MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

7 Fighters Suspended Following Bellator 35

Bellator Fighting Championships women’s 115-pound titleholder Zoila Gurgel was issued a six-month medical suspension by the California State Athletic Commission following her unanimous decision victory over Karina Hallinan at Bellator 35 on Saturday at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Gurgel (Pictured) was suspended for 180 days for a possible right hand fracture. She can be cleared early by a physician. Gurgel swept the scorecards from Hallinan in the non-title affair, as she notched her sixth-consecutive victory. The once-beaten 27-year-old defeated Japanese legend Megumi Fujii by split decision to capture the Bellator crown in October.

Hallinan received a 60-day suspension for a right eye laceration. The Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative has lost her last three fights.

Meanwhile, Bellator Season 4 welterweight tournament semifinalist Brent Weedman was suspended for 60 days due to a facial laceration suffered in his unanimous decision victory over Dan Hornbuckle. The suspension could conceivably compromise his position in the tournament.

Bellator 35 Medical Suspensions

• Jesus Castro: Suspended 45 days, with no contact for 30 days, as a precaution.

• Karina Hallinan: Suspended 60 days for right eye laceration.

• Zoila Gurgel: Suspended 180 days for possible right hand fracture but may be cleared by a physician.

• Brent Weedman: Suspended 60 days for facial laceration but may be cleared by a physician.

• Jim Wallhead: Suspended 60 days for right eye laceration but may be cleared by a physician.

• Waachiim Spiritwolf: Suspended 60 days for facial laceration but may be cleared by a physician.

• Jaime Jara: Suspended 60 days for multiple facial lacerations but may be cleared by a physician.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce's Masvidal wants "toughest guy out there," may draw Noons on April 9

Strikeforce contender Jorge Masvidal has his eyes on current lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, but with just one win for the promotion since 2008, he knows he may have to wait.

In the meantime, "Gamebred" wants to stay busy against the best competition the promotion can find.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that may very well be K.J. Noons, and the two might clash as soon as April's "Diaz vs. Daley" event.

Featuring a pair of title fights with welterweight champ Nick Diaz facing Paul Daley and lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez meeting Tatsuya Kawajiri, "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" takes place April 9 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif.

Fighting under the Strikeforce banner for the first time since 2008, Masvidal earned a unanimous-decision win over the previously undefeated Billy Evangelista at this past weekend's "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" event. Following the win, Masvidal said he believed he should be considered among the promotion's top lightweights.

"I know Billy had like six- or seven-straight wins for Strikeforce, so he's definitely got to be up there," Masvidal said. "If I can't fight for the title, then the next toughest guy out there I'd like to fight and kick his butt."

Noons, meanwhile, is looking to return to action for the first time since October, when he lost a unanimous decision to Nick Diaz in a bid for Strikeforce's welterweight title. Now Noons drops back down to his natural weightclass.

Prior to the loss, Noons had been on a six-fight winning streak.

Of course, the matchup isn't yet a done deal. First, Masvidal would need to be released from an indefinite medical suspension issued by the Ohio Athletic Commission.

Secondly, the organization needs to decide if it has room on the April 9 fight card. With a pair of title fights already official for the event, the evening's Showtime broadcast will have room for just two additional fight bookings, according to Coker.

With Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi official, and Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm all but set, the Masvidal-Noons showdown could be pushed back to a later event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 35 salaries: Welterweight tourney winners each bank $20K

All competitors from the first round of Bellator's season-four welterweight tournament took home a minimum of $10,000, and double that if they won.

At Bellator 35, which took place this past Saturday at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, four fighters advanced to the semifinals: former champ Lyman Good, Jay Hieron, Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today requested and received the list of paydays from the California State Athletic Commission.

Bellator 35 aired live on MTV 2.

Hieron earned the fastest win of the tournament when he submitted Anthony Lapsley with a rear-naked choke in the first round. However, the stoppage did not come without controversy. Lapsley immediately protested and said he was still in the fight after referee Josh Rosenthal checked to see if he was conscious while Hieron applied the submission hold.

Regardless, Hieron will advance to the semifinals.

Good handed Chris Lozano his first professional defeat with a unanimous decision, and Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman both picked up unanimous decisions over Jim Wallhead and Dan Hornbuckle, respectively.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $142,000.

The full list of salaries includes.

Lyman Good: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Chris Lozano $10,000

Jay Hieron: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Anthony Lapsley: $10,000

Rick Hawn: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Jim Wallhead: $10,000

Brent Weedman: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Dan Hornbuckle: $10,000

Joachiim Spiritwolf: $2,000 (includes $1,000 win bonus)
def. Jamie Jara: $1,000

Brandon Bender: $3,000 (includes $1,500 win bonus)
def. Josh Herrick: $1,000

Champ Zoila Frausto: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Karina Halinan: $1,500

Paul Ruiz: $1,000 (includes $500 win bonus)
def. Jesus Castro: $500

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income.

In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not necessarily represent the total amounts earned by each fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Signs 4-Year Broadcast Deal with Rogers Sportsnet for Canada

The UFC has a television home in Canada.

The promotion announced on Monday that they have signed a four year deal with Rogers Sportsnet for broadcast rights to UFC programming in Canada.

Sportsnet will broadcast UFC programming including preliminary UFC pay-per-view broadcasts, UFC Fight Nights as well as the “Ultimate Fighter” series.

The deal will also see international non pay-per-view broadcasts live on the network.

“We’re excited to announce a new deal with Rogers Sportsnet that will put the UFC in millions of homes in Canada,” UFC President Dana White said. “Canada is an amazing market for this sport and we look forward to bringing the fans more UFC programming. We’re happy to have a strong television partner in Canada like Rogers Sportsnet.”

The deal reaches millions of homes in Canada with Rogers Sportsnet taking over the UFC broadcasts in the country.

“This is great news for the UFC and our fans,” said Tom Wright, UFC Director of Canadian Operations. “Canadians are hungry for UFC shows and segments and now have so much to look forward to as we continue to grow the sport together with Sportsnet.”

The UFC has found a great home with Canadian fans, opening an office there last year, and now this new deal will bring a new TV partner along for the ride.

 

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[Shogun Locc]

14-Fight Lineup Finalized for Shark Fights 14

Strikeforce veteran Lucas Lopes (Pictured) will meet the twice-beaten Mike Bronzoulis in a featured welterweight match at Shark Fights 14 “Horwich vs. Villefort” on Friday at the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. Promoters have finalized a 14-fight lineup for the event, which will air live on HDNet.

Lopes, 31, will enter the matchup on a three-fight losing streak. The well-traveled Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner last appeared at Strikeforce “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” in December, when he submitted to a first-round guillotine choke from Cortez Coleman at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. A Finney’s MMA representative, Lopes has secured more than half (10) of his 19 career victories by knockout or technical knockout. Wins over American Top Team’s Thiago Alves, UFC exile Antonio Mendes, Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Herbert Goodman and EliteXC alum Robert “Bubba” McDaniel highlight his resume.

Based in Houston, Bronzoulis has rattled off three consecutive wins and has lost only once in his past 13 outings. The 32-year-old last competed under the Legacy Fighting Championships banner in January, when he stopped Bellator veteran Joe Christopher on third-round punches at the Houston Arena Theater in Houston. Bronzoulis, who owns half a dozen first-round finishes as a professional, fought current UFC lightweight Kamal Shalorus to a majority draw in 2009.

A middleweight showdown pitting former International Fight League champion Matt Horwich against American Top Team’s Danillo Villefort will headline Shark Fights 14, along with a 125-pound women’s matchup pairing Tara LaRosa with Carina Damm.

Shark Fights 14 “Horwich vs. Villefort”
Friday, March 11
Fair Park Coliseum
Lubbock, Texas

Matt Horwich vs. Danillo Villefort
Tara LaRosa vs. Carina Damm
Lucas Lopes vs. Mike Bronzoulis
Alex Cisne vs. Eric Davila
Sean Shakour vs. Joseph Sandoval
Eric Saavedra vs. Artenas Young
Layne Hernandez vs. Gabriel Vasquez
Donnie Frye vs. Quaint Kempf
Larry Garcia vs. Derek Cansino
Matt Espinoza vs. Ryan Benoit
Matt Dodgen vs. Gino Davila
Mark Martinez vs. Jonathan Valencia
Cesar Rodriguez Jr. vs. Tommy Gomez
Matt Hobar vs. Jeremy Gauna

 

[Shogun Locc]

Confident in new training regimen, UFC's Kyle Kingsbury eyes quick return

The planets haven't aligned just yet for Kyle Kingsbury.

The light heavyweight has battled serious ailments during or before his three most recent fights, and he's looking forward to the day where there's only one opponent to face in the octagon.

After being stricken with a fever 24 hours before his most recent outing, a 21-second knockout victory of Ricardo Romero this past month at UFC 126, Kingsbury (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) said he's feeling fine and has asked the UFC for a short-notice fight, if possible.

"I'll be ready for it," he today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But if not, and they say [I'm] going to fight in four months, I'll be OK with that, too. Because I'm going to make good use of my time. I'm not going to be resting on my laurels.

"There's too much to do at the gym."

The cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter 8" splits his time between Phoenix, where he works with UFC vets Ryan Bader, C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson, and San Jose, Calif., where he trains for fights at American Kickboxing Academy.

Not long after he was outworked by Tom Lawlor in his first post-TUF performance, Kingsbury joined AKA to take a step up in training after joining the reality show with a little more than a year of professional experience under his belt.

Bouncing between the gyms has helped him evolve from his roots as a football player to a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

"With the variety of training partners I have right now, it keeps things fresh," Kingsbury said. "I don't spend much time out of the gym. You see a guy like Jon Fitch and Cain Velasquez, they have reputations of being in the gym all the time. I definitely feel the same about myself. But it makes it easier when you have a new look. I feel very fortunate, and I think it showed in my last fight."

Kingsbury now enjoys a three-fight win streak inside the octagon that includes wins over Razak Al-Hassan, Jared Hamman and Romero. The victories were all the more impressive considering he went into the Al-Hassan fight with a separated rib, had a stomach flu in the fight against Hamman and had the fever for Romero.

But Kingsbury also attributes his success to another relationship that he's cultivated since his appearance on "TUF 8," and it's not the first one you'd think of when it comes to world of MMA. Following his loss to Lawlor, he was introduced to Victor Conte, who went to prison in 2005 for his role in the BALCO scandal, and the two struck up a friendship.

"I had heard everything about Victor and BALCO, and I was a little hesitant," Kingsbury said. "But I sat down with him, and I thought we were going to talk for maybe 20 minutes. The first time we met each other, we talked for three hours. He opened up to me."

Kingsbury is now sponsored by Conte's new supplement company, Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC), and has adopted an altitude training regimen that he said has made a "big time" difference in his ability to stay fresh in later rounds.

Kingsbury was one of several athletes, including baseball player Marlon Byrd and boxer Nonito Donaire, that were featured in a profile of Conte for HBO's "Real Sports."

While some might raise an eyebrow at the affiliation, Kingsbury said it's not what people think.

"Believe me, nobody's supplements get tested further than Victor's do," he said. "I fully trust that he's doing everything on the up and up now. He knows where he's getting his products from manufacturer-wise, and everything that he's doing is on the up and up.

"All of us have been tested thoroughly. Everything has come back good. Not that we were worried about that, but it definitely answers some questions for people who are raising questions."

Currently, Kingsbury is working at Power MMA helping Aaron Simpson prepare for a March 26 fight against Mario Miranda.

There are not too many light heavyweight fights on the calendar in the next few months, so Kingsbury may have to wait before he returns to the octagon. But that's more time to improve his game.

Someday, he'll get a chance to fight at 100 percent.

"I feel like I'm learning a lot quickly, and it's starting to show in my fights," he said. "I still feel very fortunate to be in the UFC. I understood how I did on the show, and I'm just happy that they've given me the opportunity to fulfill my potential and grow as a fighter. I'm just going to accept whoever they throw at me."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128's Almeida vs. Pyle, Pellegrino vs. Tibau to stream on Facebook

Do you "Like" the UFC?

If so, you'll be able to watch two additional bouts from this month's blockbuster "UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones" event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has confirmed that UFC officials are planning on streaming a pair of UFC 128 preliminary bouts – Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle and Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau – on Facebook.com.

Pellegrino first revealed the plans on Monday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

The UFC's Facebook page has been used to stream UFC Fight Night 23, UFC 126, UFC 127 and UFC on Versus 3 preliminary-card fights. As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, UFC president Dana White plans to make the social-networking giant a fixture with its future broadcast efforts.

The latest UFC 128 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

* Champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon Jones (for light-heavyweight title)
* Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
* Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall
* Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch*
* Nick Catone vs. Dan Miller

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Minotouro says Shogun’s heavy hands will defeat Jones

One of the most expected fights of 2011 will be the first title defense of the UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who’ll face the newcomer Jon Jones on UFC 128, which happens on March 19th.

The American is been cheered by the local media and pointed out as the favorite, but the ones who are aware of the power of Shogun’s hands know well the difficulties Jones will go through. That’s the case of Rogerio “Minotouro” Nogueira, who fought the current champion back on Pride’s GP, in 2005.

The athletes had one of the greatest battles in all history and each knock the other down once, but Shogun was declared the winner on a unanimous decision of the judges. Having met him closely, Minotouro revealed to TATAME that he considers the Brazilian the favorite and believe the belt shall remain here, in Brazil.

“It’ll be a pretty tough fight, there’re no doubts. Jon Jones is the guy now, people are creating great expectations about him, but particularly disagree. In my opinion, Shogun has a sharper Boxing than Jones, and he has got more game. Jon Jones is talented, has a great reach, but he hasn’t confronted a guy like Shogun. I believe Shogun will win this one, I’d bet on him, because I believe he has got more game than Jones. But every fight is unique, right?”, commented the fighter, who’ll fight Phil Davis on UFC Fight Night 24, on March 26th.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tito Ortiz Wants to Return Soon, Fight Forrest Griffin for Third Time

After pulling out of his main event fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira later this month thanks to a training injury, Tito Ortiz said he will be ready to fight again later this spring – and wants a trilogy fight with Forrest Griffin.

Ortiz, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, was scheduled to face Nogueira at the UFC's Fight Night card in Seattle on March 26. But last month, a cut suffered in an accidental sparring headbutt required 22 stitches. On Monday, he told Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" losing training time for an opponent of Nogueira's caliber would be a crucial setback.

"I just got the stitches out at the end of last week, and I'm not able to wrestle for another week and a half," Ortiz said. "I can't take three weeks off and (be prepared) for Nogueira – it's impossible to do. So I had to pull out of the fight."

Stepping in to replace Ortiz in the fight, which airs live on Spike TV, is unbeaten Phil Davis. UFC Fight Night 24 is the promotion's Washington debut and takes place at the Key Arena in Seattle.

Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) last won a fight in October 2006, his third fight – and third win – against UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. Since then, he suffered a TKO to Chuck Liddell in a light heavyweight title fight at UFC 66, had a draw with Rashad Evans and has lost decisions to Lyoto Machida, Griffin and Matt Hamill.

Ortiz also spent some time embroiled with UFC president Dana White in a highly publicized feud before reconciling and returning to the promotion to fight Griffin at UFC 106 and has had several back and neck surgeries.

Ortiz told Helwani he expects to be in fighting condition within three weeks and wants to start preparing for his next fight – and hopes that fight will be against Griffin. Ortiz said comments Griffin made toward him on Twitter are the impetus for wanting a third fight with the Season 1 champion of "The Ultimate Fighter," also a former UFC light heavyweight champ.

"Hopefully in May or June," Ortiz said about a possible return. "It's up to Dana and the UFC to let the fight happen. I know people want to see me fight again, so let's do a Forrest-Ortiz 3. He's a former world champion, our last two fights have been awesome – so let's just put on a 3."

Ortiz won a split decision at UFC 59, handing Griffin his first UFC loss. At UFC 106, the judges again were split – this time giving the nod to Griffin. Though there hasn't necessarily been any major outcry from fans wanting to see a third Griffin-Ortiz fight, Ortiz believes the fight makes sense, especially given Griffin's brief Twitter trash talk.

"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise – maybe he's just looking for a (butt) whooping," Ortiz said. "Our last two fights were great fights. They were close. The last one I thought I won, but they gave it to him. So let's just make the third time better than the last two. I guess the fans will speak loudest, so let's make the fans make some noise."

Ortiz said many fighters want to face him in order to make a name for themselves, perhaps playing off his status as a former UFC champion – and as one of the most popular, and polarizing, figures in MMA history.

"Take a ticket and wait in line," Ortiz said of being called out. "I don't know – they want to have their name associated with me? No one else is worthwhile? I don't know why people do it. They want to be famous? I guess me being as infamous as I am, these guys can get on me and the only way for them to be recognized is to fight a big name like me. I think it's cool. I think it's funny. Take your ticket and wait in line, and Forrest – I'll give you the No. 1 ticket."

Whether or not the UFC books a Griffin-Ortiz trilogy fight remains to be seen. But before Ortiz had to pull out of the Nogueira fight, White said he was in a "must-win" situation – that he likely needs to win, or retire. Ortiz said after his loss to Hamill, he wasn't worried about the UFC cutting him and cautioned that despite his losing streak, he has plenty left in the tank, despite what White might think.

"I'm not getting knocked out, I'm not getting submitted, I'm not getting dominated completely," Ortiz said. "I'm competing against some of the best guys in the world, and when I'm going night-night after a punch, maybe I've got to think about retiring. But until that time, I still think I'm capable of competing against any of these guys."

And high-level opponents are what Ortiz said he wants. He said he has no interest in helping smaller-name fighters climb the ladder – and would prefer to only take part in bouts against other fighters of his stature.

"Every guy that I've ever fought that never had a name, I end of giving him a name by fighting him," Ortiz said. "I'm sick of doing that. I'm sick of having guys build off my name. I'll fight guys who have already been in there with me and we have great fights against each other, or have been world champions. I deserve that respect. That's just the way it is."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Heath Herring Wants MMA Return, but Only on Own Terms

Away from MMA competition for nearly three years, UFC heavyweight Heath Herring says he definitely wants to return to the cage -- but only under the right circumstances.

"It would have to make sense not only business-wise, but financially as well and I just don't know if that's in the cards at this moment," Herring told Ariel Helwani Monday on MMAFighting.com's The MMA Hour.

On the show, Herring said he has not been training MMA full-time and would need to devote the majority of his time towards training if he wants to be fight in today's competitive landscape.

This means the incentive to fight would have to be great enough for him to set aside his current outside projects. Herring has taken to acting, co-hosting an internet radio show and even enjoying a respectable run on the poker circuit. In January, Herring finished fourth and won $38,000 in a televised poker event.

Herring, who turned 33 last week, began competing in MMA in 1997 and was last seen inside the Octagon losing to Brock Lesnar at UFC 87. He hasn't fought in part due to contractual issues with the UFC. While Herring refused to elaborate on the disagreement, he said he attempted to step out of his contract "out of principle." Herring hopes the dispute will be resolved soon and has already received calls from other promotions.

Now sporting a heavy beard, Herring admits he still misses MMA, but the extent of his participation in the sport has been limited to training with up-and-coming amateur fighters and the occasional cornering work. However, Herring says he keeps up with with the news and whether he eventually decides to return or not, expects to always be around the sport. After all, there's no way to escape the 14 years of his life he's already dedicated towards MMA.

"You can't be in something this long and not be a part of it, to not be interested and not care," Herring said. "You can pretend that you don't -- even like [Andre] Agassi when he says he hates tennis, he still watches, he's still around it. It's just a big part of your life."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Miguel Torres vs. Brad Pickett official for May's UFC 130 in Las Vegas

An enticing bantamweight battle between Miguel Torres (39-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) next meets fellow Brad Pickett (20-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is now official for UFC 130.

Torres first Tweeted about the matchup in February, and UFC brass recently made the contest official.

UFC 130 takes place May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It's the UFC's latest Memorial Day weekend show based in Sin City.

The night's main card, including a third fight between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, airs on pay-per-view. While the final bout order and broadcast plans have yet to be released, Torres vs. Pickett likely will be part of a preliminary card that will air or stream in some fashion.

Torres, a former WEC 135-pound champion, lost his belt to Brian Bowles in 2009 and suffered a subsequent submission defeat to Joseph Benavidez in early 2010. The back-to-back losses snapped the veteran's 17-fight win streak, which was built mostly in his native Indiana. However, he got back in the win column with a submission victory over Charlie Valencia at WEC 51, and recently at UFC 126, he scored a tactical decision victory over Antonio Banuelos.

British fighter Pickett, a former WEC fighter, now makes his own UFC debut. The well-rounded fighter went 3-1 in the WEC, and the lone defeat came to contender Scott Jorgensen. However, "One Punch," a former Cage Rage champion, rebounded and closed out his WEC career in winning fashion with a decision victory over Ivan Menjivar at WEC 53.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Bellator 35 debut nets 200,000 viewers, massive increases in key MTV2 demos

Bellator's season-four debut event netted 200,000 viewers for MTV2's live broadcast, and the immediate replay maintained 63.5 percent of the original audience with 127,000 fans tuning in.

Most importantly, the figures represented a massive increase in key demographics for the cable channel.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from industry sources that Bellator 35's ratings viewership represented an 83 percent increase in men ages 18 to 49 years old, 80 percent rise in men ages 18 to 34 years old and a whopping 133 percent increase in men ages 25 to 34 years old.

Bellator 35 took place this past Saturday at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. The live broadcast featured the four quarterfinal matchups of Bellator's season-four welterweight tournament. Lyman Good, Rick Hawn, Jay Hieron and Brent Weedman all earned victories and advanced to the tournament's semifinals.

The second hour of the live broadcast went head-to-head with Showtime's live broadcast of "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson."

The Bellator 35 broadcast peaked with 231,000 viewers. Industry sources said the event gave the network its best time-period performance among men ages 25 to 34 years old in one year and largest viewership of men ages 18 to 49 years old since October 2010.

Belator's fourth season is the promotion's first to air on MTV2. The organization's first season aired on ESPN Deportes, and season two and three aired on FOX Sports Net.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Bellator 35 debut nets 200,000 viewers, massive increases in key MTV2 demos

Bellator's season-four debut event netted 200,000 viewers for MTV2's live broadcast, and the immediate replay maintained 63.5 percent of the original audience with 127,000 fans tuning in.

Most importantly, the figures represented a massive increase in key demographics for the cable channel.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from industry sources that Bellator 35's ratings viewership represented an 83 percent increase in men ages 18 to 49 years old, 80 percent rise in men ages 18 to 34 years old and a whopping 133 percent increase in men ages 25 to 34 years old.

Bellator 35 took place this past Saturday at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. The live broadcast featured the four quarterfinal matchups of Bellator's season-four welterweight tournament. Lyman Good, Rick Hawn, Jay Hieron and Brent Weedman all earned victories and advanced to the tournament's semifinals.

The second hour of the live broadcast went head-to-head with Showtime's live broadcast of "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson."

The Bellator 35 broadcast peaked with 231,000 viewers. Industry sources said the event gave the network its best time-period performance among men ages 25 to 34 years old in one year and largest viewership of men ages 18 to 49 years old since October 2010.

Belator's fourth season is the promotion's first to air on MTV2. The organization's first season aired on ESPN Deportes, and season two and three aired on FOX Sports Net.

 

[drunkaholic707]

"Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" draws 412,000 viewers to Showtime

Strikeforce's heavyweights have left big shoes to fill.

The California-based promotion's most recent offering on Showtime, "Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson," averaged 412,000 viewers.

That's a 44 percent decline in average viewership compared to the record-shattering numbers of "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," which hosted the first quarterfinal matchups of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the numbers with an industry source.

"Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson" took place this past Saturday at Nationwide Arena, in Columbus, Ohio, and aired live on Showtime. The event drew a reported attendance of 7,123.

Although the numbers represent a steep decline from February's peak ratings, the event's viewership is consistent with previous events from this past year's "Arena Series." In 2010, the promotion averaged 426,000 viewers for six major fight cards broadcast on Showtime.

In fact, the average numbers from this past Saturday's broadcast match those garnered by this past June's "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum."

Strikeforce started the year on an uptick with "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg," which took place this past January and averaged 561,000 viewers with a peak of 853,000. However, that event was undoubtedly bolstered by the appearance of former NFL star Herschel Walker, who defeated Scott Carson on the event's main card.

"Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson" featured two title fights: Dan Henderson seized his fourth major MMA title with a third-round TKO of Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, and women's welterweight champion Marloes Coenen defended her belt for the first time with a fourth-round submission of Liz Carmouche.

The heavyweight grand prix returns June 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas and features the second quarterfinal event of the tournament.

Strikeforce first began airing on Showtime, a premium-cable station with approximately 18 million subscribers, in April 2009. A total of 26 Strikeforce events have aired on Showtime (and an additional two on CBS), including both "Arena Series" and "Challengers Series" shows.

 

[drunkaholic707]

"UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields," future pay-per-views, to start one hour earlier

Take heed East Coast UFC fans. You'll soon be getting a little more sleep.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has confirmed that April's "UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields" pay-per-view broadcast will air one hour earlier than past shows. Rogers SportsNet's "Showdown" Joe Ferraro first reported the change on Monday night.

The new start time of 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT is expected to remain in place for future shows, as well.

The pay-per-view broadcasts will still remain three hours in length.

UFC executives have yet to officially announce the change, but sources close to the promotion indicated the decision was made at least in part with East Coast fight fans in mind, who currently sign-off from events at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Nearly half of the U.S. population lives in the Eastern Time Zone, which consists of all or at least part of 23 different states, as well as the District of Columbia. Major Canadian markets Montreal and Toronto are also in the time zone.

The new plan will not affect March's "UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones" or "UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis" broadcasts.

 

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UFC signs heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo to multi-fight deal


The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a new heavyweight with some good grappling chops.

Two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club division champ Jon Olav Einemo (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the promotion, according to a release Monday from his fight team, Golden Glory.

There's no word yet on when the Norwegian will make his octagon debut.

It's been a while since Einemo stepped into the spotlight. He has not competed professionally since November 2006, when he submitted James Thompson by armbar at "Too Hot To Handle: Pride and Honor." That win put him back on the right track after his first career setback when Fabricio Werdum beat him on points at PRIDE 31.

Then Einemo took a long break. It was the second major layoff of his career after a serious infection in his leg took him out of competition from 2003 to 2006, according to a report today on Sherdog.com.

In the grappling world, Einemo holds the distinction of being the first man to defeat ADCC absolute champion Roger Gracie.

All but one of Einemo's professional wins come by way of first-round submission.