MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM.6. Press Conference

DREAM official had a press conference of DREAM.6. at Hotel East 21 on Sep 21. All participants showed up in this conference. In general, DREAM has this conference the day before the event. It seemed that fighters were on edge because they hadn't passed weigh-in yet.

Sasahara was regret to announce that Mighty Mo got injured during his training and canceled his fight. DREAM is now working on to find an opponent for Sergey Kharitonov. Right after Sasahara finished his speech, Mirko Crocop showed his interest to fight twice a day.

Mirko: "As a professional fighter, I'm willing to fight Kharitonov after fighting Allister. I'm sure Kharitonov doesn't want to go home without fighting. I'm happy to be his opponent."
Alistair: "I suppose our fight is your last fight as a professional MMA fighter, Mirko. "
Mirko: "I like fighting someone who has plenty of guts, and I admit Alistair is one of them; although, our fight won't be my last fight for sure."
Kharitonov: "I respect both Mirko and Alistair. I'm sure it's a big decision fighting twice a day. I am appreciative of Mirko, yet I would like to fight you in another time. "
Akiyama: "Let me say something. I'm not looking down on Tonooka, but I can also fight Kharitonov."
Sasahara: "I thank all fighters for showing their enthusiasm about fighting in this event.
Sik Dong Yoon:
I'm very honored that our fight was nominated as a reserved match. I would like to have a great fight.
Andrews Nakahara:
I trained extremely hard for last several months. I would like to have a exciting fight with Yoon.
K-taro Nakamura:
I want to win this fight and be one of top fighters in the lightweight.
Adriano Martins:
I'm honored to get an opportunity to fight in DREAM. I suppose many people have never even heard of my name. I will show who I am in the ring.
Sergei Kharitonov:
I was recovering from injuries and couldn't fight in Japan for long time. Finally I could make my come back to Japan and I would like to keep fighting in DREAM.
Hideo Tokoro:
I will do my best to finish. I want to win and keep fighting in DREAM.
Atsushi Yamamoto:
I belong to Krazy Bee. I will do my best.
Masakatsu Funaki:
I would like to have an exciting fight.
Minowa:
I will show everything I have.
Mach Sakurai:
I was going to fight in Osaka (DREAM.5.); however, my fight was canceled for my opponent's reason. I though I could finally fight him, but he again canceled. I appreciate Hironaka accepting an offer to fight me. Thank you for everyone who trained with me and supported me. I'm ready to fight.
Kuniyoshi Hironaka:
Finally I got a chance to fight him. I will do my best.
Yoshihiro Akiyama:
I would like to have an enjoyable fight for our audience.
Masanori Tonooka:
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to fight in such a big event. I will do all I can do.
Shinya Aoki:
I like Japanese MMA and DREAM. I will show my passion in my fight.
Todd Moore:
One of my dreams came true. I'm very excited to fight here in Japan. This is a great opportunity in my life. I would like to have a great fight and show Japanese people the pride of Texas.
Mirko Croocop:
My opponent is one of the best fighters in this weight class. Everybody say the same, "I trained hard and do my best" That's for sure and needless to say. I prepared for this fight and I'm ready to fight. I want to enjoy my fight.
Alistair Overeem:
I cannot wait to fight with Mirko. I'm 100% ready for my fight. I will have a wonderful fight. It will be the best day which I will never forget forever.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ELITEXC TO CLOSE 2008 WITH SHOWTIME BROADCAST

The current focus for EliteXC is the upcoming Oct. 4 show on CBS, which will pit top star Kimbo Slice against Ultimate Fighting Championship hall of famer Ken Shamrock. But the promotion is already working on its next major Showtime broadcast set for Nov. 8.

The promotion has set the date and confirmed it will be a Showtime broadcast, but at this time no location has been announced or secured for the show.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw did confirm a number of the competitors that will fight on the card including Joey Villasenor, Rafael Feijao, Brett Rogers, and Nick Diaz.

No opponents have been secured for any of the fighters, outside of Shaw stating that Diaz would not be fighting lightweight champion K.J. Noons, who was stripped of his belt by the promotion on Friday.

Speculation has Villasenor getting a rematch against Robbie Lawler, who he lost to while fighting in Pride a few years ago, and getting a shot at the EliteXC middleweight title for the second time in the process, although nothing has been confirmed at this time.

Shaw also disclosed that the Nov. 8 show will be the final EliteXC show for 2008 as they gear up for the new year.

One other fighter who could possibly come up in discussions for the show is current Top 5 lightweight Eddie Alvarez, who is still under contract to EliteXC, but hasn’t fought for the promotion since making his EliteXC debut in January 2008.

Alvarez just recently got married and Shaw said that he will enter discussions with the fighter soon to discuss his future fight opportunities with the promotion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Anderson Silva: ‘I’ll retire next year’

“I’ll retire next year, I already gave my all. I don’t need to prove anything for anyone and within one year I’ll put my gloves aside.”

– UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva — the man who tells company president Dana White that he wants to fight more often — sounds like he may be bored. And who can blame him if the promotion doesn’t get him someone who will take him beyond the second round. Let’s hope something has been lost in translation or that he gets some money fights in the loaded light heavyweight division … fast. Real fast.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Maia Looks Back at Big UFC Win, Forward to Winter Return
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Maia-Looks-Back-at-Big-UFC-Win-Forward-to-Winter-Return-1780
After impressively submitting “The Athlete” at UFC 87, Demian Maia may no longer be one of Brazil’s best-kept secrets.

Sherdog.com’s Gleidson Venaga caught up with the BJJ black belt to discuss his submission of Jason MacDonald and his return to the Octagon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Fight Night 15 official salaries: Diaz, Sakara and Guida top earners

Headliner Nate Diaz was the big winner at the Sept. 17 UFC Fight Night 15 event; not only did he score a tough decision victory over Josh Neer, but he also scored the biggest reported payday with $40,000.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) requested and today received the list of official salaries from the Nebraska Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb.

The total disclosed payroll for UFC Fight Night 15 was $305,000.

Other top earners included fight-night winners Wilson Gouveia ($36,000), Alessio Sakara ($34,000), Clay Guida ($26,000) and Alan Belcher ($26,000).

All fighters doubled their base salaries with their "win bonuses"

The event reportedly drew more than 9,000 fans for a record venue $700,000 live gate.

The full list of salaries included:

 

[Shogun Locc]

K.J. Noons: Today is deadline to determine next step with EliteXC

Despite an announcement on Friday from EliteXC that it has stripped lightweight champion K.J. Noons of his title, Noons has not ruled out fighting for the promotion.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) spoke with Noons Sunday to get his response to being stripped of the belt, and he indicated that EliteXC has given him a deadline of Monday afternoon to determine if he wants to fight again under the EliteXC banner

It's not clear at this time whether a reconciliation would lead to Noons being reinstated as the 160-pound champion.

"We were given until Monday, and we're figuring it all out today," said Noons, who won the crown with a TKO of Nick Diaz at the EliteXC Renegade show in November of 2007. "I'll make a statement tomorrow if we can't get something worked out."

The crux of the disagreement between Noons and EliteXC stems from the fighter's reluctance to take a rematch against Diaz on the Oct. 4 CBS show. Noons has responded by saying he hasn't been compensated fairly by EliteXC and has received short shrift as champion.

He indicated in a recent statement that he planned to turn his attention exclusively to boxing, but his comment Sunday afternoon indicates that he and his camp are still trying to work things out with EliteXC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz: ProElite-Affliction merger could challenge UFC

It's the type of conjecture that makes a good headline -- but doesn't fundamentally change much.

Word that Showtime might be interested in acquiring ProElite, Inc. could lead to a collective exhale at the mixed martial arts company, but Showtime as corporate savior alone isn't enough to pull ProElite back from the abyss. Despite all the fanfare of the CBS deal, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson's emergence as an MMA icon, and the buzz generated by pin-up girl Gina Carano, ProElite is struggling mightily.

The company has lost more than $55 million since being established in 2006 and staging its first show in February of 2007. It went on an ill-conceived shopping spree by snatching up second-tier brands in Cage Rage, King of the Cage and ICON Sport, and has yet to establish a consistent source of revenue. An acquisition by Showtime isn't going to be able to unwind those deals or produce substantial cash flow in the near term.

Showtime already owns 20.7 percent of ProElite and entered into an agreement last week to loan the company an additional $1 million.

The most significant issue facing ProElite and its flagship EliteXC brand is a lack of fighting talent. Ferguson and Carano have produced more than their share of press clippings, and they have sold tickets and drawn viewers. Beyond that pair, who does the company have that can draw a crowd?

Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields are world-class fighters, but none can carry a card. ProElite has a very short bench of fighters, which inhibits the company's ability to get to the next phase of growth critical to its survival – pay per view.

EliteXC has targeted the first quarter of 2009 for PPV, a show that would likely feature both Ferguson and Carano, provided they win their respective fights next month. Losses by either or, worse yet, both would cripple the prospects of turning a profit on the show.

Even with Ferguson and Carano, EliteXC will be hard pressed to deliver the type of compelling product needed to generate meaningful PPV buys. Affliction assembled a deep, talent-rich card for its inaugural PPV show back in July, and estimates peg the buy rate at just more than 100,000. That level of buys isn't going to move the revenue needle much for EliteXC, but it would have to be considered a step forward.

Even a successful PPV debut isn't enough to keep ProElite standing as an independent entity. An acquisition by Showtime makes sense, given the network's existing ownership. However, a better long-term strategy is a ProElite and Affliction merger. The combined company would boast a strong roster of fighters and leverage the best attributes of each organization. Affliction is adept at marketing and promotion, while ProElite brings with it a built-in distribution channel in Showtime, and, potentially CBS, if the network re-ups its current deal.

A Showtime acquisition of ProElite doesn't change the state of play in MMA. A ProElite-Affliction merger does. A union could be the type of game-changing move that finally produces a formidable challenger to the UFC, though it would still take years to accomplish. A merger would create momentum for "AfflictionXC," which is something ProElite CEO and Chairman Chuck Champion believes a young company must have.

"A young company needs a lot of momentum in order for it to really do well, especially when you're up against an entrenched competitor, who has a 15-year first-mover advantage on you and who owns 90-plus percent of the marketplace, and who's known, and I'm not being critical, just factual … they're as tough inside those cages as they are outside," Champion recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "They use some pretty tough tactics to defend themselves. Everything from counter-programming to lawyers, to trademarking (sic) things. I mean, just very aggressive. In fact, I dare say that if this was in almost any other industry, you'd probably have people sitting there saying, 'Hey wait a minute. Is that predatory? Is that so aggressive that it goes over the line?'"

No organization has yet to demonstrate it can do battle with the UFC, and it's doubtful either ProElite or Affliction ultimately will be any different unless they join forces.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Josh Thomson wants Joachim Hansen next

After defeating Ashe Bowman in a non-title fight this past weekend, Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson made it very clear who he wants to fight next.

“I am really looking forward to possibly fighting Joachim Hansen,” said Thomson.

Thomson went on to say that his next fight will definitely take place in 2008.

“November 21st is my next fight. I do know that I will be fighting at the HP Pavilion. I believe it will be a title defense.”

Once again, Thomson made it clear who he wants the title defense to be against.

“We are hoping for Joachim Hansen.”

A fight between Thomson and Hansen would certainly be an excellent match-up. Hansen is coming off a very impressive showing in the recent Dream lightweight tournament that included a win over Shinya Aoki and a loss to Eddie Alvarez in a potential fight of the year candidate. On the other hand, Thomson is on an eight fight winning streak dating back to March 2006.

 

[Shogun Locc]

World Victory Road Accuses Roger Gracie of Faking Injury

Sengoku have put out a report on their web-site basically accusing Roger Gracie of faking injury.

Here are the accusation points:
-They requested an official doctors certificate and CT scan showing the injury.
-They requested Roger Gracie to come to Japan to be examined by WVR's doctor

On both these points Roger Gracie has failed to comply and WVR/Sengoku are considering penalties.

In addition to the above points:
-For a scheduled phone conference Roger Gracie's management did not call in.
-Roger Gracie's doctor told WVR staff in a mail September 20 that there was no break or fracture detected and a CT scan was not done in order to determine the extent of injury.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Expanding the Base: UFC, Affliction Trying to Broaden MMA’s Demographic

In this election year, “the base” is an often repeated phrase. In politics, a candidate’s core supporters form his base. The challenge faced by Senators McCain and Obama in the race for the Presidency is to maintain the support of their base while expanding their appeal to a broader constituency, namely the independents who will decide the election.

The “politics” of MMA are no different. MMA has found a solid base of its own in the form of the 18-34 male demographic that comprises the vast majority of the sport’s current niche following. That demographic has been the foundation of MMA’s growth over the last three years, but for the industry to continue to grow the sport’s appeal must expand further into the mainstream of American culture. The UFC and Affliction are both aggressively courting the crossover audience necessary to broaden the sport’s reach beyond 18-34 males, but the companies have identified decidedly different target audiences for expansion.

The UFC’s initiative is built around former WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar and the company is banking on his crossover appeal to WWE fans to propel his UFC 91 showdown with the returning Randy Couture to the top of the pay-per-view charts. The pro wrestling crossover has been well documented by MMAPayout.com, as has the company’s public embrace of the theory, at least by Zuffa’s UK President. The company is reportedly planning a cross-promotional effort with WWE and TNA similar to the one that proceeded Lesnar’s octagon debut in February. Those efforts helped draw 650,000pay-per-view buys, including a reported 300,000 first time buyers which presumably were largely pro wrestling fans.

Affliction has chosen to target a different potential crossover audience through its partnership with Golden Boy. Many have intuited that boxing and MMA fans are natural crossover audiences, however, the data to this point has not bore that out. Boxing traditionally draws an older demographic which Affliction hopes to attract through mixed MMA and boxing cards. Boxing also draws better among minorities than MMA which is generally viewed as a young white male demographic. It remains to be seen how receptive boxing fans will be to MMA (and vice versa), but the promotional power of Golden Boy gives Affliction its best chance to crossover into the sport’s demographic.

The respective approaches illustrate a deeper difference in philosophy by the two companies. The UFC has clearly staked itself as an entertainment brand, while Affliction has leaned more toward a traditional sports promoter. Entertainment/profitability come first, sport comes second. That philosophy explains why Ken Shamrock fought Tito Ortiz twice in 2006 and why Lesnar, and his 2-1 MMA record, will face Couture for the Heavyweight Title.

Affliction on the other has spent considerable money to assemble the best available mixed martial-artist, regardless of their potential as draws, with the goal of promoting the best (i.e. most competitive) fights. Despite the inclusion of entertainment elements like live musical performances on its events, the company has focused on the athletic/competitive aspect of MMA over the pro wrestling style hype that the UFC has built its success on.

The bottom line is that at some point, MMA's audience has to become more than just 18-34 white males if the sport is going to fulfill the aspirations of its proponents. That demographic is good enough to make the UFC a sustained entertainment brand, perhaps on par with WWE, a staple of cable and pay-per-view television that enjoys periods of increased popularity every ten years or so but is largely relegated to a devoted niche audience. But it is not enough to create the next NASCAR or NFL, a lasting sports brand entrenched in mainstream popular culture.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Diego Sanchez

Ready to face Thiago “Pitbull” Alves at UFC 90, Diego Sanchez wants another victory that will put him directly for a title shot. In an exclusive interview with TATAME.com, Sanchez spoke about the expectations for the fight, Thiago’s last fight against Matt Hughes and how would be a fight between him and St. Pierre. Check below the exclusive interview with the athlete, that made his bets on Dream’s middleweight GP and his beginning in MMA.

How is the preparation to face Thiago Alves at UFC 90? What are your plans for this fight?
I’m preparing and doing some striking, preparing for any situation if can’t get him to the ground and have to stand with him, just like in my last fight with Luigi Fioravanti, I had to stand with him and strike, so I ‘m prepared to do it again. I’m a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and I’ll always be a ground fighter, with wrestling and submission. If I earn the submission of the night or the knockout of the night it would be awesome.

We spoke with Thiago and he said he’ll win by knockout… What do you think about that?
He’s a very one dimensional fighter, he likes to stand up, his ground game is his weakness, so it would be his best mind set if he try to knock me out. He’s a great fighter and I have a lot of respect for him, and that’s what I was expecting for him to say, that he’s gonna try to knock me out.

Did you saw his last fight with Matt Hughes?
I think that he didn’t make weight and I believe that if he did make weight it would make the difference in the fight, because he would be less physically strong. When you cut 30 pound for a fight it really make difference to your conditioning, when you go to the second of the third round it’ll make a difference. I also think that Matt Hughes learned about that fight in short notice, but everybody in Mixed Martial Arts knows that that was not the old Matt Hughes. Matt is declining on his way out the top contenders… The new evolution of the fighters, the younger fighters are starting to take over. I think that if were any other top younger the same thing would happen.

Dana White said that the winner of this fight will get a title shot against Georges St. Pierre. How important is that for you to train even more to beat Thiago?
This is the fight of my life. I’m preparing, I’m training the harder I can for this fight. I’m doing a lot strength training, submission, but my biggest strength is my heart, conditioning, technique and I feel that these three things are going to be the biggest factor in this fight. Once I show the pace I put in this fight… I’ll put a pace he never felt before.

Beating him, how do you think would be a fight between you and GSP?
Right now there’s only one man in my vision and this is Thiago Alves, but a fight with St. Pierre would be a great fight, with St. Pierre or BJ Penn. Whoever wins that fight, it really depends what’s going on that fight, BJ and St. Pierre fight in January, but I’m constantly improving my ground game, my striking, and I still have a lot of time to get better and prepared, and I’m not even close to be as good as I can be. I’m working with the best ground fighters of the world, Xande Ribeiro, Saulo Ribeiro, (Ronaldo) Jacaré… I got all these wonderful teammates and we’re just training hard and getting ready, and I don’t think Thiago will be ready for what I prepared for him.

Why did you decided to train with Saulo, Xande and Jacaré at Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu?
Because I never trained in the gi before and Saulo always were one that I saw back in Abu Dhabi days when he was competing… We have some mutual friend, I moved to San Diego and said to Saulo I wanted to train with him and now, one year and a half later, our team has (Fabrício) Morango, in our MMA team, and Xande is fighting, Jacaré, André Galvão, we’re training here and we’re all getting better.

Xande will make his MMA debut now in Sengoku… How do you think will be his fight?
Xande is very talented, he picks up very fast and I think he’ll do great in MMA, he’s striking are improving a lot really, really fast. I think that if he fights the right strategy he’ll be a champion and won’t get longer to him get his belt.

Jacaré is on the Dream’s middleweight GP… Do you believe on his winning this GP?
All I have to say about Jacaré is that I think he’ll be the champion real soon, I think he’s gonna win the Dream’s championship and… Watch out Anderson Silva, because is there somebody else that can beat him, this man is Jacaré. If you get in here and train with this guy you see… There’s no stopping his takedowns, his striking are getting better and better, and if this guy gets you on the ground is so another game, his ground game is different, he’s one of the best ground player in the world, he has the wrestling skills and strength to beat you, take the fight to the ground it would be bad for him.

Who do you think is the best pound for pound fighter in the world?
That’s, without as doubt, Fedor Emelianenko. He’s been there for a long time and he still is.

How did you start fighting MMA?
I was a wrestler and I was the state champion in New Mexico and I love wrestling. I continued to win in submission grappling tournaments, and I just started fighting, trained Boxing and everybody else were calling and fight is all I got, I love to fight and I’m not afraid to fight anybody.

When you decided to start in MMA, how did your family react?
My family is all completely behind me. They all believe in me and they’re all very proud of me.

Send a message for your Brazilian fans.
I love the Brazilian culture and can’t wait to go down there. When Saulo and Xande go to Brazil I’ll go see the beautiful country where a lot of my friends are from… Continue watching me represent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the ground.

 

[Shogun Locc]

All DREAM.6 fighters make weight

All fighters competing in Tuesday's DREAM.6 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, have successfully made weight.

The fighters hit the scales earlier today at the East 21 Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

DREAM.6, which features the semifinals and the finale for the DREAM middleweight grand prix, airs live on HDNet early Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. (midnight PT). Replays are set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

Also in action is PRIDE and UFC veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who meets Alistair Overeem in a heavyweight bout. Additionally, Shinya Aoki goes for his 13th win in 15 fights when he meets former WEC fighter Todd Moore.

The full weigh-in results, released by DREAM, included:

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (225.9 pounds) vs. Alistair Overeem (241.8)
Shinya Aoki (153.8) vs. Todd Moore (153.6)
Yoshihiro Akiyama (184.8) vs. Masanori Tonooka (184.1)
Kuniyoshi Hironaka (167) vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (167.2)
Masakatsu Funaki (198) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (193.4)
Hideo Tokoro (138.4) vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (138.2)
Jimmy Ambriz (290.4) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (253)
Adriano Martins (154) vs. Keita Nakamura (154)
Zelg Galesic (184.6) vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (284.4)*
Melvin Manhoef (184.8) vs. Gegard Mousasi (184.6)*
Andrews Nakahara (183.7) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (184.8)+
* - Middleweight grand prix semifinal fight; winners will meet in grand prix finals in main event
* - Middleweight grand prix reserve bout

 

[Arson]

Dream 6 aint gonna be on comcast huh.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream 6 aint gonna be on comcast huh.

I heard comcast now has hdnet so if they do have it then dream 6 will be on tonight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

'Jacare' Primed to Finish Dream GP Run

A two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu open weight world champion, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza has established himself as one of the greatest submission grapplers in the world. His has been a quick and successful transition to mixed martial arts.

Souza (9-1) will carry a nine-fight winning streak into the middleweight grand prix semi-finals at Dream 6 on Wednesday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. In his quest for the title, the 28-year-old claims he has trained harder than ever before.

“I’ve trained a lot better for this event,” says Souza, who trained in San Diego, Calif., in advance of the grand prix. “I trained some stand-up in the morning and, in the afternoon, I trained MMA and jiu-jitsu with Saulo Ribeiro, Xande Ribeiro, Fabrício Camões, André Galvão and other great athletes. Even Maurício Rua spent a week here and trained with us. The training -- the technical part and the physical preparation -- was hard.”

Souza will face Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic protégé Zelg Galesic in one grand prix semi- final. The 29-year-old Croatian’s path to the match was far less treacherous. His quarter-final bout with Taiei Kin lasted just 65 seconds, as an elbow injury halted the action and advanced Galesic (9-3). Souza knows what to expect from his challenger, a man who has never gone the distance.

“I hope for everything from him,” says Souza. “I know he has trained for this fight, and I respect my opponent. I know he strikes very well and starts his fights in a very crazy rhythm. I’ll be ready for him. I trust myself a lot.”

Should he defeat Galesic, Souza would face the winner of the other semi-final bout between fast-rising Armenian Gegard Mousasi and Dutch knockout artist Melvin Manhoef in the Dream 6 main event. The Brazilian does not have a preference as to who he would rather meet in the final but believes Mousasi has the edge.

“I expect a very good fight between both of them,” Souza says. “I think Mousasi will win because he’s more complete, but I really don’t have any preference. I’ll face anyone.”

Having two fights the same night might be uncommon for Souza from an MMA standpoint, but he plans to draw on his experience from the countless jiu-jitsu tournaments in which he has competed.

“It will be the first time I’ll be able to do two MMA fights on the same night,” Jacare says. “The preparation is totally different, but I’m getting myself used to recovering to do another fight. You run more risks of suffering an injury, but I hope to do what I know -- fight well and win.”

Souza advanced to the semi-finals with a unanimous decision victory against former Icon Sport middleweight champion Jason “Mayhem” Miller at Dream 4 in June. It was the first time in his MMA career he had gone the distance. Each of his previous eight wins came by submission, all of them inside one round.

An international superstar, Souza has enjoyed the experience of fighting before Japanese fans. He made his debut in the Land of the Rising Sun in April, when he submitted American Ian Murphy at Dream 2.

“The experience of fighting in Japan is very good,” Souza said. “I’ve always dreamed about fighting in an event like this. The organization has been great; it’s a great show, and the fans are the best in the world. I hope they’ll always cheer for me. I promise to always put my heart there in the ring.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

HDNet and MMAjunkie.com team up for DREAM.6 online video releases

MMAjunkie.com and HDNet's "Inside MMA" weekly MMA-news program have extended their partnership and will team up to release exclusive online video releases of DREAM.6's best fights.

DREAM.6, which takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, airs live on HDNet early Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. ET (midnight PT). Replays are set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Beginning this Wednesday, Sept. 24, HDNet will showcase one fight from DREAM.6 per day on MMAjunkie.com. The video releases will build up to the Monday, Sept. 29 release of DREAM's middleweight grand prix finale. The four fighters who qualified for the star-studded middleweight tournament include Zelg Galesic, Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza, Melvin Manhoef and Gegard Mousasi.

The schedule for the video releases is below. We've designated our first two days as "TBA" since those slots will be filled with fights that HDNet and MMAjunkie.com think that our readers will determine to be the most exciting or interesting from the DREAM.6 card.

The full schedule includes:

Wednesday (Sept. 24): TBA
Thursday (Sept. 25): TBA
Friday (Sept. 26): Zelg Galesic vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza (GP semifinal)
Saturday (Sept. 27): Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi (GP semifinal)
Sunday (Sept. 28): Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Alistair Overeem
Monday (Sept. 29): Middleweight grand prix finale
All of the DREAM.6 videos will be presented in the same great quality you've come to expect from the weekly "Inside MMA" video clips featured here on MMAjunkie.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC moving towards Rafael Feijao vs. Cyrille Diabate bout for Nov. 8

EliteXC is working towards a possible light heavyweight matchup between Brazilian light heavyweight sensation Rafael Feijao and French striking specialist Cyrille Diabate for a Nov. 8 telecast on SHOWTIME.

The news was originally reported by Brazilian MMA website Tatame but FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the report with EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw. However, Shaw was quick to point add that while the promotion is heading in the direction of a Feijao vs. Diabate encounter that the match is still contingent upon the signing of bout agreements from both fighters. He declined comment when asked if the fight would be for the vacant EliteXC light heavyweight title.

Since dropping down from heavyweight, Feijao is a perfect 3-0 while competing for EliteXC at 205 pounds. He debuted for the promotion this past February at “Street Certified” where he TKO’d John Doyle with a knee to the body at 2:17 of round 1. Feijao improved to 2-0 during June’s “Return of the King” event following a TKO over Wayne Cole at 1:47 of round 1.

The quick victory allowed him to return on short notice and fight Travis Galbraith during the SHOWTIME portion of EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” on July 26. The win improved Feijao’s overall record to 7-1.

Diabate is a world class striker who was hand-picked by Dan Henderson earlier this year to help him prepare for his fight against Anderson Silva this past March at UFC 82. Signed to an EliteXC contract earlier this year, Diabate debuted for the promotion during a ShoXC event in August and improved his MMA record to 12-6-1 following a unanimous decision over Jaime Fletcher.

No location or venue has been announced for EliteXC’s yet-to-be titled Nov. 8 event. However, EliteXC officials have stated that the show will be the promotion’s final card until 2009 and that Joey Villasenor and Brett Rogers could be featured in separate bouts.

 

[Shogun Locc]

STRIKEFORCE AT THE MANSION 2 FIGHTER SALARIES

MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information from the California State Athletic Commission for “Strikeforce at the Mansion 2” featuring Kazuo Misaki vs. Joe Riggs, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The following figures are based on the fighter salary information that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including the winners' bonuses.

Although mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included in the figures below.

In the listings below, "Main Event Fighters" are defined as fighters who compete in the main event of a show. "Main Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose fights appear on the main card, but not in the main event. "Preliminary Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose matches take place before the live broadcast goes on the air, regardless of whether or not those matches end up airing on the TV or Internet broadcast.


MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS

– Kazuo Misaki ($1,400/win bonus was undisclosed) def. Joe Riggs ($20,000)


MAIN CARD FIGHTERS

– Josh Thomson ($40,000/win bonus was $20,000) def. Ashe Bowman ($2,000)

– Terry Martin ($10,000) def. Cory Devela ($10,000)

– Mitsuhiro Ishida ($1,400/win bonus was undisclosed) def. Justin Wilcox ($5,000)

– Trevor Prangley ($40,000) def. Anthony Ruiz ($6,000)


PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTERS

– Luke Stewart ($8,000) def. Jesse Juarez ($2,000)

– Eric Lawson ($6,000/win bonus was $500) def. Kenneth Seagrist ($2,000)

– Brandon Magana ($2,000) def. Brandon Thatch ($2,000)

– Jesse Gillespie ($2,000/win bonus was $1,000) def. Dave Martin ($1,000)


STRIKEFORCE AT THE MANSION 2 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $159,300

 

[Shogun Locc]

VELASQUEZ INJURED; DEC. 10 UFC DATE UNLIKELY

American Kickboxing Academy standout Cain Velasquez is on the mend after suffering a knee injury in training recently, a source close to the fighter said on Monday.

Velasquez had arthroscopic surgery to smooth out tears in his meniscus, and is currently undergoing physical therapy.

Initially, the Ultimate Fighting Championship expected Velasquez to meet recent signee Mustafa Al-Turk on December 10 for “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops” before being notified of the injury. The event is the UFC’s second military-themed show, proceeds of which will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, aimed at treating military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

Though Velasquez has not formally cancelled the fight, the source said his participation is doubtful.

“My gut feeling is that he won’t make it,” the source said.

A return at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 or UFC 93 on January 31 is likely, the source continued.

Velasquez burst onto national scene with impressive victories over Brad Morris at UFC 83 and Jake O’Brien at UFC: “Silva vs. Irvin.” Undefeated in four fights, he quickly became a dark horse of the UFC’s heavyweight division. A final decision on his status will be made in two weeks.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Emelianenko aiming for return at DREAM's year-end event

Veteran Russian fighter and reigning WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko is hoping to return to Japan for a likely but currently unannounced year-end, DREAM.7 event.

Emelianenko confirmed his interest in fighting on the New Year's Eve card while addressing the crowd at Tuesday's DREAM.6 show, which took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Emelianenko, a veteran of the Japan-based and now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships, has been a longtime fixture on the Japanese New Year's Eve shows. However, the soon-to-be 32-year-old fighter is also expected to fight Jan. 17 at an Affliction show in Anaheim, Calif.

Even for a dominant fighter such as Emelianenko, taking two fights in a three-week span has the potential for trouble. Unless he'd emerge from the DREAM bout all but unscathed, the Affliction fight -- one that he will likely headline -- would be in jeopardy.

That Affliction event, "Day of Reckoning," was originally scheduled for Oct. 17 in Las Vegas. Emelianenko had been scheduled to fight Andrei Arlovski in the night's main event, but he later pulled out of the show with a hand injury. Arlovski was then slated to headline the event against Josh Barnett.

After securing a partnership with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Productions, Affliction recently decided to postponed the event until Jan. 17. As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported last week, Affliction Vice President now expects Emelianenko to be on the card, though he said an opponent has not been determined.

"Day of Reckoning" will now take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. -- which hosted Affliction's debut event back in July -- and Atencio said the Barnett vs. Arlovski fight will go on as planned.

Emelianenko last fought in July at "Affliction: Banned" and scored a 36-second submission victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. The victory -- his sixth straight via submission -- pushed his overall career record to 28-1.