MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Bigfoot: “Nobody in UFC can beat Nogueira”

Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva’s life couldn’t be better. With no losses for almost two years, the EliteXC heavyweight champion is celebrating his win, but already thinks in his back to defend his belt. “I’m happy, but I’m back on training because I might come back in September to defend my belt. I passed a week with my family and it was great, but I’m back here (ATT) now”, said the athlete, that analyzed Rodrigo Nogueira’s next fight in UFC.

“Frank Mir ix an excellent fighter, has a good ground game and is not a fool standing up, but not because I’m a huge Nogueira fan or friend, but nobody in UFC can beat him. Everything can happen in a fight, but I believe nobody can beat him there”, bet the athlete, cheering for his friend to keep his Ultimate belt.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kazunori Yokota has a confidence to win

Kazunori Yokota, who faces Bojan Kosednar in Sengoku 4, invited the press to his training in GRABAKA gym. He told that he had a confidence to defeat Gomi before.
Yokota:
I saw a couple of his fight videos. He is a big and powerful judo specialist. I think he attempts to take me down by tackling, so I practice to cut his tackles. I'm an all round fighter, and I want to use striking techniques a lot in my next fight. I lose whenever I underestimate my opponent. This is what I learned from my last fight with Seung Hwan Bang in May. I learned a lot from my loss. I have a confidence about my speed. I will dominate my opponent both in the standing position and on the ground. I'm sure I will impress everyone.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Body Politics

File this one under “Further Humiliation of the International Fight League Department”: Former IFL standout Roy Nelson (Pictures) was recently advised by UFC brass that it would be in his best interests to doff the excess weight surrounding his midsection.

Nelson, for the uninitiated, is a talented fighter who may be hovering near 30 percent body fat storage, enough to strain the jaws of even the most durable mass calipers. He is every tired pregnant-man joke personified, the best “Before” picture a supplement company could ever hope for.

In brief: He’s a Fat Guy.

It’s a label Nelson wears proudly. After one of his last IFL bouts, he stroked and cradled his engorged belly like a pet, the protuberant, gelatinous mass earning applause of its very own. He seems to relish the dichotomy of his central obesity and the ability to concuss opponents with a combination of heavy power and formidable conditioning. (Upstart promotion Affliction apparently agreed, having signed him to a deal to appear on its October card.)

Nelson and his e-supporters took obvious umbrage at the UFC’s (alleged) condition of employment. Fighters should be expected to fight, the chorus went, not to be Calvin Klein models.

They certainly have precedent to reference. One of the most iconic figures in the sport, Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), is one blintz away from needing a bigger WAMMA belt; perennial antihero David “Tank” Abbott looks to have swallowed a Pilates ball. Neither man’s career seems to have suffered from lack of being able to spot their anterior deltoid.

And yet the UFC can’t be called unreasonable.

Sure, it’s the fight -- not Mr. Olympia -- business. Participants should be judged on the merits of their skills and not how well they translate into an action figure. But there are extremes, cases where someone may be so outside the literal and proverbial mold of what’s acceptable in a public spectacle that it becomes an issue. Nelson’s sloughing stomach is so noticeable that casual inspection would indicate this sport is everything its detractors believe it is -- an unqualified, televised bar scuffle.

Nelson may chalk up his shape to genetics, but a reasonable diet coupled with calorically demanding training can’t possibly sustain excess weight of that volume. A dumpy physique is one thing -- looking to the world like you’ve never seen a Stairmaster is another.

If Joe Riggs (Pictures) can deflate from a 300-pound behemoth into a concrete-carved 170-pound athlete, I’m inclined to believe Nelson is less genetically deprived and more a fan of pancakes piled higher than his head. If he ate less than his body needed to maintain the heft, it would be a miracle of science and medicine to not drop weight.

Why should looks matter? Aside from the hue and cry over the “unfairness” of it all, we live in a world quick to judge based on visual appearance and have learned to take cues based on what we see. Outside of bodybuilding’s walking pharmacies, a well-muscled body is generally an indicator of good health -- though combat athletes often dehydrate themselves into catatonia, they’re by and large heart-healthy, strong and fit. It is not unthinkable (or even unethical) that the sport’s legitimacy can be aided and abetted by fit-looking participants.

Heavyweights are often the most troubled by this notion, considering that they’re not motivated to shred weight by division restrictions. (It’s rare you’ll see a soft-looking middleweight, and if you do, chances are excellent he’ll be a welterweight before long.) Devoid of any reason to go easy on the scale, it becomes easy to pound away the food an energy-depleted body demands.

While I don’t chastise the UFC for wanting Nelson to come in trimmer, there is an element of amusement in watching a man defy stereotypes. “That Fat Guy sure can fight” is probably an oft-repeated comment during one of his bouts. Like Muggsy Bogues dribbling around men two feet taller, it’s interesting to see a visual outcast break the mold.

I remember having to suffer through a Dark Ages UFC telecast with my brother-in-law back in the late 1990s. (His satellite dish was the only way I could watch the show.) Upon seeing the sunken-in chest of Jeremy Horn (Pictures), he remarked that Horn was a “nerd” who would absolutely be departing from the arena in an ambulance. This prediction was cemented by the ominous look of opponent Chuck Liddell (Pictures), who, with his Mohawk and skull tattoo, looked as though he was on parole.

Naturally, Horn proceeded to choke Liddell unconscious.

I imagine my brother would have a similar derisive-turned-silent response if he ever saw Nelson flatten a comparative Adonis like Andrei Arlovski (Pictures).

But that’s part of the fun of the sport: Danger comes in all shapes and sizes.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Connections Land Horwich UFC Gig

The pending demise of the International Fight League meant it was time for one-time middleweight champion Matt Horwich (Pictures) to call in a few favors.

“I found out that they weren’t going to use me on their next show, and then I heard that the next show might not even be happening,” Horwich says. “So I talked to Eddie Bravo and had him talk to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva for me. Also, my coach and manager, Matt Lindland (Pictures), talked to him for me.”

Horwich’s intercessors brought results, and after securing his release from the sinking IFL, the Team Quest fighter landed a deal with the UFC. He will make his promotional debut at UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” on Oct. 25, when he meets Ricardo Almeida (Pictures) at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

The eccentric 30-year-old admits his best memories from the IFL come from hanging out with its staff and, of course, his reign as the organization’s first titleholder at 185 pounds. Horwich knocked out the favored Benji Radach (Pictures) in the middleweight final of the IFL World Grand Prix in December to capture the crown.

“When I was fortunate enough to get the knockout against Benji Radach and get the middleweight belt, that was a beautiful night and a wonderful memory because I was really the underdog in that fight,” Horwich says.

Even though he will no longer compete inside the team-based IFL system, Horwich does not believe the move to the UFC will change the dynamics surrounding how he trains under Lindland at Team Quest in Oregon.

“We’ve always got that camaraderie and team atmosphere, even though we’re all fighting in different organizations,” he says. “We’re all like family and want to see each other do well.”

Horwich (23-10-1) -- who holds notable wins over Xtreme Couture’s Mike Pyle (Pictures) and UFC veterans Josh Burkman (Pictures), Jason MacDonald (Pictures) and Vernon White (Pictures) -- looks forward to bringing his game to the UFC stage.

“I’m stoked about the opportunity,” he says, “and I’m doing everything I know of to be as well prepared as I can to make the most out of it.”

Almeida (9-3), a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie (Pictures), will provide a tough match up for Horwich, who has garnered 19 of his 23 wins via submission.

“Ricardo Almeida is a great fighter and great person,” Horwich says. “It’s an honor to compete against him.”

For inspiration in fighting a world-class, Gracie-trained submission fighter like Almeida, Horwich looks to a recent performance from current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures).

“Ricardo Almeida has excellent submissions,” Horwich says, “but Georges St. Pierre was able to take a better submission guy like Matt Serra (Pictures) down and win the fight by staying out of submissions, having good cardio, having good guard passes and pushing the pace.”

Horwich claims his game plan will revolve around adapting as the match progresses and staying in the flow of the fight. He has not competed since he earned a unanimous decision against Joey Guel (Pictures) at an IFL show in May.

“I don’t like to get too stuck in thinking a fight is going to go a certain way because I like to have a flexible game plan for whatever happens out there,” Horwich says. “If I’m fortunate enough to land some good punches or rock in him in the stand-up, I’ll want to keep doing that. If things get too dangerous in the stand-up, then I might want to get the takedown and try to ground-and-pound, push the pace and tire him out. People are a lot less dangerous when they’re tired.”

Being in the UFC was a goal Horwich has held since he was a teen-ager.

“I went back and forth when I was a kid from wanting to be a martial artist like Royce Gracie (Pictures) or a musician,” he says. “Then I heard about the UFC making a comeback and Randy Couture (Pictures) having a school in Oregon. Matt Lindland was just starting back then, and I saw a couple of his fights and got signed up with Team Quest.”

Finally in the UFC after five years of fighting, Horwich, a devout Christian, remains focused on doing all the right things leading up to his showdown with Almeida. He constantly trains all aspects of his game and hones his spirituality daily in order to set up the best UFC debut possible.

“Every positive choice adds up when it’s time to compete,” Horwich says.

 

[Shogun Locc]

STRIKEFORCE DENVER EVENT TO AIR LIVE ON HDNET

Over the past two years, Strikeforce has carefully worked to expand its brand outside of its home base of San Jose, Calif.

They first took steps down the street to the Save Mart Center in Fresno and later a little further into Southern California at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills. Earlier this year, Strikeforce ventured north, out of state for the first time, to the Tacoma Dome in the Seattle area of Washington.

The promotion heads back to the Playboy Mansion in September, then again ventures outside The Golden State. On Oct. 3, Strikeforce heads up and over the Rocky Mountains to land at the Broomfield Events Center on the outskirts of Denver.

The main event features a rematch as local hero and UFC veteran Duane “Bang” Ludwig looks to avenge a past loss to Ultimate Fighter alumnus Sammy Morgan. Several other UFC veterans also dot the card with a bout between Frank Trigg and Falaniko Vitale, and the participation of Phil Baroni and Pete Spratt.

Along with taking the live events on the road, Strikeforce has also managed to line up a couple of television deals. One is a weekly series on late Saturday nights on NBC that features fights and highlights from past events. The other is a deal with HDNet to air live events on the Mark Cuban-owned high-definition subscription-based network.

At the time that Strikeforce announced the Oct. 3 event, it was unclear what, if any, television coverage the event would receive outside of highlights being featured on the “Strikeforce on NBC” series.

Company vice president Mike Afromowitz confirmed to MMAWeekly.com, however, that Strikeforce’s “Denver show will be televised live on HDNet.”

Strikeforce’s initial agreement with HDNet calls for the network to air four of the promotion’s events live in 2008. The first such event was the event at the Tacoma Dome in February. The Denver/Broomfield event marks the second event to air live on HDNet.

No other Strikeforce events have been announced for HDNet at this time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

POST INJURY, ANTHONY JOHNSON PLANS RETURN

Fresh off of a knockout victory over Tommy Speer in April, Anthony Johnson seemed to have the upper hand towards a decision victory against Kevin Burns at the July 19 UFC Fight Night. With just 90 seconds left in the fight, however, he suffered an inadvertent poke to the eye that went unnoticed by referee Steve Mazzagatti, but left Johnson on the losing end of a TKO with a detached retina.



Johnson has since undergone surgery to repair the injury. “I had laser surgery to reattach my retina and I got stitches in my eyeball right now,” he recently told MMAWeekly.com. “The laceration on my eye was from one end of my eye to the other.”



Johnson’s manager, Ken Pavia of MMA Agents, has been working on an appeal of the outcome, but Johnson doesn’t seem to let the result faze him all that much.



“I wasn’t really big on the whole appealing the fight anyway,” he commented. “Every single champion has a loss on his record. I’m trying to see myself as the bigger and better guy. If he’s the champion one day, I’ll accept an ‘L’.



“Everybody was hating on Mazzagatti because of the call, but he was on the side I was blocking on, so he actually didn’t see the guy eye gouge me. All he saw was the uppercut… he called what he thought he saw and I respect him.”



Of course he’s not happy with the decision. “I was disappointed because I did lose like that… when it should have been a no contest or a DQ. He saw what he thought he saw, so I’m not hating on him about it.”



But Johnson is already looking to the future instead of dwelling on the past, planning a return to the Octagon before winter comes. “The doctor said I can be cleared in September to fight, but I don’t want to fight in September. I’m just going to wait until October and get my eye right.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

SEAN SHERK: "I WANT TO FIGHT THE BEST OF THE BEST"

It has been a year of anguish for Sean Sherk. First, he had to face allegations of using a performance enhancing substance in his UFC lightweight title defense against Hermes Franca, which was upheld by the California State Athletic Commission. He went through months of suspension and the stripping of his championship belt.



Then, in his return to competition in May, Sherk suffered a rare TKO defeat at the hands of current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn.



Still, Sherk keeps his head up and looks forward to his next bout, and an eventual return to title contention.



“I have five fights left (on my contract),” he told MMAWeekly.com. “I feel like I have a good, strong future with the UFC still. I feel like I’m a strong part of the organization. Maybe one or two wins will put me back in title contention again.”



Part of his surety of returning to fight for UFC gold is Sherk’s particularity in selecting opponents. He’s not interested in taking on just anyone that happens to show a spark of talent in the lightweight division. He wants to face the toughest competition around, the guys that, if he defeats them, will leave no one doubting that he should be back in the mix, fighting for a UFC championship.



“I’ve been real careful with who I’m going to fight. I want to fight contenders; I want to fight top guys,” Sherk stated to MMMAWeekly.com. “I don’t want to fight up and coming guys… I want to fight the best of the best and that’s what I’m doing with my upcoming fight.”



Though it has yet to be announced by the UFC, sources close to both camps say that Sherk’s next bout has been signed and he will face rising contender Tyson Griffin. The bout is expected to take place in Chicago on Oct. 25 at UFC 90.



The winner will surely be propelled within a fight or two of an eventual title shot, although the lightweight division is currently in flux as champion B.J. Penn lobbies for a move up in weight to rematch UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, while retaining the crown at 155 pounds.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fatherhood and gym are new priorities for a refocused Kendall Grove

Kendall Grove saw the sign. It read exit.

After a pair of knockout losses, the 25-year-old Hawaiian mixed martial artist figured he was fighting for his immediate future in the UFC as he prepared to face veteran Evan Tanner in June. While every fighter echoes the well-worn line of "the next fight is the biggest of my career," in Grove's case, it really was.

Grove used the harsh reality of becoming a UFC outsider as motivation and stepped up to the challenge in beating Tanner by unanimous decision in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale. The victory put an end to his two-fight losing skid in the octagon and likely secured at least a couple of more battles in the sport's preeminent promotion.

"I felt everybody calling me out already," Grove told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), reflecting on the pressure leading up to the bout. "The jig was up, you could say. People were like, 'He's just another reality fighter.' But I went into that fight focused. I came back to Hawaii and started training at B.J. Penn Academy and just got focused."

While Grove had stints training in a pair of top camps in Team Punishment and Xtreme Couture, that didn't prevent him from suffering back-to-back KO losses to Jorge Rivera and Patrick Cote. Losses that Grove (9-5, 4-2 UFC) says "dented his career." To regroup, he went back to his Hawaiian roots to seek Penn's counsel and instruction. It was an attempt to reclaim the swagger that made Grove a season three "TUF" victor and a fighter on the rise in the UFC's middleweight division.

"On top of being the world champ at 155 (pounds), he's also been my hero," said Grove of Penn. "He's a Hawaii boy who made it, and it put motivation in me. If this guy from Hilo can make it, maybe I can. So, now I get to train with the guy. … Just being around that guy, you get focused because of his state of mind of fighting. And also, his dad, Mr. Penn, he can get you ready for war. My head got straightened out there. I went into that fight with the utmost confidence. I couldn't lose that night."

With the must-win fight behind him, "Da Spyder" is moving on to another pressure-filled, but more rewarding, task in life – fatherhood. Grove's girlfriend, Shaundy, gave birth to their first child, daughter Khloe, last month. And, the proud father has some catching up – and perhaps, groveling – to do.

"I shafted her twice on this pregnancy," he said. "At least six months I wasn't there (due to training). She definitely wants some time for her, and I'm really looking forward to raising my baby girl."

On top of diapers and sleep-deprived nights, Grove is taking some additional steps as a businessman, opening a gym on his home island of Maui with another Hawaiian-born fighter, Troy Mandaloniz. The training facility and martial arts school is set to open Sept. 27.

With priorities like a newborn and a new business, Grove is looking to take the rest of the year off from fighting and get back in the octagon in early 2009. He's also nursing a nasty baseball-sized contusion on his right shin suffered in the Tanner fight.

"Once my gym opens, I'll be training but not focused on myself as much. I want to build my gym," Grove said. "I know February the (regulatory) license will pass for Hawaii, and we can hold a UFC in Hawaii. Hopefully, the UFC can come down here, and, hopefully, that can be my first fight back."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast revealed

The identities of the 32 cast members who will appear on the upcoming eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" were released today.

Si.com revealed the names, records and training camps of all 32 fighters involved in "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir."

The upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter" features two 16-man tournaments. Lightweights and light-heavyweights will both be seeking UFC contracts. Filming recently concluded and the season debuts Sept. 17 on SpikeTV.

This season's competitors include:

LIGHTWEIGHT

Jose Aguilar
Fernando Bernstein
Junie Allen Browning
Rolando Delgado
Joseph Duarte
Charles Diaz
Efrain Escudero
Brandon Garner
David Kaplan
Brian McLaughlin
Wesley Murch
Shane Nelson
Phillipe Nover
Ido Pariente
John Polakowski
George Roop
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

Ryan Bader
Antwain Britt
Jules Bruchez
Lance Evans
Karen Grigoryan
Jason Guida
Ryan Jimmo
Kyle Kingsbury
Tom Lawlor
Ryan Lopez
Vinicius Magalhaes
Eric Magee
Eliot Marshall
Sean O'Connell
Shane Primm
Krzysztof Soszynski

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tim Boetsch knows he’s a work in progress

The awe was evident in Joe Rogan's voice as he tried to describe what he had just seen in the cage at UFC 81.

Tim Boetsch had just used David Heath's head like a soccer ball, bouncing it off his knees five or six times before he grabbed Heath around the shoulders and spiked him into the canvas.

Rogan, a color analyst on the UFC's television broadcast and a standup comedian who is quick with a barb, sounded stunned by what he'd seen.

"Look at this," Rogan exclaimed. "He just ... rag-dolls him to the ground. David Heath was stunned just from that."

Indeed, Heath was all but out from the spike, which caused spectators sitting on that side of the cage to wince. Terrell Owens hasn't spiked a football with as much force after an important touchdown.

Boetsch's victory over Heath stunned many veteran mixed martial arts observers, who had never heard of him previously. He'd only begun fighting slightly more than a year earlier and was suddenly pummeling an experienced fighter with ease.

None of what he did, though, surprised Wade Fatool. Boetsch's father-in-law is 50 and described by his son-in-law as a freak of nature. He still dominates many of those who are willing to get on the mat and wrestle with him in his hometown of Sunbury, Penn.

When Boetsch came to him in 2006 and said he wanted to become an MMA fighter, Fatool figured he had the perfect way of showing him the error of his ways.

"I'd boxed a little in college," Fatool said. "I wasn't a star or anything, but it was in intramurals and I at least kind of knew my way around the ring with gloves on."

Sure enough, on the first night they boxed, Fatool was grinning devilishly at the end of their session as Boetsch was wiping blood from his nose and mouth.

They went at it again three nights later, as the first night was not enough to convince Boetsch, a four-time state high school wrestling champion in Maine and a solid collegiate wrestler at Lock Haven, of the folly of his plan.

This time, though, it was Fatool who got a lesson, and an eye-opening.

"I could barely lay a glove on him," Fatool said. "He's a fast learner. For as much of a brute as he looks, he's pretty smart in there and figures things out."

It's a big leap, though, from beating your 50-year-old father-in-law in a sparring boxing match to taking on the best in the world in MMA, but Fatool was convinced that Boetsch would be successful because of his phenomenal strength, his wrestling ability and his determination.

Boetsch, who will fight submission specialist James Lee in a three-round light heavyweight bout at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta, got into MMA at the urging of his ex-college roommate and one-time IFL star, Mike Ciesnolevicz.

Ciesnolevicz had already turned pro and was training at the famed Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa. Boetsch had helped him prepare for some of his fights and Ciesnolevicz knew he'd be good at it.

"I knew he'd be good at it if he tried it," Ciesnolevicz said. "He had that great wrestling background and his work ethic was so strong. I knew if he focused all of his energy into it, he could be very good at it."

Ciesnolevicz might have a career as a talent scout once his own fighting career is over. Boetsch took him up on the offer to fight in a couple of amateur fights at a bar in Iowa and won both in less than a minute.

Suddenly, that job Boetsch had as a counselor didn't seem so appealing.

"I've always been a competitive guy and I had kind of gotten away from it," Boetsch said.

"I smashed two guys in under a minute and I got the urge to get back to competing." A month after his amateur debut, Boetsch was a pro. And he was delivering the same kind of results. In the smaller promotions he debuted in, there were few who combined his raw power with his intensity and wrestling ability.

He'd won his first six fights against no-name competition when he got what could have been the break of a lifetime. The International Fight League was looking for an opponent for Vladimir Matyushenko to compete in its semifinals on Aug. 2, 2007, because Matyushenko's original opponent fell out.

Boetsch was happy to oblige, but there was one hitch: He got the call three days before the fight. It wasn't exactly the way he wanted to debut against big-time opposition. He had no time to prepare. He had no time to game plan.

He just had to get in and fight.

And though he lost a decision to a far more experienced fighter, he came to a realization. "It really opened my eyes, because I was so raw and really didn't know much about what I was doing and here I was hanging right there with a guy like Vladdy," Boetsch said. He got the bout with Heath as a replacement, though he had six weeks to prepare. And though UFC fans had little knowledge of Heath, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva nodded confidently when asked about him.

Boetsch pummeled a guy who by all rights should have dominated him. Though he became severely winded and gassed out in a loss to Matt Hamill in Denver in April, Ciesnolevicz has little doubt that once he gains the experience most UFC fighters have, there are going to be a like more bouts like the one against Heath.

He spent several weeks in Las Vegas training on submissions and submissions defense with Frank Mir and Robert Drysdale and is slowly beginning to evolve into the fighter Ciesnolevicz said could wind up as a major factor at light heavyweight.

"Honestly, the sky's the limit for him," Ciesnolevicz said. "He really could reach the top at 205 once he gets the experience. He's like an infant as a fighter right now. But when he gets the experience, he's going to be so difficult because he's a bad matchup for so many of those top guys.

"This is MMA and there really are no sure things, but I really believe Tim can have a great career because of his unbelievable power and his wrestling and the way he works at it. When he's winning fight after fight in a couple of years, don't be surprised. There are a lot of guys out there who, if they got the chance, could shock a lot of people and Tim is definitely one of them."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Middleweight Superfight Confirmed For M-1 Challenge UK

Warrior Promotions are proud to announce another “Superfight” for the September 27th M-1 Challenge show in Nottingham, England. As Cliff Hall (6-3) takes on Christian Smith (5-5) in an intriguing Middleweight match-up between two Nottingham based fighters.

Christian Smith will return to the Harvey Hadden Centre after a six month layoff and will be looking to reverse a bad spell which has seen him lose two straight bouts against the hard hitting Birmingham striker Chris Rice and the Irish all rounder Mark “Manslaughter” O'Toole. Smith, a veteran of Cage Warriors, Pain and Glory and the US based 'Art of War' promotion, is known for his stand-up skills which have seen him defeat the likes of Jonas Majauskas, Michael Turner and the tough Wolfslair Academy fighter Jay Keiron.

Although he is known for his striking, Smith trains at Tap and Snap (which is affiliated with the famous Shooters MMA group) and has a background in submission grappling to go with his usual Muay Thai based offence. A former Light-Heavyweight, Smith will also have a size advantage going into this bout and has fought much heavier opposition in the past. Smith also has an edge on age and experience having fought since 2002 and having over half a dozen wins on mixed shows which have never been recorded.

As a result Smith will certainly have no fear as he goes into this bout and he will also be buoyed by his usual fanatical hometown support as he looks to get back to winning ways when he faces the younger submission fighter from Total Dojo.

Whilst Total Dojo's Cliff Hall (6-3-0) makes his forth appearance of 2008 and will be looking to make it four straight wins since moving up a weight division at the start of the year. Originally from Milton Keynes, Hall moved to Nottingham earlier in the year and has trained with the Pro Elite contracted star Paul “Semtex” Daley, whilst also continuing to train with the likes of Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Danny Batten at his regular Total Dojo base.

Hall returns to the Harvey Hadden after defeating Nigel Whitear by submission in under a minute by Guillotine choke back in April, before following that up with another Guillotine choke win over the Berkshire based striker Rocci Williams in July. With his confidence rising Hall even went to fight on away turf to defeat the Cage Gladiators mainstay Lee Chadwick by Rear Naked Choke in late July.

Hall will be looking to repeat these performances when he faces Smith and has already stated he is “looking forward to fight on the M-1 show and giving the fans an exciting performance”. When asked for his thoughts on the fight Hall was quoted as saying “I am expecting him (Christian Smith) to stand and trade but I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes. I been training very hard at the moment and I'm extremely confident that my hand will be raised at the end of the fight”.

Whilst Smith will look to avenge his team mate Matt Hasland, who was defeated by Hall at the first “Enter The Rough House” show in Nottingham. When asked about the fight Smith said “I'm really looking forward to being part of this event. Cliff is a good fighter and athlete but I am training hard and I'm ready to get back on a winning streak.”

As previously mentioned this local battle will take place at the Harvey Hadden Centre on September 27th at the M-1 Challenge show. And with both men having contrasting styles and something to prove in front of their home town fans, this should be an exciting striker/grappler clash which is not to be missed.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC To Hold Big Event On Showtime In November

EliteXC Manager of Fighter Operations, JD Penn, has told MMANews.com that they tend to hold a big event that will be aired on Showtime in November. A date for the show has not yet been confirmed.

The November Showtime card will follow up the October 4th CBS: Saturday Night Fights card that is scheduled to feature Kimbo Slice in the main event. ProElite recently held a ShoXC card on Showtime on August 15th.

Although not a lot of information is available regarding the November event, the card could possibly see Frank Shamrock return to action following his loss to Cung Le in March. Other names being mentioned for the November card include Robbie Lawler, KJ Noons, and Nick Diaz. Those names alone could make up a solid double main event with titles on the line.

More information regarding the show will be revealed over the coming weeks. EliteXC is primarily focused on their next show on CBS as it should be noted that over the last week there have been countless rumors circulating the internet about the possible down fall of EliteXC. A lot is riding on the Oct. 4th CBS card with the hopes of drawing big numbers. EliteXC recently cancelled a planned show for September 20th so the November show might not even happen depending on what the numbers end up being on CBS, but the plan is to hold a card in November.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce officially announces "Young Guns III"

The California-based Strikeforce organization recently announced the third installment of their "Young Guns" series.

Entitled "Strikeforce: Young Guns III," the card is the organization's latest edition in a series created to aid in the development of up-and-coming talent. The announcement was released on Strikeforce's official website.

The event will take place Sept. 13 at Civic Auditorium in San Jose, Calif.

The full card for the event includes:

Alvin Cacdac vs. Jose Palacios
Luke Rockhold vs. TBA
David Barrios vs. Andrew Valladarez
Evan Esguerra vs. Gabby Solorio
Ron Kesler vs. Eric Meaders
Chris Bostick vs. Jose Interiano
David Ashkinaz vs. Yohan Banks
Adam Antolin vs. Hugo Govea
Justin Holdaas vs. Jaime Rodriguez
Genaro Strangis vs. Alexander Trivino
Mike Davis vs. O.J. Dominguez
With the addition of the "Strikeforce: Young Guns III" card to the previously announced "Strikeforce At The Mansion II" and "Strikeforce: Payback," Strikeforce will now be promoting three shows in a four-week span.

Tickets for the event, which start at $40, are available by contacting Strikeforce's corporate headquarters at (408) 998-8232. Tickets will also be available at Civic Auditorium on the day of the event.

 

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Irvin Confirms Painkiller Use

Light heavyweight James Irvin (Pictures) admitted to allegations of painkiller use prior to his July 19 UFC bout with Anderson Silva (Pictures) in a letter received by the Nevada State Athletic Commission Monday. Irvin said he took the medication without a prescription.

The Sacramento native tested positive for the non-approved analgesic painkillers methadone and oxymorphone, according to a post-fight urinalysis collected after his TKO loss to UFC middleweight champion Silva.

Irvin lasted just over a minute with the stealth Brazilian fighter during their 205-pound contest broadcasted live on Spike TV.

“In the days leading up to my fight with Anderson Silva (Pictures), I experienced some residual pain in my foot from a previous injury,” wrote Irvin in an Aug. 14 letter. “I made the extremely poor choice to take some pain medications that I did not have a prescription for. I realize this was an ignorant and dangerous decision.”

Irvin, 29, accepted the bout with Silva only days after re-entering the gym following a six-week recovery period from a broken foot. Irvin had sustained the injury last May in preparation for a proposed co-event bout against “The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner Rashad Evans (Pictures) at UFC 85 “Bedlam,” which was held on June 7 in London.

Irvin was temporarily suspended by the NSAC on Aug. 12 pending a separate disciplinary hearing that has yet to scheduled. Irvin plans to address the five-board commission in person. NSAC-administered suspensions for non-approved drugs or stimulants (apart from steroids) have ranged from six to nine months on average. Irvin also faces a potential fine, which would constitute a percentage of the 20,000 dollar purse paid in his loss to Silva.

Mike Roberts, Irvin’s manager, said a public statement from his client is forthcoming.

 

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MARK MUNOZ OUT OF WEC FIGHT WITH STEINBEISS

Mark Munoz, who made an impressive debut in World Extreme Cagefighting this past June, has been forced to drop out of his upcoming fight against Steve Steinbeiss at WEC 36 on Sept. 10 due to an undisclosed injury.

Munoz’s departure from the fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight.

With a relatively thin light heavyweight division, the winner of the Munoz/Steinbeiss fight could have been a favorite to face new WEC champion Steve Cantwell, but for now at least Munoz will have to wait on that opportunity.

His opponent, Steve Steinbeiss, who trains with the Arizona Combat Sports team, could remain on the card although at this time no new opponent has been announced.

The co-main events for the upcoming WEC show in Florida will be a pair of title bouts as Urijah Faber puts his 145-pound divisional championship up for grabs against Mike Brown and Paulo Filho returns to action to face Chael Sonnen for the middleweight title.

 

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JASON DAY WITHDRAWS FROM UFC 88

Canadian fighter Jason Day has had to withdraw from his planned UFC 88 match-up on Sept. 6 with Jason Lambert. A source close to the fight informed MMAWeekly.com that Day suffered an elbow and biceps injury that will require him to have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury that will keep him out of the fight.



The bout was to be part of the preliminary fight card for UFC 88, headlined by a fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and contender Rashad Evans.



After managing a three-fight winning streak to start his UFC career, Lambert was possibly fighting for his place in the Octagon having lost three of his last four bouts for the promotion. Competing entirely at 205 pounds in the UFC, he was planning to make his promotional debut at 185 pounds at UFC 88.



No replacement has yet been named, but it is believed that the UFC is working to find an opponent for Lambert in the 185-pound division to keep the bout intact at the Atlanta event.

 

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KANG DISCUSSES DREAM, SPIRIT MC & EASTMAN FIGHT

Adversity is nothing new for former Pride and current Dream middleweight Denis Kang. He’s been in more than 40 professional fights, competed in one-night tournaments with multiple fights, and fought Top 10 competition with serious injury.

Now Kang must bounce back from back-to-back losses that put him outside the middleweight Top 10 for the first time in over a year, and he plans on staying busy for the remainder of 2008.

First things first, he will return to action later this month, as the Spirit MC champion will travel to Korea to defend his title against Kim Jae Young on Aug. 31.

From there he will return home and wait for an Oct. 26 fight in RAW Combat against former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman.

Returning from the two losses in a row, Kang says he has “completely moved past” those fights and is ready to get back to the form that made him a Top 5 middleweight for so long.

“Honestly, those last two losses really came down to the focus that I had in those fights. My mindset for other fights, I wasn’t in there just to win,” said Kang. “I was in there to really try to be my best, to prove I’m the best, and to always improve and come out a better fighter.

“For my last two fights, I was basically trying to coast. I was trying to get in shape for the fights, but I wasn’t in there to really become a better fighter. So that’s really what I brought back to my focus… my motivation.”

Knowing that a motivated Denis Kang could be one of the most dangerous fighters at 185 pounds, many fans have also awaited his return to the Dream promotion in Japan.

“I’m still with Dream. I still have one more fight on the contract,” he stated about his current deal with the promotion. “Negotiations are underway right now for a new one. I’ll know pretty soon what’s going to happen. But you will see me fight in Dream at least one more time.

“We are in negotiations and who knows how the negotiations can go. If they go well in Japan, then you’ll see me fight in Japan. If not, it will be somewhere else.”

That somewhere else could be back in America where Kang has not competed since 2005. The fighter will be returning to his home country of Canada for the bout against Eastman, and he didn’t rule out a future contract with one of the powerhouse MMA promotions.

Right now, Kang will focus on Kim Jae Young and defending his Spirit MC title.

 

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Mitsuoka Eyes UFC Bout, Sengoku Victory
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Mitsuoka-Eyes-UFC-Bout-Sengoku-Victory-1741
From disappointing defeats to triumphs over the likes of Joachim Hansen (Pictures) and Gleison Tibau (Pictures), Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures)’s road to respect has been one of the most interesting paths in mixed martial arts.

Sherdog.com’s Tony Loiseleur and Daniel Herbertson sat down with the Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW fighter to discuss his lengthy career in the ring and cage, as well as his bout with Rodrigo Damm (Pictures) this weekend at Sengoku 4.

 

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5 Fighters You Need to Watch

While some of you may see the brief reprieve we’re enjoying from a whirlwind last few weeks of high-profile throwdowns as a bit of welcome rest for the weary, you’re all wrong. Yes, every last one of you.

Now is the time to discover the fighters you’ve been ignoring, parked in front of your screen researching the next generation while selling your less-than-essential organs for rare fight tapes.

Luckily, I’ve done most of the work for you, finding five of the most pugilistically inclined superstars in the making of whom you’ve probably never heard. In the event you’re familiar with these guys, just smile and nod for the sake of everyone else.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Pictures)

OK, so choking out Jon Koppenhaver (Pictures) isn’t exactly the most impressive accomplishment in the world -- especially when you consider Koppenhaver’s real gift lies in the realm of anti-social blogging -- but Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida remains a criminally underappreciated commodity.

In a division backlogged with wrestlers, Yoshida (10-2) sticks out as a fascinating example of the stylistic synthesis that plays out when talent meets technique. A judoka by trade, Yoshida doesn’t seem to miss the traditional gi one bit, as his arsenal of throws has made him a nightmare inside the clinch.

That’s to be expected, and Yoshida’s success lies with talents that remain shrouded in rumor and hearsay for the average fan. While most fans got to see Yoshida show off his excellent jiu-jitsu against Koppenhaver at UFC 84, “Zenko” has some savage ground-and-pound still waiting to be put on display in the Octagon.

One former fistic great familiar with Yoshida’s ground-and-pound exploits is Akira Kikuchi (Pictures), whose own hopes of UFC greatness were dashed in brutal fashion by Yoshida in the GCM Cage Force welterweight tournament; the event played a key role in netting Yoshida a UFC contract.

If knocking a former Shooto champion into retirement isn’t enough to get you interested in Yoshida, I sincerely hope you enjoy watching the men’s Olympic handball quarter-finals instead. They’re on tape delay by the way. If you want to be up to date on all things Yoshida in time for his tilt with fellow judoka Karo Parisyan (Pictures) at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta, track down the smash-mouth goodness listed below:

Required Viewing:
GCM Cage Force 4: Yoshida vs. Kikuchi
GCM Cage Force EX “Eastern Bound”: Yoshida vs. Matt Cain (Pictures)
GCM Cage Force 2: Yoshida vs. Katsuya Inoue (Pictures)

Jake Rosholt

If you’re not familiar with Team Takedown yet, Jake Rosholt may be the guy who ends up getting everyone on the same page.

One piece in an army of elite collegiate wrestlers who Team Takedown has banded together with the purpose of launching them all to the top of the sport, Rosholt (4-0) stands out as their most decorated member with three Div. I national wrestling championships.

Of course, we all know black belts and trophies carry about the same weight inside a cage as a scary pre-fight interview. What makes Rosholt stand out is his preternatural talent for the sport. A natural striker who has taken to jiu-jitsu with shocking ease, Rosholt’s wrestling pedigree is the glue that holds everything together, although he often prefers using his wrestling to deport his opponents from the land of the conscious.

Now signed to World Extreme Cagefighting as a middleweight, Rosholt will take on Danilo Villefort at WEC 36 on Sept. 10 in Hollywood, Fla., and with all the talk of an impending, multi-divisional annexation by the UFC, it may only be a matter of time before Rosholt is carrying the Team Takedown banner into the self-described Super Bowl of MMA.

For further confirmation of Rosholt’s Megatron-level credibility, lie, cheat and steal to get your mitts on the matches below:

Required Viewing:
Extreme Fighting League: Rosholt vs. Chad Jay
High Roller Productions “Fight Night”: Rosholt vs. Jeremiah Caves

Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures)

Imagine being one of the best fighters on the planet in your weight class and still maintaining the anonymity of a random Hollywood extra. That’s what unbeaten Shooto champion Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures) deals with as one of the world’s premier bantamweights.

Unlike our previous unknowns, Ueda’s all but married to invisibility. He toils across the Pacific while peers like Miguel Torres (Pictures) rocket to superstardom under the WEC banner. It’s tragic considering Ueda’s a preposterous talent blessed with spectacular wrestling ability and the kind of submission savvy you would never expect from a guy who makes his living with the takedown.

It goes without saying that Ueda (8-0-1) jumping aboard an American-bound flight would be a boon for the sport, but, like many Shooto stalwarts, he appears to be a part of the promotion’s present and future.

While we’re left to dream of the day Ueda makes his way to the land of fried chicken and Fox News, it doesn’t mean you can’t jump aboard the bandwagon now by updating your Shooto library:

Required Viewing:
Shooto “Back to Our Roots 7”: Ueda vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures)
Shooto “Back to Our Roots 4”: Ueda vs. Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures)
Shooto “Back to Our Roots 2”: Ueda vs. So Tazawa (Pictures)

Jorge Santiago (Pictures)

Forget everything you know about Jorge Santiago (Pictures).

Getting high kicked into “bolivion” by Alan Belcher (Pictures)? It never happened. Dropped in a heap by Chris Leben (Pictures)? No, good sir, I know not of what you speak.

The truth is that the Jorge Santiago (Pictures) with whom we became familiar once upon a time in the UFC is a thing of the past, replaced by a fighter that resembles him in appearance and little else.

Once a surefire bet to come up short at the absolute worst moment possible, Santiago now seems fueled by a career full of disappointments and marked his rebirth with a stunning display of dominance at the Strikeforce “Four Men Enter, One Man Survives” middleweight tournament in 2007.

Ridiculous event naming aside, Santiago (17-7) won the tournament in about the time it takes a normal human to lace up a pair of boots. If that seems long to you, then take that sentence as confirmation of your lacking dexterity. Sorry I had to be the one to break it to you.

To make up for the disappointment, check out some of Santiago’s finest moments thus far. You may develop a healthy fear for this American Top Team middleweight:

Required Viewing:
Strikeforce “Four Men Enter, One Man Survives”: Santiago vs. Trevor Prangley (Pictures)
Art of War 3: Santiago vs. Jeremy Horn (Pictures)
Bodog Fight “Clash of the Nations”: Santiago vs. Andrei Semenov (Pictures)

Donald Cerrone (Pictures)

Try to take this last one with a grain of salt, but whatever you do, don’t take it with hydrochlorothiazide.

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone can tell you all about the misadventures involved with that particular diuretic, as he went from blue chip lightweight prospect to the latest member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s suspension list following his WEC debut against Kenneth Alexander (Pictures) in September 2007.

An easy 54-second submission win for Cerrone (8-0), the bout was declared a no contest after he tested positive for the banned diuretic. An eight-month suspension was the price Cerrone paid for his weight cutting follies.

Now seemingly vindicated after a successful return to the WEC that saw him pick up another submission win and, more importantly, a clean drug test, Cerrone will battle former lightweight champion “Razor” Rob McCullough (Pictures) at WEC 36 on Sept. 10 in Hollywood, Fla.

Don’t sleep on Cerrone while everyone else hypes McCullough; the effortless submission slickness that he brings to the table is a rare sight that should be appreciated at every turn. Here are some reference quality examples of Cerrone’s handiwork:

Required Viewing:
GCM Cage Force 3: Cerrone vs. Yasunori Kanehara (Pictures)
Ring of Fire 28 “Evolution”: Cerrone vs. Ryan Roberts

 

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If Griffin Beats Sherk, He'll Take Florian Next

Although he’s feasted on several sturdy contenders at 155 pounds and snatched up an unprecedented three “Fight of the Night” awards from the UFC, Tyson Griffin (Pictures) says he’s just getting started.

The Sacramento native has racked up four consecutive victories inside the Octagon, all coming against upper-tier foes with a similar goal: capture the UFC lightweight championship.

Griffin continues to inch closer to that pinnacle, though as he puts it, he’s still fairly far away. The Xtreme Couture fighter knows that landing a shot at 155-pound titleholder B.J. Penn (Pictures) won’t be easy. Even after dominating durable Brazilian submission specialist Marcus Aurelio (Pictures) in his last bout on July 5, Griffin patiently awaits his turn like a crocodile lurking in a murky river.

“I want to be the best, and to be the best you have to beat the best,” Griffin told Sherdog.com. “B.J.’s one of the best fighters, pound-for-pound. As far as I know, he’s going to move up and then come back down and defend his 155-pound belt. But we’ll see if he does -- only time will tell. I have other things to worry about first, though.”

Granted, Penn is only a small blip on the Las Vegas transplant’s radar. Griffin first has to topple former lightweight king and recent Penn victim Sean Sherk (Pictures) at UFC 90 card on Oct. 25.

Ahead of what should be a gripping duel, Griffin is cautious about his upcoming opponent. He has superb wrestling ability and technique in his own right, but Sherk presents a threat like no other he’s faced as a professional in terms of wrestling, explosiveness and strength. A veteran of more than 400 wrestling contests and 40 pro MMA bouts, Sherk is without question the most experienced opponent Griffin will have faced up to this point.

However, Tyson is confident that his own skill set will trump whatever Sherk brings to the cage.

“I think my wrestling ability will match up very well with his,” Griffin said. “I wrestle with Division I wrestlers all the time, like Gray Maynard (Pictures) and Johny Hendricks. I came a long way since I started training MMA. My wrestling may be even better than his. I don’t know for sure -- we’ll find out.

“He’s got good hands, too,” Griffin added. “I think I have better standup, though. He (tends) to throw only arm punches where he doesn’t really commit. I’d like to stand out of his range and pick him apart like B.J.”

Griffin acknowledged that he is a bit wary of Sherk’s ability to explode for takedowns, and he is fully aware of Sherk’s dangerous ground-and-pound, particularly his elbows. He doesn’t expect to get cut, but he admits that it’s possible that Sherk could put him on his back and open him up. Yet Griffin also quickly asserts that while unlikely, a cut is the only way Sherk can win.

What Griffin is looking for is not only another performance that would garner him “Fight of the Night” accolades -- that would just be icing on the cake. The 12-1 lightweight has his eyes on the real prize, and that’s the 155-pound crown. Whether it be Penn or someone in his spot provided “The Prodigy” might stay at welterweight if he so chooses, Griffin wants to fight the best. When his time to fight for the championship comes, Griffin wants there to be no dispute that he’s earned it.

“I’m not trying to leapfrog over anybody because I want to truly be the number one contender when I do fight for the title,” he said, brushing aside the notion that he should get a crack at Penn’s title before anyone else if he thwarts Sherk’s comeback bid.

In fact, Griffin added that a fight with another talented and popular lightweight is in his sights. Kenny Florian (Pictures) is a man he believes is just as deserving of a world title bid.

“If I beat Sherk, I think it would be a great way to set up the number one contender for me to fight a guy like Kenny Florian,” Griffin said. “But I have to try and take care of Sherk first.”