MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Anderson Silva cancels training session in Houston

HOUSTON -- UFC middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva canceled a scheduled appearance Saturday at a training seminar in Houston, leaving organizers scrambling and asking several questions about the reason behind the snub.

Silva was confirmed for the instructional session at the Miletich Fighting Systems-Houston gym more than two months ago. However, MFS officials were notified late Friday night -- only a matter of hours before the start of the program -- that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill the commitment.

Nearly 100 students and fighters had registered for the two-day, eight-hour seminar.

The gym released the following statement:


"We want to issue an official statement regarding the seminar that was suppose to take place this weekend with Anderon (sic) Silva. We received a phone call last night (Friday) from Anderson's manager Ed (Soares) informing us that the seminar was going to be canceled due to a personal family health issues. Obviously we were taken a back and concerned for Anderson and his family. We were also very disappointed for all of our students and fans who had planned to attend our seminar this weekend.

It was brought to our attention this morning (Saturday) that Anderson and (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueria (sic) are both having a two day seminar at their grand opening event in Miami. If this is true then we have been completely mislead (sic) and as you can imagine we are furious at this. We are doing our due diligence to confirm that this is really happening. If this is true we will take all legal recourse possible.

We are extremely sorry for all those who planned on attending this event!"


While Miletich officials work to sort out exactly what transpired and why, a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicates that Silva was scheduled be in Miami Saturday and a call to the gym by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed that the training session was held.

Miletich-Houston is in the process of refunding registration fees to those signed up for the program, and Silva, through Soares, has offered to reschedule his appearance.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Phil Baroni anticipates "friendly environment" for CBS debut

Although several fighters from EliteXC's May 31 card have discussed the added pressures surrounding the event, at least one combatant feels it's just another day at the office.

"The New York Bad Ass," Phil Baroni (10-9), doesn't care about the size of the audience that may view the fight on CBS. The UFC and PRIDE veteran just wants to revive a career that has seen the 32-year-old lose two straight and four of his past six bouts.

Baroni discussed his mentality regarding the upcoming match-up with "Smoking" Joe Villasenor (25-6) while a guest on Friday's edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"It's cool," Baroni said about the network television audience. "But to be honest, I didn't get into fighting to be a rock star, to be on TV or any of that [expletive]. ... For me it's not about seeing how famous I'm going to be, the limelight. If that was the case, I would have done something else. I would have joined the drama club."

The Newark, N.J. venue, less than 15 miles from Baroni's native Long Island, N.Y., has caused Baroni additional distractions.

"I got a whole bunch of friends I haven't heard from in a long time that are asking me for tickets," Baroni said. "And I say, 'I ain't [expletive] Ticketmaster.'"

But when the bell rings, Baroni feels those friends will work to his advantage.

"It's going to be great to fight and not have a hostile crowd," Baroni explained. "I've had a lot of hostile [expletive] crowds the last couple of fights. It'll be nice fighting in a friendly environment. I'm looking at it as a coming-home party."

So while some competitors may find themselves struggling with the levity of such a historic moment for MMA, the eight-year-veteran feels he is mentally prepared for the challenge.

"A fight's a fight," Baroni said. "The pressure is that I want to win the fight. I want to further my career. I've had some stupid raw decisions, some stupid fights. It'll be a chance to resurrect my career. I'm taking full advantage of it. ... A lot of people are going to watch it, and that's nice, but it's not the point. The point is to win the fight."

And as for Baroni's opponent?

"Smoking Joe is getting knocked out," Baroni said. "Smoking Joe is not my caliber of athlete. He already made his gameplan. He's going to run and try to get me tired. Well I ain't getting tired. I'm going to be ready to go 100 percent for three rounds, and he's not going to be able to survive."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"UFC 87: Seek and Destroy" formally announced

The UFC today confirmed "UFC 87: Seek and Destroy," an event that takes place Aug. 9 at the Target Center, a 19,500-capacity arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The event, which will be the first UFC show to take place in the state, features a main event between UFC hall-of-famer Mark Coleman (15-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and WWE performer-turned MMA fighter Brock Lesnar (1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), as well as a pivotal lightweight bout between Kenny Florian (9-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Roger Huerta (20-1-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

Tickets for the pay-per-view event go on sale to the general public beginning May 25.

"I am excited to be heading to Minnesota and (the) Target Center with the first-ever UFC in the state," UFC president Dana White stated. "UFC fans there are going to be blown away by this event. This fight between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman is going to be explosive -- a battle between the original monster wrestler and the new breed of monster wrestler. Kenny Florian versus Roger Huerta has the potential to be one of the most action packed fights of the year. Both have won Fight of the Night awards, and they are known for delivering nonstop action."

Coleman, who was the tournament winner at UFC 10 and 11 before staking claim to the first-ever heavyweight title at UFC 12, hasn't fought since an October 2006 submission loss to Fedor Emelianenko at PRIDE 32. The Columbus, Ohio native hasn't fought in the octagon since UFC 18, which took place more than nine years ago.

Lesnar, a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion and World Wrestling Entertainment performer, made his much-hyped UFC debut in February at UFC 81. Although he'd batter his opponent for all but a few seconds of the fight, Lesnar ultimately suffered a first-round submission via kneebar to former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir.

The Florian vs. Huerta bout, meanwhile, could earn the winner a shot at the belt. During a UFC 84 media conference call on Thursday, White said that the winner will be in line for a shot at the lightweight title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Whitehead on Renato Babalu Sobral Affliction fight (Video)

videolink: http://mmamania.com/2008/05/18/mike-whitehead-on-renato-babalu-sobral-affliction-fight-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Korean MMA Fighters on the Rise

The MMA scene is relatively young in South Korea as it is elsewhere, but the popularity has been explosive as well. More clubs are opening up that teach pupils all the foundational skills – striking, grappling, and submissions. Team Tackle is one such gym located in the affluent Kangnam area of Seoul, where fighters such as Yoon Dong Sik train (Koreans put there family name first).

Yoon currently has a four fight win streak and a deceptive record because of early losses, including a competitive decision to Rampage Jackson. He won his last match at DREAM’s middleweight grand prix in April. Team Tackle’s head instructor is none other than Choi Mu Bae, the former PRIDE standout who won by submission in more than half his contests.

Other fighters have received notice such as Im Jae Seok who fought in Elite XC and Strikeforce and Song Un Sik, an undefeated lightweight from Daegu who is very young and has mainly fought in Japan thus far. Denis Kang was one of the first Korean fighters to become well known by dominating many contests in Spirit MC (Korea’s major MMA organization) and later in PRIDE and K1 Heroes, which are both now defunct. Kang, as many fans are aware, is half Korean, but that hasn’t stopped the fans from embracing him and showing their support whether he’s won or lost.

Right now the talk of the town though is Kim Dong Hyun. He used to train in Seoul, but he moved to Pusan to train at a club called M.A.D. When he’s not in South Korea he regularly trains in Japan with Yushin Okami. Kim, who has a similar build to Okami, (tall and rangy) recently signed with the UFC, and he’ll be fighting in UFC 84 against Jason Tan in the welterweight division.

His contract is for four fights, and he views this as an opportunity to make a statement not only for himself but for his country. His record is 9-1-1, with his first 3 fights in Spirit MC and then the last seven in Japan’s DEEP organization. While fighters are often hesitant to discuss specific numbers when it comes to money, they all admit that the pay is very low in Spirit MC. One could say it’s a farm league that develops fighters who move up the ranks and onto greener pastures. Most Korean fighters earn a living by fighting in Japan, through endorsements, or by opening up a gym and training other fighters, which is what Choi Mu Bae and Im Jae Seok have done.

This weekend on primetime national TV, Kim spoke with sportscasters as they watched highlights and offered analysis of his fights. The same South Korean TV network that broadcasts the UFC (Superaction) has also been heavily advertising UFC 84 and Kim’s match. He looked relaxed and excited as he discussed his career and future prospects.

His road to the UFC started when he was 18 with Judo. Shortly after he saw shooto fighting, and he was immediately drawn to MMA. Kim is an accomplished grappler as well, with ten years of training behind him. He stressed that money and honor had to remain secondary in a fighter’s mind, and that the love of the sport should always be the primary motivator.

Kim is looking forward to measuring himself and testing his skills against the best fighters. He said that before the UFC purchased PRIDE, there was some debate as to which organization had the better fighters. Now everyone agrees that the UFC is the top organization so he is very happy to be there.

When I asked him about his style and fighters who he wants to emulate, Kim mentioned Anderson Silva, his training partner Okami, and the fighter who he felt had the “perfect style” was Georges St. Pierre. He wants to be well-rounded, and like any self-respecting fighter his goal is the title. We’ll see how the increased media and fan attention affects him before the big show in Vegas on Saturday.

Other Korean professionals are undoubtedly watching with keen interest, as they know that success for Kim could translate into more opportunity for them, both at home and internationally. Whether he considers it or not, there’s more at stake than just personal honor and national pride.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC Primetime 5/31 Advance

Sherdog.com reported this morning that EliteXC has sold over 5,000 tickets for its 5/31 show at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event is billed as "Primetime" and will be broadcast live on CBS. The arena is scaled for 12,000. Last November the UFC drew 11,828 for a gate of $2.1 million.

Sources have told MMAPayout.com that the company has yet to spend any money promoting the show in New York.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wand just thinks about Jardine

A week from his second fight at this new phase at his career at the UFC, Wanderlei Silva is training hard to show a performance better than the one he showed against Chuck Liddell, when he was defeated by unanimous decision, but with a good presentation. “I know the importance of this fight and I am training hard, hitting and been hitting a lot… “I don’t have anything else in my mind but this fight. Thanks to God I have no injuries”, said Wanderlei, proud of his boss Dana White, that recently said he would like to have 250 athletes like Wand at the UFC.

“This week I was surprised by a very exciting comment from my current boss, saying that he likes my fight stile. I know that I am doing everything I can to win, because I need this victory. You don’t realize how I would be happy to win and give my fans this joy”, said the Brazilian at his official website, making clear that he is going to do everything to defeat Keith Jardine at UFC 84, that will take place at Las Vegas, United States, on May 24th.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Machida Chronicles – Part II – The Last Samurai

For those who look at Lyoto Machida and see a glossy undefeated record, a prime spot on one of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view Related News shows and figure – using the boxing world’s mentality – that he has been coddled and eased up the ranks to get here, you would be sadly mistaken.

That’s a career-long resume that any fighter would be proud of, yet Machida is only five years into his pro MMA journey, and at 29, he may not even be in his prime yet. And if you ask him who has been his biggest challenge thus far, it’s not one of these contenders or champions, it’s been the man in the mirror.

“My biggest challenge is beating the tiredness and body aches everyday, that’s really tough,” Machida told UFC.com. “I try not to think on who was the toughest or easiest opponent, that doesn’t exist, they all train very hard.”

It goes back to his father Yoshizo’s lessons, which taught him to never underestimate anyone, whether it was 7-8-2 Kengo Watanabe, or then 12-0 Rich Franklin. So when he works in the gym and prepares for his UFC 84 bout against former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, he doesn’t see a fighter who may be on the tail end of a storied career; he sees a viable contender who stands between him and glory.

“I’ve been studying Tito a lot,” said Machida. “I’ve seen his strong points and weaknesses. My training is based on those. Beating Tito would really be great for my career. He is a legend and he once said in an interview that “for you to be a legend you have to beat one”. Maybe this is my opportunity.”

There are no boasts, no outrageous statements, just a grace to his manner, his speech, and his style. It’s gotten him through some tough times in competition and outside of it, when sometimes growing up of Japanese descent in Brazil wasn’t particularly easy.

“In all difficult moments of my life I think like a samurai, I think that's why I never gave up on anything I started,” he said. “To understand how this works I always tell my friends to read about the life of samurai Musashi.”

In the introduction of Musashi’s renowned “A Book of Five Rings”, he speaks of his early journeys:

"From youth my heart has been inclined toward the Way of strategy. My first duel was when I was thirteen, I struck down a strategist of the Shinto school, one Arima Kihei. When I was sixteen I struck down an able strategist, Tadashima Akiyama. When I was twenty-one I went up to the capital and met all manner of strategists, never once failing to win in many contests.

"After that I went from province to province dueling with strategists of various schools, and not once failed to win even though I had as many as sixty encounters. This was between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine."

At the age of 29, Machida has not once failed to win in mixed martial arts competition. In this sport, getting to 12-0 against world-class foes is a feat in itself, but that’s not to say Machida hasn’t been exposed to criticism from those who say his technical acumen and strategic planning doesn’t provide the same thrill as watching someone duck his head down and swing blindly for the fences. The native of Salvador has taken these criticisms to heart though, and with his last two wins over Nakamura and Sokoudjou, he has shown a more aggressive style intended to not just win fights, but to finish them.

>“The American fans are demanding, and they’re right, it makes me want to get even better,” he said. “I think that today I am more mature and I think a lot about my fans, winning fights and making them happy. I’ve tried to do a more exciting fight and that has brought many fans.”

Now, four fights into his UFC career, Machida has become a favorite of fans who not only appreciate the intricacies of his style, but who also want to see what he’s going to do next against the top guns in the 205-pound weight class. And as far as ‘The Dragon’ is concerned, he’s here to stay.

“I consider the UFC my home, the place where I feel comfortable and happy, my workplace,” he said. “And I train everyday with my dream in mind: the belt.”

First, he must beat Ortiz though, and to do that, it takes a single-minded approach to the fight that can only be achieved by constant training. As Musashi wrote:

“You must train day and night in order to make quick decisions. In strategy it is necessary to treat training as a part of normal life with your spirit unchanging.”

Machida agrees.

“Training is the most difficult part (of a fighter’s life); sometimes you are in pain or very tired but you still have to train,” he said.

That’s where 12-0 records truly come from.


At this level of mixed martial arts, there are no gimmes, no easy fights, and one glance at the names on Machida’s MMA record bears this out: BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Stephan Bonnar, Vernon White, Sam Greco, and Michael McDonald

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Chuck Liddell hamstring injury is ‘not good’

His injury’s not good. He can barely bend over and tie his shoe. He tore his leg real bad. It’s pretty nasty…. I know the doctor told him to kind of play it by ear. It’s one of those things that can heal in six days, or it could heal in 16 weeks. The doctor doesn’t really know. It depends on how fast Chuck can recover.”

– UFC President Dana White talks with FOXSports.com about the hamstring injury that Chuck Liddell recently sustained training for his fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 85: “Bedlam” in London, England, on June 7. He had to withdraw from the fight and there is no timetable for the return of the 39-year-old former light heavyweight champion. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua — who is also recovering from an injury — has encouraged “Iceman” to wait until he is 100 percent so the two can lock horns once and for all sometime in late 2008.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sengoku Post fight interviews

Monson Reacts to Loss
video link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1577
Jeff Monson (Pictures) met with the press after his loss to Josh Barnett (Pictures) at Sengoku II.

Santiago on Submission of Sasaki
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1578
Jorge Santiago (Pictures) met with the press after his submission of Yuki Sasaki (Pictures) at Sengoku II.

Randleman Talks Win at Sengoku
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1579
Kevin Randleman (Pictures) met with the press after his decision victory over Ryo Kawamura (Pictures) Sunday at Sengoku II.

Gracie Discusses Dominant Win
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1580
Roger Gracie (Pictures) fielded questions from the media after his submission of Yuki Kondo (Pictures) Sunday in Tokyo.

Barnett Reflects on Monson Bout
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1581
Josh Barnett (Pictures) met with the press following his unanimous decision victory over Jeff Monson (Pictures) Sunday at Sengoku II.

Pyle Talks Win in Tokyo
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1576
Mike Pyle (Pictures) met with the press after his victory over Dan Hornbuckle (Pictures) at Sengoku II.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wiuff-Fujita Added to Sengoku III

Winning a tournament still counts for something these days.

Travis Wiuff (Pictures), who bested a field of 16 heavyweights in one night at Yamma Pit Fighting 1 on April 11, has been tapped to face Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) at World Victory Road's "Sengoku Battle III" on June 8. The seasoned Minnesota wrestler will square off with the popular Japanese heavyweight at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

In April, Wiuff successfully navigated the Yamma Pit's raised perimeter and earned single-round unanimous decisions over Marcelo Pereira and former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (Pictures). He then outscored Chris Tuchscherer (Pictures) in the event's three-round finale, held at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J.

Fujita, a former national Greco-Roman wrestling champion and New Japan pro wrestler, graced WVR's inaugural event on March 5, snagging a submission victory over Peter Graham (Pictures) in 1:23. A veteran of K-1 and Pride, the granite-chinned Fujita is noted as the only man to wobble former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) - with a right hook at Pride 26 "Bad to the Bone" in June 2003.

"Fujita is a very strong, good wrestler," said Wiuff, a two-time All-American at Rochester Community and Technical College. "I've enjoyed watching him fight because he always seems to have exciting fights. I'm sure this fight will be the same."

"Sengoku Battle III" will be headlined by 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (Pictures) is also rumored to be participating.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Movie Trailer: 'The Red Canvas'

Staring Ernie Reyes Jr and Sr, Gray Maynard, Tyson Griffin, Frank Shamrock, Shonie Carter, Dan Severn and more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shamrock Calling CBS Shots

Frank Shamrock (Pictures)'s next speaking engagement will be in primetime.

The former UFC middleweight champion will sit cageside to help call the action at EliteXC's "Primetime" on May 31 at 9 p.m. EST, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

CBS and EliteXC are expected to make the announcement this morning at a news conference held at CBS Studios in Los Angeles. Mixed martial arts commentator Mauro Ranallo, as well as Gus Johnson, a regular fixture of NBA and NFL broadcasts for CBS Sports, will round out the historic trio.

Johnson is also an anchor of the Madison Square Garden Network's "SportsDesk," where he has provided commentary for the New York Golden Gloves boxing tournaments. Vancouver native Ranallo has covered EliteXC and ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series events since their 2006 inception.

Johnson will give the play-by-play while Ranallo and Shamrock offer color commentary.

Shamrock, who broke his arm during a March 29 loss to Cung Le (Pictures) at a co-promoted Strikeforce-EliteXC event, has commentated shows for the UFC and Strikeforce.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nakanishi Wins Deep Tourney; Mishima Outpoints Imanari

TOKYO -- With Dream's first few cards safely in the books, Deep chief Shigeru Saeki got back to work on his own promotion Monday and gave fans their money's worth with a 12-fight card at Korakuen Hall.

Headlining Deep 35 was a "triple main event" that saw both the lightweight and featherweight crowns contested, as well as the conclusion to the Deep middleweight championship tournament.

In the tournament final, Yuichi Nakanishi (Pictures) defeated Riki Fukuda (Pictures) in a drawn-out war of attrition over two rounds.

Both men circled in the first round and winged shots well out of each other's range. Nakanishi connected with several solid kicks to the body, but Fukuda returned with low kicks of his own. Outside of that, neither appeared to get the upper hand until the closing moments of the round, when Nakanishi essentially punched his way out of the clinch.

Thanks to the tournament rules, the second and final period brought a little more action as both fighters realized that their last chance to finish the fight was at hand.

Nakanishi engaged more, finally closing the distance to score with his combinations. Although Fukuda would pull Nakanishi into the clinch to deliver some knees and dirty boxing, Nakanishi showed an impressive ability to punch his way out and arguably score the better strikes.

In the end, all three judges ruled the bout in favor of Nakanishi, crowning him Deep's newest middleweight champion and filling the void that Ryo Chonan (Pictures) had left before heading to the UFC.

In the evening's second main event, Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) entered the featherweight world in grand fashion by defeating Deep champ Masakazu Imanari (Pictures) by majority decision.

In addition to low kicks, spinning back kicks and a superman punch followed by a picturesque suplex, the Cobra Kai Japan rep swept the leg of Imanari throughout the bout. The tactic allowed Mishima to take the top on the ground and strike until the wily grappler tied him up.

Due to the veteran Mishima's constant pressure, Imanari was unable to follow through with any of his typical submissions despite frequently locking up Mishima's arms or legs. Surprisingly, Mishima turned the tables on Imanari in the closing moments of the third and final round, locking on a tight kneebar just before the bell.

Despite an excellent performance, Mishima only managed to convince two judges to give him the nod. Referee and judge Yoshinori Umeki -- in a string of questionable decisions and standups that haunted the event -- deemed the bout a draw.

Sung Hwan Pang (Pictures) wrested Deep's lightweight crown from champ Kazunori Yokota (Pictures) at a mere 3:38 into the first. He knocked out Yokota with a vicious counter right hook and added a few more punches on the ground before the referee stepped in to call the bout.

Before that point, Yokota had been able to reverse an early Pang takedown for a judo press. Both men were back on their feet soon after, sniping it out with low kicks and single punches before the Pang hook separated Yokota from consciousness and the belt.

Hiroki Nagaoka (Pictures) put on a valiant effort against Deep welterweight champ Hidehiko Hasegawa (Pictures) in a two-round non-title affair, though the bout was ruled a split draw.

Nagaoka pressed forward in the fight, weathering Hasegawa's punches and kicks to the body to land punches of his own. Sucked into the clinch when he got too close, Nagaoka also ate a number of knees, but he pushed off and began swinging in earnest again soon after.

As the second round closed out, Nagaoka dropped punches inside the samboist's guard and looked to be on his way to a decision victory. One judge apparently agreed, but the remaining two ruled the bout a draw.

Though strikes to the head of a downed opponent are illegal in Deep's women's MMA rules, that didn't stop Mai Ichii from raining down to the body of Deep women's flyweight champ Satoko Shinashi (Pictures). Despite taking the back mount or locking up an arm, Shinashi was apparently unable to negotiate the weight difference and could not cinch a submission. Ichii barreled through the attempts with ease to land more and more blows from above, thus earning her a majority decision after getting nods from two judges while one judge curiously ruled the fight a draw.

Shooto veteran and former Deep lightweight champ Jutaro Nakao (Pictures) showed patience and poise as he worked away at T-Blood's Shigetoshi Iwase (Pictures) in their two-round fight.

While Iwase circled and looked for openings, Nakao kept movement to a minimum, picking his moments to plant and throw punches. As Iwase tried for a single-leg takedown in the second period, Nakao calmly reversed and forced his way into Iwase's guard.

Eventually Nakao took the back mount, where he threatened with choke and armbar attempts. For his calm and otherwise stifling performance, Nakao handily earned the unanimous decision.

In his lightweight bout against Seigo Inoue (Pictures), Katsunori Kikuno (Pictures) demonstrated that he knows only one direction: forward. While moving in, Kikuno unleashed an endless barrage of punches. He scored with nice body shots and pummeled Inoue both in the corner and outside of it. Inoue attempted to pull Kikuno into submissions, nearly locking on a kimura from the back clinch in the second round, but Kikuno's forward momentum proved too much and netted him the deserved unanimous decision.

The middleweight tournament's reserve bout proved an exciting war between Ryuta Sakurai (Pictures) and Ryo Sai.

An early takedown allowed Sakurai to land some heavy shots in the guard. The strikes caused a large mouse to develop over Sai's right eye, which had even Sai grimacing in mock horror at his mildly deformed visage on the big screen.

Sai was able to rally and suplex Sakurai twice, however. He also took the mount and battled footlocks with the R-Blood chief. The offense was insufficient, though, to counter Sakurai's constant takedowns and pressure on the ground. After two rounds, Sakurai earned the unanimous decision.

Before fighting Yuichi Nakanishi (Pictures) in the finals, Riki Fukuda (Pictures) -- by some strange twist of fate -- outpointed Yuya Shirai (Pictures) for the split decision in their middleweight tournament semifinal.

Shirai appeared to control the standup outside of the clinch, as well as the few instances of grappling as he whipped Fukuda about the ring with two solid hip tosses. Fukuda's tactic appeared to be more or less to control position and dirty box in the clinch, where he landed three errant knees to the groin that earned him a yellow card. Still, two judges mysteriously voted in favor of Fukuda, with one dissenting judge ruling it for Shirai.

Before advancing to meet Fukuda in the tournament final, Yuichi Nakanishi (Pictures) got through veteran Daijiro Matsui (Pictures). From bell to bell, Nakanishi was all over Matsui, rocking the Pride veteran with punches and knees from the clinch.

Nakanishi dominated on the mat as well. He took the mount and back mount in the first round en route to winning the unanimous decision.

Lanky striker Luiz took out Toshikazu Iseno (Pictures) in exciting fashion. Iseno had trouble with Luiz's height and length early, most notably in the clinch, where the Brazilian-Japanese fighter was able to stifle Iseno's early attempts at control.

A vicious hook dropped Iseno flat on his back in the second round. Luiz dropped two more hammer fists before the referee stopped the bout 41 seconds into the round.

Koichiro Matsumoto (Pictures) went to war in a two-round tilt that saw him win the majority decision over Yuki Ito (Pictures). Matsumoto hurt his opponent during the opening frame. Although Ito rallied in the second, it was not enough to negate Matsumoto's dominant performance during the previous round.

In the evening's prelims, Hyun Gyu Lim opened a vicious cut over the left eye of Noboru Onishi (Pictures) 48 seconds into the second round for the doctor stoppage. Yasuhiro Kawasaki pounded out Muneyuki Sato at the 2:49 mark of the first.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cheick Kongo announces UFC 87 bout with Dan Evensen

UFC heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo (11-4-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) hopes to rebound from a recent split-decision loss to Heath Herring when he takes on UFC newcomer Dan Evensen (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in August.

Kongo announced the UFC 87 bout in a recent blog post.

The heavyweight bout will supplement UFC 87's recently announced main event of UFC hall-of-famer Mark Coleman vs. Brock Lesnar.

Kongo had emerged as one of the UFC's top heavyweight contenders, and even cracked the top 10 in some division rankings, before his split-decision loss to Herring at UFC 82 in March. Prior to the loss, Kongo had won two consecutive bouts -- and six of seven fights overall.

Evensen, meanwhile, will look to extend a four-fight win streak that included stints with BodogFIGHT and the IFO. The veteran fighter owns past victories over notables Ruben Villareal, Rob Wince and John George. Seven of the stand-up fighter's 11 victories have come via knockout or TKO.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chuck Liddell eyes fall return, title shot

Forced to withdraw from the main event of UFC 85 due to a torn hamstring, fan favorite Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (21-5 MMA, 16-3 UFC) is now looking to return to the octagon in early fall. And although an opponent has not been determined, Liddell feels a win would earn him a shot at the light-heavyweight title he lost a year ago.

Liddell discussed his return while a recent guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"It wasn't very fun," Liddell said regarding the injury. "But I've been doing rehab on it, and it's been going real well. I'm hoping to be back fighting in late summer, early fall. You know, September or November."

The latest officially announced UFC date is UFC 87, on Aug. 9 in Minneapolis, Minn. Liddell ruled that date out, stating it was "too early."

Once a date has been determined, Liddell and the UFC can work on arranging a match-up. The 38-year-old would still be willing to take on his original opponent, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, provided the Brazilian recovers from his own knee injury in time.

"It's a possibility," Liddell said of the bout. "If he's healthy and I'm healthy, it's a fight that makes sense."

Regardless whom Liddell ends up facing, the ex-champion feels a victory should be enough to earn him a shot to reclaim the title.

"I've been ready to fight the champion for a long time," Liddell said. "(If) I win in the fall, I think I deserve a title shot."

Liddell is also anxious to avenge his two most recent losses, to light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and the rapidly improving Keith Jardine.

"Of course I would," Liddell said about the opportunity to face Jackson and Jardine again. "And if Forrest (Griffin) wins (against Jackson) in July, which is possible, I'd want to fight him first and get the title. To be honest, it makes it a lot easier to get your rematches when you got the title because people want a shot at the title."

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in high-def, slotted for three hours

The finale of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest," which features a main event of former UFC middleweight champ Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove, will run three hours, and for the first time, will be presented in high-definition.

Spike TV today confirmed details for the June 21 event, including fights for the night's undercard. The televised main card airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The event takes place at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Previously reported fights of Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens, Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister, Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett, and Marvin Eastman vs. Drew McFedries were all confirmed today.

The Grove vs. Tanner fight, as well as a welterweight bout between Luigi Fioravanti and Diego Sanchez, were previously announced by the UFC.

The event will also feature the two finalists from the current season of "TUF." The final preliminary bout airs this coming Wednesday, and the cast will then be whittled down to eight remaining quarter-finalists. As with past seasons of the show, the winner earns a six-figure contract with the UFC and an assortment of prizes.

The latest card now includes:

Kendall Grove vs. Evan Tanner
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Diego Sanchez
Finalist #1 vs. Finalist #2
Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens
Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister
Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett
Marvin Eastman vs. Drew McFedries
Matt Arroyo vs. TBA

 

[Shogun Locc]

K.J. Noons ready for toughest test

With his first title defense less than a month away, EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons (6-2) believes he is taking on his toughest challenge to date. Noons will square off against UFC and PRIDE veteran Yves Edwards (34-13-1) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The June 14 event airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET.

Noons discussed the upcoming fight, the possibility of fighting outside EliteXC, his second career as a pro boxer and more while a guest on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Despite being the organization's recently crowned champion, Noons will enter the fight as the underdog. It's a role the 25-year-old has been familiar with throughout his young career.

"I'm probably the underdog like I am in every fight, which is no problem with me," Noons said.

Despite being comfortable with the role, Noons admitted that the resurgent Edwards presents a stern test.

"That guy is very well rounded," Noons said of Edwards. "I don't see a weakness in his game."

Edwards brings a wealth of MMA experience into the match. Fighting professionally since 1997, the Texas native's resume includes nearly 50 fights. That wealth of experience puts Noons in another position in which he is quickly becoming familiar.

"You know, I've only fought six times in pro MMA," Noons said. "Out of the six guys I've fought, two of them have over 40 fights and another two have over 20, 25 fights."

While impressed with Edwards' history, Noons is not concerned.

"I'm going come in top condition and execute my game plan," Noons said

While not looking past this fight, the champion does have his eye on the future. With EliteXC seemingly interested in sharing their fighters with other organizations, as well as cross-promoting, there could be some interesting match-ups for Noons should he retain the belt.

"I definitely want to do champion against champion (fights) and branch out," Noons said. "There's a lot of great fighters in EliteXC. Once I get past them, I would love to go outside and do other organizations and test myself, test my skills."

Noons, who owns a professional boxing record of 7-1, plans on continuing to compete in that sport as well.

"I'm going to be focusing 120 percent on [boxing] as soon as this fight's over," Noons said. "One of my passions is boxing to tell you the truth."

But Noons has vowed not to let his future goals distract him from the task at hand.

"I am not looking past Yves Edwards," he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Couture Nabs Victory in Court

Backed by Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights promotion, estranged UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (Pictures) nabbed a substantial victory Monday in his ongoing legal dispute against Zuffa.

The District Court of Dallas County, Texas, denied Zuffa's three motions to stay, delay and/or dismiss HDNet's challenge of Couture's promotional contract, on which Zuffa says the fighter still owes two bouts.

The decision opens doors for the court to hear HDNet's motion for a summary judgment on June 2, a date that could conceivably offer resolution on Couture's standing as a free agent. Couture contends his promotional contract will expire in July, once the agreement reaches its 16-month conclusion.

HDNet first brought suit against Zuffa in Texas on Feb. 13, decreeing that they had a business arrangement with Couture pending his separation from Zuffa and urging the court to make a summary judgment (decision) on his promotional contract status with the company.

On April 21, Zuffa filed motions to stay, dismiss and/or delay the case in Texas, arguing that such a ruling on the contract provisions would undermine efforts underway in Las Vegas courts to clarify terms. Judge Carl Ginsberg turned down all three motions.

Couture's legal battles with Zuffa will continue in Nevada. His employment contract is the crux of a breach of contract lawsuit filed by Zuffa on Jan. 14, with the company alleging Couture's name (as well as that of Xtreme Couture) and likeness were being used to advertise a rival promotion and that the athlete made "false claims" that damaged the company. Zuffa is also seeking arbitration on his promotional (fight) contract, though that could be affected by a Texas ruling.

All parties agree that Couture's one-year non-compete clause in his employment contract expires in October 2008. Should the Texas court rule in favor of HDNet on June 2, the hypothetical bout between Couture and Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) could materialize before year's end.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tyson Griffin’s Rise to the Top

As one of Xtreme Couture’s standout fighters today, Tyson Griffin is making his way in the world by enjoying what he does best and that’s winning fights with his sharp mixed martial arts skills. Though not as well known as most of his teammates, Griffin has compiled an impressive record with wins over fighters like Clay Guida, Duane “Bang” Ludwig and even WEC Featherweight sensation, Urijah “The California Kid” Faber. His success was never an accident and Griffin’s ready to continue moving forward through the UFC’s Lightweight Division with the hopes of achieving the gold.

A California native himself, Griffin has been a competitor his whole life using athletics as the backbone to a life lived playing outdoors and was considered a top wrestler in college.” I’m originally from Albany, California. I started training when I was in Santa Rosa, California and now I live and train in Las Vegas. For me the training started in high school and junior college where I was wrestling. I was training there in Santa Rosa Junior College for about a year and I really wasn’t doing much at the time. When I was ready to start training hard and working out, I found Dave Terrell’s place where I picked back up with the wrestling again and started working on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and then fell into the mixed martial arts scene.”

His training under Terrell would prove pivotal to Griffin’s path to becoming a fighter. It was this teamwork that would lead Griffin to the desert terrain of Las Vegas and his introduction to Xtreme Couture. “Dave Terrell brought me out here to Las Vegas when he was training for his fight against Scott Smith and we were here for about two weeks. I liked the training that we were doing and when I started fighting I’d come out here to Las Vegas to train before each fight and I slowly decided to make a move out here since I was coming all the way out here to train anyway. When I started training here I came across a great bunch of guys like Randy (Couture), Forrest (Griffin), Gray (Maynard), Jay (Hieron), and Mike Pyle. This core group of us were all training together and then when Randy opened his gym we all moved our training to Xtreme Couture. Now I train with Gray Maynard, Jay Heiron, Mike Pyle and a few others as a real team. They’re great fighters with lots of skill and they’re close to my weight; but it definitely isn’t easy work whatsoever. I also live with Alex Schoenauer from The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 and he trains with us too.”

The move to Las Vegas plotted his path into the bright lights of the UFC. The tradeoff was uprooting himself from his family, which he describes as the only real sacrifice. “My mother raised three boys and we all wrestled; my older brother and my younger brother you know? So growing up like that made it a little easier for her and she was ok with it and everyone else pretty much enjoys it now and they all wish I fought in Las Vegas all the time so we could all party afterward! The hardest thing of course is being away from family and friends, but I’ve gotten used to it. Being a fighter is all about sacrifice and this is one of them.”

Like most fighters making the pilgrimage to different cities to train, Tyson fought on smaller cards to gain experience and test the skills he had acquired. It was at one of these shows where he came toe to toe with WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber. “The fight with Urijah was the third fight I had. I think I performed great during that fight. Urijah was a tough guy, tough as hell. I hit him a bunch of times and he took a lot of hard shots. It was a fast paced fight that was all over the place. As far as his success now I think it’s great; he’s a tough customer and he’s definitely earned all of his success. I think I was just a bad match up for him and I caught him at the perfect time. But he’s worked hard and has earned all of his success. As far as a rematch goes, I don’t think it’ll ever happen. I dropped down to his weight the first time we fought and he had an opportunity to come up to my weight class for the rematch but he never did; I don’t’ see us ever fighting again. It would be interesting to see though because he was my third fight and I was his ninth and I’m definitely a better fighter than I was then. If I fought at my weight for that fight I would’ve been much bigger then too.”

Almost a year to the date of his victory over Faber, the UFC came calling with Griffin’s then biggest fight of his career against David Lee at UFC: 63. His victory, via rear naked choke, came early in round 1 projecting a confidence and natural adaptation to the bright lights of the UFC. Griffin gives partial credit to his time with Terrell as the source of his comfort for the win on the biggest stage in MMA. “It was really cool because it shows that all of the hard work finally paid off and made it. It’s like graduating college and getting a great job for a major corporation or something like that. I actually had been to that venue before so I knew it well and that made it a little more comfortable for me. The crowd that night was great too and since I was there a few fights before with Dave, it made it easier for me.”

He as since won all but one of his bouts in the UFC Octagon (which was by decision) and his skills are keeping him at the to of his game. “I would have to say my grappling skills and cage control skills are my biggest attributes. That’s what makes me win fights and everything else follows pretty closely behind.” And as far as where we’ll see Tyson Griffin next remains to be determined. “I don’t have anything lined up in stone right now but I’m waiting to hear from the UFC. Hopefully I’ll be fighting sometime in July or August though. But until then I want to thank the fans that are out there supporting the sport and making it grow. We can’t do it without them.”
For more information on Tyson Griffin, please visit:
www.tysongriffin.com
www.myspace.com/tysongriffin
www.xtremecouture.com


TYSON’S DIET AND TARINING REGIMEN

When I’m training for a fight I workout two times a day, five days a week and once on Saturday with Sunday off. My regimen starts on Monday with cardio in the morning and strength and conditioning. Then we spar with the big gloves and do what we call the Shark Tank where we fight 3 five-minute rounds and each minute a fresh guy will rotate in to go against me. On Tuesday do some grappling in the morning and some sort of pad work either boxing or kick boxing; I try to switch that up though. In the afternoon we’ll do small glove training with no headgear and no shin guards and do a lot of drills. After warming up with this we’ll do some MMA. Wednesdays I go back to doing the cardio in the morning and in the evening we’ll do a wrestling workout or a big glove/small glove takedown drill or a wrestling practice with Randy and work on our takedown defense. On Thursday morning, we go back to the small glove stuff in the morning and grappling and then in the evening we do more full on MMA training. Friday is the same as Monday with the cardio in the morning and then we’ll spar pretty hard at night with the big gloves. On Saturday I usually like to do a long run or something that will work on my endurance; typically anything that will get me sweating a lot like jumping rope. It doesn’t require a partner and it’s light contact. Then of course I have Sunday off so I’ll get a massage and relax for the rest of the day.

What is your diet like? Well basically we’ve come up with a concept that when we train hard, we eat 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs every three hours; so in the morning I’ll either have a shake with oats and the ration of protein and grams that I mentioned. That will take care of my morning workout and then I’ll have a sandwich with the same proportion of 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs. My next meal will be chicken and rice with vegetables and later I’ll have another meal, which is usually chicken and rice again and in the evening I really load up on the veggies and go to sleep with a full belly. I usually keep this same diet throughout the whole week. It’s pretty boring and pretty simple but I have to do it. I let my self-cheat a little bit on Sunday but even then I try and stick to the same portions. On Sundays I’ll have a burger with red meat or a steak. I don’t like to cheat with ice cream or anything like that.