MMA News Thread
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GUIDA HAPPY WITH WIN; WANTS 1 MORE FIGHT IN ’08
Having been on the wrong side of a few controversial decisions during his time with the UFC, lightweight competitor Clay Guida worked as hard as ever to prove himself during his bout with Ultimate Fighter Season 6 winner Mac Danzig on Wednesday night at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha.
Guida kept up a very high pace during the fight with Danzig and when it was over he felt there was no doubt that he was the victor.
“I felt confident in this one,” said Guida about the decision. “He’s got pretty good takedown defense, towards, up against the cage, he stopped it, he stopped my takedown a couple of times. But I stuck with it and put him down to his butt where I wanted it and it did feel good to come out with the decision.”
In the end, Guida was able to dominate the ground portion of the fight, landing numerous takedowns while being cautious of his opponent’s considerable submission skills in the process.
“He’s dangerous off his back and I didn’t think he was going to be that slick,” Guida commented. “We stuck to the gameplan, it wasn’t pretty. We got the decision in the end and I’ve got to say that he was better on the feet, better on the ground than we expected.”
With only two fights so far in 2008, the Illinois native is hopeful for a chance to fight again this year, after a 2007 campaign that saw him go to battle a total of four times.
“I hope I can get one more fight this year. I had a five-month layoff, just the UFC’s got a lot of people in the division,” he said. “I hope I can get at least one more fight in 08’ and whoever it is I’m ready to roll.”
Having been on the wrong side of a few controversial decisions during his time with the UFC, lightweight competitor Clay Guida worked as hard as ever to prove himself during his bout with Ultimate Fighter Season 6 winner Mac Danzig on Wednesday night at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha.
Guida kept up a very high pace during the fight with Danzig and when it was over he felt there was no doubt that he was the victor.
“I felt confident in this one,” said Guida about the decision. “He’s got pretty good takedown defense, towards, up against the cage, he stopped it, he stopped my takedown a couple of times. But I stuck with it and put him down to his butt where I wanted it and it did feel good to come out with the decision.”
In the end, Guida was able to dominate the ground portion of the fight, landing numerous takedowns while being cautious of his opponent’s considerable submission skills in the process.
“He’s dangerous off his back and I didn’t think he was going to be that slick,” Guida commented. “We stuck to the gameplan, it wasn’t pretty. We got the decision in the end and I’ve got to say that he was better on the feet, better on the ground than we expected.”
With only two fights so far in 2008, the Illinois native is hopeful for a chance to fight again this year, after a 2007 campaign that saw him go to battle a total of four times.
“I hope I can get one more fight this year. I had a five-month layoff, just the UFC’s got a lot of people in the division,” he said. “I hope I can get at least one more fight in 08’ and whoever it is I’m ready to roll.”
EliteXC adds Miller, Lapsley, Beerbohm, Khalidov to Oct. 10 ShoXC
Amidst an approaching barrage of three fight cards in the next four weeks, EliteXC is busy filling out the supporting cast for their Oct. 10 ShoXC event from Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.
In addition to a previously-announced main event between Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (11-0) and Kerry Schall (21-10), EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw today confirmed several additional matchups to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Mark Miller (8-3) meets Anthony Lapsley (12-3), Mamed Khalidov (14-3-1) will meet Jason Guida (17-17) and undefeated Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (7-0) will meet an as-yet-undetermined opponent.
Miller fought four times for the now-defunct IFL in 2007, earning victories over Brad Blackburn and Josh Neer before suffering a brutal knockout at the ends of IFL middleweight champion Jay Hieron in his most recent outing.
Lapsley is a King of the Cage, Art of War and HDNet FIghts veteran who has maintained a torrid pace to start his professional MMA career. Fighting 15 times in his first two years in the sport, nine of Lapsley's 12 victories have come via submission.
As first reported by our friends at fiveouncesofpain.com, Polish wrestler Mamed Khalidov has been officially added as an opponent for recent "The Ultimate Fighter 8" castoff Jason Guida.
Khalidov is currently riding a three year, 12-fight unbeaten streak. He has registered six knockouts and six submissions in his 14 career victories.
Beerbohm debuted professionally in August 2007, and has appeared for Strikeforce as well as SportFight. Only one of his seven career fights has gone to the judges.
In addition to the Oct. 4 event, EliteXC will also be holding a second ShoXC event on Sept. 26 in Santa Ynez, Calf., as well as the CBS-broadcast "EliteXC: Heat" on Oct. 4.
Amidst an approaching barrage of three fight cards in the next four weeks, EliteXC is busy filling out the supporting cast for their Oct. 10 ShoXC event from Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.
In addition to a previously-announced main event between Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (11-0) and Kerry Schall (21-10), EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw today confirmed several additional matchups to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Mark Miller (8-3) meets Anthony Lapsley (12-3), Mamed Khalidov (14-3-1) will meet Jason Guida (17-17) and undefeated Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (7-0) will meet an as-yet-undetermined opponent.
Miller fought four times for the now-defunct IFL in 2007, earning victories over Brad Blackburn and Josh Neer before suffering a brutal knockout at the ends of IFL middleweight champion Jay Hieron in his most recent outing.
Lapsley is a King of the Cage, Art of War and HDNet FIghts veteran who has maintained a torrid pace to start his professional MMA career. Fighting 15 times in his first two years in the sport, nine of Lapsley's 12 victories have come via submission.
As first reported by our friends at fiveouncesofpain.com, Polish wrestler Mamed Khalidov has been officially added as an opponent for recent "The Ultimate Fighter 8" castoff Jason Guida.
Khalidov is currently riding a three year, 12-fight unbeaten streak. He has registered six knockouts and six submissions in his 14 career victories.
Beerbohm debuted professionally in August 2007, and has appeared for Strikeforce as well as SportFight. Only one of his seven career fights has gone to the judges.
In addition to the Oct. 4 event, EliteXC will also be holding a second ShoXC event on Sept. 26 in Santa Ynez, Calf., as well as the CBS-broadcast "EliteXC: Heat" on Oct. 4.
M-1 Vice President Jerry Millen talks new show and life with Fedor in new 5 Oz. exclusive interview
Former PRIDE USA Vice President Jerry Millen is one of the most maligned individuals in mixed martial arts. But whether you like him or not, he has an insight into the business of MMA that very few individuals possess having worked for PRIDE both in Japan and in the United States.
After his tenure in PRIDE came to an end in the months that proceeded Zuffa’s acquisition of the promotion in 2007, Millen took some time off before being approached by an old friend from his PRIDE days, Vadim Finkelstein.
Finkelstein, the manager for former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, had plans to grow his Russian-based M-1 promotion into a global superpower. In Millen, he was looking for an experienced hand to help direct the company’s International television operations.
For close to a year now, Millen has worked hand-in-hand with Finkelstein in trying to help M-1 expand its global presence, and in doing so he’s broadened his unique perspective into the industry by also working closely with Fedor. Currently a Vice President with M-1, Millen produced the promotion’s recent “M-1 Challenge,” an International competition featuring MMA teams from nine different countries with representatives in the five major weight classes going head-to-head.
Having secured distribution throughout the world, M-1 recently struck a deal with Denver-based HDNet to broadcast one-hour episodes produced from the tapings that took place during the course of the year. The first episode is set to debut tomorrow (Friday) at 8 p.m. ET and Millen has been doing press to promote the show’s U.S. premiere.
One of the press stops on his agenda was an exclusive one-on-one interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com where Millen provided more detail about the M-1 Challenge; what his working relationship with Fedor’s management is like; the status of the proposed “Fighting Fedor” reality show; whether Fedor’s legacy in the U.S. is important to him; his response to recent claims by Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta that Fedor’s record isn’t relevant; if Finkelstein is willing to give on certain demands in order to make a dream match between Fedor and Randy Couture become a reality; and more.
Sam Caplan: A lot of people on the Internet forums love to rip you. They like to speculate what you’re up to these days and claim you’re working in the fast food industry. Just to set the record straight, what is Jerry Millen up to now?
Jerry Millen: Honestly, I worked in fast food, as most of us did, when I was 15 and 16-years old after my paper route to make my living as a teenager. But I haven’t worked in fast food in a long time. I’ve actually been working with Vadim Finkelstein and Fedor (Emelianenko) for M-1 Global out of Russia and Holland for probably about 11 months now. Right after PRIDE ended I took a little time off to spend some time with my family. I have a great family with three great kids and a great wife. I took a paid vacation and did some fishing.
The UFC buying PRIDE was a great move financially for me but personally I hated it because I loved PRIDE. A lot of people don’t know that the “Decade” show that we did, which you can find on the Internet now, the UFC tried to stop it from being produced. While I was producing it I got a lot of problems from the UFC because they didn’t want it to air and they tried to shut it down. On my own dime at some points, I went on the road and did a lot of interviews with those guys in that show because I felt so strongly about the PRIDE product and it was our ten year anniversary. And Sakikabara-san, who was a great boss, a great person, and a great friend to work for at PRIDE and I thought that the fans deserved to know as much of the story of PRIDE that I could tell.
So that was the last project for PRIDE that I worked on and it was very difficult. I had to call on a lot of people for favors and I had to put in some of my own money to put that thing together because I wanted people to see what PRIDE was and how great it was. After that I took some time off when the UFC bought PRIDE and I was well taken care of and I probably could have worked for the UFC but I chose not to. I thought I wouldn’t work for Dana White, and I won’t.
Sam Caplan: You mean there would have been an option for you to work for the UFC? Do you think Dana White would have been okay with you working for him?
Jerry Millen: I’m not sure if Dana would have been okay with it but at the end of the day, even though he leads people to believe it, Dana White is not the one who runs the UFC. As you can tell, Lorenzo Fertitta stepped in to run it like a business because Lorenzo Fertitta — who’s a great guy, I think he’s an awesome guy, I’ve met him a few times — he’s a business man to run the business-end of the UFC. I would just not work for Dana White.
Sam Caplan: Looking back towards the final months of PRIDE, do you have any regrets about becoming such a public figure?
Jerry Millen: No, not at all. I think in the end whatever we could have done to make PRIDE more public and mainstream worked out for the best. As you know, for so many years PRIDE was underground. As great of an event it was in Japan and worldwide, it never got great exposure in the U.S. So every time Dana White said “Jerry Millen is this” or “Jerry Millen is that” or “PRIDE is this” or “PRIDE is that,” it made anyone who didn’t know PRIDE familiar with the product because Dana White was talking about it. So I was more than happy to have Dana be our number one P.R. guy. Was it at my expense? Sure. But hey, no problem, it was worth it because I think PRIDE was something that everyone should have seen.
Sam Caplan: M-1 has a deal to broadcast the M-1 Challenge on HDNet. Can you tell us more about the concept behind the M-1 Challenge?
Jerry Millen: When Vadim approached me to work for him I jumped at the chance. I said “Yeah, I’d love to.” Then they told me about the M-1 Challenge idea and I tried to help them with another vehicle, the “Fighting Fedor” reality show — which we can talk about a little later — but the M-1 Challenge consists of nine teams with five fighters on each team. We have nine countries represented. We have Team USA, which is Heath Sims out of Dan Henderson’s Team Quest gym in Temecula. We’ve got five guys through Heath and then Matt Lindland helped me out. We’ve got Team Japan. We’ve also got two teams from Russia: Russia Legion and also the Red Devil team, which is Fedor and Vadim’s gym in St. Petersburg. Korea, Spain, we have a World Team, Finland, France, and also Holland.
I’m telling you, some of the fighters that we have in the M-1 Challenge, I think they can jump right into any major promotion. We’ve got a guy from Holland by the name of Bogdan Christea and another guy from Team Holland, Jason Jones, who is a very tough fighter. There’s Jessie Gibson, a heavyweight from France. There’s also a guy by the name of Karl Amoussou. Even though MMA isn’t legal in France they have a lot of fighters and Karl Amoussou is a great fighter out of France. And then there’s a fighter named Kiril Sidelnikov. They call him “Baby Fedor.” This kid is tough. He’s 19-years old and he can take a punch and he can deliver a punch. He is “Baby Fedor.” One name to remember out of Russia is Kiril. He’s a tough, tough fighter. And on Team USA there’s also Jake Ellenberger, David Garner, and Mike Dolce, who was on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” There’s a lot of young up and comers but a lot of these guys are already good.
We have a website where you can learn more about the M-1 Challenge at M1Mixfight.com.
Sam Caplan: So the M-1 Challenge is an International team competition. Are standings kept?
Jerry Millen: Yes, standings are kept.
Sam Caplan: So basically the M-1 Challenge is like the World Cup of MMA?
Jerry Millen: Right, exactly. Because in Europe and other countries besides the USA, nationalism is a big deal. You go out and you support your country. It’s like in the NFL, if you like the Falcons or the Jets this year… there in Europe, and even in Asia, it’s not about team, it’s about country. It’s like soccer. They are crazy about the country. It’s country vs. country. So that’s what we’re trying to do, but on a world level.
Sam Caplan: We all know of UFC President Dana White’s comments about his dealings with Fedor’s management in which he referred to them on multiple occasions as “Crazy Russians.” Thus far, and I guess maybe you can’t answer this as truthfully as you’d like, but I’d still like to get your comments on the record: what’s it been like working with Fedor’s management? Are the Russians as crazy as Dana says?
Jerry Millen: Not at all. Never. Anytime I go to Russia I have a great time. They treat me with respect. They’re great to me. I feel like in PRIDE that I was taken care of very well by the owners and treated great. This feels like an extension of PRIDE. Vadim is thought of as being great over there. Dana White’s arrogance is what makes him say these things. Dana White the rockstar is the one who is claiming these are crazy Russians. To me, they’re great Russians. I’d much rather have dinner and hang out with Vadim Finkelstein than Dana White any day of the week.
Sam Caplan: I’m not going to bother to ask whether you agree with White’s appraisal of Fedor as a fighter. I did want to ask if you believe White is sincere when he makes these negative statements about Fedor?
Jerry Millen: No, it’s the company line. Lorenzo made a statement the other day saying that Fedor’s career and his record is irrelevant. (Laughs) Well, I know it’s the company line. You can’t say that the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world is Fedor Emelianenko if he’s not in the UFC. They can’t tell people they don’t have the best fighter in the world under contract. You can’t say that because it’s not good business. But to go out there and say his record is irrelevant when he just smashed and embarrassed your former champion in Tim Sylvia. He’s beaten your interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice. People know. If you know Fedor and you’ve seen any of his fights, you know. And the UFC knows and Dana and Lorenzo knows and they want him badly. They just need to figure out some way to make it work.
M-1 and Vadim are willing to work things out. Fedor is willing to fight anyone. I feel like this is the PRIDE situation when Dana didn’t want to let Wanderlei fight Chuck. This deal can be done but it has to make sense for everyone. We’re partners with Affliction right now. Fedor is signed to Affliction. So it has to be a deal that makes sense for M-1, Affliction, and of course the UFC. The fight can happen. If the fans want the fight, it can happen. The fans just need to let the UFC know “Hey, we’re not going to stand for this, we want to see Randy and Fedor.”
Sam Caplan: But Dana White and the UFC have made it clear that they’re not going to sign a guy to a one-fight contract and co-promote with the competition. If they bring someone in to compete for their title then they want a long-term agreement and they want them committed solely to their promotion. They’ve been clear on that. What good is it asking for anything other than that?
Jerry Millen: Well, I guess that long-term is all relative. What is long-term? The UFC likes to grab guys and wrap them up for the rest of their life and own them. That’s great from a business standpoint if you’re the owners of the UFC but if you only have one entity such as the WWE, which owns the sport to an extent and tries to crush its competition, that’s great for the business of the UFC but what about the fighters that want to get in there and get paid? They’re not going to get paid because the UFC is essentially a monopoly. If they own it then they control the payscales, they control who is going to work in the industry, they control which websites are going to get interviews and they control who doesn’t get backstage to interview fighters. They will control everything and the fans need to understand this.
Look, I’m a fan of the UFC. They’ve got a lot of great fighters and a lot of those fighters are my friends. I watch the UFC. I bought the pay-per-view. I can’t believe I bought a pay-per-view and put money in Dana White’s pocket but I want to see Chuck Liddell fight and I want to see Rich Franklin fight, so I had to. But if they own the industry then the fans are the ones that are going to hurt because they’re going to control it. It’s just not possible. I want MMA to continue on as a sport and not a fad.
Sam Caplan: Let me throw a hypothetical out here. Let’s say that Fedor’s contract with Affliction is expired and he’s a total free agent. Would he and his management be open to an exclusive three fight contract with the UFC in order to get fights against opponents such as Randy Couture and maybe another fight vs. Nogueira? Like you said, the deal has to make sense but it also has to make sense for both sides. Do you think Fedor’s management might be willing to make concessions that they haven’t been willing to make in the past?
Jerry Millen: I can’t speak for what Vadim and Fedor would do on a contract because that’s not my position but I do know that our stance can be worked out as long as there is give and take. But if someone wants to take more than they’re willing to give then it could be a problem. They’re always willing to talk. If the UFC wants the best fighter in the world, they can make it happen. It’s just something that has to be fair to everybody. It has to be fair. There’s no reason why something can’t be fair.
Sam Caplan: I wanted to follow up regarding what Lorenzo Ferttita and Dana White have said about Fedor being irrelevant. Globally, he’s a huge name. But in the U.S. is there any validity to what they’re saying because even though the win over Tim Sylvia in July was huge, there’s still a lot of work to be done as far as establishing him with the mainstream public in America. How important is building a legacy in the U.S. to Fedor?
Jerry Millen: I think Fedor is an International star. Even I didn’t realize how big of a star he was in Korea until I was out there with him. It was out of control. He’s a huge star in Korea. But I think every country is important to him. Fedor fights because it’s in his blood. He’s a true athlete. Fedor trains and fights and does Sambo competitions. He’s a triathlete. He just goes and goes and goes. How important is the U.S. to him? I guess that’s a question you’d have to ask him.
Sam Caplan: But a lot of people in the U.S. do not consider him to be the pound-for-pound best simply because they’ve never been exposed to him.
Jerry Millen: I think he’s more known than people think he is here in America. To me, I think it’s important for him to be big in America because he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. There’s nobody in the world that can beat him. There are a couple of heavyweights that will read that and probably smack me around the next time they see me but I don’t think there’s anyone out there that we know of that can beat him. For me it’s important for him to be known in America because people need to know him because he’s the Joe Louis, the Mike Tyson of the sport.
Just look at the Tim Sylvia fight. Not even I expected the fight to go like that. I expected him to win but I was shocked at how quickly that fight ended. But that’s Fedor. He pretty much cleared up any doubters that were out there. You’re always going to have those guys who go “Well this” or “Well that.” But I think he pretty much cleared up any doubts people had in their minds about him such as ring rust or whatever.
But to me it is important that he becomes popular in America because he is such a great fighter and if you love the sport then you’ve got to see the guy fight. He’s that good and he’s such a great person. And I’m not trying to tow the company lines by any means; he is a great individual. I knew him through all of his years with PRIDE and he was always nice to me and very humble. And he’s still the same guy even though he’s mobbed by the media and all the fans.
Sam Caplan: Fedor was supposed to fight on the ill-fated Oct. 11 Affliction show but had to pull out due to a hand injury. Perhaps you don’t know the answer to this but you’re much closer to him than most people so I thought I’d ask when you felt we’d see Fedor back fighting again?
Jerry Millen: I would say January. The middle of January.
Sam Caplan: Is that going to be in Russia, Japan, or the U.S.? Where’s his next fight going to take place?
Jerry Millen: We’re not sure yet.
Sam Caplan: You mentioned the “Fighting Fedor” reality TV show earlier and I think that’s something that could make Fedor a bigger name here in the U.S. The trailers for the proposed show were leaked several months back. Rumor had it that you are one of the key people behind the concept. Is that correct and if so, can you give us an update on the status of the show?
Jerry Millen: What happened was when Vadim, Fedor, and I got together… my thing is, if you want an MMA promotion just doing pay-per-views and shows, that’s not enough. You need another vehicle. Fedor needs a vehicle in America and worldwide to expose him to those that don’t know him. And when I first started working for the company I told them we needed a vehicle for Fedor. And of course, reality television is hot. I told them we needed to do a reality show for Fedor. But what could you do for a reality show about Fedor that would be compelling? So I created a trailer and put some ideas down and showed it to them and they loved it.
The thing is, it’s hard to find opponents for Fedor. It really is. Who do you want to put him up against? And when you find that opponent they want a ton of money. They go, “I’m fighting Fedor. I want to get paid a ton of money.” So why not create some opponents for him? “The Ultimate Fighter?” They did a great job with that show. That show saved the UFC. It saved Spike TV. It’s well known that was what turned the UFC around. That vehicle. They spent millions of dollars doing everything from hiring Carmen Elektra to doing infomercial type of stuff and none of it worked. “The Ultimate Fighter” worked because it was hot and continues to be hot.
I’ve been to Russia and I’ve seen the Red Devil gym. The Red Devil gym is not “The Ultimate Fighter” house in Las Vegas. There’s not an open bar and a big swimming pool. It’s inside of an old Russian sports school and it’s a very humble gym. It’s like a lot of gyms I’ve seen around the U.S. It’s nothing fancy. It’s these Russian kids that train and train hard. If you train you know you don’t need a big swimming pool and fancy food and a big gym to plant TVs all over the wall in order to train.
It’s a very hardcore gym. The first time I saw it I said people need to see this and to see how Fedor how humble he is. People need to see this. So I said we need to do a show like “Fighting Fedor.” Let’s bring in 16 heavyweights from around the world and have them fight each other weekly in an elimination tournament. We could bring in some of the guys that have fought Fedor in the past to help train them.
There’s so many things you can do with a show like “Fighting Fedor.” You can show what Russia is really like and how they train at Red Devil and how Fedor trains. You would get insight into who Fedor is because Fedor is a mystery to most people that don’t know him. It’s a vehicle to show it all.
Sam Caplan: What’s the U.S. distribution for the show looking like?
Jerry Millen: We’re talking to a lot of different people. Some of the networks, you’d be surprised that we’re talking to about it. The thing with the M-1 Challenge and the “Fighting Fedor” show is that we’re going to be on over 60 countries on television. We have deals all over the place: Russia, Japan, and Korea so the show will be seen Internationally. In the U.S. right now there are a couple we are talking to and as Fedor gets larger I think there’s going to be even more interest. In my mind, the show is going to be awesome. It will give MMA fans, whether they like the idea or not, they will watch it because it gives them a chance to see how the best fighter in the world train and who he is.
Sam Caplan: Some people have criticized the concept, claiming that it’s a TUF knockoff. What’s your response to those criticisms?
Jerry Millen: First off, those people don’t know anything about television. Number two, “The Ultimate Fighter?” Great show, great vehicle for the UFC. Craig Piligian does a great job with that show but reality television is not new. “The Ultimate Fighter” is not a new concept. “The Real World” on MTV started reality television. Having bunch of people live in a house and fight either verbally or physically and be eliminated is not a new concept so saying it’s a “Ultimate Fighter” ripoff? Absolutely not. It’s a completely different concept. We’ll have fighters fight because that’s what they do. They’re fighters, they’re going to fight. It’s not like we’re going to have them play chess and skip rope. They will fight.
It’s reality television and “The Ultimate Fighter” is not a new concept. They took the sport and said let’s make a reality television show about this sport. We’re doing the same thing. We’re just going to happen to be doing it with the best fighter in the world.
Sam Caplan: matchup Last week on Scott Ferrall’s show on Sirius you called the Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 “some WWE stuff.” But what about Fedor’s fight vs. Hong Man Choi last New Year’s Eve?
Jerry Millen: Let me say this about the Japanese MMA scene because I worked in it for six years; it’s different than the U.S.A. scene. Those kinds of matches, Hong Man Choi and Akebeno, they’re standard in Japan. You see them over and over again because they draw ratings and numbers. At the end of the day, they have to draw numbers for the networks in Japan. Giant Silva drew some of the biggest numbers on New Year’s Eve in all of MMA fights ever in Japan. A lot of people don’t know that.
But that’s the standard in Japan. In the U.S., you’re not going to see “The Rock” come in and fight Nogueira so it’s not the standard for MMA in America. I know what the UFC is trying to do because they control the UFC. It’s a business move. Brock Lesnar is someone I’m sure they are paying a lot of money to and he has a name. They want to put him up against a big name and Randy is coming back. I just feel, as I’m sure many true MMA fans do, that if Randy Couture was the champion when he left and comes back as the champion and (with) Nogueira (as) your interim champion, I would assume in a structured fight league that the champion that comes back would fight the interim champion because the interim champion earned the right to be the champion in the original champ’s absence. The champion should fight the champion and Nogueira has earned that right.
But Brock Lesnar vs. Randy will do a big pay-per-view number and it will put a lot of money in their pocket and it will create a lot of hype for them so they’re going to do it. That’s what happens when you have one company control the majority of the sport; they can do what they want. That’s the problem. To me, it’s a WWE move. Brock Lesnar is 1-1 in MMA. There’s no way in hell Brock Lesnar deserves a title shot in the UFC over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. There’s no way.
Sam Caplan: Based on your role with M-1, I believe you involved with the International television production for “Affliction: Banned.” I also believe you have some friends there. White recently predicted that Affliction would be out of business by January and he’s not alone in that belief. Do you agree with White’s assessment?
Jerry Millen: No. Tom Atencio is a close friend of mine. They do a great job at Affliction. They understand the sport. They’re a new company and just like with most new companies, it takes time to grow. And Dana doesn’t want them to be in business. Of course not. Dana White does not want competition because he wants to be the only kid on the block. He’s the kid in the schoolyard with the basketball that threatens to take the ball off the court when he leaves.
Affliction will not disappear like Dana thinks or wishes. It won’t happen. Affliction is a viable company. You have to remember, Affliction is a brand so when they do an Affliction fighting event, it’s promoting their lifestyle brand. It’s goes hand-in-hand.
Sam Caplan: During your days with PRIDE you spent some time getting to know Quinton Jackson. What’s your take on Quinton as a person?
Jerry Millen: Quinton is awesome. I love Quinton Jackson. He’s a great individual. I hung out with Quinton in Japan a lot. Unfortunately, in the past couple of years I haven’t talked to Quinton a lot because he’s working in the UFC and he’s been busy. But I got to know him very well in Japan and as a person, when his guard is down, he’s a great individual. I know he’s had some issues lately but to me, Quinton Jackson the person is more important than Quinton Jackson the fighter.
I want to see Quinton get through this tough time in his life and come out okay. Anyone who knows Quinton that reads this knows that he’s a great guy and that people make mistakes. I just hope he makes it through this. He’s got kids and people don’t understand that if they don’t have kids or families that they’re a lot of things that go on in life of a fighter besides just fighting. He’s a good guy and Quinton will make it through.
Sam Caplan: Do you think Quinton should be fighting anytime soon?
Jerry Millen: That’s a decision Quinton Jackson has to make. I just would like to see Quinton take care of all of his other issues before he gets back in the cage. I just hope Dana White is not trying to push back into the cage and be a false friend just to make a buck because Dana has been known to do those kind of things. When it’s all said and done this is the fight game and it’s a sport but at the end of the day there’s people’s lives on the line. I would like to see Quinton Jackson the individual okay before we see Quinton Jackson the fighter.
Sam Caplan: Tito Ortiz recently came out and was very critical of Jackson’s former trainer and manager, Juanito Ibarra. Did you ever have any dealings with Ibarra?
Jerry Millen: (Laughs very loud) Yes, actually I did. Towards the end of the WFA, there had been some discussion about trying to get Quinton to come back to PRIDE. So I called him up to try and schedule a meeting. There were some people in PRIDE that had mis-treated Quinton and had mis-treated a lot of us, actually. They were let go way before PRIDE had been shut down so I wanted to see if Quinton wanted to come back and see if we could make things right.
So I set up a meeting with Quinton and in the meeting he comes in and sits down and he has this trainer with him I had never met before, this Juanito. I could tell right off the bat that this guy (Ibarra) was just about money. You’ve got to understand that in any business if people see you as a commodity and someone they can make money off of then people are going to swarm around you like sharks. They’re going to try and make a buck off you and they’re going to try and be your friend. That’s just how life is.
I think I’m a pretty good judge of character and I sat down and started talking to Quinton and the first thing out of (Ibarra’s) mouth is, “Hey man, you work in Japan!? I’ve got this natural fruit juice energy drink, can you help me market it in Japan? I want to sell it in Japan!” You know, I was there to talk with Quinton about coming back to PRIDE and not to try and sell some fruit juice in Japan.
So right off the bat a red flag went off about this guy and I said to Quinton, “Who is this guy? I’m trying to get you back into PRIDE and he’s trying to sell me on some fruit juice to sell in Japan. I’m here to talk about you, not to help your trainer market some fruit juice.” So immediately I was wondering “Just who is this guy?” And throughout the conversation he would interject with numbers and pay-per-view numbers and he had no idea what he was talking about. I could just see the guy had money signs in his eyes and I was a little worried at that point. I’m like, this guy is kind of a joker, I hope Quinton is going to be okay. Obviously Quinton went in another direction but I wasn’t too comfortable when I had dealings with (Ibarra). I could tell there was something going on there.
Former PRIDE USA Vice President Jerry Millen is one of the most maligned individuals in mixed martial arts. But whether you like him or not, he has an insight into the business of MMA that very few individuals possess having worked for PRIDE both in Japan and in the United States.
After his tenure in PRIDE came to an end in the months that proceeded Zuffa’s acquisition of the promotion in 2007, Millen took some time off before being approached by an old friend from his PRIDE days, Vadim Finkelstein.
Finkelstein, the manager for former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, had plans to grow his Russian-based M-1 promotion into a global superpower. In Millen, he was looking for an experienced hand to help direct the company’s International television operations.
For close to a year now, Millen has worked hand-in-hand with Finkelstein in trying to help M-1 expand its global presence, and in doing so he’s broadened his unique perspective into the industry by also working closely with Fedor. Currently a Vice President with M-1, Millen produced the promotion’s recent “M-1 Challenge,” an International competition featuring MMA teams from nine different countries with representatives in the five major weight classes going head-to-head.
Having secured distribution throughout the world, M-1 recently struck a deal with Denver-based HDNet to broadcast one-hour episodes produced from the tapings that took place during the course of the year. The first episode is set to debut tomorrow (Friday) at 8 p.m. ET and Millen has been doing press to promote the show’s U.S. premiere.
One of the press stops on his agenda was an exclusive one-on-one interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com where Millen provided more detail about the M-1 Challenge; what his working relationship with Fedor’s management is like; the status of the proposed “Fighting Fedor” reality show; whether Fedor’s legacy in the U.S. is important to him; his response to recent claims by Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta that Fedor’s record isn’t relevant; if Finkelstein is willing to give on certain demands in order to make a dream match between Fedor and Randy Couture become a reality; and more.
Sam Caplan: A lot of people on the Internet forums love to rip you. They like to speculate what you’re up to these days and claim you’re working in the fast food industry. Just to set the record straight, what is Jerry Millen up to now?
Jerry Millen: Honestly, I worked in fast food, as most of us did, when I was 15 and 16-years old after my paper route to make my living as a teenager. But I haven’t worked in fast food in a long time. I’ve actually been working with Vadim Finkelstein and Fedor (Emelianenko) for M-1 Global out of Russia and Holland for probably about 11 months now. Right after PRIDE ended I took a little time off to spend some time with my family. I have a great family with three great kids and a great wife. I took a paid vacation and did some fishing.
The UFC buying PRIDE was a great move financially for me but personally I hated it because I loved PRIDE. A lot of people don’t know that the “Decade” show that we did, which you can find on the Internet now, the UFC tried to stop it from being produced. While I was producing it I got a lot of problems from the UFC because they didn’t want it to air and they tried to shut it down. On my own dime at some points, I went on the road and did a lot of interviews with those guys in that show because I felt so strongly about the PRIDE product and it was our ten year anniversary. And Sakikabara-san, who was a great boss, a great person, and a great friend to work for at PRIDE and I thought that the fans deserved to know as much of the story of PRIDE that I could tell.
So that was the last project for PRIDE that I worked on and it was very difficult. I had to call on a lot of people for favors and I had to put in some of my own money to put that thing together because I wanted people to see what PRIDE was and how great it was. After that I took some time off when the UFC bought PRIDE and I was well taken care of and I probably could have worked for the UFC but I chose not to. I thought I wouldn’t work for Dana White, and I won’t.
Sam Caplan: You mean there would have been an option for you to work for the UFC? Do you think Dana White would have been okay with you working for him?
Jerry Millen: I’m not sure if Dana would have been okay with it but at the end of the day, even though he leads people to believe it, Dana White is not the one who runs the UFC. As you can tell, Lorenzo Fertitta stepped in to run it like a business because Lorenzo Fertitta — who’s a great guy, I think he’s an awesome guy, I’ve met him a few times — he’s a business man to run the business-end of the UFC. I would just not work for Dana White.
Sam Caplan: Looking back towards the final months of PRIDE, do you have any regrets about becoming such a public figure?
Jerry Millen: No, not at all. I think in the end whatever we could have done to make PRIDE more public and mainstream worked out for the best. As you know, for so many years PRIDE was underground. As great of an event it was in Japan and worldwide, it never got great exposure in the U.S. So every time Dana White said “Jerry Millen is this” or “Jerry Millen is that” or “PRIDE is this” or “PRIDE is that,” it made anyone who didn’t know PRIDE familiar with the product because Dana White was talking about it. So I was more than happy to have Dana be our number one P.R. guy. Was it at my expense? Sure. But hey, no problem, it was worth it because I think PRIDE was something that everyone should have seen.
Sam Caplan: M-1 has a deal to broadcast the M-1 Challenge on HDNet. Can you tell us more about the concept behind the M-1 Challenge?
Jerry Millen: When Vadim approached me to work for him I jumped at the chance. I said “Yeah, I’d love to.” Then they told me about the M-1 Challenge idea and I tried to help them with another vehicle, the “Fighting Fedor” reality show — which we can talk about a little later — but the M-1 Challenge consists of nine teams with five fighters on each team. We have nine countries represented. We have Team USA, which is Heath Sims out of Dan Henderson’s Team Quest gym in Temecula. We’ve got five guys through Heath and then Matt Lindland helped me out. We’ve got Team Japan. We’ve also got two teams from Russia: Russia Legion and also the Red Devil team, which is Fedor and Vadim’s gym in St. Petersburg. Korea, Spain, we have a World Team, Finland, France, and also Holland.
I’m telling you, some of the fighters that we have in the M-1 Challenge, I think they can jump right into any major promotion. We’ve got a guy from Holland by the name of Bogdan Christea and another guy from Team Holland, Jason Jones, who is a very tough fighter. There’s Jessie Gibson, a heavyweight from France. There’s also a guy by the name of Karl Amoussou. Even though MMA isn’t legal in France they have a lot of fighters and Karl Amoussou is a great fighter out of France. And then there’s a fighter named Kiril Sidelnikov. They call him “Baby Fedor.” This kid is tough. He’s 19-years old and he can take a punch and he can deliver a punch. He is “Baby Fedor.” One name to remember out of Russia is Kiril. He’s a tough, tough fighter. And on Team USA there’s also Jake Ellenberger, David Garner, and Mike Dolce, who was on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” There’s a lot of young up and comers but a lot of these guys are already good.
We have a website where you can learn more about the M-1 Challenge at M1Mixfight.com.
Sam Caplan: So the M-1 Challenge is an International team competition. Are standings kept?
Jerry Millen: Yes, standings are kept.
Sam Caplan: So basically the M-1 Challenge is like the World Cup of MMA?
Jerry Millen: Right, exactly. Because in Europe and other countries besides the USA, nationalism is a big deal. You go out and you support your country. It’s like in the NFL, if you like the Falcons or the Jets this year… there in Europe, and even in Asia, it’s not about team, it’s about country. It’s like soccer. They are crazy about the country. It’s country vs. country. So that’s what we’re trying to do, but on a world level.
Sam Caplan: We all know of UFC President Dana White’s comments about his dealings with Fedor’s management in which he referred to them on multiple occasions as “Crazy Russians.” Thus far, and I guess maybe you can’t answer this as truthfully as you’d like, but I’d still like to get your comments on the record: what’s it been like working with Fedor’s management? Are the Russians as crazy as Dana says?
Jerry Millen: Not at all. Never. Anytime I go to Russia I have a great time. They treat me with respect. They’re great to me. I feel like in PRIDE that I was taken care of very well by the owners and treated great. This feels like an extension of PRIDE. Vadim is thought of as being great over there. Dana White’s arrogance is what makes him say these things. Dana White the rockstar is the one who is claiming these are crazy Russians. To me, they’re great Russians. I’d much rather have dinner and hang out with Vadim Finkelstein than Dana White any day of the week.
Sam Caplan: I’m not going to bother to ask whether you agree with White’s appraisal of Fedor as a fighter. I did want to ask if you believe White is sincere when he makes these negative statements about Fedor?
Jerry Millen: No, it’s the company line. Lorenzo made a statement the other day saying that Fedor’s career and his record is irrelevant. (Laughs) Well, I know it’s the company line. You can’t say that the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world is Fedor Emelianenko if he’s not in the UFC. They can’t tell people they don’t have the best fighter in the world under contract. You can’t say that because it’s not good business. But to go out there and say his record is irrelevant when he just smashed and embarrassed your former champion in Tim Sylvia. He’s beaten your interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice. People know. If you know Fedor and you’ve seen any of his fights, you know. And the UFC knows and Dana and Lorenzo knows and they want him badly. They just need to figure out some way to make it work.
M-1 and Vadim are willing to work things out. Fedor is willing to fight anyone. I feel like this is the PRIDE situation when Dana didn’t want to let Wanderlei fight Chuck. This deal can be done but it has to make sense for everyone. We’re partners with Affliction right now. Fedor is signed to Affliction. So it has to be a deal that makes sense for M-1, Affliction, and of course the UFC. The fight can happen. If the fans want the fight, it can happen. The fans just need to let the UFC know “Hey, we’re not going to stand for this, we want to see Randy and Fedor.”
Sam Caplan: But Dana White and the UFC have made it clear that they’re not going to sign a guy to a one-fight contract and co-promote with the competition. If they bring someone in to compete for their title then they want a long-term agreement and they want them committed solely to their promotion. They’ve been clear on that. What good is it asking for anything other than that?
Jerry Millen: Well, I guess that long-term is all relative. What is long-term? The UFC likes to grab guys and wrap them up for the rest of their life and own them. That’s great from a business standpoint if you’re the owners of the UFC but if you only have one entity such as the WWE, which owns the sport to an extent and tries to crush its competition, that’s great for the business of the UFC but what about the fighters that want to get in there and get paid? They’re not going to get paid because the UFC is essentially a monopoly. If they own it then they control the payscales, they control who is going to work in the industry, they control which websites are going to get interviews and they control who doesn’t get backstage to interview fighters. They will control everything and the fans need to understand this.
Look, I’m a fan of the UFC. They’ve got a lot of great fighters and a lot of those fighters are my friends. I watch the UFC. I bought the pay-per-view. I can’t believe I bought a pay-per-view and put money in Dana White’s pocket but I want to see Chuck Liddell fight and I want to see Rich Franklin fight, so I had to. But if they own the industry then the fans are the ones that are going to hurt because they’re going to control it. It’s just not possible. I want MMA to continue on as a sport and not a fad.
Sam Caplan: Let me throw a hypothetical out here. Let’s say that Fedor’s contract with Affliction is expired and he’s a total free agent. Would he and his management be open to an exclusive three fight contract with the UFC in order to get fights against opponents such as Randy Couture and maybe another fight vs. Nogueira? Like you said, the deal has to make sense but it also has to make sense for both sides. Do you think Fedor’s management might be willing to make concessions that they haven’t been willing to make in the past?
Jerry Millen: I can’t speak for what Vadim and Fedor would do on a contract because that’s not my position but I do know that our stance can be worked out as long as there is give and take. But if someone wants to take more than they’re willing to give then it could be a problem. They’re always willing to talk. If the UFC wants the best fighter in the world, they can make it happen. It’s just something that has to be fair to everybody. It has to be fair. There’s no reason why something can’t be fair.
Sam Caplan: I wanted to follow up regarding what Lorenzo Ferttita and Dana White have said about Fedor being irrelevant. Globally, he’s a huge name. But in the U.S. is there any validity to what they’re saying because even though the win over Tim Sylvia in July was huge, there’s still a lot of work to be done as far as establishing him with the mainstream public in America. How important is building a legacy in the U.S. to Fedor?
Jerry Millen: I think Fedor is an International star. Even I didn’t realize how big of a star he was in Korea until I was out there with him. It was out of control. He’s a huge star in Korea. But I think every country is important to him. Fedor fights because it’s in his blood. He’s a true athlete. Fedor trains and fights and does Sambo competitions. He’s a triathlete. He just goes and goes and goes. How important is the U.S. to him? I guess that’s a question you’d have to ask him.
Sam Caplan: But a lot of people in the U.S. do not consider him to be the pound-for-pound best simply because they’ve never been exposed to him.
Jerry Millen: I think he’s more known than people think he is here in America. To me, I think it’s important for him to be big in America because he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. There’s nobody in the world that can beat him. There are a couple of heavyweights that will read that and probably smack me around the next time they see me but I don’t think there’s anyone out there that we know of that can beat him. For me it’s important for him to be known in America because people need to know him because he’s the Joe Louis, the Mike Tyson of the sport.
Just look at the Tim Sylvia fight. Not even I expected the fight to go like that. I expected him to win but I was shocked at how quickly that fight ended. But that’s Fedor. He pretty much cleared up any doubters that were out there. You’re always going to have those guys who go “Well this” or “Well that.” But I think he pretty much cleared up any doubts people had in their minds about him such as ring rust or whatever.
But to me it is important that he becomes popular in America because he is such a great fighter and if you love the sport then you’ve got to see the guy fight. He’s that good and he’s such a great person. And I’m not trying to tow the company lines by any means; he is a great individual. I knew him through all of his years with PRIDE and he was always nice to me and very humble. And he’s still the same guy even though he’s mobbed by the media and all the fans.
Sam Caplan: Fedor was supposed to fight on the ill-fated Oct. 11 Affliction show but had to pull out due to a hand injury. Perhaps you don’t know the answer to this but you’re much closer to him than most people so I thought I’d ask when you felt we’d see Fedor back fighting again?
Jerry Millen: I would say January. The middle of January.
Sam Caplan: Is that going to be in Russia, Japan, or the U.S.? Where’s his next fight going to take place?
Jerry Millen: We’re not sure yet.
Sam Caplan: You mentioned the “Fighting Fedor” reality TV show earlier and I think that’s something that could make Fedor a bigger name here in the U.S. The trailers for the proposed show were leaked several months back. Rumor had it that you are one of the key people behind the concept. Is that correct and if so, can you give us an update on the status of the show?
Jerry Millen: What happened was when Vadim, Fedor, and I got together… my thing is, if you want an MMA promotion just doing pay-per-views and shows, that’s not enough. You need another vehicle. Fedor needs a vehicle in America and worldwide to expose him to those that don’t know him. And when I first started working for the company I told them we needed a vehicle for Fedor. And of course, reality television is hot. I told them we needed to do a reality show for Fedor. But what could you do for a reality show about Fedor that would be compelling? So I created a trailer and put some ideas down and showed it to them and they loved it.
The thing is, it’s hard to find opponents for Fedor. It really is. Who do you want to put him up against? And when you find that opponent they want a ton of money. They go, “I’m fighting Fedor. I want to get paid a ton of money.” So why not create some opponents for him? “The Ultimate Fighter?” They did a great job with that show. That show saved the UFC. It saved Spike TV. It’s well known that was what turned the UFC around. That vehicle. They spent millions of dollars doing everything from hiring Carmen Elektra to doing infomercial type of stuff and none of it worked. “The Ultimate Fighter” worked because it was hot and continues to be hot.
I’ve been to Russia and I’ve seen the Red Devil gym. The Red Devil gym is not “The Ultimate Fighter” house in Las Vegas. There’s not an open bar and a big swimming pool. It’s inside of an old Russian sports school and it’s a very humble gym. It’s like a lot of gyms I’ve seen around the U.S. It’s nothing fancy. It’s these Russian kids that train and train hard. If you train you know you don’t need a big swimming pool and fancy food and a big gym to plant TVs all over the wall in order to train.
It’s a very hardcore gym. The first time I saw it I said people need to see this and to see how Fedor how humble he is. People need to see this. So I said we need to do a show like “Fighting Fedor.” Let’s bring in 16 heavyweights from around the world and have them fight each other weekly in an elimination tournament. We could bring in some of the guys that have fought Fedor in the past to help train them.
There’s so many things you can do with a show like “Fighting Fedor.” You can show what Russia is really like and how they train at Red Devil and how Fedor trains. You would get insight into who Fedor is because Fedor is a mystery to most people that don’t know him. It’s a vehicle to show it all.
Sam Caplan: What’s the U.S. distribution for the show looking like?
Jerry Millen: We’re talking to a lot of different people. Some of the networks, you’d be surprised that we’re talking to about it. The thing with the M-1 Challenge and the “Fighting Fedor” show is that we’re going to be on over 60 countries on television. We have deals all over the place: Russia, Japan, and Korea so the show will be seen Internationally. In the U.S. right now there are a couple we are talking to and as Fedor gets larger I think there’s going to be even more interest. In my mind, the show is going to be awesome. It will give MMA fans, whether they like the idea or not, they will watch it because it gives them a chance to see how the best fighter in the world train and who he is.
Sam Caplan: Some people have criticized the concept, claiming that it’s a TUF knockoff. What’s your response to those criticisms?
Jerry Millen: First off, those people don’t know anything about television. Number two, “The Ultimate Fighter?” Great show, great vehicle for the UFC. Craig Piligian does a great job with that show but reality television is not new. “The Ultimate Fighter” is not a new concept. “The Real World” on MTV started reality television. Having bunch of people live in a house and fight either verbally or physically and be eliminated is not a new concept so saying it’s a “Ultimate Fighter” ripoff? Absolutely not. It’s a completely different concept. We’ll have fighters fight because that’s what they do. They’re fighters, they’re going to fight. It’s not like we’re going to have them play chess and skip rope. They will fight.
It’s reality television and “The Ultimate Fighter” is not a new concept. They took the sport and said let’s make a reality television show about this sport. We’re doing the same thing. We’re just going to happen to be doing it with the best fighter in the world.
Sam Caplan: matchup Last week on Scott Ferrall’s show on Sirius you called the Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 “some WWE stuff.” But what about Fedor’s fight vs. Hong Man Choi last New Year’s Eve?
Jerry Millen: Let me say this about the Japanese MMA scene because I worked in it for six years; it’s different than the U.S.A. scene. Those kinds of matches, Hong Man Choi and Akebeno, they’re standard in Japan. You see them over and over again because they draw ratings and numbers. At the end of the day, they have to draw numbers for the networks in Japan. Giant Silva drew some of the biggest numbers on New Year’s Eve in all of MMA fights ever in Japan. A lot of people don’t know that.
But that’s the standard in Japan. In the U.S., you’re not going to see “The Rock” come in and fight Nogueira so it’s not the standard for MMA in America. I know what the UFC is trying to do because they control the UFC. It’s a business move. Brock Lesnar is someone I’m sure they are paying a lot of money to and he has a name. They want to put him up against a big name and Randy is coming back. I just feel, as I’m sure many true MMA fans do, that if Randy Couture was the champion when he left and comes back as the champion and (with) Nogueira (as) your interim champion, I would assume in a structured fight league that the champion that comes back would fight the interim champion because the interim champion earned the right to be the champion in the original champ’s absence. The champion should fight the champion and Nogueira has earned that right.
But Brock Lesnar vs. Randy will do a big pay-per-view number and it will put a lot of money in their pocket and it will create a lot of hype for them so they’re going to do it. That’s what happens when you have one company control the majority of the sport; they can do what they want. That’s the problem. To me, it’s a WWE move. Brock Lesnar is 1-1 in MMA. There’s no way in hell Brock Lesnar deserves a title shot in the UFC over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. There’s no way.
Sam Caplan: Based on your role with M-1, I believe you involved with the International television production for “Affliction: Banned.” I also believe you have some friends there. White recently predicted that Affliction would be out of business by January and he’s not alone in that belief. Do you agree with White’s assessment?
Jerry Millen: No. Tom Atencio is a close friend of mine. They do a great job at Affliction. They understand the sport. They’re a new company and just like with most new companies, it takes time to grow. And Dana doesn’t want them to be in business. Of course not. Dana White does not want competition because he wants to be the only kid on the block. He’s the kid in the schoolyard with the basketball that threatens to take the ball off the court when he leaves.
Affliction will not disappear like Dana thinks or wishes. It won’t happen. Affliction is a viable company. You have to remember, Affliction is a brand so when they do an Affliction fighting event, it’s promoting their lifestyle brand. It’s goes hand-in-hand.
Sam Caplan: During your days with PRIDE you spent some time getting to know Quinton Jackson. What’s your take on Quinton as a person?
Jerry Millen: Quinton is awesome. I love Quinton Jackson. He’s a great individual. I hung out with Quinton in Japan a lot. Unfortunately, in the past couple of years I haven’t talked to Quinton a lot because he’s working in the UFC and he’s been busy. But I got to know him very well in Japan and as a person, when his guard is down, he’s a great individual. I know he’s had some issues lately but to me, Quinton Jackson the person is more important than Quinton Jackson the fighter.
I want to see Quinton get through this tough time in his life and come out okay. Anyone who knows Quinton that reads this knows that he’s a great guy and that people make mistakes. I just hope he makes it through this. He’s got kids and people don’t understand that if they don’t have kids or families that they’re a lot of things that go on in life of a fighter besides just fighting. He’s a good guy and Quinton will make it through.
Sam Caplan: Do you think Quinton should be fighting anytime soon?
Jerry Millen: That’s a decision Quinton Jackson has to make. I just would like to see Quinton take care of all of his other issues before he gets back in the cage. I just hope Dana White is not trying to push back into the cage and be a false friend just to make a buck because Dana has been known to do those kind of things. When it’s all said and done this is the fight game and it’s a sport but at the end of the day there’s people’s lives on the line. I would like to see Quinton Jackson the individual okay before we see Quinton Jackson the fighter.
Sam Caplan: Tito Ortiz recently came out and was very critical of Jackson’s former trainer and manager, Juanito Ibarra. Did you ever have any dealings with Ibarra?
Jerry Millen: (Laughs very loud) Yes, actually I did. Towards the end of the WFA, there had been some discussion about trying to get Quinton to come back to PRIDE. So I called him up to try and schedule a meeting. There were some people in PRIDE that had mis-treated Quinton and had mis-treated a lot of us, actually. They were let go way before PRIDE had been shut down so I wanted to see if Quinton wanted to come back and see if we could make things right.
So I set up a meeting with Quinton and in the meeting he comes in and sits down and he has this trainer with him I had never met before, this Juanito. I could tell right off the bat that this guy (Ibarra) was just about money. You’ve got to understand that in any business if people see you as a commodity and someone they can make money off of then people are going to swarm around you like sharks. They’re going to try and make a buck off you and they’re going to try and be your friend. That’s just how life is.
I think I’m a pretty good judge of character and I sat down and started talking to Quinton and the first thing out of (Ibarra’s) mouth is, “Hey man, you work in Japan!? I’ve got this natural fruit juice energy drink, can you help me market it in Japan? I want to sell it in Japan!” You know, I was there to talk with Quinton about coming back to PRIDE and not to try and sell some fruit juice in Japan.
So right off the bat a red flag went off about this guy and I said to Quinton, “Who is this guy? I’m trying to get you back into PRIDE and he’s trying to sell me on some fruit juice to sell in Japan. I’m here to talk about you, not to help your trainer market some fruit juice.” So immediately I was wondering “Just who is this guy?” And throughout the conversation he would interject with numbers and pay-per-view numbers and he had no idea what he was talking about. I could just see the guy had money signs in his eyes and I was a little worried at that point. I’m like, this guy is kind of a joker, I hope Quinton is going to be okay. Obviously Quinton went in another direction but I wasn’t too comfortable when I had dealings with (Ibarra). I could tell there was something going on there.
Shinya Aoki Interview
DREAM had a press conference on September 16 and announced an additional fight, Shinya Aoki vs Todd Moore. Sasahara, an event producer of DREAM, and Shinya Aoki attended the conference.
Sasahara:
I wanted to have another fight which people, who watch our event on TV, can enjoy. I offered Aoki a fight in DREAM.6. 2 weeks ago, and he accepted.
Aoki:
I fight in DREAM.6. I represent DREAM and I had no reason to turn down the offer. I haven't missed any events so far since DREAM started. My current goal is to participate in all events. It's my responsibility as a fighter to put my all no matter when I am offered. I haven't seen Moore's fight videos yet. It doesn't matter who I fight.
The most important thing is to keep my challenging spirit. I'm honored to fight in DREAM. If DREAM loves me, I definitely love DREAM back. I will do anything to help make MMA prosper.
Aoki's interview after the conference:
- Do you think you are stronger than before?
Yes. My experience in that tournament made me tougher. I have a confidence that I'm the one who put life into that tournament.
- You have not much time before the event.
When I debut 4 years ago, I was asking around to get an opportunity to fight. It's my pleasure being offered without asking.
- How much is your normal weight?
It's usually around 75-77kg. Training is a part of my hobby. I have nothing else I want to do except being with my teammates. My condition is pretty well.
- When is your next fight after DREAM.6? A NYE event? In general, the NYE event always have a big surprise such as fighters in a different weight class fight.
Do you want to see me face Badr Hari? Sounds dangerous. I may be killed; however, I'm sure I will win if we fight in MMA rules. I fight anybody. Aoki vs Akiyama? Well, I will even fight him. I have nothing to be afraid of.
- Do you think you can defeat Akiyama?
Honestly, I think so. I'm the one who is very serious about becoming a great fighter. I love Japanese MMA and I'm always very motivated to be better. On the other hand, he is not serious about fighting. You will easily see our differences...if we fight. I don't care weather he changes an attitude of mind as a fighter or not. I have a pride as a fighter. I like the way I live and fight.
DREAM had a press conference on September 16 and announced an additional fight, Shinya Aoki vs Todd Moore. Sasahara, an event producer of DREAM, and Shinya Aoki attended the conference.
Sasahara:
I wanted to have another fight which people, who watch our event on TV, can enjoy. I offered Aoki a fight in DREAM.6. 2 weeks ago, and he accepted.
Aoki:
I fight in DREAM.6. I represent DREAM and I had no reason to turn down the offer. I haven't missed any events so far since DREAM started. My current goal is to participate in all events. It's my responsibility as a fighter to put my all no matter when I am offered. I haven't seen Moore's fight videos yet. It doesn't matter who I fight.
The most important thing is to keep my challenging spirit. I'm honored to fight in DREAM. If DREAM loves me, I definitely love DREAM back. I will do anything to help make MMA prosper.
Aoki's interview after the conference:
- Do you think you are stronger than before?
Yes. My experience in that tournament made me tougher. I have a confidence that I'm the one who put life into that tournament.
- You have not much time before the event.
When I debut 4 years ago, I was asking around to get an opportunity to fight. It's my pleasure being offered without asking.
- How much is your normal weight?
It's usually around 75-77kg. Training is a part of my hobby. I have nothing else I want to do except being with my teammates. My condition is pretty well.
- When is your next fight after DREAM.6? A NYE event? In general, the NYE event always have a big surprise such as fighters in a different weight class fight.
Do you want to see me face Badr Hari? Sounds dangerous. I may be killed; however, I'm sure I will win if we fight in MMA rules. I fight anybody. Aoki vs Akiyama? Well, I will even fight him. I have nothing to be afraid of.
- Do you think you can defeat Akiyama?
Honestly, I think so. I'm the one who is very serious about becoming a great fighter. I love Japanese MMA and I'm always very motivated to be better. On the other hand, he is not serious about fighting. You will easily see our differences...if we fight. I don't care weather he changes an attitude of mind as a fighter or not. I have a pride as a fighter. I like the way I live and fight.
Masanori Tonooka Interview
DREAM official website posted an interview of Masanori Tonooka, who faces Yoshihiro Akiyama in DREAM.6. (This interview was taken place on Sep 12)
- Before you debuted in HERO'S in Oct, 2007, you were a karate professional. Could you tell me why you started MMA?
I was an employee of Seido Kaikan for 5 years. I started to be interested in MMA when I saw my teammate, Taiei Kin, fight in HERO'S.
- How often do you train MMA?
I train whenever I have time....probably 6 times a week. I train with my teammates such as Kin and Tokunaga at Seido Kaikan Headquarter.
- What is your dream?
Fighting in DREAM is my dream for now. I want to be a fighter who has great influence on others. I want to be a champion and famous someday. I believe I will have a good result if I show everything I have.
- What do you think about Akiyama?
Impression about him..... I saw him on TV and his fight. He is not a type of person who I get along with. It seems to me that he does not respect others and he is not considerate. I don't mind what he did in the past. I just don't like his character.
- You are a Karate specialist and he is a Judo specialist. You both have a background of Budo (Japanese traditional martial arts)
What I see and learn in Budo are different with him obviously. He is an experienced fighter and has good records; even so, he seems to be an overconfidence. Overconfidence is our great enemy. He will be defeated by someone who is new to MMA like me soon.
- Why do you think Akiyama choose you?
He picked me because he though he could win easily.
- What do you think about his strength?
He is quick to pick up on things.
- What do you think better than him?
I'm a better striker. I want to fight in the standing position. I know he is also good at striking. I hope he doesn't hesitate to fight me in the standing position.
DREAM official website posted an interview of Masanori Tonooka, who faces Yoshihiro Akiyama in DREAM.6. (This interview was taken place on Sep 12)
- Before you debuted in HERO'S in Oct, 2007, you were a karate professional. Could you tell me why you started MMA?
I was an employee of Seido Kaikan for 5 years. I started to be interested in MMA when I saw my teammate, Taiei Kin, fight in HERO'S.
- How often do you train MMA?
I train whenever I have time....probably 6 times a week. I train with my teammates such as Kin and Tokunaga at Seido Kaikan Headquarter.
- What is your dream?
Fighting in DREAM is my dream for now. I want to be a fighter who has great influence on others. I want to be a champion and famous someday. I believe I will have a good result if I show everything I have.
- What do you think about Akiyama?
Impression about him..... I saw him on TV and his fight. He is not a type of person who I get along with. It seems to me that he does not respect others and he is not considerate. I don't mind what he did in the past. I just don't like his character.
- You are a Karate specialist and he is a Judo specialist. You both have a background of Budo (Japanese traditional martial arts)
What I see and learn in Budo are different with him obviously. He is an experienced fighter and has good records; even so, he seems to be an overconfidence. Overconfidence is our great enemy. He will be defeated by someone who is new to MMA like me soon.
- Why do you think Akiyama choose you?
He picked me because he though he could win easily.
- What do you think about his strength?
He is quick to pick up on things.
- What do you think better than him?
I'm a better striker. I want to fight in the standing position. I know he is also good at striking. I hope he doesn't hesitate to fight me in the standing position.
ANTONIO SILVA TO APPEAL DRUG TEST RESULTS
Antonio Silva will not appeal his California State Athletic Commission suspension at the regulatory agency's hearing this Friday in Van Nuys, Calif.
Silva was flagged for the anabolic steroid Boldenone nearly a month after defending his belt against Justin Eilers at EliteXC's second CBS card on July 26. The heavyweight champion has until Sept. 20 to file an appeal before his suspension and fines become final.
CSAC representative Bill Douglas initially confirmed positive tests from the commission's “A” sample on the first of August.
CSAC Executive Director Armando Garcia told MMAWeekly.com he has not yet received Silva's appeal.
Silva's lawyer, Howard Jacobs, was aware of the deadline, but as of last week, said he had no documentation upon which to build a case. After agreeing to represent Silva in early September, Jacobs requested the CSAC's documentation for his positive test, including lab results and “chain of custody” for the urine samples collected by the commission.
“I literally have nothing,” he said. “All I know is that he's tested positive.”
Assuming Silva makes the deadline, he will have 30 days from the date of his appeal to request a special hearing for his case. Otherwise, he will likely appear at the CSAC's next public hearing, scheduled for Nov. 20 in a location to be determined. Both meetings would be open to the public.
Silva's American representative, Alex Davis, maintains that Silva's medical condition of acromegaly, or “gigantism” precludes him from taking anabolic steroids. Acromegaly is characterized by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland that produces excess growth hormone. Davis said that Silva's tumor has caused him to produce as much as 20 times the normal amount of growth hormone in the body.
“It would be completely insensible or even dangerous to make use of any other steroids or substances that could worsen that kind of problem,” he said.
Following the CSAC's suspension, Davis says he had Silva tested for steroids at the Aegis Sciences Corporation - a facility he says is on the CSAC's approved list of testing facilities - and results were negative.
Davis thinks the red flag arose from Silva's use of Novedex, an over the counter testosterone booster.
“With the commission, you're guilty until proven innocent,” he says.
Ironically, Novodex's maker, Gaspari Nutrition USA, warns professional athletes of a possible positive test for steroids.
“We strongly suggest that you discuss use of Novedex with your sanctioning body before using it,” the website writes. “With results this powerful, you might be wrongfully accused of 'cheating.'”
Garcia would not confirm what supplements Silva disclosed in his pre-fight medical questionnaire, but said Novodex was not one of them.
Silva is currently helping his teammates at American Top Team prepare for upcoming bouts. He doesn't fault the commission for his suspension.
“I think that the Commission's doing their job,” he said. “They got a positive result, and they did what they had to do to suspend me. What I have to do is prove my innocence. I hope they give me a chance to prove my innocence.
“It's an inconvenience, because I've come off four straight victories, and I just came off winning a title. But I'm sure that I'm clean. I'm going to prove this to my family and friends. The law states that you're innocent until proven guilty.”
Antonio Silva will not appeal his California State Athletic Commission suspension at the regulatory agency's hearing this Friday in Van Nuys, Calif.
Silva was flagged for the anabolic steroid Boldenone nearly a month after defending his belt against Justin Eilers at EliteXC's second CBS card on July 26. The heavyweight champion has until Sept. 20 to file an appeal before his suspension and fines become final.
CSAC representative Bill Douglas initially confirmed positive tests from the commission's “A” sample on the first of August.
CSAC Executive Director Armando Garcia told MMAWeekly.com he has not yet received Silva's appeal.
Silva's lawyer, Howard Jacobs, was aware of the deadline, but as of last week, said he had no documentation upon which to build a case. After agreeing to represent Silva in early September, Jacobs requested the CSAC's documentation for his positive test, including lab results and “chain of custody” for the urine samples collected by the commission.
“I literally have nothing,” he said. “All I know is that he's tested positive.”
Assuming Silva makes the deadline, he will have 30 days from the date of his appeal to request a special hearing for his case. Otherwise, he will likely appear at the CSAC's next public hearing, scheduled for Nov. 20 in a location to be determined. Both meetings would be open to the public.
Silva's American representative, Alex Davis, maintains that Silva's medical condition of acromegaly, or “gigantism” precludes him from taking anabolic steroids. Acromegaly is characterized by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland that produces excess growth hormone. Davis said that Silva's tumor has caused him to produce as much as 20 times the normal amount of growth hormone in the body.
“It would be completely insensible or even dangerous to make use of any other steroids or substances that could worsen that kind of problem,” he said.
Following the CSAC's suspension, Davis says he had Silva tested for steroids at the Aegis Sciences Corporation - a facility he says is on the CSAC's approved list of testing facilities - and results were negative.
Davis thinks the red flag arose from Silva's use of Novedex, an over the counter testosterone booster.
“With the commission, you're guilty until proven innocent,” he says.
Ironically, Novodex's maker, Gaspari Nutrition USA, warns professional athletes of a possible positive test for steroids.
“We strongly suggest that you discuss use of Novedex with your sanctioning body before using it,” the website writes. “With results this powerful, you might be wrongfully accused of 'cheating.'”
Garcia would not confirm what supplements Silva disclosed in his pre-fight medical questionnaire, but said Novodex was not one of them.
Silva is currently helping his teammates at American Top Team prepare for upcoming bouts. He doesn't fault the commission for his suspension.
“I think that the Commission's doing their job,” he said. “They got a positive result, and they did what they had to do to suspend me. What I have to do is prove my innocence. I hope they give me a chance to prove my innocence.
“It's an inconvenience, because I've come off four straight victories, and I just came off winning a title. But I'm sure that I'm clean. I'm going to prove this to my family and friends. The law states that you're innocent until proven guilty.”
LUKE STEWART RETURNS TO STRIKEFORCE
It’s been an anxious several months for Strikeforce welterweight Luke Stewart.
Eager to rebound off the first loss of his career in March, he was supposed to be part of the promotion’s June card, but instead sat on the sidelines as opponent after opponent dropped out of the fight.
Three months later and Stewart finally gets his opportunity to atone for his loss, as he steps into the cage this Saturday as part of Strikeforce’s return to the world famous Playboy Mansion.
“It’s been a rough last six months,” he admitted of his second half to 2008. “I’ve come off a loss and I was real eager to get back in the cage, and everything that happened with my last (scheduled) fight, going through three opponents was really frustrating.
“I feel like it’s been all work and no play, so I’m really looking forward to fighting on Saturday night.”
As Stewart explains, it was vexing to go through his on again/off again ordeal in June.
“It was a complete emotional rollercoaster,” he stated. “You get in your head that you’re fighting one guy and are starting to think about game plans and specific ways you’re going to fight playing out in your head; and all that changes within 15 minutes.
“The one good thing is that it allowed me to improve my skill set even more over the past six months and become a better fighter than I was in my last fight. I’m almost a completely different fighter, I feel like.”
At Strikeforce this Saturday, Stewart will be squaring off against Jesse Juarez, a fighter who has won two of three bouts so far this year.
“He’s a tough guy, a real strong wrestler; so I feel it’s going to be a real good fight,” he commented. “I think our styles are going to match up well as far as he’s gonna want to go to the ground, and obviously that’s where I feel I’m at my best.
“I think we’re going to both come at each other with everything we have – it’s not going to be one guy running from another guy – it’s going to be two guys colliding in the middle.”
A win over Juarez could put Stewart back on the track that could see him possibly contend for a Strikeforce title sometime in 2009.
“I’m real excited for this upcoming year, and I’m ready for it,” he exclaimed.
“This last year I’ve been training real hard, putting a lot of time in the gym and I’m ready to showcase it and show the fans what kind of fighter I am.”
After months of sitting on the shelf waiting for a chance to redeem himself, Luke finally has his opportunity to do so, and should he make the most of it, his title aspirations turning into reality may only be a matter of time.
“I’d like to give a shout-out to On The Mat, ShoYoRoll and Kyougin,” he concluded. “Thanks to all my training partners and guys who got me ready for this fight at Ralf Gracie Jiu-Jitsu; and my strength coach, Dave Alexander.
“To all my fans, thanks for supporting me and keeping it going. I can’t wait to fight Saturday night.”
It’s been an anxious several months for Strikeforce welterweight Luke Stewart.
Eager to rebound off the first loss of his career in March, he was supposed to be part of the promotion’s June card, but instead sat on the sidelines as opponent after opponent dropped out of the fight.
Three months later and Stewart finally gets his opportunity to atone for his loss, as he steps into the cage this Saturday as part of Strikeforce’s return to the world famous Playboy Mansion.
“It’s been a rough last six months,” he admitted of his second half to 2008. “I’ve come off a loss and I was real eager to get back in the cage, and everything that happened with my last (scheduled) fight, going through three opponents was really frustrating.
“I feel like it’s been all work and no play, so I’m really looking forward to fighting on Saturday night.”
As Stewart explains, it was vexing to go through his on again/off again ordeal in June.
“It was a complete emotional rollercoaster,” he stated. “You get in your head that you’re fighting one guy and are starting to think about game plans and specific ways you’re going to fight playing out in your head; and all that changes within 15 minutes.
“The one good thing is that it allowed me to improve my skill set even more over the past six months and become a better fighter than I was in my last fight. I’m almost a completely different fighter, I feel like.”
At Strikeforce this Saturday, Stewart will be squaring off against Jesse Juarez, a fighter who has won two of three bouts so far this year.
“He’s a tough guy, a real strong wrestler; so I feel it’s going to be a real good fight,” he commented. “I think our styles are going to match up well as far as he’s gonna want to go to the ground, and obviously that’s where I feel I’m at my best.
“I think we’re going to both come at each other with everything we have – it’s not going to be one guy running from another guy – it’s going to be two guys colliding in the middle.”
A win over Juarez could put Stewart back on the track that could see him possibly contend for a Strikeforce title sometime in 2009.
“I’m real excited for this upcoming year, and I’m ready for it,” he exclaimed.
“This last year I’ve been training real hard, putting a lot of time in the gym and I’m ready to showcase it and show the fans what kind of fighter I am.”
After months of sitting on the shelf waiting for a chance to redeem himself, Luke finally has his opportunity to do so, and should he make the most of it, his title aspirations turning into reality may only be a matter of time.
“I’d like to give a shout-out to On The Mat, ShoYoRoll and Kyougin,” he concluded. “Thanks to all my training partners and guys who got me ready for this fight at Ralf Gracie Jiu-Jitsu; and my strength coach, Dave Alexander.
“To all my fans, thanks for supporting me and keeping it going. I can’t wait to fight Saturday night.”
NOGUEIRA BROTHERS OPEN TEAM NOGUEIRA DALLAS
Both Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his brother have been very successful as trainers in the field of mixed martial arts and now the tandem is expanding into Texas with the opening of “Team Nogueira” Dallas, which will be located in the new Octagon MMA gym.
The Nogueira brothers are hopeful to train new mixed martial artists while continuing to teach and broaden their Brazilian Jiu-jitsu education to new students in the Dallas area.
“We are bringing the best mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training that most people in Dallas have not experienced before,” said Nogueira. “We’ve developed training programs for men, women and children, as well as competitive fighters.”
Lead trainer, Greg Seal, owner of Octagon MMA, who is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt and who has trained with the Nogueira team for the past six years is very positive about bringing the popular fighter’s style to the Dallas based gym.
“Learning jiu-jitsu changed my life for the better,” said Seal. “Jiu-jitsu has given me a level of fitness and sense of confidence that I don’t get from other sports or activities.”
The Nogueira brothers will be in Dallas to help introduce the school from Oct. 13 through the 18 while the grand opening takes place.
For more information about prices, services at other amenities available at Octagan, go to www.octagonmma.com or call 214-521-OMMA (6662).
Both Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his brother have been very successful as trainers in the field of mixed martial arts and now the tandem is expanding into Texas with the opening of “Team Nogueira” Dallas, which will be located in the new Octagon MMA gym.
The Nogueira brothers are hopeful to train new mixed martial artists while continuing to teach and broaden their Brazilian Jiu-jitsu education to new students in the Dallas area.
“We are bringing the best mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training that most people in Dallas have not experienced before,” said Nogueira. “We’ve developed training programs for men, women and children, as well as competitive fighters.”
Lead trainer, Greg Seal, owner of Octagon MMA, who is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt and who has trained with the Nogueira team for the past six years is very positive about bringing the popular fighter’s style to the Dallas based gym.
“Learning jiu-jitsu changed my life for the better,” said Seal. “Jiu-jitsu has given me a level of fitness and sense of confidence that I don’t get from other sports or activities.”
The Nogueira brothers will be in Dallas to help introduce the school from Oct. 13 through the 18 while the grand opening takes place.
For more information about prices, services at other amenities available at Octagan, go to www.octagonmma.com or call 214-521-OMMA (6662).
A Baptism by Fire, Shamrock Style
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Alexander Trevino experienced a bit of déjà vu last Saturday as he watched three mixed martial arts greenhorns endure tryouts for a coveted spot on Frank Shamrock’s Submission Fight Team.
Trevino had left his home state of Michigan for California in July 2007 after an ugly altercation with his former girlfriend. He heard of an open casting call at the Shamrock Martial Arts Academy in San Jose, at which spots on a reality show and Shamrock’s fight team were at stake.
Involved in wrestling for as long as he could remember and sporting a shiner from a recent scuffle with his cousin, Trevino packed his bags, scraped together what money he had and boarded a plane bound for the Golden State. The confrontation with his girlfriend sent him over the edge.
A year later, Trevino geared up for his third professional mixed martial arts bout -- all under Shamrock’s guidance -- the same day three newcomers vied to become part of the team. Don, Doyle and Derrick entered the gym’s doors with the same hopes Trevino still holds; they want to become standouts at Shamrock’s gym and stars in the MMA world.
They were subjected to rigorous cardio training in an upstairs room. Endless squat thrusts, push-ups, leg lifts and sit-ups under low ceilings were at the core of the training. They had to demonstrate their ground knowledge, striking combinations and kicks. Coordination drills under and over ropes further depleted their energy. The Shamrock squad saw the prospects begin to bend and scrapped the extensive run typical for the tryouts. There was no need to punish the hopefuls; sparring would provide the punishment.
Trevino had it much easier during his tryout. Thanks to the reality show being in the mix, the workout was only half the equation. The soft-spoken lanky kid from Montague, Mich., had little to say, but he talked on the mats and went fast and hard with the other fighters. Trevino sported worn yellow, red and black camouflage shorts.
Plans for the reality show fell through various network cracks and left Trevino without the instant injection of fame he sought. He elected to hang around San Jose and, with the support of his parents, turned his tenacity into results. Trevino credits Shamrock for his transformation.
An attention stealer
Shamrock, holding his newborn daughter, Nicolette, brought the tryouts downstairs.
“She’s going to try out next time,” the former UFC and Strikeforce champion said jokingly, as he walked down the stairs toward the floor-matted ring.
He calmed his little girl in his arms when she got restless, even as he directed his instructors running the tryout. Wearing a frilly pink dress, Nicolette was an attention stealer among the spectators. Her presence added to a family atmosphere that came in stark contrast to what is often found in mixed martial arts gyms. Even Rambo -- an excitable charcoal pit bull -- watched the sparring without anyone second guessing his attendance.
The prospective fighters went through multiple three-minute kickboxing rounds and boxing rounds. They finished off with an MMA frame for good measure. Drained from their cardio work, they recognized the difficulty of their undertaking with each passing round.
In his year as a professional mixed martial artist, the 27-year-old Trevino has learned about in-ring hardships firsthand. Shamrock encouraged him to accept a fight less than a month before his scheduled June 2008 debut. Three rounds and some bloodshed later, Trevino came out of a match with Justin Farmer battered but victorious. Experience comes with a price.
A month later, he sat around the locker room of the HP Pavilion in San Jose and drew on his trunks before Gilbert Melendez put his Strikeforce lightweight belt on the line against Josh Thomson. Sharpie in hand, he scribbled a spider web on his bright pink trunks, a nod to a nickname -- “Spider” -- he earned as an “ugly baby.” His was the first fight of the night. Thirty-seven-seconds later, Trevino won again, as he took out Eric Jacob with an armbar and bypassed bodily harm.
‘Never Quit’
“Jab, Doyle!” Trevino yelled into the ring. “Jab! Jab! Jab!” A pink polo shirt and a black lip ring show Trevino’s style, even on fight day. The authority in his voice was far from the awkward gangly kid persona he leaves behind in the heat of battle.
Long-time Shamrock pupil Clint Coronel had trouble holding back his punches and “flowing” as he struck Doyle. A massive size advantage in Doyle’s favor did not prevent him from using malfunctioning headgear as an out. “Spider” pushed him in the ring and adjusted his headgear to keep him in the fight. The jab would have kept the significantly smaller Coronel away and mitigated punishment, but it never came.
Don endured the same treatment inside the ring with “The Aztec.”
“If you’re turning, you’re quitting,” said Shamrock, as the young fighter sought a rope escape. The hits kept coming. Coronel, a sizeable lightweight, clinched with Don and forced him back into the center of the ring.
“Punch him in the leg!” Shamrock commanded.
While it seemed odd at first, the instruction was designed to give Don a fighting chance and simultaneously punish him for his inactivity. It worked.
“Beat him to the ground,” Shamrock said. The order was unclear, as the two were engaged in a boxing session. Coronel took the merciful route and beat Don to the ground.
Mikey Merino, of local rock act Unjust, kept the clock. He had a difficult time watching, as roughly 30 seconds remained. Trainers Casey Hawes and Eric Evenson, a cool combination of clipboards and tattoos, started a wave of applause for Don, who did not quit in the face of adversity. Trevino quietly conferred with Shamrock, who continued to sooth his daughter. He confidently told his mentor that Don was “done,” as a strong sense of empathy flowed from his voice.
“Should I tell him it’s over?” Trevino asked.
Shamrock gave him the nod and allowed Don to sit out any remaining sparring.
Derrick -- the most talented of the three hopefuls -- tried to trade with Coronel. His vigor and crisp strikes were short-lived, however, as a body kick put him down. Understanding even the strongest of the bunch was not ready to continue, Shamrock urged everyone to let him breathe -- breathing being the one thing all three forgot -- as he recovered. Seconds later, former Marine and Shamrock gym manager Ralph King ordered Derrick to rise. He finished strong. The physical portion of the tryout was over.
“We’re going to see what’s in your head … or what’s left,” King said.
The decision was made in front of the academy. Shamrock, bouncing Nicolette lightly in his arms, talked about the gym being a family. Laying down his MMA philosophy as a mixture of artistry and positive thinking, Shamrock welcomed Don and Doyle into the gym as “apprentices.” Derrick, meanwhile, earned the title of “young boy,” which allows him to train and fight under Shamrock.
Like Trevino a year before, Derrick earned his stripes. Trevino imparted only two words of advice to aspiring MMA fighters, like those who followed in his footsteps. They happen to be the last two words of the creed adorning the walls in Shamrock’s gym: “Never quit.”
Mixed reviews
Trevino made the most of his training and picked up his third professional win later that night at Strikeforce “Young Guns III.” He decisioned the debuting Gennaro Strangis. Though he emerged victorious, Trevino, when compared to his inexperienced opponent, looked timid throughout the contest.
Shooting smiles around the crowd in his trademark shifty suit after the fight, Trevino -- who earned the nickname “Showtime” around the gym for his love of performing -- immersed himself in the moment. His good friend and training partner believes the undefeated fighter’s career has come along nicely but admitted Trevino’s latest effort was uncharacteristic in nature.
Backed by Shamrock, Trevino headed back to the gym, where he likely absorbed another beating at Coronel’s hands, just as he had the first day he entered.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Alexander Trevino experienced a bit of déjà vu last Saturday as he watched three mixed martial arts greenhorns endure tryouts for a coveted spot on Frank Shamrock’s Submission Fight Team.
Trevino had left his home state of Michigan for California in July 2007 after an ugly altercation with his former girlfriend. He heard of an open casting call at the Shamrock Martial Arts Academy in San Jose, at which spots on a reality show and Shamrock’s fight team were at stake.
Involved in wrestling for as long as he could remember and sporting a shiner from a recent scuffle with his cousin, Trevino packed his bags, scraped together what money he had and boarded a plane bound for the Golden State. The confrontation with his girlfriend sent him over the edge.
A year later, Trevino geared up for his third professional mixed martial arts bout -- all under Shamrock’s guidance -- the same day three newcomers vied to become part of the team. Don, Doyle and Derrick entered the gym’s doors with the same hopes Trevino still holds; they want to become standouts at Shamrock’s gym and stars in the MMA world.
They were subjected to rigorous cardio training in an upstairs room. Endless squat thrusts, push-ups, leg lifts and sit-ups under low ceilings were at the core of the training. They had to demonstrate their ground knowledge, striking combinations and kicks. Coordination drills under and over ropes further depleted their energy. The Shamrock squad saw the prospects begin to bend and scrapped the extensive run typical for the tryouts. There was no need to punish the hopefuls; sparring would provide the punishment.
Trevino had it much easier during his tryout. Thanks to the reality show being in the mix, the workout was only half the equation. The soft-spoken lanky kid from Montague, Mich., had little to say, but he talked on the mats and went fast and hard with the other fighters. Trevino sported worn yellow, red and black camouflage shorts.
Plans for the reality show fell through various network cracks and left Trevino without the instant injection of fame he sought. He elected to hang around San Jose and, with the support of his parents, turned his tenacity into results. Trevino credits Shamrock for his transformation.
An attention stealer
Shamrock, holding his newborn daughter, Nicolette, brought the tryouts downstairs.
“She’s going to try out next time,” the former UFC and Strikeforce champion said jokingly, as he walked down the stairs toward the floor-matted ring.
He calmed his little girl in his arms when she got restless, even as he directed his instructors running the tryout. Wearing a frilly pink dress, Nicolette was an attention stealer among the spectators. Her presence added to a family atmosphere that came in stark contrast to what is often found in mixed martial arts gyms. Even Rambo -- an excitable charcoal pit bull -- watched the sparring without anyone second guessing his attendance.
The prospective fighters went through multiple three-minute kickboxing rounds and boxing rounds. They finished off with an MMA frame for good measure. Drained from their cardio work, they recognized the difficulty of their undertaking with each passing round.
In his year as a professional mixed martial artist, the 27-year-old Trevino has learned about in-ring hardships firsthand. Shamrock encouraged him to accept a fight less than a month before his scheduled June 2008 debut. Three rounds and some bloodshed later, Trevino came out of a match with Justin Farmer battered but victorious. Experience comes with a price.
A month later, he sat around the locker room of the HP Pavilion in San Jose and drew on his trunks before Gilbert Melendez put his Strikeforce lightweight belt on the line against Josh Thomson. Sharpie in hand, he scribbled a spider web on his bright pink trunks, a nod to a nickname -- “Spider” -- he earned as an “ugly baby.” His was the first fight of the night. Thirty-seven-seconds later, Trevino won again, as he took out Eric Jacob with an armbar and bypassed bodily harm.
‘Never Quit’
“Jab, Doyle!” Trevino yelled into the ring. “Jab! Jab! Jab!” A pink polo shirt and a black lip ring show Trevino’s style, even on fight day. The authority in his voice was far from the awkward gangly kid persona he leaves behind in the heat of battle.
Long-time Shamrock pupil Clint Coronel had trouble holding back his punches and “flowing” as he struck Doyle. A massive size advantage in Doyle’s favor did not prevent him from using malfunctioning headgear as an out. “Spider” pushed him in the ring and adjusted his headgear to keep him in the fight. The jab would have kept the significantly smaller Coronel away and mitigated punishment, but it never came.
Don endured the same treatment inside the ring with “The Aztec.”
“If you’re turning, you’re quitting,” said Shamrock, as the young fighter sought a rope escape. The hits kept coming. Coronel, a sizeable lightweight, clinched with Don and forced him back into the center of the ring.
“Punch him in the leg!” Shamrock commanded.
While it seemed odd at first, the instruction was designed to give Don a fighting chance and simultaneously punish him for his inactivity. It worked.
“Beat him to the ground,” Shamrock said. The order was unclear, as the two were engaged in a boxing session. Coronel took the merciful route and beat Don to the ground.
Mikey Merino, of local rock act Unjust, kept the clock. He had a difficult time watching, as roughly 30 seconds remained. Trainers Casey Hawes and Eric Evenson, a cool combination of clipboards and tattoos, started a wave of applause for Don, who did not quit in the face of adversity. Trevino quietly conferred with Shamrock, who continued to sooth his daughter. He confidently told his mentor that Don was “done,” as a strong sense of empathy flowed from his voice.
“Should I tell him it’s over?” Trevino asked.
Shamrock gave him the nod and allowed Don to sit out any remaining sparring.
Derrick -- the most talented of the three hopefuls -- tried to trade with Coronel. His vigor and crisp strikes were short-lived, however, as a body kick put him down. Understanding even the strongest of the bunch was not ready to continue, Shamrock urged everyone to let him breathe -- breathing being the one thing all three forgot -- as he recovered. Seconds later, former Marine and Shamrock gym manager Ralph King ordered Derrick to rise. He finished strong. The physical portion of the tryout was over.
“We’re going to see what’s in your head … or what’s left,” King said.
The decision was made in front of the academy. Shamrock, bouncing Nicolette lightly in his arms, talked about the gym being a family. Laying down his MMA philosophy as a mixture of artistry and positive thinking, Shamrock welcomed Don and Doyle into the gym as “apprentices.” Derrick, meanwhile, earned the title of “young boy,” which allows him to train and fight under Shamrock.
Like Trevino a year before, Derrick earned his stripes. Trevino imparted only two words of advice to aspiring MMA fighters, like those who followed in his footsteps. They happen to be the last two words of the creed adorning the walls in Shamrock’s gym: “Never quit.”
Mixed reviews
Trevino made the most of his training and picked up his third professional win later that night at Strikeforce “Young Guns III.” He decisioned the debuting Gennaro Strangis. Though he emerged victorious, Trevino, when compared to his inexperienced opponent, looked timid throughout the contest.
Shooting smiles around the crowd in his trademark shifty suit after the fight, Trevino -- who earned the nickname “Showtime” around the gym for his love of performing -- immersed himself in the moment. His good friend and training partner believes the undefeated fighter’s career has come along nicely but admitted Trevino’s latest effort was uncharacteristic in nature.
Backed by Shamrock, Trevino headed back to the gym, where he likely absorbed another beating at Coronel’s hands, just as he had the first day he entered.
Ishida, Misaki head up Strikeforce at Hef's house
Although this weekend is the proverbial calm before next week's storm for Japanese MMA, one of Nihon's top lightweights will take the stateside stage this Saturday, as "The Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida will meet AKA upstart Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox on the main card of Strikeforce's second trip to the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The bout will mark the mainland U.S. debut for Ishida. Despite 21 professional bouts over a seven-year career, Ishida has fought only once outside of Japan, losing a unanimous decision to then Shooto world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro in Hawaii in July 2004. The fight will also be Ishida's first action since May, where he was upset by veteran Caol Uno via a second-round submission in the quarterfinals of Dream's lightweight tournament.
"We are really looking forward to bringing Mitsuhiro Ishida to compete in front of a live audience in the mainland United States for the first time," Strikeforce's Mike Afromowitz told Sherdog.com. "His opponent, Justin Wilcox, is a highly accomplished wrester, so this matchup is a great addition to our line-up for the Mansion. We expect a highly competitive matchup."
Wilcox was a standout wrestler at Edinboro University, the school perhaps best known in the MMA world for producing NCAA champion turned top welterweight Josh Koscheck. Wilcox has since followed Koscheck to San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy, and has put together four straight wins, including a decision victory over infamous Ultimate Fighter 5 alumnus Gabe Ruediger last month.
Saturday's Strikeforce bill in the Hills will also feature lightweight champion Josh Thomson in a non-title tune-up bout against Lion's Den product Ashe Bowman. One of the world's top lightweights by virtue of his masterful June performance against Gilbert Melendez, there has been much speculation over Strikeforce's ability to find world-class opposition for "The Punk.” While Afromowitz would not characterize the Ishida and Thomson bouts as a double showcase build-up for a title fight in the future, he did acknowledge the opportunity.
"A Thomson-Ishida matchup is a possibility, if Ishida wins," conceded Afromowitz.
Also representing Japan on Strikeforce's second trip to Hef's House will be Sengoku middleweight ace Kazuo Misaki, who takes on Joe "Diesel" Riggs.
Misaki has seen action twice in 2008, submitting Shooto 183-pound world champion Siyar Bahadurzada in March, and taking a unanimous verdict over WEC veteran Logan Clark in June. Although he sustained a left ankle injury that put him on crutches following the Clark bout, the injury healed quickly and has left no lasting impact on the "Grabaka Hitman.”
The comebacking Riggs, who has suffered through a string of injuries and a recent licensing issue, got back into action in July where he notched a second-round submission over Matt Dempsey in a tune-up bout in his native Arizona.
Sherdog.com’s live Strikeforce stream will begin at 7:30 Pacific on Saturday evening.
Although this weekend is the proverbial calm before next week's storm for Japanese MMA, one of Nihon's top lightweights will take the stateside stage this Saturday, as "The Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida will meet AKA upstart Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox on the main card of Strikeforce's second trip to the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The bout will mark the mainland U.S. debut for Ishida. Despite 21 professional bouts over a seven-year career, Ishida has fought only once outside of Japan, losing a unanimous decision to then Shooto world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro in Hawaii in July 2004. The fight will also be Ishida's first action since May, where he was upset by veteran Caol Uno via a second-round submission in the quarterfinals of Dream's lightweight tournament.
"We are really looking forward to bringing Mitsuhiro Ishida to compete in front of a live audience in the mainland United States for the first time," Strikeforce's Mike Afromowitz told Sherdog.com. "His opponent, Justin Wilcox, is a highly accomplished wrester, so this matchup is a great addition to our line-up for the Mansion. We expect a highly competitive matchup."
Wilcox was a standout wrestler at Edinboro University, the school perhaps best known in the MMA world for producing NCAA champion turned top welterweight Josh Koscheck. Wilcox has since followed Koscheck to San Jose's American Kickboxing Academy, and has put together four straight wins, including a decision victory over infamous Ultimate Fighter 5 alumnus Gabe Ruediger last month.
Saturday's Strikeforce bill in the Hills will also feature lightweight champion Josh Thomson in a non-title tune-up bout against Lion's Den product Ashe Bowman. One of the world's top lightweights by virtue of his masterful June performance against Gilbert Melendez, there has been much speculation over Strikeforce's ability to find world-class opposition for "The Punk.” While Afromowitz would not characterize the Ishida and Thomson bouts as a double showcase build-up for a title fight in the future, he did acknowledge the opportunity.
"A Thomson-Ishida matchup is a possibility, if Ishida wins," conceded Afromowitz.
Also representing Japan on Strikeforce's second trip to Hef's House will be Sengoku middleweight ace Kazuo Misaki, who takes on Joe "Diesel" Riggs.
Misaki has seen action twice in 2008, submitting Shooto 183-pound world champion Siyar Bahadurzada in March, and taking a unanimous verdict over WEC veteran Logan Clark in June. Although he sustained a left ankle injury that put him on crutches following the Clark bout, the injury healed quickly and has left no lasting impact on the "Grabaka Hitman.”
The comebacking Riggs, who has suffered through a string of injuries and a recent licensing issue, got back into action in July where he notched a second-round submission over Matt Dempsey in a tune-up bout in his native Arizona.
Sherdog.com’s live Strikeforce stream will begin at 7:30 Pacific on Saturday evening.
Yoshida looks to November after nixed Parisyan bout
It's not all bad for Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
After a sterling 56-second submission victory over Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver at UFC 84 in May, the gritty Japanese welterweight was poised to break into the consciousness of international MMA fans on the main card of Sept. 6's UFC 88 card in Atlanta, where he was scheduled to face Karo Parisyan. Much to the chagrin of fans, the slated Parisyan-Yoshida bout was nixed the day before the event after Parisyan was unable to fight due to a last-minute back injury.
Fortunately for the 34-year-old former judo standout, he was still paid his show money, and got some great cageside seats out of the deal.
"He was to be paid 8K to show, and 8K to win for that fight, so he still got 8K," Yoshida's manager Shu Hirata told Sherdog.com. "And I negotiated with the UFC to make sure to sit him in the front row and get a shot of him in the live PPV so he could get something from the sponsors."
Currently riding a nine-fight win streak and on the cusp of emerging as an elite welterweight, "Zenko" may not need to wait long to get back into the Octagon.
"I am trying for Nov. 15's UFC 91 show," revealed Hirata. "Both Dana [White] and Joe [Silva] told me that they would get him a fight ASAP. Hopefully something can happen this week."
It's not all bad for Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
After a sterling 56-second submission victory over Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver at UFC 84 in May, the gritty Japanese welterweight was poised to break into the consciousness of international MMA fans on the main card of Sept. 6's UFC 88 card in Atlanta, where he was scheduled to face Karo Parisyan. Much to the chagrin of fans, the slated Parisyan-Yoshida bout was nixed the day before the event after Parisyan was unable to fight due to a last-minute back injury.
Fortunately for the 34-year-old former judo standout, he was still paid his show money, and got some great cageside seats out of the deal.
"He was to be paid 8K to show, and 8K to win for that fight, so he still got 8K," Yoshida's manager Shu Hirata told Sherdog.com. "And I negotiated with the UFC to make sure to sit him in the front row and get a shot of him in the live PPV so he could get something from the sponsors."
Currently riding a nine-fight win streak and on the cusp of emerging as an elite welterweight, "Zenko" may not need to wait long to get back into the Octagon.
"I am trying for Nov. 15's UFC 91 show," revealed Hirata. "Both Dana [White] and Joe [Silva] told me that they would get him a fight ASAP. Hopefully something can happen this week."
Inside Sengoku TV Deal
After carefully piecing its product together over the last year and positioning itself to become a major player in international MMA, World Victory Road has finally cleared a major hurdle for its upstart promotion Sengoku by finally landing a network television deal.
WVR formally announced its partnership with Japanese terrestrial broadcaster TV Tokyo on Tuesday.
The smallest of the six major Japanese terrestrial broadcasters, TV Tokyo is the broadcasting home of GCM's Cage Force series, as well as a consistent broadcaster of boxing in Japan. Sengoku's presence on the network will commence on Sept. 27, the day before its forthcoming middleweight tournament’s opening round, with an hour-long Sengoku preview show. Also running through October and November, TV Tokyo will broadcast 25-minute episodes of "Sengoku G!" -- a recap and digest show featuring the promotion's fighters and previous bouts.
While many acknowledge the historical relationship between Japanese pro-wrestling and MMA, the business side of Nihon's MMA industry also takes after the world of puroresu. In order for major-level MMA promotions to be successful and sustainable in Japan, a network television deal is a necessity. The point was most clearly depicted in the crushing fall from grace Pride Fighting Championships experienced following the loss of its television deal with Fuji TV in June 2006.
Since World Victory Road announced its arrival in MMA last October, the primary plotline for Sengoku's parent company has been its pursuit of a network television deal. After being turned away by the networks late last year, WVR has carefully crafted a television-friendly product with crossover appeal to the Japanese public, showcasing superstars such as Hidehiko Yoshida and Josh Barnett, Japanese "aces" like Takanori Gomi and Kazuo Misaki, and top BJJ converts such as Roger Gracie and Xande Ribeiro, while broadcasting its live events on pay-per-view via SkyPerfecTV!
While Sengoku has suffered from lackluster gate numbers, often only half-filling venues such as Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium and Saitama Super Arena, WVR has staunchly maintained that terrestrial television was their ultimate goal.
"Terrestrial broadcasting is something that should generally make the fighters happy and motivate them, and it'll allow us to show the fans good fights," said Sengoku's chief superstar Hidehiko Yoshida. "For me personally, it's been a long while since I've been on terrestrial television. As such, I'll work hard to show good fights."
"Getting this TV deal so quickly like this makes me happy, as it'll be a good way to give exposure to normal folks," added the promotion's lightweight ace Takanori Gomi. "It's motivation for fighters who fight in Sengoku as well as younger guys aiming for it. Receiving the energy from the core fans who come to the arenas, out now to the folks at home, this expectation makes me want to answer that by fighting for them."
It is crucial, however, to keep the announcement in proper context, as the announcement is more representative of a foot in the door rather than a full-scale coming out party.
Although they will have weekly network television presence, they will not enjoy primetime viewing, as the “Sengoku G!” episodes will be aired from 12:35-1 a.m. Furthermore, no announcements have been made regarding live, primetime network broadcasts of Sengoku events, which would be the financial ideal for the company. For promotions on network television, primetime advertising dollars are the truly sought-after commodity.
"We are still talking to TV Tokyo," WVR representative Tomohiro Iida told Sherdog.com.
While Iida was measured in what he could reveal regarding the on-going negotiations between WVR and TV Tokyo, there was no question what the ultimate goal was.
"We have the special show in September, then we will have the regular show every week," said Iida. "But we're still negotiating. We are still hoping for live shows for the future."
In addition to its network television announcement, WVR announced the semifinal pairings for their Nov. 1 lightweight tournament finale at Saitama Super Arena, which will pit Satoru Kitaoka against Eiji Mitsuoka and Mizuto Hirota taking on Kazunori Yokota. The winners of the semifinals will meet in the finals later that evening, with the tournament winner taking on Takanori Gomi in the coming months to crown Sengoku's first lightweight champion.
WVR also announced the bout order for their Sept. 28 middleweight tournament opener at Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium in Tokyo. The eight-fight card will be headlined by the MMA debut of grappling superstar Xande Ribeiro, who meets pro-wrestler and Pride veteran Takashi Sugiura.
After carefully piecing its product together over the last year and positioning itself to become a major player in international MMA, World Victory Road has finally cleared a major hurdle for its upstart promotion Sengoku by finally landing a network television deal.
WVR formally announced its partnership with Japanese terrestrial broadcaster TV Tokyo on Tuesday.
The smallest of the six major Japanese terrestrial broadcasters, TV Tokyo is the broadcasting home of GCM's Cage Force series, as well as a consistent broadcaster of boxing in Japan. Sengoku's presence on the network will commence on Sept. 27, the day before its forthcoming middleweight tournament’s opening round, with an hour-long Sengoku preview show. Also running through October and November, TV Tokyo will broadcast 25-minute episodes of "Sengoku G!" -- a recap and digest show featuring the promotion's fighters and previous bouts.
While many acknowledge the historical relationship between Japanese pro-wrestling and MMA, the business side of Nihon's MMA industry also takes after the world of puroresu. In order for major-level MMA promotions to be successful and sustainable in Japan, a network television deal is a necessity. The point was most clearly depicted in the crushing fall from grace Pride Fighting Championships experienced following the loss of its television deal with Fuji TV in June 2006.
Since World Victory Road announced its arrival in MMA last October, the primary plotline for Sengoku's parent company has been its pursuit of a network television deal. After being turned away by the networks late last year, WVR has carefully crafted a television-friendly product with crossover appeal to the Japanese public, showcasing superstars such as Hidehiko Yoshida and Josh Barnett, Japanese "aces" like Takanori Gomi and Kazuo Misaki, and top BJJ converts such as Roger Gracie and Xande Ribeiro, while broadcasting its live events on pay-per-view via SkyPerfecTV!
While Sengoku has suffered from lackluster gate numbers, often only half-filling venues such as Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium and Saitama Super Arena, WVR has staunchly maintained that terrestrial television was their ultimate goal.
"Terrestrial broadcasting is something that should generally make the fighters happy and motivate them, and it'll allow us to show the fans good fights," said Sengoku's chief superstar Hidehiko Yoshida. "For me personally, it's been a long while since I've been on terrestrial television. As such, I'll work hard to show good fights."
"Getting this TV deal so quickly like this makes me happy, as it'll be a good way to give exposure to normal folks," added the promotion's lightweight ace Takanori Gomi. "It's motivation for fighters who fight in Sengoku as well as younger guys aiming for it. Receiving the energy from the core fans who come to the arenas, out now to the folks at home, this expectation makes me want to answer that by fighting for them."
It is crucial, however, to keep the announcement in proper context, as the announcement is more representative of a foot in the door rather than a full-scale coming out party.
Although they will have weekly network television presence, they will not enjoy primetime viewing, as the “Sengoku G!” episodes will be aired from 12:35-1 a.m. Furthermore, no announcements have been made regarding live, primetime network broadcasts of Sengoku events, which would be the financial ideal for the company. For promotions on network television, primetime advertising dollars are the truly sought-after commodity.
"We are still talking to TV Tokyo," WVR representative Tomohiro Iida told Sherdog.com.
While Iida was measured in what he could reveal regarding the on-going negotiations between WVR and TV Tokyo, there was no question what the ultimate goal was.
"We have the special show in September, then we will have the regular show every week," said Iida. "But we're still negotiating. We are still hoping for live shows for the future."
In addition to its network television announcement, WVR announced the semifinal pairings for their Nov. 1 lightweight tournament finale at Saitama Super Arena, which will pit Satoru Kitaoka against Eiji Mitsuoka and Mizuto Hirota taking on Kazunori Yokota. The winners of the semifinals will meet in the finals later that evening, with the tournament winner taking on Takanori Gomi in the coming months to crown Sengoku's first lightweight champion.
WVR also announced the bout order for their Sept. 28 middleweight tournament opener at Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium in Tokyo. The eight-fight card will be headlined by the MMA debut of grappling superstar Xande Ribeiro, who meets pro-wrestler and Pride veteran Takashi Sugiura.
Bankrupt IFL Still Hunting for Sale
The International Fight League is looking to sell its last tangible assets -- primarily the rights to its video library of fight footage -- to the highest bidder. In a downward spiral for last few months, MMA’s latest promotional casualty filed for bankruptcy Tuesday.
The IFL promoted 23 events during its two-year run, and had broadcast deals with MyNetworkTV, Fox Sports Network, and various international outlets. The promotion never launched into the pay-per-view market.
IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin stated Tuesday that the company is currently looking for buyers, but that no deal had been finalized. Larkin did add that an announcement should be coming “in the next couple days” regarding a sale of the company’s remaining assets, which presumably includes its video library and possibly any remaining international television rights deals.
“The company is weighing the different options available to it in terms of what to do with the assets,” Larkin said. “We have no shows scheduled, and we have let the fighters go. They have scattered to many organizations.”
A handful of the IFL’s brightest stars have recently signed deals with the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, and Affliction Entertainment, as the company all but closed its doors over the summer.
According to the company’s SEC filing on Aug. 27 for the second quarter of 2008, the New York-based organization was pared down to four employees and had $1 million left in cash with an accrued debt of nearly $36 million.
It’s a far cry from where the promotion, which prided itself on its unique team-based format, began.
After going public in November 2006 following five promising shows, IFL stock peaked at $17 per share in January 2007, then began plummeting, sliding below the $1 per-share mark in June 2007. As of this week its share price was .01.
During a July 19 event on Spike TV, the UFC utilized IFL footage for a few fighters appearing that night, which raised questions as to whether or not the IFL had sold its video rights to the UFC.
“They have not (purchased these),” Larkin said. “We're cooperating with several organizations that have asked us to help out” by providing footage of fighters competing on cards such as UFC and Affliction.
This summer, the IFL took a final nosedive when, during a June conference call, Larkin announced the company was canceling its Aug. 15 show.
Since that announcement, a former high-ranking IFL employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said Larkin has had “extensive conversations” with Lorenzo Fertitta, co-owner of UFC parent company, Zuffa LLC.
“UFC is giving these guys 4 and 4 ($4,000 to show/$4,000 to win) and locking these guys into two-year contracts,” the former IFL employee said, questioning why several IFL fighters were released from contracts, then re-signed by the UFC, instead of being bought directly from the IFL, which is a public company.
That employee also added that several potential buyers had stepped forward to negotiate for the IFL’s assets at the time, which was said to have included the contracts for its star attractions.
Pro Elite confirmed to Sherdog.com that it had been one of the parties interested in purchasing the company.
Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker said he also made an offer for IFL assets, but it didn’t get any traction, as the Larkin informed Coker that the IFL was already in final-stage negotiations with another buyer.
“We had a conversation with Jay about looking into the acquisition of the IFL,” Coker said. “And then what happened was, by the time we got back to Jay he’d informed me he was already in the eleventh hour with another company. When we reached out to him, we said there would be some interest about assets of the IFL. That was in late July.”
When asked about the promotional value of the IFL’s video library, Coker called it “attractive” but added that its value might be more in a year or two as fighters on those cards get bigger in the sport in other organizations.
“We were thinking of it as an asset acquisition, basically the assets are the fighters and the library,” Coker added. “I think for us, the (question) is ‘Can we monetize the library?’ and I think we could have. Look at King of the Cage, and some of the fighters that have gone through there. Diego Sanchez. Matt Hughes. Anybody that’s become a star in the UFC or Pride, before they fought there, a lot of these guys started in smaller organizations.”
With numerous signs seemingly pointed toward some sort of UFC acquisition, Larkin, who joined the IFL in March in the hopes of turning it around, said he’s still not sure if MMA is much more than a one-horse town.
“You don't always know what you got till it's gone. There's a lot of lessons to be learned,” said Larkin, a longtime boxing programming executive with Showtime. “One of the things I tried to do was do it in a more professional manner. The bottom line is, I feel MMA is a one-organization industry. I think UFC has done a spectacular job of branding, and UFC has become synonymous with MMA. And there's a couple of hangers-on now. Wall Street’s having a hard time right now. I'd like to see MMA flourish but I'm very skeptical.”
The International Fight League is looking to sell its last tangible assets -- primarily the rights to its video library of fight footage -- to the highest bidder. In a downward spiral for last few months, MMA’s latest promotional casualty filed for bankruptcy Tuesday.
The IFL promoted 23 events during its two-year run, and had broadcast deals with MyNetworkTV, Fox Sports Network, and various international outlets. The promotion never launched into the pay-per-view market.
IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin stated Tuesday that the company is currently looking for buyers, but that no deal had been finalized. Larkin did add that an announcement should be coming “in the next couple days” regarding a sale of the company’s remaining assets, which presumably includes its video library and possibly any remaining international television rights deals.
“The company is weighing the different options available to it in terms of what to do with the assets,” Larkin said. “We have no shows scheduled, and we have let the fighters go. They have scattered to many organizations.”
A handful of the IFL’s brightest stars have recently signed deals with the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, and Affliction Entertainment, as the company all but closed its doors over the summer.
According to the company’s SEC filing on Aug. 27 for the second quarter of 2008, the New York-based organization was pared down to four employees and had $1 million left in cash with an accrued debt of nearly $36 million.
It’s a far cry from where the promotion, which prided itself on its unique team-based format, began.
After going public in November 2006 following five promising shows, IFL stock peaked at $17 per share in January 2007, then began plummeting, sliding below the $1 per-share mark in June 2007. As of this week its share price was .01.
During a July 19 event on Spike TV, the UFC utilized IFL footage for a few fighters appearing that night, which raised questions as to whether or not the IFL had sold its video rights to the UFC.
“They have not (purchased these),” Larkin said. “We're cooperating with several organizations that have asked us to help out” by providing footage of fighters competing on cards such as UFC and Affliction.
This summer, the IFL took a final nosedive when, during a June conference call, Larkin announced the company was canceling its Aug. 15 show.
Since that announcement, a former high-ranking IFL employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said Larkin has had “extensive conversations” with Lorenzo Fertitta, co-owner of UFC parent company, Zuffa LLC.
“UFC is giving these guys 4 and 4 ($4,000 to show/$4,000 to win) and locking these guys into two-year contracts,” the former IFL employee said, questioning why several IFL fighters were released from contracts, then re-signed by the UFC, instead of being bought directly from the IFL, which is a public company.
That employee also added that several potential buyers had stepped forward to negotiate for the IFL’s assets at the time, which was said to have included the contracts for its star attractions.
Pro Elite confirmed to Sherdog.com that it had been one of the parties interested in purchasing the company.
Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker said he also made an offer for IFL assets, but it didn’t get any traction, as the Larkin informed Coker that the IFL was already in final-stage negotiations with another buyer.
“We had a conversation with Jay about looking into the acquisition of the IFL,” Coker said. “And then what happened was, by the time we got back to Jay he’d informed me he was already in the eleventh hour with another company. When we reached out to him, we said there would be some interest about assets of the IFL. That was in late July.”
When asked about the promotional value of the IFL’s video library, Coker called it “attractive” but added that its value might be more in a year or two as fighters on those cards get bigger in the sport in other organizations.
“We were thinking of it as an asset acquisition, basically the assets are the fighters and the library,” Coker added. “I think for us, the (question) is ‘Can we monetize the library?’ and I think we could have. Look at King of the Cage, and some of the fighters that have gone through there. Diego Sanchez. Matt Hughes. Anybody that’s become a star in the UFC or Pride, before they fought there, a lot of these guys started in smaller organizations.”
With numerous signs seemingly pointed toward some sort of UFC acquisition, Larkin, who joined the IFL in March in the hopes of turning it around, said he’s still not sure if MMA is much more than a one-horse town.
“You don't always know what you got till it's gone. There's a lot of lessons to be learned,” said Larkin, a longtime boxing programming executive with Showtime. “One of the things I tried to do was do it in a more professional manner. The bottom line is, I feel MMA is a one-organization industry. I think UFC has done a spectacular job of branding, and UFC has become synonymous with MMA. And there's a couple of hangers-on now. Wall Street’s having a hard time right now. I'd like to see MMA flourish but I'm very skeptical.”
STRIKEFORCE KING FOCUSED ON THE SLEEPING LION
Josh Thomson leads a hard life these days. He most recently defeated highly regarded lightweight Gilbert Melendez to obtain the Strikeforce lightweight championship belt. He has won his last seven fights. He now will take a non-title fight against Ashe Bowman on Saturday night at the infamous Playboy Mansion.
MMAWeekly Radio caught up with Thomson to discuss how things have been going since being the newly crowned champ. “Things have picked up a lot obviously since I won the title,” said Thomson. “I've been doing a lot of traveling back and forth to Hollywood and the L.A. area and just trying to stay busy. Trying to make a buck.”
The last event that Strikeforce had at the Playboy Mansion, the matches were spread, the timing of the fights wasn’t as fluid as usual, and the fights started a little late. Thomson believes the kinks have been worked out and this event will go a little smoother. “The first time was probably a little rougher than this time will be. I don't think the fights are going to start as late as they did the last time. I'm kind of hoping the fight is a little earlier so I can enjoy the rest of the night.”
Thomson is looking forward to defending his belt sometime in the near future, but in this case, he's happy to be fighting a three-round bout this time around. “Last year, this show didn't make Strikeforce a lot of money. I think it was something to get the attention of the public to get them to, you know, watch Strikeforce. Anytime you have anything at the Playboy Mansion, you're definitely going to get some exposure on TV,” he explained.
“I think that's what they are looking to do. These type of shows, you're really there for the atmosphere of it all. It's still a fight no matter how you look at it. You just don't have the added stress of a five-round fight in a three-round fight. I think they limit it to three-round fights for all of the fighters. I think it's better that way. It's a faster turnover to get the ball rolling. You're really there for entertainment anyway.”
Although Ashe Bowman isn't yet a Gilbert Melendez caliber fighter, “The Punk” realizes the opportunity that Bowman has to catapult himself into the lightweight division. “He's really the sweeper in my division in this sport,” complimented Thomson. “He's the one that if you don't pay enough attention to, he's going to creep up behind you and pull a win out of his ass. I really can't afford that. It creates problems for the future and not only that but it would really suck to come off such a great performance I had over Gilbert and then lose to somebody who's relatively unknown.”
Regardless of the fact that Thomson is taking Bowman seriously, it is easy to accidentally let your guard down. Thomson has a very specific game plan for Bowman so he doesn't get caught with anything. “I just got to be cautious without getting carried away and doing anything stupid. I think just technically fight at my pace and dictate everything.”
If Thomson is successful against Bowman, he is looking forward to stepping up his competition for his next title defense. He has been lobbying to get more top competition in so he can test himself against the best fighters in the world. Though he's not sure whom he's fighting, he has a couple ideas who he would like to fight.
“I don't really know yet, but I know it's definitely going to be someone tough. I am lobbying… potentially to bring somebody from Dream, yet to be named. I've definitely stressed in the past that I'm willing to fight guys like Joachim Hansen, (Tatsuya) Kawajiri and those guys. Those are the guys that anybody wants to fight. I think I rise to the occasion when I fight tough guys like I did when I fought Gilbert, so why not keep fighting the top guys.”
Josh Thomson leads a hard life these days. He most recently defeated highly regarded lightweight Gilbert Melendez to obtain the Strikeforce lightweight championship belt. He has won his last seven fights. He now will take a non-title fight against Ashe Bowman on Saturday night at the infamous Playboy Mansion.
MMAWeekly Radio caught up with Thomson to discuss how things have been going since being the newly crowned champ. “Things have picked up a lot obviously since I won the title,” said Thomson. “I've been doing a lot of traveling back and forth to Hollywood and the L.A. area and just trying to stay busy. Trying to make a buck.”
The last event that Strikeforce had at the Playboy Mansion, the matches were spread, the timing of the fights wasn’t as fluid as usual, and the fights started a little late. Thomson believes the kinks have been worked out and this event will go a little smoother. “The first time was probably a little rougher than this time will be. I don't think the fights are going to start as late as they did the last time. I'm kind of hoping the fight is a little earlier so I can enjoy the rest of the night.”
Thomson is looking forward to defending his belt sometime in the near future, but in this case, he's happy to be fighting a three-round bout this time around. “Last year, this show didn't make Strikeforce a lot of money. I think it was something to get the attention of the public to get them to, you know, watch Strikeforce. Anytime you have anything at the Playboy Mansion, you're definitely going to get some exposure on TV,” he explained.
“I think that's what they are looking to do. These type of shows, you're really there for the atmosphere of it all. It's still a fight no matter how you look at it. You just don't have the added stress of a five-round fight in a three-round fight. I think they limit it to three-round fights for all of the fighters. I think it's better that way. It's a faster turnover to get the ball rolling. You're really there for entertainment anyway.”
Although Ashe Bowman isn't yet a Gilbert Melendez caliber fighter, “The Punk” realizes the opportunity that Bowman has to catapult himself into the lightweight division. “He's really the sweeper in my division in this sport,” complimented Thomson. “He's the one that if you don't pay enough attention to, he's going to creep up behind you and pull a win out of his ass. I really can't afford that. It creates problems for the future and not only that but it would really suck to come off such a great performance I had over Gilbert and then lose to somebody who's relatively unknown.”
Regardless of the fact that Thomson is taking Bowman seriously, it is easy to accidentally let your guard down. Thomson has a very specific game plan for Bowman so he doesn't get caught with anything. “I just got to be cautious without getting carried away and doing anything stupid. I think just technically fight at my pace and dictate everything.”
If Thomson is successful against Bowman, he is looking forward to stepping up his competition for his next title defense. He has been lobbying to get more top competition in so he can test himself against the best fighters in the world. Though he's not sure whom he's fighting, he has a couple ideas who he would like to fight.
“I don't really know yet, but I know it's definitely going to be someone tough. I am lobbying… potentially to bring somebody from Dream, yet to be named. I've definitely stressed in the past that I'm willing to fight guys like Joachim Hansen, (Tatsuya) Kawajiri and those guys. Those are the guys that anybody wants to fight. I think I rise to the occasion when I fight tough guys like I did when I fought Gilbert, so why not keep fighting the top guys.”
Victorious Joe Lauzon seeking return to UFC main card
From main event to undercard, perhaps no fighter has fallen so quick in the course of a single fight.
Such was the situation facing UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) heading into his "UFC Fight Night 15" bout with Kyle Bradley. But Lauzon recently told the crew of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he wasn't too disappointed at the change of position.
"I think it was because I basically wasn't fighting a 'name' opponent," Lauzon said. "I don't think Kyle really had a big name going in. I think they're trying to get both guys to be the draw instead of just one guy."
Just five months ago, Lauzon was featured in the main event bout of "UFC Fight Night 13" against Kenny Florian. A disappointing second round TKO loss to Florian was Lauzon's first in seven bouts.
On Wednesday night Lauzon capitalized on his opportunity to score a TKO of his own over Bradley. And while the undercard bout did not make it onto the Spike TV broadcast, the former IT professional's win is currently being streamed for free on the UFC's official web site.
"I'm not disappointed," Lauzon said. "I'm just happy it's online. Everyone got to see it. That's the main thing."
The loss to Florian in April was Lauzon's first in the UFC. The win over Bradley puts Lauzon back into an enviable position at the top of the organization's stacked 155 pound division.
The 24-year-old said he isn't sure who the UFC will put in front of him next.
"Nothing's been offered yet," Lauzon said. "I really don't care who I fight. I'm going to train my ass off, and I'll be ready for whoever.
"It doesn't matter who they want me to fight. I'm not going to be the guy trying to pick his opponents."
But regardless of who Lauzon faces, the Boston resident hopes the bout will be pushed a little further up the card.
"I was the main event last time, I was on the undercard this time," Lauzon said. "Hopefully I'll make the main card next time."
Lauzon described the fight with Bradley in detail, and also discussed his plans to return to Hawaii to train with B.J. Penn. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
From main event to undercard, perhaps no fighter has fallen so quick in the course of a single fight.
Such was the situation facing UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) heading into his "UFC Fight Night 15" bout with Kyle Bradley. But Lauzon recently told the crew of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he wasn't too disappointed at the change of position.
"I think it was because I basically wasn't fighting a 'name' opponent," Lauzon said. "I don't think Kyle really had a big name going in. I think they're trying to get both guys to be the draw instead of just one guy."
Just five months ago, Lauzon was featured in the main event bout of "UFC Fight Night 13" against Kenny Florian. A disappointing second round TKO loss to Florian was Lauzon's first in seven bouts.
On Wednesday night Lauzon capitalized on his opportunity to score a TKO of his own over Bradley. And while the undercard bout did not make it onto the Spike TV broadcast, the former IT professional's win is currently being streamed for free on the UFC's official web site.
"I'm not disappointed," Lauzon said. "I'm just happy it's online. Everyone got to see it. That's the main thing."
The loss to Florian in April was Lauzon's first in the UFC. The win over Bradley puts Lauzon back into an enviable position at the top of the organization's stacked 155 pound division.
The 24-year-old said he isn't sure who the UFC will put in front of him next.
"Nothing's been offered yet," Lauzon said. "I really don't care who I fight. I'm going to train my ass off, and I'll be ready for whoever.
"It doesn't matter who they want me to fight. I'm not going to be the guy trying to pick his opponents."
But regardless of who Lauzon faces, the Boston resident hopes the bout will be pushed a little further up the card.
"I was the main event last time, I was on the undercard this time," Lauzon said. "Hopefully I'll make the main card next time."
Lauzon described the fight with Bradley in detail, and also discussed his plans to return to Hawaii to train with B.J. Penn. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
Kevin Burns wants rematch with Anthony Johnson to "make it right"
Much of the MMA world was taken aback when the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently elected to leave Kevin Burns' (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) controversial July TKO victory over fellow welterweight Anthony Johnson unchanged.
After repeated warnings throughout the bout by referee Steve Mazzagatti for Burns to be cautious of repetitive eye pokes, a final third-round blow crumpled Johnson to the mat. Mazzagatti did not initially see the illegal strike, and Burns was awarded a much-maligned victory.
But as Burns recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), regardless of the NSAC's opinion on the matter, the Iowa native is prepared to correct the matter in his own manner.
"To be honest with you, I was kind of impartial," Burns said about Johnson's appeal with the commission. "[The NSAC] had the right and the ability to do what they wanted as far as making the appeal. I didn't have adverse feelings either way.
"I guess what's really going to be the true-tell sign at the end of the day is when we meet in the cage again, and we have a chance to compete against each other. Then the fans will get to see what they wanted to see, and we'll get to make it right."
Burns said he believes the strange ending to the bout was as frustrating for him as it was for Johnson.
"I hated more the way the fight ended than probably Anthony did," Burns said. "It didn't really come up to par. I'm not that kind of competitor.
"I would have rather been knocked out, personally, than to win like that."
Burns has received considerable flak from critics since the "Ultimate Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin" bout. The even-keeled fighter said he's doing his best to tune out the negativity.
"Everybody's got their opinions," Burns acknowledged. "I can't really hold a ton of weight in it to the fact that I've got to train and compete and get back in that cage. If I let that stuff bother me or get me -- the way people perceive me -- it'll eat at you.
"I know that if I get back in that cage -- whenever I have a chance to be in there again -- and fight to my potential, the fans will see that and they'll forget about the inadvertent eye poke from July. Hopefully people will turn their opinions around, but I can't control what they think."
Burns said he has been somewhat frustrated by what he perceives as fans' misconception of the reason behind the blows in question.
"I think there was some misconception from that night," Burns said. "My hand, I could make a closed fist. I just didn't have the ability to hit with it because the bone wasn't fused completely. It was to a point where I could grab just fine. I could do a lot. I could probably hit something with a close fist. But pretty much the second I hit something remotely solid, it was going to be really, really broken again.
"It was just a thing where [the bones] wouldn't fuse. I had been wearing a bone stimulator, and my doctor said, 'If you can not have that impact, then you should be good to go.' So I completely adjusted my game and started throwing palm strikes -- which is an extreme disadvantage. I did what I had to do competing-wise."
After the bout, Burns was further confused by several MMA bloggers' comments on his tactics.
"I read a couple of the blogs online," Burns admitted. "I kind of laughed to myself. They were like, 'It's an extreme advantage that he was able to palm strike.' I'm like, 'Then why isn't everybody doing it?'"
Burns also said the injuries that lead to the eye pokes have been fully healed, and that fans should not anticipate a repeat performance.
"Fortunately my hand has fused," Burns said. "I'm really looking forward to using it again. It's been awhile since I've been able to be completely effective with my standup and use all my tools. Now I have the ability to do it, and I won't be giving up three inches of reach."
With the issues in the open -- and Johnson left with a loss on his record -- Burns said he is ready to grant another opportunity for "Rumble" to prove his loss was a fluke. And while nothing is set in stone, Burns acknowledged the UFC has mentioned the possibility of promoting the bout.
"I know there's been talks of it," Burns said of the rematch. "I haven't seen anything that's official, but I'm definitely wanting that to happen.
"I think the fans deserve that. It's kind of crappy how it ended. I want to do the right thing and make it right."
Much of the MMA world was taken aback when the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently elected to leave Kevin Burns' (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) controversial July TKO victory over fellow welterweight Anthony Johnson unchanged.
After repeated warnings throughout the bout by referee Steve Mazzagatti for Burns to be cautious of repetitive eye pokes, a final third-round blow crumpled Johnson to the mat. Mazzagatti did not initially see the illegal strike, and Burns was awarded a much-maligned victory.
But as Burns recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), regardless of the NSAC's opinion on the matter, the Iowa native is prepared to correct the matter in his own manner.
"To be honest with you, I was kind of impartial," Burns said about Johnson's appeal with the commission. "[The NSAC] had the right and the ability to do what they wanted as far as making the appeal. I didn't have adverse feelings either way.
"I guess what's really going to be the true-tell sign at the end of the day is when we meet in the cage again, and we have a chance to compete against each other. Then the fans will get to see what they wanted to see, and we'll get to make it right."
Burns said he believes the strange ending to the bout was as frustrating for him as it was for Johnson.
"I hated more the way the fight ended than probably Anthony did," Burns said. "It didn't really come up to par. I'm not that kind of competitor.
"I would have rather been knocked out, personally, than to win like that."
Burns has received considerable flak from critics since the "Ultimate Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin" bout. The even-keeled fighter said he's doing his best to tune out the negativity.
"Everybody's got their opinions," Burns acknowledged. "I can't really hold a ton of weight in it to the fact that I've got to train and compete and get back in that cage. If I let that stuff bother me or get me -- the way people perceive me -- it'll eat at you.
"I know that if I get back in that cage -- whenever I have a chance to be in there again -- and fight to my potential, the fans will see that and they'll forget about the inadvertent eye poke from July. Hopefully people will turn their opinions around, but I can't control what they think."
Burns said he has been somewhat frustrated by what he perceives as fans' misconception of the reason behind the blows in question.
"I think there was some misconception from that night," Burns said. "My hand, I could make a closed fist. I just didn't have the ability to hit with it because the bone wasn't fused completely. It was to a point where I could grab just fine. I could do a lot. I could probably hit something with a close fist. But pretty much the second I hit something remotely solid, it was going to be really, really broken again.
"It was just a thing where [the bones] wouldn't fuse. I had been wearing a bone stimulator, and my doctor said, 'If you can not have that impact, then you should be good to go.' So I completely adjusted my game and started throwing palm strikes -- which is an extreme disadvantage. I did what I had to do competing-wise."
After the bout, Burns was further confused by several MMA bloggers' comments on his tactics.
"I read a couple of the blogs online," Burns admitted. "I kind of laughed to myself. They were like, 'It's an extreme advantage that he was able to palm strike.' I'm like, 'Then why isn't everybody doing it?'"
Burns also said the injuries that lead to the eye pokes have been fully healed, and that fans should not anticipate a repeat performance.
"Fortunately my hand has fused," Burns said. "I'm really looking forward to using it again. It's been awhile since I've been able to be completely effective with my standup and use all my tools. Now I have the ability to do it, and I won't be giving up three inches of reach."
With the issues in the open -- and Johnson left with a loss on his record -- Burns said he is ready to grant another opportunity for "Rumble" to prove his loss was a fluke. And while nothing is set in stone, Burns acknowledged the UFC has mentioned the possibility of promoting the bout.
"I know there's been talks of it," Burns said of the rematch. "I haven't seen anything that's official, but I'm definitely wanting that to happen.
"I think the fans deserve that. It's kind of crappy how it ended. I want to do the right thing and make it right."
Jason MacDonald signs new four-fight deal with UFC
Veteran UFC middleweight Jason MacDonald (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has signed a new four-fight deal with the organization.
KO Dynasty, a sports management company that recently signed MacDonald, alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the fighter's new deal.
MacDonald is fresh off a solid victory over Jason Lambert at UFC 88 -- one that earned the 33-year-old fighter a $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus. MacDonald took the fight less than a month after his UFC 87 loss to Demian Maia.
Terms of his new deal were not disclosed.
MacDonald, a former Maximum Fighting Championships fighter, is 9-3 in his past 12 fights. He made his UFC debut in 2006 and garnered some early recognition by scoring submission victories over "TUF" notables Ed Herman and Chris Leben. Additional UFC victories have come over Rory Singer, Joe Doerksen and Lambert.
The UFC has not confirmed when MacDonald could next return to action.
Veteran UFC middleweight Jason MacDonald (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has signed a new four-fight deal with the organization.
KO Dynasty, a sports management company that recently signed MacDonald, alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the fighter's new deal.
MacDonald is fresh off a solid victory over Jason Lambert at UFC 88 -- one that earned the 33-year-old fighter a $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus. MacDonald took the fight less than a month after his UFC 87 loss to Demian Maia.
Terms of his new deal were not disclosed.
MacDonald, a former Maximum Fighting Championships fighter, is 9-3 in his past 12 fights. He made his UFC debut in 2006 and garnered some early recognition by scoring submission victories over "TUF" notables Ed Herman and Chris Leben. Additional UFC victories have come over Rory Singer, Joe Doerksen and Lambert.
The UFC has not confirmed when MacDonald could next return to action.
Change of game plan key to Clay Guida's UFC Fight Night victory
UFC lightweight Clay Guida (24-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is no stranger to adversity in the octagon.
Guida's UFC Fight Night 15 decision victory over "The Ultimate Fighter 6" winner Mac Danzig was no different. And as Guida told the crew of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), reacting to the challenges Danzig presented was the key to earning the win.
"It was really tough fight," Guida said. "Mac is a tough dude. I definitely wasn't expecting the storm that he brought."
The storm consisted of Danzig's crisp, aggressive striking through much of the first round. Guida realized the frame was quickly slipping away, and a change of strategy was made on the fly.
"I thought I was losing the first (round), until I got a couple of decent takedowns at the end of the first and was able to hold him on his back a little bit," Guida said. "I thought the first round was very, very close."
Guida and his camp had intended to stand and trade with Danzig throughout the night. But the success that Danzig had early on in the bout forced a change of plans for the remainder of the contest.
"We had to change things up a little bit," Guida admitted. "We were hoping to stand with him for most of the fight and not have to go to the ground. But I always have a couple of game plans, and you have to be able to change to different strategies in the fight. Just react. And that's what we did."
The adjustment worked to perfection, and Guida used his trademark endurance and aggression while mixing in a staple of his past -- powerful throws and slams.
"It felt good to get back in the old ways of getting my hips underneath me and really taking a guy for a ride," Guida admitted.
With the Danzig bout behind him, Guida is holding out hope that he will get a late call from the UFC to take part in "UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote." Scheduled for Oct. 25 just outside of Guida's hometown of Chicago, the 27-year-old hopes to sneak his way onto the card.
"The Allstate Arena where they're having it is a half-hour from my house," Guida said. "I drive by it on the way to practice. To be part of it would be something special.
"We didn't take Mac lightly, but I was thinking if I beat him there's a slight possibility. Even if I get on the undercard in my hometown it would be special. We'll see what happens."
Guida is now riding a two-fight win streak since his high-profile loss to Roger Huerta in December 2007. "The Carpenter" has also been in exciting battles with an impressive list of UFC contenders in Marcus Aurelio, Tyson Griffin and Din Thomas. Whether or not Guida makes it to the UFC 90 card remains to be seen, but Guida's ultimate goal does not.
"I just want to fight the guys that are going to get me to a title shot," Guida explained. "People say you've got to be patient. But I'm not here to say, 'I fight in the UFC.' I've never been about that. I'm here to have that strap around my waist.
"No matter how long it takes, that's what it's going to take. I have a lot that I want to do, and being the lightweight champion is definitely right up there at the top."
Guida also discussed his brother Jason's reaction to being eliminated from "The Ultimate Fighter 8," as well as the possibility of scoring a major sponsor in the hair product industry. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
UFC lightweight Clay Guida (24-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is no stranger to adversity in the octagon.
Guida's UFC Fight Night 15 decision victory over "The Ultimate Fighter 6" winner Mac Danzig was no different. And as Guida told the crew of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), reacting to the challenges Danzig presented was the key to earning the win.
"It was really tough fight," Guida said. "Mac is a tough dude. I definitely wasn't expecting the storm that he brought."
The storm consisted of Danzig's crisp, aggressive striking through much of the first round. Guida realized the frame was quickly slipping away, and a change of strategy was made on the fly.
"I thought I was losing the first (round), until I got a couple of decent takedowns at the end of the first and was able to hold him on his back a little bit," Guida said. "I thought the first round was very, very close."
Guida and his camp had intended to stand and trade with Danzig throughout the night. But the success that Danzig had early on in the bout forced a change of plans for the remainder of the contest.
"We had to change things up a little bit," Guida admitted. "We were hoping to stand with him for most of the fight and not have to go to the ground. But I always have a couple of game plans, and you have to be able to change to different strategies in the fight. Just react. And that's what we did."
The adjustment worked to perfection, and Guida used his trademark endurance and aggression while mixing in a staple of his past -- powerful throws and slams.
"It felt good to get back in the old ways of getting my hips underneath me and really taking a guy for a ride," Guida admitted.
With the Danzig bout behind him, Guida is holding out hope that he will get a late call from the UFC to take part in "UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote." Scheduled for Oct. 25 just outside of Guida's hometown of Chicago, the 27-year-old hopes to sneak his way onto the card.
"The Allstate Arena where they're having it is a half-hour from my house," Guida said. "I drive by it on the way to practice. To be part of it would be something special.
"We didn't take Mac lightly, but I was thinking if I beat him there's a slight possibility. Even if I get on the undercard in my hometown it would be special. We'll see what happens."
Guida is now riding a two-fight win streak since his high-profile loss to Roger Huerta in December 2007. "The Carpenter" has also been in exciting battles with an impressive list of UFC contenders in Marcus Aurelio, Tyson Griffin and Din Thomas. Whether or not Guida makes it to the UFC 90 card remains to be seen, but Guida's ultimate goal does not.
"I just want to fight the guys that are going to get me to a title shot," Guida explained. "People say you've got to be patient. But I'm not here to say, 'I fight in the UFC.' I've never been about that. I'm here to have that strap around my waist.
"No matter how long it takes, that's what it's going to take. I have a lot that I want to do, and being the lightweight champion is definitely right up there at the top."
Guida also discussed his brother Jason's reaction to being eliminated from "The Ultimate Fighter 8," as well as the possibility of scoring a major sponsor in the hair product industry. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
Second effort nets Eric Schafer biggest win of career
OMAHA, Neb. – Eric Schafer was almost a Division I college football player. But a hip pointer caused him to miss his senior high school season and the Big Ten conference teams that had shown interest in him as a linebacker suddenly began to encourage him to walk on.
Then, he nearly became a doctor. He graduated magna cum laude with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His medical school entrance test results were very high, enough so that he could have been accepted pretty much wherever he wanted.
But what he wanted, really, was to fight. He bought the pay-per-views of most Ultimate Fighting Championship shows and quickly became enthralled. His first was UFC 8, when Don Frye won a tournament by beating Gary Goodridge in the final round.
"Once I discovered MMA," Schafer said, grinning, "I never thought about football for a minute again."
It's hard to imagine a guy who looks like a grown-up Opie Taylor being a mean and snarling linebacker, so that was probably a good call. But, honestly, it wouldn't be easy to guess Schafer's profession now simply by looking at him.
He took the first step toward establishing himself in the UFC when he submitted hometown favorite Houston Alexander with a slick arm triangle choke Wednesday at 4:53 of the first round at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
After losing back-to-back fights in the UFC to Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar, Schafer did a quick career assessment. He owned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Sauer and had the kind of agile mind needed to succeed in mixed martial arts. But he's in a cutthroat business and two losses in two fights aren't a way toward success in the UFC unless you're a major ticket seller like Chuck Liddell.
Schafer definitely didn't fit that bill.
When he considered his positives and negatives, though, he was convinced he could compete at the highest level. He needed to learn to relax and to gain experience.
"I won my first UFC fight (over Rob MacDonald at UFC 62) and then I fought Bisping and Bonnar, who are two A-level fighters," Schafer said. "I kind of think I got a little over my head a little early in the UFC. Even Houston is a big name. It's not that I'm asking for the easiest fights, but I've had some tough fights. This is a good win to get back on track in the UFC."
He walked away from the UFC after losing to Bonnar at UFC 77, deciding he needed more cage time. He scored victories over Ryan Antle and William Hill and elected to give the UFC one more try.
This is a guy who could be finishing up medical school and moving into a lucrative career that not only is recession-proof – the world always needs doctors – but also which didn't involve trying to fend off a 205-pound knot of muscle like Alexander who was trying to punch, kick or knee his head off his shoulders.
Schafer, though, wasn't ready to say goodbye to a sport that has quickly become his passion.
"I really thought about what was best and whether I should forget about fighting and go to medical school and do that whole thing," Schafer said. "There's a certain amount of appeal in that. I love MMA, though. I've loved it really ever since I first saw it. And I can always go back and use my mind when I'm done fighting. But now is the only time I could fight."
He almost needed a doctor about 10 seconds into the fight on Wednesday, when Alexander clubbed him with a knee that would have knocked out a small horse.
"I saw a little flash, but I wasn't hurt," Schafer said. "The funny thing is, I pushed him into the cage right after that. In my head, I said to myself, 'Aw, man. That's going to be in his highlight reel. I just know it.' It's weird, but in the middle of the fight I was totally calm and totally relaxed. I was watching it in my head a little bit, too.
"I was thinking, 'Man, that's a great knee. That's going to be cool. I'm probably going to be on the UFC highlight film for the next five years.' The big thing about that is that I didn't panic or tense up and I stayed calm."
It was obvious that Alexander was going to win if the fight was a battle of punches or knees, but that Schafer would win if it became a grappling match. Alexander was relentlessly stalking him early, the large crowd was going wild and Schafer was calmly plotting how to throw the place silent.
He did it when he managed to get a takedown and put Alexander on his back. Much like Thiago Silva did at UFC 78, Schafer didn't allow Alexander off the ground and managed to find a way to win.
Alexander managed to free himself from several predicaments, much to Schafer's amazement, but he couldn't hang on long enough to survive the arm triangle that Schafer laughingly called his "go-to move."
"The crowd was so loud that I couldn't hear my corner," Alexander said, managing a smile. "If I heard them and knew, you know, there are 10 seconds left, five seconds left, whatever, I would have tried to hung in there a little longer and survived. But it was so loud and these people were supporting me so much, I couldn't hear and I had to tap."
Schafer said he got to know Alexander in the last few days before the fight. All he had known of him before were the vicious knockouts he'd seen on tape.
That, he insisted, was pretty nerve-wracking.
"I guess the doctor side of me would say, 'Now, who in the world would want to fight that guy,'" Schaefer said. "When you watch his fights and you see him before a fight, he looks all mean and angry and like a guy you want to stay clear of. But I got to know him and he's actually a really smart, really nice guy. He's a guy you'd have fun hanging with and talking with.
"And that makes it better for me. I do better when I don't hate my opponent. When I like him and I can relax, I just go out and fight and I seem to do better. I was very calm out there and that made all the difference for me."
OMAHA, Neb. – Eric Schafer was almost a Division I college football player. But a hip pointer caused him to miss his senior high school season and the Big Ten conference teams that had shown interest in him as a linebacker suddenly began to encourage him to walk on.
Then, he nearly became a doctor. He graduated magna cum laude with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His medical school entrance test results were very high, enough so that he could have been accepted pretty much wherever he wanted.
But what he wanted, really, was to fight. He bought the pay-per-views of most Ultimate Fighting Championship shows and quickly became enthralled. His first was UFC 8, when Don Frye won a tournament by beating Gary Goodridge in the final round.
"Once I discovered MMA," Schafer said, grinning, "I never thought about football for a minute again."
It's hard to imagine a guy who looks like a grown-up Opie Taylor being a mean and snarling linebacker, so that was probably a good call. But, honestly, it wouldn't be easy to guess Schafer's profession now simply by looking at him.
He took the first step toward establishing himself in the UFC when he submitted hometown favorite Houston Alexander with a slick arm triangle choke Wednesday at 4:53 of the first round at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
After losing back-to-back fights in the UFC to Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar, Schafer did a quick career assessment. He owned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Sauer and had the kind of agile mind needed to succeed in mixed martial arts. But he's in a cutthroat business and two losses in two fights aren't a way toward success in the UFC unless you're a major ticket seller like Chuck Liddell.
Schafer definitely didn't fit that bill.
When he considered his positives and negatives, though, he was convinced he could compete at the highest level. He needed to learn to relax and to gain experience.
"I won my first UFC fight (over Rob MacDonald at UFC 62) and then I fought Bisping and Bonnar, who are two A-level fighters," Schafer said. "I kind of think I got a little over my head a little early in the UFC. Even Houston is a big name. It's not that I'm asking for the easiest fights, but I've had some tough fights. This is a good win to get back on track in the UFC."
He walked away from the UFC after losing to Bonnar at UFC 77, deciding he needed more cage time. He scored victories over Ryan Antle and William Hill and elected to give the UFC one more try.
This is a guy who could be finishing up medical school and moving into a lucrative career that not only is recession-proof – the world always needs doctors – but also which didn't involve trying to fend off a 205-pound knot of muscle like Alexander who was trying to punch, kick or knee his head off his shoulders.
Schafer, though, wasn't ready to say goodbye to a sport that has quickly become his passion.
"I really thought about what was best and whether I should forget about fighting and go to medical school and do that whole thing," Schafer said. "There's a certain amount of appeal in that. I love MMA, though. I've loved it really ever since I first saw it. And I can always go back and use my mind when I'm done fighting. But now is the only time I could fight."
He almost needed a doctor about 10 seconds into the fight on Wednesday, when Alexander clubbed him with a knee that would have knocked out a small horse.
"I saw a little flash, but I wasn't hurt," Schafer said. "The funny thing is, I pushed him into the cage right after that. In my head, I said to myself, 'Aw, man. That's going to be in his highlight reel. I just know it.' It's weird, but in the middle of the fight I was totally calm and totally relaxed. I was watching it in my head a little bit, too.
"I was thinking, 'Man, that's a great knee. That's going to be cool. I'm probably going to be on the UFC highlight film for the next five years.' The big thing about that is that I didn't panic or tense up and I stayed calm."
It was obvious that Alexander was going to win if the fight was a battle of punches or knees, but that Schafer would win if it became a grappling match. Alexander was relentlessly stalking him early, the large crowd was going wild and Schafer was calmly plotting how to throw the place silent.
He did it when he managed to get a takedown and put Alexander on his back. Much like Thiago Silva did at UFC 78, Schafer didn't allow Alexander off the ground and managed to find a way to win.
Alexander managed to free himself from several predicaments, much to Schafer's amazement, but he couldn't hang on long enough to survive the arm triangle that Schafer laughingly called his "go-to move."
"The crowd was so loud that I couldn't hear my corner," Alexander said, managing a smile. "If I heard them and knew, you know, there are 10 seconds left, five seconds left, whatever, I would have tried to hung in there a little longer and survived. But it was so loud and these people were supporting me so much, I couldn't hear and I had to tap."
Schafer said he got to know Alexander in the last few days before the fight. All he had known of him before were the vicious knockouts he'd seen on tape.
That, he insisted, was pretty nerve-wracking.
"I guess the doctor side of me would say, 'Now, who in the world would want to fight that guy,'" Schaefer said. "When you watch his fights and you see him before a fight, he looks all mean and angry and like a guy you want to stay clear of. But I got to know him and he's actually a really smart, really nice guy. He's a guy you'd have fun hanging with and talking with.
"And that makes it better for me. I do better when I don't hate my opponent. When I like him and I can relax, I just go out and fight and I seem to do better. I was very calm out there and that made all the difference for me."