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EliteXC wants Tito Ortiz
UFC light heavyweight Tito Ortiz, one of the most recognizable fighters in mixed-martial-arts history, could fight his final UFC bout next weekend at UFC 84.
And if he does, indeed, opt for free agency after the fight, rest assured that EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw will be there with a contract in hand.
Shaw, after all, said he thinks he can make Ortiz an even bigger star than he was in the UFC.
"Of all my years in the fight game, I know one thing that I could see, touch, smell and feel, and that is a star and a superstar," Shaw said during a Thursday media call. "Every time I see Tito Ortiz, he wreaks of stardom. I think I can even better his days in the UFC. I think I can reincarnate Ortiz. He is a talented fighter, and he has all the mechanisms that you need to make someone a superstar."
Ortiz's relationship with the UFC has been rocky at best, largely due to his ongoing feud with former manager and now UFC president Dana White.
In late 2007, Ortiz had discussed the possibility of re-signing with the UFC but said he'd only negotiate with UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta -- and not White.
However, as we've inched ever closer to his May 24 bout with undefeated Lyoto Machida -- the final bout on his current contract -- Ortiz's 11-year relationship with the UFC looks more and more likely as though it's coming to an end.
During the UFC's own media call on Thursday, White took some parting shots.
"Tito is a f***ing idiot," White said. "He's one of the dumbest human beings I've ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense. ... I put up with his s*** when he was a good fighter (but) he's not anymore."
A final-hour contract offer would appear unlikely.
"I have no interest whatsoever in being in the Tito Ortiz business," White said.
The UFC's loss may be EliteXC's gain.
With CBS and Showtime deals, EliteXC could offer Ortiz plenty of exposure. However, Ortiz will likely go where the money is, and it's hard to know what EliteXC is willing to offer. However, don't expect the organization to break the bank for one fighter. They wouldn't even do that for Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the world's top fighter,
"Sometimes deals cannot be made because people are not realistic," Shaw said. "People need to be realistic in order to put fights on. When Fedor wants to fight just anybody for $2 million, that is not realistic for my company."
Shaw, though, remains optimistic about landing Ortiz and even fantasized about a potential main-event bout with EliteXC's prized heavyweight, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.
"Can you imagine Tito Ortiz and Kimbo in the cage together one day?" Shaw asked. "My door is open. I hope that he's able to negotiate one day because I would never interfere with a contract. I hope he's sitting right next to me, not across from my desk, but right with me."
UFC light heavyweight Tito Ortiz, one of the most recognizable fighters in mixed-martial-arts history, could fight his final UFC bout next weekend at UFC 84.
And if he does, indeed, opt for free agency after the fight, rest assured that EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw will be there with a contract in hand.
Shaw, after all, said he thinks he can make Ortiz an even bigger star than he was in the UFC.
"Of all my years in the fight game, I know one thing that I could see, touch, smell and feel, and that is a star and a superstar," Shaw said during a Thursday media call. "Every time I see Tito Ortiz, he wreaks of stardom. I think I can even better his days in the UFC. I think I can reincarnate Ortiz. He is a talented fighter, and he has all the mechanisms that you need to make someone a superstar."
Ortiz's relationship with the UFC has been rocky at best, largely due to his ongoing feud with former manager and now UFC president Dana White.
In late 2007, Ortiz had discussed the possibility of re-signing with the UFC but said he'd only negotiate with UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta -- and not White.
However, as we've inched ever closer to his May 24 bout with undefeated Lyoto Machida -- the final bout on his current contract -- Ortiz's 11-year relationship with the UFC looks more and more likely as though it's coming to an end.
During the UFC's own media call on Thursday, White took some parting shots.
"Tito is a f***ing idiot," White said. "He's one of the dumbest human beings I've ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense. ... I put up with his s*** when he was a good fighter (but) he's not anymore."
A final-hour contract offer would appear unlikely.
"I have no interest whatsoever in being in the Tito Ortiz business," White said.
The UFC's loss may be EliteXC's gain.
With CBS and Showtime deals, EliteXC could offer Ortiz plenty of exposure. However, Ortiz will likely go where the money is, and it's hard to know what EliteXC is willing to offer. However, don't expect the organization to break the bank for one fighter. They wouldn't even do that for Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the world's top fighter,
"Sometimes deals cannot be made because people are not realistic," Shaw said. "People need to be realistic in order to put fights on. When Fedor wants to fight just anybody for $2 million, that is not realistic for my company."
Shaw, though, remains optimistic about landing Ortiz and even fantasized about a potential main-event bout with EliteXC's prized heavyweight, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.
"Can you imagine Tito Ortiz and Kimbo in the cage together one day?" Shaw asked. "My door is open. I hope that he's able to negotiate one day because I would never interfere with a contract. I hope he's sitting right next to me, not across from my desk, but right with me."
Affliction hosts signing with Fedor, Barnett, Sylvia and others
The upstart Affliction fight promotion has booked an autograph signing that features many of the fighters from its debut card.
The event, which takes place this coming Tuesday in Los Angeles, features fighters from the organization's July 19 main card, including Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Ben Rothwell, Matt Lindland, Fabio "Negao" Nascimento, Mike Whitehead, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo and a "fighter to be named."
Multiple published reports have hinted that the mystery fighter may be former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who could sign with Affliction as early as next week.
The May 20 autograph signing takes place at the Century City Mall (10250 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Los Angeles and begins at 12:30 p.m. The first 500 people get a free Affliction T-shirt.
Affliction's debut show takes place July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The pay-per-view main card, which features a heavyweight bout between Emelianenko and Sylvia, begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The upstart Affliction fight promotion has booked an autograph signing that features many of the fighters from its debut card.
The event, which takes place this coming Tuesday in Los Angeles, features fighters from the organization's July 19 main card, including Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Ben Rothwell, Matt Lindland, Fabio "Negao" Nascimento, Mike Whitehead, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo and a "fighter to be named."
Multiple published reports have hinted that the mystery fighter may be former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who could sign with Affliction as early as next week.
The May 20 autograph signing takes place at the Century City Mall (10250 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Los Angeles and begins at 12:30 p.m. The first 500 people get a free Affliction T-shirt.
Affliction's debut show takes place July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The pay-per-view main card, which features a heavyweight bout between Emelianenko and Sylvia, begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
EliteXC “Primetime” Tix Sales Strong
EliteXC "Primetime" seems to be living up to its name.
Ticket sales for the historic May 31 event on CBS have reached the 5,000 mark, according to the Prudential Center's box office in Newark, N.J., with a boost anticipated in the final two weeks leading up to showtime.
With additional tallies expected from a strong contingent of local fighters on the undercard, New Jersey Athletic Control Board Deputy Attorney General Nick Lembo estimates the show is on track to becoming the second highest paid-attendance MMA event in the Garden State to date.
UFC 78 "Validation," held last November at the same venue, drew 11,828 paid attendees and earned $2,101,360 in live gate receipts, according to figures released by Zuffa. A Cage Fury Fighting Championships event attracted 7,138 paid attendees to the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. in June 2007.
In a teleconference held Thursday, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw confirmed the newly-built Prudential Center is currently configured to hold 12,000 spectators on May 31.
Local draws like Nick Serra, brother of former UFC welterweight champion Matt, and former New York Jets offensive guard and All-American wrestler Carlton Haselrig, as well as circuit fighters like middleweight Chris Liguori (Pictures) and bantamweight Zach Makovsky, could draw another 3,000 spectators, estimates Lembo. Many of these athletes are selling tickets on their own through family, friends, and their gyms.
"The one factor that might affect live attendance numbers would be the event's ready availability on broadcast television," said Lembo.
"Primetime" is the first of four EliteXC events scheduled for CBS's Saturday night slot in 2008, and could be watched by millions gauging past ratings in that time slot.
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, and the curiosity surrounding his rise from Internet tough guy to bona fide MMA athlete, is expected to draw fresh viewers previously unfamiliar with the sport formerly relegated to cable television.
Ferguson's starring role has not come without criticism.
UFC president Dana White, who was in negotiations earlier this year to air the UFC on CBS before EliteXC nabbed the coveted spot, has been unfavorable of the network's choice to use the 2-0 fighter.
"To have CBS, a big network like that, move forward with a guy like Kimbo Slice headlining it - there's no secret, that's what I tried to stay away from," said White during a teleconference on Thursday touting UFC 84 "Ill Will" on May 24. "Kimbo Slice isn't a mixed martial artist. This guy was fighting in your backyard three months ago, and now he's going to be headlining on CBS. Personally, I think it sucks."
EliteXC's Shaw was quick to defend Ferguson, along with the remaining May 31 roster, which includes a handful of athletes that have fought in the UFC before.
"In the UFC, nobody can be bigger than Dana White and the UFC," said Shaw. "In EliteXC, everyone can be bigger than Gary Shaw, at least not in the waistline, but in notoriety and [they] can be bigger than our brand. It's supposed to be about the athletes."
If it is all about the athletes, EliteXC has done its best to pick and choose them to cater to fans' preferences. All five main card bouts on May 31 feature strikers, including a quartet of middleweights who all relish in the stand-up game.
Scott Smith, who will challenge EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler (Pictures) for his title, goes by the moniker "Hands of Steel" for a reason. Eleven of his thirteen victories have come from knockout or TKO.
"There's no secret to my game," said Smith during Thursday's teleconference. "I'm not going out there to try to out-point him. Every combo I throw is going to try and finish the fight. If I land a clean shot, I can knock anyone out."
Smith, whose past performances have graced more than a few highlight reels, voiced strong sentiment regarding the gravity of his role on May 31. It was shared by his opponent Lawler, as well as fellow middleweights Phil Baroni (Pictures) and Joey Villasenor (Pictures), who will face off in a featured bout.
"Every time I talk to people that watch an MMA fight for the first time, they get hooked instantly. People just don't always want to buy it on pay-per-view," said Smith. "This is going to be on free television. We're going get millions of people watching this that may have never watched MMA before and they're going to be hooked. We're going to get a lot of new fans, and I'm honored to be a part of it."
EliteXC "Primetime" seems to be living up to its name.
Ticket sales for the historic May 31 event on CBS have reached the 5,000 mark, according to the Prudential Center's box office in Newark, N.J., with a boost anticipated in the final two weeks leading up to showtime.
With additional tallies expected from a strong contingent of local fighters on the undercard, New Jersey Athletic Control Board Deputy Attorney General Nick Lembo estimates the show is on track to becoming the second highest paid-attendance MMA event in the Garden State to date.
UFC 78 "Validation," held last November at the same venue, drew 11,828 paid attendees and earned $2,101,360 in live gate receipts, according to figures released by Zuffa. A Cage Fury Fighting Championships event attracted 7,138 paid attendees to the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. in June 2007.
In a teleconference held Thursday, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw confirmed the newly-built Prudential Center is currently configured to hold 12,000 spectators on May 31.
Local draws like Nick Serra, brother of former UFC welterweight champion Matt, and former New York Jets offensive guard and All-American wrestler Carlton Haselrig, as well as circuit fighters like middleweight Chris Liguori (Pictures) and bantamweight Zach Makovsky, could draw another 3,000 spectators, estimates Lembo. Many of these athletes are selling tickets on their own through family, friends, and their gyms.
"The one factor that might affect live attendance numbers would be the event's ready availability on broadcast television," said Lembo.
"Primetime" is the first of four EliteXC events scheduled for CBS's Saturday night slot in 2008, and could be watched by millions gauging past ratings in that time slot.
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, and the curiosity surrounding his rise from Internet tough guy to bona fide MMA athlete, is expected to draw fresh viewers previously unfamiliar with the sport formerly relegated to cable television.
Ferguson's starring role has not come without criticism.
UFC president Dana White, who was in negotiations earlier this year to air the UFC on CBS before EliteXC nabbed the coveted spot, has been unfavorable of the network's choice to use the 2-0 fighter.
"To have CBS, a big network like that, move forward with a guy like Kimbo Slice headlining it - there's no secret, that's what I tried to stay away from," said White during a teleconference on Thursday touting UFC 84 "Ill Will" on May 24. "Kimbo Slice isn't a mixed martial artist. This guy was fighting in your backyard three months ago, and now he's going to be headlining on CBS. Personally, I think it sucks."
EliteXC's Shaw was quick to defend Ferguson, along with the remaining May 31 roster, which includes a handful of athletes that have fought in the UFC before.
"In the UFC, nobody can be bigger than Dana White and the UFC," said Shaw. "In EliteXC, everyone can be bigger than Gary Shaw, at least not in the waistline, but in notoriety and [they] can be bigger than our brand. It's supposed to be about the athletes."
If it is all about the athletes, EliteXC has done its best to pick and choose them to cater to fans' preferences. All five main card bouts on May 31 feature strikers, including a quartet of middleweights who all relish in the stand-up game.
Scott Smith, who will challenge EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler (Pictures) for his title, goes by the moniker "Hands of Steel" for a reason. Eleven of his thirteen victories have come from knockout or TKO.
"There's no secret to my game," said Smith during Thursday's teleconference. "I'm not going out there to try to out-point him. Every combo I throw is going to try and finish the fight. If I land a clean shot, I can knock anyone out."
Smith, whose past performances have graced more than a few highlight reels, voiced strong sentiment regarding the gravity of his role on May 31. It was shared by his opponent Lawler, as well as fellow middleweights Phil Baroni (Pictures) and Joey Villasenor (Pictures), who will face off in a featured bout.
"Every time I talk to people that watch an MMA fight for the first time, they get hooked instantly. People just don't always want to buy it on pay-per-view," said Smith. "This is going to be on free television. We're going get millions of people watching this that may have never watched MMA before and they're going to be hooked. We're going to get a lot of new fans, and I'm honored to be a part of it."
Steroid Allegations Hit Women’s MMA
It's a time for firsts in women's mixed martial arts, though not all of it is promising.
Brazilian Carina Damm has tested positive for Nandrolone, according to the California State Athletic Commission, following tests conducted after her first round submission victory over Sophie Bagherdai (Pictures) at Femme Fatale Fighting 4, held on April 3 in Los Angeles. Damm's nanogram count was reported at 37.9 ng/mL which exceeds the threshold of 2 ng/mL, CSAC official Bill Douglas stated in an email released Friday.
Damm becomes the first female fighter to face steroid allegations in the U.S. following government testing. CSAC officials have suspended Damm for one year and she has been fined $2,500. She will have opportunity to request a hearing before the CSAC to appeal the suspension and/or request a lighter sentence.
Undefeated in her last four bouts, Damm was slated to face American Debi Purcell (Pictures) at a ShoXC event on June 27 in San Diego, Calif. Purcell signed a three-fight contract with the promotion a week and a half ago, her first assignment a tilt with Damm at 130 pounds. Purcell said she was not surprised by Friday's news.
"it was obvious she was doing it [steroids], but I was just going to out-cardio and out-muscle her anyways," says Purcell, who hasn't met Damm in person. "I've been lifting for my whole life, everyday for I don't know how many years. People have accused me of doing steroids because I have muscles, which isn't fair. But you can't go have a normal body and two months later be huge."
Purcell said she has contacted EliteXC reps and is awaiting word on a new opponent. Purcell does not believe Damm's case will have an adverse affect on women's MMA, though she does not condone the use of steroids in the sport.
"I really believe, from the bottom of my heart, for what we do, that's it's only going to hurt our performance whether it's male or female - so I think it's stupid," Purcell said.
Damm could not be reached for comment.
It's a time for firsts in women's mixed martial arts, though not all of it is promising.
Brazilian Carina Damm has tested positive for Nandrolone, according to the California State Athletic Commission, following tests conducted after her first round submission victory over Sophie Bagherdai (Pictures) at Femme Fatale Fighting 4, held on April 3 in Los Angeles. Damm's nanogram count was reported at 37.9 ng/mL which exceeds the threshold of 2 ng/mL, CSAC official Bill Douglas stated in an email released Friday.
Damm becomes the first female fighter to face steroid allegations in the U.S. following government testing. CSAC officials have suspended Damm for one year and she has been fined $2,500. She will have opportunity to request a hearing before the CSAC to appeal the suspension and/or request a lighter sentence.
Undefeated in her last four bouts, Damm was slated to face American Debi Purcell (Pictures) at a ShoXC event on June 27 in San Diego, Calif. Purcell signed a three-fight contract with the promotion a week and a half ago, her first assignment a tilt with Damm at 130 pounds. Purcell said she was not surprised by Friday's news.
"it was obvious she was doing it [steroids], but I was just going to out-cardio and out-muscle her anyways," says Purcell, who hasn't met Damm in person. "I've been lifting for my whole life, everyday for I don't know how many years. People have accused me of doing steroids because I have muscles, which isn't fair. But you can't go have a normal body and two months later be huge."
Purcell said she has contacted EliteXC reps and is awaiting word on a new opponent. Purcell does not believe Damm's case will have an adverse affect on women's MMA, though she does not condone the use of steroids in the sport.
"I really believe, from the bottom of my heart, for what we do, that's it's only going to hurt our performance whether it's male or female - so I think it's stupid," Purcell said.
Damm could not be reached for comment.
BARNETT, MONSON, & RANDLEMAN AT SENGOKU II
On Sunday night in Japan, Josh Barnett, the No. 4 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world, will step into the ring at Sengoku. It will be the promotion’s second event and the second time Barnett has headlined, slowly earning him the moniker of “King of Sengoku.”
One big difference for Barnett, however, will be that he has to face one of his best friends in Jeff Monson. And they’re not casual acquaintances that get together when they happen to be fighting on the same event, they are truly friends. They have faced each other many, many times in the past, but only in practice. Sunday night will be a different story altogether.
“It’s my training and how I fight in the ring that makes the difference. And that’s the same with Jeff,” said Barnett in a pre-fight interview on Friday in Japan. “He’s not Jeff from practice; he’s Jeff in the fight.”
It’s not that Barnett and Monson wanted to face each other, but the circumstances just seemed to fall that way. “If I have the choice to fight Jeff Monson … or some other fighter, I’m always going to choose to fight the other fighter. I prefer not to fight friends or training partners,” said Barnett.
Added Monson, “It’s hard because we’re friends and we train together. We trained together with Matt Hume for many years and we became good friends. It’s very difficult to fight your friend, but will still be friends after the fight.”
Despite not wanting to fight his friend, Barnett would not disrespect him by turning it down either. “I’m not going to be someone to stop him from being a highly regarded fighter from getting a premier match and fighting in the main event in Sengoku. If I said no, where would Jeff be right now? Business-wise, he doesn’t make any money not fighting.”
Although most will consider the advantage going to Barnett in this bout, it may be more difficult to prognosticate this bout due to their closeness.
At any rate, Monson doesn’t expect to have any surprises for Barnett, “I think Josh has taught me most of the techniques I know, so I don’t think there’s anything up my sleeve that he doesn’t know.”
In his mind, however, that doesn’t mean he’s giving the bout to Barnett. To the contrary, Monson feels that because of their time training together, it just elevates the bout to another level of strategy.
“Because we’ve trained together so much, it’s going to be like a chess match I think.”
Also on hand in Japan for the pre-fight media blitz was Kevin Randleman. He will be returning to the ring after a year-and-a-half layoff due to various circumstances. He will face hard-hitting PANCRASEism fighter Ryo Kawamura.
Randleman says that his time away from fighting has actually allowed him to become a better, more well-rounded fighter… with jiu-jitsu skills.
“I guess the fact that I haven’t fought in a while is a blessing for me because I learned jiu-jitsu. I might not be a black belt, but I guarantee you, I’ll fight any jiu-jitsu guy and they won’t submit me. So now I’m a roundabout fighter,” said Randleman. “I’ve been training with a gentleman by the name of Alex Schoenauer… John Lewis at the John Lewis Jiu-jitsu Academy.”
Along with his jiu-jitsu training, or maybe even stemming from it, he says to expect a more cerebral Kevin Randleman as well. “My nickname is ‘The Monster’ and monsters don’t think, they just act. I’m more of an animal now.”
On Sunday night in Japan, Josh Barnett, the No. 4 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world, will step into the ring at Sengoku. It will be the promotion’s second event and the second time Barnett has headlined, slowly earning him the moniker of “King of Sengoku.”
One big difference for Barnett, however, will be that he has to face one of his best friends in Jeff Monson. And they’re not casual acquaintances that get together when they happen to be fighting on the same event, they are truly friends. They have faced each other many, many times in the past, but only in practice. Sunday night will be a different story altogether.
“It’s my training and how I fight in the ring that makes the difference. And that’s the same with Jeff,” said Barnett in a pre-fight interview on Friday in Japan. “He’s not Jeff from practice; he’s Jeff in the fight.”
It’s not that Barnett and Monson wanted to face each other, but the circumstances just seemed to fall that way. “If I have the choice to fight Jeff Monson … or some other fighter, I’m always going to choose to fight the other fighter. I prefer not to fight friends or training partners,” said Barnett.
Added Monson, “It’s hard because we’re friends and we train together. We trained together with Matt Hume for many years and we became good friends. It’s very difficult to fight your friend, but will still be friends after the fight.”
Despite not wanting to fight his friend, Barnett would not disrespect him by turning it down either. “I’m not going to be someone to stop him from being a highly regarded fighter from getting a premier match and fighting in the main event in Sengoku. If I said no, where would Jeff be right now? Business-wise, he doesn’t make any money not fighting.”
Although most will consider the advantage going to Barnett in this bout, it may be more difficult to prognosticate this bout due to their closeness.
At any rate, Monson doesn’t expect to have any surprises for Barnett, “I think Josh has taught me most of the techniques I know, so I don’t think there’s anything up my sleeve that he doesn’t know.”
In his mind, however, that doesn’t mean he’s giving the bout to Barnett. To the contrary, Monson feels that because of their time training together, it just elevates the bout to another level of strategy.
“Because we’ve trained together so much, it’s going to be like a chess match I think.”
Also on hand in Japan for the pre-fight media blitz was Kevin Randleman. He will be returning to the ring after a year-and-a-half layoff due to various circumstances. He will face hard-hitting PANCRASEism fighter Ryo Kawamura.
Randleman says that his time away from fighting has actually allowed him to become a better, more well-rounded fighter… with jiu-jitsu skills.
“I guess the fact that I haven’t fought in a while is a blessing for me because I learned jiu-jitsu. I might not be a black belt, but I guarantee you, I’ll fight any jiu-jitsu guy and they won’t submit me. So now I’m a roundabout fighter,” said Randleman. “I’ve been training with a gentleman by the name of Alex Schoenauer… John Lewis at the John Lewis Jiu-jitsu Academy.”
Along with his jiu-jitsu training, or maybe even stemming from it, he says to expect a more cerebral Kevin Randleman as well. “My nickname is ‘The Monster’ and monsters don’t think, they just act. I’m more of an animal now.”
Tito Ortiz ‘Anytown Beatdown:’ Gotta score to settle?
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is expanding his crossover appeal once again by developing a reality show for friends and rivals who want to punch each other in the face.
The show, called “Anytown Beatdown,” pits two acquaintances against one another in a grudge match where they get to settle their differences in the cage. Ortiz will serve as trainer for both competitors, providing them with a crash course in mixed martial arts.
The Comcast-owned G4 network will air the pilot episode in an effort to expand its lineup from its usual video-game base. The show was originally planned to be called “Anytown Throwdown” and has already conducted open casting calls.
MMAmania.com first broke news of a potential Tito Ortiz-inspired reality show back in February. Since then, I had the chance to talk to Tito directly about the upcoming venture.
Here’s what he had to say:
“It was kind of just an idea that came about. Couple of Hollywood agents came to me, and they were pitching some stuff. A guy by the name of Randall Emmett, who’s a producer, he came up to me, and we talked about it. It’s pretty much getting two guys who have had hostility toward each other through their whole childhood and growing up and so forth, and they’ve always wanted to beat each other up, and they always wanted to get payback. I remember in high school getting in a fight with somebody, and the next day we were best friends after we fought. This is kind of like the same thing. We’re going to teach them how to fight, we’re going to train them, and they’re going to fight and square their differences in the Octagon.… We’ll go back and hear tales from each one of their families, maybe the whole town knows about the whole situation. We’ll get feedback on it. These guys hate each other so much, but … they’ve always talked; they’ve always wanted to squash this … We’re going to make that happen…. People always wanted to be MMA fighters, so we’re going to get them a chance to do it and see how tough they really are.”
If nothing else, “Anytown” is the latest example of Ortiz’s broad crossover appeal. Having appeared on “Celebrity Apprentice” earlier this season and playing the role of a bouncer in the upcoming Zombie Strippers!, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” clearly has some of the biggest crossover potential of any MMA star in the sport today.
Dating the world’s most recognizable porn star doesn’t hurt either.
Ortiz is quite aware of his mainstream potential and wants to cash in while the getting’s good.
Here’s another snip from our exclusive conversation:
“Oh, for sure. I’m still young, I’m only 33 years old. I’m still a young guy. I still have a lot to learn — business-wise, of course, I’ll always have a lot to learn. Fighting-wise I’ll always have a lot to learn. These next four years of fighting are an important part of my life right now. After these four years of fighting are over, then I’ll get into the business stuff. I’ll start doing more movie films and other business opportunities that come about.”
More movie films indeed.
Producer Randall Emmett was most recently linked to Rambo and Day of the Dead. He is also serving as producer for the 2009 release Rambo V.
“Anytown” is the first television venture by the production company Emmett/Furla Films and was created by Randall Emmett and Brian Newberry. Ortiz will serve as executive producer, along with George Furla, Emmett, Newberry and Mike Malloy.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is expanding his crossover appeal once again by developing a reality show for friends and rivals who want to punch each other in the face.
The show, called “Anytown Beatdown,” pits two acquaintances against one another in a grudge match where they get to settle their differences in the cage. Ortiz will serve as trainer for both competitors, providing them with a crash course in mixed martial arts.
The Comcast-owned G4 network will air the pilot episode in an effort to expand its lineup from its usual video-game base. The show was originally planned to be called “Anytown Throwdown” and has already conducted open casting calls.
MMAmania.com first broke news of a potential Tito Ortiz-inspired reality show back in February. Since then, I had the chance to talk to Tito directly about the upcoming venture.
Here’s what he had to say:
“It was kind of just an idea that came about. Couple of Hollywood agents came to me, and they were pitching some stuff. A guy by the name of Randall Emmett, who’s a producer, he came up to me, and we talked about it. It’s pretty much getting two guys who have had hostility toward each other through their whole childhood and growing up and so forth, and they’ve always wanted to beat each other up, and they always wanted to get payback. I remember in high school getting in a fight with somebody, and the next day we were best friends after we fought. This is kind of like the same thing. We’re going to teach them how to fight, we’re going to train them, and they’re going to fight and square their differences in the Octagon.… We’ll go back and hear tales from each one of their families, maybe the whole town knows about the whole situation. We’ll get feedback on it. These guys hate each other so much, but … they’ve always talked; they’ve always wanted to squash this … We’re going to make that happen…. People always wanted to be MMA fighters, so we’re going to get them a chance to do it and see how tough they really are.”
If nothing else, “Anytown” is the latest example of Ortiz’s broad crossover appeal. Having appeared on “Celebrity Apprentice” earlier this season and playing the role of a bouncer in the upcoming Zombie Strippers!, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” clearly has some of the biggest crossover potential of any MMA star in the sport today.
Dating the world’s most recognizable porn star doesn’t hurt either.
Ortiz is quite aware of his mainstream potential and wants to cash in while the getting’s good.
Here’s another snip from our exclusive conversation:
“Oh, for sure. I’m still young, I’m only 33 years old. I’m still a young guy. I still have a lot to learn — business-wise, of course, I’ll always have a lot to learn. Fighting-wise I’ll always have a lot to learn. These next four years of fighting are an important part of my life right now. After these four years of fighting are over, then I’ll get into the business stuff. I’ll start doing more movie films and other business opportunities that come about.”
More movie films indeed.
Producer Randall Emmett was most recently linked to Rambo and Day of the Dead. He is also serving as producer for the 2009 release Rambo V.
“Anytown” is the first television venture by the production company Emmett/Furla Films and was created by Randall Emmett and Brian Newberry. Ortiz will serve as executive producer, along with George Furla, Emmett, Newberry and Mike Malloy.
Late 10-Qs for ProElite, IFL: ProElite Seeking Additional Funding
Yesterday ProElite and the IFL each gave notice that they will file late 10-Qs (end of quarter reports) with the SEC. The IFL stated:
International Fight League, Inc. (the “Company”
is unable to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three month ended March 31, 2008 within the prescribed time period because the Company could not complete the preparation of the required information without unreasonably effort and expense due to shortage of finance staff and the transition to a new third party consultant providing financial reporting services.
ProElite offered a more enticing explanation:
The Company has been meeting with potential financiers regarding significant funding. The Company’s management and accounting department have dedicated significant time toward due diligence and other requirements of those entities investigating the Company as a possible investment. The time dedicated to these due diligence processes left the Company unable to complete the consolidated financial reporting needed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the deadline without unreasonable effort and expense. Therefore, the Company requests additional time to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2008. The Company expects to file its Quarterly Report by May 20, 2008.
Sources have told MMAPayout.com that the company is believed to be seeking $5 million in additional funding. There were rumors earlier this month that the company had bet the farm on its CBS debut and would be in need of additional funding to continue past June 1.
Yesterday ProElite and the IFL each gave notice that they will file late 10-Qs (end of quarter reports) with the SEC. The IFL stated:
International Fight League, Inc. (the “Company”
is unable to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three month ended March 31, 2008 within the prescribed time period because the Company could not complete the preparation of the required information without unreasonably effort and expense due to shortage of finance staff and the transition to a new third party consultant providing financial reporting services.ProElite offered a more enticing explanation:
The Company has been meeting with potential financiers regarding significant funding. The Company’s management and accounting department have dedicated significant time toward due diligence and other requirements of those entities investigating the Company as a possible investment. The time dedicated to these due diligence processes left the Company unable to complete the consolidated financial reporting needed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the deadline without unreasonable effort and expense. Therefore, the Company requests additional time to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2008. The Company expects to file its Quarterly Report by May 20, 2008.
Sources have told MMAPayout.com that the company is believed to be seeking $5 million in additional funding. There were rumors earlier this month that the company had bet the farm on its CBS debut and would be in need of additional funding to continue past June 1.
Drysdale at a seminar pre Wand vs. Jardine at Xtreme Couture
2007 Abu Dhabi Open Division Champion, the BJJ black belt Robert Drysdale will be teaching at a 3 hour seminar (from 10am to 1pm) at Xtreme Couture, in Las Vegas, on May 24th, the same day as Wanderlei Silva vs Keith Jardine, so ii you are in town for this fight is a good opportunity to learn a little with a top fighter. The seminar will cover No Gi Jiu Jitsu techniques, there will be instruction, drills and open mats at the end of the seminar. It Costs $60 for Xtreme Couture Members and $80 for everyone else.
2007 Abu Dhabi Open Division Champion, the BJJ black belt Robert Drysdale will be teaching at a 3 hour seminar (from 10am to 1pm) at Xtreme Couture, in Las Vegas, on May 24th, the same day as Wanderlei Silva vs Keith Jardine, so ii you are in town for this fight is a good opportunity to learn a little with a top fighter. The seminar will cover No Gi Jiu Jitsu techniques, there will be instruction, drills and open mats at the end of the seminar. It Costs $60 for Xtreme Couture Members and $80 for everyone else.
ShoXC headed to San Diego June 27
Elite Xtreme Combat will host a "ShoXC" event on June 27 during an outdoor show at the Sycuan Casino & Resort in San Diego.
The event features the promotional debut of highly touted Judoka Hector Lombard (15-2-1), a bout between Cyrille Diabate (11-6-1) and Jaime Fletcher (6-3), and a King of the Cage title fight between middleweight champ Reggie Orr (5-5-1) and Keith Berry (6-2).
The event airs on Showtime.
ShoXC, which is modeled after Showtime's popular "ShoBox" event series, features some of EliteXC's most promising prospects.
For the first time ever, EliteXC will showcase a title fight from one its sister organizations: King of the Cage. EliteXC's parent company purchased KOTC in September 2007.
"We've never done a King of the Cage title fight (at a ShoXC event), but they're part of the ProElite family, so we had no problem putting on the fight," EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Plus, it's just a really intriguing match-up that we're really excited about."
Also on the card is Debi Purcell (4-1). She was originally slated to fight Carina Damm, but as MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, the Brazilian recently tested positive for a banned substance and was issued a one-year suspension by the California State Athletic Commission.
"Debi could end up facing an even tougher opponent," Shaw said.
The latest confirmed card includes:
Cyrille Diabate vs. Jaime Fletcher
Hector Lombard vs. TBA
Champ Reggie Orr vs. Keith Barry (for KOTC middleweight title)
Fabricio Camoes vs. TBA
Debi Purcell vs. TBA
Elite Xtreme Combat will host a "ShoXC" event on June 27 during an outdoor show at the Sycuan Casino & Resort in San Diego.
The event features the promotional debut of highly touted Judoka Hector Lombard (15-2-1), a bout between Cyrille Diabate (11-6-1) and Jaime Fletcher (6-3), and a King of the Cage title fight between middleweight champ Reggie Orr (5-5-1) and Keith Berry (6-2).
The event airs on Showtime.
ShoXC, which is modeled after Showtime's popular "ShoBox" event series, features some of EliteXC's most promising prospects.
For the first time ever, EliteXC will showcase a title fight from one its sister organizations: King of the Cage. EliteXC's parent company purchased KOTC in September 2007.
"We've never done a King of the Cage title fight (at a ShoXC event), but they're part of the ProElite family, so we had no problem putting on the fight," EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Plus, it's just a really intriguing match-up that we're really excited about."
Also on the card is Debi Purcell (4-1). She was originally slated to fight Carina Damm, but as MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, the Brazilian recently tested positive for a banned substance and was issued a one-year suspension by the California State Athletic Commission.
"Debi could end up facing an even tougher opponent," Shaw said.
The latest confirmed card includes:
Cyrille Diabate vs. Jaime Fletcher
Hector Lombard vs. TBA
Champ Reggie Orr vs. Keith Barry (for KOTC middleweight title)
Fabricio Camoes vs. TBA
Debi Purcell vs. TBA
Luke Cummo vs Tamdan McCrory fight set for UFC 87
Finals are over at The State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland), which means that recent graduate Tamdan McCrory can resume his mixed martial arts career inside the Octagon.
“The Barncat” took a brief respite from competition to get his degree after falling victim to one of the most beautiful armbars in recent memory at UFC 78: “Validation,” losing to crafty veteran Akhiro Ghono in round two via submission back in November 2007.
He will return against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 welterweight finalist, Luke Cummo, at UFC 87 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 9, according to FightTicker.com.
Cummo is also looking to bounce back from a loss after dropping a unanimous decision to Luigi Fioravanti at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” back in March. Prior to the defeat Cummo was on a two-fight win streak after losing back-to-back fights.
UFC 87 will feature the heavyweight tilt between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman, as well as the number one lightweight contender eliminator match between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
Finals are over at The State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland), which means that recent graduate Tamdan McCrory can resume his mixed martial arts career inside the Octagon.
“The Barncat” took a brief respite from competition to get his degree after falling victim to one of the most beautiful armbars in recent memory at UFC 78: “Validation,” losing to crafty veteran Akhiro Ghono in round two via submission back in November 2007.
He will return against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 welterweight finalist, Luke Cummo, at UFC 87 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 9, according to FightTicker.com.
Cummo is also looking to bounce back from a loss after dropping a unanimous decision to Luigi Fioravanti at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” back in March. Prior to the defeat Cummo was on a two-fight win streak after losing back-to-back fights.
UFC 87 will feature the heavyweight tilt between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman, as well as the number one lightweight contender eliminator match between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
Josh Thomson: 'Before his Title Shot with Melendez'
PDG: What are your thoughts on your upcoming fight against Gilbert Melendez?
Josh: I think stylistically it is going to make for a great fight for everyone. I think the feeling out process between him and I is over – we’ve trained together plenty of times, and we know what each other brings to the table. It’s going to be a great fight – and it needs to be. I think it’s a fight the people have been waiting for and it is time for us to put up or shut up. It’s been a matter of time. It’s been pushed up in terms of when we wanted it to happen – like me coming off my shoulder injury, I would have liked a warm-up fight and he would have liked a couple more fights after his loss to get his mind right and really focus on his training schedule. I think in this situation, it is just something that happens and you have to put it all out there and fight. You’re a fighter and you are paid to fight, so you have to fight.
PDG: Were you able to take anything away from [Gilbert’s] loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida – especially considering your wrestling ability?
Josh: Actually no, not at all. Yes, I could take something away from it, but I don’t fight like Ishida. I don’t fight that boring style fight – all [Ishida] did was fight that boring, wrestling style fight. He tried to take him down and he wasn’t very active. He outwrestled Gilbert – that is all he really did. There was really no striking, no damage done – Gilbert wasn’t hurt at all. I don’t fight like that. If I wanted to go ahead and fight like that, then yeah I could take a lot from it – but that’s not my style. I think if I fought that way it would make for a boring fight, and I would rather not fight at all than fight a boring fight. Maybe I will test my wrestling with him in this fight, but you never know. I fight fights to fight all-around. I consider myself an actual true mixed martial artist. I am a wrestler, a kickboxer – I have a lot of fights by knockout and a lot by submission. I have fights by TKO on the ground and on the feet. I pride myself on being a mixed martial artist, so I can fight the fight anywhere I want. I think that is what is going to happen in [the fight with Gilbert].
PDG: On the flip side, one of your losses was against Clay Guida, who is similar to Gilbert with very good wrestling, excellent cardio, and a relentless style. While the fight was a couple of years ago is there anything you can take from it into this fight?
Josh: I look at it in two ways though – I don’t have to worry about Gilbert greasing himself up....I know Gilbert is game and he is going to fight on a professional level. He is a true fighter and someone that if he can’t win the right way then he’s not going to win. I respect that Gilbert is going to come to fight and bring his A-game. It is going to have to happen that way. I think it is going to be a great fight. I’m going to pull out every trick I can, every submission I can – every little thing I can do on the feet and on the ground. I think he is going to do the same. Yeah, a lot has happened since that fight with Clay, but there were a lot of circumstances in that fight as well that changed the outcome of that fight.
PDG: You have some big wins over guys like “Razor” Rob McCullough, Hermes Franca, and Harris Sarmiento; but you’re not really held up as highly by the fans as Gilbert or Clay or some other guys. Do you see this fight with Gilbert as your opportunity to gain mainstream recognition?
Josh: Not really. I look at Gilbert as another fight and I need to put 110% into training. If I start adding that pressure of I have to perform better just because it is Gilbert then it is going to be a long night for me. I have to treat it as he is an opponent – not someone I have trained with before, but someone I need to beat. Nothing really changes in that perspective. I just really need to focus on this one fight, him, my gameplan, and how to beat him – and that’s it.
PDG: We haven’t seen you in quite a while – since I believe September, and here we are in May....aside from the injury which has obviously kept you out, what else have you been up to?
Josh: [The injury] was the whole thing. What happened after September – the [fight at the Playboy Mansion], I was out training and hurt my shoulder, so I was out rehabbing it through the holidays. I then tried training with it and it was feeling good, then I came down here to train with Rob McCullough to help him train for Jamie Varner and I re-injured it – I actually dislocated it. From that moment on I had the surgery about two days later and have spent time since January 13 trying to really get it healthy again. Really, I’ve had time off but it has been time rehabbing the shoulder and doing anything I can to make it stronger. It has been a long process and we were just trying to make sure it gets back on track.
PDG: Yeah, you have to do it right. Right now we are seeing a lot of guys not taking care of things properly and it is causing a lot more lay-offs then they would need.
Josh: You know what it is that in the process of doing all this before fighters had jobs on the side with insurance through that job. They were all making 2, 4, and 6 grand a fight – so it was almost like a second tier thing. But now the money has gotten a lot better and money is in place to push yourself and be “that” fighter, so guys quit there job and they don’t have insurance. So when they get hurt now they need that next paycheck so they rush into it and train and train and train. Now they are sitting around saying they can’t sit around because they have to make money. The money goes fast because they are living like rock stars generally like I did a little bit, and the money goes fast when you have no income and you have doctor’s bills. I think that is what is happening with these fighters because they don’t have a steady job, this is their job, so the longer they are out the more they have to make.
PDG: As far as money goes, do you see the progression of fighter pay as where it should be now, and still going up, or do you think that it should still be higher?
Josh: I think the top ten to twenty lightweights – and not just lightweights, is that they aren’t getting paid as much as the bigger guys are, and that kind of sucks considering we have such a stacked division. We put in twice as much work into training then the heavier guys do. Also our career life expectancy is a little shorter as well. I’ve never seen a thirty-five or forty year old lightweight – I don’t know what that would look like. But you see forty year old heavyweights all the time because they don’t fight at that fast pace and push themselves on the conditioning and the cardio as much as the lower guys do. It doesn’t seem fair that the heavyweight guys get a lot more. Granted, today’s society likes to see people get knocked out and the established fans like to see big knockouts and lightweights generally don’t deliver that. It’s hard to have lightweights mainstream a card. The fact that Gilbert and I are the main event of this card is something we have to show that we can headline the card, we can pack the seats, and we can put on a good performance. There is a lot of pressure on us to actually step up and perform.
PDG: You’ve been with Strikeforce since the beginning. How do you feel about the growth of the promotion – especially with the Frank Shamrock ordeal that forced a team-up with Elite XC and Showtime!?
Josh: I think if anything that helped both organizations a lot. We’ve been able to produce some mainstream fights for them – like [Phil] Baroni against Frank and Cung [Le] against Frank. Those are probably the two best fights that Elite XC has actually had. I haven’t seen any other cards from them that were all that great, and Strikeforce has had some great events but has not been on TV – so the partnership shows the mutual talent they have and in the future of crossbreeding the fighters and having them face each other will possibly sell tickets. Maybe after I win the title from Gilbert and if Yves [Edwards] takes the title from K.J. [Noons] maybe we’ll see a rematch between us. I think that would be a great fight – two champions rematching like it should have been for the UFC title back then. I think Strikeforce has done a good job bringing in real top level fighters like Gilbert and myself, and Cung and Frank. They always had the big names able to back them. Elite XC did it a little as well is [Robbie] Lawler and Renzo [Gracie] – that is when the Frank debacle happened. They’ve pulled in a few more top guys too but they were trying to find that diamond in the rough. It takes a while to find those guys and build them into the scene, whereas Strikeforce pulled in guys like Cung and myself who already had names that they knew would perform.
PDG: One of the bouts you mentioned which is an obligatory question while I have you is the Cung Le and Frank Shamrock bout. You were quite vocal with your thoughts before the fight – so what do you think now that it is over?
Josh: I think Frank played right into our hands. I think he underestimated Javier and myself and our ability to know Frank. I think he thinks that we weren’t going to be prepared – that we didn’t know him or understand him. After the Baroni fight he didn’t know that Baroni didn’t train with us – Baroni trained with Xtreme Couture for that fight. We encouraged him to train with us given the fact that Javier used to train with Frank, I used to train with Frank, and “Crazy” Bob Cook used to train with Frank. Those were things we encouraged Phil to do and he didn’t, but everyone chooses their own path. Cung decided to go with Jav and myself and it obviously paid off. I think Frank underestimated the two of us and how well we know him and how stubborn he can be. We figured out what he would do. Even if we didn’t figure that out there were other ways to stop him. Cung executed the gameplan and I don’t think he could have done it any better than he did. It was a great fight. No matter how much Frank and I don’t like each other I’ve never really had anything against him until he started putting out videos about me. Those are the only times I’ve had anything against him. I always thought he was a nice guy until he proved to me otherwise. When this all is said and done, no matter how much I have against him personally he is always entertaining to watch fight, he always shows up to fight, and he’s a great fighter – you can’t take anything away from him and how tough he is. I will always give credit where credit is due, and he is deserving of that.
PDG: At one time he was basically the premiere fighter in MMA; how do you think he stacks up now if he was looking for the big fights against quality opponents instead of the big fights for money?
Josh: I think he stacks up well. Had he fought a smarter fight against Cung, I think it would have been a closer fight. But he picked the wrong gameplan which we figured he would. It cost him the fight. I think him against any top 185-pounder would be a good show. He is always going to have trouble fighting a wrestler. Good kickboxers though, he can find a way around. If he uses his skills to get the takedown and the submission I think that he can always be a top guy. Genetically he is a gifted athlete. It just depends which Frank shows up. You just never know what you are going to get with Frank.
PDG: Given that, would you still be willing to fight Frank?
Josh: In a heartbeat. Anyone who says they wouldn’t fight Frank would be a fool. Just from every perspective – from a promotional perspective, a money perspective, and the dislike we each have for each other would bring the marketing perspective. I would never say no to a fight with him ever. I’ve trained with him and he showed he was a tough fighter, but lately what he’s shown is he is not the same fighter as he used to be in the conditioning area. He used to train his conditioning 110% but he’s faltered a bit in his last couple fights. He looked like he was fatiguing in the Cung fight, especially in the third round – and he was definitely fatigued after the Baroni fight. He had to be carried out. I think it shows he is training the technique and training smarter, but he’s not training the conditioning as much. I think with my style and me being a smaller guy I could push the pace in the process of not getting caught.
PDG: Shifting over to [American Kickboxing Academy], you guys are really coming together as one of the top teams. How do you feel about the direction that the team is heading in and the growth of everybody at this point?
Josh: I think right now the growth is jumping to a whole other level – and possibly a whole new level by September. We’ve been bringing in a lot of green guys, but while they are green they are just willing to learn and have given up their lives to dedicate their life to fighting. They are showing the veterans respect in that they are not going to try to go out there and one-up us, they want to show they are learning but do it in a safe way so we don’t get hurt. I think having those types of fighters around is helping everyone’s game from the better guys to the rookies. It’s just been wonderful having all the new guys come in and we’re getting better by the second and they are getting better by the second.
PDG: Do you have any sponsors you’d like to mention?
Josh: I always want to say thanks to Knoxx Gear and Tapout.
PDG: To wrap things up is there anything else you’d like to say?
Josh: If you are looking to get tickets for the Strikeforce event on June 27 then check out www.joshthomson.com and you can contact me on there to get tickets for the event.
PDG: What are your thoughts on your upcoming fight against Gilbert Melendez?
Josh: I think stylistically it is going to make for a great fight for everyone. I think the feeling out process between him and I is over – we’ve trained together plenty of times, and we know what each other brings to the table. It’s going to be a great fight – and it needs to be. I think it’s a fight the people have been waiting for and it is time for us to put up or shut up. It’s been a matter of time. It’s been pushed up in terms of when we wanted it to happen – like me coming off my shoulder injury, I would have liked a warm-up fight and he would have liked a couple more fights after his loss to get his mind right and really focus on his training schedule. I think in this situation, it is just something that happens and you have to put it all out there and fight. You’re a fighter and you are paid to fight, so you have to fight.
PDG: Were you able to take anything away from [Gilbert’s] loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida – especially considering your wrestling ability?
Josh: Actually no, not at all. Yes, I could take something away from it, but I don’t fight like Ishida. I don’t fight that boring style fight – all [Ishida] did was fight that boring, wrestling style fight. He tried to take him down and he wasn’t very active. He outwrestled Gilbert – that is all he really did. There was really no striking, no damage done – Gilbert wasn’t hurt at all. I don’t fight like that. If I wanted to go ahead and fight like that, then yeah I could take a lot from it – but that’s not my style. I think if I fought that way it would make for a boring fight, and I would rather not fight at all than fight a boring fight. Maybe I will test my wrestling with him in this fight, but you never know. I fight fights to fight all-around. I consider myself an actual true mixed martial artist. I am a wrestler, a kickboxer – I have a lot of fights by knockout and a lot by submission. I have fights by TKO on the ground and on the feet. I pride myself on being a mixed martial artist, so I can fight the fight anywhere I want. I think that is what is going to happen in [the fight with Gilbert].
PDG: On the flip side, one of your losses was against Clay Guida, who is similar to Gilbert with very good wrestling, excellent cardio, and a relentless style. While the fight was a couple of years ago is there anything you can take from it into this fight?
Josh: I look at it in two ways though – I don’t have to worry about Gilbert greasing himself up....I know Gilbert is game and he is going to fight on a professional level. He is a true fighter and someone that if he can’t win the right way then he’s not going to win. I respect that Gilbert is going to come to fight and bring his A-game. It is going to have to happen that way. I think it is going to be a great fight. I’m going to pull out every trick I can, every submission I can – every little thing I can do on the feet and on the ground. I think he is going to do the same. Yeah, a lot has happened since that fight with Clay, but there were a lot of circumstances in that fight as well that changed the outcome of that fight.
PDG: You have some big wins over guys like “Razor” Rob McCullough, Hermes Franca, and Harris Sarmiento; but you’re not really held up as highly by the fans as Gilbert or Clay or some other guys. Do you see this fight with Gilbert as your opportunity to gain mainstream recognition?
Josh: Not really. I look at Gilbert as another fight and I need to put 110% into training. If I start adding that pressure of I have to perform better just because it is Gilbert then it is going to be a long night for me. I have to treat it as he is an opponent – not someone I have trained with before, but someone I need to beat. Nothing really changes in that perspective. I just really need to focus on this one fight, him, my gameplan, and how to beat him – and that’s it.
PDG: We haven’t seen you in quite a while – since I believe September, and here we are in May....aside from the injury which has obviously kept you out, what else have you been up to?
Josh: [The injury] was the whole thing. What happened after September – the [fight at the Playboy Mansion], I was out training and hurt my shoulder, so I was out rehabbing it through the holidays. I then tried training with it and it was feeling good, then I came down here to train with Rob McCullough to help him train for Jamie Varner and I re-injured it – I actually dislocated it. From that moment on I had the surgery about two days later and have spent time since January 13 trying to really get it healthy again. Really, I’ve had time off but it has been time rehabbing the shoulder and doing anything I can to make it stronger. It has been a long process and we were just trying to make sure it gets back on track.
PDG: Yeah, you have to do it right. Right now we are seeing a lot of guys not taking care of things properly and it is causing a lot more lay-offs then they would need.
Josh: You know what it is that in the process of doing all this before fighters had jobs on the side with insurance through that job. They were all making 2, 4, and 6 grand a fight – so it was almost like a second tier thing. But now the money has gotten a lot better and money is in place to push yourself and be “that” fighter, so guys quit there job and they don’t have insurance. So when they get hurt now they need that next paycheck so they rush into it and train and train and train. Now they are sitting around saying they can’t sit around because they have to make money. The money goes fast because they are living like rock stars generally like I did a little bit, and the money goes fast when you have no income and you have doctor’s bills. I think that is what is happening with these fighters because they don’t have a steady job, this is their job, so the longer they are out the more they have to make.
PDG: As far as money goes, do you see the progression of fighter pay as where it should be now, and still going up, or do you think that it should still be higher?
Josh: I think the top ten to twenty lightweights – and not just lightweights, is that they aren’t getting paid as much as the bigger guys are, and that kind of sucks considering we have such a stacked division. We put in twice as much work into training then the heavier guys do. Also our career life expectancy is a little shorter as well. I’ve never seen a thirty-five or forty year old lightweight – I don’t know what that would look like. But you see forty year old heavyweights all the time because they don’t fight at that fast pace and push themselves on the conditioning and the cardio as much as the lower guys do. It doesn’t seem fair that the heavyweight guys get a lot more. Granted, today’s society likes to see people get knocked out and the established fans like to see big knockouts and lightweights generally don’t deliver that. It’s hard to have lightweights mainstream a card. The fact that Gilbert and I are the main event of this card is something we have to show that we can headline the card, we can pack the seats, and we can put on a good performance. There is a lot of pressure on us to actually step up and perform.
PDG: You’ve been with Strikeforce since the beginning. How do you feel about the growth of the promotion – especially with the Frank Shamrock ordeal that forced a team-up with Elite XC and Showtime!?
Josh: I think if anything that helped both organizations a lot. We’ve been able to produce some mainstream fights for them – like [Phil] Baroni against Frank and Cung [Le] against Frank. Those are probably the two best fights that Elite XC has actually had. I haven’t seen any other cards from them that were all that great, and Strikeforce has had some great events but has not been on TV – so the partnership shows the mutual talent they have and in the future of crossbreeding the fighters and having them face each other will possibly sell tickets. Maybe after I win the title from Gilbert and if Yves [Edwards] takes the title from K.J. [Noons] maybe we’ll see a rematch between us. I think that would be a great fight – two champions rematching like it should have been for the UFC title back then. I think Strikeforce has done a good job bringing in real top level fighters like Gilbert and myself, and Cung and Frank. They always had the big names able to back them. Elite XC did it a little as well is [Robbie] Lawler and Renzo [Gracie] – that is when the Frank debacle happened. They’ve pulled in a few more top guys too but they were trying to find that diamond in the rough. It takes a while to find those guys and build them into the scene, whereas Strikeforce pulled in guys like Cung and myself who already had names that they knew would perform.
PDG: One of the bouts you mentioned which is an obligatory question while I have you is the Cung Le and Frank Shamrock bout. You were quite vocal with your thoughts before the fight – so what do you think now that it is over?
Josh: I think Frank played right into our hands. I think he underestimated Javier and myself and our ability to know Frank. I think he thinks that we weren’t going to be prepared – that we didn’t know him or understand him. After the Baroni fight he didn’t know that Baroni didn’t train with us – Baroni trained with Xtreme Couture for that fight. We encouraged him to train with us given the fact that Javier used to train with Frank, I used to train with Frank, and “Crazy” Bob Cook used to train with Frank. Those were things we encouraged Phil to do and he didn’t, but everyone chooses their own path. Cung decided to go with Jav and myself and it obviously paid off. I think Frank underestimated the two of us and how well we know him and how stubborn he can be. We figured out what he would do. Even if we didn’t figure that out there were other ways to stop him. Cung executed the gameplan and I don’t think he could have done it any better than he did. It was a great fight. No matter how much Frank and I don’t like each other I’ve never really had anything against him until he started putting out videos about me. Those are the only times I’ve had anything against him. I always thought he was a nice guy until he proved to me otherwise. When this all is said and done, no matter how much I have against him personally he is always entertaining to watch fight, he always shows up to fight, and he’s a great fighter – you can’t take anything away from him and how tough he is. I will always give credit where credit is due, and he is deserving of that.
PDG: At one time he was basically the premiere fighter in MMA; how do you think he stacks up now if he was looking for the big fights against quality opponents instead of the big fights for money?
Josh: I think he stacks up well. Had he fought a smarter fight against Cung, I think it would have been a closer fight. But he picked the wrong gameplan which we figured he would. It cost him the fight. I think him against any top 185-pounder would be a good show. He is always going to have trouble fighting a wrestler. Good kickboxers though, he can find a way around. If he uses his skills to get the takedown and the submission I think that he can always be a top guy. Genetically he is a gifted athlete. It just depends which Frank shows up. You just never know what you are going to get with Frank.
PDG: Given that, would you still be willing to fight Frank?
Josh: In a heartbeat. Anyone who says they wouldn’t fight Frank would be a fool. Just from every perspective – from a promotional perspective, a money perspective, and the dislike we each have for each other would bring the marketing perspective. I would never say no to a fight with him ever. I’ve trained with him and he showed he was a tough fighter, but lately what he’s shown is he is not the same fighter as he used to be in the conditioning area. He used to train his conditioning 110% but he’s faltered a bit in his last couple fights. He looked like he was fatiguing in the Cung fight, especially in the third round – and he was definitely fatigued after the Baroni fight. He had to be carried out. I think it shows he is training the technique and training smarter, but he’s not training the conditioning as much. I think with my style and me being a smaller guy I could push the pace in the process of not getting caught.
PDG: Shifting over to [American Kickboxing Academy], you guys are really coming together as one of the top teams. How do you feel about the direction that the team is heading in and the growth of everybody at this point?
Josh: I think right now the growth is jumping to a whole other level – and possibly a whole new level by September. We’ve been bringing in a lot of green guys, but while they are green they are just willing to learn and have given up their lives to dedicate their life to fighting. They are showing the veterans respect in that they are not going to try to go out there and one-up us, they want to show they are learning but do it in a safe way so we don’t get hurt. I think having those types of fighters around is helping everyone’s game from the better guys to the rookies. It’s just been wonderful having all the new guys come in and we’re getting better by the second and they are getting better by the second.
PDG: Do you have any sponsors you’d like to mention?
Josh: I always want to say thanks to Knoxx Gear and Tapout.
PDG: To wrap things up is there anything else you’d like to say?
Josh: If you are looking to get tickets for the Strikeforce event on June 27 then check out www.joshthomson.com and you can contact me on there to get tickets for the event.