MMA News Thread
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EliteXC Post-Fight Press Conference Video
The athletes of EliteXC spoke with the press at the conclusion of "Renegade," which saw Karl James Noons (Pictures) dismantle Nick Diaz (Pictures) to claim the promotion's vacant 160-pound title.
here is the link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1329
The athletes of EliteXC spoke with the press at the conclusion of "Renegade," which saw Karl James Noons (Pictures) dismantle Nick Diaz (Pictures) to claim the promotion's vacant 160-pound title.
here is the link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1329
‘The Machine' Scouts UWC for IFL Fighters
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, U.K., Nov. 10 -- Ultimate Warrior Challenge featured two headlining bouts for its fifth installment, in front of a packed arena.
Stav Economou looked to protect his unbeaten record against Italian wrestler Alfredo Achilli, and Premslaw Mysiala and Valentino Petrescu (Pictures)battled it out for supremacy in the light heavyweight division as Ian Freeman (Pictures), head of the U.K. IFL team, watched on with interest.
Petrescu took the initiative early, combining a sharp jab with a thunderous leg kick to put his opponent on his back foot. Mysiala quickly found himself on the receiving end of accurate combinations and tried to tie up Petrescu, only to be rewarded in the clinch with knees.
Sensing his advantage, Petrescu broke out of the clinch and began throwing heavy leather, but Mysiala kept his head and shot in to score a takedown. Petrescu regained his feet quickly and turned up the heat. Landing his jab-kick combination at will and stuffing the takedown of the Total Dojo fighter, Petrescu scored with two devastating uppercuts that floored Mysiala at the end of the first for the KO.
"Petrescu is definitely someone I will be looking at to join the British IFL team," said Ian Freeman (Pictures). "It was a great performance."
Team Sure Grip's Stav Economou continued to impress his legion of fans with another convincing win against the very game Alfredo Achilli.
In a battle of the heavyweights, Achilli began well, beating Economou to the punch early. Though in attempting to take the fight to the mat the Italian found himself in enemy territory, as Economou landed vicious body blows before breaking off with a flurry of punches. Achilli eventually got the takedown but only after taking a fair amount of punishment that left him marked up at the bell.
Economou continued to throw with intent in the second, quickly wearing his opponent down. Dropping the Italian with a damaging combination of hooks and knees against the fence, Economou took the TKO win at 2:16 of the second round.
Jamie Banks dispatched Lee Woods without ceremony, coming out swinging for the fences and overwhelming his opponent. Throwing left-right after left-right, Banks stalked Woods down and cut him badly, knocking him down to claim victory after just 19 seconds of wild middleweight action.
John Hales went 3-0 after a clinical display against the undersized Denas Banevicius. After a feeling-out period, Hales used his jab to close the distance and take his adversary to the floor. Transitioning easily from side control to mount, Hales proceeded to drop bombs that forced Banevicius to tap out after 2:44.
Matt Thorpe (Pictures)'s bout against Brazilian Claude Henrique was called a no contest after the U.K. fighter was hit with an illegal strike to the back of the head.
Ronnie Gill (Pictures)'s quick thinking gained him victory over the debuting Luke Blythe after an even round of trading strikes. Both had patches of success before Blythe ducked in with a straight left to the body, only for Gill to use a guillotine to take his man to the mat. Securing mount, Gill landed a number of heavy punches to take the win via verbal submission at 4:40 of round one.
Arunas Andriuskevicius (Pictures) turned the tables in his bout against Matteo Piran (Pictures) after being dominated on the ground. Exchanging leg kicks and punches, Andriuskevicius began pawing at the Italian, who shot in and took the fight to the mat.
Punching to the head and body from inside the guard, Piran looked to be controlling the match until Andriuskivicius landed a shocking blow to the temple. Reversing the position on the stunned Piran, Andriuskivicius pounded away until the ref stepped in to save the Italian from further damage at 4:25.
Lee Mayo destroyed Mexican Fernando Saucedo (Pictures) in just 24 seconds of the first round in their middleweight bout. Mayo waited long enough for Saucedo to fire a leg kick before rushing in with furious punches, knocking Saucedo down and finishing him with powerful ground-and-pound.
The impressive Norwegian Simeon Thoresen kept his unbeaten record intact, taking out American Chas Jacquier in the first stanza. Jacquier came out strong, but Thoresen weathered the storm and started to throw leather that forced the American into the clinch, where he ate a number of knees to the midsection. Thoresen then took Jacquier down, moving beautifully into mount and devastating his foe with strikes that compelled the ref to halt the bout at 3:04.
Lee Wieczorek and Kevin Porter engaged in an exciting back-and-forth battle on the mat. Wieczorek had the upper hand initially from the takedown, getting back position and looking to choke his opponent out. But Porter escaped into top position to score with fearsome strikes inside the guard, only for Wieczorek to roll and sink an omoplata for the submission at 2:31 of the first period.
John Brown (Pictures) took the unanimous decision over Stuart Davies after a thrilling three-round tear-up. After an exchange of punches, Brown scored his first double-leg slam that fixed the pattern of the fight. Though Davies defended diligently, he was always on his back foot against the Sure Grip fighter, working off his back and getting pummeled with punches and elbows. Even when caught in a triangle, Brown slammed Davies to escape and was never really troubled, taking the victory with relative ease.
In the semi-pros, TSG Italia fighter Marco Matta defeated a very game Nikolas Cilkinas in a close three-round war of attrition. Cilkinas continued to march forward throughout the bout, but Matta's jab began to tell as the fight progressed. Coming under pressure from the Lithuanian, Matta used his wrestling to get the fight to the floor and tie his opponent up and take the victory.
William Morley earned a hard-fought victory over debuting Lee Whitehead in their amateur clash. Whitehead scored with the first takedown after stunning Morley with a vicious bodyshot.
An amazing scramble ensued with Morley looking to strike and Whitehead working a toehold and then a kimura. In the second after a fierce trade of leg kicks, Morley slammed Whitehead before transitioning into mount and taking the victory with an armbar at 3:25.
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, U.K., Nov. 10 -- Ultimate Warrior Challenge featured two headlining bouts for its fifth installment, in front of a packed arena.
Stav Economou looked to protect his unbeaten record against Italian wrestler Alfredo Achilli, and Premslaw Mysiala and Valentino Petrescu (Pictures)battled it out for supremacy in the light heavyweight division as Ian Freeman (Pictures), head of the U.K. IFL team, watched on with interest.
Petrescu took the initiative early, combining a sharp jab with a thunderous leg kick to put his opponent on his back foot. Mysiala quickly found himself on the receiving end of accurate combinations and tried to tie up Petrescu, only to be rewarded in the clinch with knees.
Sensing his advantage, Petrescu broke out of the clinch and began throwing heavy leather, but Mysiala kept his head and shot in to score a takedown. Petrescu regained his feet quickly and turned up the heat. Landing his jab-kick combination at will and stuffing the takedown of the Total Dojo fighter, Petrescu scored with two devastating uppercuts that floored Mysiala at the end of the first for the KO.
"Petrescu is definitely someone I will be looking at to join the British IFL team," said Ian Freeman (Pictures). "It was a great performance."
Team Sure Grip's Stav Economou continued to impress his legion of fans with another convincing win against the very game Alfredo Achilli.
In a battle of the heavyweights, Achilli began well, beating Economou to the punch early. Though in attempting to take the fight to the mat the Italian found himself in enemy territory, as Economou landed vicious body blows before breaking off with a flurry of punches. Achilli eventually got the takedown but only after taking a fair amount of punishment that left him marked up at the bell.
Economou continued to throw with intent in the second, quickly wearing his opponent down. Dropping the Italian with a damaging combination of hooks and knees against the fence, Economou took the TKO win at 2:16 of the second round.
Jamie Banks dispatched Lee Woods without ceremony, coming out swinging for the fences and overwhelming his opponent. Throwing left-right after left-right, Banks stalked Woods down and cut him badly, knocking him down to claim victory after just 19 seconds of wild middleweight action.
John Hales went 3-0 after a clinical display against the undersized Denas Banevicius. After a feeling-out period, Hales used his jab to close the distance and take his adversary to the floor. Transitioning easily from side control to mount, Hales proceeded to drop bombs that forced Banevicius to tap out after 2:44.
Matt Thorpe (Pictures)'s bout against Brazilian Claude Henrique was called a no contest after the U.K. fighter was hit with an illegal strike to the back of the head.
Ronnie Gill (Pictures)'s quick thinking gained him victory over the debuting Luke Blythe after an even round of trading strikes. Both had patches of success before Blythe ducked in with a straight left to the body, only for Gill to use a guillotine to take his man to the mat. Securing mount, Gill landed a number of heavy punches to take the win via verbal submission at 4:40 of round one.
Arunas Andriuskevicius (Pictures) turned the tables in his bout against Matteo Piran (Pictures) after being dominated on the ground. Exchanging leg kicks and punches, Andriuskevicius began pawing at the Italian, who shot in and took the fight to the mat.
Punching to the head and body from inside the guard, Piran looked to be controlling the match until Andriuskivicius landed a shocking blow to the temple. Reversing the position on the stunned Piran, Andriuskivicius pounded away until the ref stepped in to save the Italian from further damage at 4:25.
Lee Mayo destroyed Mexican Fernando Saucedo (Pictures) in just 24 seconds of the first round in their middleweight bout. Mayo waited long enough for Saucedo to fire a leg kick before rushing in with furious punches, knocking Saucedo down and finishing him with powerful ground-and-pound.
The impressive Norwegian Simeon Thoresen kept his unbeaten record intact, taking out American Chas Jacquier in the first stanza. Jacquier came out strong, but Thoresen weathered the storm and started to throw leather that forced the American into the clinch, where he ate a number of knees to the midsection. Thoresen then took Jacquier down, moving beautifully into mount and devastating his foe with strikes that compelled the ref to halt the bout at 3:04.
Lee Wieczorek and Kevin Porter engaged in an exciting back-and-forth battle on the mat. Wieczorek had the upper hand initially from the takedown, getting back position and looking to choke his opponent out. But Porter escaped into top position to score with fearsome strikes inside the guard, only for Wieczorek to roll and sink an omoplata for the submission at 2:31 of the first period.
John Brown (Pictures) took the unanimous decision over Stuart Davies after a thrilling three-round tear-up. After an exchange of punches, Brown scored his first double-leg slam that fixed the pattern of the fight. Though Davies defended diligently, he was always on his back foot against the Sure Grip fighter, working off his back and getting pummeled with punches and elbows. Even when caught in a triangle, Brown slammed Davies to escape and was never really troubled, taking the victory with relative ease.
In the semi-pros, TSG Italia fighter Marco Matta defeated a very game Nikolas Cilkinas in a close three-round war of attrition. Cilkinas continued to march forward throughout the bout, but Matta's jab began to tell as the fight progressed. Coming under pressure from the Lithuanian, Matta used his wrestling to get the fight to the floor and tie his opponent up and take the victory.
William Morley earned a hard-fought victory over debuting Lee Whitehead in their amateur clash. Whitehead scored with the first takedown after stunning Morley with a vicious bodyshot.
An amazing scramble ensued with Morley looking to strike and Whitehead working a toehold and then a kimura. In the second after a fierce trade of leg kicks, Morley slammed Whitehead before transitioning into mount and taking the victory with an armbar at 3:25.
HOUSTON ALEXANDER IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE
Big wins and title fights are vital to anyone competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but for Houston Alexander it’s always been family first and fighting is just the icing on the cake.
With all the focus on the fight game, many people have recently learned more about the life and background the light heavyweight fighter, including his household chores that keep him busy when he’s not training or working as a deejay in his home state of Nebraska.
“I guess it’s kind of cool for everybody to find out that one of the hardest hitting guys in the UFC actually vacuums,” said Alexander in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I can run a mean vacuum.”
He stays focused on his fighting career by knowing what real pressure feels like on an everyday basis.
“You want pressure … take care of some kids,” he said. “Cause the fighting part is easy.”
While the physical parts of fighting usually take the forefront, it’s the mental aspect that can make or break many competitors. At 35 years of age, Alexander is focused and ready for whatever the UFC will put in front of him.
“It’s very important,” he said about the mental side of fighting. “Fortunately, I have maybe 75 to 80% of that mental game down pat. I’m glad I’m 35 years old. A lot of people say ‘oh, well, 35-years-old is too old in MMA.’
“Well, look at Randy Couture. I think at 35-years-old you’re a lot more grounded. I think you have a few more responsibilities, so you’ve actually got something to fight for.”
What Alexander has to fight for is six children at home that call him “Dad” and he’s already made decisions in life that most will never have to face.
“In 2000, my daughter needed a kidney and a lot of people ask, ‘why does he have this scar on the side of his stomach?’ Well the scar on the side of my stomach is from me giving my daughter a kidney in 2000,” he explained. “When your kids need something like that, you don’t think twice.”
The Nebraskan is quick to point out that 2007 has been a blessing for him and his family and he hopes to keep things on pace with his upcoming bout at UFC 78 in Newark, N.J.
“The fight with Keith (Jardine), the fight with (Alessio) Sakara, all this happened for a reason and if my reason is to bring some type of excitement to the UFC to kind of jumpstart it a little bit, if that’s my job, so be it.”
His opponent in New Jersey will be Chute Boxe and Team Link fighter Thiago Silva, who is currently sporting an undefeated record and fights with a tremendous amount of intensity.
“Thiago (Silva) likes to come out the same way,” said Alexander. “He likes to come out and start striking from the footage I’ve seen and I like doing the same. If you’ve got two guys who like doing the same thing, you’re going to find some fireworks somewhere in the fight.”
In his two fights so far in the UFC, Alexander has dispatched of his opponents in a total of less than two minutes and he’s looking for another quick finish against Silva.
“Here’s a hint. We’re trying to keep it under two minutes,” he said with confidence. “Even after this third fight, we’re trying to keep it under two minutes.”
Always ready for a three-round fight, Alexander says the hard training is almost over and the fight with Silva will be the payoff and he promises an exciting fight.
“I know what you can expect from me. It’s balls to the wall with me. I’m going to get it on until someone’s passing out or tapping out.”
Big wins and title fights are vital to anyone competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but for Houston Alexander it’s always been family first and fighting is just the icing on the cake.
With all the focus on the fight game, many people have recently learned more about the life and background the light heavyweight fighter, including his household chores that keep him busy when he’s not training or working as a deejay in his home state of Nebraska.
“I guess it’s kind of cool for everybody to find out that one of the hardest hitting guys in the UFC actually vacuums,” said Alexander in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I can run a mean vacuum.”
He stays focused on his fighting career by knowing what real pressure feels like on an everyday basis.
“You want pressure … take care of some kids,” he said. “Cause the fighting part is easy.”
While the physical parts of fighting usually take the forefront, it’s the mental aspect that can make or break many competitors. At 35 years of age, Alexander is focused and ready for whatever the UFC will put in front of him.
“It’s very important,” he said about the mental side of fighting. “Fortunately, I have maybe 75 to 80% of that mental game down pat. I’m glad I’m 35 years old. A lot of people say ‘oh, well, 35-years-old is too old in MMA.’
“Well, look at Randy Couture. I think at 35-years-old you’re a lot more grounded. I think you have a few more responsibilities, so you’ve actually got something to fight for.”
What Alexander has to fight for is six children at home that call him “Dad” and he’s already made decisions in life that most will never have to face.
“In 2000, my daughter needed a kidney and a lot of people ask, ‘why does he have this scar on the side of his stomach?’ Well the scar on the side of my stomach is from me giving my daughter a kidney in 2000,” he explained. “When your kids need something like that, you don’t think twice.”
The Nebraskan is quick to point out that 2007 has been a blessing for him and his family and he hopes to keep things on pace with his upcoming bout at UFC 78 in Newark, N.J.
“The fight with Keith (Jardine), the fight with (Alessio) Sakara, all this happened for a reason and if my reason is to bring some type of excitement to the UFC to kind of jumpstart it a little bit, if that’s my job, so be it.”
His opponent in New Jersey will be Chute Boxe and Team Link fighter Thiago Silva, who is currently sporting an undefeated record and fights with a tremendous amount of intensity.
“Thiago (Silva) likes to come out the same way,” said Alexander. “He likes to come out and start striking from the footage I’ve seen and I like doing the same. If you’ve got two guys who like doing the same thing, you’re going to find some fireworks somewhere in the fight.”
In his two fights so far in the UFC, Alexander has dispatched of his opponents in a total of less than two minutes and he’s looking for another quick finish against Silva.
“Here’s a hint. We’re trying to keep it under two minutes,” he said with confidence. “Even after this third fight, we’re trying to keep it under two minutes.”
Always ready for a three-round fight, Alexander says the hard training is almost over and the fight with Silva will be the payoff and he promises an exciting fight.
“I know what you can expect from me. It’s balls to the wall with me. I’m going to get it on until someone’s passing out or tapping out.”
UFC PRES ADDRESSES SHERK, COUTURE, AND MORE
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White and several of his fighters addressed the media on Monday. While much of the talk centered on this weekend’s UFC 78 event in Newark, N.J., White also addressed several other pressing issues.
With the recent announcement that lightweight champion Sean Sherk’s appeal hearing before the California State Athletic Commission has been pushed back yet again, to Dec. 4, and the B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson fight at UFC 80 proclaimed a bout for the interim lightweight title, Sherk’s situation is right at the fore.
Ever since it came to light that Sherk had tested positive for steroids following his July 7 title defense, White has shown public support for his champion.
“He looked me in the eye and told me like a man, ‘I didn’t do it.’ I believe him,” said the UFC president in early August. “I don’t think he’s a liar. I don’t think he’s a cheater. He’s a good guy, he works hard and I’m going to take his word for it.”
As recently as Nov. 2, Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole was reporting that White said he would not strip Sherk of his title. But even though he has still publicly supported Sherk, as the case has continued to draw out, it appears that stripping him of his title has one again become an option.
In announcing the interim title fight, White stated, “The belt can’t be in limbo for this long. I’ve said since the beginning that I believe in Sean Sherk, but we have to support the athletic commission in whatever decision they make.”
He added to that during Monday’s conference call.
“B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson are going to fight for the interim title. We'll see what happens with Sherk. If Sherk is found guilty, we'll support the (California) State Athletic Commission and he'll probably be stripped of his title. If not, then he'll keep his title and it will be champion vs. champion.”
If that weren’t enough, the UFC has also had to deal with the discord with its heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, who suddenly “resigned” from the promotion in early October.
Following several public statements and presentations from both sides expressing disappointment over the situation, recent speculation is that Mark Cuban’s new fight promotion, HDNet Fights, has offered Couture a position within the company and that he is close to, if not already, accepting the offer.
White however, indicated that the UFC has offered its champion a title defense and is awaiting a response.
“We officially offered it to him and we haven't heard back yet. We should know this week. He (sent me a text message) yesterday and said he wants to sit down and talk.”
Asked if there would possibly be an interim belt issued for the heavyweight division as well, White was emphatic that would not happen.
“No. Randy's going to make a decision one-way or the other. We're going to get together next week, I think, and talk and see where we're at.”
OTHER NOTES OF INTEREST
– The next UFC Fight Night is currently scheduled for Jan. 23. No location or bout details were given.
– The UFC has started to focus on sanctioning in the state of New York. White said that the promotion plans on being in New York by late 2008 or early 2009.
– The UFC plans on returning to Florida in 2008, as well. A city and date have yet to be determined, but it is likely to be a pay-per-view event held in a city other than Hollywood, where the promotion has run several UFC Fight Nights.
– White declined comment on talks regarding a network television deal – the UFC is believed to be in talks with CBS – other than to say, “I'm talking to a lot of people right now. One thing we've always done is we've always taken this thing to another level every year. Wait until you see what we're going to do in 2008.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White and several of his fighters addressed the media on Monday. While much of the talk centered on this weekend’s UFC 78 event in Newark, N.J., White also addressed several other pressing issues.
With the recent announcement that lightweight champion Sean Sherk’s appeal hearing before the California State Athletic Commission has been pushed back yet again, to Dec. 4, and the B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson fight at UFC 80 proclaimed a bout for the interim lightweight title, Sherk’s situation is right at the fore.
Ever since it came to light that Sherk had tested positive for steroids following his July 7 title defense, White has shown public support for his champion.
“He looked me in the eye and told me like a man, ‘I didn’t do it.’ I believe him,” said the UFC president in early August. “I don’t think he’s a liar. I don’t think he’s a cheater. He’s a good guy, he works hard and I’m going to take his word for it.”
As recently as Nov. 2, Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole was reporting that White said he would not strip Sherk of his title. But even though he has still publicly supported Sherk, as the case has continued to draw out, it appears that stripping him of his title has one again become an option.
In announcing the interim title fight, White stated, “The belt can’t be in limbo for this long. I’ve said since the beginning that I believe in Sean Sherk, but we have to support the athletic commission in whatever decision they make.”
He added to that during Monday’s conference call.
“B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson are going to fight for the interim title. We'll see what happens with Sherk. If Sherk is found guilty, we'll support the (California) State Athletic Commission and he'll probably be stripped of his title. If not, then he'll keep his title and it will be champion vs. champion.”
If that weren’t enough, the UFC has also had to deal with the discord with its heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, who suddenly “resigned” from the promotion in early October.
Following several public statements and presentations from both sides expressing disappointment over the situation, recent speculation is that Mark Cuban’s new fight promotion, HDNet Fights, has offered Couture a position within the company and that he is close to, if not already, accepting the offer.
White however, indicated that the UFC has offered its champion a title defense and is awaiting a response.
“We officially offered it to him and we haven't heard back yet. We should know this week. He (sent me a text message) yesterday and said he wants to sit down and talk.”
Asked if there would possibly be an interim belt issued for the heavyweight division as well, White was emphatic that would not happen.
“No. Randy's going to make a decision one-way or the other. We're going to get together next week, I think, and talk and see where we're at.”
OTHER NOTES OF INTEREST
– The next UFC Fight Night is currently scheduled for Jan. 23. No location or bout details were given.
– The UFC has started to focus on sanctioning in the state of New York. White said that the promotion plans on being in New York by late 2008 or early 2009.
– The UFC plans on returning to Florida in 2008, as well. A city and date have yet to be determined, but it is likely to be a pay-per-view event held in a city other than Hollywood, where the promotion has run several UFC Fight Nights.
– White declined comment on talks regarding a network television deal – the UFC is believed to be in talks with CBS – other than to say, “I'm talking to a lot of people right now. One thing we've always done is we've always taken this thing to another level every year. Wait until you see what we're going to do in 2008.”
I haven't seen you post this yet, so I figured I'd post it here....
CBS taking fight to UFC
Time for some real striking--network allegedly talking to Ultimate Fighting Championship for strike-proof programming.
Everyone knew that a Writers Guild of America strike would mean more reality television. As Fight Club's Tyler Durden might say, what could be more real than getting punched in the face?
In that case, CBS may be getting some incredibly real reality television to fill in airtime during the ongoing strike. The network, which has a reputation of being one of the more conservative networks in the industry, is in talks to pact with mixed-martial arts fighting league The Ultimate Fighting Championship, says The Los Angeles Times.
Details on the potential deal haven't been disclosed, but it would seem that prime time specials could help alleviate a dry programming schedule.
UFC features one-on-one fighting between two combatants in "The Octagon," an eight-sided ring. Multiple fighting disciplines are accepted, with winners beating their opponents into submission or referees stopping the fights on account of potential serious injury.
The UFC is one of professional sports' fastest rising stars, with UFC shows airing on Spike TV and Pay-Per-View.
http://www.tv.com/story/10439.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=news&tag=headlines;title;2
CBS taking fight to UFC
Time for some real striking--network allegedly talking to Ultimate Fighting Championship for strike-proof programming.
Everyone knew that a Writers Guild of America strike would mean more reality television. As Fight Club's Tyler Durden might say, what could be more real than getting punched in the face?
In that case, CBS may be getting some incredibly real reality television to fill in airtime during the ongoing strike. The network, which has a reputation of being one of the more conservative networks in the industry, is in talks to pact with mixed-martial arts fighting league The Ultimate Fighting Championship, says The Los Angeles Times.
Details on the potential deal haven't been disclosed, but it would seem that prime time specials could help alleviate a dry programming schedule.
UFC features one-on-one fighting between two combatants in "The Octagon," an eight-sided ring. Multiple fighting disciplines are accepted, with winners beating their opponents into submission or referees stopping the fights on account of potential serious injury.
The UFC is one of professional sports' fastest rising stars, with UFC shows airing on Spike TV and Pay-Per-View.
http://www.tv.com/story/10439.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=news&tag=headlines;title;2
EXCLUSIVE: RAMEAU THIERRY SOKOUDJOU INTERVIEW
He shocked the world when he knocked out the number 2 and 3 205lbs fighters in the world back-to-back. He grabbed fans and fighters attention alike in minimal time. But what has this wrecking machine been up to since then? In this exclusive interview, I has the chance to catch up with hard hitting Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou to find out what he's been up to and what the fans can expect next.
LC- Luis Cruz with HACNews talking to a Light Heavyweight in mixed martial arts that burst onto the scene in explosive and impressive fashion, "The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. How you feeling and what's been going on?
RS- I'm feeling great, thanks for asking and things are going good on my end; training, and looking forward to getting back to business.
LC- Can you tell us a little bit about your background in martial arts, Judo, etc?
RS-Well, it's pretty simple, I have done Judo most of my life, I'm a 2nd degree Judo Black Belt and a BJJ Blue belt. And just a few years ago, I started learning Kick Boxing in my quest of becoming an MMA fighter.
LC- Now, as most people are aware, you made an immediate splash in Pride this past February knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in mere seconds. I was fortunate enough to be covering that event live and witnessed this. I remember my jaw dropping to the ground because up until that point, I had never seen either Nogueira brother seriously rocked, hurt yes, but nothing like that. I remember the odds being somewhere around +1200 for you. Did you go into that fight with an "I have nothing to lose attitude" and did that help you stay calm or was it the opposite and you seen it as a huge opportunity and you were very nervous?
RS- Going into that fight, excitement took over any other feelings, I knew I had a great camp prior to that fight and I knew I was coming out with a victory. I knew it was going to be a long night for me, but hard work paid off really good.
LC- Well you followed that up with another impressive knockout of Ricardo Arona just a couple months later. What were you like going into that fight and how confident were you going into that fight after the Nogueira win?
RS- I knew Arona was a really great BJJ expert and I also knew he wasn't a better striker than me. And due to the fact that I fell in love with Kick Boxing, I couldn't wait to get in there and break his face with my fists.
LC- Not too many fighters come out of relatively nowhere in just their 4th and 5th MMA fight and not only knock off but knockout two top five Light Heavyweights in the world. Great wins but now you haven't fought since the Arona bout and it's been almost a seven month layoff. How anxious are you to get back in the mix or are you enjoying this time off a lot?
RS- I'm more than anxious to get back in there, also I'm enjoying my time off, it allows me to improve my game and add more weapons to my arsenal.
LC- Going into your Pride debut, you were coming off a loss in which you were stopped against Teixeira. Is there any part of you that wants to get back in there with him just to try and redeem that blemish on your record or are you over that and looking forward to just moving up?
RS- As of right now, I'm looking forward to moving up, and of course down the road I would love to go back and fight him again.
LC- How much have you been training lately and with who and where?
RS- I've been training a lot, especially helping Dan getting ready for his last fight in the UFC. Also there are other Team Quest fighters such as Mayhem and others that I've been helping training for their fights.
LC- What's next for you, any proposed bouts lined up and/or dates of when you'll be fighting?
RS- For now I don't have anything solid, I'm hoping to get a fight before the end of this year.
LC- Can you give us details about any negotiations you had with the UFC, how much they offered, or anything?
RS- I'm sorry, I don't deal with that part of my career, I'm just a fighter and Team Quest manages me and handles that part of my career
LC- Ok, no problem. Do you have it in your goals to fight in the UFC someday or are you content with whoever pays you the best?
RS- As a fighter, I would love to fight the top guys, wherever they are, but on the other hand it's also great to earn as much cash as possible, skills pay bills right?
LC- [Laughs] Yes, I guess they do. Let's talk about some other happenings in MMA. Your partner Dan had a unification bout with Rampage in which he thought he won. Do you feel he won that fight?
RS- I totally think he won that fight, it's a shame the judges didn't see that way.
LC- Let's talk a little controversy now. What are your thoughts on the whole Fedor/Randy/UFC debate going on if you've paid any attention to it?
RS- I really didn't keep track on what's going on with that.
LC- How do you feel you match up with those three fighters starting with Fedor Emelianenko?
RS- He's a great fighter and I would love to fight him one of these days.
LC- Rampage?
RS- I would love to kick his ass
LC- Randy Couture?
RS- He's a legend in MMA and it would de a great honor to get in the cage with him.
LC- What are your thoughts on Houston Alexander? He kind of came into the scene similar to you, knocking out a couple of good Light Heavyweights when he was relatively unknown. They weren't two top five back to back wins as on your resume, but still impressive. Also how do you feel you two match up since we're on the subject?
RS- He's a pretty good striker, and I'm looking forward to facing him in a near future.
Word Association
LC- Dan Henderson
RS- Tough guy
LC- Wanderlei Silva
RS- Excitement
LC- Chuck Liddell
RS- In troubled waters
LC- Chuck vs. Wanderlei?
RS- Excitement
LC- Dana White
RS- Business man
LC- Pride
RS- We'll be missing you.
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
RS- Straight outta the JUNGLE!!!
True or False
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou can bench 500lbs?
RS- [Laughs] We don't use pounds back in the Jungle!
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has fought wild animals in Africa?
RS- True
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou can breakdance?
RS- True, then it'd rain!
Get2Know
LC- Is there any time in your life that sticks out more than any other that is not MMA related, if so can you tell us about it?
RS- Not quite sure since I train full time and that's all I do all day everyday, but other than that I would say driving. I love cars since they go faster than giraffes!
LC- [Laughs] If there was any one person in the world, whether they are dead or alive, that you could have 5 minutes in an MMA match with, who would it be and why? Preferably not a professional fighter.
RS- Conan the Barbarian. Because he's one of my favorite characters.
LC- That'd be a great fight. The last question I have is, if you could choose any time era to live in rather than today, when would it be and why? This could be past or future.
RS- I would say in the future. It sounds like technology will be more advance and I'm a fan of new technologies.
LC- Before I let you go are there any sponsors you want to mention, any websites or anything else to plug, and anything you want to say to your fans anxiously awaiting your return to the ring?
RS- I would like to thank Light Force for all the support. Also fans can reach me at www.africanassassin.com or on myspace at www.myspace.com/african_assassin. And I'll be back not in the ring but in the cage DEC 29th in Vegas!
LC- [Laughs] I think I got you, at least I hope I do! I want to thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me here at HACNews.com and we wish you luck in the future and hope to see you back very soon, take care.
RS- Thank you for the interview, it was my pleasure.
He shocked the world when he knocked out the number 2 and 3 205lbs fighters in the world back-to-back. He grabbed fans and fighters attention alike in minimal time. But what has this wrecking machine been up to since then? In this exclusive interview, I has the chance to catch up with hard hitting Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou to find out what he's been up to and what the fans can expect next.
LC- Luis Cruz with HACNews talking to a Light Heavyweight in mixed martial arts that burst onto the scene in explosive and impressive fashion, "The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. How you feeling and what's been going on?
RS- I'm feeling great, thanks for asking and things are going good on my end; training, and looking forward to getting back to business.
LC- Can you tell us a little bit about your background in martial arts, Judo, etc?
RS-Well, it's pretty simple, I have done Judo most of my life, I'm a 2nd degree Judo Black Belt and a BJJ Blue belt. And just a few years ago, I started learning Kick Boxing in my quest of becoming an MMA fighter.
LC- Now, as most people are aware, you made an immediate splash in Pride this past February knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in mere seconds. I was fortunate enough to be covering that event live and witnessed this. I remember my jaw dropping to the ground because up until that point, I had never seen either Nogueira brother seriously rocked, hurt yes, but nothing like that. I remember the odds being somewhere around +1200 for you. Did you go into that fight with an "I have nothing to lose attitude" and did that help you stay calm or was it the opposite and you seen it as a huge opportunity and you were very nervous?
RS- Going into that fight, excitement took over any other feelings, I knew I had a great camp prior to that fight and I knew I was coming out with a victory. I knew it was going to be a long night for me, but hard work paid off really good.
LC- Well you followed that up with another impressive knockout of Ricardo Arona just a couple months later. What were you like going into that fight and how confident were you going into that fight after the Nogueira win?
RS- I knew Arona was a really great BJJ expert and I also knew he wasn't a better striker than me. And due to the fact that I fell in love with Kick Boxing, I couldn't wait to get in there and break his face with my fists.
LC- Not too many fighters come out of relatively nowhere in just their 4th and 5th MMA fight and not only knock off but knockout two top five Light Heavyweights in the world. Great wins but now you haven't fought since the Arona bout and it's been almost a seven month layoff. How anxious are you to get back in the mix or are you enjoying this time off a lot?
RS- I'm more than anxious to get back in there, also I'm enjoying my time off, it allows me to improve my game and add more weapons to my arsenal.
LC- Going into your Pride debut, you were coming off a loss in which you were stopped against Teixeira. Is there any part of you that wants to get back in there with him just to try and redeem that blemish on your record or are you over that and looking forward to just moving up?
RS- As of right now, I'm looking forward to moving up, and of course down the road I would love to go back and fight him again.
LC- How much have you been training lately and with who and where?
RS- I've been training a lot, especially helping Dan getting ready for his last fight in the UFC. Also there are other Team Quest fighters such as Mayhem and others that I've been helping training for their fights.
LC- What's next for you, any proposed bouts lined up and/or dates of when you'll be fighting?
RS- For now I don't have anything solid, I'm hoping to get a fight before the end of this year.
LC- Can you give us details about any negotiations you had with the UFC, how much they offered, or anything?
RS- I'm sorry, I don't deal with that part of my career, I'm just a fighter and Team Quest manages me and handles that part of my career
LC- Ok, no problem. Do you have it in your goals to fight in the UFC someday or are you content with whoever pays you the best?
RS- As a fighter, I would love to fight the top guys, wherever they are, but on the other hand it's also great to earn as much cash as possible, skills pay bills right?
LC- [Laughs] Yes, I guess they do. Let's talk about some other happenings in MMA. Your partner Dan had a unification bout with Rampage in which he thought he won. Do you feel he won that fight?
RS- I totally think he won that fight, it's a shame the judges didn't see that way.
LC- Let's talk a little controversy now. What are your thoughts on the whole Fedor/Randy/UFC debate going on if you've paid any attention to it?
RS- I really didn't keep track on what's going on with that.
LC- How do you feel you match up with those three fighters starting with Fedor Emelianenko?
RS- He's a great fighter and I would love to fight him one of these days.
LC- Rampage?
RS- I would love to kick his ass
LC- Randy Couture?
RS- He's a legend in MMA and it would de a great honor to get in the cage with him.
LC- What are your thoughts on Houston Alexander? He kind of came into the scene similar to you, knocking out a couple of good Light Heavyweights when he was relatively unknown. They weren't two top five back to back wins as on your resume, but still impressive. Also how do you feel you two match up since we're on the subject?
RS- He's a pretty good striker, and I'm looking forward to facing him in a near future.
Word Association
LC- Dan Henderson
RS- Tough guy
LC- Wanderlei Silva
RS- Excitement
LC- Chuck Liddell
RS- In troubled waters
LC- Chuck vs. Wanderlei?
RS- Excitement
LC- Dana White
RS- Business man
LC- Pride
RS- We'll be missing you.
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
RS- Straight outta the JUNGLE!!!
True or False
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou can bench 500lbs?
RS- [Laughs] We don't use pounds back in the Jungle!
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has fought wild animals in Africa?
RS- True
LC- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou can breakdance?
RS- True, then it'd rain!
Get2Know
LC- Is there any time in your life that sticks out more than any other that is not MMA related, if so can you tell us about it?
RS- Not quite sure since I train full time and that's all I do all day everyday, but other than that I would say driving. I love cars since they go faster than giraffes!
LC- [Laughs] If there was any one person in the world, whether they are dead or alive, that you could have 5 minutes in an MMA match with, who would it be and why? Preferably not a professional fighter.
RS- Conan the Barbarian. Because he's one of my favorite characters.
LC- That'd be a great fight. The last question I have is, if you could choose any time era to live in rather than today, when would it be and why? This could be past or future.
RS- I would say in the future. It sounds like technology will be more advance and I'm a fan of new technologies.
LC- Before I let you go are there any sponsors you want to mention, any websites or anything else to plug, and anything you want to say to your fans anxiously awaiting your return to the ring?
RS- I would like to thank Light Force for all the support. Also fans can reach me at www.africanassassin.com or on myspace at www.myspace.com/african_assassin. And I'll be back not in the ring but in the cage DEC 29th in Vegas!
LC- [Laughs] I think I got you, at least I hope I do! I want to thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me here at HACNews.com and we wish you luck in the future and hope to see you back very soon, take care.
RS- Thank you for the interview, it was my pleasure.
Dana White Has Officially Offered Randy Couture A Title Fight
Dana White announced at today's teleconference that he extended an offer to reigning UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture to defend his title, presumably against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
White claimed that Couture text messaged him recently.
"Randy’s going to make a decision one way or the other,” White said. “We’re going to meet and talk and see where we’re at.” White told the press that he wants to resolve the matter with Couture this week.
Dana White announced at today's teleconference that he extended an offer to reigning UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture to defend his title, presumably against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
White claimed that Couture text messaged him recently.
"Randy’s going to make a decision one way or the other,” White said. “We’re going to meet and talk and see where we’re at.” White told the press that he wants to resolve the matter with Couture this week.
Dana White To Strip Sherk Of Title If CSAC Upholds Suspension
Dana White announced today at a media conference call that he will "probably" strip Sean Sherk of his title if his suspension is upheld. Sherks is currently awaiting his appeal which will take place on December 4th.
The situation stems from a failed drug test conducted before UFC 73. Sherk tested positive for elevated testosterone and an anabolic steroid.
The news of Whites announcement comes as a bit of a surprise as White recently told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports that he was fed up with the way that CSAC has handled Sherks case and wouldn't strip him regardless of their findings.
White also reiterated that BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson will fight each other at UFC 80 for the interim title and the winner will meet Sherk; likely regardless of the CSAC's ruling.
Dana White announced today at a media conference call that he will "probably" strip Sean Sherk of his title if his suspension is upheld. Sherks is currently awaiting his appeal which will take place on December 4th.
The situation stems from a failed drug test conducted before UFC 73. Sherk tested positive for elevated testosterone and an anabolic steroid.
The news of Whites announcement comes as a bit of a surprise as White recently told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports that he was fed up with the way that CSAC has handled Sherks case and wouldn't strip him regardless of their findings.
White also reiterated that BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson will fight each other at UFC 80 for the interim title and the winner will meet Sherk; likely regardless of the CSAC's ruling.
Houston Alexander Fights With One Kidney, He Used The Other One To Save His Daughters Life
The following is part of an article provided courtesy of UFC.com:
Houston Alexander doesn’t hear a thing.
Despite the roar of the crowd, the thumping beat of the entrance music blaring through arena speakers, and the shouts of his opponent’s cornermen, as well as his own team’s, nothing breaks the Nebraska fighter’s focus when he enters the Octagon. He stares across at his opponent, who - for the next 15 minutes or less - will try to hurt him, make him bleed, or most importantly, take away what he has fought so hard for over the last six years.
It’s then that his intent becomes even more intense. He sees the faces of his six children, aged five to 16, and he thinks of them, what they’ve gone through, and where he hopes to take them. A win brings that goal closer; a loss, and it’s back to square one.
“I see this guy trying to take something from them by trying to take me out, and I’ve got to get him first,” says Alexander, who paces back and forth before the bell, waiting to be sent into battle. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll brush the right side of his torso with his fist, just as a reminder of what he would do for his children.
The year is 2000.
Fighting in the UFC isn’t even a dream at this point, nor is any type of professional prizefighting. Alexander is a working stiff like the rest of us, putting in long hours on a construction crew working with asphalt. Even talking about it years later, he sighs, “It was a very stressful, hard job.”
Yet in addition to sometime 10 hour shifts in the summer heat, Alexander – then the father of five – had more troubling issues on his mind. His oldest child, 10 year old daughter Elan, was born with a kidney dysfunction, and now the kidney was starting to give out on her. The decision he made next wasn’t tough for him, but it was monumental – he was tested and was a match for his daughter. Soon after, he gave Elan his kidney. A week later, he was back at work.
“I was the only breadwinner for the family, so we needed the money,” said Alexander, now 35. Elan, now 16, is doing well, and her father can see her doing all the things every typical teenager does. It wouldn’t have been possible without his sacrifice, but if you want him to give himself a deserving pat on the back, it’s not going to happen.
“I’m pretty sure if other family members needed to step up to the plate that they would have,” he said. “It just happened to be me. But it’s good to see that she’s healthy and that she can be normal. That’s what I’m striving for now – I’m striving for normalcy for my kids.”
The following is part of an article provided courtesy of UFC.com:
Houston Alexander doesn’t hear a thing.
Despite the roar of the crowd, the thumping beat of the entrance music blaring through arena speakers, and the shouts of his opponent’s cornermen, as well as his own team’s, nothing breaks the Nebraska fighter’s focus when he enters the Octagon. He stares across at his opponent, who - for the next 15 minutes or less - will try to hurt him, make him bleed, or most importantly, take away what he has fought so hard for over the last six years.
It’s then that his intent becomes even more intense. He sees the faces of his six children, aged five to 16, and he thinks of them, what they’ve gone through, and where he hopes to take them. A win brings that goal closer; a loss, and it’s back to square one.
“I see this guy trying to take something from them by trying to take me out, and I’ve got to get him first,” says Alexander, who paces back and forth before the bell, waiting to be sent into battle. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll brush the right side of his torso with his fist, just as a reminder of what he would do for his children.
The year is 2000.
Fighting in the UFC isn’t even a dream at this point, nor is any type of professional prizefighting. Alexander is a working stiff like the rest of us, putting in long hours on a construction crew working with asphalt. Even talking about it years later, he sighs, “It was a very stressful, hard job.”
Yet in addition to sometime 10 hour shifts in the summer heat, Alexander – then the father of five – had more troubling issues on his mind. His oldest child, 10 year old daughter Elan, was born with a kidney dysfunction, and now the kidney was starting to give out on her. The decision he made next wasn’t tough for him, but it was monumental – he was tested and was a match for his daughter. Soon after, he gave Elan his kidney. A week later, he was back at work.
“I was the only breadwinner for the family, so we needed the money,” said Alexander, now 35. Elan, now 16, is doing well, and her father can see her doing all the things every typical teenager does. It wouldn’t have been possible without his sacrifice, but if you want him to give himself a deserving pat on the back, it’s not going to happen.
“I’m pretty sure if other family members needed to step up to the plate that they would have,” he said. “It just happened to be me. But it’s good to see that she’s healthy and that she can be normal. That’s what I’m striving for now – I’m striving for normalcy for my kids.”
EliteXC Renegade Highlights with Jason Mayhem Miller
here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-3...ww.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=678355
here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-3...ww.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=678355
STRIKEFORCE ANNOUNCES LOTTERY PLAN
A lottery ball drawing will determine brackets for the historic middleweight tournament at Strikeforce “Four Man Enter, One Man Survives” this Friday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The drawing will be held following fighter weigh-ins the day before the event.
Current Bodog Fight middleweight champion Trevor Prangley (16-4), Hawaiian veteran Falaniko Vitale (24-7), Yuki Sasaki (21-13-1) and Jorge Santiago (14-7) – the four men who comprise the tournament field – will each draw one of four balls, numbered one through four. Then, one by one, they will choose what location in the single-elimination tournament they wish to occupy. The first choice will be afforded to the fighter who draws the number one ball. The second choice will be awarded to the competitor who picks ball number two and so on.
Each tournament bout will consist of two, five-minute rounds. The victor of the first-ever sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California may be awarded the opportunity to challenge Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock.
A lottery ball drawing will determine brackets for the historic middleweight tournament at Strikeforce “Four Man Enter, One Man Survives” this Friday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The drawing will be held following fighter weigh-ins the day before the event.
Current Bodog Fight middleweight champion Trevor Prangley (16-4), Hawaiian veteran Falaniko Vitale (24-7), Yuki Sasaki (21-13-1) and Jorge Santiago (14-7) – the four men who comprise the tournament field – will each draw one of four balls, numbered one through four. Then, one by one, they will choose what location in the single-elimination tournament they wish to occupy. The first choice will be afforded to the fighter who draws the number one ball. The second choice will be awarded to the competitor who picks ball number two and so on.
Each tournament bout will consist of two, five-minute rounds. The victor of the first-ever sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California may be awarded the opportunity to challenge Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock.
“EliteXC: Renegade” Medical Suspensions: Nick Diaz Issued 60-Day Suspension
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees athletics in the Lonestar State, has issued a series of medical suspensions following Saturday’s Elite Xtreme Combat event.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) acquired the paperwork this afternoon.
“EliteXC: Renegade” took place the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The main card aired on Showtime, and the preliminary fights should be available on ProElite.com later today.
Nick Diaz, who suffered an upset loss to KJ Noons in the night’s main event, was issued a 60-day medical suspension. The former UFC and PRIDE fighter suffered gashes above both eyes and was dropped early in the first round. The doctor stopped the fight prior to the second round, and Noons was named EliteXC’s first-ever 160-pound champion.
Additionally, Bo Cantrell, who suffered a questionable 19-second TKO to Kimbo Slice in a televised bout, was issued a 30-day suspension.
The TDLR issues all fighters a minimum seven-day suspension for precautionary reasons.
The full list of suspensions includes:
KJ Noons — 30 days
Nick Diaz — 60 days
Kimbo Slice — 7 days
Bo Cantrell — 30 days
Jake Shields — 7 days
Mike Pyle — 7 days
Kyle Noke — 7 days
Seth Kleinbeck — 30 days
Antonio Silva — 7 days
Jonathan Wiezorek — 7 days
Geoff Bunstead — 7 days
Robert Ruiz — 7 days
Yves Edwards — 7 days
Nick Gonzalez — 7 days
Matt Lucas — 9 days
Jon Kirk — 30 days
Brett Rogers — 7 days
Ralph Kelly — 30 days
Jake Sok Lim — 7 days
Daniel Pineda — 7 days
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees athletics in the Lonestar State, has issued a series of medical suspensions following Saturday’s Elite Xtreme Combat event.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) acquired the paperwork this afternoon.
“EliteXC: Renegade” took place the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The main card aired on Showtime, and the preliminary fights should be available on ProElite.com later today.
Nick Diaz, who suffered an upset loss to KJ Noons in the night’s main event, was issued a 60-day medical suspension. The former UFC and PRIDE fighter suffered gashes above both eyes and was dropped early in the first round. The doctor stopped the fight prior to the second round, and Noons was named EliteXC’s first-ever 160-pound champion.
Additionally, Bo Cantrell, who suffered a questionable 19-second TKO to Kimbo Slice in a televised bout, was issued a 30-day suspension.
The TDLR issues all fighters a minimum seven-day suspension for precautionary reasons.
The full list of suspensions includes:
KJ Noons — 30 days
Nick Diaz — 60 days
Kimbo Slice — 7 days
Bo Cantrell — 30 days
Jake Shields — 7 days
Mike Pyle — 7 days
Kyle Noke — 7 days
Seth Kleinbeck — 30 days
Antonio Silva — 7 days
Jonathan Wiezorek — 7 days
Geoff Bunstead — 7 days
Robert Ruiz — 7 days
Yves Edwards — 7 days
Nick Gonzalez — 7 days
Matt Lucas — 9 days
Jon Kirk — 30 days
Brett Rogers — 7 days
Ralph Kelly — 30 days
Jake Sok Lim — 7 days
Daniel Pineda — 7 days
Did Bo Cantrell Take a Dive Against Kimbo Slice?
During Saturday’s “EliteXC: Renegade” event, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson posted a questionable 19-second victory over MMA veteran Bo Cantrell. However, cries that Slice’s opponent took a dive appear unfounded, especially in light of some post-fight findings.
The Slice-Cantrell fight, which aired on Showtime before a Nick Diaz-KJ Noons main event, was supposed to be Slice’s coming-out party. The famed Internet brawler made his unofficial MMA debut in June with a first-round submission of aging boxer Ray Mercer.
Cantrell, though, was supposed to represent a real MMA fighter — a veteran of 20 fights that were accumulated during a four-year career. Granted, Cantrell owned a mere .500 record (with a four-fight losing streak), but in terms of MMA, he was a major step up from the 46-year-old Mercer.
While the Bas Rutten-trained Slice won in convincing fashion on Saturday, MMA fans learned little about the 33-year-old heavyweight’s abilities. After a right shot to Cantrell’s gut and a forearm to his head, Slice was pulled off the fighter and declared the winner via TKO.
The elbow appeared to strike only partially, but it was enough to send Cantrell to the canvas, where he immediately tapped out. The crowd booed mightily as the 30-year-old quickly returned to his feet.
Was it a dive? Was the fix in?
It’s doubtful.
More likely, Cantrell was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. The Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage vet probably never competed on such a big stage — especially in front of a live TV audience.
“I am not sure what happened, but just before the fight, I started feeling weird,” Cantrell said after the fight. “I just wasn’t myself in there. I felt a shell of myself.“
Our friend Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle shed some additional light on the situation.
As he wrote: “While the two shots from Slice did some damage, it was clear that Cantrell, who reportedly threw up in his dressing room before the bout, would rather have been elsewhere. Shaw revealed after the fight that EliteXC received anonymous phone calls on both Friday and Saturday calling into question Cantrell’s health and whether he was fit to fight. Ultimately, he was cleared by doctors to step into the cage.“
Whether he was actually sick doesn’t matter; if Cantrell thought something might be wrong, it was probably enough to let the doubts creep in.
Throw in a hostile crowd, Slice’s intimidating looks and brutal reputation, and the shattered confidence that comes from four consecutive first-round losses (with an average fight length of just 30 seconds), and Cantrell’s performance and quick tap-out can be understood. Not excused, but at least understood.
As for Slice, with a recently signed long-term deal with EliteXC, he’ll be on the search for a new opponent. He’ll just need to find one that presents a challenge.
“I am happy for Kimbo, but he needs an opponent that is going to push him a little,” said Rutten, who’s trained Slice throughout the year. “I think he can handle it, but I want to see how he does when he has to face some adversity and go a full round or two.
“Really, Kimbo got nothing out of this fight tonight — except for a nice payday.“
During Saturday’s “EliteXC: Renegade” event, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson posted a questionable 19-second victory over MMA veteran Bo Cantrell. However, cries that Slice’s opponent took a dive appear unfounded, especially in light of some post-fight findings.
The Slice-Cantrell fight, which aired on Showtime before a Nick Diaz-KJ Noons main event, was supposed to be Slice’s coming-out party. The famed Internet brawler made his unofficial MMA debut in June with a first-round submission of aging boxer Ray Mercer.
Cantrell, though, was supposed to represent a real MMA fighter — a veteran of 20 fights that were accumulated during a four-year career. Granted, Cantrell owned a mere .500 record (with a four-fight losing streak), but in terms of MMA, he was a major step up from the 46-year-old Mercer.
While the Bas Rutten-trained Slice won in convincing fashion on Saturday, MMA fans learned little about the 33-year-old heavyweight’s abilities. After a right shot to Cantrell’s gut and a forearm to his head, Slice was pulled off the fighter and declared the winner via TKO.
The elbow appeared to strike only partially, but it was enough to send Cantrell to the canvas, where he immediately tapped out. The crowd booed mightily as the 30-year-old quickly returned to his feet.
Was it a dive? Was the fix in?
It’s doubtful.
More likely, Cantrell was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. The Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage vet probably never competed on such a big stage — especially in front of a live TV audience.
“I am not sure what happened, but just before the fight, I started feeling weird,” Cantrell said after the fight. “I just wasn’t myself in there. I felt a shell of myself.“
Our friend Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle shed some additional light on the situation.
As he wrote: “While the two shots from Slice did some damage, it was clear that Cantrell, who reportedly threw up in his dressing room before the bout, would rather have been elsewhere. Shaw revealed after the fight that EliteXC received anonymous phone calls on both Friday and Saturday calling into question Cantrell’s health and whether he was fit to fight. Ultimately, he was cleared by doctors to step into the cage.“
Whether he was actually sick doesn’t matter; if Cantrell thought something might be wrong, it was probably enough to let the doubts creep in.
Throw in a hostile crowd, Slice’s intimidating looks and brutal reputation, and the shattered confidence that comes from four consecutive first-round losses (with an average fight length of just 30 seconds), and Cantrell’s performance and quick tap-out can be understood. Not excused, but at least understood.
As for Slice, with a recently signed long-term deal with EliteXC, he’ll be on the search for a new opponent. He’ll just need to find one that presents a challenge.
“I am happy for Kimbo, but he needs an opponent that is going to push him a little,” said Rutten, who’s trained Slice throughout the year. “I think he can handle it, but I want to see how he does when he has to face some adversity and go a full round or two.
“Really, Kimbo got nothing out of this fight tonight — except for a nice payday.“
IFL expected to announce Lierley vs. Horodecki and L.C. Davis vs Wagnney Fabiano
Brian Knapp of The Fight Network reported earlier today that the IFL has changed its lineup for the World Grand Prix on Dec. 29 in Connecticut. Knapp first reported that Shad Lierley will replace Wagnney Fabiano in the lightweight final against Chris Horodecki while the IFL will crown its first-ever featherweight (145 lbs.) champ that same night in a bout featuring Fabiano.
ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that the IFL could officially announce as early as Tuesday that the card for Dec. 29 has been changed with Lierley facing Horodecki in the WGP lightweight final.We've also learned that L.C. Davis will be Fabiano's opponent for the championship of the newly-created featherweight division.
The IFL will feature the 145 lbs. division on a full-time basis next season and Davis will serve as Miletich Fighting Systems' featherweight representative. The 9-0 fighter has been referred to by many insiders as "the next Miletich superstar."
The addition of a featherweight division is just one of many changes the IFL is planning for the 2007 season, including the addition of Mario Sperry and Ian Freeman as coaches. In fact, Alex Cook has already been chosen as one of the fighters that will represent Freeman's UK-based team in 2008. Cook will debut at the WGP on Dec. 29 in a rematch against Brazilian fighter Marcello Salazar.
The bout between Horodecki vs. Lierley will also be a rematch stemming from their first meeting in June during an event in Everett, Wash. Horodecki won via unanimous decision but the fight has been heralded as the greatest fight in the league's brief history.
It's still not known whether fans unable to attend the Dec. 29 event in Uncasville, Connecticut will get to see the event live. It is believed that the IFL and MyNetworkTV will meet soon in hopes of finalizing a live telecast. However, there's also been talk that other outlets could have an interest in televising the event as well.
Brian Knapp of The Fight Network reported earlier today that the IFL has changed its lineup for the World Grand Prix on Dec. 29 in Connecticut. Knapp first reported that Shad Lierley will replace Wagnney Fabiano in the lightweight final against Chris Horodecki while the IFL will crown its first-ever featherweight (145 lbs.) champ that same night in a bout featuring Fabiano.
ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that the IFL could officially announce as early as Tuesday that the card for Dec. 29 has been changed with Lierley facing Horodecki in the WGP lightweight final.We've also learned that L.C. Davis will be Fabiano's opponent for the championship of the newly-created featherweight division.
The IFL will feature the 145 lbs. division on a full-time basis next season and Davis will serve as Miletich Fighting Systems' featherweight representative. The 9-0 fighter has been referred to by many insiders as "the next Miletich superstar."
The addition of a featherweight division is just one of many changes the IFL is planning for the 2007 season, including the addition of Mario Sperry and Ian Freeman as coaches. In fact, Alex Cook has already been chosen as one of the fighters that will represent Freeman's UK-based team in 2008. Cook will debut at the WGP on Dec. 29 in a rematch against Brazilian fighter Marcello Salazar.
The bout between Horodecki vs. Lierley will also be a rematch stemming from their first meeting in June during an event in Everett, Wash. Horodecki won via unanimous decision but the fight has been heralded as the greatest fight in the league's brief history.
It's still not known whether fans unable to attend the Dec. 29 event in Uncasville, Connecticut will get to see the event live. It is believed that the IFL and MyNetworkTV will meet soon in hopes of finalizing a live telecast. However, there's also been talk that other outlets could have an interest in televising the event as well.
UFC HOLDS FIGHTER DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS
As the sport of mixed martial arts grows, so does the growing need for the fighters, who are now becoming financially sound and successful full-time athletes, to understand the business side of the industry they work in.
Recently, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the largest organization in MMA, held meetings with many of their fighters and employees to help educate and inform them on many business practices and personal decisions they are now being faced with.
“This thing was long overdue,” said UFC president Dana White about the meetings. “We should have done this a couple of years ago because we've got a lot of growing pains right now.
“I have 100 employees just at Zuffa, and I have 250 fighters under contract. (We’re) trying to keep everything under control and communicating with everybody, so we brought the fighters in and talked to them about everything. It was great. It was good for them and it was good for us.”
The UFC covered a great deal of subject matter according to White, to help educate and inform the fighters in this ever-growing industry.
“We talked to them about steroids, about their contracts, about taxes, about just everything, everything to do with the business. There're guys who've been fighting in the UFC since 2001, since we bought it, that didn't know a lot of the stuff. We explained why we do a lot of the things that we do.”
The meetings held by the UFC are similar in purpose to what both the National Basketball Association’s Rookie Transition Program and the National Football League’s Rookie Symposium hope to achieve with new athletes entering their respective sports.
The NBA’s program – the longest running of it’s kind in any professional sport at over 20 years – is held for new players entering the league over a six day period. They are given first hand knowledge of what it means to play in the NBA, taught about the pressures and demands of being a professional athlete and participate in focus groups which include sessions on media relations, personal development and education, legal education, player development, and financial help and professionalism.
The NFL also holds similar meetings with their new players to discuss much of the same subject matter and help ease the transition into the high profile world of professional sports.
The UFC is the first MMA organization to publicly disclose information about a meeting of this type held with its fighters and employees, helping to further legitimize the fast growing sport by helping its athletes understand the lifestyle and profession they now occupy as UFC employees.
White indicated the need for the meetings became even more apparent after the recent resignation of heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who stated numerous times when leaving the company that he felt his concerns were not heard by the management of Zuffa, the parent company for the UFC.
“First of all, we had some growing pains,” said White, “and I felt that we needed to talk to the fighters about what's going on, what we're doing, why we do the things we do, and obviously steroids was something we needed to talk about, and then the whole Randy Couture thing happened.
“I felt like there was obviously a lack of communication there that I thought Randy and I had. That whole thing freaked me out, so I wanted to talk to them all about that, too."
No word has come from the UFC if this type of meeting will be an ongoing effort or possibly a yearly session like those of the NBA or NFL, but the message sent from the organization helps show they are serious about the business of MMA and that they want to educate the fighters under contract to them.
As the sport of mixed martial arts grows, so does the growing need for the fighters, who are now becoming financially sound and successful full-time athletes, to understand the business side of the industry they work in.
Recently, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the largest organization in MMA, held meetings with many of their fighters and employees to help educate and inform them on many business practices and personal decisions they are now being faced with.
“This thing was long overdue,” said UFC president Dana White about the meetings. “We should have done this a couple of years ago because we've got a lot of growing pains right now.
“I have 100 employees just at Zuffa, and I have 250 fighters under contract. (We’re) trying to keep everything under control and communicating with everybody, so we brought the fighters in and talked to them about everything. It was great. It was good for them and it was good for us.”
The UFC covered a great deal of subject matter according to White, to help educate and inform the fighters in this ever-growing industry.
“We talked to them about steroids, about their contracts, about taxes, about just everything, everything to do with the business. There're guys who've been fighting in the UFC since 2001, since we bought it, that didn't know a lot of the stuff. We explained why we do a lot of the things that we do.”
The meetings held by the UFC are similar in purpose to what both the National Basketball Association’s Rookie Transition Program and the National Football League’s Rookie Symposium hope to achieve with new athletes entering their respective sports.
The NBA’s program – the longest running of it’s kind in any professional sport at over 20 years – is held for new players entering the league over a six day period. They are given first hand knowledge of what it means to play in the NBA, taught about the pressures and demands of being a professional athlete and participate in focus groups which include sessions on media relations, personal development and education, legal education, player development, and financial help and professionalism.
The NFL also holds similar meetings with their new players to discuss much of the same subject matter and help ease the transition into the high profile world of professional sports.
The UFC is the first MMA organization to publicly disclose information about a meeting of this type held with its fighters and employees, helping to further legitimize the fast growing sport by helping its athletes understand the lifestyle and profession they now occupy as UFC employees.
White indicated the need for the meetings became even more apparent after the recent resignation of heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who stated numerous times when leaving the company that he felt his concerns were not heard by the management of Zuffa, the parent company for the UFC.
“First of all, we had some growing pains,” said White, “and I felt that we needed to talk to the fighters about what's going on, what we're doing, why we do the things we do, and obviously steroids was something we needed to talk about, and then the whole Randy Couture thing happened.
“I felt like there was obviously a lack of communication there that I thought Randy and I had. That whole thing freaked me out, so I wanted to talk to them all about that, too."
No word has come from the UFC if this type of meeting will be an ongoing effort or possibly a yearly session like those of the NBA or NFL, but the message sent from the organization helps show they are serious about the business of MMA and that they want to educate the fighters under contract to them.
Joe Lauzon learning new tricks from the ‘Prodigy’
Some mixed martial artists look for an extra source of motivation to get up for a fight, but Joe Lauzon isn’t in that group. Lauzon trains relentlessly so he can beat you at your own game, neutralize your strengths and take away all of your options.
“Since I started training, I wanted to take down wrestlers, submit Jiu-Jitsu fighters, [and] throw Judo guys,” Lauzon explains. “In training, I want to beat you at what you are best at. In a fight, I want to bring my ‘A’ game and dominate you from start to finish. I train so that I can hang with you at your best and put you where you are at your worst.”
So when Lauzon’s UFC 78 opponent, Jason Reinhardt, tried to initiate a war of words with the Bridgewater, Massachusetts native, he may have been biting off more than he could chew. We won’t know for sure until they square off on November 17 in Newark, New Jersey, but if Reinhardt was hoping to get in Lauzon’s head and throw him off of his game, then he’s out of luck. In fact, Lauzon thinks the trash talking might be a sign of his opponent’s own uneasiness.
“He has called me out on a number of occasions, [telling] me to ‘stand and trade like a man,’ and talking about how he doesn’t care about who wins, [that] he just wants to have the fight of the night,” Lauzon says. “I think he knows this fight isn't going his way and he wants that fight of the night bonus. I am all for getting the bonus too, but I am out there to win first and foremost. I think he is scared.”
Reinhardt, a 37-year-old from Decatur, Illinois, does have a significant edge in overall experience -- he started training in 1999, when Lauzon was still in high school and yet to be introduced to the sport. And his 18-0 professional record, at first glance, looks impressive.
However, upon further inspection, Reinhardt’s UFC debut will be a significant step up in competition. Lauzon, on the other hand, worked his way up the ranks against top quality opposition in the featherweight and lightweight divisions – including Mike Brown, Ivan Menjivar and Rafael Assuncao – gaining experience that helped him chalk up wins in his first two UFC appearances. Lauzon’s already been tested and pushed to his limits, and that, he says, gives him the true edge in the experience category.
“He is 18-0, and while he hasn't fought any big names, he has finished everyone. No one has stopped him yet, and just because he was beating on lesser guys doesn't mean he isn't a complete animal,” Lauzon says. “At the same time, I think there is a reason he fought so many lesser guys. I think I will have him in every area, including experience. He has been training longer than me, but I think I have the experience advantage, because I’ve fought tougher guys and have fought in the UFC. Most every UFC fighter talks about UFC jitters and everything else. If I was 37 years old and this was my one shot, and I was fighting someone that comes out as aggressive as I do, I would be nervous.” He continues, “We both finish guys quickly and [there’s] a good chance I could catch him very early in the first round, because it wouldn't be the first time it's happened. It's a fight and anything could happen and he could catch me just as quickly, but I feel like I have the edge all around, so I don't see it happening. This is do or die for him, and I am sure he is thinking about it.”
That’s not to say that Lauzon is making the mistake of overlooking Reinhardt or taking the fight lightly. A little over a year ago Lauzon was a no-name guy making his UFC debut against former lightweight champion Jens Pulver, written off by fans and experts alike as nothing more than fodder to help usher in the return of a champion.
“It is always dangerous facing an underdog, but mostly when you sleep on someone or don't take them seriously,” Lauzon says. “Jens wasn't hungry like a 23-year-old kid that’s just getting started. That’s where I am … hungry. I'm not content with just winning. I want to dominate.”
And when push comes to shove, Lauzon has found ways to persevere. If Reinhardt catches him, he’s had his back against the wall enough times to know not to panic.
“I have had fights that I got beat up pretty good in, but I kept fighting,” Lauzon says. “I don't think he has gone through that, and I don't think he has had anyone bring the kind of pressure I do. If things get tough for me, I will still be coming strong. I think when things get tough for him he is going to crumble.”
Lauzon would have every reason to be confident just based on his 14-3 professional record, the win over Pulver and his recent dominating performance against Brandon Melendez. But now the young contender has been training with MMA great B.J. Penn in Hilo, Hawaii. That, along with training full-time for the first time in his career, has paid dividends.
“I can't even tell you how impressed I was with BJ from training with him on the show, but after training with him for 2 months in Hilo, it's so much more,” Lauzon says. “Being able to focus on just training has been huge, and being with B.J. and other like minded people [has] helped a lot too. Everything we did revolved around training. It was he first time I went from training around other commitments like work to having everything take a back seat to training.”
Needless to say, Lauzon doesn’t regret the decision to focus on fighting and leave the financial security of his IT job behind.
“If I had kept my job, my income would have been a lot more and things would have been easier financially, but I would have missed an important window of time to try and make something real out of fighting,” he says. “Looking at it from a strictly business sense it wasn't the right decision, but living with myself and not being one of those guys saying I could have done more is more important to me.”
There are still student loans to think about, of course, and Lauzon, as cerebral as he is, knows that the long-term future isn’t set in stone. But for the time being, he’s focusing on fighting and getting the best out of himself in the gym and in the octagon.
“It's been going well so far and it’s what I want to do,” he says. “I think I will be bouncing back and forth between Hawaii and Boston for a while, because I do see advantages to each. I am going to stop worrying about the long term stuff and focus on the smaller things and take everything one fight at a time. I have a few ideas of what I want to do long term, but I am going to hold off on them. Right now it's all about building a name and I have just started on that. The rest will fall into place when the time is right.”
Some mixed martial artists look for an extra source of motivation to get up for a fight, but Joe Lauzon isn’t in that group. Lauzon trains relentlessly so he can beat you at your own game, neutralize your strengths and take away all of your options.
“Since I started training, I wanted to take down wrestlers, submit Jiu-Jitsu fighters, [and] throw Judo guys,” Lauzon explains. “In training, I want to beat you at what you are best at. In a fight, I want to bring my ‘A’ game and dominate you from start to finish. I train so that I can hang with you at your best and put you where you are at your worst.”
So when Lauzon’s UFC 78 opponent, Jason Reinhardt, tried to initiate a war of words with the Bridgewater, Massachusetts native, he may have been biting off more than he could chew. We won’t know for sure until they square off on November 17 in Newark, New Jersey, but if Reinhardt was hoping to get in Lauzon’s head and throw him off of his game, then he’s out of luck. In fact, Lauzon thinks the trash talking might be a sign of his opponent’s own uneasiness.
“He has called me out on a number of occasions, [telling] me to ‘stand and trade like a man,’ and talking about how he doesn’t care about who wins, [that] he just wants to have the fight of the night,” Lauzon says. “I think he knows this fight isn't going his way and he wants that fight of the night bonus. I am all for getting the bonus too, but I am out there to win first and foremost. I think he is scared.”
Reinhardt, a 37-year-old from Decatur, Illinois, does have a significant edge in overall experience -- he started training in 1999, when Lauzon was still in high school and yet to be introduced to the sport. And his 18-0 professional record, at first glance, looks impressive.
However, upon further inspection, Reinhardt’s UFC debut will be a significant step up in competition. Lauzon, on the other hand, worked his way up the ranks against top quality opposition in the featherweight and lightweight divisions – including Mike Brown, Ivan Menjivar and Rafael Assuncao – gaining experience that helped him chalk up wins in his first two UFC appearances. Lauzon’s already been tested and pushed to his limits, and that, he says, gives him the true edge in the experience category.
“He is 18-0, and while he hasn't fought any big names, he has finished everyone. No one has stopped him yet, and just because he was beating on lesser guys doesn't mean he isn't a complete animal,” Lauzon says. “At the same time, I think there is a reason he fought so many lesser guys. I think I will have him in every area, including experience. He has been training longer than me, but I think I have the experience advantage, because I’ve fought tougher guys and have fought in the UFC. Most every UFC fighter talks about UFC jitters and everything else. If I was 37 years old and this was my one shot, and I was fighting someone that comes out as aggressive as I do, I would be nervous.” He continues, “We both finish guys quickly and [there’s] a good chance I could catch him very early in the first round, because it wouldn't be the first time it's happened. It's a fight and anything could happen and he could catch me just as quickly, but I feel like I have the edge all around, so I don't see it happening. This is do or die for him, and I am sure he is thinking about it.”
That’s not to say that Lauzon is making the mistake of overlooking Reinhardt or taking the fight lightly. A little over a year ago Lauzon was a no-name guy making his UFC debut against former lightweight champion Jens Pulver, written off by fans and experts alike as nothing more than fodder to help usher in the return of a champion.
“It is always dangerous facing an underdog, but mostly when you sleep on someone or don't take them seriously,” Lauzon says. “Jens wasn't hungry like a 23-year-old kid that’s just getting started. That’s where I am … hungry. I'm not content with just winning. I want to dominate.”
And when push comes to shove, Lauzon has found ways to persevere. If Reinhardt catches him, he’s had his back against the wall enough times to know not to panic.
“I have had fights that I got beat up pretty good in, but I kept fighting,” Lauzon says. “I don't think he has gone through that, and I don't think he has had anyone bring the kind of pressure I do. If things get tough for me, I will still be coming strong. I think when things get tough for him he is going to crumble.”
Lauzon would have every reason to be confident just based on his 14-3 professional record, the win over Pulver and his recent dominating performance against Brandon Melendez. But now the young contender has been training with MMA great B.J. Penn in Hilo, Hawaii. That, along with training full-time for the first time in his career, has paid dividends.
“I can't even tell you how impressed I was with BJ from training with him on the show, but after training with him for 2 months in Hilo, it's so much more,” Lauzon says. “Being able to focus on just training has been huge, and being with B.J. and other like minded people [has] helped a lot too. Everything we did revolved around training. It was he first time I went from training around other commitments like work to having everything take a back seat to training.”
Needless to say, Lauzon doesn’t regret the decision to focus on fighting and leave the financial security of his IT job behind.
“If I had kept my job, my income would have been a lot more and things would have been easier financially, but I would have missed an important window of time to try and make something real out of fighting,” he says. “Looking at it from a strictly business sense it wasn't the right decision, but living with myself and not being one of those guys saying I could have done more is more important to me.”
There are still student loans to think about, of course, and Lauzon, as cerebral as he is, knows that the long-term future isn’t set in stone. But for the time being, he’s focusing on fighting and getting the best out of himself in the gym and in the octagon.
“It's been going well so far and it’s what I want to do,” he says. “I think I will be bouncing back and forth between Hawaii and Boston for a while, because I do see advantages to each. I am going to stop worrying about the long term stuff and focus on the smaller things and take everything one fight at a time. I have a few ideas of what I want to do long term, but I am going to hold off on them. Right now it's all about building a name and I have just started on that. The rest will fall into place when the time is right.”