MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua Update: ‘Coming to CBS’

EliteXC Middleweight Contender Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua talked with PDG about his victory over Tony Bonello, his upcoming fight against Benji Radach on the EXC-CBS Saturday Night Fights on October 4th and his brother ‘Shogun’ Rua.

PDG: Since your victory over Tony Bonello at EliteXC's 'Return of the King'; what have you been doing?
NINJA: I have been training hard for my next fight against Benji Radach in October on the EliteXC-CBS card. When you are a professional fighter you don’t have much time to rest. After my victory against Bonello, I started talking with the EliteXC Staff about an opportunity to fight in a CBS live Event. You must remember that I almost fight in the first live event on CBS a few months ago, now my chance is here and I will take full advantage of it.

PDG: Did Bonello's pre-fight antics-trash talk fuel the quick beating you put on him?
NINJA: You must keep focus just in the fight, this guy started to talk a lot of bad things starting at the weigh-in session. Before the fight he made the same statements, trying to get me nervous about the fight. To be honest this kind of attitude just motivated me more and more, I knew how important this fight was for me and my responsibility to my team and fans.

PDG: What is your current training schedule like?
NINJA: At least 6 hours a day, from Monday to Saturday. Usually I practice MMA in the mornings, then in the afternoons my physical preparation. Back to the gym in the evening, working a mix of ground game (jiu-jitsu), boxing and wrestling.

Now that I know who my opponent is and the skills he will bring to the cage. I am practicing more boxing and wrestling.

PDG: How is the new gym; the Universidade da Luta?
NINJA: Great, we have an excellent structure and we can practice in the ring and in the cage. We have a complete team that gives us all the support that is needed to be successful, from the coaches to the managing staff. I can tell you that we have a state of the art training facility here.

PDG: Your next opponent is a former IFL star; what do you know about him and do you see any advantages for you in this fight?
NINJA: I know that he is very aggressive and well trained in boxing and wrestling. I watched some fights and didn’t see him on the ground. I’m going into this fight prepared to fight on the ground or in the stand-up, so maybe my jiu-jitsu can make a positive difference for me in the fight. We will find out the answer to that on October 4th.

PDG: What do you think of the opportunity to fight LIVE on network TV in the US?
NINJA: It is a dream come true! In the first Live Event on CBS, I was very close to having a fight on the card but some small problems put me out of the event. Now my chance has arrived and I am very excited about the idea of fighting in front of a huge audience. I think that all fighters want to have this opportunity and it is very good for my career. For my sponsors and fans, I hope to have a wonderful fight, a great show for everybody.

PDG: If you are victorious against Radach, do you want a title fight?
NINJA: I like to take my career step by step, now my goal is to win this fight against Radach and then we can talk about the future. Everybody knows that I want my belt back, a rematch against Robbie Lawler for sure; I think that all the fans want to see that rematch.

PDG: How is the EliteXC promotion and its recent shows viewed amongst Brazilian fighters?
NINJA: I think that the most important shows around the world want the Brazilian fighters, especially the USA and Japan organizations. When you have a partnership with a Network TV Station like CBS the promotion is ten times bigger. All the Brazilian fighters want to participate in a event like EliteXC and some of them call me to ask about the event and the promotion around it. I tell them that I’m very happy with EliteXC, the professional way that they treat me. All the attention and support that I have there is incredible, I want to pay them back inside the cage with a great show.

PDG: Your brother Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua is rumored to return later this year against Quintin ‘Rampage’ Jackson and other fighters. How is his knee and how often are the two of you training together?
NINJA: A lot of rumors about ‘Shogun’ are running around on the internet. I read about ‘Rampage’ and Mark Coleman a few weeks ago and now most recently about Lyoto Machida. They are all just rumors; right now he is in the USA, training in San Diego. He was in Canada for a month conducting special training on the knee with a specialist and we kept contact by phone and radio. ‘Shogun’ is coming home next week and then I think that we will have the official news about his next fight. Right now the most important thing is to have him 100%, focus on the hard training and I’m sure that we will see him fighting again at the end of this year, for sure.

PDG: Thanks again and Good Luck on the 4th. Is there any thing else that you wanted to add or tell the fans?
NINJA: Thanks, once again thanks to all my fans that are following me in this journey and a special thanks to EliteXC and CBS that are giving me this opportunity to fight in this fantastic Event. I would like to mention my sponsors that have supported me for a while and believe in my job like Rockstar Energetic Drink, Koral Fight Company, Midway Nutritional Supplements and Red Dragon (Canadian Website). To all my fans that want to have a copy of the clothes that I will use in the fight (T-shirt and Shorts) very soon you will find them on www.rdfc.tv.

See you all on October 4th in Florida!!

 

[SLRider510]

how the fuck did dong tell matt brown he won the fight.. he dont even fuckng speak english hahahaha.. matt brown is gay... dong is better

 

[naner12]

Melvin is out of his fight with Fisher and possibly out of the UFC altogether. I talked to a homie of his and he said Melvin got busted on a coke charge down in Houston. Hopefully the shit isn't true but this really isn't the dude to make shit up ..

 

[Shogun Locc]

After first UFC experience, hurricanes won't stop Kyle Bradley vs. Joe Lauzon

Team Voodoo lightweight Kyle Bradley (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has already faced more obstacles in reaching the UFC than most fighters could ever imagine. So why would a little hurricane stand in the way?

As the 26-year-old today told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), it won't.

"I thought that it was going to be a downer, to be honest," Bradley said of evacuating his native Louisiana. "But it has actually turned out to be a blessing."

Bradley said the effects of Hurricane Gustav, which recently struck the Gulf Coast region, were causing difficulties in Bradley's preparation for a Sept. 17 "UFC Fight Night 15" bout with Joe Lauzon (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC).

"There was no power for a week," Bradley said. "There's still no power [in parts of Louisiana] right now.

"So I was having a hard time getting in touch with training partners and getting my training lined up. The gym was shut down, and I was having to really get out in the yard with my boxing coach -- it's 95 degrees over there with 100 percent humidity -- and work on my (focus) mitts and everything."

Bradley relocated his camp to Alabama. In the process he developed a new training regime that has brought him into better condition than ever before.

"We have a new strength and conditioning coach over here that works with a lot of guys from the NFL combine," Bradley explained. "Over the last two weeks he's showed me so much. When I thought about just maintaining my cardio level over these two weeks, he's actually brought it to a new level."

Of course, challenging circumstances are nothing new to Bradley.

In his February UFC debut against Chris Lytle, Bradley fought 15 pounds above his normal limit, took the fight on less-than-a-month's notice, and did so with torn ligaments in his knee.

"We had some offers on the table from other organizations," Bradley said about accepting his UFC 81 bout. "But I really wanted to fight in the UFC. And I told my manager, Monte Cox, that was what I wanted to do eventually.

"Literally the week I got a call I had some offers from some other organizations that I wanted to hold off on. [Cox] called me and he said, 'Hey, there's a fight against Chris Lytle at 170 (pounds).' And I've always fought at 155 (pounds). He said, 'It might be an opportunity for you to get your foot in the door. You do the UFC a favor, maybe they'll do you a favor down the road.'"

After losing in just 33 seconds to Lytle, Bradley feels the favor has been done.

"It was pretty much the worst-case scenario," Bradley said of his quick loss to Lytle. "But the UFC did actually appreciate me coming in and -- being injured and on short notice -- fighting at a heavier weight class. They're rewarding me now."

Bradley's reward will come in the form of a very-tough Lauzon. But for Bradley, the chance to hold a full training camp, fight injury-free and search for redemption was all the favor he needs.

"Having about as bad of a showing as you can have for a debut, [the UFC] gave me plenty of time to prepare for this fight with Joe Lauzon -- and at least initially actually stuck me on the main card," Bradley said. "I'm sure it had more to do with Joe than it did myself, but at least they gave me an opportunity."

To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

[heyzel]

AFFLICTION VP TOM ATENCIO ON "RESCHEDULING

by Tom Hamlin


Early in the day on Wednesday, MMAWeekly.com spoke with an Affliction representative who confirmed that the promotion’s sophomore offering, “Day of Reckoning,” originally scheduled for Oct. 11 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, has been rescheduled for Jan. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Affliction vice president Tom Atencio spoke exclusively with MMAWeekly.com to clarify his company’s decision to postpone the event.

“We not canceling it, we’re not postponing it, we’re rescheduling it completely,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to do it where we wanted to do it, it’s a positive.”

Sources close to the venue had informed MMAWeekly.com that ticket sales thus far have been “abysmal.” Atencio conceded that ticket sales for “Day of Reckoning” were weak.

“Of course,” he said. “It was a business decision. We came out strong, and we want to continue with that momentum and continue strong. We don’t want to come out and be weak and have to give tickets away. We want to continue to be a force in this industry.”

Atencio declined to comment whether Fedor Emelianenko would spearhead the show’s new Jan. 17 date, but promised an announcement about the company’s future at the Marquez/Casamayor fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“From a business standpoint, we don’t want to lose money,” he said. “We want to be here long term. It’s a wise choice. This is definitely a positive

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Fedor Emelianenko to be featured on re-scheduled Affliction card

Adding to the speculation of Affliction's forthcoming "major announcement," it now appears WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will be featured on the re-scheduled "Affliction: Day of Reckoning."

NBCSports.com reported the addition of Emelianenko to a new Jan. 17, 2009, date after speaking with Affliction Chief Operating Officer Michael Cohen.

Messages MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) left with Cohen and Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio were not immediately returned.

Although Cohen told NBCSports.com that Emelianenko's services are secured, his potential opponent was not yet named.

"It is to be determined," Cohen was quoted as saying. "We are considering changing the combatants. We have not finalized that at this time. That is as a result of the issues to be revealed at the announcement."

Emelianenko was originally scheduled to face Andrei Arlovski at Affliction's Oct. 11 sophomore effort. A hand injury Emelianenko suffered in his 36-second July victory over former UFC-heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia forced him off the card, though, and top-ranked heavyweight Josh Barnett was tapped as a replacement.

The rescheduled event is rumored to be held at the site of the organization's debut -- the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. That event drew nearly 15,000 spectators for a live gate of $2.1 million. According to company officials, "Affliction: Banned" also did more than 100,000 pay-per-view buys.

Advertising for the Oct. 11 event, which was scheduled to air on pay per view with an HDNet-televised preliminary card, had already begun.

 

[UCDgreek]

how the fuck did dong tell matt brown he won the fight.. he dont even fuckng speak english hahahaha.. matt brown is gay... dong is better

did you watch the fight?
dong took the first round easily. brown took the second round easily. 3rd round was really a toss up that could have gone either way. i thought brown had the slight edge in the 3rd but i wasnt shocked that the fight was given to Dong.

 

[UCDgreek]

THING IS...HE BEEN KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT A FEW TOO MANY TIMES WITHIN HIS LAST FEW FIGHTS OR BEAT AT HIS OWN GAME. SET ASIDE FROM THE WANDY FIGHT.HE NEED TO STEP HIS GAME UP, JUST LIKE THE WAY MMA EVOLVED FROM JIU JITSU OWNING TO BEING FIGURED OUT. HE NEED TO ADD MORE TO HIS GAME AND TIGHTEN UP HIS FUCKING BOXING. HIS DEFENSE IS HORRIBLE. IF NOT HE IS GONNA BE THAT WASHED UP FIGHTER PEOPLE SPEAKING ON. PLUS FROM WHAT MASK FROM TAPOUT TOLD A FRIEND OF MINE, CHUCK CANT STAY AWAY FROM ORGY'S AND DOPE AND ITS BRINGING HIM DOWN FAST.

i agree with what you said here. i just think its a joke the way people talk about lidell. you would think they are talking about ken shamrock.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Atencio To Make Announcement Saturday, Possible Golden Boy Deal?

Affliction VP Tom Atencio spoke with MMAWeekly about the postponement and he stated more information would be coming soon:

Atencio declined to comment whether Fedor Emelianenko would spearhead the show’s new Jan. 17 date, but promised an announcement about the company’s future at the Marquez/Casamayor fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Marquez-Casamayor fight is certainly an interesting choice of venues for the next announcement on Affliction’s future. That card is being promoted by Golden Boy and will air on HBO PPV. Affliction and Golden Boy had exploratory talks on possibly working together when Affliction was formulating it’s plans to enter MMA in early 08.

The possible pairing unraveled in late March due to issues over who would be in ultimate control of the promotion. However, Affliction apparently remained interested in the possibility of mixed boxing and MMA cards as part of their future. Part of Affliction’s decision to use the 5 roped over-sized boxing ring was reportedly to do MMA and boxing together on the same shows at some point.

Speculation within the industry concerning a potential deal between the two companies has been strong in recent weeks. Still open to speculation is the inclusion of HBO in any pairing between Affliction and Golden Boy. Golden Boy and HBO have a very close relationship, but the folks at HBO have been resistant to MMA in general.

Oscar De La Hoya speaks with Jaime R. Martínez, Jr. of www.thenhbshow.com on MMA and Affliction:



Disclaimer: It should be noted that MMAPayout.com has been unable to confirm the reports at this time. As a result, the above report should be considered rumor or informed speculation at best. It also bears mentioning that business situations such as this one are very fluid and can change quickly

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA COMMUNITY REMEMBERS EVAN TANNER

There's a part of his heart up in Heaven

And a part that will always be wild

And all he can leave them is love and a reason

To run for the rest of their lives

Lonesome Coyotes survive.
– Kris Kristofferson

Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner was found dead on Monday, Sept. 10 in the mountain area outside of Palo Verde, Calif. He was 37 years old.

Tanner was a veteran of more than a decade in mixed martial arts. Though he hardly settled in one place over the course of his career, Tanner’s friendly nature and nomadic spirit led him to cross paths with many people in the MMA community.

In the spirit of remembering Evan Tanner, following are some of the comments from people who new him… in their own words:

Joe Rogan, UFC commentator:

Evan was a lot more than a “normal” person. He was a fascinating individual – a wandering spirit in search of adventure in the truest sense of the term. I was a regular reader of Evan's blog, and although I had always appreciated him as a fighter and a friendly person to talk to, it was in reading his writings that I came to better understand his spirit.

His blog was a porthole into the window of his soul, and reading his brave, uncensored thoughts gave me an invigorated sense of purpose to do the same.

Evan’s take on life was like that of a character in an adventure novel, and his thirst for experience was actually what led him into fighting in the first place.

I can remember the first time I watched him fight, when I read that he learned his techniques from a video tape and was self trained. I thought that it takes a really unusual person to enter into the toughest sport in the world that way. He took that unusual energy and channeled it to become the UFC middleweight champion of the world.

He was that, and more.

Evan Tanner has left the rest of us trapped in this life and has moved on to the next stage of existence where he will undoubtedly find adventure beyond his wildest imagination. In doing so he has left the world a little less interesting…

Matt Lindland and Team Quest:

We at Team Quest are saddened to hear the news of Evan Tanner. He was and always will be a part of the Team Quest Family. As much as we tried to make Evan feel a part of the pack, he was a lone wolf and tried hard not to fit the mold. He liked to do it his way. – God Bless

Monte Cox, fighter manager and president of Adrenaline MMA:

I'm really saddened by the news... Evan first fought for me in 1998 and was one of the guys I always enjoyed seeing at the shows, whether he was competing or not. He always had a big smile and a handshake waiting whenever we bumped into each other. The MMA community and everybody who was touched by him will miss him greatly."

Randy Couture, UFC heavyweight champion:

We're all going to sorely miss Evan Tanner. He was a tremendous talent in our sport, and in many ways, self-taught in all the skills that he possessed in mixed martial arts. In a lot of ways his passing is metaphorical for his life, because he was one of those people that isolated himself.

I wasn't really familiar with where he had gone. He was in Oregon; he was gone. He was here; he was gone. Nobody could really keep up with him, he just kind of moved at his own pace and in his own time. He never really checked in with anybody, 'hey, I'm moving here' and let you know he was going, he just kind of disappeared. So I had no idea how to get a hold of him or where he was.

He was in Oregon with us for a couple years, through his championship run. He stayed at my house for a while when he first moved from Texas, and he lived in the back of the gym at Team Quest for quite a long time too before Donita moved up and they got there own place up there. Trained with him almost every day when he was getting ready for fights. Then he moved out of Team Quest in Oregon, and went his own way.

Tito Ortiz, former UFC light heavyweight champion:

All my blessing to his family for sure. It's a shock to me still. I remember Evan being a really good guy, and a solid fighter, and it’s kind of heart shaking. I was really taken back from it when it happened, when I heard about it online. I can always be thankful that I had the chance to fight him and just to compete with the guy and be around the guy for competition. He's always been a solid guy."

Kendall Grove, last fighter to face Evan:

I didn't know Evan personally, but personally enough that I fought him. I know that he was a really, really good guy and the sport has lost a good person and a pioneer to the sport. We fought and shared that bond. My heart is out to his family. I'm praying for his family and him. I'm going to miss the guy.

Jason Leigh, a personal friend of Evan’s:

Evan at times could be very stubborn. If you asked him about something he'd answer with firsthand knowledge because if he didn't experience something, he'd tell you he didn't have an opinion on it.

He'd tell you things that you didn't want to hear, but at the same time you knew that if it was coming from Evan, he wasn't just blowing smoke and telling you something that you just wanted to hear. Everything about him was genuine.

He didn't care if people liked him or hated him. He just wanted them to know that what he said is really what he thought.

He had a genuine love for mankind. I think his ultimate goal was to use his UFC exposure to do his charity work for people that needed help.

He was a lot more than just a fighter. He really cared.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FEDOR FADES AS COUTURE FOCUSES ON LESNAR

While the lights of UFC 88 on Saturday night shone brightest for Rashad Evans and his spectacular knockout of former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, he shared a bit of the spotlight with current heavyweight champion Randy Couture.

Embroiled in a legal standoff for the better part of the past year with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Couture recently reached a settlement with the mixed martial arts juggernaught, agreeing to a new three-fight contract and a return bout against former WWE star Brock Lesnar.

His return signals a difficult road ahead in securing Couture’s coveted bout with MMAWeekly.com’s No. 1 ranked heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, but it brings the UFC champion back into the fold. It also removes him from the courtroom showdowns that he so despises and puts him back into the realm he most desires… fighting in the Octagon.

In an interview with commentator Joe Rogan during the UFC 88 broadcast, Couture put the bout with the 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound Lesnar into perspective.

“Brock’s a huge guy, he moves very, very well for a 280-pound man,” said the 6-foot-1-inch, 225-pound heavyweight champion.

“I think any time I face another wrestler that comes from that background, it makes it interesting for me because that’s the strength that I tend to rely on… Obviously, I have to really refine my striking, be ready to do some submissions if they present themselves. Those are the pieces of the MMA puzzle that I think that maybe Brock still needs to work on.”

Couture has held the heavyweight belt on two different occasions, just as he has done at light heavyweight. He has more than 20 professional bouts to his credit. He has an extreme advantage in experience over Lesnar. The bout between the two at UFC 91 on Nov. 15 in Las Vegas will be only the fourth of his career.

With such disparity, many have questioned how difficult it would be for Couture to find the motivation to fight someone that is basically a novice in a sport the he has helped establish among the most popular in the world.

“I don’t need any motivation at all. I do this because I love it,” Couture told Rogan at UFC 88.

“This guy is a huge athletic guy, big powerful guy. That poses some interesting problems for me. Solving those problems is what I love about the sport.”

He doesn’t hide his desire to still fight Fedor, but Couture has always been a consummate professional when it comes down to a fight and his comments on Saturday night display no less in his approach to Lesnar.

As Nov. 15 draws nearer, Fedor is likely to fade farther and farther from Couture’s consciousness, as he zeroes in on the 280-pound behemoth that will stalk the Octagon across from him at UFC 91.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC middleweight Jason MacDonald staying busy, getting better each time

After a disappointing loss at UFC 87 to Demian Maia, UFC middleweight Jason MacDonald (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) found himself with a fortunate opportunity. "The Athlete" was given a chance to try his hand again less than a month later at last weekend's "UFC 88: Breakthrough."

As MacDonald recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), it couldn't have come soon enough.

"As a fighter you're only able to fight so much," MacDonald said. "And I'm one of those guys that wants to stay busy."

MacDonald said he jumped at the opportunity to quickly return to action.

"I came home, and some of my own fighters were preparing for their own fights," MacDonald explained. "I came home and just got right back in the gym with them, helping them prepare.

"Four or five days later (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva sent me an email saying, 'Hey, [Jason] Day is hurt. Do you want to fight (Jason) Lambert?' I got right back on the keyboard and said, 'Yeah. Absolutely. One-hundred percent, I'm in.'"

The yearning to return so quickly from his loss to Maia stemmed from MacDonald's frustration concerning his approach to the fight.

"The Maia fight was exciting from the fans' standpoint, but for me it was a complete goof-up," MacDonald admitted. "I was supposed to go out there and keep that fight standing and then try and knock him out. I went out there and went head-to-head with him in jiu-jitsu, which was totally not the game plan.

"So it was bitter sweet for me. Yeah, I put on a good performance for the fans, but I still walked away with a loss. In the Lambert fight (at UFC 88), I wanted to come out and just re-establish myself."

That plan nearly hit a major snag when MacDonald found himself locked in a very-tight guillotine choke at the end of the first round. MacDonald said although the lock was tight, the danger was minimal.

"When [Lambert] put the guillotine on, I looked up at the screen and saw there was only five seconds left in the round," MacDonald explained. "Was the guillotine tight? Yeah, the guillotine was really, really tight. But I knew there was only five seconds left in the round, so I wasn't even trying to escape.

"I thought, 'I'll just sit here for five seconds and wait out the end of the round.' Then I said, 'What the hell. I'm not going to end a round in a choke. I may as well try to throw some punches here and make it look good for the judges.'

"Basically I knew there was only five seconds left and that I could wait it out. Had there been more time left in the round -- had I looked up at that screen and seen there was 35 seconds left -- then you could bet your ass I would have been trying a lot harder to escape that guillotine."

With the win, MacDonald is now just 3-3 in his last six bouts. But the losses have come to some of the best 185-pound fighters the UFC has to offer in Maia, Yushin Okami and Rich Franklin. MacDonald believes the results prove he has a strong future in the organization.

"I'm 33-years-old," MacDonald said. "But I still feel like every fight I'm getting better and I'm learning new skills. I'm getting better at my weaker areas. I really feel like I still have a good future in this middleweight division.

"Look at the (Martin) Kampmann and (Nate) Marquardt fight (at UFC 88). Kampmann came in here with a lot of hype, and he just got blown away. On any given night, a good fighter can have a loss.

"I think if I can put together just three or four wins, I can be right there maybe fighting for a title. I'm just looking to put on exciting fights, continue to get better and hopefully go out there and win some of those fights that I've been coming up a little bit short on."

To hear the full interview, download Tuesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Roger Gracie vs. Travis Wiuff completes World Victory Road's "Sengoku 5"

In just his third professional MMA bout, grappling legend Roger Gracie (2-0) will meet ultra-experienced UFC/PRIDE/IFL veteran and 2008 YAMMA Pit Fighting heavyweight tournament winner Travis Wiuff (53-11).

World Victory Road today announced the bout for its upcoming Sengoku 5 card.

The event takes place Sept. 28 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Gracie, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and the 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship winner, has dominated countless BJJ competitions over the years. In professional MMA competition, he's defeated Ron Waterman at a 2006 BodogFIGHT event and Yuki Kondo at Sengoku 2. Both victories came via first-round submission.

Wiuff, meanwhile, has racked up 64 professional fights in just seven years. The 30-year-old is currently riding a 10-fight win streak, which included three victories in one night during an eight-man heavyweight tournament at YAMMA's first (and only) event.

In his most recent fight, while making his WVR debut, Wiuff defeated PRIDE veteran Kazuyuki Fujita via first-round knockout.

WVR also confirmed a late addition of former middleweight and welterweight King of Pancrase Kiuma Kunioku (33-22-9) vs. Spirit MC veteran A Sol Kwon (5-3) for the Sengoku 5 card.

The full Sengoku 5 card includes:
Roger Gracie vs. Travis Wiuff
Xande Ribeiro vs. Takashi Sugiura
Kiuma Kunioku vs. A Sol Kwon
Jorge Masvidal vs. Ryan Schultz
Paul Cahoon vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura*
Logan Clark vs. Jorge Santiago*
Yuki Kondo vs. Yuki Sasaki*
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos*
* - Middleweight grand prix first round

 

[Shogun Locc]

After successful knee surgery, "Babalu" aiming for November return

Despite a knee injury in mid-August that required surgery last week, Renato "Babalu" Sobral is already back in the gym and optimistic he could fight again in November.

Richard Wilner, Sobral's manager and lawyer, confirmed the progress with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Sobral had been scheduled to fight Strikeforce world light heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth at "Strikeforce at the Mansion II" next week in California, but "Babalu" was sidelined by an injury suffered during a training session last month.

The Southworth-Sobral bout was expected to be one of the top bouts at the upcoming Sept. 20 event, which takes place at the world famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif.

(Southworth suffered a knee injury of his own, and as MMAjunkie.com first reported late last month, he was replaced by Anthony Ruiz. With Sobral now injured, as well, Strikeforce officials are still searching for an opponent to fight Ruiz.)

According to Wilner, Sobral underwent an MRI after suffering the injury during the week of Aug. 18, and two different doctors recommended surgery. Sobral went through with the athroscopic procedure last week to correct a medial mediscal tear.

"It was a success," Wilner said. "Babalu is already back in the gym doing light workouts."

Wilner said the Sobral is anticipating a November return for a potential title fight with Southworth. However, Strikeforce officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the possibility of the fight.

Sobral (30-7), a former UFC fighter who signed with Strikeforce following a victory over David Heath at UFC 74, is currently riding a three-fight win streak, which included a unanimous-decision victory over Mike Whitehead at Affliction's debut event in July. He's won 13 of his past 15 fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Three new dream 6 bouts

Three new fights were announced for DREAM.6 today. In an old school fight, Minowaman, fresh off his win over Don Frye, will face Masakatsu Funaki. Keita Nakamura returns to MMA and the Lightweight division in a fight against Adriano Martins from Brazil. Hayato Sakurai looks to rebound from his loss against David Baron when he takes on Kuniyoshi Hironaka in a Welterweight fight.

OLYMPIA DREAM.6 Middleweight GP 2008 Final Round
Date: September 23rd, 2008
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Single Fights:
HW: Mirko CroCop vs. Alistair Overeem
HW: Sergei Kharitonov vs. Mighty Mo
MW: Minowaman vs. Masakatsu Funaki
WW: Hayato Sakurai vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
LW: Keita Nakamura vs. Adriano Martins
FW: Hideo Tokoro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto

Middleweight GP Final Fight:
Mousasi/Manhoef vs. Jacare/Galesic

Middleweight GP Semifinal Fights:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Melvin Manhoef
Ronaldo Jacare vs. Zelg Galesic

Middleweight GP Reserve Fight:
Yoon Dong Sik vs. Andrews Nakahara

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kazuhiro Nakamura Interview

SENGOKU official website posted an interview of Kazuhiro Nakamura, who faces Paul Cahoon in SENGOKU.5. He had never heard of Paul Cahoon before. He watched his fight video and knew he was a good striker.

- What do you think about SENGOKU?
Fresh.
- What do you think about fighting in SENGOKU.5?
Yoyogi was designed by Kenzo Tange and used for Tokyo Olympic in 1964. I'm very honored to fight in the place which has lots of history.
- What do you think about your opponent?
Nothing.
- Do you have any game plan?
I'm not going to say that. I will show everything I have.
- Who is your rival in the tournament?
I have no idea. I focus on my next fight and cannot think about anything else.

 

[Shogun Locc]

JAY HIERON: "I CAN'T WAIT TO FIGHT"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3405.html?PHPSESSID=ebaf6a6142f05b53f58b64cbdde8d513
"Even when I was with the IFL, they were telling me they were going to be coming out with their own organization…They had a great first show. I actually cornered one of my training partners at the show and I thought it did great for a first show and I can't wait to fight. I'm excited. I train so hard to compete. I don't want to just train to train," stated MMA welterweight Jay Hieron as he talked about his rescheduled clash with Drew Fickett. Check out what he had to say about Fickett, the fight, Affliction and more.

 

[WXS STOMP3R]

Three new dream 6 bouts

Three new fights were announced for DREAM.6 today. In an old school fight, Minowaman, fresh off his win over Don Frye, will face Masakatsu Funaki. Keita Nakamura returns to MMA and the Lightweight division in a fight against Adriano Martins from Brazil. Hayato Sakurai looks to rebound from his loss against David Baron when he takes on Kuniyoshi Hironaka in a Welterweight fight.

OLYMPIA DREAM.6 Middleweight GP 2008 Final Round
Date: September 23rd, 2008
Place: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Single Fights:
HW: Mirko CroCop vs. Alistair Overeem
HW: Sergei Kharitonov vs. Mighty Mo
MW: Minowaman vs. Masakatsu Funaki
WW: Hayato Sakurai vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
LW: Keita Nakamura vs. Adriano Martins
FW: Hideo Tokoro vs. Atsushi Yamamoto

Middleweight GP Final Fight:
Mousasi/Manhoef vs. Jacare/Galesic

Middleweight GP Semifinal Fights:
Gegard Mousasi vs. Melvin Manhoef
Ronaldo Jacare vs. Zelg Galesic

Middleweight GP Reserve Fight:
Yoon Dong Sik vs. Andrews Nakahara

HERITONOV VS MIGHTY MO LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A GOOD FIGHT.

 

[heyzel]

Ken Shamrock Calls Kimbo Slice 'An Idiot,' Says, 'I Am Absolutely Taking This as an I

by Michael David Smith


a heated conference call to promote his fight against Kimbo Slice on CBS next month, Ken Shamrock got angry at the suggestion that he's being handed to Kimbo as a sacrificial lamb.

"I am absolutely taking this as an insult," Shamrock said of being scheduled as the next opponent for Kimbo, whom he called "an idiot."

EliteXC head of fight operations Jeremy Lappen piped up to say that he didn't think Shamrock should consider the scheduling an insult, but Shamrock insisted that it is.

And the truth is, Shamrock is right: EliteXC picked Shamrock as an opponent because it wants Kimbo to win, and it thinks Shamrock is too washed up to present any kind of threat to Kimbo. Shamrock has been so bad in his recent fights -- losing five straight by first round knockout or TKO -- that it's hard to see how he's going to suddenly improve, at age 44, and beat Kimbo.

But Shamrock insists he will.

"I want to apologize for my last couple of performances in MMA," Shamrock said at the outset of the call. "On October 4 I will shut everybody up."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Police Believe Tanner Died of Heat Exhaustion

While an autopsy has yet to be performed on the body of former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner, a sheriff’s deputy with the Imperial County Police Department is quoted in the Imperial Valley Press as saying that Tanner died of heat exhaustion.

Authorities suspect that Tanner died as a result of exposure to severe heat in the open desert. It is believed that temperatures near his location the day he was found had exceeded over 110 degrees. The report also states that Tanner’s body was discovered several miles from his campsite attired in a black t-shirt and pants and that his body was located just 15 miles outside the city of Palo Verde.

The former State high school wrestling champ was reported missing by friends over the weekend and his body was discovered Monday by a Marine pilot operating a helicopter near a campsite in the Clapp Springs area of the Palo Verde mountains.

Police accounts contradict several MMA media reports that quoted friends of Tanner as indicating that Tanner’s off-road bike ran out of gas. According to police officials, his bike still contained fuel.

While Tanner had not run out of fuel, he had run out of water. Police officials told the Press that water bottles that Tanner had carried with him were empty and that Tanner’s water supply at his campsite had been exhausted as well.

Evan Tanner was 37 years of age.