "It's been too long. Last year was a good year in K-1, but this year, I want to fight in MMA."

The chance of a long-rumored fight with Fedor Emelianenko appears to be a longshot. Emelianenko will not appear on Strikeforce's second CBS-televised event, which is set for April 17 in Nashville, Tenn., and he is currently in a contract dispute with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion. He is rumored to be fighting on the May 15 card against an unnamed opponent.

While Overeem counts the top-ranked Russian among his targets stateside, there is too much red tape between them.

"Fedor doesn't want to fight," Overeem said. "His manager doesn't want to fight. That's basically the message I'm getting out of all of this. The management said, 'Yeah, we want to fight Alistair, but first, Alistair must fight somebody else.' Basically, you need two parties to agree on a fight. Otherwise it's not going to happen.

"And now, I don't know what is going to happen because I think [Fedor] might want to leave Strikeforce. I'm not really occupied with the situation; I'm just focused on myself and my training."

Overeem was more than happy, though, to take on Rogers, who has called him out on several occasions and demanded he defend his title or give up the belt.

"He's an excellent opponent," Overeem said. "I'm looking forward to [smacking] his face and his loud mouth. I'm really happy that Strikeforce came with this fight so now we can settle things once and for all."

Rogers manager, Mike Reilly, declined to comment on a potential fight between Rogers and Overeem.

"I don't think it's going to be for the title because [Brett] lost to Fedor," Overeem said. "He’s coming off a loss, so I don't think they're going to put it for the title, but it's up to the promotion."

Rogers fights for the first time since his November loss to Emelianenko at Strikeforce's first CBS-televised event. The TKO defeat snapped his 10-fight win streak (all of the wins came via stoppage due to strikes), which included Strikeforce victories over Abongo Humphrey and Andrei Arlovski.

After a long absence, Overeem intends to prove his critics wrong and make his mark once again in the U.S.

"If people take the time to look what the situation is, there's no secrets; there's no strange stuff going on," he said. "I can look you in the face and answer your questions. Then they'll see that things turn out the way they turn out.

"There are no obstacles for me."

 

[NAMO]

Gracie v Hughes will be dope

 

[B-Buzz]

WEC signed The Korean Zombie!!!!!
He might be fighting on the April 24th Aldo-Faber PPV

 

[B-Buzz]

Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 Results

Jorge Santiago def. Mamed Khalidov via unanimous decision to retain the middleweight championship
Akihiro Gono def. Diego Gonzalez via unanimous decision
Maximo Blanco def. Chang Hyun Kim via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:10
Marlon Sandro def. Tomonari Kanomata via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:09
Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao def. Henry “Sentoryu” Miller via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:27
Yuji Hoshino def. Nick Denis via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 0:47
Leonardo Santos def. Kiuma Kunioku via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 3:06
Shigeki Osawa def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision

Just watched the Cannibal-Santiago fight and it was really close, could've went either way. Also Maxi and Sandro's KOs had the guys leaving the ring in stretchers so if you like shit like that make sure to watch HDNet on friday when they air it lol

 

[killahoe666]

where's Shogun?

 

[007SYBORG]

where's Shogun?

PREPARING FOR HIS REMATCH WITH MACHIDA @ UFC 113 5/8/10

 

[drunkaholic707]

Despite rumors "Kimbo Slice" vs. Matt Mitrione, in fact, official for UFC 113 in Montreal

Despite rumors of a potential bout with recent UFC signee and boxer James Toney, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), in fact, will fight fellow "The Ultimate Fighter 10" cast member Matt Mitrione (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in May at UFC 113.

UFC officials today made official the bout, which completes the televised pay-per-view main card of the event.

UFC 113 takes place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and feature a main event between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

The Ferguson vs. Mitrione bout has long been a rumored part of the UFC's third annual Montreal card. The UFC, in fact, even announced the fight during a UFC 110 pay-per-view broadcast last month. However, the fight was never added to the UFC.com fight card for the event, and soon after Toney signed with UFC in the past few weeks, speculation ran rampant that Ferguson would fight Toney instead.

Some reports then suggested the Ferguson vs. Mitrione bout would be moved to a different card such as a potential (though unannounced) April 17 UFC Fight Night event that could counter Strikeforce's CBS-televised show in Tennessee.

However, Ferguson vs. Mitrione remains a part of the UFC 113 card.

Ferguson makes his pay-per-view debut after gracing the airwaves of CBS, Spike TV and Showtime during his runs with EliteXC and "TUF 10." Eventual show winner Roy Nelson knocked Ferguson out of the reality-show competition in late 2009 during an opening-round matchup.

Ferguson returned at the show's live finale, where he earned a close – if unspectacular – decision victory over non-cast member Houston Alexander in a catchweight contest. Still, the fight earned the former bareknuckle brawler and YouTube star his first official UFC victory and his first professional win in more than a year and a half.

Mitrione, one of a handful of former NFL players who appeared on "TUF 10," takes the fight with Ferguson in just his second professional contest. Mitrione, who won an opening-round matchup over ex-UFC fighter Scott Junk before losing in the quarterfinal round of "TUF 10," dispatched of a favored Marcus Jones via knockout in the season's live finale. The fight marked Mitrione's official pro MMA debut.

The official UFC 113 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light heavyweight title)
* Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck
* Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione
* Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout
* Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Tim Credeur vs. Tom Lawlor
* Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
* Mike Guymon vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* T.J. Grant vs. Johny Hendricks

 

[drunkaholic707]

After tough promotional debut, UFC 111's Jared Hamman relieved to fight on U.S. soil

Light heavyweight Jared Hamman (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) can laugh about it now, but prior to his octagon debut against Alexander Gustaffson at UFC 105 this past November, he was in a world of hurt.

Hamman, a former University of Redlands linebacker and defensive end who faces Rodney Wallace at UFC 111 on March 27, had slept just eight hours in the three days prior to the Nov. 15 fight.

"I was miserable," he recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

On a previous trip to Europe, he took sleeping pills every night for two-and-a-half weeks and slept for two days straight upon returning to the U.S. Glad that's over, he thought.

"When they told me I was fighting in Manchester, I was like, 'Oh, crap,'" Hamman said.

Every day the UFC 105 fight drew closer, he got worse. He felt sluggish and out of sync. All his preparation seemed to fly out the window. It wasn't nerves; he just couldn't get his body clock to adjust.

UFC rules prohibited him from taking sleeping aids, so he took valerian root, an herb that's supposed to do the same job. Instead of helping him sleep, it chewed up his stomach and stole his appetite. By weigh-ins, there was no need to shed any pounds.

He threw up in the dressing rooms and walked to the octagon with the resolve to "go out swinging."

He got no reprieve in the octagon. Gustaffson, a former European boxing champion, knocked him out with a right hand 41 seconds into the fight.

Hamman's symptoms sound eerily similar to those described of UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell, who was forced to withdraw from his UFC 110 fight with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic due to "traveler's flu," an illness ascribed to overseas travelers. But to this day, he's not sure what happened to him.

"I just didn't feel very healthy," Hamman said.

Hamman hadn't fought in 15 months due to the collapse of ProElite, Inc., home of EliteXC, and he had been forced to take jobs as a substitute teacher and bouncer to make ends meet. It was not the right foot to start his UFC career on.

But instead of going into a tailspin, he sucked it up and got back in the gym.

"I've lost a lot of times in my life – not just with MMA but other sports," Hamman said. "If I let that weigh on me, it would ruin my next fight.

"I try to deal with it the way my coaches have always taught me growing up: shut your mouth, get back to work, and start training. Don't complain; don't make excuses. Just get at it."

Hamman got back to the nuts and bolts of training with former teammates and amped up his sessions with former UFC contender Vladimir Matyushenko at VMAT, the gym he's called home since moving to Southern California several years ago.

He doesn't feel pressure to turn in a stellar performance in his next outing. He just wants another chance to compete.

"You're never guaranteed your next fight," he said. "In fact, you're never guaranteed your next heartbeat when you wake up. Just the opportunity to be able to compete in battle – for me, it's like, 'Sweet. I get another chance.'"

Hamman is at a loss as to what to expect in his upcoming fight, but he expects to fend off multiple takedowns based on Wallace's wrestling background.

"I refer to him as 'the little Stackhouse,'" Hamman said. "A short, muscle-bound, Sean Sherk-looking guy. I know he tried to take (down) Brian Stann the whole time, so I'm assuming that's what he's going to try to do to me."

And thankfully, the March 27 fight is in New Jersey, so he's confident he will arrive healthy and without any baggage.

"I know I am better than that," Hamman said of his recent loss. "It didn't really cut me down. I really want to do this again and go for it."

 

[drunkaholic707]

James McSweeney vs. Travis Browne set for The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale

UFC newcomer Travis Browne (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will meet "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran James McSweeney (4-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the live finale of "The Ultimate Fighter 11."

The as-yet-unannounced Spike TV event is expected for June 19 in Las Vegas, though its location is unknown at this time. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the heavyweight matchup last week, though at the time, it was uncertain on which card the two would fight.

"TUF 11," which features UFC legends Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell as coaches, features middleweight fighters bidding for the much ballyhooed "six-figure" UFC contract.

Browne has fought eight times since his professional debut this past February with seven of his nine victories coming by way of TKO or knockout. In his most recent performance, Browne knocked out veteran Aaron Brink in 35 seconds for the Gladiator Challenge interim heavyweight title this past Sunday in California.

In early February, Browne knocked out "The Ultimate Fighter 10" vet Abe Wagner in eight seconds to take the Night of Champions heavyweight belt. Browne is also a veteran of Bellator Fighting Championships' first season.

Browne currently trains at the Alliance Training Center alongside UFC veterans Brandon Vera and Joey Beltran and WEC bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz. When he's not in the gym, he runs a company that trains dogs for military service.

McSweeney, 29, graduated from his turn on "The Ultimate Fighter 10" with a TKO victory over fellow castmate Darrill Schoonover at the show's Spike TV finale this past December. However, he injured his hand in the fight and has since been forced to the bench for several months.

A former kickboxer, McSweeney works with Greg Jackson's squad in Albuquerque, N.M., and is a friend and training partner to former light heavyweight champion and "TUF 10" coach Rashad Evans.

It is unknown at this time whether Browne vs. McSweeney is slated for the televised portion of The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale.

 

[drunkaholic707]

After brutal WEC 47 win, Scott Jorgensen believes he's at top of 135-pound division

It wasn't that long ago that the WEC's bantamweight division appeared little more than a showcase for then-champion Miguel Torres.

My, how things have changed.

At this past weekend's WEC 47 event in Columbus, Ohio, Joseph Benavidez (12-1 MMA, 4-1 WEC) stunned Torres with a one-sided submission win and likely earned himself a shot at the 135-pound title. But Scott Jorgensen (9-3 MMA, 5-2 WEC) also landed one of the more memorable finishes in recent memory in his bout with Chad George, and he made a legitimate claim for contender status.

"I think I'm right there up at the top," Jorgensen said at the evening's post-event press conference. "I beat (Takeya) Mizugaki. I went out there and finished Chad George quick, decisively. I think I'm right up there."

It's hard to argue against the Idaho native. Jorgensen has won five of his past six contests in the WEC, and the lone loss came by a razor-thin split-decision to Antonio Banuelos.

Jorgensen's guillotine-choke finish of George, in which "Savage's" feet were lifted off the ground before he frantically tapped just 31 seconds into the fight, would likely have been "Submission of the Night" had Benavidez not tapped Torres. Add to that a "Fight of the Night" win over Mizugaki this past December, and it's easy to see why Jorgensen is quickly developing a loyal following.

Of course, Benavidez's lone career loss came in an August 2009 "Fight of the Night" effort against new champion Dominick Cruz (15-1 MMA, 5-1 WEC), so the idea of a rematch between the pair is clearly a potential future main event.

WEC general manager Reed Harris said a decision on Cruz's next opponent should come soon.

"We don't talk a lot about where we're going with fights until the fights happen," Harris said. "It's one of these things I've learned from doing this a long time: Don't make plans because anything can happen out there. These guys are wearing four-ounce gloves. They're highly trained."

"This week, Sean Shelby will sit down and start mapping it his next fight, and as soon as we know it, we'll announce it. But we obviously have plans for him. He's our title-holder, and he'll need to defend that belt."

And while just one year ago, Torres seemed to be the unbeatable champion of the WEC, Shelby and Harris now have options.

 

[drunkaholic707]

UFC announces Asian broadcast deal with Hong Kong-based All Sports Network

As other fight promotions scramble for relevance in the U.S., the Ultimate Fighting Championship continues its own worldwide expansion.

The UFC today announced a new long-term distribution agreement with All Sports Network, a 24-hour high-definition sports channel Asia.

The new deal provides UFC programming to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Macau, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

The programming kicks off with a live broadcast of April's UFC 112 event from Abu Dhabi.

All Sports Network, known as ASN, was launched in 2009 as the region's first all-high-definition sports channel and also broadcasts the NFL, NHL and NASCAR.

"We are excited to sign a deal with ASN and to distribute UFC on this HD sports channel," UFC president Dana White stated in the official release. "Asia is a huge market for us; it has a deep-rooted history and appreciation for the martial arts. We are thrilled to be working with ASN and to deliver the UFC to all of our fans in Asia."

In addition to broadcasting live UFC events, ASN will also feature the "UFC Unleashed" series and will air select seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter."

"ASN is thrilled to deliver UFC, the world's fastest-growing sports organization, to audiences in Asia, and with HD production quality, our viewers will not miss a single striking detail," ASN CEO Thomas Kressner stated.

All Sports Network is the second sports network from the Hong Kong-based Yes Television Limited. Yes TV is a media company which produces and distributes premium sports channels across Asia. Its football network Goal TV, comprises two 24-hour channels featuring top European soccer clubs and live games from major European soccer leagues.

The UFC now has a television presence in more than 100 countries, and the company is the largest pay-per-view content provider in the world.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Coker happy with Strikeforce's progress, says company "in this for a long time"

In the past year, the California-based Strikeforce promotion has gone from solid regional promotion to counter-programming-worthy opponent of the UFC.

While the company's handling of its champions and current relationship with M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko have come under a bit of fire, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he's just fine with the current path of his fight promotion.

"If you really think about the amazing growth of Strikeforce, and this is all the last 11 months now – our first fight was April 10 of 2009 when Frank Shamrock fought Nick Diaz – at that time, I had certain benchmarks," Coker said. "I wanted to get Gina Carano back in the cage. I want to build our roster and build some of the great fighters that I know are out there and available. I want to get DREAM to come and compete here.

"Fedor wasn't even in the equation, but for us to be deliver Fedor on CBS, and for that to be a Strikeforce and M-1 co-promotion, I mean, I think every goal that we set out last year, we've done that and then some."

Despite being dark for the first three months of 2009, Strikeforce hosted 10 events during the year – the most ever in a calendar year for the promotion. The Nov. 7 "Fedor vs. Rogers" event, co-promoted with M-1 Global, also marked the company's first fight on network television.

"The growth has been amazing, and I really feel honored and fortunate to have networks like CBS and Showtime because they're very vested in this program, and they love mixed martial arts," Coker said. "Because of guys like (Showtime executive) Ken Hershman, we get to see the amazing fights that Strikeforce is able to put together. If it wasn't for the networks backing it up, we wouldn't be able to put the fights on.

"It's an amazing time for Strikeforce, and I think this year will be another amazing year. Fedor will be back, and I think that the fight in Nashville is going to be another benchmark in having Dan Henderson come."

Henderson, a rare commodity in that he left the UFC on his own accord, was a strong score for Strikeforce, and he'll debut in April at "Strikeforce: Nashville" with a middleweight title fight against current champion Jake Shields.

Coker openly expressed his enthusiasm at having the former PRIDE champion fighting under the Strikeforce banner.

"I tell you, It's the inaugural fight with Dan Henderson, which I've been a fan of Dan's for a long time – since way back in the PRIDE days – so to have him fight for Strikeforce is a privilege and an honor," Coker said. "For him to fight our champion right off the bat, and that ended up being what Dan wanted to do, I think it's going to be an amazing showcase of two of the world's best fighters testing the skills."

Slow-played announcements not affecting fighters

One of fans' biggest gripes as Strikeforce has become a major player on the world stage has been the sometimes painfully slow flow of information from the company. While the UFC often has matchups in place months in advance, Strikeforce's plans often seem to develop slower.

Coker said that while the information is sometimes slow to reach the public, the fighter who are involved in the potential fights are always kept well-informed so that they can prepare properly.

In other words, Strikeforce's fighters have not been just kept in the dark.

"Basically, we told the guys (on the April card) to start training because this is the fight date," Coker said. "We told them at least three weeks ago that that was the case. They knew they were going to fight, and they started training. It was just a matter of time. Jake vs. 'Hendo,' we told Jake in Janaury that that was the fight that was going to happen. Henderson knew that was the fight. So they've already been training and looking forward to the opportunity.

"With (Shinya) Aoki, it just took a long time where I actually got the signed contract back, and then I knew it was done. They held a press conference in Japan to say Aoki is fighting for DREAM, and he's coming to Strikeforce to represent Japan and compete against the best fighters here, and he would like to bring home the belt against Gilbert Melendez. That took some time, but we told Gilbert probably five weeks ago, 'Listen, you're going to be fighting, and this is most likely the guy. When we get it greenlit 100 percent, we'll let you know, but start training, and be ready."

With the April card officially announced just one week ago, some MMA pundits have claimed that Strikeforce will not be able to promote the event effectively. Coker begs to differ.

"There are a lot of moving parts in this business, and if you look at our May fight, we've already announced a couple of our May fights that are happening," Coker said. "We'll probably be announcing that card pretty soon. Tickets are going to go on sale for May card in a couple of weeks. So, I think that every case is a little bit different.

"We had seven weeks to promote ['Strikeforce: Nashville'], and I think that's plenty of time to promote a fight of this magnitude."

"We're going to be in this a long time"

So while some observers are already chiseling the tombstone of the Strikeforce promotion, Coker paints a much different picture.

"There's a lot of benchmarks that I can check off and move forward," Coker said. "But if you were to say a year ago, before that first fight, 'Scott, you'll have Fedor, Gina Carano and 'Cyborg' Santos will be the highest-rated show in the history of MMA on Showtime – bigger than even 'Kimbo Slice' – you're going to develop new stars like Gegard Mousasi and 'King Mo,' DREAM is going to come to fruition, and that relationship is going to go and really work,' I would have said to probably half of it, 'No way,'" Coker said. "It's an exciting time.

"Think about this: Aoki vs. Melendez, how many people could have pulled that off? I feel very fortunate, and it's going to be an honor to have Aoki to fight Gilbert and to test our guys against their's and see what happens. That's what should be happening everywhere."

The next few months are unquestionably an intriguing period for Strikeforce, and some would consider it a critical time, as well.

But Coker insists the company's infrastructure is built for the long haul, and he hopes fans will continue to support the product.

"We're going to be in this for a long time, and a year from now, it's probably going to be the same thing," Coker said. " The difference between our company and the other companies that went out of business before us is that this is our core business. We've been doing this for 25 years, and I think we're very good at it. My partners that are with me now have made us 10-times more efficient, and they're very good at what they do, and they bring very smart business prowess to Strikeforce. I feel very lucky.

"To Strikeforce's fans: Thank you for the support. We're going to do 20 fights in a 12 month period. Continue supporting us; we truly appreciate it."