MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Gus Johnson confident about CBS-EliteXC broadcast debut

Gus Johnson knows he's going into the May 31 nationally televised "EliteXC: PRIMETIME" card as an MMA broadcasting rookie, but he fully expects that his trademark enthusiasm will translate well to a new sport.

Johnson, who trains in various combat sports, discussed his new gig during a media conference call today.

"I don't really view MMA as a different sport," Johnson said. "My approach is going to be to call MMA with the same passion, focus and intensity as when I call the NFL, NCAA, pro basketball or pro boxing or any other sport I have the opportunity to call."

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported last week that Johnson had been chosen as a play-by-play man for the CBS broadcast. Earlier this week, EliteXC confirmed that MMA fighter Frank Shamrock and veteran MMA broadcaster Mauro Ranallo would share a broadcast booth, and Karyn Bryant will serve as a cageside reporter.

Although the 40-year-old Johnson has trained extensively in boxing and recently took up kung fu and Brazilian jiu jitsu, he expects -- at least initially -- to be a set-up man for his more-seasoned colleagues.

"Everything is new to me, so my goal is to be able to ... try to set up Frank and Mauro to go even deeper than my knowledge," he said.

Johnson has broadcast some of the sporting world's biggest events. He's been a longtime CBS play-by-play announcer for the NCAA's March Madness and the NFL, and he's also broadcast MLB, the NBA, WNBA, the Olympics and boxing. However, he's truly excited about the prospects of MMA.

"I really feel that mixed martial arts is the sport of the future," he said. "It's an accurate simulation of hand-to-hand combat and takes combat sports to a whole new level."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rich Clementi Still Feels No Love

For a man who has fought all over the world, locked horns with some of the best in his weight class, boasts over thirty professional wins and was on the fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Rich "No Love" Clementi remains surprisingly anonymous today in the sport of mixed martial arts.

"I've been knocking off some pretty good guys lately, though everybody thinks (the wins) are flukes," Clementi said. "Maybe there actually is something to how I fight. The criticism doesn't really bother me, but sometimes I think I deserve a little bit of credit. It's not like I'm winning these fights by accident."

Though he's been victorious in his last five bouts, Clementi can't seem to shake the detractors who consider him a fraudulent reality star or - worse - a B-Level fighter.

"I laugh at that sometimes because a lot of times the people who are saying that are the new fans to where it's 'cool' to like MMA," he scoffed. "I was doing this when it wasn't cool to do this. Those people (who criticize me) are people that just don't know. Of course I've lost some fights but I've beaten some great guys, too.

"One of my best fights was when I beat (current IFL lightweight champion) Ryan Schultz (Pictures) in a few minutes. If that fight was on TV now, people would be like, ‘Wow you did that?' There are always going to be (haters) but for the most part it doesn't really (get to) me. I just take it in stride because I know what I'm capable and what I've accomplished."

Clementi is one of those fighters who lives by the cliché of "fight anyone, anywhere" because he has, in fact, pretty much fought everybody in his weight class and he's competed for virtually every MMA organization under the sun. Lately, though, it seems like his hard work is paying off because Bayou native will be fighting for the third time in five months this Saturday.

"To be honest, I'm a bit of a workhorse and I think that's what Dana (White) likes about me," he said. "I'm one of those guys who likes to fight and I'll fight whoever. I took the Anthony Johnson fight on short notice and he out-weighted me and was much taller. A lot of guys that I know didn't want that fight but I'm the kind of guy who will always fight and you'll always get a good fight out of me. I'm hoping to continue making statements and I plan on making one on Saturday and when I do, maybe the UFC will give me a shot at one of their headliner guys. I'm not saying I'm looking for or ready for a title shot right now, but I'm definitely ready for one of those guys who is a headliner or thinks he's God's gift to MMA."

Why would a fighter with Clementi's credentials prefer not to have a title shot in the near future?

"I look at this as a career and unfortunately I'm not 21 years old anymore," he said with a moderate sigh. "I'm not in a position to get an instant title shot, lose, and then work my way back up for the next five years. That'd be a waste. But there are quite a bit of guys in between me and where the world title is. I look at it like I want to knock off every single one of those guys. When I'm done taking out every top guy there is on the way to my title shot so that when I do get my title shot, there will be no question in anybody's mind that I deserve it. And if I don't win the title, at least I would have made some sort of impact along the way."

If Clementi is to land a shot at one of the more attractive - and lucrative - fighters inside the Octagon, he'll have to pile on a few more wins first. And that journey commences this Saturday against the submission-savvy Terry Etim (Pictures) of England.

"I've watched a lot of his fights and (based on) what I've seen, the biggest problem (for me) is probably his build," he said. "He's 6'1" 155 lbs; a lot of lankiness and it's kind of weird with submissions when you're that tall. I just don't know how strong someone can be at the height and weight. It's a double-edged sword. His size might make things a little bit more difficult because he could be squirmy and whatnot, but when I get in on him, it's tough to get those long limbs in (on me)."

With all the intangibles lying on the table, Clementi loves his chances against Etim. In fact, Clementi has the blueprints for how the fight will unfold stored away in his head.

"The weakest point in his game is his wrestling," he pointed out. "I'm really looking forward to getting my KO in the UFC."

If Clementi can get a win in the spectacular fashion he envisions, he might not have to wait long before he climbs into the Octagon to fight God's gifts to MMA.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Vladimir Matyushenko to defend title vs. Alexandre Ferreira during August IFL show

IFL Director of Fighter Relations Shannon Knapp has revealed that the promotion’s light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko will defend his title against Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira during its next show on August 15 in East Rutherford, N.J. at the Izod Center.

Knapp broke the news during an interview with Tracy Lee of CombatLifestyle.com.

Matyushenko is one of the league’s biggest success stories, going undefeated in six career IFL bouts. The former UFC competitor joined the IFL after an extended hiatus from fighting. He holds notable career victories over Vernon White, Yuki Kondo, Josh Marsh, Travis Wiuff, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Anthony Ruiz, Tim Boetsch, and Alex Schoenauer.

The Brazilian-born Ferreira is 16-5, according to Sherdog’s fight finder, and is undefeated in his last five fights. He made his IFL debut this past February in Las Vegas, where he submitted Lew Polley with a guillotine just 20 seconds into round 1. Ferreira holds career victories over Heath Herring, Shannon Ritch, Branden Lee Hinkle, Rafael Monteiro, and Fabio Maldonado.

During the course of the interview, Knapp also indicated that most of the league’s marquee fighters will be featured on the August card and that talks are taking place for middleweights Benji Radach and Tim Kennedy to both appear on the show. It is unclear whether Radach and Kennedy will be featured in separate fights, or against each other.

The August will also feature the debut of “The Hex”, the IFL’s new fighting surface which consists of a six-sided ring.

 

[Shogun Locc]

AFTER UFC 84, SILVA EYES RAMPAGE AND LIDDELL

Rematches have become one of the most compelling storylines in all of mixed martial arts. From the trilogy of fights between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, to the fights featuring Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, rematches mean big business in MMA.

Two potential rematches that seem almost certain to happen involve former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva. As he prepares for his upcoming bout at UFC 84 against Keith Jardine, he knows that fights with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Chuck Liddell may have new life down the road.

During his time with the Japanese promotion Pride, Silva defeated Jackson two separate times, finishing both fights with strikes and handing Rampage two of his more devastating losses. The Brazilian recently spoke to MMAWeekly Radio where he intimated that a third fight is definitely in order.

“Of course I want to fight him,” said Silva about another fight with Rampage. “Him and I are going to have to fight, maybe next year, or however I’m going to fight with him. I want to fight him in the Octagon, because I want to beat him here in the United States, in the Octagon.”

Never short on words, Rampage has rarely had nice things to say about Silva and the former Pride champion has taken notice.

“Guys don’t talk much (expletive) about me. The guy is talking a lot in interviews. I’ve looked at him many times at events, he don’t look at my eyes,” Silva commented. “He’s (saying), ‘Oh I’m not afraid of him,’ but he don’t look at my eyes.

“I don’t know what the problem is. They have a problem with me, come and talk to me, don’t talk on an interview. If I have a problem with some guy, I’m going to go talk and say, ‘hey man, I don’t like you.’ I talk to them (face to face).”

Despite two dominant victories over Jackson, Silva welcomes a third fight and says this time there won’t be much talking when the battle is over.

“The next time, I’m going to beat him here,” Silva stated with a fierce tone. “He won’t talk more about me never (again).”

In his return bout to the UFC, Silva lost a decision to former 205-pound king Chuck Liddell. The two legends put on a “Fight of the Year” performance and Silva is hopeful for another shot at that fight as well.

“I know I’m going to fight with him again,” he said about a rematch with Liddell. “Because the last fight was a great fight. It was a great honor to fight him, and he’s a great name too.”

Silva feels confident in his chances for a second go round.

“I want to fight with him again, and the next time I’m going to beat him.”

For the time being, he will finish out his training camp this week in preparation for his upcoming bout on May 24 with Keith Jardine at UFC 84.

 

[Shogun Locc]

SCHULTZ CONTINUES TO RULE IFL LIGHTWEIGHT JUNGLE

Sometimes the true test of a champion is not if he can quickly vanquish his challengers, but whether he can survive a long, drawn-out war of attrition.

At this past Friday’s International Fight League event at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, IFL lightweight titleholder Ryan “The Lion” Schultz faced one such challenge, and like a true champion, rose to the occasion.

Matched up against Deividas Taurosevicius, he was able to apply himself in nearly all aspects of the fight game, especially the ground. Multiple times Schultz had his opponent in trouble, while conversely escaping potential submission situations.

In the end Schultz’s conditioning allowed him put up more of a fight, earning a unanimous decision victory after five laborious rounds to retain his 155-pound championship.

“It’s a good win,” he said with a sense of relief. “I expected him to be tough too, but he brought out the best in me and I thought I brought out some of his best points too as a fighter.

“I think we gave the crowd what they wanted to see, so it’s really good to come out on top of that fight. It was a tough, hard fought win for me.”

Specifically, when it comes to his performance against Taurosevicius, Schultz revealed, “I feel really good about my performance and I think I showed a lot of my game.

“I mounted him, took his back, got out of his armbar, threw head kicks, showed some skills on the ground and on the feet as well. I think I could have been a little bit better from my feet, but other than that, I think I performed pretty well.”

With the current mercurial status of the IFL, the promotion is not slated to return again until August, the longest they have gone between events.

When asked whether there had been any discussion of his future participation in the organization, Schultz responded with translucence, “I don’t really know.

“I don’t think anything’s set right now with what my next move is or who I am fighting, but I’m just going to enjoy this moment and then see who they put in front of me. Whoever it is, I’ll be ready to go.”

It had been revealed in an earlier conference call that other promoters, namely Gary Shaw of ProElite (the parent company of EliteXC and ShoXC), had shown interest in “borrowing” IFL contracted talent for their own events.

While IFL CEO Jay Larkin had expressed an interest in allowing this to happen, the question was still posed to Schultz if he’d be willing to take a fight for another organization while waiting for his next title defense.

“I guess I’d have to wait and see if that comes,” he answered. “If it does, I’ll have to make a choice. If they wanted to set something up, yeah, I’d be willing to fight.”

Regardless of a somewhat uncertain future, Ryan Schultz currently resides atop the IFL lightweight division and he has no intention of backing down from any challenge that comes his way.

“I just want to tell everybody, all the fans, thanks for their support,” closed out Ryan. “Thanks to my sponsors, especially Bryan Ludwig with Assurety Northwest; to all my training partners, all my coaches; and the IFL, thanks for everything and giving me the opportunity to perform.

“I’m just going to enjoy (my win), let my body rest for a little bit, and then get back after it. That’s my plan.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

CAGE FORCE ANNOUNCES BOUTS FOR JUNE 22 EVENT

GCM has announced two bouts for Cage Force 7 on June 22 at the Tokyo Differ Ariake. Both fights are the remaining first round bouts for the Cage Force bantamweight tournament.

In a clash of Shooto regulars, eccentric submission fighter Katsuya Toida faces off with equally odd submission wizard Tetsu Suzuki. Toida comes off a submission loss to Hatsu Hioki at Shooto “Back to Our Roots 7,” while Suzuki submitted Daichi Fujiwara at Cage Force 6.

Shooto 2005 featherweight rookie champion Takeya Mizugaki takes on Pancrase standout Daichi Fujiwara. In his most recent bout, Mizugaki won a decision victory over Seiji Otsuka at Cage Force 5. Fujiwara, meanwhile, suffered a submission loss to fellow tournament participant Tetsu Suzuki at Cage Force 6.

It is expected that the semi-finals of the Cage Force featherweight tournament will occur on this card with the participants including Takeshi Yamazaki, Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura, Antonio Carvalho and Yuji Hoshino.

Cage Force Bantamweight Tournament Bouts:
-Katsuya Toida vs. Tetsu Suzuki
-Takeya Mizugaki vs. Daichi Fujiwara

Expected to Participate:
-Takeshi Yamazaki
-Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura
-Antonio Carvalho
-Yuji Hoshino

 

[Shogun Locc]

SHERK SEES UFC 84 BOUT AS BIGGEST OF HIS CAREER

What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, Sean Sherk was the UFC lightweight champion and was preparing to fight Hermes Franca. While he did defeat Franca, his celebrations were cut short after receiving news that he tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. Due to his positive test, Sherk was subsequently fined and suspended for one year.

This news came as a complete surprise to him, as well as the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In the months following the accusation, Sherk worked tirelessly to prove his innocence. Evidence was produced to try to clear the Minnesota native, but the California State Athletic Commission ruled he was still guilty, but with a reduced sentence of six months.

Following the CSAC ruling, the UFC was forced to strip Sherk of the title. At UFC 80, B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson fought for the vacant strap. Penn defeated Stevenson soundly, hurting him early and finishing him with a rear naked choke. In Penn’s post-fight interview, he called out Sherk, saying that he was “dead.”

Since then, everyone knew that it was a matter of time until these two faced off. The war of words has escalated during the build-up to UFC 84 on May 24. Penn has called Sherk a “cheater” and claimed that he has “just enough cardio” to defeat the former champion.

Those words don’t seem to have an effect on the former lightweight champion. “People are telling me that he is talking a bunch of trash. He's the kind of guy that likes to stir things up,” replied Sherk. “It probably hypes him up. I could really care less. I know what I need to do to win this fight and that's what I'm focusing on.”

He hasn’t fought in over ten months, but that doesn’t mean Sherk hasn’t been working hard in the gym. “I'm definitely ready. It's been a long layoff. I've been training real hard. This is a big fight. I have a lot riding on this. I'm excited about it.”

Since the “Muscle Shark” has had so much time off, he decided to expand his training camp. “I started my training camp for this about 14 weeks out. My conditioning is seriously better than it's ever been. My conditioning coach pushed my conditioning to a whole different level this time. I feel good. I think everything's on track for this thing.”

Going five, five-minute rounds has never been a problem for the former champ, and it’s doubtful that it will be a problem this time around, considering he’s been training for seven-minute rounds. “We're doing seven-minute rounds with a 30-second break with a 15-pound weight vest. Those five-minute rounds sound pretty good right now and a whole minute break, too. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself during that minute break.”

Sherk may have an advantage in the cardio department, but many people believe that Penn has a distinct advantage in flexibility. However, this doesn’t seem to bother Sherk at all. “The flexibility definitely changes things,” he commented. “You don't see that a whole lot. Fortunately for me, I got University of Minnesota right here. I got the best wrestlers in the world here. As far as him being flexible, I'm not worried about it. I don't think that will be a problem.”

Another position where many fans believe that Penn has a distinct advantage is in the ground game. He is well known for his dangerous jiu-jitsu.

While Sherk may not have a black belt, he is convinced that he can hang with Penn on the ground. “I'm really comfortable. I have been doing submission wrestling since 1994. My ground game is real comfortable for me. That's my home. I got no problem with it. He's a black belt and won a world championship. I don't have a belt because I never tested for one. Belts don't mean anything to me. I fought and trained with a lot of black belts. I think it's more about the experience. The gold one that says UFC is the only belt I care about.”

Sherk believes that he can break Penn down if he follows his game plan. “He's not unbreakable by any means. He's human like anybody else. If I execute my game plan properly, then I'll come home with the W.”

Feeling very confident in his game plan, Sherk believes that he has a perfect style to defeat the charismatic Penn. “I don't think I'm a good match up for BJ. If you look at guys who beat him in the past, they are guys who are similar to what I have to offer. I can't say too much about game plan and everything else like that. I'm ready and I think it'll be a great fight either way,” said the challenger.

Although Penn is known for his aggressive style, Sherk feels that he is well prepared to deal with the onslaught. “I expect the first couple rounds to be pretty hectic. He said he plans on finishing me early. I'm coming out guns blazing and he's coming out guns blazing, so I think it's going to be a phenomenal fight. Probably one of the fights of the year.”

And he’s not the only one who believes this fight could be a fight that people talk about for a long time to come. UFC president Dana White believes this fight has “legendary” status. “I don’t think anybody is wondering if it will be an exciting fight or not. When you got two great athletes, two great fighters get to square off and fight in their prime. This is about history,” he explained. “People will be talking about this 50 years from now. Would this lightweight today beat this lightweight from yesterday? This is seriously going to be a legendary fight.”

The trash talking is winding down and the fight is almost here. Two of the best fighters in the world will finally clash Saturday night, in one of the most compelling bouts the UFC has ever put on.

“I can finish him early. He can finish me early. That's the great thing about two of the best lightweights in the world. Everyone wants to see this fight because anything can happen. If either of us makes a mistake, the fight's over. I'm not afraid of five rounds. I've done it plenty of times. I'm ready for a long night. I would like to get out early though. I'm kind of getting sick of these five-round fights.”

This fight means a lot to Sherk, and could put behind the tumultuous damage that has been done to his reputation and solidify him as one of the best lightweights of all time. “There is a lot on the line. This is probably the biggest fight of my career here.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

James Thompson Interview: Talks about Kimbo!

Boon: James, you have a huge fight versus Kimbo Slice coming up and a lot of people want to know how you're doing. Are you feeling good and healthy?

James: Yeah, I'm feeling great Training hard and everything's coming together. I'm really looking forward to the fight.

Boondock: What was your reaction when you were first offered the fight versus Kimbo and learned it'd be on national television in America?

James: I was obviously really pleased as I knew the fight would be on CBS, but I was a little shocked as I thought Buzz Berry would end up fighting him after his win against Ken Shamrock. I know they think I'll be a perfect opponent for Kimbo, that I'll come in, look scary, then get knocked out but this doesn't bother me at all as it's such a massive chance to put me back on track in the biggest possible way!

Boondock: Honestly James, do you think it's fair you have to fight Kimbo and his beard at the same time?

James: No, not really. I think Kimbo's beard has got a life of it's own, and after I win, it should count as two victories!

Boondock: Have you considered growing a beard of your own for this match?

James: Yeah I did consider it for about 0.2 seconds. then came to my senses

Boondock: I heard you had a role on Gladiators UK and you were actually getting ready to start filming when you were offered this fight, was it a hard decision?

James: MMA is my career and what I love doing, so when someone offers you what will be the most watched MMA fight to date, it was really a no brainer. Gladiators would have been fun, but beating Kimbo will be much more satisfying.

Boondock: I got to know, what was your name going to be on the Gladiators show.

James: THE DESTROYER!!!

Boondock: You've had numerous big fights, which fight did you feel the most pressure; Yoshida, Frye, or Kimbo?

James: As I was the underdog in all these fights, don't feel the pressure as much as if I was the favorite. But if I had to choose, Id say Kimbo due to the scale of it

Boondock: So then being the underdog doesnt bother you all that much?

James: With me loosing my last two fights I can see why people might not have a massive amount of confidence in me, but I'm truly shocked by the amount of people that have bought into the Kimbo hype. It doesn't bother me and in factI prefer being the underdog

Boondock: Overall how's the training going?

James: Trainings going great. Just drilling things over and over, getting fitness up and sparring a lot.

Boondock: Anything specific you're working on in preparation for Kimbo?

James: Not really, just trying to fix the holes in my defense and just all of the above.

Boondock: Kimbo's famous for his non-sanctioned backyard brawls, how many street and backyard brawls do you think you've been involved in?

James: Ive been in untold amounts of unsanctioned fights and Im just kicking myself that I didn't have someone filming them all as I'd be a rich man by now!

Boondock: Besides a shaving kit, what's your best weapon against a guy like him?

James: Bread dosed with sleeping tablets. But honestly, I think the best weapon against a guy like Kimbo is an all round MMA game.

Boondock: Anything you want to say to your fans out there?

James: Thanks for all the continued support, special thanks to everyone on the WarWagon. There have been ups and downs, but come may 31st, Im taking it to another level.

Boondock: Anything you want to say to the Kimbo fans and those who've written you off?

James: DVD'S OWN YOUTUBE!

Boondock: Thanks James.

James: Cheers Boondock

A special thanks to BoonDock, and official website of James Thompson - http://www.thecolossus.co.uk/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Takanori Gomi is to fight for the Sengoku Lightweight Title.

The Japanese website SportsNavi has an article today on World Victory Road's plans to hold a lightweight tournament on August 23. According to the article, it looks to be an 8-man 1-day tournament. The winner will fight Takanori Gomi for the Sengoku Lightweight Title. Satoru Kitaoka and Eiji Mitsuoka have already been named as participants

 

[WXS STOMP3R]

nice where are your seats located?

MID TIER...NOT RINGSIDE BUT ONE LEVEL ABOVE IT...MY BOY COPPED A TICKET AT 1 G...THESE FIGHTS SHOULD BE GOOD...

 

[Shogun Locc]

MID TIER...NOT RINGSIDE BUT ONE LEVEL ABOVE IT...MY BOY COPPED A TICKET AT 1 G...THESE FIGHTS SHOULD BE GOOD...

I wonder how much ringside seats would cost? may be a $1000 or more

 

[Shogun Locc]

Countdown to UFC 84 Rating: What Does It Mean for the Buy Rate?

MMAPayout.com has learned that Countdown to UFC 84 drew a 0.5 rating (639,000 viewers) on Spike last night. The demographic breakouts were 0.80 in M18-34 and 0.53 in M18-49.

The number of viewers is off about 18% from Countdown to UFC 83. In the past there has been some correlation between Countdown viewers and pay-per-view buys. Engaging in some highly speculative envelop match, if that 18% decline held up proportionately in the buy rate, UFC 84 would be expected to come in around 430,500 buys.

At first glance that number seems a little low, but when you look at the difference between a big show (600,000+ buys) and an average show (400,000) it's the casual fan. And of the six fighters featured, Tito Ortiz is the only one those fans see as a star and you can make the case that his star is fading.

When you start making comparisons, this show looks a lot like UFC 73 from last July. That event was tagged Stacked and featured two title fights and Tito v. Rashad Evans. It did 425,000 buys. However, in my mind Penn v. Sherk is a bigger match than either of the title matches on that card were and the company seems to be hotter on pay-per-view now than then.

The benefits of the Countdown shows to the UFC is well documented, but the shows also "spike" ratings. Verses that time slot last year, Countdown to UFC 84 was up 26% in M18-49, 15% in P18-49, and 95% in M18-34.

 

[Shogun Locc]

IFL Quarterly Report: First Quarter 08

View the Entire Quarterly report: http://investors.ifl.tv/secfiling.cfm?filingID=950123-08-5938
Analysis: It was a bit hard to judge how they did 07 vs 08, since they only put on one event in the first quarter of 08 vs four in 07. The company recorded a loss of $2.3 million for the Qtr, which would seem to be an improvement over 07 but the lack of events helped keep the losses lower. Live event costs have been a main driver of deficits for the company. Running a full slate of events would have generated a loss somewhere in the neighborhood of about $5 million in my estimation. Over the past year they have been able to pare down live event costs (some 300k to 400k on a per show basis) to some degree but the generally anemic box office receipt numbers don't come anywhere close to making the company solvent in this respect.

Television: The 10-Q did shed some light on the new television agreement the IFL has with HDNet and the renegotiated contract with FSN. The deal with HDNet calls for the TV company to air three events in exchange for covering "some production costs." No explicit figure is mentioned, but it seems the IFL is able to deflect some of these costs and gets finished product it can then repackage and sell to FSN and internationally. HDNet is seemingly shouldering a sizable portion of the cost of televising the event, mainly due to the cost of broadcasting in High Definition and specialized equipment needed to do so. This would be a much better TV situation for the IFL, whose production costs for the MyNetworkTv shows out-stripped their license fee. The FSN deal has been amended and 9 one hour shows were added for which they will receive $20,000 per show.

Future Capital requirements: "Based upon management’s current forecast of future revenues and expenses, we believe our cash resources will likely be sufficient to fund operations into the third quarter of 2008." At that time they will need to have successfully partnered with another company or they would need to seek another round of funding.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Early Gate Numbers for Affliction

Sergio Non reports that Affliction's box office is off to an encouraging start:

Within 30 minutes after ticket sales opened Tuesday, more than $250,000 of tickets were sold, Honda Center officials said.
While certainly not the instantaneous sell out of UFC 83 in Montreal, these are strong early numbers for the Affliction group. Non also reported that a portion of the undercard will be televised on FSN.

 

[naner12]

I wonder how much ringside seats would cost? may be a $1000 or more

Just checked on ticketmaster. $1,000 is the most expensive seats. It's times like these I wish I was in Cali. That'd be a dope show to be at.

 

[UCDgreek]

i guess im in the minority when i say ufc 85 still looks good to me. then again i only pay like 5 bucks to watch because we always get it at a friends house and chip in.

just hope they show that sokoudjou match

 

[naner12]

i guess im in the minority when i say ufc 85 still looks good to me. then again i only pay like 5 bucks to watch because we always get it at a friends house and chip in.

just hope they show that sokoudjou match

I think it's a good card. Evans/Irvin wasn't all that interesting anyway considering Irvin is horrible where Evans is at his best. I order every UFC because I got friends that throw up money on it. They don't know much about MMA but they like watching UFC so that works out for me.

Hopefully I can get the same interest from them with the Affliction card because I really wanna watch that in HD instead of a stream.

 

[Shogun Locc]

just hope they show that sokoudjou match

Sokoudjou match is at ufc 84 not 85. ufc 85 looks alright but 84 looks better

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Werdum: 'Training for Vera'

PDG: How is the training going? And what is your schedule like?

Werdum: Fine, we are now at the end of the hard season.

My schedule is usually the same from Monday to Saturday:

8:30 - 10:00 Gym-weights, 10:30 - 12:00 MMA-techniques, 16:00-18:00 wrestling, and in the evening Jiu-Jitsu.

PDG: What do you think of your upcoming opponent, Brandon Vera?

Werdum: He is a dangerous fighter, a Muay Thai specialist with good Jiu-Jitsu. Brandon is a left-handed fighter and like me he's fighting for a spot in the UFC heavyweight division.

PDG: What advantages/disadvantages do you see for yourself going into this fight?

Werdum: The advantage is that we are both fighting for an opportunity to reach the belt. The disadvantage is that a good fighter is in the other side of the octagon (laughs....)

PDG: Great fight with Gabriel Gonzaga; What are your thoughts on that victory?

Werdum: The low kicks at the beginning surprised me a little, I thought that Gonzaga would prefer to go to the ground, the way the fight ended didn't surprise me. I knew that I improved my stand-up game and that I could beat him; It was the victory that I was looking for, gave me inspiration to keep me fighting for my goals.

PDG: Did you suffer any injuries that needed some time to heel before training again?

Werdum: No, thank God, I am in the best shape of my life.

PDG: If you win against Vera, do you think you should rematch Andrei Arlovski (if he is still in the UFC) or fight the current Heavyweight Champion?

Werdum: There is some rumors about Arlovski out there, I don’t know. My main goal is the belt but I like to think step by step, one fight at a time. Now is Vera, then we will think about the future.

PDG: Your long-time training partner, Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ recently left the UFC and was victorious in his first fight for DREAM. What are your thoughts on him leaving and his recent fight?

Werdum: To be honest we didn’t talk to each other for a long time, I like him a lot. He gave me excellent opportunities in my life, opened doors for me and I wish him the best. Japan is like his second home, very comfortable for him there and he is already a legend there.

PDG: Who are you currently training with at Chute-Boxe?

Werdum: All of the Chute-Boxe Team is helping me a lot. Like Nilson Castro in the Muay-Thai, Cristopher in Wrestling, Cyborg and Fabio Silva in MMA and Cristiano Marcelo in the Jiu-Jitsu.

PDG: You are currently ranked in the top 10 Heavyweight fighters in the world. After all of your hard work, how does that feel and is there any added pressure to compete at a higher level?

Werdum: In our sport we must prove everyday that we can perform. Today you are a top fighter, one or two victories you can be with the belt. On the other hand, one ore two losses you are done, at the end of the line. You must learn to live with this kind of situation, the pressure sometimes is good. It keeps you motivated and running for your goals. The sport today is very professional; you need to be completely trained in all martial arts disciplines. Chute-Boxe gave me the confidence to be more aggressive and to develop my Muay-Thai, I'm very happy with my evolution.

PDG: Is there anything that you would like your fans to know or people that you would like to thank?

Werdum: I'm very anxious to fight in the USA, last year I went to California with Mauricio 'Shogun' to the event in Anaheim. It was sold out, the crowd was fantastic and the atmosphere inside the Honda Center was incredible. I sat in the middle of the fans and all of them treated me with great respect. Can you imagine me fighting in USA for the belt? That, would be a dream come true.....

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason Miller: 'Mayhem at DREAM'

PDG: You just had a big fight in Japan; how are you feeling after the fight and what was it like for you to fight out there?
Mayhem: Dude, I feel fantastic and it is amazing to fight in Japan. The Japanese fans appreciate you more than anywhere in the world – it’s pretty crazy. American fans are awesome, but there is this weird next level of respect that Japanese people give you – it’s very strange. It’s like a whole new....I don’t know man – I can’t describe it exactly.

PDG: You looked like you were feeding off of the Japanese audience during the fight and aiming to entertain; how do you feel that your brand of entertainment went over with the Japanese fans?
Mayhem: Pretty huge. From what I gather from my Japanese friends, people got it and understood what I was doing and that I’m really trying to bring an entertaining aspect to the world of MMA. I think they appreciate the fighting skills and want to see more of me, so I’m stoked – I’m pumped. I want to show more.

PDG: Was there anything specific about fighting in a premiere Japanese organization that stuck out to you?
Mayhem: The fact that they treated me so well....they treated me like a real athlete and not second class. They understand that the fighters are the reason that the show is there, and they appreciate it so I appreciate them.

PDG: It is almost like the Japanese hold fighters above humans.
Mayhem: Well I’m not a human being.

PDG: Yeah?
Mayhem: Yeah. I’m a manimal.

PDG: A manimal?
Mayhem: That is an animal and a man together.

PDG: So how does that generally work out for you?
Mayhem: So far, so good.

PDG: Yeah?
Mayhem: Yep.

PDG: What do you have lined up next?
Mayhem: I fight June 13 in the next DREAM show – I’m in the tournament. I fight in the next round of the tournament. I haven’t had an opponent named yet, but I’m excited to do it. I’m already training for the next fight.

PDG: Right. Is there anyone specific you’d like to fight next?
Mayhem: Yeah, of course. Fucking Kazushi Sakuraba, man. He was like my favorite fighter coming up. I still do his Mongolian Chop sometimes.

PDG: Are you interested in doing more tournaments in the future?
Mayhem: Yeah, if they pay me. I’m a contract fighter. I fight not just for the glory, but also for the money and I try to keep my bosses happy. If there is a tournament I’ll be more than happy to do it – put my name in it. It is glorious and at the same time you can make money doing it. It’s not a bad thing, enjoying making money. I’m just lucky enough to love what I do to make a living.

PDG: Do you have any concerns about fighting twice in the same night?
Mayhem: No, I did it a million times as a kid. Even before I was in mixed martial arts I would fight a couple times in a day. But at the same time I fought in tournaments before – the only thing that is shitty is if you injure yourself in the first fight then it is rough to go on to the next round. I would hate to drop out of a tournament because I won a fight and I got injured. That is the only downside. If you do get injured you have to suck it up and fight again.

PDG: That was prominent in one of PRIDE’s last tournaments, when Paulo Filho pulled out of the finals but Denis Kang went on injured.
Mayhem: Yeah. I’ve done it before too. It is part of the job. You can cry about it after the thing is over. I’ve had to drop out of tournaments too – I broke my hand in a tournament and was trying to continue but the doctors were looking at my thumb twist around backwards and told me I can’t. That is a risk you take when you compete in a tournament. I like to fight exciting fights and the best thing for me to do is if I do two fights in one night to be conservative in the first fight of the night and not get too crazy because I don’t want to get injured going into the next one.

PDG: What is your motivation for choosing mixed martial arts over other combat sports?
Mayhem: Because it has everything. I get bored very easily, and mixed martial arts has every aspect so I won’t get bored as easily.

PDG: Would straight up kickboxing, or even going into ADCC be something you’d be interested in?
Mayhem: Absolutely, but at this point in my life I’m not getting any younger. I want to make as much money as I can in as short amount of time – although it would be a huge honor to compete in Abu-Dhabi. That is something I would really like to do and hopefully they will eventually invite me so I can test my skills with the top grapplers in the world. I like to punch people, so it makes more sense for me to get paid doing something I really like to do. I don’t know how much money you can make doing Abu-Dhabi. I hate to sound like a money-hungry asshole, but if there is one thing I’ve learned from being injured before is you have to make the most out of every fight because you never know what tomorrow holds. One day you might be sitting on the couch for a couple months wishing you could fight, you know?

PDG: One of the big grappling names, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, is over in MMA and you could very well face him [in the tournament]....
Mayhem: That would be awesome because I’m allowed to punch him. “Jacare” is one of my favorite grapplers and I think it’s cool he is over here in mixed martial arts. If we run into each other that would be awesome. I’m definitely going to be excited to test my skills against such a top level grappler. “Jacare” is bad ass, I like his style.

PDG: Last time we spoke you were talking about loving video games – are you still playing Puzzle Fighter?
Mayhem: Yeah, I still play Puzzle Fighter from time to time – but not really because I always played it with my ex-girlfriend. She moved out so I don’t have a Puzzle Fighter friend, so it’s mellow. I play more manly games now, like Call of Duty 4. It’s pretty fucking bad ass. I haven’t bought a Playstation 3 yet, but I will – I kind of want it to be my present after I win this next fight, so I might just hold off and play Xbox until it is time to buy a Playstation. I had the Xbox with the HD-DVD but we all saw how that went, and Blu-Ray is it now so I have to suck it up and buy a Playstation even though I’m a hardcore Xbox gamer.

PDG: Is there anything specific you want to play soon?
Mayhem: I kind of want to get Ninja Gaiden 2 because it looks beautiful. I’ve been thinking about that but at the same time I definitely have to get Grand Theft Auto 4 – its just going to be stupid if I don’t have that.

PDG: Outside of fighting and video games what do you like to do?
Mayhem: I’m really into art nowadays. I have graffiti artists who do a ton of work inside my house all the time. This guy Peekaboo Monster did a giant painting for me. It was pretty bad ass – like it’s pretty much the most bad ass painting I’ve ever commissioned. But I want to get this guy, Angry Woebot to trick out one of his styles – his paintings are dope! He draws weird pandas and stuff; he’s on another level with Peekaboo Monster. I’ve been into collecting that kind of art. I’ll go out and dance when I get a chance, but a lot of the time I’m too tired from training. I remember back in the day that shit seemed easier, but now I’m training my ass off so Bob’s your uncle.

PDG: What kind of dancing, like picking up girls at the club or are you a B-boy?
Mayhem: I wouldn’t say picking up girls at the club, but I like to go out and dance. I’m comfortable with my sexuality. Usually only the gay guys can dance, but I just like to have fun.

PDG: Are you good at it or just have a good time doing it?
Mayhem: Yeah, I’m good at it fool!

PDG: Hey, I haven’t seen you dance!
Mayhem: I get down! You need to watch my last fight!

PDG: Do you do your flying cartwheel kung-fu stuff when you dance?
Mayhem: Nah, no need.

PDG: No need?
Mayhem: No need.

PDG: I guess we can wrap things up – if there are any sponsors you want to thank or anything you want to say…
Mayhem: I just picked up Mickey’s, they just hooked me up. I don’t drink it, but it’s a damn cool sponsor. I love the Bumblebee. On top of that, Triumph United. I would give them a shout-out but they are just too damn cool, I don’t even have to say anything. “I’d like to give a shout out to Triumph.” That is just stupid; I’m not going to do that. What I’m going to do is say “Do not go to TriumphUnited.com – you’re not cool enough.”

PDG: I just picked up some of their shorts and I’m very happy with them.
Mayhem: You know what? Then maybe you’re cool enough?

PDG: Maybe I’m cool enough?
Mayhem: Maybe.

PDG: Well thanks, I appreciate it coming from you.
Mayhem: [Laughs] Alright man I gotta go put out a fire on top of some pies, OK?