MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Urijah Faber wants to avenge loss to Tyson Griffin

World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber knows he has bigger things to worry about -- such as Sunday's WEC 34 main event fight with Jens Pulver -- but the 29-year-old fighter says he eventually wants to avenge his only career loss.

Faber won his first eight professional fights before suffering a third-round TKO loss to current UFC lightweight Tyson Griffin at a September 2005 Gladiator Challenge event.

During a special podcast session coordinated by VERSUS, Faber said that he wants a second chance at beating Griffin, and he's willing to move up a weight class to get it.

"I'd definitely like to avenge the loss, of course," said Faber, who secured the WEC's 145-pound title in March 2006. "It's my only blemish. At this time, it's something that could happen in the future. We're both pretty young in the sport."

Faber (18-1) and Griffin (11-1) compete in different organizations, but they're both under the Zuffa LLC umbrella. However, UFC president Dana White has long maintained that the two organizations would operate independently. A few UFC fighters have been sent to the WEC, but there's been no talk of a co-promoted show or WEC vs. UFC "superfights" anytime in the future.

For what it's worth, Faber said he's willing to jump up a weight class if means getting Griffin as an opponent. The UFC doesn't currently have a 145-pound weight class, and Griffin fights as a 155-pounder in the UFC.

"I wouldn't have a problem going up to 155," he said. "We were actually supposed to do it one time before [Griffin] went into the UFC."

Griffin, meanwhile, suffered his only career loss to Frankie Edgar in February 2007. He's won three straight fights since then and next meets Marcus Aurelio in July at UFC 86.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Arroyo vs Matt Brown Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale fight scheduled (Exclusive)

It’s another battle of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestants as season six alumnus Matt “No Regard” Arroyo (3-1) is scheduled to face season seven’s Matt Brown (6-6) on The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale at The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, June 21, 2008, at 9 p.m. ET on SpikeTV.

MMAmania.com exclusively learned of the welterweight bout earlier this evening.

This match is not the first meeting between the two. Brown holds a second-round TKO victory over the Cobleskill native from their November 2006 fight during Real Fighting Championship 7 at Tampa’s USF Sun Dome.

TUF 6 notwithstanding, Arroyo is 2-0 since that bout, last defeating John Kolosci via submission (armbar) at the Ultimate Fighter 6 finale last December. Brown on the other hand last fought UFC veteran Chris Lytle at Indiana’s United Fight League where he was submitted in the second round by a guillotine choke.

This should be an interesting rematch between two competitors who are pretty evenly matched.

TUF 7 Finale will feature the middleweight showdown between former 185-pound champion, Evan Tanner, and TUF 3 middleweight winner, Kendall Grove. In addition, Diego Sanchez will meet Luigi Fioravanti in a welterweight tilt and the finalists from this season of TUF will meet in the finals to determine the tournament winner.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mickey's Teams With BJ Penn

Miller Brewing Company's Mickey's brand recently announced a new partnership With UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn. Penn is the second MMA star to sign on as a promotional partner with Mickey's. Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz signed a similar agreement with the brewing company in April.

Mickey's was the official malt liquor of the UFC until recently being replaced by Anheuser Busch's Bud Light brand. Mickey's seems to be engaged in an end around of sorts; with the UFC Brand no longer available to them they are choosing to go directly to the athlete in developing promotions, events and packaging with a MMA-centric twist. This is a much more advantageous situation for the athlete, as they will see larger proceeds from a direct sponsorship as opposed to mainly appearance fees under the UFC deal. The athletes also will have input into all phases of the marketing process in the new relationship as opposed to little control in the UFC-Mickey's deal (due to the surrendering of their ancillary rights per their UFC contract).

With Miller and Coors/Molson planning to finalize their joint venture for US operations sometime in 2008, it will be interesting to see if the new mega-brewer will make further moves in the MMA market. They could continue the pattern set by Mickeys in signing individual fighters or possibly make a larger play, teaming with some other MMA promotion to act as a counterweight to the UFC/Anheuser Busch pairing.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Media Credentialing Practices Questioned

Perhaps the only thing hotter than a cageside ticket for a UFC event is a media credential. The UFC's credentialing policy, and its media strategy generally, has been a source of controversy among journalists for sometime. Los Angles Times blogger Richard Abowitz went public with his complaints about the company's credentialing policy after being denied access to UFC 84.

Abowitz believes that his poking and prodding at UFC President Dana White for an interview about on-going spats with Tito Ortiz, led to his receiving "a credential application with all sorts of stipulations required for a press pass," including "the trivial, forbidding my wearing certain clothes, to the ridiculous, controlling where and when I was allowed to write about the event forever more."

Abowitz says he corresponded with UFC events manager Diann Brizzolara who told him:

"We have the right to protect our brand and how coverage taken from our events is disseminated. Other sports leagues, such as the NFL, have similar regulations printed on the back of their press passes."

The difference according to Abowitz was the fact that his credential application required a signature, which essentially made it "contract." Whereas regulations printed on the back of a credential by other organizations essentially amounted to a wish list.

Based on my experience this practice is indeed rare in other professional sports. When I was a radio reporter in college at Hofstra's WRHU, I was routinely given access to MLB and NHL games, without having to even fill out an application. Typically, a request on company letterhead sufficed.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares comments his UFC debut

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares debut, from Brazilian Top Team, could not have been better at the UFC. Facing the experienced Ivan Salaverry at the UFC 84, Toquinho showed his good in Jiu-Jitsu game, submitted the fight with a arm-lock and took home the award for extra 75 thousand U.S. dollars for the best submission of the night. Behind the scenes of the event, Toquinho spoke exclusively to our partner Marcus Vinicius DeLucia about the fight. "Thanks God, everything went right. I try not to lose positions, I do step by step and in the end everything goes right. Been here is a dream in my life, it is the bigger event of the world, so I am very happy", said Toquinho, that also thanked the Brazilians fans for their support. Below is the TATAMETV video in Portuguese.

 

[heyzel]

CBS Conference Call Quotes: Kimbo, Colossus, Bas Rutten, Gary Shaw

Gary Shaw: Thank you, Mitch and thank you James and Kimbo and Bas for joining us and the rest of the press. It’s a huge day on May 31st, 9:00 p.m. primetime on CBS for all of mixed martial arts. It’s the opportunity for it to be seen by a hundred million eyeballs, plus it’s the opportunity for everybody to understand that mixed martial arts is really a sport, and the athletes are true athletes with many different disciplines.

It’s going to be an exciting night, five fights headlined obviously by Kimbo Slice and James Thompson, and a great cast of characters and fighters that you have seen before, with Robbie Lawler fighting to defend his world championship against Scott Smith and obviously our featured women’s fighter, which is Gina Carano.

Rockstar is one of our major sponsors, and we thank Rockstar and we thank the union of EliteXC along with CBS to bring together the first ever mixed martial arts show on terrestrial TV. I don’t want to take up any more time. It’s about the fighters.

I’m going to let James Thompson open up with a few words first, then I’m going to have Kimbo, and then we’re going to throw right to the questions. So James, you want to make any opening comments?

James Thompson: Yes, cheers, Gary. I just want to say it’s James “Colossus” Thompson here on the phone from England. I’m training hard and really looking forward to May 31st. It’s going to be a war.

Gary Shaw: OK, thank you. And Kimbo?

Kimbo Slice: Hey, Gary; how’s it going, buddy?

Gary Shaw: Good, good. I miss you, buddy.

Kimbo Slice: All righty.

Gary Shaw: You want to make any opening statement to the press, Kimbo?

Kimbo Slice: Nope, not at all.

Gary Shaw: OK. Operator?

Operator: At this time, ladies and gentlemen, if you do have an audio question, simply press the star then one on your touch-tone phone. You may withdraw your question at any time by pressing the pound key.

And we’ll first go to Michael Wood from ESPN Magazine. Go ahead please.

Michael Woods: All right. Kimbo, Gary, Colossus, thanks for taking the time out. I appreciate it. Kimbo, have you seen the cover of yourself on the cover of ESPN Mag yet?

Kimbo Slice: Yes, I thought it was amazing, man. You guys did great work. Thanks guys so much for also taking the time to show me that kind of love.

Michael Woods: Yes, it looks great, and we’re hoping for a great show and for your continued success because it’s a great story for the building up of MMA. James, I want to ask you first very quickly.

James Thompson: Yes.

Michael Woods: I was referring to the fact that Kimbo was on the cover of ESPN Magazine this week, and the press coverage of him has been amazing. There’s been so many people grabbing him, and I’m wondering if you think that possibly he’s concentrating too much on that kind of stuff, getting caught up on that and overlooking you?

James Thompson: Well, you know, we can only guess. I mean Kimbo’s got a lot to display. He’s with a professional team with Bas Rutten, and I’m not. And I’m sure he realizes – I mean what sort of stage you know what I mean so – and I’d like to say he’s got some kind of real concern with what we’ve got. I won’t be thinking he’s taking it lightly.

Michael Woods: And Kimbo, I’m guessing the answer is no, but I’ll ask it to you anyway. I know you like to keep your eye on the prize, but what are some of the things that you do so you don’t get too caught up in the media hype and ‘damn, my face is on the cover of that magazine’ and get your head too big? How do you deal with that?

Kimbo Slice: Well, I look at it like this. Those type of things are more for the fans than anybody, and I continue to concentrate on my training and what I have to do. Like he said, I know what is at stake here and I know what it means to me you know, so to take a few minutes or an hour out of my time you know that’s fine, that’s cool. You know when I get back to training you know I train and that’s what’s up.

Michael Woods: Thanks. Good stuff. Hey guys, have a great fight. Everyone stay safe and we’ll talk to you again soon. Take care.

James Thompson: Yes, thank you. I appreciate it.

Operator: We’ll take our next question from the side of Beau Dure with USA Today. Go ahead please.

Beau Dure: Hello. This is a question for Kimbo, and I want to point out that I am just a messenger here. This is not me saying this. This is a quote that I want to get your reaction to. It’s Dana White, and it says ‘B.J. Penn at 155 pounds would destroy Kimbo Slice. Kimbo Slice isn’t anywhere near that type of level. He’s not a professional athlete.’ So, Kimbo, and then I guess Gary too, your reactions?

Gary Shaw: I’ll do it first. Dana White is a j***-off. That’s what Dana White is. He’s a f***ing idiot and you can quote me on that. If he cared about mixed martial arts and the sport instead of caring about his big-a** swimming pool and his own personal gains, he would understand that statements like that make someone into a jerk.

First of all, I love B.J. Penn and he is a friend of mine. And his brother J.D. Penn works with our company. Kimbo Slice with one shot would knock out B.J. Penn, a 155 pounder. But they’re never going to fight. It’s an idiotic statement from a complete idiot.

Kimbo doesn’t need to say anything at all. But I understand you’re the messenger. I don’t mean it against you, but this is a conference call about fighters, two fighters fighting each other and a real competitive match-up on a first-ever CBS live MMA event, and Dana White is an idiot. And if he wasn’t an idiot, May 31st would’ve been the UFC instead of EliteXC. I rest my case.

Beau Dure: All right. Thanks, Gary. Kimbo, do you want to take it?

Kimbo Slice: You know, it’s a free country. You know, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.

Beau Dure: All right. Thanks, Kimbo.

Operator: We’ll take our next question from Denny Burkholder with CBSSports.com.

Denny Burkholder: Hi, guys. I’d like to offer a question for Bas. You’ve been a player in this sport for years and I was just wondering what it’s like for an MMA pioneer like yourself to see the sport finally broadcast on primetime network TV?

Bas Rutten: You know, that’s what we all are fighting for. I expected this way sooner when I had my first fight in Japan. The next day, they stopped me on the street. I was thrilled. This is going to be the biggest thing, and you will see it got bigger.

That was in the beginning there, and I said it. This was in 1993. I said the first person who’s going to put this on free TV, regular TV, is going to make a killing because that’s what they want. But the world wasn’t ready for it yet. And now the world is ready for it, so I think it’s great.

Denny Burkholder: OK, now a question for James. James, you were knocked out by Brett Rogers in February, and now you find yourself fighting in the main event against Kimbo Slice. What happened in that last fight and how will you avoid this same thing happening versus Kimbo?

James Thompson: Well, what happened in the last, you know, it’s very hard to predict what will happen in a fight. You do all your training, so – I mean you go out there and I’m hoping to win it. It didn’t happen for me on that occasion. And basically I look at (the line). I look at where there’s long (goals) in my game, etc., go back to the drawing board. I just keep on drilling things, keep on being positive and (that’s what he can do).

Denny Burkholder: OK, now a couple of questions for Kimbo. Kimbo, you’ve become so popular in such a short period of time., you’re fighting in main events despite still being relatively new to the sport. My question is where do you think your MMA skill level is at right now? Do you feel like you still have a lot to learn?

Kimbo Slice: Yes, yes. I will always feel that way no matter what level that I’m going up to, no matter the magnitude, the popularity. I will always feel like I’m a baby at the sport and the game. I’m always willing and ready to learn.

Denny Burkholder: OK, now we know you’re training with Bas. You haven’t had a chance yet to show us your ground fighting. Are you looking forward to showing more versatility or would you just be happy to keep things standing?

Kimbo Slice: I think each fighter (is effective) and I never underestimate our opponent. You know, if I was training someone to fight me, that’s what I would work on. I would have my opponent try to take me to the ground, but that’s where they’re going to underestimate me you know.

Denny Burkholder: Very good, OK. Now I have a couple of questions for Gary. Gary, following up on a (question), you said numerous times that MMA promoters should work together for the fans. EliteXC has been very active working with Strikeforce, DREAM and other groups. Would you all work together with Affliction or were they – are they the exception?

Gary Shaw: Right now they’re the exception because they’re a clothing company. Would I work with them in a fight? Yes, I would work with them in a fight. And then would fighters wear Affliction clothing on our telecast? No because I don’t let – allow them to wear competitors’ clothing on our telecast. Would I work with Affliction in the co-promotion? Yes.

Denny Burkholder: Now I’m going to the topic of fighter sponsorships and you know wearing sponsors on your clothing on your way to the cage. One of Kimbo’s sponsors is Reality Kings, and Reality Kings operates a number of pornographic Web sites. Was there ever any discussion of banning Reality Kings from sponsoring Kimbo on the CBS show due to being on primetime network TV?

Gary Shaw: Yes, Reality Kings will not be on his clothing.

Denny Burkholder: OK. Was that a EliteXC call or CBS call or what?

Gary Shaw: It’s both. We understand what’s socially responsible, and CBS has a very high standard for standards and practices. And every logo we put on or whatever we do goes through CBS in their standards and practices.

Denny Burkholder: I know that sponsorships are a pretty big chunk of fighter income. Was there any – did you do anything to make that up to Kimbo that he wouldn’t getting that sponsorship money?

Gary Shaw: You know I gave him a big hug. I showed him love.

Denny Burkholder: All right, very good. Thanks, guys. Best of luck next week.

Gary Shaw: Thank you.

Operator: Our next question comes to us from Jaime Martinez from No Holds Barred. Go ahead please.

Jaime Martinez: First question I have was for Kimbo Slice. Kimbo, because James Thompson is a taller opponent than others, have you had to adjust your training schedule and your training technique?

Kimbo Slice: Because he’s what?

Jaime Martinez: Taller.

Gary Shaw: Well, James Thompson’s taller than a lot of the other opponents.

Jaime Martinez: Have you had to adjust your training because of that?

Kimbo Slice: I have a pretty long reach.

Jaime Martinez: OK, and Gary, I wanted to ask you about what kind of ratings you were expecting because from what I understand, it’s around three to four million viewers. Is that right?

Gary Shaw: Well, you know, everybody has their own expectations. I don’t know what CBS’s expectations are. I think it’s a new timeslot for sports on Saturday evening’s primetime. It’s definitely a new spot for mixed martial arts that’s never been seen. So, we’re not really sure where the ratings are going to be. I’m hopeful we hit a home run. CBS has put all their assets behind us in this promotion. I couldn’t ask for anything more, and I believe we’ve done our job and we’re sure our athletes have done their jobs in helping to promote the show. So, you know, let’s talk after the 31st. The chips will fall where they may, and we’ll make whatever adjustments we have to afterward.

Jaime Martinez: All right, gentlemen, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Gary Shaw: Thank you.

Operator: We now move on to Jason Probst from Sherdog.com. Go ahead please.

Jason Probst: This question is for both Bas and Kimbo. Obviously it’s a lot of transition to make the move to mixed martial arts. Kimbo, what were your impressions of Bas when you started working with him and what point did you decide that ‘this is the guy I want to work with’?

Kimbo Slice: Actually about a year ago. I have a great impression of Bas. Bas is the man. You know what I’m saying? Can’t get a better trainer, a better coach a better adviser of the sport and of the game. I mean he explains everything to me why. And to my knowledge I can pick it up better. I can understand the cause and the effect of everything, and I wouldn’t want to change that.

Jason Probst: And Bas, what were your initial impressions of Kimbo? Obviously this guy was an Internet phenomenon but what did you think coming in when you started work with him and at what point did you say this is a guy that can make the transition?

Bas Rutten: Well, with him being so big and popular already and to put all – everything on the line to go pro — and there’s a big chance of losing it all because like they say you know he can be a tough guy on the street, but that doesn’t mean anything if you’re going to do it against a pro. But he said, “No, I want to (go) with the pros.’ And I think that has something to say about his motivation, and that’s what sparked interest with me.

He took that risk to go pro so at least, you’re not going to be a guy who’s going to say, ‘Oh, I fought through on the street fights I never won – I never lost.’ You know I want a guy who actually does it against guys who also full time train and you get that.

Jason Probst: Bas, obviously mixed martial arts has a huge grappling in it. With such a short time frame to get Kimbo acclimated to that, did that change the strategy you used to kind of get him to use certain submission tactics versus making it more complex? How did you address getting up, going on the ground, takedowns, clinches and things like that. How did you incorporate that into Kimbo’s game?

Bas Rutten: Like I do with everybody else, I had to learn the hard way. A long time ago I lost – when I lost my last fight against Ken Shamrock, I said, ‘You know what, I don’t like losing. I’m not going to lose anymore.’

So I start training two, three times a day and won my next eight fights I won by submission. So that actually my record shows I beat more people by submission than by knockout.

So right away when Kimbo came in, we already started working on it. I knew he was going to be a striker. I think that Kimbo’s hands are better than 80 percent of the guys in the mixed martial arts game right now. Why would you play? They’re going to try to take him down, so that’s what we really expect is going to happen.

Operator: Our next question comes to us from Damon Martin of MMA Weekly Radio. Go ahead please.

Damon Martin: Thanks for doing the call everybody today. First question is for James. James, you had worked for a little bit with Xtreme Couture in Vegas. And I think you said you’re back in England now. Can you talk about who you’re training with and what it was like with Xtreme Couture?.

James Thompson: I’m training with a team called London Street Fighters at the moment in England. You know I spent some time actually (deciding where to train). I joined a great team with great people. I learn from them. The problem was Sean Thompkins has done a lot of work with Bas and Kimbo. I didn’t want to put him in such an awkward position. Sean is a great guy. So I started looking for all the teams and followed up on one in England. It’s all been going great for me.

Damon Martin: And so you would work with him again in the future?.

James Thompson: Yes, yes, yes. I would. I mean London – I hope that for next fight, too. I have really enjoyed working with them. I’ve had fine training.

Damon Martin: Very good. And for Kimbo, we talked about some of the negative stuff but recently a lot of fighters have come out supporting you – Josh Barnett, B.J. Penn and Tito Ortiz said he’s really changed his opinion of you, so a lot of positivity coming from a lot of long-standing MMA fighters. What does that mean to you as a guy who’s still kind of new in the sport to get that support and kind of turn those people around your way?

Kimbo Slice: My feeling about those guys has never changed. I’m not a sometimes person. I still have love for the sport. I still have love for all my brothers and sisters in the MMA world. They know it. And we’re only going to get bigger and better and make more money doing what we do. And this is what we love to do; (we) fighters entertain. And you know and that’s where I stand with that.

Damon Martin: Gary, in one of the conference calls previously, you mentioned the women’s title coming soon. What about the heavyweight title and where does Antonio Silva and maybe Kimbo or James Thompson fit into that picture?

Gary Shaw: Right now we’re close to doing a heavyweight title. We’ll probably do the heavyweight title in 2008 and Kimbo’s there and James Thompson is there and obviously Junior Silva is right there at the top.

Damon Martin: All right, thanks, everybody. I appreciate it.

Gary Shaw: Thank you too.

Operator: We now go to Bernard Fernandez from the Philadelphia Daily News.

Bernard Fernandez: Before this thing came up about May 31st, I had seen pretty much all of Kimbo’s fights on YouTube because my son had downloaded all of them and has made me watch them. But Gary, on the conference call (Wednesday), Frank Shamrock said that this was a day that was 15 years in coming. And he also said that he got into MMA from watching Bruce Lee movies.

I’m just wondering, in watching those YouTube tapes of or download of Kimbo, if he’s not really like real-life embodiment of the Philo Beddoe character played by Clint Eastwood in those “Every Which Way but Loose” and any-which-way-but-you-can movies from 20 years ago. I mean it’s not like street fighting. It’s something that street fighting livens or something that just came up. I mean can you kind of address that?

Gary Shaw: Sure. I watched. (Jared) my son made me watch Kimbo’s downloads. That’s how I got interested in Kimbo. I didn’t know Kimbo Slice existed.

When I saw him obviously this very first thought in my mind is he is a purebred heavyweight fighter. I watched the way he moved. He reminded me of Tyson. He has natural head movement. He fought side to side. He did things very naturally. I didn’t think of him as a backyard or a street fighter. I immediately thought of him in boxing.

Jared then told me, ‘Dad, he’s training in MMA, and I believe he’s training with Bas Rutten.’ That’s all I needed to know. And having an MMA company, I put two guys on a plane. There’s no more to the story. I sent them to Florida. I told them, ‘Don’t come back (until) we had Kimbo Slice’s signature not only on a piece of paper but every page of the contract.

And so I didn’t look at him as a character or anything else. I looked at him as this big, mean fighting machine that I thought that I could turn into a superstar. Having met Kimbo and having bonded with Kimbo, he’s triangular. He’s got an on-off switch like Tyson. He can baby-sit your kids and be sweet. He is a real mean fighting machine that you don’t want to meet in a backyard or an alley or anywhere else.

And then there’s the third part of the triangular, which is that he is a very complex individual. So, he’s a lot of different things and a family man, and he has what it takes to be a superstar. And that’s why we’re backed up with over a 150 requests right now for interviews. And that’s why he’s on the cover of ESPN Magazine. And now there are other magazines wanting to cross over that have nothing to do with sports. And I know, Bernard, how long you’ve been covering boxing, and you know the difference between a fighter, a star and a superstar. Kimbo Slice is a superstar.

 

[heyzel]

Out of rehab, Paulo Filho could return this year

John Morgan on May 29, 2008 at 9:45 am ET
World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight champion Paulo Filho (16-0) has completed his substance-abuse recovery program, and the WEC is hoping the Brazilian will return to action later this year, according to WEC vice president Peter Dropick.

Dropick shared the developments during Wednesday's media conference call to promote Sunday night's "WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver" event.

"Last I heard out of Brazil is that Paulo is out of rehab, and he's doing well, and he's just getting back in shape to fight," Dropick said.

Little has been heard from Filho since the 30-year-old elected to withdraw from a March 26 title defense with Chael Sonnen due to "personal reasons." Filho, currently considered one of the world's top-five middleweights, later shared that he was suffering from depression and chemical-dependency issues.

During the call, Dropick reiterated the WEC's support for Filho's decision to pull out of his bout with Sonnen.

"As I mentioned before, we supported Paulo," Dropick said. "He obviously did the right thing, and we hope that he's taking care of his personal issues and he gets better and gets back in to the cage."

Although no specific dates were mentioned, Dropick is optimistic that Filho will defend his title before year's end.

"Hopefully, later this year [Filho will] be fighting," he said.

 

[heyzel]

UFC confirms Kevin Burns vs. Roan Carneiro for UFC 85

by Dann Stupp and Bruce "PhyteGuru" Huckfeldt on May 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm ET
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported earlier this week, UFC newcomer Kevin Burns (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will replace Ryo Chonan (14-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 85, where he'll take on Roan Carneiro (12-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a preliminary bout.

The UFC today confirmed the bout.

The reason for Chonan's departure from the card wasn't originally known, but according to UFC.com, he suffered a rib injury while preparing for the bout.

Burns, an Iowa-based fighter, has posted stoppages in all five of his career victories -- three by way of submission. Earlie this month, he knocked out Bobby Voelker for the Victory Fighting Championship interim welterweight title.

He'll now take on Carneiro, a member of the Florida-based American Top Team who most recently defeated Tony DeSouza at UFC 79.

"He is an extremely tough opponent with great wrestling skills and top positioning," Burns stated. "He is definitely looking to take his fights to the ground and look for the submission. He has also fought some of the toughest in the world."

 

[heyzel]

Fedor's Greatest Challenge

May 29, 2008
by Joe Hall

It's another Friday morning in Midtown Manhattan, and the Avenue Restaurant at the Sheraton New York is full of tourists.

Over eggs and coffee and the clinking of forks against plates, these visitors chat about the day ahead. They are anxious to get started. Times Square is just a few blocks south, Rockefeller Center a few east, Central Park to the north and within sight.

They might view Manhattan from the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. Might visit where Lennon was shot at the Dakota or catch a celebrity strolling down Central Park East in a ball cap and glasses.

And as they finish off their toast, their orange juice and prepare to hit the sidewalks, among them, unnoticed, sits a man considered the best heavyweight fighter on the planet.

Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) wears blue jeans, a denim jacket and black tennis shoes. The people who consider him the best in the world are the ones who have seen him fight.

These tourists have not. To them, he must seem no one special. Some stout stranger, 6-foot tall and 230 pounds, who speaks in a foreign tongue when he speaks at all.

Now he's pacing the hotel lobby. His gate is casual, confident. A Russian radio station has scheduled an interview, but they're not ready, they're ready, they're not ready. No frustration from Fedor. His stoicism is legendary.

Just watch his many entrances in Pride, thousands of Japanese fans in attendance, lights out in the arena except for where he moves. Croatian kickboxer Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic waiting for him in the ring, UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) waiting for him, Mark Hunt (Pictures) waiting for him. And Fedor's expression on his way into battle? Eerie impassivity.

Now is an understandable time to be frustrated, though. He's been doing interviews for days. A news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, one in New York on Thursday. Appearances and pictures and autographs -- all in the name of Affliction, the clothing company turned MMA promoter that has signed Fedor to headline its July 19 debut at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

His interpreter, Antonina Dzhomardova, tells of an exhausting day dedicated entirely to interviews. It reached a point where she was struggling to keep a straight face while translating questions that had already been asked a half-dozen times. Yet Fedor gave no hint of irritation. She says he answered each inquiry as if it were new, stood and thanked his interviewer when finished, then sat down with the next one and smiled.

Fedor gets it. Whether America will get him, however, is uncertain.

In April 2007 he headlined a Bodog Fight event that sold an abysmal 12,000 pay-per-views, Bodog Fight Commissioner Jeff Osborne (Pictures) recently told The Fight Network. A big UFC event can sell 500,000 or far more.

Bodog Fight is essentially dead now, and Osborne predicts a similar fate for Affliction. Other insiders join him in pointing to Fedor's compensation, which has been rumored to fall in the neighborhood of $1.5 million to $2 million, as well as the overall fight purse for the event as a major burden to turning a profit. The experts argue that Fedor is a great fighter but not a popular one -- not in the United States anyway.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio (Pictures) disagrees.

"Do we think we're going to take a loss? No," he says of Affliction's first MMA event. "Are we prepared for it? Yes."

Atencio blames Bodog's failures with Fedor on marketing. Bodog had a "monstrous" advertising budget, according to Osborne, which included plastering Fedor's image in the New York City subways. Pride's U.S. venture with Fedor at the top of the card didn't sell many pay-per-views either. Yet Atencio still contends that "The Last Emperor" hasn't been marketed properly in the United States.

"I know for a fact that not very many people knew about [Fedor's fights in the United States]," Atencio says. "I've been in this industry for a long time and I didn't really hear anything about it, especially with Bodog."

Bodog matched Fedor against Matt Lindland (Pictures), who, although a quality fighter, is not a heavyweight in stature or drawing power. Affliction will pair the Russian against former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (Pictures), who has headlined multiple UFC events. Whether Sylvia can capture similar interest outside of the UFC, though, or send attention Fedor's way, remains to be seen.

Accordingly, Atencio refrains from saying how many pay-per-views Affliction hopes to sell. He knows that naming a number would be like loading a gun that's sure to go off in the promotion's face if expectations aren't met. That's because the MMA industry has come to expect pay-per-view disasters from shows not named UFC.

Affliction's strategy includes marketing Fedor to the Russian community. The clothing company also plans on using its relationships with department stores such as Bloomingdales and Nordstrom's to make sure that fans -- whether new, casual or hardcore -- know that the top heavyweight in the world will be fighting a former UFC titleholder.

In certain circles, of course, Fedor is already known. Tourists here in Manhattan may overlook him, but fans at Affliction's news conferences lined up to meet the 31-year-old. Donald Trump sat in the front row at the New York presser, shook Fedor's hand and offered his support for Affliction. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has also watched Fedor fight in person, which testifies to the fighter's reputation in Russia, especially when one considers whether George Bush might ever sit Octagon-side in support of the best U.S. heavyweight.

As for what happened with the Pride and Bodog pay-per-views, Fedor echoes Atencio's views by saying they were poorly marketed.

"I think the [Affliction] pay-per-view will be higher of course because this is the most important event of this year," Fedor says. "And it is marketed very wisely. Affliction pulling together with M-1, they are making a good team. They have completed a lot and they have a good future."

Fedor pins Affliction's success, at least in part, on himself.

"I think that every fighter will try to draw as many fans as he can," he says. "So this is also a responsibility of every fighter to do that, to be a part of that."

Which is what brings him to America. He's not so stoic outside of the ring. Sitting here now, he is laughing, grinning and telling in Russian what is probably a joke.

"Sorry," he says in English before turning back to the interview with a grin and … was that a wink? Did Fedor just wink?

Later he laughs when asked of his favorite Russian writer.

"Leo Tolstoy."

"But what about Dostoevsky? I thought you liked Dostoevsky?"

"Well of course I like Dostoevsky as well," he answers, "but most likely he will take second place after Tolstoy. I have read everything from Tolstoy, everything."

What does this have to do with fighting? Next to nothing.

"I think I've proved everything for myself already," Fedor says of his battles in the ring. "But as far as American fans, I'd like them to get to know me personally, as my Japanese audience knows me personally. Not just as a fighter -- as a human being as well."

Well, he's certainly likeable. No sense in Affliction playing the scary-Russian-fighter angle with a man who doesn't seem interested in the stereotype. Not that the promotion is going down that well-traveled road just yet; at this point, Affliction is simply introducing him and reintroducing him, letting him shake hands and be human.

He breaks for his radio interview, then returns apologetically 20 minutes later to sit right down on the criticism many MMA fans have had of him: Fedor has not been fighting top competition lately.

He could blame that fact on promoters trying to maximize their profits with bouts that appeal to broad audiences, but he doesn't. Top fighters, Fedor says, should not always fight top competition.

"I think it should be a mixture," he explains. "Everyone should be given a chance. Even if a fighter is not very strong or very famous and not everyone knows him, he should still be given a chance to try. In every fighter's career, you should fight both of them: fighters who are not as good as you are and fighters who are much better."

Of course Fedor could have added that he has beaten the UFC's best heavyweight twice. He considers his encounters with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) the most difficult fights of his career, along with his August 2005 showdown against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, when the Croatian was perhaps at his best.

For 20 grueling minutes Fedor stood and out-struck Filipovic. The strategy was as stunning as it was effective, yet what truly won him the fight was mental fortitude. He pinpoints an exchange in that bout as the most memorable moment in his career.

"He was trying to kick me in the liver, hard," Fedor says. "I put up a very hard defense with my leg. It was painful for myself and for him, and I could see that. It was a strike, leg against leg. It was very painful for both of us. I didn't show that it was painful for me, but I could see in his eyes that it was very painful. I could feel he broke a little bit inside. I could feel his weakness at that very moment, and I used it."

Tim Sylvia would prefer that Fedor also engage him on the feet in their July 19 contest. The Pat Miletich (Pictures)-trained fighter stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 265 pounds, giving him significant height, weight and reach advantages.

"He's tall and has reach of course," Fedor says after complimenting Sylvia's punching power. "But I have had tall opponents before, so I know how to deal with them."

Fedor is the favorite, but Sylvia is good and this is MMA -- the sport of endless variables, a game at which everyone loses at some point. Even Fedor has a notch on the right side of his impressive win-loss ledger, and another defeat, taken at the wrong time, could ruin his mystique in the United States.

"I'm just doing everything I can," he says. "I just train and do everything the best way. I'm not thinking about if I'm going to win or lose."

A loss, though, could also spoil a potential dream matchup with Randy Couture (Pictures). So could the prolonged legal proceedings between Couture and the UFC. Fedor has been following the saga.

"I don't have the opportunity to follow it all the way through, but I read online," he says. "And I get information from my friends and people, so I can say that I follow it. I know the important things."

Rooting for Randy?

"Yes," he says. "Of course."

Affliction began teasing the fight with a January photo shoot that brought Fedor and Couture together. Fedor's interpreter, Antonina, relays that they discussed families and interests, friends and fighters they both know.

"That's one of the questions the journalists kept asking in Los Angeles," Antonina confides with a giggle. "What Randy Couture and Fedor talked about at the photo shoot. Everyone asked."

Whoops.

It's 70 degrees and sunny this morning, the final few hours of another trip to New York in which Fedor won't have time to see Central Park or much else. His friends have told him to make time on these trips to see America.

"Maybe one day," he says, "I will come and do that."

But today he's answering the Affliction photo shoot question again. The next interviewer will probably ask it, too, and Fedor will likely answer as he just did -- patiently and kindly, the response of a man who is hoping to be heard despite a great barrier

 

[heyzel]

Josh Neer vs. Nate Diaz in works for UFC Fight Night 14

by Dann Stupp and Bruce "PhyteGuru" Huckfeldt on May 29, 2008 at 11:00 am ET
Josh Neer (24-6-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner Nate Diaz (9-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will likely meet at UFC Fight Night 14 in September.

A source close to one of the fighters told MMAjunkie.com about the lightweight fight and said bout agreements are expected to be signed shortly. The fight has been rumored for the better part of a month.

UFC Fight Night 14, which airs on Spike TV, takes place Sept. 17 and serves as a lead-in for the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Alves: ‘Its my time. I want’ UFC 85 win over Matt Hughes (Video)

videolink: http://mmamania.com/2008/05/29/thiago-alves-its-my-time-i-want-ufc-85-win-over-matt-hughes-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC: Primetime undercard to air on CBSSports.com

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that the undercard bouts for EliteXC: Primetime will be shown on CBSSports.com at 7 p.m. ET with the main card starting on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.

Originally the bouts were only scheduled to appear on ProElite.com but now it appears that both ProElite.com and CBSSports.com will be streaming the fights live at 7 p.m. ET.

The undercard bouts are as follows, starting at 7 p.m. ET on CBSSports.com and ProElite.com:

Chris Liguori vs. Jim Bova
Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Moreno
Nick Serra vs. Matt Makowski
Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins
James “Binky” Jones vs. Calvin Kattar

 

[Shogun Locc]

5Oz. interview with TUF 7’s Matt Brown

During last night’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter 7,” Matt Brown became one of the latest fighters to be eliminated from the middleweight tournament after losing via triangle choke submission at the hands of Amir Sadollah.

Courtesy of Spike TV, FiveOuncesOfPain.com was able to speak with Brown a day after the loss was shown on television. We not only were able to get Matt’s thoughts on the fight itself, but also on the supposed “overtraining” of Team Forrest, his fight with Jeremy May, and much more.

Adam Morgan: If you and Amir fought again do you think there’s anything that you’d do differently?

Matt Brown: Actually there’s nothing I would do different. I fought him well and things just didn’t turn out my way that day. I wouldn’t fight him any different. Not take anything at all away from Amir but I think I’d win if we fought again so I’d fight him exactly the same but just be a little bit better next time.

Adam Morgan: It looked like you might have been a bit gassed at the end of the fight and there are some fighters talking about Team Forrest being overtrained as a whole. Do you agree that Forrest was a little aggressive in his training?

Matt Brown: Yeah, Forrest was definitely aggressive in his training but I’ve got a few things to say about that. First off Forrest told us the first day we were out there, he said “It’s up to you guys to take days off when you need to take days off” and he said he will run us into the ground. The way I see it is we’re fucking professional athletes and at this level, if you don’t know when to take days off then you don’t need to be at this level. Like you need to go back to the fucking amateur ranks and learn how to train yourself. A lot of them guys, they’d just never trained like that too. They’re talking about “overtrain this, overtrain that,” and the fact is that they had just never trained balls to the wall like that before.


You know I’ve trained like that my whole career, I’ve always trained balls to the wall so for me it wasn’t really nothing new and I knew when to take time off. I think a lot of the guys were using it as an excuse, you know I’m not going to name any names, but the fact is that overtraining is one of the easiest excuses for people to make. They can say “Oh, I was overtrained and that’s why I didn’t perform” or whatever but that’s just not an excuse. I mean if you’re a professional then you need to know how to rest and be fully prepared. Like I said, Forrest told us when we first got there “I am going to run you guys into the fucking ground, so if you need a day off, take a day off.”

Adam Morgan: You landed several hard shots right on his chin and Amir seemed to just shake them off. Were you at all surprised by Amir’s chin?

Matt Brown: You know, the shots, I’ve got pretty heavy hands but they weren’t landing as clean as it looked. He did a real good job of keeping me where I couldn’t plant my feet where he was able to stay past the end of my punches and stay outside of my range. I had to lunge, almost, to actually hit him. I think that was his gameplan, just to stay outside and keep circling. He wouldn’t let me get real good angles and I didn’t get to land as good of shots as I’d hoped. I wouldn’t let it frustrate me because I felt good, but he just did it perfect, you know? He fought me perfectly.

Adam Morgan: Was it awkward for you to have to go over to Team Rampage and train with them before the fight?

Matt Brown: No, it wasn’t really too awkward being that you live with all them guys in the house and you knew the guys anyways, so it wasn’t too awkward. I was just looking forward to getting to work with some of the guys that I didn’t get to work with, you know, and make the best out of the opportunity. Especially Juanito Ibarra, I was really looking forward to working with him.

Adam Morgan: You were portrayed as sort of the tough as nails badass of the house. Do you think that was an accurate portrayal?

Matt Brown: I mean, I don’t know. I just do the best I can every day and work as hard as I can and be as tough as I can. If that’s the way people see me, that’s fine, if not, that’s fine too.

Adam Morgan: I wanted to go back and ask you about the fight with Jeremy May. How satisfying of a victory was that for you considering all that had gone on?

Matt Brown: I mean it’s always good to win, especially when you get a nice, big knockout like that but I wasn’t overly impressed by my performance. I’m not the type of person that’s gonna sit there and think about how great I knocked him out or how satisfying the win was or whatever. I was just thinking about my performance and what I could do to improve on my performance and that was all I was thinking about.

Adam Morgan: So you didn’t feel the slightest bit of happiness that you got to put Jeremy May on his ass?

Matt Brown: Like I said, I didn’t even hardly think about it. Even though, you know, I don’t like the kid, didn’t like him then, don’t like him now, never will like him in the end no matter how much you like a guy or dislike a guy, when the bell rings it’s a fight. That fact is that all them emotions go out the window and you just gotta fight so that’s what I focused on doing.

Adam Morgan: I know you came into the show at 185 lbs. but do you feel more comfortable at 170 lbs. than you do at 185 lbs.?

Matt Brown: Oh, of course, you know I had never fought at 185 until the show, actually. The only good part about it was, we got out there on the show and you never know who you’re gonna fight next. Well, we had control so we had an idea of who we’d fight next. But if you win the show, you fought four times in six weeks so the weight cut is ridiculous for some people. For me I didn’t have to cut any weight so I actually thought I had an advantage.

Adam Morgan: Do you think there’s a lot of guys that came onto the show as natural 170 lbs. fighters but were competing at 185 lbs. just to make it onto the show?

Matt Brown: I don’t think there was, there was a few guys I’m sure that could make 170. At least on our team, I think there was a lot of guys that didn’t realize they could make 170. Like they’re used to walking around at 195 to 200 lbs. but after going through a training camp like that, you know, hard training like the way we did, their weight got a lot lower than it had ever been before. They were walking around at 185 or 190. I heard some guys talking, saying “Man, maybe I can make 170.” Like I said, a lot of guys had never trained like that before but for me it was just another training camp.

Adam Morgan: There’s a report floating around that you’ll be facing off against Matt Arroyo at the finale at welterweight. Can you comment on that at all?

Matt Brown: Nah, I can’t say a word.

Adam Morgan: I didn’t think so. What was the hardest thing about living in the house for you personally?

Matt Brown: There wasn’t really anything hard about it for me until I lost. The whole hard part is other guys in the house. When guys start losing they start drinking and staying up all night. Just dealing with people that just don’t care, that are not respectful towards guys that have to fight the next day and stuff. That was really the only hard thing about it and I got mad at a lot of stuff. Sometimes the night before fights some guys would be up drinking late and stuff and I would tell them “You know, these guys gotta fight and you gotta respect that,” so that to me was really the only hard part.

Adam Morgan: And what are you doing currently, are you still in Cincinnati training at Jorge Gurgel’s gym?

Matt Brown: Yeah, exactly.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC's CBS Debut: Three Angles to Watch

MMA will make its major network primetime debut this Saturday night when EliteXC presents Primetime on CBS at 9PM EST. The following are three angles worth following after the show unfolds:



(1) RATINGS:


The buzz in the industry is that its not the headline household number that matters as much as the demographic breakouts. While network television ratings as a whole are in a continuing decline, it is the younger viewers that advertisers crave in particular that are slipping away. This is particularly the case at CBS which skews older than other networks. Enter MMA, the great white hope.

All eyes will be on males 18-49 and more specifically males 18-34. Some context of what good demographic numbers will look like: for the week ended May 18, CBS averaged a 2.6 in adults 18-49 (third behind leader Fox at a 3.5) and a 1.7 in adults 18-34 (third behind leader Fox at a 3.0).

That said the headline number obviously matters and the network has publicly set a 3-4 million viewer threshold. For some perspective, UFC 75 is currently the highest rated television broadcast of MMA. The event drew 4.7 million viewers on Spike last September. The general consensus is that anything about a 3.0 would be a considered a homerun and anything below a 2.0 without amazing demographics would be a failure. And it's not just EliteXC's future that is riding on the results. A strong showing could open the flood gates for MMA on network television.


(2) FINANCIAL FOLLOW-UP:


The 5/31 show is shaping up as a make or break show for the company. According to ProElite's SEC filings, it is clear that the company is low on funds and seeking additional capital. All indications are that the company has "bet the farm" so to speak on its CBS debut. It is critical that the company put up a number that creates the momentum necessary to raise the capital needed to survive and advance.


(3) POLITICAL BACKLASH:


One of the most under discussed angles in MMA's major network television debut is the potential political backlash the sport may face. "Cagefighting" will arrive on the national stage for the first time this Saturday and the reaction is assuredly going to be mixed. Some pundits will no doubt seize the opportunity to hammer CBS for peddling blood and violence, but the biggest danger lies in a potential political backlash in the vein of John McCain's "human cockfighting" crusade of the mid-90s.

While the sport is in little danger of returning to the dark ages of untelevised, unsanctioned events, the potential for political grandstanding against MMA, particularly in an election season is very real. For a sport not yet established as acceptable in the mainstream, that may be all it takes to stifle the growing influx of blue chip sponsors and mainstream acceptance.

The inclusion of a women's MMA bout as part of America's introduction to an already violent sport has done the industry no favors in this regard.

 

[Shogun Locc]

HUGHES BROTHERS SET FOR UFC REUNION

It has been more than eight years since former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes and twin brother Mark have competed in mixed martial arts at the same event. That era, however, may soon come to an end.

Matt, in a pre-fight media conference call for UFC 85 on Thursday, was posed a question he didn’t expect, that being about the possibility of his brother returning to the Octagon.

“This is an unexpected question,” said Matt, the elder brother – by five minutes – of the Hughes twins. “I do know that Mark is going to sign a contract with the UFC where he won't compete for anybody else. And that'd be right here coming up. That's all I can really tell you. That's all I can really comment on,”

Mark sports a 6-2 professional record in MMA, including a win at UFC 28, but hasn’t competed in nearly five years. Apparently poised for a return, Matt says that Mark doesn’t have a fight lined up yet, but is adamant about his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a place Matt has called home for several years.

“There's no fight scheduled (for Mark), but he is going to sign a contract with the UFC to fight for them and nobody else."

Of course, with the twin brothers under contract, the obvious question is if they will compete on an upcoming fight card together. On that issue, Matt was less certain.

While he indicated that he would like to fight on the same event as his brother, Matt said, “To be honest, we tried that in the past with the old owners and they just never went for it. But that's been six, seven years ago probably. So, we'll just see what comes out of it. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Hopefully if it does, it'll be in the Midwest there somewhere.”

With the sport now under sanctioning across most of the United States, including Illinois and Missouri, there has been speculation that the UFC will soon operate an event in either Chicago or St. Louis. So it appears that Matt’s hopes of fighting in the Midwest, with his brother, has now become a distinct possibility.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive: EliteXC President Gary Shaw On Dana White, Tito Ortiz, Kimbo And Much More

Gary Shaw is a self made American success story. This son of retail bakery business owner never graduated high school, but now runs one of the largest MMA organizations in the world. Shaw sat down exclusively with Fightline.com to discuss his story. A story that ultimately may become intimately connected to the fate of MMA in America as Shaw stewards the direction of MMA irrevocable for better or for worse.
In part one of Fightline.com's three part interview with EliteXC president and CEO Gary Shaw, we touch briefly on Shaw's landmark deal with CBS, his feud with UFC president Dana White and we go in depth on his thoughts regarding the UFC; including his interest in potential UFC castoffs Tito Ortiz and Andrei Arlovski.

Fightline.com: Your company recently made an historic, landmark deal with CBS marking MMA's entry into mainstream America. Do you feel that this deal will enable you to surpass the UFC in terms of exposure, popularity and ultimately revenue?

Gary Shaw: I don't know, we're not focused on that. They're a very fine competitor. So, I'm not sure about that because Pepsi hasn't been able to pass coke and Avis hasn't been able to pass Hertz. You know, being number 2 is not always so terrible.

Fightline.com: You and UFC president Dana White have had some words back and forth over the past year or so. Do you know Dana personally?

Gary Shaw: No.

Fightline.com: You've never met him?

Gary Shaw: Never met him; but if it wasn't for the Fertitta's and there money and their intelligence, he'd be a jazzercise instructor right now.

Fightline.com: Dana White has criticized you and the skill of some of your fighters in the past; he recently stated that he believes that his lightweight champion, B.J. Penn could defeat Kimbo Slice. What are your thoughts on those comments?

Gary Shaw: That proves what I just said. Without the Fertitta's money and without their intelligence, he'd be a jazzercise instructor because he's an idiot. What kind of an idiot would say something like that? First of all, I know B.J. Penn; B.J. himself would never say something like that nor would he think that. B.J. is a fan of Kimbo's and Kimbo happens to be a fan of B.J. and Jay Dee, the smarter of the two brothers works with us. So he may not be the best fighting [Penn], but he's the smart one cause he works with us instead of the UFC [laughs]. Yeah, so Jay Dee Penn is with us and he's a fine addition to our company, but yeah, I think that's idiotic. I mean, Kimbo can really punch. I just...it's so idiotic. It shows what an idiot Dana White is. If he cared about the sport he wouldn't say things like that. You see, the thing is, Dana is so insecure he wants to tear down every other competitor, every other fighter that's not with the UFC, so that his brand is the only one and then he can screw all the fighters like he did for years. We offer a legitimate place for fighters to go who are not in the UFC.

Fightline.com: I'm assuming that your aware of the bad blood between Tito Ortiz and Dana White that seemed to boil over at UFC 84. What's your take on that situation?
Gary Shaw: Dana doesn't want anyone to become bigger than him in the UFC and that's nuts because it's the athlete that makes the company. Without the athlete you have no product. It's just bad business.

Fightline.com: This seems to happen between Dana and some of his biggest stars. We saw the fallout between he and Frank and Ken Shamrock, he and Randy Couture and now he and Tito Ortiz. Why does this seem to happen between Dana and some of his high profile athletes?

Gary Shaw: Because he wants to be the star. He thinks he should be the star. He's got a private jet, he's got a swimming pool the size of the Atlantic Ocean, it's wrong. It's dead wrong it's not what you should do. The athlete is your product. That's what you should be selling. You know, on a personal level I have nothing against Dana. Dana comes across as an idiot because he says idiotic things. He said he invented MMA, and he did not invent it [laughs]. I have nothing bad to say about the UFC, Mark Ratner's like a brother to me. I know Lorenzo Fertitta and I have a world of respect for Lorenzo Fertitta. He is a very, very good business man and he's a fine individual and I have a world of respect for him. I have always said that they have a fine brand and their the leading brand. I will never say anything bad about those people, but Dana White, as long as he keeps opening his idiotic mouth then I'll keep responding. If he thinks Kimbo is as Dana says, "nothing', then he should stand in the cage with him. And I'm willing to do that. And he's a lot bigger than B.J. Penn. Why doesn't he put his money where his mouth is?

Fightline.com: You'd be willing to promote that?

Gary Shaw: Absolutely. When he went for his boxing license when he was gonna put on that sham of a fight, I offered to promote it. He's very promotable because he's got that big, ugly mouth.

Fightline.com: Are you speaking of the proposed boxing match between Dana White and Tito Ortiz?

Gary Shaw: Yeah.

Fightline.com: What would've happened had Tito Ortiz shown up for that fight?

Gary Shaw: Tito would have crushed him.

Fightline.com: Have you had any conversations with Tito about coming over to EliteXC?

Gary Shaw: I haven't talked to Tito, but he knows he has an open audience with me. I read recently where he might want to go with Affliction and if that's the route he chooses than I don't think it's the right move. You know, it doesn't get bigger than CBS. It's the most exposure they can get. Their sponsorship dollars go up so we'll see. The door's always open for Tito. If you talk to him tell him to call me, tell him I'm looking for him. I mean that.

Fightline.com: Andrei Arlovski is another fighter recently mentioned as likely to leave the UFC. Do you have any interest in signing him?
Gary Shaw: Yeah, absolutely. Arlovski is a great figher. Comes from Chicago...I'll roll out the red carpet for these guy. Remember, Kimbo right now might be the most sought after and the most well known fighter; including all those fighers from the UFC. Let's be honest, who's bigger, Rampage or Kimbo? It's not even close. I can walk on Hollywood and Vine, I can take him to Chicago, the streets of Florida, Broadway and 42nd street; people will start screaming to Kimbo out of the windows of their car. They don't know Rampage. You know, if a fighter wants to get marketed he needs to come with Gary not Dana. He needs to come with EliteXC not the UFC. If he wants to be in someone shadow he can go to the UFC. Guaranteed you'll never get a suntan because you'll always be in Dana's shadow. And I like Rampage. Rampage is a great character and Rampage should be a star, but as long as he's in the UFC the star is Dana White. Just look at the MMA magazine, it's got Dana's face on the front of it. That's not what it's about. It's not about the people that run the organizations. That should be the focus. Get the ESPN magazine, the number one sports magazine in the world. Who's on the cover? Kimbo. That's what the games about. And after May 31st, guaranteed Kimbo will be the single most recognizable face in the world. I'll walk with him and Fedor and nobody will know Fedor, guaranteed.

Fightline.com: I gotta say, Kimbo is getting a ton of exposure recently. I just saw him presenting at the Country Music Awards of all places.

Gary Shaw: Exactly, because the UFC is run by a jazzercize instructor and EliteXC is run by a real promoter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DAN HARDY: "TIME TO START COLLECTING SOME UFC FIGHTER'S SCALPS"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2733.html?PHPSESSID=c56f42d7c0f5cd4439ddd67c285c9e3c
"I bring vicious striking that will cause injury or unconsciousness to anyone within reach and if it hits the ground, I'll tie you up and choke you out; and if you make it to the final bell, you will need a few weeks to recover," stated rising welterweight Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy as he talked about his recent signing with the UFC. Check out what he had to say about his future plans and much more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

SOKOUDJOU: "SHOGUN HAS BEEN DUCKING ME SINCE THE PRIDE DAYS!"
videolink: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2734.html
"Shogun's camp told me that to fight him, I had to fight Cyborg first. I told them I want to fight Shogun, not Cyborg, and then Pride went away and now he's in the UFC and he hasn't fought for a minute. I know he got injured for his last fight, but I think by the time I'm ready to fight again, hopefully he should be ready and will take the fight," stated UFC light heavyweight contender Sokoudjou as he talked about his strong desire to face Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Check out what else he had to say about Rua, his win over Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 84 and much more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gomi Interview

- How are you doing since you had fight in SENGOKU debut event 2 months ago?
I was so bored during Golden week. I usually train with my students in my gym. I had been lazy during holidays.
- I heard you went to Hawaii after your last fight.
Yes. I went there to relax. I also spent time with my friends.
- Did you get any damage from your last fight?
No injury. I wanted to relax mentally and take my time until my fighting spirit rose. I'm reducing my mental stress gradually by having not intense but normal trainings and having fun with my friends.
- You went to see a SHOOTO event during holidays.
I thought about an excuse to take a break from my training, then going to see that event is something I came up with. I actually go to see events which stimulate me. I want to fight in a big SHOOTO event if I have a chance.
- Were you excited except your fight?
I was impressed to see Kosei Inoue, a Judo Specialist on TV. He had an era in Japanese Judo and the way he retired was cool.
- Did you feel something similar?
Yes, as a man who lead Japanese Judo for long time. Well, I I continue fighting.
- You become 30 years old this year. What do you think about retiring?
I don't think I retire anytime soon. I'm still powerful enough to be active.
- Do you feel you are getting weak sometimes, like you tend to have a bad hangover after drinking?
Hangover, yeah that's what I thought about. I always have hangover the day after I drink, so everything is same. I don't lose often and I think I can improve myself still.
- What do you think about your last fight?
I could show 80% of what I could do. I wasn't full 100% of myself. I was nervous because I hadn't fought for a year.
- I didn't feel you had a blank though.
I responded very well to his strikes. That was the result of my preparation for that fight. I sparred a lot.
- In general, fighters move slow and take a while to get their intuition back after taking a long break. I didn't feel anything like that from you.
I trained for a year and prepared well for that fight. I trained hard in my gym by letting my self believe that my next fight was coming soon. I had a totally different attitude after confirming my next fight. I could focus more mentally.
- What do you think about SENGOKU?
Top class fighters in every weight classes gather in SENGOKU.
- All lightweight fighters wants to fight you.
It's my pleasure that some fighters have goals to fight with me.
- I think you are a yokozuna and now you are waiting a challenger.
I guess I'm a fighter who have career and attracts other fighters now.
- You are in a fist position to get a belt. Tell me your ideal fight as a top class lightweight fighter.
Well, I win by KO as much as I can. I condition well and have exciting fights. Please come and see my fights!

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tetsuya Kawajiri Interview

- Congratulation! You move on to the final round of the tournament. What do you think about your fight?
I attacked with all my heart. I satisfied with my result though I couldn't KO him. I showed all I had.
- What do you think about Buscape?
He was strong as I expected and persisted.
- Did you get any damage?
My hands are sore.
- You move on to the final round.
My goal was fighting in Osaka. I feel like a champion belt is getting close. I have never fought twice a day. I got to be prepare well.
- What kind of theme do you have next?
Same. I believe in myself and put all I have in my fight, then I believe I can win no matter who I fight.
- Who do you want to fight next?
Uno. I cannot choose my opponent though. I want to fight him either in the semi-final or in the final.
- In the closing ceremony, you declared that you wanted to fight Uno.
I was upset at that moment and barely remember what I said. I expressed my feeling because my teammate was defeated, and I remember our last fight in Mar, 2004. That fight which was draw was stuck in my mind for long time.
- What impression did you have when you fought him before in SHOOTO?
I think a suitable word which describes about him is not strong but skillful. In that fight, I felt the difference of the amount of experiences. I want to use my fight experience with Uno when I fight him again.
- You were a second of Ishida.
Uno was strong yesterday. I wasn't sure how good he was and how much he could improve based on his age. Although, he was strong. We complained about the fact he participated in this tournament from the 2R. Seeing the fight result, I have nothing to say. I know pretty well how strong Ishida is.
- Do you respect Uno?
I respect all fighters. I don't have any special feeling to him like I respect Mach.
- What do you respect most about Uno?
His experiences. He has been fighting as a top fighter for last 10 years. That's great. His fighting style is totally opposite to mine. This is another reason I want to defeat him. I definitely want to have a clear result next time.
- Did you talk to Ishida after his fight?
He told me to do my best. I know he wants me to win this tournament.
- You two talked about fighting in the final round.
Yes. We wanted to move on to Osaka. I don't have any feeling to revenge Uno for Ishida. I just want to defeat an opponent in front of me.
- When do you start training?
I will take a break for a week and start after checking the condition of my fist.
- Any message to your fan?
I have a strong will to overcome any hardships. I definitely get a belt!