MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Wand calls for Galvao

Wanderlei Silva is in the final phase of training for his fight against Keith Jardine, set for the 24th of this month. However, the former Pride champion is not out of touch with what is going on in the fight world. From Vegas, via blog, Wand laments Murilo Ninja’s being left off the May 31 EliteXC card, the first MMA event to be broadcast on network television in the United States. Wand’s former Chute Boxe companion was injured during training.

“I was sad for Ninja not being present. I think Baroni would be a great fight for him and a great opportunity to become better known in the USA,” wrote Wand.

He even used the space to suggest a matchup for his friend and Jiu-Jitsu coach Andre Galvao. “I read Marcelo Garcia will not fight Nick Diaz (in Dream). They could put Andre Galvao in, as he is becoming really sharp in MMA and when he was here he was doing really good in standup. Nothing needs to be said about his groundwork,” he commented.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: UFC cuts Thomas, Speer and Hironaka

The UFC has cut former UFC lightweight contender Din Thomas (22-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC), "The Ultimate Fighter 6" runner-up Tommy Speer (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and Shooto veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) from its roster of fighters.

The news was reported in this week's print edition of the Wrestling Observer.

The three fighters are the latest casualties as the UFC continues to cut its roster by a reported 25 percent.

Thomas, 31, made his octagon debut in 2001 as a highly touted prospect with a 10-1 record. Victories over UFC champ Jens Pulver and veteran Japanese fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima earned him a UFC contract, but he eventually left the organization in early 2003. He'd return, via a "comeback" fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and re-emerged as a contender after consecutive victories over Rich Clementi, Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens.

However, Thomas suffered a significant knee injury in a main event loss to Kenny Florian, and he then dropped a unanimous decision to Josh Neer earlier this month. According to the report, he is considering whether to retire or continue fighting outside the organization. Despite rumors he has not been assigned to the WEC, the UFC's sister organization, but he does plan to move to 145 pounds.

Speer, 23, excelled on the sixth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" but suffered a first-round submission to Mac Danzig at the show's live finale. He subsequently suffered a devestating 51-second knockout to Anthony Johnson last month at UFC Fight Night 13.

Hironaka, 31, made his octagon debut at UFC 64 and took top welterweight contender Jon Fitch to a decision in a loss. He bounced back for a decision victory over Forrest Petz but has since suffered second-round TKOs to Thiago Alves and Jonathan Goulet.

Other fighters dropped from their UFC contracts over the past month include Joe Doerksen, Travis Lutter, Charles McCarthy, Jake O'Brien and Kalib Starnes. Additionally, numerous cast members from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" were cut earlier this year, and the majority of cast members from the current season of "TUF" will be released from the organization next month.

UFC officials have recently stated that they want to trim the roster to assure fighters can be scheduled more frequently and to avoid long layoffs between fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Challenge

M-1 Challenge is a series of events planned to be held in different places of the Earth where 12 best MMA clubs compete against each other. Countries represented are: USA, Japan, Russia, Finland, the Netherlands, France, Korea, Brazil. M-1 Challenge schedule will set the teams to compete against every other team put in the same group. The winners of the brackets will collide in the finals and only one team crowned as the M-1 Challenge winner will be awarded with considerable money prizes and, of course, M-1 contracts.
videolink: http://www.m1mixfight.com/multimedia/video/category/trailers/2008/5/url/

 

[heyzel]

JOSH BARNETT VS PEDRO RIZZO SET FOR AFFLICTION

Monday, May 05, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com



debut card for the upcoming Affliction promotion is starting to unveil itself before the promotion has even been officially announced. Josh Barnett, on MMAWeekly Radio on Monday night, revealed that he will return to U.S. soil to face Pedro Rizzo in a heavyweight rematch from a fight the two had in 2001.

Barnett said the fight with Rizzo was “pretty much” a done deal and he’s looking forward to the opportunity to fight on the debut Affliction card.

“I said after he knocked me out with one of those really nice, well put together Pedro Rizzo right hands, I stood right there for the challenge and said you know what, I’m going to come back here, I’m going to fight him again and next time I’m knocking his ass out,” said Barnett about the match-up with Rizzo. “So I’ve got to make good on my promises and I’ve got to stick to my word.”

The perennial Top 10 heavyweight is currently training for a May 18 showdown with former training partner Jeff Monson for World Victory Road’s Sengoku II event in Japan.

After that bout, Barnett will return home to prepare for the rematch with Rizzo. He expects big things out of the card, which will feature a main event of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia.

“As much as I love my buddy Fedor, it’s going to suck for him because I’m stealing the show,” Barnett stated about his bout on the same card.

Matt Lindland is also expected to fight on the debut Affliction card, but as of yet no opponent has been named or speculated for his bout

 

[heyzel]

The Brazilian Notebook

May 6, 2008
by Gleidson Venga



Murilo "Ninja" Rua (Pictures) is recovering from a foot injury that forced him out of a May 31 EliteXC bout against Phil Baroni (Pictures) that would have aired on CBS.

"It would have been a very important fight for me because Baroni is a great fighter, and this fight would have been shown before 30 million people," Rua said. "But that's all right. I'll recover and I hope to be able to confront him in the future."

Meanwhile Rua is looking forward to the opening of his team's new headquarters this month. The UDL training center will have a ring, a large mat and an Octagon. Rua described the facilities as first-rate.

Another Chute Boxer to Japan

In spite of the end of Pride, Chute Boxe still keeps strong connections to Japan. Fabio Silva (Pictures) and Michael Costa signed contracts with Sengoku, and now promising youngster Junior Santos will soon be making his first appearance in a Japanese ring.

"We don't know in which event he will participate yet, but it will be decided between Sengoku and Pancrase," said coach Rudimar Fedrigo. "Junior has been training for a long time and turned out to be a real Chute Boxer. He has had very nice results in Boxe and MMA fights and has everything that is necessary to be one more among the athletes to show up in Japan. Our athletes always have fights over the whole planet. We have fighters with fights in Europe, North America, Asia. In short, we are doing a very good job, sowing in order to have fruits in 2008."

MMA Amateur Circuit in Rio in May

The first stage of this year's Brazilian MMA Amateur Circuit will take place May 25 in Rio de Janeiro.

"The circuit we've made is an excellent opportunity for the athletes to test and develop themselves in order to be able to become professionals one day," explained Mauricio Costa, creator and director of the circuit. "It's also a platform that is calling the attention of those who don't want to become professional but wish to feel the adrenaline of fighting at a MMA event that has rules and special protections. Athletes from all over Brazil who had never fought in professional MMA, or who had done one professional fight at most, are invited for this big party."

Costa added that the aim is to have a marathon of 50 fights at the one-day event.

Predator FC Entertains

The 10th edition of Predator FC was a success April 26 in the city of Indaiatuba. The event featured several good fights and summoned more than 3,000 fans.

For the first time, Predator FC hosted a challenge between Brazil and Argentina that transferred into the cage the greatest rivalry of the soccer world. Brazilians Stevan Gutierrez and Paulo Streckert faced Argentineans Matias Lemon and Carlos Villamor, with one victory going to each country.

For Predador FC organizer Alessandro Renner, the event passed all expectations.

"We achieved all of our goals," he said. "We gathered a good amount of public, provided the best structure ever seen in a MMA contest and had excellent fights."

Results:

Diego Coloma def. Carcaça decision
Edson PC def. Willian Souza rear-naked choke R2
Juliano Belgine def. Thiago Capataz armbar R2
Sagat def. Cassiano Tytshyo decision
Maiquel Falcão def. Edson Conterrâneo TKO R2
Stevan Gutierrez def. Matias Lemon armbar R1
Carlos Villamor def. Paulo Streckert rear-naked choke R1

WOCS Live on Internet

The Watch Out Combat Show will take place May 10. In the main event, André "Chatuba" Santos will meet former Rio Heroes champion Pedro Santos. The show will be broadcast live on www.wocs.tv.

Full card:

Pedro Santos vs. André Santos
Flávio Álvaro vs. Wendell Negão
Ricardo "Indio" Cruz vs. Thiago "Big Monster" Santos
Gleidson Moraes vs. Felipe Olivieri (Pictures)
William Viana vs. Williams "Parrudinho"
Paulo "Rambinho" vs. Gerson Silva (Pictures)
Paulo "Bananada" vs. Claudiere Freitas (Pictures)
Carlos Alberto vs. TBA
Sérgio "Bomba" Rodrigues vs. Zeilton Rodrigues
Pedro Paulino vs. Alexandre Baby
Richard Medeiros vs. Rodrigo Lima

Shooto Champion to Fight May 7

South American Shooto champion Willamy Chiquerim is on the May 7 Leal Combat Premium card in Natal. He will face local fighter Carlão. Also on the card are experienced competitors Lucas Lopes, Luis Pimpolho and Maiquel Falcão.

Lineup:

Sergio Jr. vs. Celso Lourinho
Lucas Lopes vs. Maquiel Falcão
Carlão vs. Willamy Chiquerim
Moicano vs. Sandro Barbosa
João Paulo vs. Jammil
Gasparzinho vs. Luis Pimpolho
Ronaldo vs. Renan Barão
Guilherme vs. Pimba
Rivelino vs. Leandro Ninja

Demo Fight 3 Set for Salvador

The Demo Fight organization will host its third event May 24 in Salvador. Several athletes from that region, including Mo Team League veteran Junior Cigano, will be on the card.

Lineup:

Devid Jean vs. Deivison "Revoltado"
Rafael Loureiro vs. Anderson Santos
Leonardo Paixão vs. Arivaldo Lima
Fernando Miranda vs. Kilson Bezerra
Amanda vs. Naja
Robson Barbosa vs. Laiola
Alan Carlos vs. Alfredo Jr.
Marcos Araújo vs. Gustavo Tosta
Adelmo "Arroz" vs. Kleber Silva
André Velame vs. Carlos Eduardo
Junior Cigano vs. TBA
Renato Castro vs. Erick Parrudo

 

[heyzel]

RANDY COUTURE: "I THINK HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT"

By Rob Abreu | May 06, 2008

"I think it's shortsighted for the UFC to try and keep him from doing that. He should be allowed to do that and get that notoriety, showcase his skills in the boxing arena and frankly, where else is he going to make that kind of money? I mean, it's ridiculous that they're not allowing him to do that. That's a life changing event for a guy like Anderson," stated legendary Randy Couture as he talked about Anderson Silva's desire to box Roy Jone Jr. You don't want to miss what else he had to say as he shares his thoughts on a recognized MMA ranking system, healthcare for fighters and the monopoly that the UFC is trying to hold on the sport of MMA. In this one-on-one exclusive, Couture talks more about the upcoming clash between Fedor and Tim Sylvia, which he plans on attending in person, his upcoming role in the movie Redbelt, hunting with Brett Favre and much more. watch

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2587.html?PHPSESSID=697f6e00942c0995f5ddb330c8481ca4

 

[heyzel]

The Machida Chronicles – Part I – A Father’s Lessons

By Thomas Gerbasi

5:30 AM. An ungodly hour for most, even for Lyoto Machida. But without fail he rises, like he has

almost 30 years, and he faces the man who will always be his toughest opponent: his teacher, his hero, his father – Yoshizo.

Lesson number one – Discipline.

“I believe that without discipline there is no result,” said Lyoto. “That's why for an athlete to get results he needs to stop doing certain things. Waking up early to train karate with my father is the most difficult, 5:30 am. My father schedules this time to make it difficult.”

Since the age of three, Machida has been schooled in Shotokan Karate, the art which his father mastered. Young Lyoto was a quick study in Karate, and despite his subsequent success in mixed martial arts, he kept it as a core foundation of his fight game, making him a rarity in a sport where wrestling, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and western boxing have become the accepted focus areas.

And strangely enough, while hardcore aficionados scoff at using Karate as a base in mixed martial arts, thanks in part to the assumption that the art has launched countless strip mall ‘masters’ and eight-year old Black Belts, Machida’s Karate has led him to 12 wins without a loss in MMA and to a featured slot in May 24th’s UFC 84 show against former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. And considering that the names BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Stephan Bonnar, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou dot his record, it’s safe to say that Machida must be doing something right.

Just ask a previous opponent like David Heath, who, before his UFC 70 fight with Machida in 2007, knew that figuring out the southpaw was going to be difficult.

“Machida has a really complex style and that’s gonna take a lot of work to get past some of the stuff that he does and make it the type of fight that I want it to be,” said Heath, who went on to lose a shutout three round decision in a fight that may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but which revealed the type of Rubik’s Cube Machida’s style is to decipher.

“The difficult style of fighting I have was achieved by all the karate training I have done through my whole life, and for all that my father has taught me,” said Machida, whose discipline in the Octagon is aided by the voice of his father.

Another important lesson: never give up on my objectives.

When you watch Machida fight, there in no emotion on his face, no look of panic when in trouble or fire in his eyes when he has an opponent in trouble. This is a competition, a fight to be won, yet whatever it takes to achieve victory, Machida is willing to do. If it means going on the attack immediately, he will do that. If it means sitting back in the pocket and waiting for his foe to make a mistake, he will, no matter how long it takes.

And inevitably he will win, whether by sheer technique or by the blunt force of his left hand counter, a punch that is delivered with the speed and accuracy epitomized by southpaw boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao. Again, it’s Karate at work here, with decades of tedious drilling finally paying off. It was never an option for Machida when he was growing up in Salvador, Brazil, and as he saw his friends doing things every kid and teenager did, Yoshizo had him working.

“I believe that I've gotten to this point in my career because I always wanted this very much,” said Lyoto. “I train
and have trained a lot, always. I do many repetitions, many hours of training. While my friends were out playing and at parties, I was training.”

Now, as he and his wife expect their own child, he understands what his father was doing for him as he prepared him for competition and for life, with lessons which have been seared into his mind, body, and soul. Not that it was easy, despite his spotless MMA record and status as one of the sport’s rising stars. First there was the transition from fighting in competitions to fighting for real.

“The main adjustment for me was adapting competition karate to fighting karate,” he said. “There is a big difference. In competition you control the move, you don't use knees, and I competed for a long time. When I first got into MMA it was difficult at first because I wanted to control each move unconsciously.”

Today though, he has adapted his karate into a well-rounded MMA game, and when he competes, he does so with a quiet confidence. He won’t engage in trash-talk with opponents and is not one for outlandish predictions.

My father taught me to respect my opponents, to never think they are weak.

That means every opponent, whether a former champion like Ortiz or a no-name prelim kid, will be trained for with the same unwavering intensity. At this point, losing is not an option for Machida, who has come too far to lose now. But perhaps even more important to him than winning is making his father proud.

“My father respects my career, enjoys watching my fights and always finds flaws in them,” he said. “For him, it's never good enough, which is great for me because I always want to get better.”

So at 5:30 am tomorrow, Lyoto Machida will rise again.

 

[heyzel]

Curran Reflects on Faber, Sees A Threat In Mike Brown

By Frank Curreri

It’s been nearly five months since his loss to Urijah Faber, but the sting of defeat still weighs on Jeff Curran’s mind. There has been plenty of second-guessing his decision making in the final 30 seconds of their fight, plenty of introspection about how he might have more aggressively pressured Faber while riding the champion’s back in the first round.

Curran doesn’t know if he’ll ever get another crack at the title. But he made one thing crystal clear to WEC matchmaker Scott Adams when they discussed who Curran’s next opponent should be.

“I told him, ‘I’m not fighting anybody with five or six fights and coming off a loss or two,’ Curran said. “I don’t need ‘builder’ fights. I need tough guys that are going to earn me another shot at the belt. I want to make sure the fights I take will go down in the books as contender-type fights.”

Weeks later Adams called Curran. How about Mike Brown?

“Perfect,” Curran said. “Anybody that beats this guy is the real deal. It’s a fight that you have to be motivated to train for. Coming off the fight with Urijah, if it had been some low-level guy I don’t think I would have been mentally motivated to train (hard) for it.”

For those who don’t know much about Mike Thomas Brown, well, he’s 18-4, a 145-pound slab of hulking muscle like Faber, has won six straight and owns wins over Yves Edwards and Mark Hominick. The Portland, Maine native has a bachelor’s degree in biology, trains with American Top Team and his MySpace profile is packed with pictures of him partying with friends and making weird faces.

This is Curran’s scouting report on the man he will face June 1 in Sacramento:

“I have been following Mike Brown for a long time. He’s a solid wrestler and he’s well-rounded. He works with American Top Team and his stand-up looks really clean; he looks like he throws hard punches. He looks like he’s going to be strong.”

In recent months, Curran had struck up a friendship with Marcelo Garcia, the famed Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and Abu Dhabi submission grappling king. Garcia trains with Brown, so he will temporarily suspend his collaboration with Curran. But before Curran learned he would be fighting Brown, he had trained with Garcia and picked his brain about a myriad of topics, including how to defend the guillotine choke Faber finished him with.

“We talked a lot about the fight,” said Curran (29-9-1). “I saw a chance in the last 50 seconds of the second round, even though I was cut, I thought, ‘Hey, why not push the pace, try to get back to my feet at least, pull something off. Maybe get a takedown, maybe tie him up, throw some knees, do some damage. Just something to show everybody I’m still in it and I’m not going anywhere.

“I didn’t for one second think I was in trouble or that I was in a bad spot. The worst spot I was in was that last 10 seconds where I got caught in that choke. So I spent a lot of time looking at that choke, how he took it and the angle that he took it and trying to come up with some solutions to that.

“In the first round, I felt stronger than him, I felt more technical than him on the ground. It’s just that he has great defense and he’s a scrapper. He’s unpredictable like that. Because of that I played it conservative myself. I wanted to make sure something freaky didn’t happen. It happened anyway. I’m a little upset at that decision, but other than that I have to look past it. It’s been eating me up ever since. If it’s meant to be for us to fight again then it’s going to come again.”

As for Faber’s mega-fight with Jens Pulver on June 1, Curran has mixed feelings about the outcome.

“I kind of see it as a 50-50, whoever puts the other person on their back probably has a better chance,” he said. “I don’t think that Urijah should stand with Jens, that would probably be a stupid move. But I think Urijah is capable enough to cause a threat in any area of the game for Jens. If somehow Urijah tags him and puts him on his back and Jens has to play his guard – Urijah has those elbows. And unless Jens has a really good guard and can attack from there then he’s going to probably wind up getting cut open. But if Jens puts Urijah on his back he’s going to be the stronger of the two for sure and will be able to probably bully him around a little bit. That’s how I see it.”

Curran, a 10-year veteran, says he still hungers to work his way back into title contention. He’s still only 30 and always improving.

“I think I’m a steppingstone for Mike Brown but he’s a steppingstone for me, too,” Curran said. “I think Urijah’s going to hold his seat at the top for awhile. If I can manage to work my way back, then great.”

 

[heyzel]

Money lacking in free TV

PPV isn't going away: Much has been made of the CBS and NBC deals signed by Strikeforce and EliteXC, but you're mostly out of luck if you, like reader "skintero", want to see more fights on a non-pay, non-premium broadcast outlet. And if you want to know why, check out Friday's editions of the Los Angeles Daily News and The New York Times.

The pieces were written about tonight's Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes boxing match, but their insights apply to mixed martial arts. The gist: ad-supported TV doesn't generate enough money to be worthwhile for combat sports promoters and top-echelon competitors.

"The business model for boxing is that the rights fees are too rich for the networks to make it back in advertising," HBO Sports' boss, Ross Greenburg, told the L.A. Daily News. "Especially in a sport where you could have only two or three rounds of action."

For broadcasters, that might be the biggest difference between MMA/boxing and other athletic events.

Most major pro sports can guarantee a comparatively lengthy duration. Baseball has nine innings, golf 18 holes, tennis at least three sets, football and basketball four quarters.

MMA bouts end after 15 or 25 minutes, and usually end sooner. At UFC 83, four of six fully televised fights ended in the first or second round. During last week's Ultimate Cage Warriors show, five fights — including the Pete Spratt-Jason Von Flue main event — finished in the first round. Only one of the nine matchups went the distance.

 

[heyzel]

Key MMA matches in a crucial period

Dave Meltzer on May 06, 2008 at 12:00 pm ET
Mixed martial arts is a business in which people throw around superlatives like they are nothing. There seems to be a steady stream of "biggest" this and "most important" that.

But the next few months will be pivotal for the sport, with shows – offering plenty of interesting match-ups – that will determine the industry's long-term landscape.

From a business standpoint, the May 31 EliteXC show from Newark, N.J., because it airs as a prime-time live CBS special, could be the most important show of the year. Its success or failure will have huge effects on the industry as a whole.

A successful show would instantly make EliteXC significant competition for UFC and, from a business standpoint, cause last year's $27 million in losses to be viewed simply as expected startup losses. A failure would make survival a significant issue while leaving a black mark on the sport as viable network prime-time programming.

From a pure sport standpoint, the highest profile featherweight and bantamweight fights in U.S. history both take place the next day, on a WEC show in Sacramento.

And what have to be considered the two biggest MMA promotions in the world, UFC and the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, have high-profile events over the next few weeks.

In addition, Fedor Emelianenko, the best heavyweight in the sport's history, will face his first truly significant competition in quite some time this summer, against former two-time UFC champion Tim Sylvia.

A look at some of the more intriguing upcoming matches and their potential ramifications:

May 11 – DREAM lightweight tournament: DREAM, the MMA division of the Japanese powerhouse Fighting Entertainment Groups (FEG), has its third show on Sunday. It's the first that airs live in the U.S., on HDNet at 3 a.m. Eastern late Saturday/early Sunday from Saitama, Japan. A replay will air at 4 p.m. ET Monday.

The lightweight tournament that began March 15 has three quarterfinal matches scheduled: Caol Uno (24-10-4) vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1), Eddie Alvarez (13-1) vs. Joachim Hansen (17-6-1) and Tatsuya Kawajiri (21-4-2) vs. Luiz "Buscape" Firmino (12-3). The fourth, Shinya Aoki (15-2) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2), has been moved to June 15 to give Aoki recovery time from injuries sustained in his April 29 win over tournament favorite Gesias Calvancanti.

The lone American, Philadelphia's Alvarez, looks to be a significant force with his strong punching power. Stylistically, Alvarez vs. Hansen has the potential for fireworks.

May 24 – B.J. Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (36-2-1): The main event for UFC 84 in Las Vegas is the UFC's biggest lightweight title match in years, if not ever. The Hawaiian-born and bred Penn, who won the title on Jan. 19 with a one-sided squash of Joe Stevenson, is considered to have all-around skills equal to virtually anyone in the sport.

Sherk had been champion, but was stripped after testing positive for the steroid Nandrolone in his July 7 win over Hermes Franca. Sherk has argued his innocence. Penn has been openly skeptical, adding a grudge element to the fight. The key to look out for is Penn always comes out looking unbeatable early, but historically becomes more human as time goes on. Sherk's best weapon is his conditioning, which is more important in a five-round title fight.

May 24 – Keith Jardine (13-4-1) vs. Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1): On paper, this looks like a crowd-pleasing fight with two guys who are going to aggressively try to match stand-up skills in a key light heavyweight division fight. Silva, 31, is a legitimate legend of the sport, as his five-plus-year reign as Pride 205-lb. champion is the longest major title run in history. But he's coming off three straight losses, to Mirko Cro Cop, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell. Jardine, with wins over both Liddell and Forrest Griffin, will answer the question of whether Silva's best days are behind him. The winner has a good shot of facing the injured Liddell in his next match.

May 24 – Tito Ortiz (15-5-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (12-0): While the biggest match of Machida's career, it's almost secondary to the probable final act in the Ortiz vs. UFC president Dana White feud. Ortiz has made it clear he's leaving UFC after this match, and Machida's role is to send him out a loser. Can Ortiz foil his boss on his last night, and if he does, what will he say in his final UFC interview? Can Machida win over the U.S. public with a win over one of the most famous fighters in the game and put himself in line for a title shot?

May 31 – Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (2-0) vs. James Thompson (16-8): It's historical because there can only be one first live prime-time major network card in history, and this is the show's main event. CBS and EliteXC are hoping Slice's street brawler charisma will mean ratings and mainstream stardom. Slice can punch, but his ground game is untested. Thompson doesn't take a punch well, and doesn't figure to test Slice's ground game either. The fight was made to be short and explosive.

May 31 – Gina Carano (5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1): The highest-profile match in women's MMA history. Last year, Carano and Julie Kedzie legitimized women's MMA to the Showtime audience by stealing the show on the first MMA event on a premium cable network. This fight is here with the hope lightning strikes twice, with 15 or 20 times as many viewers, and thus has more potential impact. Carano, aka Crush on "American Gladiators," has a unique likeability, in that she appeals strongly to both male and female fans. But it won't work unless they put on a great fight.

June 1 – Urijah Faber (20-1) vs. Jens Pulver (22-8-1): The WEC featherweight title match in Sacramento's Arco Arena is both the biggest fight in WEC history and the biggest featherweight fight ever in the U.S. The division, largely put on the map by Faber in the last year plus, sees the champ, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, facing UFC's first-ever lightweight champion. Pulver, who has spent most of his career fighting bigger men, has an 8-0 record at 145 pounds. It's Faber's all-around game against Pulver's sprawl-and-brawl.

June 1 – Miguel Torres (33-1) vs. Yoshiro Maeda (23-4-2): This is the highest-profile bantamweight fight ever in the U.S. Torres put on a ground clinic winning the title from Chase Beebe on Feb. 13 in Albuquerque, taking him from unknown to a pound-for-pound top ten ranking. As far as international reputation goes, Maeda is by far the toughest test Torres has faced.

July 5 – Quinton Jackson (28-6) vs Forrest Griffin (15-4): The combination of the light heavyweight title in UFC being the marquee championship of the sport, and weekly buildup as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, makes this the biggest mainstream match of the next few months. Jackson will go in as the strong betting favorite to retain, but Griffin will likely be the crowd favorite in Las Vegas.

July 19 – Fedor Emelianenko (27-1, 1 no contest) vs. Tim Sylvia (26-4): It's the debut show of the new Affliction promotion, backed by the popular T-shirt brand. It's one of the biggest money fights in history with Emelianenko rumored to be getting in the $2 million range, and Sylvia believed to be getting $800,000 to show and a $200,000 win bonus. How they expect to recoup those costs is a huge mystery, since as great as Emelianenko is, he's never proven to have any drawing power in North America. Affliction is trying to challenge UFC with a strategy of bidding high to get a roster of top heavyweights. It's been almost three years since Emelianenko has faced a true top heavyweight. Sylvia, a two-time UFC champ who was battering current UFC champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira their entire fight until a quick submission on the ground, will at least test where the Russians stands. Is Fedor still "The Man" in this sport? And more importantly, will Affliction survive early losses and stay in the game? Or will they be this year's Bodog Fight, the rich owner who spends money and talks a long-term game, and quickly loses so much he's out of business?

 

[heyzel]

EliteXC VP: Affliction ban about competition

by Dann Stupp on May 06, 2008 at 7:36 am ET
EliteXC recently decided that Affliction will no longer be an approved sponsor for its fighters, and a company executive said its simply a matter of the clothing company getting involved in the fight-promotion business.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the Affliction ban went into effect as soon as Affliction began organizing its first MMA show, but he says the company otherwise doesn't really interfere with fighter sponsorships.

"We don't really bar anyone," Shaw said. "We don't want to interfere with the fighters... but this isn't a clothing company anymore. They're competition, and it just doesn't make much sense to help promote the competition."

EliteXC's Affliction ban was first reported by fiveouncesofpain.com over the weekend.

Affliction's first show is expected to take place May 19 with a main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia. The high-end MMA clothing company has sponsored numerous fighters over the past year, specifically in the UFC. However, the UFC also barred Affliction as a sponsor beginning in late 2007 when it was learned the company would begin promoting fights.

Shaw said the only other stipulations that EliteXC fighters may encounter are from CBS, which will broadcast the organization's network-television debut on May 31.

"As with any major network event, all sponsors will have to be pre-approved to assure they don't conflict with presenting sponsors for the event," Shaw said.

Shaw said that CBS and EliteXC have landed some "major sponsors." They're expected to be revealed within the next week or two.

The only other time EliteXC's fighter sponsorships came under scrutiny was when heavyweight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, a former bouncer for a pornography company, was sponsored by one such business.

"It's adult entertainment," Shaw said. "We had a lot of discussions about it, and in the end, we decided it was OK. We have no problem with Reality Kings

 

[heyzel]

EliteXC pulls Nick Diaz from DREAM.3 card

Dann Stupp on May 06, 2008 at 1:43 pm ET
EliteXC officials have pulled prized lightweight Nick Diaz from his DREAM.3 fight with Katsuya Inoue, which was set to take place on Saturday, May 11, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

News of the fight cancellation appeared on GracieFighter.com, the website of Diaz's home at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

According to the bulletin, EliteXC officials were concerned that the May 11 fight could prohibit Diaz from being healthy enough to fight Muhsin Corbbrey at a June 14 EliteXC event in Hawaii.

Diaz, though signed to a non-exclusive contract, still has to get permission to compete outside EliteXC. The organization traditionally uses a 30-day window, and though Diaz was safe by a few days, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw apparently didn't want to risk losing a high-profile fight.

"With Diaz having been scheduled to fight in Hawaii on June 14, Shaw finds the new May 11 date perilously close to the Showtime card and has therefore nixed Diaz's participation on the DREAM card," GracieFighter.com reported.

Diaz was originally scheduled to fight at DREAM.2 on April 29, but the organization delayed the bout -- apparently without alerting EliteXC officials.

The fact that EliteXC recently lost its June 14 main event -- Jake Shields vs. Drew Fickett for the first-ever EliteXC welterweight title -- could have played a part in the decision.

Diaz hasn't fought since a November 2007 loss to K.J. Noons for the first-ever EliteXC lightweight title. Diaz suffered multiple facial cuts and wasn't allowed to continue past the first round, and he underwent surgery to repair scar tissue after the fight. Diaz was then scheduled for a March 29 Strikeforce/EliteXC event but wasn't cleared to fight by the California State Athletic Commission -- possibly because of an issue with his medical marijuana card.

Regardless, Diaz has lost just once in the past six fights

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wanderlei Silva training for Keith Jardine UFC 84 fight (Video)
videolink: http://mmamania.com/2008/05/06/wanderlei-silva-training-for-keith-jardine-ufc-84-fight-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 85 Preview: Brandon Vera's Training

 

[Shogun Locc]

HERMES FRANCA EYEING RETURN TO MMA

With former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk preparing for his return to active mixed martial arts competition having fulfilled his suspension after a positive drug test stemming from his successful title defense over Hermes Franca last July, it harkens wonder to what the other half of that title match is doing.

Franca, who is still currently on suspension until early July, had built up tremendous momentum heading into the fight with Sherk, having won eight fights in a row prior to the title showdown.

It appeared he could have more than a chance to fulfill his goal of Ultimate Fighting Championship champion, but was denied, losing a five-round unanimous decision to Sherk.

Shortly after the fight it was revealed that both Franca and Sherk had tested positive for steroids. Unlike Sherk, however, Franca did not deny his usage of performance enhancing drugs, thus inciting a year-long suspension.

Since then Franca has left the team he was with prior to that fight, The Armory, and has kept busy with other things in anticipation of a return to action within the coming months.

“I’ve been teaching seminars,” said the Brazilian born fighter. “I’m the head coach at Premier Martial Arts, which is all over the United States, like 50 or 60 academies, and some in Canada.

“I’m doing the jiu-jitsu program over there. So I’ve been really busy doing a seminar almost every week for two or three months.”

Specifically Franca is still based in Florida, where he is expanding upon his own jiu-jitsu system.

“I’m at the academy in West Palms with two affiliations: one in Boca Raton and one in Jupiter,” he commented. “Outside of Florida, I have North and South Carolina that I’m teaching or I have some guys, instructors teaching other Hermes Franca (systems).”

As Franca explains, his split from The Armory was due to his wish to have the freedom to market his style of jiu-jitsu on his own terms.

“I had always worked for somebody, but now I want to build my name,” he stated.

“I have a big name, a strong name, and so that’s what I want to do, work on my Brazilian jiu-jitsu program, work on my creations and keep fighting. I want to work for myself.”

With his suspension ending on July 5, Franca is chomping at the bit to return to action, and hopes to do so as soon as he becomes eligible.

“I’m hungry. Even though I’m busy right now, I want to fight soon,” he exclaimed. “I hope to fight in July, but if not, I’m going to keep busy and wait for my next fight.

“I have a big name, I’ve fought very much and a lot of guys know me, and a lot of shows are looking for fighters. EliteXC, Affliction, the UWC, some big shows, and a lot of guys are showing interest in me. I’m just waiting for my moment right now.”

Having a year off to focus on himself, Franca feels there’s far more than a whisper’s chance that he’ll be much improved when he does return to fighting.

“I think the fans are going to see much, much better (performances) from me,” he stated.

“(Other fighters train) a few weeks before fights, and I never did. I am always teaching and training fighters. I’m going to let my instructors teach at my affiliations academies, and I’m going to camp for myself for six weeks or seven weeks just training. That’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to do things like a professional, and so I’m going to come back stronger than ever.”

When the subject of Sean Sherk’s impending UFC title match-up with current 155-pound king B.J. Penn was brought up, Franca was more than willing to give his unbiased thoughts on the fight.

“Sean Sherk is so smart; he’s very professional and will come back strong,” he said. “He’s training with Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts to plug B.J.’s game, and will come with a good game plan; but B.J. has good skills. He’s talented.

“I was training with (B.J.) and the kid has a lot of talent, a lot of heart, and I can say the kid is born to fight. I think B.J. is going to win, that’s my opinion, but I hope it is going to be a great fight.”

As for where Franca feels he will fit into the lightweight division when he returns, “I think I’m still like A-level class.

“The only people that are happy to not see Hermes Franca fighting is people in my weight division. I’m still a contender in any organization I’m in, and I’m going to be a champion. I know myself. I know how good I am. If I train hard I can be the best of the best.”

Keeping himself busy with business ventures, Franca looks to a near future that will have him returning to his true passion in fighting, regaining lost momentum and placing himself back amongst the pantheon of the sport’s premier performers.

“I would really like to say to my fans,” closed out Franca, “I gained more fans after my fight with Sean Sherk, and everybody is really, really excited to see me fight again.

“I know who my real fans are now. I want to say thank you to the sport, my family, Premier Martial Arts and my affiliations academies and Team Hermes Franca.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

LION TAMER SAVANT YOUNG'S REVERSAL OF FORTUNE

Things had not been going well for Trenell “Savant” Young. His contract with the International Fight League ended in late 2007, and with it, the monthly stipend that provided for his living expenses. There were no offers from reputable promotions.

He had fought his way through the mom-and-pop shows of Southern California to make the IFL’s Tokyo Sabres, and didn’t want to go back to fighting for peanuts. Without a manager, Young was soliciting himself on Internet forums. Eventually, worries about money led to a separation with his wife of 15 years.

“She saw that I lost sight of what was going on,” Young told MMAWeekly.com.

Left to his own devices for the first time in more than a decade, Young had to decide whether fighting was still in his blood. He’d had many ups and downs in the business, and didn’t know if he could stomach more.

“I had to reassess where I was at,” he continued. “Everything came so quick and so fast, I lost sight of being like that college athlete trying to go pro. It was an adolescent mistake on my part to lose that hunger.”

But Young was determined to reignite his passion for fighting, and started a gym in his neighborhood of Pasadena, Calif., to surround himself with the sport. The sound of punches snapping against the heavy bags focused him. But the right people still weren’t calling.

“It wouldn’t be smart for me as a fighter to fight in the IFL, be seen on national TV, and now I’m fighting in King of the Cage,” he said.

Somehow, the ripple he started in the online pond reached a promoter for Shooto. The Japanese promotion needed someone to take on top featherweight Takeshi “Lion” Inoue at its 20th anniversary “Tradition” show.

Young didn’t know who Inoue was. He had always been a fighter who just showed up and did his job, regardless of the outcome. He could, however, tell that the promoter was looking to pad Inoue’s record.

Maybe both of them could be happy, Young thought. The promoter would get his can, and he would use the opportunity to prove to the world how dangerous a focused “Savant” Young was.

“I thought what do I have to lose if I lose to this guy?” Young said. “I don’t have a lot to lose, but I have so much more to gain from it. And to be honest, I was a little perturbed, because I know they thought I was going to come in there and lay down. That’s when the challenge part of it came out, and my competitiveness sparked.”

Young did not lie down for Inoue, and battled his way to a huge decision upset over the highly ranked Japanese featherweight. His springboard jump to a guillotine choke in the second round sealed the victory, and despite eating numerous leg kicks, his punches found their home. Inoue, Japanese fans, and the world were caught off guard.

Now, Young’s cell phone is ringing off the hook. He is fielding offers from Affliction, who wants him for its inaugural show on July 19; Dream, which is soon holding a featherweight tournament; and of course, Shooto. Nothing has been signed, but it’s a nice change of pace from the struggles of before.

Young now knows he can fend for himself.

“I had to realize that this is what I love to do, and if I’m not doing it 100 percent, I’m not doing it at all,” he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chris Leben ‘wont be getting the right nutrition and workouts’ for UFC 85 fight

“Its not a fun thing and it sucks for anybody to be in jail but it’s not like he’s afraid. He won’t be getting the right nutrition and workouts in but that’s his only concern…. Yes, we knew [Leben staying in jail longer than expected] was always a possibility and it still is. We won’t know until his hearing on the 8th. We are talking to attorneys and we are confident that it will be ok but there are no guarantees.”

T. Jay Thompson — Icon Sport Academy owner where middleweight fighter Chris Leben now trains in Hawaii — shares some concerns about the recent stint in an Oregon jail that “The Crippler” is currently serving while he awaits a probation violation hearing on May 8 to (hopefully) resolve an old Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charge. Of course, it’s not an ideal situation for Leben, who had to take a break from training for his UFC 85: “Bedlam” fight against Michael Bisping in London, England, on June 7 to tend to the legal matters. Even if he is released on May 8 it really only gives him three weeks of hard training to prepare for the bout (traveling, media obligations, “tapering” and other commitments often consume the last one or two weeks of fighter time before a fight). Leben is a gamer and more than likely was in good shape prior to the incarceration, but will it be enough?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Georges St Pierre training routine for strength (Video)

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMANews.com Exclusive: Interview With Kimbo Slice

Chris Howie of MMANews.com: This is Chris Howie with MMANews.com and today I am speaking with the man who will face James Thompson on May 31st on CBS, Kimbo Slice. How are things Kimbo?

Kimbo Slice: Things are going good Chris.

MMANews.com: So you have a big fight coming up May 31st. What are your thoughts on that?

Kimbo Slice: May 31st? What do you want to know buddy?

MMANews.com: First and foremost how does it feel to be in the main event of the first MMA card ever on Network Television?

Kimbo Slice: I was born to do what I am doing and I am looking forward to this fight. I train hard. I make dedications and sacrifices and commitments because this is something I love to do Chris.

MMANews.com: What are your thoughts on your opponent that night, James Thompson?

Kimbo Slice: I never under estimate any of my opponents. James Thompson is a well rounded fighter. He has great ground work and he is not afraid to stand and bang. He has the ability to knock out his opponent and I’m prepared for that. If it goes to the ground I have a lot of tools that I’m dying to use so I’m also looking forward to a good ground game.

MMANews.com: How has your training been going for the fight?

Kimbo Slice: Training has been going great man. I can’t complain.

MMANews.com: You mentioned that you have some ground tools that you are dying to use. Are you training your ground techniques often?

Kimbo Slice: Yeah for sure.

MMANews.com: When it comes to your training what do you tend to focus on more?

Kimbo Slice: Well without giving away to much, I have well rounded training sessions and it is balanced out.

MMANews.com: Besides Bas Rutten who else has been helping you prepare for this fight?

Kimbo Slice: Bas Rutten and Randy Couture. They are the only two guys I train with and I have been training with them since the beginning of my career and I wouldn’t change them for anything. Those are my guys.

MMANews.com: How helpful have they been in your development as an MMA fighter?

Kimbo Slice: I probably wouldn’t have won any of my fights if it had not been for those two guys.

MMANews.com: How did you end up hooking up with Bas?

Kimbo Slice: Through a mutual friend.

MMANews.com: In terms of where you are now as opposed to where you were when you started your training how would you say you’ve come along?

Kimbo Slice: I would say I was a one dimensional fighter then and now I believe I am not a one dimensional fighter and consider myself a well rounded fighter.

MMANews.com: Did you at any point have any formal boxing training?

Kimbo Slice: No I’ve never had any formal training. I don’t think things would have worked out if I had of become a boxer so instead I found myself trying to find ways to make money instead of being a drug dealer or anything and I found that I was able to make money street fighting.

MMANews.com: How much have your striking skills been refined?

Kimbo Slice: When I was street fighting I would just head hunt and now I’m a headhunter with skills. I know what to hit and when to hit and I know when to go hard and when to slow down. I’m able to control my breathing now and pace myself and back then I was just swinging away.

MMANews.com: You’ve said in the past that your dream match ups would be with Tank Abbott and Mike Tyson. You’ve fought and defeated Tank, Tyson still a dream or anyone else that might be a dream fight for you?

Kimbo Slice: You know, I have a lot of respect for Mike Tyson and I love him a lot. I looked up to him growing up as a kid and when you are young you have the tendency to say things like that. When you got it in you to be a fighter you wouldn’t be afraid to fight the best and Mike was the best at what he did. I imagine at some point there will be kids that look at me and want to fight me. I’ll be on someone’s mind and that’s cool. That’s the respect of the time and the respect there is to want to fight another ultimate warrior. It’s nothing out of disrespect to Mike or Tank. To answer the part about having anyone else I’d like to fight the answer would be no.

MMANews.com: There is been a bit of back and forth smack talk on the internet lately between you and Chuck Liddell. Can you talk about that a little bit?

Kimbo Slice: Hopefully one day me and him will be able to get in the cage and do what we do. I have a ton of respect to everyone in the MMA and I look up to these guys. They are the reason I am doing what I’m doing now you know? There is a lot of money to be made in this game and hopefully we can all do that together. There is too much money in this business to just hate on one guy. I’d have to be an asshole to do that. Lets everybody be a part of this. If I can change and you can change than we can all change [laughs].
MMANews.com: Do you feel disrespected when media and fans look down on you because of your background?

Kimbo Slice: No dude, I don’t feel disrespected at all and I don’t worry about that at all. I’m going to do what I do and continue doing what I do.

MMANews.com: Focused on the future and not the past?

Kimbo Slice: That’s exactly it.

MMANews.com: Speaking of the future, who will be appearing on the cover of ESPN Magazine. What are your thoughts on that?

Kimbo Slice: That’s going to be cool man. That’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m loving the fact there are fans out there that are loving me and as a fighter I give my word to my fans that I’ll never tap out ever. Tapping out is for dirty men. If you get that arm you better fucking break it ‘cause once I get loose I’m going to get yours and I’m fucking breaking it. If you get me in a guillotine you best put me to sleep cause I’m going to put you to sleep if I get you. Other than that I’m coming to bang and that is one thing my fans will tell you ��" no matter what I’m bringing it.

MMANews.com: How have things changed for you since becoming so well known?

Kimbo Slice: Well a lot more people notice you and you have to be prepared for that. You can’t get tired of the people because they make you who you are. I love it though because I’m a fan of my fans.

MMANews.com: What are some of your goals for 2008?

Kimbo Slice: To take care of my family and to make sure they keep their minds straight and stay in the right frame of mind.

MMANews.com: Do you have dreams of being a champion someday?

Kimbo Slice: When the time comes and I am deserving of that opportunity then yeah, I’d like to be a champion someday but right now I’m kicking asses and taking names. When the time comes you will see me challenging for a title.

MMANews.com: A lot of people out there want to see you fight stiffer competition but in reality you are just a rookie to the sport. What are your thoughts on the people that complain about your level of competition?

Kimbo Slice: Well, right now I’m 3-0 but a lot of people don’t recognize the Ray Mercer fight as an actual fight. I defeated Ray Mercer in the first round by guillotine choke so I consider myself 3-0 and not 2-0.

MMANews.com: That was something I didn’t expect to see when you won by a submission…

Kimbo Slice: Right Right, and when that happened I was a complete rookie. If I did that then can you imagine where I am at now?

MMANews.com: Your beard gets brought up in a lot of discussions where people question whether or not you should be allowed to have it and whether or not it is an advantage to you. Have any athletic commissions ever brought it up before a fight?

Kimbo Slice: No, They respect it, I respect it, it’s all good.

MMANews.com: Do you feel that coming into the sport at age 33 may have any effects on your career?

Kimbo Slice: 30 is the new 20 baby. I can fight as long as my body will let me fight.

MMANews.com: Who are some of your favorite fighters to watch when you get a chance to sit down and watch fights?

Kimbo Slice: I watch everybody man. These guys are the future of combat and contact sports you know? It’s the evolution of all the mixed martial arts combined. Anything that I get a chance to watch from UFC, EXC, WEC, BoDog, I watch it.

MMANews.com: What do you do when you are not training for fights and have some spare time?

Kimbo Slice: I really like spending time with my kids man. I love spending time with my babies. I love taking them to the gym with me and train with me. On my spare time I like to be with my kids Chris.

MMANews.com: If you had one fight left in you, who would you like to fight and why?

Kimbo Slice: Wow that’s a tough one. I have to think about that one there. The why would be for 10 million dollars [laughs]

MMANews.com: [laughs]

Kimbo Slice: No but to be honest with you dude I don’t like fighting anybody. As a fighter and as a person who likes to do this I’m not trying to make any political statements or call anybody out. This is a warriors sport and you can’t say you fight for fun. I’m fighting to see if I can be the best at this game and knock somebody out. I want to learn and get in there any compete. It’s competition. My intentions aren’t to get in there and kill anyone it’s just to get in there and knock someone the fuck out. I can’t explain it buddy, it’s just something I fucking love to do.

MMANews.com: Just one more question here for you Kimbo and it involved a rumor that has been circulating around the internet that came to light when Dana White made a comment about it recently. It involved a training session in which as rumor has it you were knocked out by Forrest Griffin. What’s the story here?

Kimbo Slice: No, there is no truth to that at all. It’s bullshit and Forrest Griffin will tell you that it’s bullshit too. The fact is it was a good sparring session and I was training with Forrest and he was talking to me about defending yourself at all times and then he threw a big kick and I was like “WOAH I never even seen that coming” but no I never got knocked out. Even if I did get knocked out, saying that and putting that rumor out there just makes you a pussy. As a fighter and a professional if you get knocked out in training you get knocked out in training and if you get choked out in training you get choked out. As a matter a fact I did get choked out in training once by Bas Rutten and I’m saying that. It’s really nothing to brag about. I wanted to see how long I could defend that position before going to sleep. In training we spare to learn and help each other but no Chris, Forrest Griffin did not knocked me out.

MMANews.com: Ok Kimbo, any prediction for your fight with James Thompson?

Kimbo Slice: Best man wins is all I can say.

MMANews.com: Anything that you would like to say to your fans out there?

Kimbo Slice: Just stay tuned for May 31st. Kimbo Slice and James Thompson, it’s going to be brutal and bloody.

MMANews.com: Do you have sponsors you would like to throw a shout out to?

Kimbo Slice: Yes of course. I’d like to thank my sponsors Triumph United and check me out on Kimbo305.com. You can check out all my old and new fights on there.

MMANews.com: Alrighty Kimbo, I want to thank you for taking the time out to speak with me today and I wish you luck on your upcoming fight.

Kimbo Slice: Thank you a lot Chris.

 

[Shogun Locc]

A Champion Unchanged

Ryan Schultz doesn’t need a lot of fanfare to know that he’s the best. He proves it to himself everyday when he shows up to work. He’s had nearly 30 professional fights, beaten the world’s top competitors and won the IFL Crown in dramatic fashion. All this is enough for Shultz, but there are still doubters out there who are yet to be impressed.

Well, he’s not impressed by them either.

“People are going to have their opinions on who they think the best is, but I let it out there that I’ll fight anybody on any given day, and I guarantee that it’s going to be a fight. I don’t need their approval to know where I’m at, I know who I am as a fighter,” he said of his detractors.

Schultz is on an impressive five fight win-streak spanning over 13 months, and has the momentum of a steam train right now, but despite his immense success he hasn’t forgotten what got him there and doesn’t plan on changing much in his day-to-day.

“The only thing that has changed is that I do more interviews now,” he said. No matter the opponent, he’s always fought hard and he’s always trained with the same guts and grit that he’s employed since childhood. It’s the only way he knows how, but there’s one thing that Schultz is taking into his fight on May16 at Mohegan Sun that he he’s not used to: a target.

Being on top of the Lightweight division means one thing, the rest of the ranks are out to get you. “Once you have it [the belt] it’s always going to be the other guy’s biggest fight because they want that title. But for me, I just try to focus on one fight at a time. Its man vs. man, and I take everyone seriously. I don’t want to lose to anybody whether I have the title or not.”

This upcoming fight against Deividas Taurosevicius will mark only the second time in Schultz’s long career that he enters the ring as a World Champion. He’s got everything to lose and his opponent has everything to gain. It can be an uncomfortable position for any fighter, but Schultz seems unaffected by the hype and if his first defense against John Gunderson was any indication, Schultz is more than just words, and Taurosevicius is in for a battle.

The key for Schultz in his clash against the Lithuanian will be to keep him guessing. He’s shown in the past that his ability to transition smoothly from the feet to the mat can panic his opponents and lead to a convincing win in favor of the champ.

He’s given us no reason to expect anything different in this match; in fact, Schultz’s greatest threat at this point might be time. The 30-year-old has been competing in combat sports for his entire life and it begs the question, “How much longer?”

“I’ll be done when the competitor is done. As soon as I feel my body just going through the motions and there’s no real fire left, that’s when I’ll quit,” he said. “As soon as the competitor in me dies.”

Schultz has wrestled, fought, coached and trained, he’s done just about everything there is to do in this sport. He’s gone five rounds, he’s fought twice in one night and he’s defeated champions. He’s the best. He knows it, and that’s all that matters. It seems that he’s only got one thing left to prove; that the competitor is still alive.