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Feb 7, 2006
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Exclusive Update: Frank Shamrock

PDG: The last time we talked was at the StrikeForce event. What have you been up to since?
Frank: I have just been ruling the universe and kicking asses on my way.

Financing, business, training, movies, site design!!

PDG: The next StrikeForce event is in March. Are you going to be on that fight card?
Frank: I hope so I would like to fight Renzo Gracie but I don't know what his problem is. I think he is spending too much time at acting school and is still looking for his sack. When we put an offer out there and he has not yet taken it.

PDG: At the last StrikeForce event, Cung Le challenged you to a fight and you accepted. Why don't you fight him in March?
Frank: If I can't kick Gracie's butt then I guess it will be Cung. I would love to fight Cung and I am sure he would have no problem accepting the fight. He is just not smart enough to realize that I am going to smash him.

PDG: Were you impressed by his victory over Sam Morgan?
Frank: I was surprised he didn't have a heart attack. He looked terrible and I think it is because he was filming a movie and neglecting his training. I don't think it was a good display of his skills.

PDG: Would you say that Morgan exposed some of his weaknesses?
Frank: I could see that he was still scared to get hit in the face. He showed that he has good martial skills and kicking but he looked very tired at the end of the fight.

PDG: Is StrikeForce going to be involved in any cross promotional events in 2008?
Frank: I think there is going to be a least one per year. I am thinking of starting my own promotion so that all my friends can beat each other up.

PDG: What would you call it?
Frank: MMA entertainment; it would be in a sunken box, no cage, no ring. I think the ring and the cage get in the way. If you want to see people really beat each other up you need to get rid of all that other stuff. You know stadium style seating and a sunken chute box in the center.

PDG: How serious are you about this idea?
Frank: I think it is something we will probably do in 2009. I haven't yet had a lot of time to work on it. I've been spending most of my time trying to set up the Shamrock versus Shamrock fight.

PDG: I read that Gary Shaw is working on the promotional side to get that fight signed.
Frank: My company and Ken's Co. are setting up the fight. Gary is also working on the financial side of the deal. This fight is definitely going to happen and right now we are just looking at different media outlets to decide which one we will air the fight. This fight is going to be bigger than the sport and it should be a mainstream event. It is a once in a lifetime event so we are going to probably have multiple promotions involved. I think it is a story that speaks to the mass public and media.

PDG: Do you think that some fans and people outside of mix martial arts will look at two brothers fighting each other in a negative way?
Frank: Oh sure, I am sure they will. Some people already have a negative view of our sport but when people actually watch it and see what mixed martial arts is all about they usually change their opinion. It will be great for the sport and a lot of people want to see the fight. It is kind of like when the first UFC happened, viewers were all curious about which style would prevail. We are going to be asking the same question; which brothers' style will prevail?

PDG: Will this fight happen in 2008?
Frank: No, we are planning on the first quarter of 2009. We want to make sure that we do it right so fans will have to wait just a little while. There is only one chance to do this right and tell the story how it should be told. Ken and myself are going to be in control. We are not going to let some promoter come in and make up their own story. The truth is always more powerful than the other crap that they come up with.

PDG: I saw your new Youtube video with you and Cung Le sparring. Can you tell the readers what they can expect if they click the link to watch the video?
Frank: Laughs. It is one of my mockumentaries about Cung Le. I like him but I don't think he is grasping the reality of what I am going to do to him. I don't think he understands what he is getting himself into. The video is a spin off of a MasterCard commercial. It is a sparring session from seven years ago. I used to be his sparring partner back then because they were always looking for tough partners for him to train with. I was the only guy tough enough to get in there with him. Back then I didn't have a whole lot of standup in my repertoire. It is a good video because I want the public to see him look good before I smash him.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=892xeAKarSY

PDG: Do you think he has improved since that sparring session?
Frank: I don't see much improvement but I think he has been working on his ground game. In the meantime I have been working on my standup game. I know so much about the world of mixed martial arts; it is ridiculous and Cung is just a baby in the sport.

PDG: How is the new company coming along?
Frank: Fantastic; business is great and we are just finishing up a financing round for our entertainment company. The martial arts school is absolutely killing it and soon we will have a franchise model available for expansion. We will start with California and spread from there. The new company MMA stars is fired up now and we just signed Shomie Carter. We currently have other deals in the works with different athletes and we are basically offering them a new way to learn about all of the other stuff that comes along with a career in mixed martial arts. Such as financial planning, business ventures, public speaking and management. We are also going to show them how to teach martial arts and become bodyguards. The website is www.MMAstars.com. Things couldn't be better and my wife is going to be having our baby on May the third. So I am trying to get as much work done as I can before that so that I can spend some time at home.

PDG: At the StrikeForce event, one of your up and coming fighters Clint Coronel suffered a defeat by unanimous decision after a great fight. How is he doing and when will he fight again?
Frank: He is doing great, that fight broke his heart. He has had four tough decision losses in a row. I think it may be something in his head that is holding him back but he is back to training and teaching again. He is going to fight again in February and I'm going to send them on the road so that he can go out and get the feeling for different arenas, different cages and different rings. I think that maybe he went too far too fast and now maybe he is holding back a little bit so hopefully the experience of seeing that there's more out there besides the HP Pavilion will help him grow as a fighter.

PDG: Last question. Who are you taking to win the fight Saturday night? Chuck or Wanderlei?
Frank: I hope Chuck beats him. I have nothing against Wanderlei but the one time I did meet him; he wasn't very nice to me. Chuck has always been very cool so I am picking Chuck.

PDG: Thanks for your time Frank and enjoy the new year.
Frank: Thank you and have a good one.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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M-1 GLOBAL PLEASED WITH YARENNOKA EVENT

It has not yet held an event of its own, but M-1 Global’s major participation in the year-end event held by a coalition spearheaded by former Pride executives served as a pseudo-debut for the fledging promotion. M-1’s chief operating officer, Bob Clark indicated that things went very well.

“We were pleased to be able to support the Yarennoka event. Fedor (Emelianenko) clearly demonstrated why he is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the world,” he said. “We are glad that MMA fans in the U.S. were able to see this great fight live on HDNet.”

M-1’s strategy is to have fights worldwide while working with other MMA organizations, like it did for Yarennoka in Japan. M-1 will have events in 2008 in Russia and the United States (likely in March) and hopes to return to Japan.

“The success of this event demonstrates the synergies that can be created when MMA organizations across the world work together to stage a spectacular event,” stated Clark.

M-1’s imprint on the event was undeniable – first with Emelianenko’s presence on the fight card and with its branding on promotional materials.

Upon signing a contract, Emelianenko indicated that a big part of his reasoning for choosing M-1 was because of the promotion’s global strategy and willingness to allow him to fight for other promotions. Following his victory over Hong Man Choi at Yarennoka, he also voiced his satisfaction and his hopes to continue fighting in Japan in the future.

“I am happy to have fought in Japan once again, as tonight’s fight was for all the fans,” Emelianenko said, addressing the crowd afterward. “If I am able to, I will return to Japan to fight.”
 
Jul 24, 2005
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http://mmamania.com/2008/01/02/tim-s...and-then-some/
Tim Sylvia calls Fedor a "p**sy

“I think he [Fedor Emelianenko] is being a p*ssy. I think Fedor is very good, but you have to fight the top level competitors all the time to keep that status, and he is just not doing that.”

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia shares his thoughts on top-ranked Fedor Emelianenko, who just defeated Hong Man Choi via submission (armbar) over the weekend in a bizarre match up at Yarennoka! in Japan. “The Maine-iac” apparently “respects Emelianenko’s skills – just not his choice of opponents.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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^^^^^Thats why timmy is about to get his ass kicked by Big Nog a fighter Fedor beatdown multiple times. Im sure M-1 will get top comp for Fedor. Josh Barnett vs Fedor would be a war.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MATT HUGHES PONDERS HIS FUTURE

Having lost for the second time to Georges St-Pierre, the man that is largely considered the greatest welterweight champion in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Matt Hughes is left to ponder his future.

It’s a difficult position to be in. Most pundits believe that he is still a step above nearly everyone in the welterweight division, but in St-Pierre, Hughes has seemingly run into a puzzle that he can’t solve.

“I'm not gonna come out here and be somebody's highlight reel. It's just not me,” he said after Saturday night’s bout.

“I just have to go back to the drawing board and see what's going on, see what I want to do. I've got to see what my family wants to do and I've got to pray on it. Dana White and the UFC have treated me like family, so I've got to see what they want me to do and I've got to see where my heart is at.”

Asked his thoughts on Hughes’ future, UFC president Dana White was clear that he didn’t want the former champion going anywhere.

“Matt's future is, he's going to be with the UFC forever if that's what he wants to do. I've always named off a handful of guys that have been with me for seven, eight years and who've helped us build this business. Matt Hughes will be with the UFC as long as he wants to,” explained White. “As far as his fighting career, that's up to him. We'll sit down, we'll talk, and we'll see.”

Despite all the success that he has incurred since defeating Carlos Newton at UFC 38 in November of 2001, surprisingly, Hughes says that he never really considered fighting his career.

“I've looked at this sport as a sport and as a hobby. I've never really looked at it as a career to be honest,” he stated. “To be honest, this is just so fun. I walk into a gym twice a day... how can it be a career? Careers are supposed to be something that you don't want to wake up to every day.”

With all of the friction between Hughes and current welterweight champion Matt Serra, there are obvious questions about whether he could retire before that bout is able to take place, but he didn’t seem overly concerned.

“Do I want to fight Matt Serra? Yah, I do,” he said matter-of-factly. “But am I going to die if I don't get to fight him? No, not at all. There're bigger things out there than fighting Matt Serra.”

Although Serra doesn’t seem occupy the fore of his mind, Hughes was adamant about one thing: where his loyalties lie.

“One thing we can get straight. I am family with the UFC. I will never jump ship. I will never go to another organization,” he declared. “This is just a word for you guys out there, don't even come to me with offers because I am not accepting them. I won't fight anybody, anywhere else, unless the UFC wants me to.” White couldn’t have been more pleased saying, “I love when he says that.”

So while it remains unclear what direction Hughes’ fighting career takes, whether he decides to call it a day or return for another run at the belt, it’s clear that he is a company man that will be UFC forever.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Ricco Rodriguez’s UFC 39 UFC Belt up for Auction

The UFC heavyweight championship belt awarded to Ricco Rodriguez after his UFC 39 victory over Randy Couture is up for auction.

That starting price? A cool $29,999.

The auction is being hosted by eBay and ends on Monday, Jan. 7 at 11 p.m. ET.

According to the item’s seller (who appears to be a business partner of Rodriguez’s), the 30-year-old former champ is selling the belt to raise money for a new MMA school he hopes to open in the South.

Rodriguez (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who’s competed professionally since 1999, made his UFC debut at UFC 32 in June 2001. After posting four consecutive knockout victories, he was slated to face Couture for the UFC’s vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 39 (the title was vacated when former champ Josh Barnett tested positive for anabolic steroids). Rodriguez forced Couture to verbally submit at the 3:04 mark of the fifth round.

Rodriguez went on to lose the title to Tim Sylvia in his next bout, and after subsequent losses to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in PRIDE and Pedro Rizzo at UFC 45, he left the UFC for good. He most recently competed for the Plainum Fighting Productions and International Fight League organizations.

Starting Jan. 10, Rodriguez can be seen as a cast member on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab.” VH1 will run eight one-hour episodes of the weekly reality series. Dr. Drew Pinsky, best known as a host on “Loveline,” is an addiction specialist and oversees the celebrities’ drug and alcohol rehabilitation during the show.

Rodriguez tested positive for cocaine and marijuana after a November 2006 event in California.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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^^^^^Thats why timmy is about to get his ass kicked by Big Nog a fighter Fedor beatdown multiple times. Im sure M-1 will get top comp for Fedor. Josh Barnett vs Fedor would be a war.

that why they fight the fights anything can happen big nog is going to be a heavy favorite but tim always fights to his game plan look at the vera fight it was boring as hell but he stuck to his game plan
 
Feb 7, 2006
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actually I think Timmy will be the favorite in this fight. yes anything can happen but I believe Big nog will take this. Ass for the Vera fight tim did execute but he took the pussy way out for that win instead of tryin to fight.
 
May 17, 2004
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actually I think Timmy will be the favorite in this fight. yes anything can happen but I believe Big nog will take this. Ass for the Vera fight tim did execute but he took the pussy way out for that win instead of tryin to fight.
agreed.

one thing we can all agree on is Frank Mir is a good announcer and i wouldnt mind seeing him doing some announcing for the ufc
 
Feb 7, 2006
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DANA WHITE ADDRESSES STATE OF THE UFC

In his post-fight comments following UFC 79 on Dec. 29, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White not only discussed the evening’s festivities, but spent a healthy portion of his time talking about the most aggressive year in the history of the promotion, as well as his plans for the future.



He stated that UFC 79 brought in a live gate of $4.9 million, which makes it the highest grossing mixed martial arts event of 2007 and the second highest grossing in the history of the sport, indicating that it was a strong finish to a very active year.



“We had a kick ass 2007. It was an aggressive year for us; buying Pride, the WEC, cover of Sports Illustrated, moving into Europe, and next year’s going to be even bigger,” said White.



“Every year we’ve taken this thing to another level, wait until you see what we do with 2008.”



One of the most broached subjects is always the expansion of the territories that the UFC operates in. White has already confirmed the promotion’s Canadian debut, which is slated to take place in Montreal in April. On Saturday night, he also stated that Germany is a target for 2008.



Looking even deeper into his crystal ball, he said, “The two places we're focusing on right now are New York and Mexico, so I'm hoping to be in both by 2009.” Though he said that a return to Brazil isn’t currently on the radar.



White has made no secret of the fact that he wants Georges St-Pierre to headline the first Canadian event. With the new interim welterweight champion coming out of his fight with Matt Hughes relatively unscathed, the only question now is regarding his opposition.



He couldn’t confirm it, but is seemingly hopeful that he’ll be able to pit St-Pierre in a unification bout against current champion Matt Serra, who is suffering from a recent back injury.



“Matt Serra is very confident that he will heal quickly. I think he feels he’ll be ready for April. That wouldn’t suck,” commented White with a grin on his face.



Addressing the numerous other entities that are making a run at promoting MMA events, he addressed one newcomer in particular, but remained supremely confident in his promotion’s position as the industry’s leader.



“This sport is like the ‘Wild, Wild West’ right now. The biggest guy (coming into the sport) right now is Mark Cuban. He’s got a lot of money and everyone is talking about what he’s going to do,” White expounded. “Floyd Mayweather is walking around with $70 million in his pocket and we all know how Floyd loves to spend money, so I’m sure Cuban is trying to get him to invest in it.



“I like it. The more money that comes into the sport the better it is to help grow the sport. More athletes get fights, make money, start their careers, and they’ll all end up in the UFC at the end of the day.”



But he doesn’t seem overly considered with the opposition. In contrast, he seems to fall into the old dictum of “the best defense is a strong offense” and focused his strategies on what his organization is doing to keep the juggernaut growing.



“There’s still a lot more work to do,” he said matter-of-factly. But aiming square on at rumors of a television deal with CBS, White stated, “Could be. We're always out to get more exposure … Not necessarily broadcast television, but we need to get more exposure.



“In the next few weeks we’re going to be making some announcements that are going to shake up the entire industry again.”



In the end though, he is confident in the direction the UFC is headed and doesn’t seem overly concerned with major corporate sponsors being slow to climb aboard (Harley-Davidson, however, was center mat for UFC 79) or the recent derailment of a TV deal with HBO.



“It's taken longer than I'd hoped after the whole Spike thing started going well, but the bottom line is, we're not going to cut a deal that doesn't make sense,” declared the defiant UFC president. “I don't care who the deal is with. We did this whole thing on our own. Nobody helped us. Nobody was running up trying to finance us ... so it's going to be done on our terms
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Wanderlei Silva Comments On His Fight With Chuck Liddell

The following is a translation of a post made by Wanderlei Silva on his personal website WanderleiSilva.com:
A VERY HARD FIGHT

This was the headline of a Latin newspaper here in the US and that's how I would describe this fight. I was very prepared physically and technically, I congratulate my team for that. They managed to do a great job.

I really gave my best and I'm here proving that I fight anyone and also proving that Brazilians are tough and go till the end. I thank everybody that supported me.

Tomorrow I'll post a video commenting the fight, recognizing what went wrong... and what went right...

Did you people got excited about the fight yesterday? Then I'm happy for making you cheer! Thanks for the support, people... and see you next time!
 
Jul 24, 2005
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actually I think Timmy will be the favorite in this fight. yes anything can happen but I believe Big nog will take this. Ass for the Vera fight tim did execute but he took the pussy way out for that win instead of tryin to fight.
A big nog didn't look to good when he was put up with herring hopefully he will look alot better cause tim been talking alotta shit about the pride heavies for years and so far he's been right.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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A big nog didn't look to good when he was put up with herring hopefully he will look alot better cause tim been talking alotta shit about the pride heavies for years and so far he's been right.
what do you mean he did not look so good yeah he got rocked by that kick that heath landed but before and after the kick Big Nog dominated heath. Nogs been in alot of wars where he has been rocked worst then at ufc 73. I see Nog winning he does not have world class takedowns but he always takes his opponent down with the exception of Fedor in the last to fights. I would love t see Nog shut Tims big mouth
 
Apr 25, 2002
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I cant find the thread where I was the only one that gave Chucky a chance to win against Wandy while everyone thought Silva was gonna put a beatdown on Chuck. Was a great fight but damn GSP putting a mma schoolin on Matt Hughes great card overall....
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC Fighter Alessio Sakara Joins American Top Team

Alessio Sakara (11-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a UFC light heavyweight who’s lost three of his past four fights (all in the UFC), has joined American Top Team, according to the official ATT website.

Sakara, an Italian-born striker who’s finished seven of his 11 victories via knockout, next competes at UFC 80, where he takes on King of the Cage veteran and UFC newcomer James Lee. The event takes place at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England and airs via tape delay on pay-per-view.

The 26-year-old Sakara may move to middleweight after the fight.

Relocating to ATT should help the striker improve his ground game, though few fans realize Sakara already owns a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt. In fact, he’s been submitted only twice in his career — and only once in the past five years (to ground specialist Dean Lister at UFC 60).

ATT, one of the world’s biggest and most famous training centers, is located in Coconut Creek, Fla. Notables such as Denis Kang, Marcus Aurelio, Din Thomas, Thiago Alves and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante all call the camp home.