MMA News Thread

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UFC champ Jon Jones scores "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" appearance

Where's Ed McMahon when you need him?

While the UFC's new light heavyweight champ won't get the experience of longtime announcer McMahon's signature, "Here's Johnny," introduction, Jon Jones is heading to "The Tonight Show."

UFC president Dana White today announced via Twitter that Jones will appear on Thursday night's edition of the 67-year-old NBC franchise.

"Congrats, Jon Jones," White wrote. "First UFC fighter to do the 'The Tonight Show' with Jay Leno.

"The hits keep on coming! Tune in Thursday on NBC!"

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the booking with additional UFC executives. The official lineup for "The Tonight Show" does not yet reflect the appointment.

While Jones' scintillating performance in a one-sided TKO victory over former UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua should be enough for the attention "Bones" has received since the win, the charismatic 23-year-old will unquestionably be asked to detail his crimefighting episode as well.

In a shocking turn of events just hours before his UFC 128 bout, Jones and his coaching staff chased and detained a would-be thief in Paterson, N.J.

 

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"TUF 14" tryouts draw notables Din Thomas, Wagnney Fabiano, Micah Miller, Kit Cope

Some 400 hopefuls turned out today at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott in Newark, N.J., to audition for the 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Seen in the crowd were a few familiar faces: UFC vet Din Thomas, who appeared on the show's fourth season, and WEC vets Wagnney Fabiano, Micah Miller and Ian McCall.

"The Ultimate Fighter 14," which begins production this summer and debuts in the fall on Spike TV, is expected to feature bantamweight and/or featherweight fighters. It's the first time the reality show has featured competitors in the UFC's lightest weight classes.

Although not confirmed by the promotion, bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are believed to be frontrunners to coach the show. UFC president Dana White confirmed this past weekend following UFC 128 that the two bantamweights are set to meet sometime this year, though he stopped short of confirming the bout as the traditional season-ending fight between "TUF" coaches.

In what's become a customary part of the reality show's tryouts, lines ran long and time ran short for fighters to show their stuff. Each hopeful had a couple of minutes – tops – to grapple and strike before White, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, and officials from Spike TV.

But there was added incentive to impress, at least during the grappling portion of the tryout: a cash bonus. White plunked down a stack of $100 bills at his table and offered a C-note to anyone who earned a tapout.

"I didn't have a chance to tap (someone)," said 39-year-old bantamweight Alexis Villa, a former Olympic wrestler from Cuba who now resides with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. "You only have two minutes that you can do it. But I controlled the position the whole time. I was controlling the guy."

Vila had made it through the initial tryouts when he spoke to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and was waiting for the interview portion of the audition.

"He's probably on paper the No. 1 guy here," said Ron Foster, a former matchmaker for Shine Fights who now works with STARS MMA and ML Management. "The guy's a monster."

With his thick Cuban accent, Vila is a prime candidate for subtitles.

26-year-old featherweight Josh Tyler, a former Golden Gloves champion and wrestler at Old Dominion University, was still waiting to get in the room.

"I guess with being a fighter and competitor, I feel like everywhere I go, I find myself sizing people up," he said. "I don't know if that's because I'm 145 and a little guy and that's just what us little fellas do.

"You can get a pretty good idea of people and where they are – not so much their outward appearance, but their attitude. The look in their eyes. I think you can tell a lot from that. There's so many people out there that will surprise you."

Pablo Alfonso, a 28-year-old bantamweight, was certainly shocked when he grappled for White and the remainder of the judging panel. His partner was 177 pounds and normally competed at lightweight.

"I tried to entertain Dana," Alfonso said. "They didn't call my name. But you know what? I'm motivated right now. I want to continue fighting and prove them wrong."

 

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UFC Fight Night 24: Hardy and Johnson Fighting Like They Are the Main Event

This weekend when the UFC heads to Seattle for the latest installment of the UFC Fight Night series, the posters say that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis are the main event, but two fighters under them believe when the night is over, they will have stolen the show.

The welterweight co-main event pitting former title contender Dan Hardy against Anthony Johnson promises to be a slugfest with both fighters promising a stand-up war when they meet in the Octagon.

They both believe that whether they actually get the top spot or not, when Saturday night’s event is over, it’s Hardy vs. Johnson that everyone will be talking about.

“We want to keep it on the feet, give everybody what they want, what they paid their money for. In my opinion, that’s why we should be the main event, instead of the co-main event,” Johnson proclaimed on Monday. “Because we are the guys that are going to have the crowd on their feet and giving them what they want, and that’s standing and banging.”

Hardy admits that hearing Bruce Buffer calling his name for the main event is a pretty special feeling, but ultimately the fans are the ones who will tell the UFC what fight it is they want to see the most.

“I just like listening to Bruce (Buffer) say ‘in the main event’ at the top of his voice. That just gets me real excited. That’s the best thing for me,” Hardy said about being in the main event.

“Regardless of where you are on the card, the fans let you know the fight they want to see the most. I think the volume in the arena alone’s going to let everyone know what the main event was.”

The fight between Hardy and Johnson pits two of the hardest strikers in the welterweight division against one another. On paper the bout promises to be a battle where someone will end their night staring up at the lights.

Johnson doesn’t want to take anything away from current main eventers Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis however, but he still thinks that his fight with Hardy is the one everyone is tuning in for.

“That’s what (the fans) are already saying and the fight hasn’t even started,” Johnson stated about their fight being considered the main event. “No disrespect to the guys on the main event, cause they are the main event, but the fans are really, really looking at this fight non-stop.

“Do we deserve it? We don’t deserve anything till it’s given to us or the fans say so. If the UFC says we’re co-main event status, we’ll take that, but we’ll fight like we’re the main event.”

Hardy and Johnson face off this weekend in Seattle at UFC Fight Night 24.

 

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[Shogun Locc]

Jim Miller wants a title shot

The American Jim Miller conquered his seventh win in a row Saturday (19) as he knocked out the Iranian Kamal Shalorus, on UFC 128 on a great performance. The fighter has defeated athletes like the Brazilian Gleison Tibau and Charles do Bronx’s, and never spoke up or asked for a title shot. But this time, Miller stated to TATAME that there’s no certain moment for a guy to earn a chance to fight for the belt, which currently is on Frankie Edgar’s waist.

“I see myself near the top. Like Dana was saying, there’s a lot going on in our division, so we need to see how everything pans out. I’ll fight who they put in front of me. , I think I deserve it more than Guida. Pettis, if he wins, they’ll unify the WEC and UFC belt, so that makes sense. If he loses, I think I should be right up there knocking on the door”, said Miller. Check below the complete interview with the fighter.

First of all, things happened like you had planned?

Pretty much. You know, I figured he would try to stand and try to hit me. I knew he was a big puncher, so I tried to fit him straight punches and I worked on my takedowns and tried to work them. That’s what I end up doing and found my opportunity to finish the fight.

Your last fight against Oliveira was seen as a bright future for the Brazilian fans and the press, and you won. Were you surprised to be considered the underdog on this fight too?

I was a little surprised to be considered the underdog on this fight. Charles is a very tough fighter and he has tons of potential, he’ll definitely be a tough guy to fight with in the future, I personally think he’s a little small for 155lbs right now, I think he would do better on 145lbs, so in a couple of years we’ll see because there are lots of big boys on the lightweight division.

Where do you see yourself on this division?

I see myself near the top. Like Dana was saying, there’s a lot going on in our division, so we need to see how everything pans out. I’ll fight who they put in front of me.

Do you think you deserve a title shot more than Pettis or Guida?

You know, I think I deserve it more than Guida. Pettis, if he wins, they’ll unify the WEC and UFC belt, so that makes sense. If he loses, I think I should be right up there knocking on the door.

Unfortunately your brother didn’t win. What did you think about his fight?

It’s a tough fight. We knew Nate was a tough fighter, and there’s a lot of stress and pressure on both of us, fighting back to back, and it just happens sometimes. Sometimes it’s not your night. He fought hard and I’m proud of him, and we know he’ll come back stronger.

Do you think he’ll come back hungrier after a loss?

A little bit, yes. I always feed of his fighting, I get more excited when he’s fighting and I fight after him. It’s tough when he losses and I have to go out there, and it kind of piss me off a little bit, so I think I’m going in this fight and I’m going to beat this kid up.

Do you watch his fights or do you concentrate on yours?

I watch his fights. You know, I was trying to warm up and keep myself warm and not physic myself watching his, so I didn’t watch it intently as I usually watch, but you couldn’t stop me from watching (laughs).

Give me your thought about Edgar VS. Gray and Pettis VS. Guida?

I think Frankie’s going to pick it where he loss off, and then use that work. Gray you never know… Gray might come in with the same game plan and try to hit him, and he does hit hard, he’s dangerous, but I still think Frankie will be able to overcome that, and stay with the title on his hands. I feel that Guida is a tough fight for Pettis, to be honest. I think that once he gets Pettis to the ground, you know, Clay has done so good on his last couple of fights on the mat, and it’ll probably solve things out.

How do you see this division with the merger between WEC and UFC and the future of lightweights with Strikeforce coming? Will it be the toughest division?

(laughs) Oh yeah, there’re lots of tough guys in the lightweight division now, which is exciting. There’re lots of great fights out there and a lot of great fighters, so we all have to be on the top of our game, so it should be tough.

You want a title shot before UFC merging with Strikeforce, right? (laughs)

(laughs) I hope so. That’s the seventh win in a row for me, I have more wins since I sign then anybody else on UFC, since 2008. I definitely state my claim. If they give it to me, they give it to me.

 

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Integrated Sports Media announces "George St-Pierre: Rush To The Top" PPV special

New Jersey-based pay-per-view distributor Integrated Sports Media today announced the impending release of "George St-Pierre: Rush To The Top," a one-hour special focusing on the early career of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

According to the release, the special will feature footage from all six of St-Pierre's non-UFC fights.

The special debuts April 1 on DirecTV and DISH Network, April 11 on Avail-TVN and April 12 on iN DEMAND. Replays run throughout April and May.

The pay-per-view costs $9.95.

"We're thrilled and privileged to bring this unique footage of St-Pierre, the No. 1-ranked welterweight in the world and reigning UFC champion in the 170-pound division, to MMA fans in the U.S.," Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs stated in the official release. "This exciting six-fight package is where it all started for one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time."

St-Pierre opened his career under the Canadian-based TKO and UCC banners and went 5-0 on the regional circuit. That run included wins over MMA notables Thomas Denny, Ivan Menjivar and Pete Spratt. The early success earned him a January 2004 call-up to the UFC, where earned a decision win over Karo Parisyan.

Following a 2-1 stretch in the UFC, St-Pierre fought once more outside of the promotion in a January 2005 win over Dave Strasser.

St-Pierre has since fought exclusively under the UFC banner.

St-Pierre next defends his welterweight title against Jake Shields at April's UFC 129 event.

 

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Figueroa vs. McDonald official; UFC Fight Night 24 complete with 12 bouts

The 12th and final bout for Saturday's UFC Fight Night 24 event is now official, and the card's lineup is again complete.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, promotional newcomer Edwin Figueroa (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has replaced an injured Nick Pace (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and now meets fellow bantamweight Michael McDonald (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the night's preliminary card.

UFC Fight Night 24 place March 26 at KeyArena in Seattle. The night's main card airs live on Spike TV.

Figueroa, a four-year pro who's fought primarily in his home state of Texas, owns seven stoppage victories among seven career wins. Five have come via knockout and two via submission. Although most of his wins have come against journeymen and low-level fighters, he recently scored a TKO victory over Bellator vet Johnny Bedford (16-8-1 at the time).

McDonald makes his UFC debut after a successful one-fight stint in the promotion's recently merged sister organization, the WEC. Then just 19 years old, McDonald submitted Clint Godfrey in fewer than three minutes at WEC 52. McDonald has earned all 11 of his career wins via stoppage and has fought out of the first round just twice.

With the official addition, the UFC Fight Night 24 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis
* Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson
* DaMarques Johnson vs. Amir Sadollah
* Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Alex Caceres vs. Mackens Semerzier
* Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow
* John Hathaway vs. Kris McCray
* Edwin Figueroa vs. Michael McDonald
* Sean McCorkle vs. Christian Morecraft
* Mario Miranda vs. Aaron Simpson
* Johny Hendricks vs. T.J. Waldburger
* Nik Lentz vs. Waylon Lowe

 

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Tim Boetsch drops to middleweight, faces Kendall Grove at UFC 130

im Boetsch (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is still "The Barbarian."

He's just going to be a slightly smaller savage.

UFC officials today announced that former light heavyweight Boetsch will drop to 185 pounds to take on Kendall Grove (12-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 130.

"UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III" is scheduled for May 28 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and features the third meeting between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and his nemesis, Gray Maynard.

Boetsch likely finds himself in a must-win situation after losing to Phil Davis in a November 2010 bout to Phil Davis at UFC 123. The loss dropped Boetsch to 1-1 in his most recent stint in the octagon.

The 30-year-old debuted for the promotion in 2008 but was released following a 2-2 run. Boetsch then won three-straight fights outside of the promotion and was welcomed back at UFC 117.

Meanwhile, Grove is also in danger of losing two-straight fights after suffering a unanimous-decision loss to Demian Maia this past December. A winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 3," Maia has alternated wins and losses in his past six outings and is just 4-5 in his past nine.

The bout takes place on the evening's preliminary card.

 

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Dana White’s UFC Update: Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, and Shane Carwin

Several top ranked fighters from around the UFC are waiting to hear from president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva about what’s next for them.

The list includes names like Shane Carwin, Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen. While there were no definitive answers given, White gave a brief update on each of them when speaking to MMAWeekly.com after UFC 128 on Saturday night.

Michael Bisping:

The former “Ultimate Fighter” winner may have come out victorious from his last fight against Jorge Rivera in Australia, but it also put the largest target in the UFC squarely on his back.

From his actions in the cage to spitting on a cornerman cageside, Bisping has become public enemy No. 1 in the middleweight division. He has a who’s who list of fighters calling for a fight with him.

“Everybody’s calling Bisping out,” White said. “I think more people want to kick Bisping’s ass than mine.”

The list of potential next opponents, at least based on who has called for a fight with Bisping, include Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, and Nate Marquardt. There’s been no official decision made, but it’s guaranteed that Bisping’s next fight will be a grudge match no matter who he faces.

Chael Sonnen:

Sonnen has been out of the public spotlight for much of the past several months. Following a positive drug test that landed him with a six-month suspension after his fight with Anderson Silva last August, Sonnen then found himself in hot water with the U.S. government.

Sonnen is currently awaiting sentencing for charges stemming from a conviction for Federal money laundering that will likely end in a fine and probation.

“He’s got this real estate thing coming up any day now. We’ll see what happens then and then we’ll go from there,” White commented about Sonnen’s future.

Sonnen has been popping up more and more lately, first hitting his Twitter account, then releasing an email sent to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva asking for a fight against Michael Bisping. When he does return, Sonnen can still claim a top spot in the middleweight division after narrowly losing to champion Anderson Silva and already holding a dominant win over top contender Yushin Okami.

A fight between Sonnen and Bisping could be just the attraction to welcome the Oregon native back to the Octagon.

Shane Carwin:

Former UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin really wants to fight in June at UFC 131. As a matter of fact, he’s been confirmed as participating on the show expected to take place in Vancouver.

The only problem? He doesn’t have an opponent.

Carwin is back in training after having back surgery that kept him out of his scheduled bout against Roy Nelson in January. All systems are now go for “The Engineer” to step back in the heavyweight division in June.

“He’s fighting soon, yeah he’s fighting,” White answered when questioned about Carwin, although there is still no opponent on deck yet.

The biggest problem with Carwin’s return is finding a heavyweight suitable to face the Colorado native. A slew of fighters from the heavyweight division already have match-ups, but a few names remain as dark horse contenders that no one is talking about yet.

Matt Mitrione is currently undefeated in the UFC, and looking more impressive with each fight, although he’s stated in the past that he’s trying to take things slow and easy with his career. A fight with Carwin may be too much, too soon. Other names that are on the UFC’s heavyweight roster without fights include Ben Rothwell, Antoni Hardonk, Joey Beltran, and Mark Hunt.

For now, Carwin will keep training and hoping that he gets an opponent lined up soon.

 

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Petruzelli, Shamrock Top April 22 World Extreme Fighting Card

Although Seth Petruzelli and Ken Shamrock’s scheduled March 6 bout in Mexico fell by the wayside, the UFC veterans are now set to co-headline the April 22 offering from Florida-based promotion World Extreme Fighting -- albeit in separate fights.

Floridian Petruzelli will face Atlanta’s Dave Mewborn in the main event of the show, which takes place at UCF Arena on the campus of Orlando’s University of Central Florida. Meanwhile, 47-year-old Shamrock will see his 46th professional bout when he meets French knockout artist Antony Rea. Both matchups will be contested at 205 pounds.

A representative from WEF on Monday informed Sherdog.com of the contests, noting that the fight card is still awaiting approval from the Florida State Boxing Commission.

Featured on the event’s undercard is a heavyweight tilt pitting once-beaten “Beast Boy” Chris Barnett against Walt Harris, as well as a 155-pound bout between 4-0 Armory prospect R.J. Goodridge and American Top Team Orlando fighter Gert Kocani.

Best known for his October 2008 knockout of Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Petruzelli was released by the UFC for the second time last November following losses to Ricardo Romero and Karlos Vemola. The 31-year-old “Silverback” holds a career mark of 12-6, including 10 knockouts, one submission and a lone decision win against MMA pioneer Dan Severn in 2004.

Mewborn also looks to rebound from back-to-back defeats, having dropped bouts to current Bellator signees Anthony Lapsley and Richard Hale in 2010.

Shamrock has won only two of his last nine fights, with all seven defeats coming via first-round knockout. The onetime King of Pancrase went 1-2 in 2010, a decision win over Johnathan Ivey sandwiched between losses to Pedro Rizzo and Mike Bourke.

Rea, 34, has won three in a row, including first-round stoppages of Kazuo Takahashi and Juan Miranda in 2010. The well-traveled “Wild Thing” has seen the judges’ scorecards only twice in 33 bouts.

 

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Paging Joe Rogan: UFC 128 winner Mike Pyle just wants to have a quick chat

Welterweight Mike Pyle (21-7-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 80 percent satisfied with a unanimous-decision win over Ricardo Almeida at this past Saturday's UFC 128.

But there are two things that he wants before he feels like he's on his way in a recent career surge.

A knockout and a post-fight interview.

Pyle (21-7-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has yet to do either inside the octagon. He's posted wins over Chris Wilson, Jesse Lennox, John Hathaway and most recently Almeida. With three consecutive wins now under his belt, he's poised to break into the upper tier of the welterweight class.

Would a finish get him some love from the broadcast truck? Although he finished Lennox this past June at UFC 115, he's gone to scorecards against Hathaway and Almeida.

"Everybody else that goes to decision, they get to talk, too," Pyle said. "I don't see a decision being a reason. Beats the hell out of me, dude.

"I think I'm just too charming for them and they're afraid that I'll steal the show."

"Quicksand" certainly tried to fulfill his knockout wish against Almeida, but it proved to be a more difficult task than expected. Not surprisingly, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist wanted to take the fight to the mat whenever possible. He found it hard to commit to any strikes with the constant threat of a takedown. But there were several times he caught his foe coming in.

"I kept him from taking me down for the most part," Pyle today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He got me down once; he was unable to do anything at that point.

"I wanted to keep the fight on its feet. I accomplished that. I wanted to keep the fight going at my pace. I accomplished that. The only thing is that I didn't accomplish was that I really wanted to finish him. It was clear he didn't want to be in there standing with me. It was hard to find his jaw."

Pyle is not quite sure where he stands in the 170-pound class after his win over Almeida, but he's already returned to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and said he's ready to go.

While a run at the title obviously takes priority over his other goals, he'd like to put a knockout on his UFC resume. A bonus would be nice, too.

He only needs someone to stick their chin out so he can confide to UFC commentator Joe Rogan afterward.

"My striking ability still hasn't reached its full potential," Pyle said. "It's there; I know it is. I've just got to put it together better, and that's something that I'm working on.

"I think that's the only thing lacking. That, and getting a damn interview after a win.

"What do I gotta do, win? Oh wait, I did that three times. It's whatever. I'm sure it just has something to do with the TV timing. I have no idea. Something's going on."

 

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Frank Shamrock Expected Change, But Not a Strikeforce Sale

Even for Frank Shamrock, the news a week ago of Zuffa purchasing Strikeforce was something the Strikeforce icon did not see coming.

"I was pretty shocked," Shamrock said Monday on The MMA Hour. "I think it was Saturday morning and we had a birthday party for a friend and I was completely blown over by it."

Shamrock has arguably been the face of the Strikeforce promotion. It was Shamrock whom Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker called upon in March 2006 to headline the promotion's initial foray into MMA. Shamrock was the first Strikeforce middleweight champion and currently works as a color commentator under Showtime to call Strikeforce events.

Shamrock was surprised he didn't receive a heads up of a potential sale from his longtime friend. However, he's able to picture the difficulty.

"if it were my business," Shamrock admitted to host Ariel Helwani. "I wouldn't have been able to tell Scott."

Shamrock, did, however acknowledge changes were likely to happen on the business end but nothing to the magnitude of an outright sale.

"I can't say I saw it coming but I know the demands of Strikeforce were high and I knew the financial partners were strained and weren't interested in the big risks," Shamrock said. "I knew change was coming, I didn't know we were going to change that much."

The majority share of Strikeforce was previously held by Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, owner of the San Jose Sharks and the HP Pavilion, among other properties.

According to Shamrock, Coker spent a lot of money to compete in the marketplace. For SVSE, Strikeforce became too much of a risk.

"They got tired of writing big checks and not seeing the big return," he said. "For them [the older established sports model is] the kind of business they wanted to be in. They didn't want to be in the visionary, high-risk startup kind of MMA business."

Coker was the man behind the vision of Strikeforce and a part owner before the sale to Zuffa. What started as a kickboxing promotion in 1985 became a regional MMA promotion in 2006 and by 2009, a full-fledged national MMA promotion. During the Zuffa conference call last week to announce the acquisition, Coker declined to comment on the sale.

Shamrock doesn't think Coker wanted Strikeforce sold. Shamrock described Strikeforce as Coker's "baby" and it was Coker's dream to promote the biggest fights in the world and to turn Strikeforce into a billion dollar company.

"I think it was too early for Scott. I don't think he wanted to get out this early," Shamrock said. "Scott was in it for the long haul. He probably had another five years, but time and business is everything. This was the UFC's time to make a move and they did."

With Zuffa under control of Strikeforce, the promotion will already see change with the addition of elbows on the ground. Shamrock sees the uniformity of MMA as one of the positives coming out of this deal.

"It's a good one because now we're a sport," he said. "100 percent a sport. Same rules, same name, same game. It's really a sport."

At the same time, Shamrock sees MMA heading towards a different direction.

"I say no because free agency is gone," he continued. "The end of creativity as an artist is gone. Now it's about being an athlete, being well-trained, having good management and creating yourself a good business and brand."

For Shamrock, it's unclear where his future in MMA is headed. Shamrock assumes Showtime will continue supporting MMA, but that's if Zuffa and Showtime can extend a deal past 2014.

Also, Shamrock is not on friendliest terms with UFC president Dana White. Shamrock says their past differences is all business and is willing to continue commenting even though Strikeforce is now owned by an old adversary. Shamrock working with longtime rival White? Expect the unexpected.

"My whole journey has been about weird and crazy things," he said. "And MMA has always been this way. Takeovers, companies folding and companies being consumed, camps changing, it's wild, crazy, sexy fun business."

 

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Johnson Respects Hardy’s Striking, Will Wrestle Him if Necessary

Dan Hardy was knocked out in his last fight, but upcoming opponent Anthony Johnson remains complimentary of the Brit’s standup game.

“He’s a great striker,” Johnson said recently on the Sherdog Radio Network. “He just made that one technical mistake with Carlos Condit, and Carlos capitalized on it and got the better end of the deal. Just because he got knocked out doesn’t make him a bad fighter. He’s still an amazing fighter. I still love watching the guy fight.”

Hardy and Condit fired left hooks on each other simultaneously. Condit’s was tighter and landed first, ending the UFC 120 matchup 4:27 into the first round.

The defeat was Hardy’s second in a row after losing a five-round decision to welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111. In that matchup, Hardy showed his toughness but was also unable to stay on his feet. Johnson may also look to take him down when they meet March 26 at UFC Fight Night 24.

“If I want to take it to the ground, I know I can,” Johnson said. “I can wrestle. I’m not saying that he can’t, but I think my wrestling is better. It’s more solid.”

Johnson also isn’t saying that he won’t trade with Hardy on the feet.

“Both of our striking [games] are solid of course,” he said. “We’ll see. I think it’s going to be a great fight.”

The 26-year-old Johnson is also coming off a defeat. In his most recent fight, Josh Koscheck submitted him with a rear-naked choke in November 2009. Johnson spent 2010 recovering from a torn meniscus. He doesn’t believe Hardy has experience fighting anyone like him.

“Not at all,” Johnson said. “I don’t think anybody in the UFC matches my style of fighting.”

Johnson had tied together three straight impressive finishes before losing to Koscheck. With a win over a former title challenger, he could move back into the mix of contenders at 170 pounds. He said the title is not on his mind right now, however.

“I just want to keep fighting and keep improving,” Johnson explained. “Like I said, I’ll make a statement whenever I’m a champ. That’s when I’ll know I deserve to be there. Not having one or two fights and automatically getting a title shot. I don’t want to take that road.”

 

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Bellator Returns to Louisiana Twice in 2011

Bellator Fighting Championships on Tuesday announced plans to return to the L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort twice in 2011, as both the Season 4 finale and an upcoming Season 5 event will emanate from the L’Auberge Event Center in Lake Charles, La.

The venue will host Bellator 45 on May 21 and Bellator 52 on Oct. 1, with both events airing live on MTV2. No matchups were announced for either show.

“L’Auberge du Lac is a spectacular casino resort with a world class, exciting venue that was sold out in Season 3,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in a release. “I’m thrilled we will be going back twice before the end of 2011 to entertain our loyal fans along the Gulf Coast.”

L’Auberge du Lac is no stranger to hosting Bellator events: the venue was the site of Bellator 31 in Season 3, which featured two women’s 115-pound tournament semifinal bouts and a welterweight tourney qualifier between UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Chris Lozano.

 

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UFC 130 ‘Prelims Live’ Special to Air on Spike TV

The UFC’s “Prelims Live” special will return to Spike TV on May 28, as the promotion will air part of the UFC 130 undercard on the cable network one hour prior to the event's pay-per-view broadcast.

Sherdog.com confirmed the news with a source close to the event on Tuesday after MMAJunkie.com first reported news of the show. While no fights have been officially announced, rumored to appear on the broadcast are bouts pitting former WEC bantamweight king Miguel Torres against heavy-handed Brit Brad Pickett and onetime welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves against powerful wrestler Rick Story.

UFC 130 goes down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be headlined by the third fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, again for Edgar’s lightweight title. In the co-main event, former light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will square off with “The Ultimate Fighter 3” competitor Matt Hamill.

Rounding out the main card is a pair of pivotal heavyweight tilts, as Frank Mir squares off with Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve meets Travis Browne. The pay-per-view bill is also scheduled to showcase a middleweight showdown between the red-hot Brian Stann and Sengoku import Jorge Santiago, as the former U.S. Marine looks to spoil the Brazilian’s return to the Octagon.

UFC 129 will also feature a “Prelims Live” special prior to its pay-per-view broadcast. The one-hour broadcast airs April 30 and will contain a pair of welterweight bouts pitting Nate Diaz against Rory MacDonald and Sean Pierson against Brian Foster.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Clementi, Madadi Meet in LW Title Bout at Superior Challenge 7

Up-and-coming Swedish lightweight Reza Madadi announced via Facebook on Tuesday that he will square off against UFC veteran Rich Clementi at Superior Challenge 7, set to take place April 30 at the Hovet arena in Stockholm.

While not yet confirmed by the promotion, the fight is expected to be contested for the vacant Superior Challenge lightweight title and will likely headline or co-headline the event. Other championship bouts on the bill include current welterweight titleholder Daniel Acacio defending against Diego Gonzalez, and Thales Leites facing an as-yet-unannounced opponent for the vacant middleweight strap.

Madadi, 30, has been a Superior Challenge mainstay since the organization’s inception in 2008, partaking in five of its six events. In 2010, the Iranian-born “Mad Dog” notched high profile wins over current Strikeforce signee Carlo Prater (unanimous decision) and “The Ultimate Fighter 8” competitor Junie Allen Browning (second-round guillotine choke) under the SC banner.

Himself a contestant on “TUF 4,” the 34-year-old Clementi possesses a lengthy ledger of 39-18-1. Since his release from the UFC in February 2009, “No Love” has posted a 6-4 record, with only one of those bouts going the distance. In his last outing, the Louisiana-based lightweight was upset by the lesser-known Aaron Derrow, who came from two rounds down to triangle-choke Clementi unconscious in the third frame of their Jan. 28 meeting at Titan Fighting Championships 16.

 

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UFC's Nate Marquardt may give welterweight a try, will settle for Michael Bisping

Middleweight Nate Marquardt woke up on weigh-in day with some pretty good news: He didn't have to cut weight. He was 186 pounds.

The perennial contender went on to dominate Dan Miller this past Saturday at UFC 128, and he did it lean and mean.

He's now refined his diet to the point at which heavy weight cuts could be a thing of the past. It also means he is in range of the welterweight division with a weight cut, and following his unanimous-decision victory over Miller, he's open to both weight classes.

"I just chose that I needed to be at 190 pounds walking around so I could make 170," Marquardt (31-10-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) told MMAjunkie Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) on Monday.

Whether he decides to stay at middleweight or move down a weight class depends on the opportunities he's presented by the UFC. As of Monday, he had yet to inform officials of his decision formally, so he's waiting to hear what they have to say.

Plenty of potential opponents exist in both divisions. But there are some good reasons to remain at middleweight if the UFC tells him to stay put.

First, there's revenge. He'd like to get back losses to Chael Sonnen and kingpin Anderson Silva. The former bested him on points at UFC 109 in a No. 1 contender's bout. And the champ? Well, let's just say things didn't go too well when they met at UFC 73.

Second is a chance to shut someone's mouth – and what many fans might call a goodwill gesture.

"The fight that everyone keeps bringing up lately is Michael Bisping, and I think that would be a great fight," Marquardt said. "I think he's a very high-profile fighter, and he's a big name and has a big mouth to go with it. I think that would be an exciting fight."

Then again, everybody and his mother is calling out Bisping, who recently was docked a discretionary bonus by UFC president Dana White for spitting at Jorge Rivera's cornerman following his win at UFC 127.

So Marquardt may have to take a number and get in line.

What would he choose?

"If they give me a decision, I don't know," Marquardt said. "It would depend on the opponent. I think there's definitely fights I want at 185. But at the same time, if my body feels great at 170, that's where I'm going to get the title at.

"Either way, I'm excited. I think I have a lot of options, and if I don't feel good at 170, I believe I can get the title at 185. I've fought the top guys and done well with everybody. Not only that, I felt great on Saturday night."

 

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UFN 24's Jon Madsen meets ex-teammate, says Mike Russow is "great fight for me"

Since his time on "The Ultimate Fighter 10," Jon Madsen (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has been triumphant in each of his four post-reality-show contests.

His most recent victory came this past October when he dispatched PRIDE veteran Gilbert Yvel by knockout and put himself on the map as a legitimate prospect in the heavyweight division.

"(In) that fight, everything worked out perfectly for me," Madsen recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "It felt good to get in there and get a quick win."

Madsen looks to extend his unbeaten record Saturday at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle's KeyArena, and his next octagon foe is a familiar one in the ultra-tough Mike Russow (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

The pair has spent time training together previously, so each fighter knows the other's game. Barring any substantial additions to their arsenals, there should be few shockers for either come fight night.

"I have had the opportunity to train with Mike for a week or two," Madsen said. "So, I do know him pretty well, and there's not going to be any surprises for him or myself in this fight."

However, two weeks' training time does not necessarily mean the two heavyweights are best of friends and now destined for a Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans-type rivalry. They were simply training partners.

"I would say we're friendly; we've never really sat down and hung out," Madsen said. "But we're acquaintances, and we know each other. That definitely helps to know of how each other performs and fights in the cage."

Although not officially announced by the organization, and though UFC president Dana White recently said an opponent still is being finalized, former interim champ Shane Carwin may be watching Saturday's fight closely. With the UFC struggling to find Carwin an opponent for a tentative UFC 131 slot, sources told MMAjunkie.com the Madsen vs. Russow winner could be in line for the high-profile June fight.

With arguably the biggest fight of his career now days away, Madsen recently decided to move his training camp from the H.I.T. Squad in Illinois to the more beneficial Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

"I have been with Greg Nelson up at the academy in Minneapolis for most of my camp," Madsen said. "I helped Chris Tuchscherer for his last one in Australia, and I've pretty much been training straight through. I'm in great shape and ready to go."

On Saturday both heavyweights step into the octagon with undefeated records in the organization. Madsen plans on leaving it all on the line in hopes of securing his latest victory.

"It's a great fight for me," Madsen said. "Mike right now kind of has this mystique of being a hard man to finish, and I'm going to come out guns a blazin' and try to put him away."

 

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After self-diagnosis, Phil Davis ready to go "crazy" at UFC Fight Night 24

After winning his first four UFC fights, Phil Davis (8-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) earned a coveted spot in a main event. It's the first of his brief career – but likely not his last.

The 26-year-old has been on a meteoric rise after a seamless transition from collegiate wrestling star to full-time mixed-martial-arts fighter.

He gets his toughest test to date when he faces veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) Saturday at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle at KeyArena. The main card, including the Davis vs. Nogueira headliner, airs live on Spike TV.

Originally targeted for a UFC 129 matchup with Jason Brilz, Davis answered the call when Tito Ortiz pulled out of the fight with Nogueira due to injury. The opportunity to fight a bigger-name opponent on a more prominent platform was simply too good to pass up.

"To me, that just means I've got to sit in the locker room all night long and wait for my turn to do what I was going to do," Davis recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I'd rather be in the third fight in, but whatever. It comes with the territory."

A win could position him on the doorstep of the upper tier in the light-heavyweight division. Some even have gone as far as to say he's the one who poses the most serious threat to newly crowned champion Jon Jones down the road if he continues his progression.

"It's exciting to know that it would put me in the mix with some bigger-name guys," Davis said. "Hopefully that's where I belong."

Looking past a dangerous opponent such as Nogueira would be a mistake. It's not one he will allow himself to make. Davis knows firsthand the type of skills he possesses. The pair has trained together previously in San Diego, albeit brief.

"It was a while ago," Davis said. "I trained with 'Big Nog' (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) a few times. I only got a chance to train with Rogerio maybe once or twice, which is neither here nor there.

"It sucks because in the MMA community it's so small that if you want to excel, you have to train with good people. But, it's also so small that you'll probably see those people later."

How much the knowledge attained on both sides from their previous encounters will play a role on fight night is a mystery.

Predictably, Davis is playing coy with regards to his game plan in an effort to keep everyone guessing.

"I told you guys I'm crazy," Davis said. "You never know what crazy people are going to do. You don't. You know they're going to be crazy. That's all you know. All you know about crazy people is you can expect not to know what they're going to do."

"Crazy" has been a frequently used adjective in news headlines recently to help describe now-infamous actor Charlie Sheen. Does this mean the two have something in common?

"He's not that crazy," Davis said. "He's probably to the point where he has enough money to live. He's comfortable without working. And he really doesn't care. He just wants to 'do Charlie.' Somebody calls him out by name, and he just wants to act crazy in public."

In other words, he's not truly crazy. He simply chooses to act that way from time to time. By his own analysis, that would make Davis crazier than Sheen.

On second thought, the way he's manhandled his competition in the octagon so far has been pretty crazy. The modified kimura he used to defeat Tim Boetsch at UFC 123 was crazy. His top-control wrestling game is and always has been crazy.

Maybe he's onto something here.

 

[Shogun Locc]