MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Gabe Ruediger brushes off weight-cutting jokes, plans quick finish at UFC 126

The good far outweighed the bad when Gabe Ruediger made the decision to fight his Joe Lauzon, a former castmate on "The Ultimate Fighter 5," at UFC 118.

It was his opportunity to fight in the UFC again for the first time in roughly four years. It also was a nice paycheck for Ruediger, who next fights at Saturday's UFC 126 event.

Conversely, the UFC 118 fight had to be arranged at the last minute after Terry Etim pulled out due to injury. It also essentially took place in the backyard of Lauzon, who is from the Boston area.

Not surprisingly, TD Garden Arena spectators didn't exactly welcome Ruediger with open arms.

"I'm a firm believer in energy and negative energy makes for a negative performance," Ruediger recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "It is true when the cage closes you've only got one thing to do, and that's to fight, but [crowd noise] plays into it. It's always unfortunate when you have people booing you and saying negative things."

Once the bout commenced, it quickly was clear Lauzon was out to prove a point and put on a good show in front of his friends and family. He dominated in all aspects of the fight before securing a first-round submission victory via armbar.

Regardless of the locale, it was not a good performance by Ruediger (17-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) any way you look at it.

Fast forward to present day, and the former WEC lightweight champion still is seeking that elusive first victory under the UFC banner.

After pulling out of a potential fight with Paul Kelly at UFC 123 due to injury, Ruediger now faces Paul Taylor on the untelevised preliminary card of UFC 126, which takes place Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Taylor (10-6-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) is coming off of a controversial decision loss to Sam Stout at UFC 121 in his debut at the 155-pound limit.

Like Ruediger, the former welterweight is in desperate need of a victory.

Taylor is known to want to push the pace and throw caution to the wind. He's already racked up three "Fight of the Night" bonuses in his UFC career.

"I have to worry about what I'm going to do," Ruediger said. "If I fight someone that fights to decision and I have to go three rounds, I'll go three rounds. I'm very well prepared for three rounds, but that's not my fight style. My fight style is (to) finish the fight. That's what I do."

"I don't get paid for overtime. I get paid the same for 15 seconds as I would for 15 minutes. I want to just get paid, and also right now, my fight is not televised. I have to make it short to make sure they put it in there."

One thing he can control with certainty is making weight for the fight.

Ruediger has taken some flack over the years from fans and media following his expulsion from "TUF 5" for not making weight for a bout with Corey Hill.

It's a stigma that has followed him around to a certain degree.

"It is what it is," he said. "I laugh about it now. It's actually never been an issue for my professional career. For an unsanctioned bout on a reality TV show it was an issue, but I've never not made weight for a fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Three-time Bellator vet Carey Vanier set for season-four lightweight tourney

Bellator Fighting Championships season-two semifinalist Carey Vanier (10-3 MMA, 2-1 BFC) will try again for a tournament win in season four.

Bellator officials recently announced that Vanier will take part in the promotion's season-four lightweight tournament.

"Carey's been really impressive during his time with Bellator and constantly shows drastic improvements in his game," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in the official release. "Carey's a significant addition to our lightweight tournament."

Bellator hosts season-four tourneys in the lightweight, featherweight, welterweight and light-heavyweight divisions. Vanier is the second announced participant for the 155-pound field, the winner of which earns $100,000 in total pay and a guaranteed title shot.

The eight-man tournaments kick off next month and air live on MTV2.

Vanier debuted for Bellator during the promotion's season-two tournament, when he earned a quarterfinal match over "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member Joe Duarte. A Guyana native who was raised in Minnesota, Vanier was then submitted by two-time tournament finalist Toby Imada.

Vanier then returned in season three for a non-tournament win over longtime veteran Rich Clementi.

While a six-figure paycheck awaits the tournament winner, Vanier, a former Best Buy manager, said he's unconcerned with financial gain.

"It's not about money for me anymore; it's about me having fun and fighting for a living," Vanier stated. "I love being an MMA fighter. I love being in the spotlight. I love people being able to see me doing what I love to do.

"I could have stuck with being a manager at Best Buy and then went on to college and still provided for my family, but I enjoy fighting, and I enjoy competition. At the core, that hunger for competition will always be the biggest motivating force that drives me."

Vanier joins "Razor" Rob McCullough (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BFC) as official entrants in Bellator's upcoming lightweight tournament.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With Win Over Tim Syliva, Abe Wagner’s End Game Is UFC

Sometimes redemption can take years, but for former “Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” cast member Abe Wagner, it may have taken only a matter of seconds.

As Wagner himself puts it, his win over Tim Sylvia this past weekend at Titan FC 16 may be just the thing to right the minds of others about him.

“I think that if anything, it’s redemption for my performance on The Ultimate Fighter,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “Hopefully it goes a long way to setting the record straight to the kind of fighter I am.”

Wagner feels that the fight played out perfectly in its timing, as he explained, “If I would have knocked him out in 10 seconds, everybody would have said it was a lucky punch. If it would have taken 10 minutes, everyone would have said it was because he didn’t have any conditioning.

“We stood in there for a while and the outcome was the outcome and neither of those excuses could be used.”

After starting off 2010 on a low note, Wagner’s win at Titan FC was his second in a row and continues a catharsis that began after decidedly the worst loss of his career.

“Last year I guess I had a pretty bad fight in February and I took a lot of time off after to re-evaluate some things and get my head straight, and I guess I’d even say to find my love for the sport again,” he admitted.

“So when I came back and started training again three or four months later, I really enjoyed it and wanted to be there. I think it’s made all the difference.”

Wagner is also positive in the steps he’s taken to improve his fight game since TUF.

“I’m still working pretty diligently on my wrestling and my ground game,” he commented. “That got exposed like two years ago, and I think I’ve gone a long way towards shoring it up, but obviously it could always use improvement.

“I think in some of my past fights I fought stiff, just because my nerves were getting the best of me, but I’m trying to stay looser and that’s really paying off too.”

With a big televised win under his belt, Wagner expects to have his immediate future locked up in the coming weeks. As for his more long-term goals in the year, there’s just one place he wants to be.

“My general goal is to fight at the highest level I can, and obviously the end game is to fight in the UFC,” he concluded. “As far as what I want to impress on people; win or lose I just want to fight hard and display my skills and athletic ability.

“I want to thank my coaches and all my training partners at my gym, and also my sponsors: Clinch Gear, 8-Ball Nutrition and Tapout Pro. I think the fans should look for Abe Wagner in the UFC before the year is over.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason Mayhem Miller - THE REAL MAYHEM - New Youtube Series

 

[$migg Cant Rap]

lol @ mayhem. he's still a douche. its funny, because he feels like one of his main selling/marketing points is his humorous personality (which is why he mentioned comedy), but he isnt funny. he's an attention whore.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Former KOTC Champ Signs with Bellator

One-time King of the Cage heavyweight champion Tony Johnson Jr. has signed with the Bellator Fighting Championships, Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to the negotiations. Terms of the deal remain unknown, though Johnson is expected to compete during Bellator’s upcoming fourth season.

Johnson made his professional debut in 2008, earning three straight victories before challenging for the KOTC title in March. The heavyweight earned a unanimous decision over Tony Lopez at King of the Cage “Legacy” to snatch away the belt. Johnson lost the title in his first defense, however, as he was stopped by Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier in August. The American Kickboxing Academy standout found a rear-naked choke early in round one, forcing Johnson to submit.

Recently, Johnson bounced back from the Cormier defeat -- the only one of his career -- with a unanimous decision win over Boban Simic in November. The 265-pound heavyweight has knocked out two of his five career victims and has never lost a fight by KO.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Kenny Florian to featherweight? "Never ever say never ever," fighter says

LAS VEGAS – When MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) host "Gorgeous" George Garcia asked UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian if rumors of a potential move to featherweight are true, he had one word of advice for the fighter: Stay out of the poker room.

Florian initially deflected the question and then let out a small laugh as he mentally processed the question.

But whether it was a true "tell" or simply indecision on the UFC veteran's part, it's clear Florian has considered it, and he's leaving open the door to the possibility.

Florian, of course, is one of the most accomplished 155-pound fighters in the sport. He's universally regarded as a top-10 lightweight and has spent much of the past few years in the top five. But he was unsuccessful with his two shots at the title, and in August, he suffered a decision loss to Gray Maynard in a No. 1 contender's bout.

So would Florian dare try a new weight class when he's been within reach of his current division's big prize?

"We'll see that the future holds," he told MMAjunkie.com Radio on Friday. "I guess that's all I can say right now. They say, 'Never ever say never ever.'

"I got that from the movie 'MacGruber.'"

Florian, who actually was "The Ultimate Fighter 1" runner-up while fighting as a middleweight, admits making weight for lightweight can be a chore.

"Making 155, it's tough sometimes," he said. "It's been tough."

So what would it take to get to featherweight?

"I'm not sure if it would be a total lifestyle change," he said. "But yeah, it'd probably be another lifestyle change. We'll see. I'm not, well – we'll see."

If Florian, who's currently nursing a knee injury that forced him out of a January UFC Fight Night 23 headliner with Evan Dunham, does stay at lightweight, there's one potentially marketable fight floating out there. And it's against a fighter he once considered a friend.

But when Melvin Guillard took Florian's UFC Fight Night 23 spot and scored a quick first-round TKO of Evan Dunham – which marked his seventh win in eight fights – he declared himself the new Florian of the lightweight division. He even suggested Florian isn't a worthy opponent any longer.

"Melvin is a very good fighter, and I think he finally beat a good guy in Evan Dunham and established himself as a very good lightweight," Florian said. "That's a fight that was interesting to me. I know Melvin said he wasn't interested in the fight, saying I'm not ranked high enough for him or something like that, but we'll see man.

"Honestly I'm at the point in my career where I just want top guys. That's what motivates me. I'm in this world to be challenged and to consistently climb big mountains if I can. I just want to fight tough guys."

But didn't the criticism from Guillard sting?

"I know him," Florian said. "I've spoken with him. He even says I'm a friend, though I don't know if we're friends (now). I always used to say, 'I'm proud of you. I'm glad you turned your life around. You're doing great.' And for him to say ... out of nowhere that, 'I deserve the spot over Kenny Florian and that he had his shot and is a choker' out of nowhere, I thought it was kind of weird.

"Who knows? Maybe it's just his way to get press. Myself, I try not to put anyone down if I want to challenge them. Just say why you want it. Melvin deserved it. He beat Evan Dunham, so whatever."

Florian, meanwhile, hopes to return to the cage at some point later this year from a torn MCL and torn meniscus. He said the once-painful injury slowly is subsiding.

"The knee is very good; I got it amputated last week," Florian joked. "So I shouldn't have any more pain.

"No, it feels good. It's probably about 75 to 80 percent (healthy), and hopefully in another two or three weeks, I should be ready to start sparring and all that stuff."

Florian said the time off has been good for him. In addition to his hosting duties on ESPN's popular "MMA Live" program, which brought him to Las Vegas for tonight's UFC 126 event, he's been able to study and visualize new techniques that he's sure will help him once he returns to full training.

"Hopefully in the next few weeks I can go back to my normal routine," he said. "I've been itching to train. It's been real tough, but I've been studying a lot."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC lightweight Tyson Griffin headed to featherweight division

Although currently sidelined by a knee injury, former UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin has some big plans for his return to the cage: a drop in weight class.

The move to featherweight likely will come later this year.

Griffin (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) recently announced the plans via his official website, www.tysongriffin.com.

The Xtreme Couture fighter splashed onto the UFC scene in 2006 and won seven of his first nine fights, and the lone losses came to current champ Frankie Edgar and former titleholder Sean Sherk. He also picked up a staggering five "Fight of the Night" bonuses and a "Submission of the Night" award in the process.

But a November split-decision defeat to Nik Lentz resulted in his third consecutive loss, and he's been on the shelf ever since.

"It's going to be a little bit longer before I can commit to a fight," Griffin said in his video update. "I had been having some problems with my knee. I decided to get an MRI and found some tears in my meniscus. I decided to get those cleaned out.

"It's going to be a few weeks weeks before I can put my knee to the test to make sure things are good to go and commit to a fight."

But when he does return, it'll be in a new weight class, which the UFC adopted following its recent merger with the WEC. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo currently rules the division and has an upcoming UFC 130 title fight with Mark Hominick.

The field is thin after Hominick, and if Griffin can find his previous form, the seemingly undersized lightweight could be a factor.

"I've got some big plans for 2011, and unfortunately, they're put on hold for now," Griffin said. "But those plans are to move to 145 and make a run for that belt. So you can see me in that new weight class hopefully looking stronger and better than ever."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Career once in jeopardy, UFC's Alan Belcher could be back in three months

LAS VEGAS – If you think Alan Belcher wants to ease back into middleweight title contention following his once-career-threatening eye injury, think again.

Belcher's quick ascent in the UFC's middleweight division recently was derailed by a detached retina.

But now ready to launch a training camp and an estimated three months away from his UFC return, he told MMAjunkie.com Radio he's looking for an opponent. Some potential names? Michael Bisping, Wanderlei Silva and Demian Maia.

"I'd like to fight Wanderlei Silva," Belcher said while in studio at MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I don't know. I like him as a fighter. I've always been a huge fan of his. He's a huge name. I've fought a couple of big names but nothing like that. I want to break into [that level].

"I'm good with Maia too. I'm good with Bisping. So long as it's someone who's winning and it make sense for a title shot, that's what's going to motivate me to get in there to train hard and keep my streak going."

Belcher (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC), in fact, was slated to fight Maia in a UFC Fight Night 22 main event back in September. But he started to lose vision in his right eye. After consulting physicians and learning of the detached retina, the injury forced the 26-year-old to not only withdraw from the fight but also face the possibility of watching his career come to an abrupt end.

The UFC middleweight contender has endured painful surgeries and stressful rehabilitation. His comeback, though, has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.

"It was very scary," he said. "I thought I was going to be done pretty much. A lot of doctors told me I should never fight again and probably wouldn't be able to pass any kind of eye exam. But I found the right guy, Dr. (Chris) Semple in Mobile, Ala., who's one the best in the world. He got me back to pretty much 100 percent. I just got some new glasses, and with the corrected vision, I'm pretty much 20/20 in both fights."

Even without glasses or contacts, he said he's in fine shape to fight.

"I've learned to see normal," he said. "It's funny how the brain works. ... It doesn't really affect fighting."

Prior to his injury, Belcher was riding high following a UFC 113 submission win over Patrick Cote this past May. The win was Belcher's fourth in five fights, and the only loss came in controversial fashion in a split-decision defeat to Yoshihiro Akiyama.

That's why he doesn't want to waste his time with a warm-up fight or any other matchup that's going to stall his push for a title shot. In fact, he thinks he's a better fighter now than he was before the injury.

"I want to fight the biggest fight that's possible," the noted striker said. "Like I said in sparring, I feel I didn't miss a beat at all. My doctor released me months ago to start grappling, so pretty much five days a week, I've been on the mats wrestling and grappling. Right now, I feel like my ground game is better than ever. It was a really healthy thing to take that time and concentrate on the ground."

So is he really ready to start a traditional fight camp?

"I'm feeling pretty good right now," he said. "I could sign today and fight in three months pretty easy, I think."

Perhaps the biggest thing Belcher had going for him before the injury – and besides the recent wins – was the massive fan support. His crowd-pleasing style and willingness to fight anyone were appreciated. So fans took to Twitter and Facebook and UFC Q&A sessions to campaign for Belcher and bigger fights.

Despite his layoff, Belcher hopes those fans will continue voicing their desires.

"The fans kept me going through this whole thing with the fan mail and emails," he said. "I want to give back. I know the fans to see me get back in there and fight. I can't wait to get back in there and repay them for that.

"Speak up. Just speak up, and let Dana White and Joe Silva know who you want me to fight. Let them know how important Alan Belcher is to you and that you like the fearlessness and technique. Let's get this thing going."

And don't think he's not ready.

"When I say I'm back 100 percent, I'm back 100 percent," he said. "It's in my blood. It's just easier for me to be in their sparring or fighting. It's natural for me.

"I'm ready to get a fight signed and get back in there. It's been too long."

 

[Shogun Locc]

It’s Antonio Banuelos’ Chance To Shine At UFC 126

Exciting, energetic, and colorful are all apt descriptions for one of the best kept secret’s in the bantamweight class.

Antonio Banuelos holds the claim as one of the true pioneer’s of the 135-pound division, having competed for the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting organization since it’s early years, debuting in the promotion in 2002 at “WEC 5: Halloween Fury.”

Now, flash forward nearly nine-years later, and the California native is on the cusp of debuting in the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization, which recently assimilated with it’s sister promotion in the WEC. He faces one of his toughest challenges to date in former world champion Miguel Torres, on arguably the most stacked card of 2011.

“I was just happy that they kept me on the roste​r and got me on this card. Just nothing but good things came out of it,” Banuelos said of the merger while a guest on the MMAWeekly Radio Show.

“I love the WEC, it was big, but the UFC has that giant brand market name. Even though we fought in the same cage and did the same thing that everybody else did, everyone’s like ‘whoa, you’re a UFC fighter?!’ Well, I’ve always been a fighter guys, come on.

“It’s a huge fight in a huge arena on a UFC pay-per-view card, it’s going to be amazing.”

Banuelos is making his Octagon debut on the main card for UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort, with a championship headliner pitting titleholder Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort, as well as a light heavyweight match featuring Forrest Griffin against Rich Franklin. The Feb. 5 event in Las Vegas is already sold out. Even for the most seasoned veteran, making your debut on such a prestigious pay-per-view is a daunting task in of itself, but for the 31-year-old Banuelos, he’s enjoying every minute of it. ​

“I’m excited, I’m pumped. I love fighting in front of big crowds, I always loved wrestling in front of big crowds, it’s the thing to do,” Banuelos exclaimed.

“I’ve been wanting to take it to the next level and this is the next level, and it’s time to shine. I’m rolling with the punches and I’m excited, man. I’m pumped about this fight.”

The lighter weight fighters in the WEC have long had a reputation of putting on some of the best fights of the year, and Banuelos has done his fair share of supporting that claim. He’s as intense as they come. “The Pit” product believes it’s going to be sooner rather than later for fans and the UFC to start noticing the lightweight classes as the real show stoppers.

“I think it’s going to take UFC 126. Once the UFC fans see us, the way we go, 135′s is stacked,” began Banuelos.

“I believe it’s the toughest weight division out there. Anybody in the Top 10 fighting when we go out, we go out 110-percent fighting. It’s nonstop excitement, whether it’s a 15-minute fight or it’s a 25-minute fight, it’s nonstop. ​It’s exciting. We’re throwing punches, we’re taking people down, we’re working jits. This is going to prove to everybody that our weight-class is the toughest and the most exciting.”

Banuelos has been on the cusp of a title shot many times over throughout his near 10-year career as an MMA fighter. After putting a few solid wins in a row, a loss put him back at the bottom of the division. Now looking to climb back up once again, he is able to recognize the opportunity in front of him, and knows that it will take the best of him to make his dreams of becoming a world champion turn into reality.

“We always wanted that match-up,” said the bantamweight spitfire in regards to Torres.

“He had the belt for a while. I’ve been trying to grind my way to get there. I get close then I have a loss. I always get close then bounce back, and now I’ve got this shot and here we go. Game on.

“He’s a former champ, plus he’s still ranked in the Top 10 and he’s a tough opponent. We’re both trying to work our way towards the belt, so this is a huge fight for me and we’ll just go out and put on a great show.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 126: Jon Jones Refuses To Take Ryan Bader For Granted

“I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death” – Nas

If the whole world is ready to anoint Jon Jones as the next great light heavyweight, there’s one person who isn’t listening to all the chatter.

That one person is Jon Jones himself.

The young fighter, now training full time in New Mexico under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, appreciates all the kind words heaped upon him, but when he looks in the mirror he doesn’t see a champion yet. He sees a work in progress, and there’s still work to be done.

“Just being around Greg Jackson all the time and fighters who are way above me experience wise, and age-wise and just life-wise, it just helps me stay humble and realize how much I don’t know and my age and things like that,” Jones told MMAWeekly Radio recently.

“It definitely plays a huge part of my game, just keeping me humble and keeping me in the gym, keeps me focused on my weaknesses.”

Throughout his young MMA career, Jones has shown very few weaknesses, but he’s quick to point out that he has quite a few areas he wants to improve on. Of course most fighters are their own worst critics, but Jones gets excited to carve away at his imperfections and get closer to being the fighter he knows he can become.

His upcoming fight against Ryan Bader is a perfect example of how he’s looking to improve. Jones has fought some tough competition throughout his UFC career, but Bader will likely be the toughest to date.

A multiple time All-American wrestler who also packs thunder in his right hand, Bader has proven to be a tough competitor for anyone he faces in the 205-pound division. It’s a challenge that Jones is definitely up for.

“I get up for absolutely every challenge. I get up for challenges at Greg Jackson’s dojo, I think I’m a pretty competitive guy, never like to lose, and I’m always up for a challenge. When you start sleeping on people that’s when you get surprised and I don’t really like surprises,” Jones admits.

Sleeping on the job is something Jones hasn’t done yet, and he doesn’t plan on starting with this fight.

To help him prepare for Bader, Jones worked with the regular cast of characters at Team Jackson, which reads like an All-Star list of MMA veterans. At the top of the food chain for this training camp has been one of Jones’ mentors, who has simulated everything he expects Bader to bring into their fight at UFC 126.

“Right now I have Rashad Evans simulating Ryan Bader,” said Jones. “He does everything that Ryan can do, just way more fast and powerful. So it’s just great to be around, it’s a beautiful atmosphere, and I recommend Greg Jackson’s for everybody.”

For this training camp, Jones brought his family out to New Mexico for the first time. He says his girlfriend and kids being around have really made the training camp feel like home, but that doesn’t mean he’s not focused.

Actually, he’s more focused than ever because Bader does present new problems, but like a mathematician staring at an unproven theorem, Jones looks at his fight at UFC 126 as a puzzle he has to solve.

“We’re focusing on takedown defense and jiu-jitsu from the bottom, getting up from the bottom, and guard passes and all types of stuff,” Jones explained. “I feel totally ready. As far as wrestling, the biggest difference maybe his physical strength. He’s the youngest wrestler I’ve competed against, he may have a little more pop in his double-leg, a little more explosion.”

Jon Jones will look to show off the completed puzzle when he faces Ryan Bader this weekend at UFC 126 in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jorge Gurgel Faces Tyler Combs at Strikeforce Ohio, Expected to Make TV Broadcast

It will be an old school Ohio grudge match when Jorge Gurgel takes on Tyler Combs at the upcoming Strikeforce show in Columbus on March 5.

MMAWeekly.com first reported the proposed bout between Gurgel and Combs earlier this week, and have now confirmed bout agreements have been issued for the lightweight showdown.

Sources close to the fighters confirmed the contracts to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday.

Gurgel and Combs apparently have a history that should make the March 5 fight that much more interesting. Gurgel of course owns and operates his school in Cincinnati, OH while Combs trains just north of there just outside of Dayton, OH.

MMAWeekly.com has also been informed that the bout between Gurgel and Combs is expected to make the televised broadcast. Rumors have persisted that some of the Strikeforce preliminary card will make it onto an HDNet broadcast before the main card kicks off at 10pm ET, and that may include Gurgel vs. Combs.

Gurgel is currently in Las Vegas cornering close friend Rich Franklin in his bout at UFC 126 against Forrest Griffin. He will return home to Ohio after the bout to prepare for a fight of his own coming up in March against Combs.

More preliminary fights are expected to be announced in the coming weeks by Strikeforce.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC and DREAM vet Jason High signs with Strikeforce

Fresh off a busy and successful streak in competition, welterweight MMA veteran Jason High (13-3 MMA, 0-0 SF) is bound for Strikeforce.

High recently signed a multi-fight agreement with the California-based promotion and is expected to make his debut in the coming months.

Manager Steve Rusich of Triple Crown Fighter broke the news Sunday to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

High most recently was seen on the HDNet-televised Titan Fighting Championship 16 event, where he submitted Strikeforce and Bellator vet Rudy Bears with a guillotine choke in 51 seconds. It undoubtedly was a relief to score a quick win after he took respected Japanese veteran Hayato Sakurai the distance at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010" and scored a huge upset with a split decision.

The pair of victories upped High's streak to four after a pair of high-profile losses sent him back to the drawing board. He entered the 2009 DREAM welterweight grand prix and dispatched Yuya Shirai and Andre Galvao in the opening and semifinal rounds, respectively, before getting knocked out by a head kick from Marius Zaromskis in the tournament finale. He then signed a UFC contract only to be released by the promotion after a points loss to Charlie Brenneman at UFC Fight Night 21.

With two recent high-profile victories under his belt, High could provide much-needed depth to the Strikeforce welterweight division. Nick Diaz, the promotion's 170-pound titleholder, could run out of credible competition if he gets through expected clashes this year with slugger Paul Daley and prospect Tyron Woodley.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: Ivy League energy broker John Cholish makes Strikeforce debut

John Cholish, the Cornell-educated wrestler whose impressive education had once been financed by the sale of a 1964 Plymouth Fury, settled into a new financial-industry job in New York City about five years ago.

His college wrestling team had often watched UFC events, so he held a simmering interest in mixed martial arts. One of the first days on the job, he went searching for a new gym.

What luck. With a quick Internet look, Cholish found Renzo Gracie's New York City school, which stood a block away from his new office. After work, he ditched the shirt and tie and started what would become his MMA training.

"I just went over on a Friday," Cholish told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "There was a no-gi class, and I popped right in. I haven't left since."

After using his wrestling instincts too much in a first-fight loss, Cholish (5-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) took a year off, trained further and has won five consecutive fights. The 27-year-old New York City resident tries to advance his budding career further when he takes on "The Ultimate Fighter 12" cast member Marc Stevens (12-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) on Saturday at "Strikeforce and M-1 Global Present: Fedor vs. Silva."

The preliminary-card experience, which airs on HDNet, still has the energy broker buzzing, especially as he balances his training (including travel to Canada in late January) with his day job. The 155-pounder also has increased his number of fights, including three in 2010 with two wins by submission.

The success has caused the New Jersey native who once worked with his father in the junkyard he managed to work harder, meeting more fighters and training in more places. With the flexible work schedule and a growing phone list of allies, Cholish hopes his career will keep moving at the same pace.

"I'm just looking forward to putting on a good show," he said. "I've worked very hard for this."

Off to private school

Cholish's earliest wrestling memories are foggy, so he looks to family photographs to document his youngest days in the sport.

"My dad has this picture hanging in his house still," Cholish said. "I must have been 5 or 6, and they had the smallest singlet they could find on me, but it was still too big."

Cholish, in fact, started wrestling training at age 4, following his former state-champion uncle and father into the sport. The family lived about 45 minutes from Manhattan, and Cholish continued with sports throughout his youth.

His father managed a large junkyard, and he would sometimes take his young son to work with him to separate aluminum, copper and other metals from the bunch.

His mother was a nurse, and then a librarian, which added educational importance to the house. By age 10, Cholish was in advanced wrestling programs and traveling in the evenings for more drilling and training.

When he was in eighth grade, Cholish was presented the option of private school, which he first didn't like. His father traveled with him to a tour of the facility, Delbarton School, and it seemed nice. But it was a new place with new people and basically no long-term wrestling tradition.

But Cholish's family convinced him the move was best, so he took the bus an hour and 15 minutes each day (until he thankfully got his license, which cut the trip to 40 minutes without the stops). He later learned his father sold a cherished 1964 Plymouth Fury to finance some of that education.

After a strong prep career, Cholish was recruited to Cornell, which meant an Ivy League education as well as more wrestling. Leaving the tight group the private school produced, Cholish majored in applied economics and management.

The degree and his athleticism would combine in his post-graduate life, as well.

Googling a new career

Cholish had been in intense situations before as a high-level prep and college wrestler, and then he got into the financial industry in New York.

Talk about high energy.

Through connections, Cholish moved jobs a few times to find areas that were more competitive with higher tempo, and he finally settled on a career as an energy broker. By then, though, he already was an MMA fighter.

He had been training since he Googled for gym locations near that first job. Renzo Gracie's school came up as across the block, and he started into MMA.

His first fight came in September 2007, when he fought outdoors on a baseball field at a Cage Fights show with several members of the Gracie family in his corner.

"I had no foundation in jiu jitsu, and just a few boxing skills," he said. "There was just a little time left in the third round, and I ended up shooting him and got guillotined. It was a good experience, but I knew I needed to learn more."

After the debut experience, Cholish didn't take a fight for another 15 months, instead training at different facilities and learning more about jiu jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing. He returned in December 2008 and beat Chris Connor via unanimous decision.

Then, in a span of 10 months from December 2009 to October 2010, he fought four times and won by stoppage in each.

Since, he has been back to his routine of trading and training, making sure he has time for each, because he has the energy for both.

"I'm trying to work with people who can help me analyze what I'm doing, really help me fix it," Cholish said. "I like different perspectives, because I want to learn as much as I can."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Champ "Shogun" Rua has no issues with Jon Jones as new UFC 128 opponent

Given just six weeks to prepare for a new UFC 128 opponent, UFC light-heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua isn't all that concerned.

Over the weekend, Rua (19-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC), UFC officials and fans learned that an injured Rashad Evans had been forced out of the March 19 title fight with the champ and replaced with Jon Jones (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who defeated Ryan Bader at Saturday's UFC 126 event.

But as Rua told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), it's not up to him to approve or turn down opponents, and he finds Jones more than deserving.

Evans' sprained MCL will keep him sidelined six to eight weeks. The fighter, who's a teammate of Jones' at trainer Greg Jackson's New Mexico camp, earned his title shot with a May win over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and sat on the sidelines awaiting Rua to recover from a knee injury of his own.

Despite spending so much time preparing for Evans, though, Rua doesn't think the switch to Jones is a major change.

"Each fighter is a different fighter with a different style of fighting," he said. "Jon Jones is a very good striker. He has good Muay Thai and a good wrestling base. To be honest with you, it's pretty much the same type of work I was doing training for Rashad Evans – training a lot of wrestling, a lot of Muay Thai. It doesn't change that much."

Jones is just 23 years old, and his pro MMA career has lasted fewer than three years.

Yet Rua believes the former JUCO national wrestling champion is most deserving of his title shot.

"I thought he did pretty well (at UFC 126)," he said. "In all of his fights, he's always winning convincingly. I think he is the guy that deserves to fight for the belt the most right now."

If Jones does win the title and rules the 205-pound division, that could mark Evans' end at light heavyweight. He and Jones have vowed never to fight each other, and that'll mean a move up or down in weight classes to continue his career.

And according to UFC president Dana White, that may just be a bridge Evans has to cross. After all, White thinks Jones could go down as the sport's greatest fighter.

"He was really calm, cool and smooth," White said of Jones. "He handled it like a champion.

"This kid had all the tools to be maybe the best ever someday."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez signs new multi-year agreement

Strikeforce has wrapped up its lightweight champion for the foreseeable future.

Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF), a staple of the San Jose, Calif.-based organization and one of the world's top-ranked 155-pound fighters, has signed a new multi-year deal, officials today announced.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

No return date or opponent have been determined for Melendez's next fight, but it could come at a currently planned April 9 event, which also features the second half of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix's opening round.

"Strikeforce is my home, they've always been like family to me, and I'm looking forward to continuing my career with them," the 27-year-old fighter stated. "There are a lot of great fights out there for me – lots of challenges. I can't wait to get back into the cage, do my thing and show the world that I'm still at the top of my game."

Melendez, who trains under Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Cesar Gracie and Muay Thai legend Jongsanan Fairtex, hasn't fought since an April title defense over Shinya Aoki at "Strikeforce; Nashville." It was his fourth consecutive win, which included a decisive unanimous-decision win over Josh Thomson in which Melendez reclaimed his belt.

Along with the likes of Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez and DREAM champ Aoki, Melendez is one of the few top-ranked 155-pounders not employed by the UFC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 126's Jake Ellenberger says questionable judging out of his hands

Jake Ellenberger is not about to point fingers at the judging process following his split-decision victory over Carlos Eduardo Rocha this past Saturday at UFC 126.

One scorecard curiously had Ellenberger losing all three rounds of the fight despite several takedowns he completed late in the game.

But while Ellenberger doesn't agree with the tally, he said it's his responsibility to make sure the judges never come into play.

"I need to work on finishing fights, and you can't leave it up to the judges," he said after UFC 126.

The two tangled on the main card of the pay-per-view event, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

It was not the fight Ellenberger (24-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had anticipated, both literally and figuratively. Rocha (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) dominated the action early on with a dangerous submission attack, and at times, it looked like Ellenberger was floundering under the pressure. The first round clearly was not his.

The rest, though, seemed comfortably in the 25-year-old Nebraskan's pocket. Ellenberger eventually found his feet, where he pressured the Brazilian before going returning to bread-and-butter wrestling skills to put the fight where he wanted.

"Rocha's tough," Ellenberger said. "He proved that he was tough, and he hung in there. We were here to fight."

Ellenberger previously had been scheduled to meet perennial contender Jon Fitch at the Feb. 5 event before Fitch was rebooked to face former champion B.J. Penn at UFC 127. The split decision was his third victory inside the octagon and extended his winning streak to three. Rocha, meanwhile, suffered his first professional loss.

Judges Abe Belardo and Junichiro Kamijo scored the fight two rounds to one for Ellenberger while Adalaide Byrd scored all three frames for Rocha. Byrd's score drew puzzlement from UFC commentator Joe Rogan, a frequent critic of the judging process in MMA.

"I didn't agree with that (score), but my job is to fight," Ellenberger said.

He previously told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that a meeting with Fitch is bound to happen somewhere down the line.

For now, it's back to work.

"I'm always working (and) always learning, so I came out with a victory," Ellenberger said. "But it's time to move on and go back to training."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tim Kennedy Now Draws Melvin Manhoef at Strikeforce in Ohio

The revolving door of opponents for Tim Kennedy has stopped for at least one more day, as the military veteran will now face the heavy handed Melvin Manhoef on March 5 in Columbus, OH.

The bout has finally been confirmed for the promotion’s debut in the Buckeye state, and the middleweights will get a slot on the televised card on Showtime.

Kennedy has bounced opponents a few times for this card. He was originally rumored to meet Jason “Mayhem” Miller, but that fight fell apart and in stepped young gun Luke Rockhold to seize the opportunity.

A knee injury befell Rockhold so in steps Manhoef to the March 5 card.

Manhoef returns to Strikeforce currently riding a two fight losing streak including a knockout loss to Robbie Lawler, and a submission loss to Tatsuya Mizuno in Dream.

Manhoef is known for having lethal knockout power along with a wild and crazy style that makes for a lot of excitement, and sometimes costs him in fights.

Meanwhile, Kennedy is looking to get back in the title hunt after dropping a five round decision to current champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza last year. This will be Kennedy’s first fight since the title fight.

 

[heyzel]

Manager Says Rashad Evans Will Change Weight Classes If Jon Jones Wins The LHW Title

Co-manager Malki Kawa recently stated that Rashad Evans will not fight Jon Jones if he wins the Light Heavyweight Title. Instead, Kawa says that Evans would change weight classes…

"[Evans] said he doesn't want to fight Jon, and I respect that. If he still feels that way after two or three fights, or after Jon wins or loses the belt, there's a lot of different options. Rashad wants to fight for a championship. He doesn't want some regular fights or whoever it might be. A fight that interests me a lot, and I thought would be a really big payday for him, is a fight against Anderson (Silva).

The thing is, him and Jon have become really tight. And I was never really for them not fighting. But after seeing them, and after seeing what Rashad did when his knee was hurt when he encouraged Jon to go get the title shot, I respect Rashad a lot more. If Rashad says, 'I don't want to do something,' I understand it. The guy's a class act. I personally like him better at middleweight better than I do at heavyweight."

 

[SLRider510]

Co-manager Malki Kawa recently stated that Rashad Evans will not fight Jon Jones if he wins the Light Heavyweight Title. Instead, Kawa says that Evans would change weight classes…

"[Evans] said he doesn't want to fight Jon, and I respect that. If he still feels that way after two or three fights, or after Jon wins or loses the belt, there's a lot of different options. Rashad wants to fight for a championship. He doesn't want some regular fights or whoever it might be. A fight that interests me a lot, and I thought would be a really big payday for him, is a fight against Anderson (Silva).

The thing is, him and Jon have become really tight. And I was never really for them not fighting. But after seeing them, and after seeing what Rashad did when his knee was hurt when he encouraged Jon to go get the title shot, I respect Rashad a lot more. If Rashad says, 'I don't want to do something,' I understand it. The guy's a class act. I personally like him better at middleweight better than I do at heavyweight."

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