MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

C.B. DOLLAWAY COMMENTS ON "THE TAP"

C.B. Dollaway got a second chance at becoming "The Ultimate Fighter," and a second chance to defeat Amir Sadollah, who eliminated him from The Ultimate Fighter 7 competition. Dollaway was then brought back when finalist Jesse Taylor was kicked off the show for his conduct only days after filming concluded.



Dollaway lost to Sadollah by arm bar, again, and spoke with the media about the tap that he wishes he could take back.



"With the tap, I didn't fully commit to the tap, but I did hit him once," said the Tempe, Ariz. native. "I guess they ruled that a tap. I thought you had to go on and start tapping out. I did hit him once. Right as I did that, I felt my arm get into a position where I could get out. At that point Herb (Dean) ruled it as a tap out."



The disappointed Dollaway reflected on The Ultimate Fighter 7 Live Finale loss to Sadollah. "It's kind of a crappy way for it to end for me after putting in all the hard work, training and everything for this fight," said the 24-year-old fighter. "I would have at least liked to have went a few more rounds. Having it end so quick is just a disappointment."

 

[Shogun Locc]

DIEGO SANCHEZ REFOCUSED AND EYEING UFC GOLD

After leaving Team Jackson and trainer Greg Jackson, Diego Sanchez suffered his first professional mixed martial arts loss and dropped two in a row. Now, acclimated to his new training environment, Sanchez defeated Luigi Fioravanti at the Ultimate Fighter 7 Live Finale and has reeled off back-to-back victories. "The Nightmare" appears refocused and is eyeing Ultimate Fighting Championship gold.

"Coming off these two wins now, I feel like I'm back on track," said Sanchez. "The two losses came with perfect timing. To be honest, if I wouldn't have had those loses I maybe would have gone on to become the champion, but the timing wouldn't have been right. Now I feel the timing is right to go and become the champion and hold the belt. That's what every fighter wants to do, become the champion and stay the champion."

Admittedly, Sanchez got caught up in the celebrity lifestyle after winning "The Ultimate Fighter" Spike TV reality series' debut season. "With fame and money, a lot of distraction comes," explained Sanchez. "For me, the limelight was so huge after winning the show and continuing to win, the win streak that I was on. After all of that was over with and I had my loses, just because I lost, the limelight went away and I understood why I'm in this business for, and it's not the limelight. It's to fight."

The refocused and revitalized Sanchez was asked where he fits into the UFC welterweight division. "The Ultimate Fighter" turned contender commented, "Me and my team and my management, we have gone over every possible situation in the 170 pound division. It all depends on what happens in the upcoming fights, honestly. We've got GSP (Georges St-Pierre) who is stating that he's going up to 185. Me and (Jon) Fitch was an excellent, close fight. It came down to game plan. I was not hurt once in the fight. It was just a technical points match."

"There's also AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), Team AKA," he further stated. "You've got (Mike) Swick, (Josh) Koscheck and you've got Fitch. They're not going to fight each other, so that right there throws a little something in there."

"So GSP leaves, what happens? B.J. Penn has stated he wanted to fight GSP. Now GSP is leaving. There's a lot of stuff that's going to happen," said the New Mexico native. "I'm just waiting. I'm ready to fight whoever they put in front of me. I want the title shot."

"I've stated I wanted rematches with Fitch and Koscheck. That's the past. I've let it go. I look forward to rematching them some day, maybe. If it happens, if it gets put in my path, I'm ready for that. I have my sight on one thing, and that's UFC gold."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Zelg "Benkei" Galesik Interview with DREAM

DREAM official website posted an interview with Zelg " Benkei" Galesik on Jun 21. The interview was taken place on Jun 16.

- Congratulation! You move on to the final round. Tell me about your fight yesterday.
I'm not satisfied with the way I won. I'm happy about the fact I didn't get injured and won. I feel so sorry to my fans and Kin.
- After the fight, you offered him a rematch.
Yes, because I was disappointed about our fight, as you can tell by seeing my face right after that fight. We cannot change the result of the fight; therefore I'm going to concentrate on my next round. I want to fight him again, or I want to spar with him in his gym.
- What did you think about other fights you saw yesterday.
I saw Musashi as a tough and strong fighter. He controlled his fight yesterday. He is a young but all round fighter. He has a potential to be better.
- Any thought about a fight of Sakuraba and Manhoef?
I predicted that their fight would be evenly matched: Menhoef could win in the stand and Sakuraba could win on the ground. Sakuraba was defeated because he didn't take him down earlier. I think Japanese fans regret to see the result, however, I believe Manhoef is an appropriate fighter for the final round.
- You have 2 more fights to win the tournament.
I want a DREAM belt from the bottom of my heart, and so I train hard and get ready for the final round in September. I suppose other 3 fighters consider I'm the least competitive among finalists. They won't have an easy fight with me. I do my best, for I get a belt if I win 2 more times.
- Why do you think other fighters think like that?
For some reason. As you see my past fight results, I won't take longer than 3 min to defeat in most of my fights; thus, I haven't shown all my skills yet. I'm working on my submission skills and showed a triangle from the bottom position last time. I this it is an advantage that all I can do hasn't been turned out yet.
- Who do you want to fight next?
To be honest, I fight anybody. I have to fight 2 of them to be a champion and I'm fine even if I know my opponent on Sep 23.
- What do you do until Sep 23?
I take a week off and spend time with my son by taking him fishing. I'm sure our family won't be able to communicate well the next 3 months, because I have to train hard to achieve my dream, getting a belt. I will prepare for my next fight by making counter-plans for all fighters.
- Do you train with Mirko?
I don't think so. I want to spar with him if our schedule allows.
- Tell me your enthusiasm for the final round.
If I can only remember one thing before I die, I want to remember about September 23, 2008. I hope the final round will be a day which is unforgettable. I will be in the best condition for the final round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Interview with Kamipro

Fedor Emelianenko had an interview with the Japanese MMA magazine, Kamipro.

- We haven't seen each other for a while. I'm glad to see you again.
I'm sorry that it took a while to make time for you, but I was in intensive training for my next fight in July.
- Your next fight is in Affliction on July 19. Tell me what you think.
I have busy and useful days now. I have concentrated more in my training since my fight was announced.
- I heard many fans gathered at the press conference of Affliction in LA and NY last month.
Yes. Many fans came by. I was encouraged by them and my fighting spirit was raised.
- How do you like Affliction?
Affliction sponsors MMA events with M-1 Global together. I'm excited to create a new event together.
- Your opponent, Tim Sylvia, was defeated by Minotauro in the UFC last Feb. Did you see their fight?
I don't have time to watch their fight now. I will let you know my opinion when I watch it.
- What do you think about Sylvia?
He is a very strong and good fighter. He won 5 times in the championship on the UFC and he is 4th position in the world ranking. I'm proud to fight him.
- Sylvia said that you were too small to fight him. What do you think?
I defeated a fighter who was a lot bigger than him, so I don't think it's too hard to fight a big fighter.
- Tell me your fighting schedule.
I train with fighters who participate a M-1 Global event on Jun 27 now. I train 2.5 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening everyday.
- What kind of training do you do?
It's a secret.
- Ok. The brother of Minotouro, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, fights in Affliction. Do you think we can see a rematch of you and Minotouro someday?
I defeated him twice and I don't think it's necessary; although, I will be positive to fight him again if fans want to see.
- Minotouro is the UFC champion now. You are not attracted to defeat the UFC champion?
Not really. I have fought 2 UFC champions before and won.
- You talk about Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.
I have no reason to refuse a fight with another champion, yet I want to defeat the strongest fighter. It's also important for me to see that M-1 Global is the top MMA event in the world.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hoshino Outpoints Carvalho

TOKYO -- Greatest Common Multiple's Cage Force completed the first round of its troubled featherweight and bantamweight tournaments Sunday with fast knockouts and an upset victory.

In the featherweight tournament, Yuji Hoshino (Pictures)'s wrestling was too much for Canada's Antonio Carvalho (Pictures).

Hoshino landed a perfect double-leg takedown to trap his opponent against the cage, where the Japanese fighter delivered strikes for the duration of the first round. Carvalho's attempts to pivot for armbars and escapes were thwarted by the cage and Hoshino's fists and elbows.

The momentum changed in the second round, however. Carvalho landed a powerful one-two that shook Hoshino and set up an easy takedown. The Canadian then gave his opponent a guillotine opportunity and used it to jump to side control, although Hoshino was able to make it to his feet shortly after. Carvalho again scored on the feet but was clearly hesitant to use his right hand, likely due to a recent shoulder injury.

In the third and deciding round, Hoshino got another slick double-leg after taking low kicks on the feet. Once on the ground, Carvalho attempted a leg-grab rollover sweep that Hoshino was able to capitalize on, pinning the arm between his legs and passing to secure a crucifix. Then after delivering blows to the unprotected face of Carvalho, who was wildly bucking and using the cage to try to escape, Hoshino moved to mount. He attempted a head-and-arm choke and followed with a body triangle on the back, where he finished the round throwing strikes.

All three judges saw the fight for the hometown favorite, Hoshino, in an upset victory.

Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures) and Daichi Fujiwara (Pictures) provided an exciting but brief match in the bantamweight tournament. Fujiwara landed a clean hook to the jaw early in the first for a flash knockout. Mizugaki recovered quickly, though, to land a spinning body-lock takedown. Then, as both fighters were standing after a scramble, Mizugaki landed a powerful hook to the temple of Fujiwara that sent him tumbling face first into the canvas at 2:39 of the first.

Also in the bantamweight tournament, Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) easily stopped Katsuya Toida (Pictures) in a strange match. Suzuki entered the ring wearing on his face what looked like a cross between a floating ring and a condom. Toida's stand-up style has been quite similar to Genki Sudo (Pictures)'s robotic dances, but he definitely took it too far this time and got dropped by a straight right while his hands were at his hips. Suzuki then mounted and pounded him for the TKO just 16 seconds into the fight.

In the featherweight tournament, Fanjin Son (Pictures) sliced his way to an impressive doctor's stoppage over Tomohiko Hori (Pictures). Son immediately took the center of the ring and used his constant left hooks to set up a vicious right elbow that opened up a large gash over Hori's eye at 1:28 of the first round. Son was especially pleased with the elbow, posing for photos afterward and showing off the still-bloody point.

After Sunday's event, the final four in the featherweight field are Yuji Hoshino (Pictures), Fanjin Son (Pictures), Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura and Takeshi Yamazaki (Pictures). Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures), Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures), Masahiro Oishi (Pictures) and Taiyo Nakahara (Pictures) remain in the bantamweight tournament.

In an undercard match, Motoki Miyazawa maintained his unbeaten record with a unanimous decision over former Shooto 183-pound champion Shiko Yamashita (Pictures). The pair largely cancelled each other out, but Miyazawa had more positional control of the fight and scored with some decent ground-and-pound to edge out the hardy Yamashita.

Rikuhei Fujii (Pictures) worked hard in the first two rounds against Akihiro Murayama (Pictures) to secure takedowns, but he was unable to capitalize on the ground. In the third he had more luck, landing with some strikes while avoiding the Shooto veteran's submission attempts to win a unanimous decision.

Daisku Endo choked Tomoaki Ueyama (Pictures) at 2:13 in the first round after dropping him with a beautiful head kick.

"Ikkei" finished off "Mako Dragon (Pictures)" with an armbar at 2:53 in the first after an exchange on the feet that saw both fighters landing.

Shinpei Sotoyama (Pictures) spent the first two rounds of his fight with Kenta Okuyama working for a kimura and was eventually rewarded with a tap in the third at 55 seconds.

In preliminary bouts, Daisuke Hoshino used ground-and-pound to stop Daisuke Yamamoto 57 seconds into the first round. … Nobutaka Hiyoshi made quick work of Ryo Saito with his ground-and-pound for a stoppage after 16 seconds. … Tekaji took a unanimous decision over Wataru Suzuki. … Koji Ando and Naoto Miyazaki fought to a split draw.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Salaverry Retires From Competition

Middleweight standout Ivan Salaverry (Pictures) has hung up his gloves for good and will no longer compete as a professional fighter. The decision came almost a month following his last bout -- a first-round submission loss to Rousimar Palhares (Pictures) at UFC 84 "Ill Will" in Las Vegas. Salaverry retires with a 12-7 career record.

"Basically, I am just not prioritizing fighting anymore," Salaverry told Sherdog.com. "Even though I love fighting and I had a great run and I enjoyed it, I've transitioned to other things. There are quite a few variables as to why I stepped away and not just one. I'm older now; I'm 37 and not 27. I also have some injuries that are just not recovering, too. And within that scope, I have my school and my two kids. Fighting is not just a priority anymore."

Salaverry's decision to step out of the spotlight shouldn't come as a surprise. His fight with Palhares was the last under his contract with Zuffa, parent company to the UFC, and the Seattle resident hinted beforehand that his performance against Palhares would greatly influence his next move.

Salaverry lost in surprising fashion to the highly touted Brazilian prospect via a deftly executed armbar, though the Chilean-born Canadian cites additional considerations that came into play with his decision to call it a day.

"The loss (to Palhares) had a portion of my decision to retire but it wasn't the main reason why," he said. "The nature of this sport is that the new, younger guys come in and beat up the older guys. That's just how it is. I think that once you lose that focus to continue fighting, that hunger, it's time to let it go. I'm not going to be that 40-year-old-plus fighter struggling through small promotions and hanging on for dear life to those few remaining athletic years."

Salaverry had an eventful run inside the sport he cherishes, with a career that spanned nineteen fights in just under nine years. An expert submission specialist, Salaverry burst onto the UFC's scene with an upset TKO win over Andrei Semenov (Pictures) at UFC 37 in 2002. Semenov, imported out of Russian from the Red Devil team, was one of the hotter prospects at the time.

After absorbing a unanimous decision loss to Olympic wrestler Matt Lindland (Pictures) at UFC 39, Salaverry returned to the Octagon in 2004 with a memorable victory over former Miletich-bred fighter Tony Fryklund (Pictures), scoring with a rarely seen body lock submission at UFC 50. A win over Joe Riggs (Pictures) followed at UFC 52 in 2005, but Salaverry was unable to get past three of his next four opponents in the span of three years.

In that time, the affable Salaverry also became a father and opened his own gym in downtown Seattle.

"The last few years have definitely changed me with being a father and running my gym," said Salaverry. "It's given me an entirely different perspective as to how I look at MMA now. I know I can help other fighters because I know so much more now, but it's very hard to find out where or how to start. I will at least have more time now that I'm not going to be fighting and I think I can make a difference."

In his tenure as a competitor, Salaverry was a vocal proponent of fighter's rights, something he said he plans to continue in his new capacity within the sport. Salaverry is passionate about organizing a pension or investment program for fighters when they retire, so they'll have something to fall back on. He believes too many of the sport's elderly statesmen have fallen heavily into debt or can't treat their injuries properly because they can't afford it.

Salaverry also hopes to contribute as a coach guiding the sport's next generation.

"I hope my fans enjoyed everything and there will be a lot more coming," said Salaverry. "Not from me directly, but there are so many new young fighters coming up who are going to elevate the sport. I want to thank everybody for inviting me into their lives, their homes, their hearts, and allowing me to do what I did and hopefully MMA will continue to grow even more while I'm gone."

To find out more about Salaverry's gym in downtown Seattle, visit www.ivansalaverry.net

 

[Shogun Locc]

COUTURE SUFFERS BROKEN JAW; ALESSIO BROKEN ARM

Battling through injuries on Saturday night, Kim Couture earned a whole new respect from the mixed martial arts community for her performance while losing a decision against fellow newcomer Kim Rose at “A Night of Combat” in Las Vegas.

Couture endured a broken jaw in the fight and MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that she actually broke the jaw in two places, at her chin and close to her right ear. She will have the jaw wired shut on Monday and it will likely be in place for approximately five weeks.

Beyond the jaw being wired shut, she will also have to wait additional time before the jaw is healed enough to endure any kind of contact or sparring. According to Sean O’Heir, public relations director for Xtreme Couture, she most likely won’t be back into full sparring until October.

During her time off, Couture will be able to keep up with cardio conditioning, weight training, and other types of physical activity that will keep the jaw from being damaged in any way.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight John Alessio also suffered an injury during his main event fight with Pete Spratt on the same show. He broke his forearm blocking a kick from his opponent during the fight and actually used the same arm to end the fight, locking it underneath Spratt’s chin applying a rear naked choke.

Alessio will have the arm in a cast and according to representatives from Xtreme Couture the injury is similar to the one suffered by UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture in his fight with Gabriel Gonzaga in August 2007.

Both are in good spirits following their fights and are expected to make a full recovery.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Rumble" Johnson unfazed by recent UFC date change

No stranger to fighting on short notice, UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was recently forced to adjust his training schedule. The UFC moved Johnson's bout with Kevin Burns from UFC 87 on Aug. 9 up three weeks to the newly announced UFC Fight Night 14. But Johnson says that's just fine; the results will still be the same.

Johnson discussed the upcoming bout while a recent guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"Sometimes when things come knocking at your door, you just got to open it and just accept what it is," Johnson said. "I would rather have (fought at) UFC 87, but if [the UFC] needs me for July 19, I'll be ready for that, too. It's whatever to me. I'll take either month, any event that comes my way."

"Rumble" last fought in April, stunning "The Ultimate Fighter 6" runner-up Tommy Speer with a devastating barrage of punches that ended the bout in its first minute. And while Johnson knows his exciting style has scored points with fans, he is also aware it's not yet his turn to call the shots.

"It's more like a favor," Johnson said. "I'm not big enough to be saying, 'Hey I want this and I want that.' I'm just staying humble. Hey, they're giving me an opportunity, so I'm taking it."

Burns is making a quick return to the octagon as well, having upset Roan Carneiro earlier this month at UFC 85. That performance earned Burns a hefty "Submission of the Night" bonus. Johnson explained his strategy for outlasting Burns on the ground.

"I'm just a blue belt (in jiu-jitsu)," Johnson admitted. "I'm not going to say I suck on the ground, but I'm not great. I'll hold onto you for dear life, but you're not going to see me putting on any submissions. I'd rather punch you in the face."

Johnson was impressed by Burns' debut performance, but he feels up to the challenge.

"He's a tough guy," Johnson said of Burns. "A lot of people doubted him just because it was his first UFC fight. But I don't doubt any opponent that I fight. Anything can happen. There's always a puncher's chance. Something crazy can happen. I'm just ready for Kevin. I'm ready to do this fight now.

Johnson, who burst into the UFC with a lightning-fast, 13-second victory in his UFC debut a year ago, also offered some advice to his upcoming opponent.

"I just hope Kevin keeps his chin tucked, because if he doesn't, his head is going to be sitting in somebody's lap in the audience."

Johnson also discussed his childhood, amateur wrestling career and how he feels about being referred to as a "Young Vitor Belfort."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"The next Cung Le" Raymond Daniels debuts Friday with Strikeforce

Famed kickboxer and undefeated World Combat League fighter Raymond Daniels (0-0), a 28-year-old who's already drawing comparisons to talented stand-up fighter Cung Le, will make his MMA pro debut at Friday's Strikeforce event.

Daniels takes on Jeremiah Metcalf (8-4) at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson," an event set for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs live on HDNet.

The organization announced the middleweight fight over the weekend.

Daniels, a sixth degree black belt in Kenpo and Shotokan Karate as well as a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, recently concluded three seasons with Chuck Norris' World Combat League, a full-contact, team-based fight league that prohibits clinching, holding and grappling.

Daniels went 18-0 as a member of the WCL's Los Angeles squad, and earlier this month, his team won a season championship. The Long Beach, Calif. resident also owns a 16-0 mark in pro kickboxing.

The organization is billing Daniels as the next Cung Le, Strikeforce's current world middleweight champion who's successfully implemented a unique, striking-oriented game plan into MMA. However, Daniels says he's just trying to be himself.

"I'm going to give MMA fans something that they've never seen before," Daniels stated. "I want to become the greatest fighter of all time. Anybody that steps in front of me is just gonna be on my next highlight reel, an obstacle that's standing in my path to greatness.

"I don't try to be the next anybody. I look to be greater than Cung and surpass anyone who's been considered at the top of their game. I try to live up to who I am and I expect great things from myself."

His first test will be Metcalf, a veteran of the Strikeforce, EliteXC, Gladiators Challenge and King of the Cage organizations. Metcalf, a well-rounded fighter, is riding a three-fight win streak. He most recently handed James Terry (5-1) his first career loss during this past month's Cage Combat Fighting Championships event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ken Shamrock eyes final fight on his terms

Although his performance against Robert Berry in March suggests otherwise, UFC hall-of-famer Ken Shamrock is convinced he has some fight left in him.

The 44-year-old Shamrock said he was walking away from MMA following his third loss in as many tries to Tito Ortiz in October 2006, but he came out of retirement in January by signing a multi-fight contract with EliteXC.

Had Shamrock beaten Berry at Cage Rage 25 in London three months ago, it's likely he, not James Thompson, would have received the call to fight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in the main event of EliteXC's CBS debut last month. Instead, Berry handled Shamrock with ease and knocked him out in the first round.

Despite the one-sided defeat, his fifth consecutive loss, Shamrock wants to hear the cage door close behind him once again.

"I'd like to get in there one more time and do a big one," Shamrock told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It'll help promote my gym, promote my business and help other fighters on my elite fighting team get out there and make some big fights. That's why I want to do it again, and I want to go out the way I want to go out. ... This is it, this is my last fight and go do it."

While Shamrock is currently focused on expanding his Lion's Den brand of gyms – a new facility opened earlier this month in Scottsdale, Ariz. – he expects to resume training in the next couple of months with an eye on that final fight.

A bout against his adoptive brother, Frank, has long been rumored. Earlier this year, the younger Shamrock raised capital for the brother-versus-brother showdown with a date in early 2009 in the works.

"I'd love for that to happen," said the elder Shamrock. "It's no secret there's been a rivalry between me and my brother and it's been going on for years. He's the one who called me out, and I said 'OK, let's do it.' But, he never stepped up. Forget about the talk and forget about the hype on this thing. 'If you're going to do it, shut up and do it.'"

Despite what appeared to be progress earlier this year toward making the fight, Shamrock says he has not seen any action on the part of his brother to line up the match, which would still have enough novelty to generate a measure of fan interest.

In the meantime, Shamrock is a free agent. The contract he signed with EliteXC in January expired 30 days after his fight with Berry when the promotion declined to pick up additional bouts. His short-lived stay in EliteXC stings a bit more after Shamrock watched Slice's performance against Thompson.

"Now that I saw the fight, I'm very disappointed," he said. "I didn't do what I needed to do to get that fight off. The last fight in England, I should have won it. Things happen, and I didn't win it. They did what they thought was best. It would have been a good match-up, but I have no complaints. I didn't do what I needed to do to get there."

As for his assessment of Slice, Shamrock feels EliteXC rushed him into prime time and that the former street brawler is too still green to be considered the future of the sport.

"He needs time to grow," Shamrock said. "He can be a good fighter, I think he just needs another year or so to get sharper on the ground and get this cardio better. This isn't like fighting in the backyard. He's got the great look, the great attitude, but he's just not ready."

MMAjunkie.com will have more on Shamrock and the growth of his Lion's Den fighting team in an upcoming edition of Fight Biz feature.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale official salaries: Diego Sanchez earns $70,000

Diego Sanchez scored an event-high base salary of $70,000 for his dominating victory over Luigi Fioravanti at Saturday's live finale for "The Ultimate Fighter 7: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest."

Other top earners from the event, which took place at The Palms Las Vegas and aired live on Spike TV, included Spencer Fisher ($36,000) and main-event winner Kendall Grove ($32,000). "TUF7" champion Amir Sadollah earned $16,000.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today received the list of official salaries from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $410,000.

The reported salaries included:

Kendall Grove ($32,000) def. Evan Tanner ($25,000)
Amir Sadollah ($16,000) def. C.B. Dollaway ($8,000)
Diego Sanchez ($70,000) def. Luigi Fioravanti ($10,000)
Spencer Fisher ($36,000) def. Jeremy Stephens ($16,000)
Matthew Riddle ($16,000) def. Dante Rivera ($8,000)
Dustin Hazelett ($24,000) def. Josh Burkman ($10,000)
Drew McFedries ($26,000) def. Marvin Eastman ($9000)
Matt Brown ($16,000) def. Matt Arroyo ($8,000)
Dean Lister ($28,000) def. Jeremy Horn ($25,000)
Tim Credeur ($8,000) vs. Cale Yarbrough ($8,000)*
Rob Kimmons ($6,000) def. Rob Yundt ($5,000)
* - The fight was scratched on the night of the event due to Credeur's failed drug test (due to the prescription drug Adderall). According to NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, Yarbrough was still paid his base salary. It's assumed Credeur was also paid his base salary, though we're awaiting official word from the UFC.

All of the winning fighters' salaries included 50 percent of the total to show and 50 percent as a win bonus. For example, Grove got $16,000 to show and an additional $16,000 as a win bonus.

Now, the usual disclaimer: the figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other "locker-room" or special bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays. In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

The figures also do not include $20,000 "Fight Night" bonuses dished out after the event. Hazelett, who earned a slick arm-bar submission victory over Burkman, earned $20,000 for Submission of the Night plus an additional $20,000 for Fight of the Night (Burkman also received $20,000 for Fight of the Night). McFedries earned $20,000 for Knockout of the Night for his 68-second TKO of Eastman.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eddie Alvarez anxious for DREAM challenge

With nearly a month remaining before the finals of DREAM's inaugural lightweight tournament, rising star Eddie Alvarez (14-1) has begun preparations for what will be the most formidable test of his young career.

Alvarez is slated to face the highly respected Tatsuya Kawajiri in the July 21 semifinal bout in Osaka, Japan. A victory would mean returning later that evening to take on the winner of the night's other semifinal bout between submission ace Shinya Aoki and longtime veteran Caol Uno.

Alvarez discussed the task at hand while a guest on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"Well that's why we fight, right?" Alvarez asked. "To see how good we are, and go and compete against the best. When I hired (agent) Monte Cox at the beginning of the year, I told him that there's two things that I wanted to do for 2008. I wanted to fight a lot more because I'm young. I'm 24, and I wanted to get the ring time in, the experience. And I wanted to fight top-notch guys. He's done that for me."

The young Philadelphia native will certainly get a chance to test himself against the sport's best, as Kawajiri and Aoki are both generally considered among the top 10 lightweights in the world. Add in the possibility of fighting 30 minutes in one night, and the challenge becomes even greater.

Alvarez, however, welcomes the opportunity and feels conditioning will be the deciding factor in the end.

"I think a key factor in the finals of this fight is going to be conditioning," Alvarez said. "I think me and Kawajiri present a lot of the same strengths. And I think what he's good at, I'm either equal or a little bit better. So I think what it's going to come down to is more heart and mind and conditioning than skill set. ... I think it's just going to be who prepares properly and who controls the pace of the fight."

Alvarez has already proven himself worthy of his final-four status through his performance in the first two rounds of the tournament. Alvarez battled back from an early knockdown in his first round match with Andre Amade to win by knockout, and he then fought valiantly in a decision win over Joachim Hansen -- a fight many consider among the year's best.

"It was a flash thing," Alvarez said of the knockdown against Amade. "It was like a quick flash. We were exchanging, and it was right in the middle of an exchange. He came with an overhand right. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you (because) it was so fast. One second I was standing, fighting, and the next second I was on my butt. And I just said, 'I can't stay here. Get up.' And we kept going.

"Joachim, yeah, tough cat. There's not a lot of times when I hit someone and they keep coming at me. He's one of those guys, and I hate those guys. I just like for them to stay down after I hit them and make my job a lot easier. ... Joachim is a hell of a dude. We went out. We had dinner a day after the fight. (We) laughed and joked about the fight. He's a great sport and a great character. I really like Joachim, and I'm sure he'll be back in DREAM with the kind of fights he puts on."

After withstanding two game opponents, Alvarez knows he'll now need to outlast two more. But for now, his focus remains solely on Kawajiri.

"The main thing is to worry about my first-round opponent," Alvarez said. "It's good to scout all of them, but if I don't get past Kawajiri, then I'm not achieving my goal, and that's to win the tournament. I think the main thing is to focus on [Kawajiri], and him mostly. I think the second fight, it really just comes down to your heart and mind."

The task is certainly daunting. A tournament victory would take Alvarez winning his fourth and fifth fight in just six months. But for Alvarez, who plans on finally taking a break to get married in September, there's no other way he'd rather live.

"I love it," Alvarez said. "I've been training for six, seven straight months with no break. I get maybe 14 days off, then I'm back on the horse again training for the next round of the tournament. So I'm glad they're cramming it all in. If I had to do the whole tournament in one night, and go back, I'd do it that way."

Alvarez also discussed how he's been able to stay in good condition throughout this fight-filled year, why he's so popular in Japan, and why this won't be the first time he's had more than one opponent in a night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cain Velasquez vs Jake O’Brien UFC Fight Night 14 fight official

Over the weekend, the heavyweight showdown between Cain Velesquez (3-0) and jake O’Brien (10-1) was made official for Ultimate Fight Night 14 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 19.

It’s a match up that pairs two young and decorated former collegiate wrestlers — Velasquez was an All-American at Arizona State University and O’Brien racked up a solid career while on the Purdue University squad for two years.

Velasquez lived up to the lofty expectations in his Octagon debut, overwhelming Brad Morris at UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ en route to a first round technical knockout. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) stand out is regarded as a raw blue chip prospect who has adapted well to mixed martial arts and could one day challenge for a division title.

O’Brien was actually among several fighters cut from their contracts when the promotion was out to trim its roster. In hindsight, it was perhaps to soon because O’Brien had just one loss in four attempts inside the Octagon. And that was a defeat to former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” back in March.

He holds notable wins over Heath Herring, Josh Shockman and Kristof Midoux while under contract with promotion.

This could be a tough fight for O’Brien who has traditionally relied on his athleticism and strong wrestling skills to defeat his opponents. That’s because Velasquez more than likely is the better wrestler and is just as — if not more than — athletic in this pairing.

UFC Fight Night 14 features the light heavyweight debut of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva against James Irvin in the main event of the Spike TV special presentation.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Shields vs. Thompson for EliteXC welterweight title at Saturday Night Fights II

A bout for the vacant EliteXC welterweight title featuring Jake Shields and Nick Thompson has been added to CBS’ Saturday Night Fights on July 26, according to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports.

Shields is 3-0 in three career bouts with EliteXC with wins over Ido Pariente at K-1 HERO’s USA Dynamtie! show last June; Renato “Charuto” Verissimo during EliteXC: Uprising last September; and Mike Pyle at EliteXC: Renegade this past November.

He is 20-4-1 lifetime with notable victories outside of EliteXC against Yushin Okami, Dave Menne, Hayato Sakurai, and Carlos Condit.

The Minnesota-based Thompson is a former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion, a title he won from Eddie Alvarez at BodogFIGHT “Clash of the Nations” in April of 2007. He is currently on a 12 fight win streak with his two most recent wins coming for World Victory Road’s Sengoku promotion. In addition to his win over Alvarez, Thompson’s other notable victories have come against Chris Wilson, Josh Neer, and Brian Gassaway.

The second airing of CBS’ Saturday Night Fights, titled “Unfinished Business,” is scheduled to be headlined by a rematch for the EliteXC middleweight title between champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Scott Smith.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC Going International?

Fighters Only is on a roll as they have the scoop on the WEC possibly coming to the British Isles:

However, Marshall Zelaznik, president of the UK division of the UFC, has confirmed to Fighters Only that the WEC visiting the UK is very likely.

"There's the prospect of the WEC coming to the UK, first on television screens and, when the time is right, we will look to run live WEC events in the UK too," he revealed.
The main point in expanding into the UK seems to be to focus on midsize market shows, in the 4 to 5,000 range. The UFC shows play the big arenas, but have big ticket costs as well. The WEC may serve as a more economical approach to UK expansion.

This is yet another mentioning of the WEC in an international light, with the organization also being mentioned in Discussions about possible expansion into The Philippines by virtue of their fighter Mark Munoz. The WEC would be ideal as a tool in expansion to use in markets that have a higher propensity to have homegrown talent appear in the lighter weight divisions (Mexico, South Korea, The Philippines).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Biz: More to UFC's merchandising future than toys and trinkets

Many mixed martial arts fans scoffed at the UFC's recently announced merchandising and licensing deals, viewing them as nothing more than toys and T-shirts.

However, a closer look at the promotion's first large-scale push into extending the UFC brand beyond selling merchandise at events and on the web, shows that these deals are anything but child's play.

Merchandising agreements with the likes of JAKKS Pacific and JC Penney stamp the UFC brand on products and move its name into retailers that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. While the promotion stands to generate millions of dollars in revenue by putting its logo on everything from miniature octagons to barstools, this deep dive into merchandising is about much more than dollars. It's an investment in growing the UFC brand and expanding the promotion's fan base.

"This shows the public and other major consumable companies and retailers that this (the UFC) is mainstream," said Jeremy Padawer, vice president of entertainment brand marketing with JAKKS Pacific, the country's third-largest toy manufacturer and the company that will produce a comprehensive line of UFC action figures. "This will go a long way to help shape the perception of what the UFC is. If you're watching boxing, football or any other rules-based sport that has some level of violence to it, I don't see how UFC is any different."

The UFC's agreement with JAKKS will put UFC product, primarily action figures and play sets, in major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Toys"R"Us. It takes the UFC to Main Street American like never before.

The potential exposure for the UFC at Wal-Mart alone is staggering. Consider that eight out of 10 American households shop at Wal-Mart at least once a year, and worldwide, more than 176 million customers visit the discount retailer every week. This is brand exposure in a major retail setting that puts the UFC on the same store shelves with the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA.

And, action figures are big business, generating $1.5 billion in sales in the U.S. annually. More than one-third of these "toys" aren't purchased as toys at all, but rather collectibles by males 15 and older.

"These are legitimate collectibles," said Padawer, whose company has a four-year master toy license agreement with the UFC. "If you look online or in the secondary market, you'll see where some of these action figures, specifically limited-edition ones, are selling for $200 to $1,000. It is amazing how strong the collector segment is in the action-figure business."

Padawer expects UFC action figures, especially limited-edition runs of UFC legends, to do particularly well in the secondary market. The company plans to go back to UFC 1 to produce a "classics" line.

The UFC will receive a percentage of the wholesale cost of each unit sold, with the first JAKKS' products to hit stores in late 2009. A broad launch is set for early 2010.

In addition to its license agreement with JAKKS and an apparel contract with JC Penney, the UFC is working with Silver Buffalo to develop a UFC-branded line of watches and bar accessories.

This type of brand expansion could be in the offing for the UFC as a more regular part of doing business now that Lorenzo Fertitta has relinquished his duties at Station Casinos to focus full time on the UFC.

Despite EliteXC's recent splash with its debut on CBS, the UFC is still without a formidable challenger. Fertitta's defection from the gaming industry is a testament to the strength of the UFC and its continued growth, part which will be fueled by these merchandising deals – deals which no other MMA promotion could even consider.

And, just in case you were wondering, there will be a Dana White action figure.

"No question about it," said Padawer.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Adrenaline likely to shuffle second show

Adrenaline MMA's second show is scheduled for Sept. 6 in Moline, Ill., but the promotion will likely reevaluate that date now that the UFC has chosen the same Saturday night for UFC 88 in Atlanta.

No decision has been made by Adrenaline, but going head to head with the UFC is nothing short of promotional suicide, especially with fan favorite Chuck Liddell set to headline in Georgia at Philips Arena. Adrenaline's first show, June 14 in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, drew an estimated crowd of just more than 2,000.

After that tepid start, Adrenaline needs a strong showing in its next event to generate interest, and countering the UFC isn't going to get that done.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pedro Rizzo Interview

Considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time at the MMA, Pedro Rizzo went through a bad phase and now is fighting again to be among the 10 best heavyweights in the world. His chance to return to the top will be on July 19, when he will face the fourth fighter of the world at the weight, Josh Barnett, at the event Affliction. To make it happen, the athlete is training heavy and received in the last week the help of his teacher, Marco Ruas, who was in visiting his family. Below an exclusive interview with Pedro Rizzo, who talks about his training and hopes at the new American event.

What is you expectation to this fight at Affliction?
I expect more than anything to win…I am expecting a lot from the event, everybody has tough fights, very hard bouts. I am training a lot to succeed inside the ring.

What will be your tactics at the fight against Josh Barnett?
I am training everything with a team that since a long time I don’t have it. I have 12, 13 heavyweights , good wrestlers, good on the ground, good at stand up…I am well in all the three skills. Josh is also complete, so I don’t know. I am going to try to take advantage from the stand up and, if we go to the ground that I already had putted some good blows. Josh is versatile, He improves a lot his stand up and he is very well. At Wrestling he has good take downs and his ground everybody knows, he tries the leg-lock, so I am working on that.

Do you believe if you defeat Barnett you will return to the top 10?
Josh is the fourth at the ranking and I am very happy. What motivate me more is to could compete among the best and josh is one of the bests. I don’t know if a possible win could let me be among the top 10, I am happy to face a top 10. I am going to the ring and make my fight. Many people say that I am passing through a bad phase, saying that I should stop…I am training hard and who is training with me and my family is supporting me and I will try. I am going to face Josh and, if I win, I am going to try to be even more competitive.

This is a new event at …What do you expect from him?
I hope it succeed. The event is great, there is another one schedule for October. Me and most of the fighters signed for three bouts. I hope the audience answer at the pay-per-view and pack the arena so we could have others events. They made the right thing putting the best card of the year, the best heavyweight fighters. The only one that is out is Rodrigo Minotauro, that is at the UFC. I think it will be the best event of the year, they are working really hard and I hope the work keep been donning.

How were trainings? Marco Ruas came specially to train with you?
Marcos is already going back…he came to visit his family and got surprised. He was worried with my train but after that he said I am with a very good staff, that he had never saw as many heavyweights as he saw here. He help at my trains and I got more confident. Now is everything right, everything is going fine and I am having time to train. I know since two months ago who is my opponent and everything is going 100%.

When are you going to board?
I must go two weeks before because there is very hot and drier than here. I am going to train there to adapt myself with Los Angeles weather.
What do you expect from the others Brazilians at the event?
I want everybody to win. I want that every Brazilian win. The first one to fight is Vitor ( Belfort ), I hope he win. Then is going to be Rogério (Minotouro), then (Renato) Babalú, (Fábio) Negção and then me. I hope everybody win to show that is the MMA biggest power.

UFC wants to make an edition on the same day…
Yeah... I wrote at TATAME… UFC is bothered, it saw a card like this and saw that it is a competitor, and as all big company wants to finish with their competitors. This is good to the sport and good to the athletes. Affliction sold in one or two weeks half of the tickets and it’s an event with fights that nobody wants to loose. I don’t know which will be UFC card but this from Affliction is hard to break.

What do you expect from Minotauro vs. Frank Mir?
Minotauro wins. Mir best skill is the strongest skill from Minotauro. Everybody says Mir ground is good but Minota is better. I can’t see Mir defeating Minotauro. Rodrigo has Boxing, has attitude, more will, search more the fight and his ground is better. The fight is better for Rodrigo, not just because he is Brazilian and a friend but for all he already done at MMA. Mir is not going to be a problem to him.

 

[heyzel]

Dana White talks T.U.F. drama, makes future promise

season seven of The Ultimate Fighter comes to a close, SI.com got a chance to speak with Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White about all things T.U.F., the UFC's laundry list of future endeavors, and even boxing's demise and today's sports heroes and losers. Not surprisingly, the man was rather candid.

Jhabvala: How did season seven of The Ultimate Fighter compare to the last six?

White: I loved this season. I thought this season was a great season and it's not over yet. This Wednesday, it was literally the most shocking ending to any season we've ever done.

Jhabvala: What was the most memorable T.U.F. moment for you this season?

White: [Wednesday]. This Wednesday's show was the most memorable thing out of seven seasons of doing The Ultimate Fighter.

Jhabvala: In your mind, how has T.U.F. changed the face of MMA?

White: It's exposed mixed martial arts to millions of people who didn't know anything about it. You get to look inside and see what great athletes these guys are. Listen, there's nothing nastier out there than the Diaz brothers (UFC veteran Nick and T.U.F. season five winner Nate). Those kids are so mean and so nasty, it's unbelievable. Nate Diaz told me at the end of season five, 'Me and my brothers used to sit at the end of the couch and make fun of everyone on the show. I will never, ever make fun of anyone on this show again. I can't believe how hard this is, I just had no idea.'"

Jhabvala: How do you feel about the marketability of this season's fighters? Who do you think will be a big name down the road?

White: It's one of those things that's hard to tell. You never know what's going to resonate with fans, or who fans are really going to get behind. It's always interesting to see. At the end of the day, fans are either going to love a guy for his personality or his fighting skills. If we can find a guy that has both, it's a [deleted expletive] homerun.

Jhabvala: Is MMA ever going to be sanctioned in New York?

White: Of course it's going to happen. I've been saying all year that I'm very confident that we'll have it done by the end of this year. Have we ever not delivered? A lot of people can talk a lot of [crap] about the UFC and say this and that, but at the end of the day, we deliver. We always deliver. When have we ever said we're going to do something and not have done it?

Jhabvala: Who do you think is the best presidential candidate for MMA?

White: I'd have to say McCain. I consider John McCain the guy who started the UFC. If it weren't for McCain I wouldn't be here right now. What people don't understand about mixed martial arts and the UFC is, what [McCain] was saying to the old owners is that you cannot put on fights in states that aren't sanctioned. It's illegal. You can't do it. You have to be sanctioned by an athletic commission, which we agreed with him on 100 percent. John McCain wasn't saying this thing shouldn't happen, or it shouldn't be running. He was saying, if 'You're going to do it, it has to be sanctioned by an athletic commission.' We agree.

Jhabvala: Talk about the new UFC action figures?

White: I'm excited about it, actually, because what we've been working for a number of years on getting the fighters more money while not fighting -- how to get these guys paid while sitting on the couch. And this new merchandising deal that we did with all these guys is a step in the right direction. The action figures -- we did it with JAKKS, which is one of the best action-figure toy companies in the world -- will be in 60 different countries. We're working on our global footprint right now and we're in 170 different countries on some form of television. So, now this deal, it's good for us, it's good for the fighters and it's good for the sport.

Jhabvala: So the fighters get a piece of the action figures?

White: Yeah, they get a piece of their action figures, whatever they sell.

Jhabvala: As a former boxer, do you think boxing is dying and MMA is taking its place?

White: I don't see that were really taking over boxing. Boxing has done what it's done to itself. I'm not out there trying to hurt boxing. I love boxing. The reason I'm sitting in this chair talking to you is because of boxing. I love the sport. But the fighters, the promoters and all the other leeches have destroyed the sport of boxing. And boxing's in big trouble. Unless someone steps up with big money and tries to save it, the way we did with the UFC, then it's going to die. It's going to die on the vine.

When we came in, we shook up the entire industry. We rebuilt this industry, we rebuilt the fight business. And we think we have the right plan and the right strategy over the next five years, and I think mixed martial arts and the UFC is going to be the biggest sport in the world. Bigger than soccer, bigger than football, bigger than anything.

Jhabvala: Do you think the UFC will continue to grow at this pace?

White: Even faster. I don' even think we've scratched the surface of the potential for what this thing is. See, everybody tries to talk about how big we are. We're not [deleted expletive] big yet. The biggest means mainstream. If I went out on the Vegas Strip right now and asked everyone 'What's American Idol?' everybody could tell me what American Idol is. Not everyone could tell me what the UFC is. We are not anywhere near mainstream yet. There is so much room for growth not only hear, but globally. [Shoot], people talk about how big we are and we're not even sanctioned in New York yet! We just did a big fight up in Montreal and it's the only place you have a fight up in Canada. There is so much work to do.

Jhabvala: What else is on your to-do list in the UFC's future?

White: This list is long. There's not enough time in the day to knock out the things on my list. That's why everyone's been chirping about this announcement. Remember the Bud Light deal? When I announced that Anheuser-Busch was the sponsor of the UFC now, that thing didn't get anywhere near the pop that it should have. You know why? Because the media and the fans don't really understand how [deleted expletive] huge that is, the magnitude of an announcement like that. We couldn't get a sponsor to save our life five years ago. I flew around on a plane and went to all the majors, trying to get them to sponsor The Ultimate Fighter and nobody would touch it with a 10-foot pole. Now the biggest and the baddest sponsor in the world, Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light is the sponsor of the UFC now. And people are like 'Oh, good for you. You got a Bud Light sponsorship and you're going to get money." [Forget] the money. I don't care about the money.

Not only is [Anheuser-Busch] the biggest beer company, they're the biggest sports marketing company on the planet. And it's global. So they're an amazing and strategic partner to help us take this sport to the next level.

The announcement I [made June 18] is so [deleted expletive] huge in terms of what it means to the business side of this thing, what it means to the fighters and where we're going to take this thing in five years. Everyone's looking at "right now." I'm working on things that are going to happen two, three, five years down the road. We're in this thing for the long haul. Remember that I told you this: in the next five to eight years, this thing's going to be the biggest sport in the world -- bigger than the [deleted expletive] NFL, bigger than Major League Soccer, bigger than World Cup soccer or whatever the hell they call it. Bigger than anything. So remember I told you that.

Jhabvala: What do you think of the Mets firing Willie Randolph at 3:14 a.m. earlier this week?

White: Wow. I don't even have an opinion on that. "That sucks," I guess?

Jhabvala: What do you think of Tiger U.S. Open performance?

White: Awesome, man, awesome. Listen, you will hear me say this in a million interviews, I hate golf. I hate it. I think it's the dumbest game ever [deleted expletive] played, it's a complete waste of land and everything else. I've smashed golf 57 million ways in 57 million different interviews. But I'm going to be honest, I watched every [deleted expletive] minute of that thing. We actually had it on in the office, and, if you knew how much I hate golf, you'd think 'What a hypocrite, that's hysterical,' but I [deleted expletive] love Tiger Woods. The guy's one every major title on the planet, he's got more money than God, when he hits those shots he goes [deleted expletive] crazy. He's so passionate about the game you cannot help but love him. He's one of the classier human beings you will ever meet or speak

 

[Shogun Locc]

DreamFighters.com Exclusive interview with Donald Trump

DreamFighters.com: Mr. Trump, thanks for talking to me at DreamFighters.com
Donald Trump: You are welcome Adam..




DreamFighters.com: Its official, you are a partner of Affliction MMA - How do you feel about this partnership?
Donald Trump: I am very pleased to be partnering with Affliction. I believe together we are quickly becoming a force to reckon with in the arena of mixed martial arts.




DreamFighters.com: Have you been a MMA fan for some time now?
Donald Trump: I am a fan of all sports, including MMA. I particularly appreciate the fast pace of MMA which I have stated several times...it resembles my business practice and style.




DreamFighters.com: Can you let us in on any future plans with Alliction MMA?
Donald Trump: Tom Atencio, VP of Affliction, is already finalizing a second fight card which will be as impressive as our first event.




DreamFighters.com: Are you going to try to get Tito Ortiz to sign on with Affliction?
Donald Trump: Tito is a friend of mine. Currently he is under a ban to discuss a contract with any organization. If and when the right time arrives and Tito expresses an interest to fight for me, I will gladly consider his proposal.




DreamFighters.com: Have you and tito became friends after the apprentice?
Donald Trump: Yes we have and he is both a great guy and an amazing athlete! I recently attended a UFC event at the request of Tito and did so based on our friendship.




DreamFighters.com: Who is your favorite fighter to watch in MMA?
Donald Trump: I do not have a favorite fighter. All of the fighters are fantastic. Each one uniquely possess incredible skills, courage and athleticism.




DreamFighters.com: Do you see this sport progressing in the comming years?
Donald Trump: Absolutely...and with my involvement, expect to see more fight cards like the one scheduled on PPV on July 19th