MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Alvin Robinson vs. Mark Bocek added to UFC 91

Lightweights Alvin Robinson (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Mark Bocek (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will look to rebound from recent losses when they meet at UFC 91, which takes place Nov. 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The UFC today added the fight to its official fight card. A welterweight bout between Dustin McCrory and Tamdan McCrory previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was also officially added.

Robinson will return to the UFC for the first time since a disappointing submission loss to "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner Nate Diaz earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 12.

Robinson made his octagon debut in 2007 and suffered a first-round submission loss (due to strikes) to Kenny Florian at UFC 73. The 26-year-old rebounded for a unanimous-decision victory over Jorge Gurgel later that year at UFC 77.

Bocek, 26, also made his octagon debut at UFC 73, where he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Frankie Edgar. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Kempo Karate black belt rebounded for a unanimous-decision victory over Doug Evans at UFC 79 before suffering a third-round submission loss to "The Ultimate Fighter 6" winner Mac Danzig earlier this year at UFC 83.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TRAVIS WIUFF ROLLING INTO SENGOKU 5

While it wasn’t a total surprise that Travis Wiuff defeated Kazuyuki “Iron Head” Fujita at June’s Sengoku event, what was, was the method by which he did it.

Previously known for being able to take quite a fair amount of cranial beating, Fujita was actually knocked out by the previously ground-based Wiuff in just under 90 seconds.

Three months later, Wiuff returns to the promotion eager to prove his last fight was not a fluke and that he’s truly become a more complete fighter as he takes on late replacement Mo Lawal in a heavyweight showdown this coming Sunday in Tokyo, Japan.

“I feel really good,” said Wiuff before boarding his flight to Japan. “I’ve had plenty of time to get ready for this one.

“When I fought (Kazuyuki) Fujita last time I took it on fairly short notice, three weeks, and didn’t have much time to prepare for it. This one I’ve known about for quite a while. I’ve had a change of opponent, but it’s not too much a concern for me.”

Oddly enough, he has not had a multitude of fights since his last action in June.

Always one to take fights on smaller cards on short notice, Wiuff has stepped into a situation where he’s only fighting for one promotion with ample time between fights.

“I’d still take fights in small towns if I could – I love the sport and love to compete – but at this point in my career things are going good, so it’s just continuing to do what I’m doing,” he stated.

“If you consider the YAMMA tournament, this will be my fifth fight of the year, and it wasn’t that long ago that I was fighting 15 to 20 times a year. I think in 2005 I fought 22 times, so it’s definitely different.”

Originally Wiuff was scheduled to face Roger Gracie, but due to an injury, Gracie was forced to drop out of their fight. In steps Mo Lawal, an accomplished amateur wrestler who recently joined the Murrieta, California chapter of Team Quest.

“He’s a phenomenal wrestler,” said Wiuff of his opponent. “He trains at Team Quest (Murrieta), so I’m pretty sure he’s going to come in well prepared; even though it is his first fight.

“You don’t see too many guys from Team Quest who aren’t prepared, so I think it will be a good fight.”

A few years ago this would have been a clash of wrestler versus wrestler, but with his recent work with a new fight team, Wiuff’s skills have allowed him to become more than just a ground specialist.

“I’m very fortunate where I’ve had a chance to train up at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with Greg Nelson,” he explained. “I definitely don’t consider myself being only a wrestler anymore.

“I feel comfortable standing, using my hands, knees and am even getting comfortable throwing kicks. With the help of Greg I’m even more comfortable than I ever have been.”

Should Travis emerge from this weekend’s fight healthy, he would like to return to Japan sooner than later and continue a roll he’s on that has him currently in the midst of a 10-fight winning streak.

“I’m definitely not looking past Mo, I think he’s going to be a tough opponent, but I’m looking forward to a few more fights this year,” he exclaimed.

Having slowly become more adept at other aspects of the fight game, Wiuff has an opportunity to further ingratiate himself with the Japanese crowd and make something special of his time with the promotion.

“I’d like to thank Warrior Wear and Island Supplements; and my personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – without him nothing is possible,” he closed out. “Keep your eyes open, because it’s only getting bigger and better.

“It’s going to be a great fight. I think I can show, especially in this fight, that I’m more well-rounded than people give me credit for.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

IS FREE AGENCY IN FUTURE FOR GILBERT MELENDEZ?

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez is ready to get back to the top of his weight class, but with only one fight left on his current contract, he is welcoming his upcoming free agency.

Melendez has had a very successful career to this point, but the California based fighter has now dropped two out of his last three fights and he’s looking to get the best option for his future.

“I have one fight left with Strikeforce. I really do like Strikeforce, I think they’re a great organization and they took care of me,” Melendez told MMAWeekly.com “But I have other goals too, other dreams. I do want to get my payback against Josh (Thomson) and (Mitsuhiro) Ishida, that’s awesome that they’re there too, but I’m just going to make sure I do really good on my next fight and then I’m going to weigh out all my options.

“It’s going to feel good to be a free agent after this fight and see what I can do.”

The next Strikeforce show is set for Nov. 21, but Melendez says it is up in the air if he will end up on that card or not.

“Nov. 21 is a possibility, but it’s also a possibility not,” he stated.

Since moving his career back to the United States full time after competing in Japan for much of the last few years, Melendez has stated many times that he wants to build his name to the American fans and there is no bigger place to do that than the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He says there’s a good possibility he could land with the biggest promotion in all the land.

“There’s a big chance,” he said about possibly landing with the UFC. “That’s an organization I’ve always liked to be a part of and a lot of the guys in there I would want to fight. A lot of those guys motivate me. It’s motivating to test yourself in front of the world. That’s the most motivating thing about going to the UFC is that you really get to showcase yourself.”

As of right now, Melendez will work to open a new school in San Francisco, while still working with close friends at the Cesar Gracie fight team.

“I just opened a school here in San Francisco. I haven’t come up with a name yet, but it should be in full effect by November,” he commented. “The goal of that school is just to make my training situation better for myself. I was hopping around a lot, gym to gym, and just didn’t have a set schedule. I’m just trying to bring structure to my training and get some cool students on the way and hopefully get a little fight team and represent out here in California and in San Francisco.”

Regardless of where his free agency lands him, Melendez is mostly focused on getting back on track with a win in his next fight, whenever that may be.

“I lost my last fight as everyone knows and my next fight you’re going to see the work I put in. I want to make sure I’m ready for my next fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

AMIR SADOLLAH VS. NICK CATONE AT UFC 91 IN NOV.

As the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter gets underway, the last winner of the show, Amir Sadollah, is set to return to action on Nov. 15 to face undefeated UFC newcomer Nick Catone.

The fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources in Catone’s camp, who has recently been signed to a four-fight deal with the UFC as well.

Sadollah burst onto the MMA scene with his seemingly improbable run to the finals of the show having no professional fights to his credit at that point.

Not only did he make it to the finals, but Sadollah also defeated the original favorite on the show, C.B. Dollaway, for the second time to win his six figure contract with the promotion.

Stepping back into the Octagon for the first time since that win over Dollaway, he will face a tough test in Catone, who currently boasts an undefeated record of his own while competing most recently in the Ring of Combat promotion.

Catone has an extensive background in wrestling, competing on the national level while attending Rider University, and also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

The New Jersey based fighter represents a number of top fighters from that area that have made their way to the UFC including top lightweight contender Frankie Edgar, along with brothers Jim and Dan Miller.

The middleweight contest will be a featured bout on the upcoming card headlined by UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, returning to the cage to face former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar in a title fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC ANNOUNCES TORRES VS TAPIA FOR DECEMBER

World Extreme Cagefighting’s announcement to officially discontinue actively promoting the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions beyond this year will surely grab most of the immediate attention on the promotion. However, the WEC also announced on Friday that bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will defend his title against undefeated challenge Manny Tapia on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas.

The bout had been rumored for quite some time as Torres had confirmed to MMAWeekly.com recently, "They have a long list of guys for me to fight, but I think the guy next in line is going to be Manny Tapia. I think him first and then after that, whoever."

A super bout between Torres and WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber has also been oft discussed and that is also on the Chicagoan’s mind. “I'd love to do that fight, man. I know it's going to have to happen eventually. He's the champion in his weight class. I'm the champion in mine. It's a super fight. It's going to have to happen."

Faber, however, will have to sit on the backburner for Torres. He now has to laser his focus on Tapia on Dec. 3 if he wants to keep the future super fight in the picture.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PROELITE ANNOUNCES SUNDAY NIGHT FSN SERIES

ProElite, Inc. announced on Friday that its four-part EliteXC “Champions of the Cage” series premiers this Sunday at 9:00 pm on the Fox Sports Network (FSN). The new series of Sunday night mixed martial arts (MMA) telecasts continues through Oct. 19, culminating with an exclusive “King of the Cage” episode.

This Sunday’s special telecast features Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni and Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbot. The premiere will also air action from EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett. The series, which airs at 9:00 pm ET/PT, is hosted by Jay Glazer.

The other feature bouts in the FSN Champions series include:

Sunday Oct. 5: Anderson “The Spider” Silva vs. Jorge Rivera (Replays: Oct. 22)

Sunday Oct. 12: “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. Murilo “Ninja” Rua (Replays: Oct. 24)

Sunday Oct. 19: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Sean Gray (Replays: Oct. 29)

The four-episode deal between FSN and ProElite that resulted in the specials that debut this weekend are part of an effort to enhance the growing fan base for MMA.

“Being included in the FSN’s Sunday Sports Block gives us an opportunity to develop our audience and add to our TV cache by putting more of our MMA superstars in primetime,” said ProElite VP of Home Entertainment Turi Altavilla. “We think this series has terrific potential and we are really excited about it.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Loyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva rescheduled for UFC 93 on Jan. 31

Brazilian MMA website Tatame is reporting that a light heavyweight clash between Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva that had been scheduled for UFC 89 on Oct. 18 in Birmingham, England is now set to take place at UFC 93 during Super Bowl weekend on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.

The UFC has yet to announce the fight between the two Brazilians.

The first scheduled bout between the two had to be canceled due to a back injury sustained by Silva during training. Sources informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com in recent weeks that the UFC proposed several new opponents for Machida in order to keep him on the card for UFC 89 but that his management was committed to fighting Silva as soon as he was healthy.

The 25-year old Silva is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil and is 13-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career, according to Sherdog’s fight finder. Since debuting in the UFC at UFC 71 in May of 2007, Silva is 4-0 in the Octagon with wins over James Irvin, Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander, and Antonio Mendes.

Machida is also undefeated with a record of 13-0 and is 5-0 in the UFC. His notable UFC wins have come against Kazuhiro Nakamura, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Tito Ortiz, who served as his most recent opponent in May at UFC 84. Outside of the UFC he holds notables victories over Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, and Stephan Bonnar.

 

[Shogun Locc]

(Video) Kimbo Slice interview on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption”

After a slow promotional push for EliteXC and CBS’ third installment of “Saturday Night Fights,” the marketing campaign for the Oct. 4 event featuring heavyweight bouts between Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson has picked up.

Commercial spots for the event aired during CBS’ NFL telecasts this past weekend and were featured during the season premiere of the network’s hit reality television show “Survivor” last night.

Slice has also made several high-profile media appearances including a David Blaine special on ABC Wednesday night as well as a one-on-one interview on ESPN with “Pardon the Interruption” hosts Tony Kornheiser and Dan LeBatard on Thursday.

Below is the video of Slice’s interview on PTI.
videolink: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/09/26/video-kimbo-slice-interview-on-espns-pardon-the-interruption/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Atencio reveals Affliction’s plan

With their most recent show canceled, Affliction has confirmed that they will have a card early next year.

“The January show is a guarantee,” said Affliction VP Tom Atencio.

However, the type of show it will be has come under a lot of scrutiny. Recently, Affliction announced that it will be co-promoting with boxing’s Golden Boy Promotions. The big question now is what type of format will the show have.

“We will have one boxing match and four MMA matches,” said Atencio.

Mixing boxing and MMA us a very risky proposition. The amount of crossover between the sports seems very small. They could very well have a situation where one sports fans jeer the other sport regardless of who is competing. That occurrence would be bad for both MMA and boxing. Hopefully, everything works out, but the January show will be very interesting.

 

[rylor206]

Report: Loyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva rescheduled for UFC 93 on Jan. 31

Brazilian MMA website Tatame is reporting that a light heavyweight clash between Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva that had been scheduled for UFC 89 on Oct. 18 in Birmingham, England is now set to take place at UFC 93 during Super Bowl weekend on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.

The UFC has yet to announce the fight between the two Brazilians.

The first scheduled bout between the two had to be canceled due to a back injury sustained by Silva during training. Sources informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com in recent weeks that the UFC proposed several new opponents for Machida in order to keep him on the card for UFC 89 but that his management was committed to fighting Silva as soon as he was healthy.

The 25-year old Silva is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil and is 13-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career, according to Sherdog’s fight finder. Since debuting in the UFC at UFC 71 in May of 2007, Silva is 4-0 in the Octagon with wins over James Irvin, Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander, and Antonio Mendes.

Machida is also undefeated with a record of 13-0 and is 5-0 in the UFC. His notable UFC wins have come against Kazuhiro Nakamura, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Tito Ortiz, who served as his most recent opponent in May at UFC 84. Outside of the UFC he holds notables victories over Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, and Stephan Bonnar.

Once again its on!!! this is the fight i am waiting for.

 

[Shogun Locc]

STANN VS CANTWELL AT UFC FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS

It didn’t take long for some of the fighters from the soon-to-be-defunct WEC light heavyweight division to make their move to the UFC and none could be happier than former 205-pound champion Brian Stann, who will make his promotional debut in a third fight against Steve Cantwell at the UFC Fight for the Troops show on Dec. 10.

Stann and Cantwell have fought each other twice in the past with each gaining a victory, most recently with Cantwell taking the 205-pound divisional crown away with a TKO win in early August.

Now that the WEC light heavyweight class is being swept out the door, the title is a moot point, but the rubber match isn’t.

The rematch had already been discussed internally at the WEC, and according to Stann, as happy as he was to get another shot at Cantwell. He was a little sad that a week later a fight would take place in front of the military and he wouldn’t be involved.

“They were talking to me about a rematch right after I lost that fight, so I was already excited about that and I thought it was going to be Dec. 3 in Vegas, so I’d be fighting Steve (Cantwell) in his hometown for the third time,” Stann said in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com. “It was kind of like a tear in my heart because all of a sudden I was watching Spike TV and watching the Fight Night and they announced this special featuring the Fallen Heroes Fund and it’s going to benefit TBI (traumatic brain injury) patients.

“I have so much experience with my guys that suffer from TBI and to get to fight on a military base. I was in Iraq when they fought on the marine base last time so I didn’t get a chance to fight or even be there, and I just thought this is a dream come true.”

The dream will indeed come true for Stann who will get the chance not only to settle the score with Cantwell, but he will have the fight in front of his heroes, the men and women who serve in the military.

“Most people go to fights to watch their heroes or their role model fight,” Stann commented. “For me, to fight in Fort Bragg, and Fort Bragg is only an hour and 15 minutes away from my old Marine corps base, so a ton of my marines are going to be up there, plus all the young soldiers. That’s like a dream come true to me. Now, I’m fighting in front of my heroes, the people who inspire me.”

Not that Stann will need much more motivation for the fight, he will also move his training camp to New Mexico and work with Greg Jackson and his camp to prepare.

While the fight is Stann’s main focus, he can’t help but talk about the troops that will get the chance to attend the fight and a particular soldier and friend who will be front row and center for the bouts.

“I’ll fight till I’m dead in front of those guys. It’s a lifetime experience right there. I’m really excited. I was already calling a bunch of my Marines,” said Stann.

“One in particular, a guy by the name of Robert Gas, who when we were hit by a suicide vehicle during my first tour and he took some severe shrapnel damage to the head and he had several brain surgeries since then and obviously suffers from severe TBI, and I’m going to be contacting him and getting him cage side seats and flying him up for that.”

Brian Stann will have the honor to fight in front of the men and women of the U.S. military as a part of the UFC Fight for the Troops show on Dec. 10 at Fort Bragg, NC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason MacDonald inks new four-fight deal with UFC

Canadian middleweight Jason MacDonald has signed a new four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The news comes from MacDonald’s blog where he said, “I signed a new contract with the UFC this week. It’s a new four-fight deal, so I’ll be looking forward to four more fights in the UFC and hopefully climbing my way to the top of the division.”

MacDonald, a native of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, has fought three times this year amassing a record of 2-1. MacDonald has scored stoppage victories over Jason Lambert and Joe Doerksen while dropping a bout to Demian Maia at UFC 87: Seek and Destroy.

MacDonald isn’t currently slated for any upcoming UFC cards but he did state that he feels Michael Bisping may be next on the horizon. “My gut feeling is I’m going to fight Michael Bisping, win or lose in his upcoming bout. I have no particular reason for that. Nobody has said anything to lead me to believe that. I just see that happening. But then again Alessio Sakara just had a good knockout so maybe they’ll think that is a good matchup, another striker vs. grappler matchup.”

Bisping is scheduled to battle Chris Leben at UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben on Saturday, October 18 in Birmingham, England.

MacDonald has kept himself busy this year mixing his octagon time with coaching and promoting. MacDonald has been preparing the likes of Ryan Ford, Josh Russell and Ryan Machan for bouts at MFC 18: Famous while also working on promoting his new show, Pure Fighting Championship.

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Global Congratulates Gegard Mousasi For Winning DREAM GP Tournament

M-1 Global is proud to congratulate Gegard Mousasi for capturing the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Title with same day victories over Melvin Manhoef (25-5-1) and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2). Mousasi (24-2-1), an Armenian born fighter based in Holland, fought for Team Holland in the 2008 M-1 Global Challenge Event No. 1 prior to embarking on his amazing run in the DREAM tournament

Beginning with a 1st round triangle choke submission of favorite Dennis Kang (30-10-1) at DREAM 2 on April 29, 2008, and culminating with a devastating upkick that stopped Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom Jacare dead in his tracks, the 23-year-old underdog in the DREAM tournament is now firmly entrenched as one of the best middleweights in the world. A striking coach for fellow M-1 fighter and Pound-for-Pound MMA king Fedor Emelianenko, Mousasi has now won 11 fights in a row and is a favorite for fighter of the year honors with a record of 6-0 in 2008.

Mousasi will defend his newly earned title on New Year’s Eve in Japan. Mousasi has challenged Akyama for this fight who is considered a very strong Japanese fighter with victories over Denis Kang and Melvin Manhoef.

In the near future, Mousasi will certainly be featured on the card for one of the Affliction/M-1 events.

Emelianenko was in attendance to view his stablemate’s crowning achievement at Saitama Arena, the Mecca of MMA in Japan. “Gegard was simply amazing tonight and I am very happy for him,” commented Emelianenko. “He handled a dangerous striker in Manhoef brilliantly and then took care of Jacare on the ground with a perfectly timed kick. And I am confident that there is more greatness to come from Mousasi.”

MMA fans in the United States can catch Gegard Mousasi and other future stars of MMA every Friday at 8pm ET on HDNet during its weekly M-1 Challenge broadcasts. The M-1 Challenge can also be viewed on television stations in over 40 countries. The next LIVE M-1 Global Challenge will be hosted by Warriors Promotions this Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Nottingham, England. Mousasi, along with fellow M-1 fighter Aleksander Emelianenko, will be on hand for a special MMA seminar on the day of the event. For more information, log on to www.m1mixfight.com or www.cagewarriors.com.

The M-1 Global Challenge will then make its United States debut with four M-1 international teams invading Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City, Missouri. Log on to www.m1mixfight.com or www.titanentertainment.com in the upcoming days for announcements about the first M-1 Challenge show in the United States.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mach talks about his fight

Mach Sakurai updated his blog.

I fought in DREAM yesterday. In the 1R, I was slow somehow and I couldn't move as I planned. I felt stiff and moved like a robot during my warm-up before the fight. Joe told me later that I should have taken longer for the warm-up. I'm glad I got back to normal in the 2R. My opponent, Hironaka, was a good fighter.

I fought top Japanese fighters in my weight class this year. I felt like I participated in a welterweight tournament for Japanese. I honestly don't like to fight Japanese fighters. I suppose our fans were not even interested in seeing me fight them. Tons of good fighters in my weight class are outside of Japan. There are many MMA events in the world now, and DREAM does not attract good welterweight fighters in other countries.

My fights was canceled several times since DREAM started. My preparations for announced fights were not often rewarded. It was hard for me to keep my motivation high for last several months. I don't deeply think about things in general. Even so, it was really tough to adjust my motivation and fighting spirits.

I felt jealous of other fighters who spoke up who they wanted to fight next. However, it seemed to me that match-ups they requested were nothing but boring. What they said was absolutely nonsense. Anyway, I want to thank all my fans for supporting me!

 

[Shogun Locc]

Murilo “Ninja” Rua - Ready for Whatever - PRO MMA Exclusive Interview

Murilo “Ninja” Rua is on a quest. He’s on a quest to capture gold in EliteXC’s middleweight division. The same gold that slipped through his fingers not that long ago at the hands of current champion, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Ninja can move one huge step closer to that gold by getting past an explosive former IFL superstar that goes by the name of Benji Radach. While there is a ton of hype surrounding the Kimbo/Shamrock battle, many mma insiders feel like the Ninja/Radach bout will be the fight of the night. Murilo has been exciting fans all over the world since his early fighting days in his native country of Brazil to his Pride days in Japan and now right here in the United States. October 4th on CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights is sure to be no exception as Ninja will wage war with knockout artist Benji Radach in a bout where the winner will move one step closer to a shot at the title.

PRO MMA recently had the opportunity to speak with Ninja about a variety of subjects including his fight with Benji, his brothers recovery, and whether or not he would ever consider fighting his good friend, Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Check it out:

PRO MMA: Hey Ninja thanks for taking this time with us as we know you are a very busy man.
Ninja: My pleasure.

PRO MMA: What is your weight at and how are you feeling physically right now?
Ninja: I’m with 89 kg right now, about 198 lbs, and I’m feeling stronger and more adapted to the weight class.

PRO MMA: Where have you been training for this fight?
Ninja: I’m training at our new team, UDL, in our academy which is nearby my house.

PRO MMA: Have you been training with your brother at all recently? Who are some of the other guys that have been helping you prepare for your fight with Radach?
Ninja: He just got back from Canada and is already training with us. There are several people helping out my training, like professor Danilo Dourado in Boxing and BJJ with professor Cristiano Carioca, a great instructor that came from Manaus, up in the north of Brazil to help us out.

PRO MMA: What do you know about Radach and how do you feel you guys match up?
Ninja: I think he is an aggressive fighter with good Boxing and solid Wrestling.

PRO MMA: You are one of the most well rounded fighters in the sport and your opponent is more known as a knockout artist. Do you want to take this fight to the ground or do you care where the fight ends up?
Ninja: I really don’t care where the fight will unfold, as I’ll be ready for whatever happens.

PRO MMA: Is there any specific type of training you have been focusing on for this fight or are you just sharpening all aspects of your game?
Ninja: I’m training everything, as always, with a little more emphasis on Boxing and Wrestling.

PRO MMA: How do you see the fight with Radach playing out?
Ninja: I think it’s going to be a very aggressive forward fight and the crowd is going to love it. I think it’s going to be the best fight of the night.

PRO MMA: You have put together two back-to-back impressive wins since you lost the title to Lawler back in September of 07. Do you expect a rematch for the belt if you are able to dispatch of Radach in impressive fashion?
Ninja: That’s my goal, to have a rematch against Lawler for the belt.

PRO MMA: Would you ever consider fighting Anderson Silva?
Ninja: That’s not something that I would especially like to do. Anderson is my friend, we used to train together and he even helped me out recently, so I don’t have any plans to fight him. However, we’re professionals, and we never know what may happen.

PRO MMA: You have fought all over the world from Brazil to Japan to the UK and the United States. Where is your favorite place to fight?
Ninja: That’s a tough question. I owe a lot to all those countries. Brazil is where everything started, my home country, so I don’t even need to explain it. Japan has made me famous in the MMA circles and I’m very respected by the fans there, they always welcome us. I also have a lot of friends in Europe and I like the UK a lot. And the U.S. is the biggest market for MMA, where the sport really exploded, making MMA the biggest sport in the world one day… I only can thank all those countries and its fans.

PRO MMA: I saw that you recently opened up your own gym called UDL in your hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. How has that been going?
Ninja: This is where we train now, and we’re still in an initial phase, adapting it. You know, we’re making mistakes here and there, and doing good things here and there, we can’t really predict its future, but we’re doing our best to make it work and do improvements.

PRO MMA: Who are some of the guys currently training out of UDL?
Ninja: There are several athletes training at UDL and several others that are not officially on the team but helping us out all the time, the perfect interchange. We have Pimpolho, who’s a BJJ black belt with good ground work, João Paulo “Tuba”, who just won an MMA match against a BTT guy in Brazil and is one of Shogun’s sparring partners, Fernandinho Vieira who’s a former BJJ world champion and has also some nice wins in MMA already, Marcos Rua, our youngest brother who’s being prepared for his MMA debut soon, plus of course me, Shogun, Andre Dida, Tiago Baggio, Assuerio Silva and many others.

PRO MMA: Recently UDL and Wand fight team have formed a partnership. I know many MMA fans were happy to see you reunite with Wanderlei. What is your relationship with Wanderlei like right now and are there any plans of you guys training together in the future?
Ninja: Wanderlei has always been a great friend of us and doing partnerships is always a good thing. We will be training in Brazil and in the USA with him whenever necessary.

PRO MMA: How is your brothers recovery coming along. Is he close to 100% again?
Ninja: Shogun stayed one month in Canada working solely on his recovery, doing a great treatment and strenghtening the knee. The result was great, better than expected, he is close to 100% again and training hard, very focused for his next bout.

PRO MMA: What does the future hold for Murilo “Ninja” Rua?
Ninja: My future belongs to God, as we say here. I’m always doing my part, training hard and being professional, the rest is up for us to see.

PRO MMA: Thank you so much for your time Murilo. Are there any sponsors you’d like to thank?
Ninja: I would like to thank the guys from Midway Labs here in Brazil, who supports me with my supplements, Koral Fight Company, Red Dragon Fight Club website for the long partnership and friendship, as well as Rockstar Energy Drink who’s always with me on my fights. I can’t forget to mention my manager Eduardo Alonso, who’s always taking care of me, and the folks from X-Sports for the support for years. I would also like to thank the media for making our loved sport known, spreading out the word and letting people know about our work, which is damn serious. A big hug to all the fans that make our effort seem easy!

PRO MMA: Good luck on your fight and we wish you the best of luck in your career.
Ninja: Thank you!

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC EXTENDS ITS TV REACH TO ROMANIA

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brand, and TELESPORT, one of the largest dedicated sports networks in Romania, today announced the successful launch of UFC live events on Telesport.

The first broadcast partner of the UFC in Romania, TELESPORT aired the recent UFC 88: BREAKTHROUGH event, featuring Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans, and received a 4.5 percent market share for the premiere and a 3.5 percent market share for its replay later that evening.

As part of the agreement, TELESPORT will air UFC’s major live events. Telesport will also present a regular schedule of UFC programming, featuring some of the UFC’s most exciting events from the past.

“We are pleased to have the world’s most exciting live sports event – the UFC – available for sports fans in Romania,” said UFC President Dana White. “We look forward to bringing them all the best fights as they happen on TELESPORT, as well as new and exciting ways that they can experience the UFC.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Free of IFL's woes, Jay Hieron prepares for "Night of Combat"

The crippling financial problems that stung the IFL left many fighters without a venue to display their craft.

IFL welterweight champion Jay Hieron was one of those left on the shelf. The Xtreme Couture product has been unsure of his fighting future for the last five months.

On Oct. 11, Hieron will compete for the first time since the IFL went into hibernation at the newly announced "Night Of Combat 2" in Las Vegas. Hieron discussed his tenure as an IFL fighter, as well as his upcoming bout, while a recent guest on Thursday’s edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"My whole IFL career, personally, I never had nothing bad to say about them," Hieron said. "Of course they could have done better things with the company to make it last, but they didn't and it is what it is."

While competing in the now-defunct league, the Hieron re-launched his career. Boasting a record of 7-2 in the promotion, Hieron ascended to the top of his division with a December 2007 victory over Delson Heleno and became the IFL's inaugural welterweight champion. Successfully defending the title against Mark Miller in April, Hieron built a solid reputation in the league.

"The IFL, they gave me the stage to showcase my skills on," Hieron explained. "Now I got my name out there and I did what I could do with them. I won a world title. I defended the title. It was time to move on anyway for me, but IFL gave me that stage to showcase my skills on for sure."

For his return fight Hieron is taking on Hawaiian Bryson Kamaka (6-13). With a losing record, many see this fight as a walkover for Hieron, but the Long Island native is well aware of the perils of overlooking an opponent.

"Fighters do that you know," Hieron said. "There is a lot of guys that do that but I don't. It doesn't matter what a guy's record is. I mean we are both out there fighting with four-ounces gloves on, so I'm bringing my 'A' game, definitely, to the table.

"And with [Kamaka] I want to be more on my toes and more sharper just because he doesn't have anything to lose. He will just come out and start swinging so I definitely am going to be prepared Oct. 11, one-hundred percent."

Hieron was originally scheduled to fight for Affliction on Oct. 18. Superfights MMA, in association with Kim Couture's KC Concepts, scooped up Hieron for this card when Affliction postponed their event to 2009.

But Hieron still feels his future lies with Affliction.

"I heard I am still on the card for January," Hieron said. "I think it is still (Drew) Fickett, hopefully. You know I was looking forward to that fight. I thought that would be a good match up for me."

Hieron also discussed the advantages his decision to hire his new agent, Ken Pavia. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

[naner12]

Did anyone catch ShoXC tonight? Reis/Cullum was a dope fight .. shit was fast paced and played out mostly on the ground. 5 rounds of straight ground work and even though Reis won every round, IMO, Cullum stayed competitive the whole way through.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lawler-Villasenor 2 Set for Nov. 8 EliteXC

Joey Villasenor has the chance to erase a painful 22-second memory, as the New Mexico native will rematch EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler Nov. 8 on Showtime. The rematch was announced Friday during a ShoXC “Elite Challenger Series” broadcast on Showtime.

In their initial encounter, Lawler (16-4, 1 NC) made quick work of Villasenor (26-6) out of the gate with a flying-knee knockout at Pride 32 “The Real Deal” in October 2006. Villasenor has gone 4-for-5 since that night, leaving David Loiseau, Riki Fukuda, Ryan Jensen, and Phil Baroni in his wake. Villasenor’s only loss in that time came at the hands of scrappy Brazilian striker Murilo “Ninja” Rua, who dropped Villasenor in the second round to earn the EliteXC crown in June 2007.

Lawler, who hails out of Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad in Illinois, has tangled twice with Scott Smith since taking the gold from Rua in September 2007. After gleaning a no contest with Smith last May at EliteXC “Primetime” on CBS, Lawler successively stopped the Sacramento fighter with a barrage of second-round strikes on July 26 in Stockton. Calif.

A venue for the Nov. 8 event has yet to be announced.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sept. 26 ShoXC round-by-round updates and official results

Elite Xtreme Combat will crown its first-ever bantamweight (140-pound) champion at tonight's ShoXC Elite Challenger Series event.

In the night's main event, Abel Cullum (12-1), the reigning 135-pound King of the Cage titleholder, takes on Brazilian jiu-jitsu stand-out Wilson Reis (5-0) in the five-round title fight.

The event takes place at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., and the main card airs live on Showtime beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout between undefeated prospects Shane Del Rosario (4-0) and Carl Seumanutafa (4-0). Additionally, noted striker and Muay Thai veteran Malaipet (3-2) meets David Douglas (5-1), veteran Giva Santana (11-0) takes on fellow middleweight Jaime Jara (19-5), and Matt Makowski (3-0) meets a tough Erik Apple (9-1).

Enjoy the fights everyone...

LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY (11 p.m. ET)

ERIK APPLE VS. MATT MAKOWSKI

Round 1 - Apple immediately lands a body kick, but Makowski catches the leg and takes the fight to the ground. Apple quickly ssweeps and moves to top position. Makowski holds half-guard, but Apple tries to lock in a kimura. The proximity to the fence halts the hold, and Apple settles for landing shots from Makowski's half-guard. Apple repeatedly attacks the arm, but Makowski is able to resist. Apple delivers elbows to the body and head in between submission tries. Makowski is unable to escape from underneath a persistent Apple, and MMAjunkie.com gives a one-sided round to Apple, 10-9.

Round 2 - Apple again opens with a kick, then tries a straight right, but eats a counter. Apple shoots in, Makowski sprawls well, locks in a guillotine attempt and drops to the mat. Apple pops free, and is on top of Makowski in guard. Apple passes to half-guard, then very easily moves to mount. Makowski rolls to his belly, and Apple locks in a rear-naked choke forcing the tap. Erik Apple def. Matt Makowski via submission (rear naked choke) -- Round 2, 2:04.

JAIME JARA VS. GIVA SANTANA

Round 1 - Santana throws a body kick that lands. Santana then secures a thai clinch and scores with several knees. After a break, Jara scores with heavy hands and tries a guillotine choke. Santana pops out quickly, and goes to work from side control. Jara tries to roll, and is able to secure a half-guard on his submission-expert opponent. Santana secures mount, and Jara exposes his back. Santana passes on a few choke opportunities in favor of some ground and pound, and Jara uses the opportunity to stand. A clinch ensues, and the pace slows as the round winds down. A brief flurry to end, and MMAjunkie.com gives the round to Santana, 10-9.

Round 2 - Santana misses a high kick. Jara pushes in, and Santana clinches. Jara lands a shot, dropping Santana. Santana invites Jara to the mat, but Jara refuses. On the feet, Jara lands a few glancing straight punches, but Santana clinches again. Santana drops and rolls for Jara's right leg, but Jara is able to pull his leg out. Jara beginning to land punches on the feet, and gaining confidence. Santana looks to be tiring a bit. A big left drops Santana, but Jara refuses to follow him to the mat. Santana stands up slowly. Jara measuring Santana, and mocking Santana in the cage. Santana backing away as Jara pushes forward. Santana puts his hands on his knees when the bell sounds, and Jara has evened this fight according to MMAjunkie.com, winning the second round, 10-9

Round 3 - Jara smiling as Santana moves away. More clinch work, and Santana is narrowly avoiding Jara's biggest shots. Jara throws, and Santana answers with counters of his own. Jara lands a solid left hand. Santana answers with a low kick, then a body kick. Jara's face is bleeding, and he pushes forward, swinging wildly. Santana earns a takedown, but Jara scrambles up quickly. Santana lands a straight right, then a right kick to Jara's body. Jara still pushing forward wildly, but appears too be fading. Jara's bleeding increases. Time winding down, and both fighters land strikes from the clinch. Santana lands a knee from the clinch as time expires, and the third round comes to an end. A very close final round, but MMAjunkie.com scores it for Jara, 10-9, and the fight 29-28. Jaime Jara def. Giva Santana via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

DAVID DOUGLAS VS. MALAIPAT

Round 1 - Douglas strms forward behind a front kick, and quickly earns the takedown. Malaipat tries to stand, but Douglas wraps up his legs and keeps the fight on the mat. Malaipat secures Douglas' arm, and tries to sweep, but to no avail. Douglas lands a barrage f punches from the top, then moves to mount. More punches ensue, but Malaipat is able to sweep Douglas and move to top position. Douglas tries for a triangle choke, but Malaipat escapes back to his feet. Douglas lands several heavy shots on the feet, but Malaipat shows a solid chin. Malaipat catches Douglas with a few solid shots, and Douglas is rocked. A heavy leg kick, and Douglas topples to the mat. Malaipat lands a straight left. Douglas shoots in, and persistence earns the takedown. Douglas lands a hook, but Malaipat answers with a barrage of thai punches and kicks. The crowd roars, and the round comes to an end. Malaipat lands a late leg kick, and MMAjunkie.com awards an exciting first round to Malaipat, 10-9.

Round 2 - Douglas moves backwards, then shoots in. Malaipat sprawls. Douglas looks tired. Malaipat throws a flying knee. Douglas throws wild punches, but Malaipat is landing several nasty leg kicks as well as punches and knees. Douglas is on the ground, and his legs are badly bruised. Malaipat continues to work the legs, and Douglas can hardly stand. Douglas valiantly shoots in scores a takedown, but there is no offense from the ground. The referee stands up the fighters, and Douglas immediately brigns it back down. Malaipat does have some bruising on his face, but Douglas looks to have little left in the tank. Douglas moves to side control, and then to mount. Douglas lands a few shots from the top, and Malaipat is doing little to escape. The punches are landing for Douglas, but with little damage done. The round ends, and MMAjunkie.com sees it again for Malaipat, 10-9.

Round 3 - A touch of gloves, and Malaipat tries another knee. Douglas times it, and works Malaipat immediately to the ground. Douglas showing amazing heart, recovering from earlier damage and now landing right hands while controlling Malaipat. Douglas has opened up a cut on Malaipat's face, and Douglas now has mount. Malaipat looks to wrap Douglas up, but Douglas is posturing up and throwing several soft, looping punches. Douglas' punches starting to lans more blows as Malaipat looks helpless underneath. Malaipat bleeding badly and offering little defense, and the referee is forced to halt the contest. David Douglas def. Malaipet via TKO (strikes) -- Round 3, 2:51.

SHANE DEL ROSARIO VS. CARL SEUMANUTAFA

Round 1 - Seumanutafa earns a takedown quickly and sets up in Del Rosario's guard. Little offense from wither fighter, and Del Rosario takes advantage of the opportunity to lock in a triangle choke. Seumanutafa tries to slam out of it, but may have pushed the hold tighter. Seumanutafa stays patient, pulls out, and answers with an arm bar attempt of his own. Del Rosario escapes the hold, but Seumanutafa ends up on top. Seumanutafa works from side control. Little ground and pound offered from the top, but Seumanutafa works on securing Del Rosario's arm. THe round comes to an end, and MMAjunkie.com sees the round for Seumanutafa, 10-9.

Round 2 - Seumanutafa shoots in a gain, but Del Rosario sprawls. Seumanutafa throws a superman punch, and follows with a shot. Del Rosario sprawls, and begins to land knees to Seumanutafa's body on the ground. Seumanutafa stands, but a big left rocks Seumanutafa. Del Rosario follows to the ground, lands a few more blows, but the bout is quickly stopped. Shane Del Rosario def. Carl Seumanutafa via TKO (strikes) -- Round 2, 1:07.

ABEL CULLUM VS. WILSON REIS (FOR ELITEXC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE)

Round 1 - Cullum throws a kick, but Reis times it and earns the takedown. Reis working to pass guard, and lans a nice left hand in the process. Reis passes to mount, and Cullum stands. Reis picks his arm, and earns another takedown. Quick scramble, and Reis locks in an arm bar. Cullum escapes expertly, and the fighters are back on their feet. Quickly back down, and Cullum again has guard. Reis passes, but Cullum stands. Quick pace and excellent jiu-jitsu by both fighters. Reis tries for the back briefly, but Cullum shucks him back to guard. Cullum stands, but Reis maintains the clinch. Very even round, but MMAjunkie.com sees it for Reis, 10-9.

Round 2 - Cullum uses his reach to land a few straight punches, but Reis shoots under the blows and takes Cullum down. Reis passes guard, but Cullum regains it quickly. Reis scrambles to Cullum's back, but Cullum rolls and escapes. Reis tries a side choke from top, btu Cullum simply rolls out. After a scramble, Cullum ends up on top. Reis pulls guard, and Cullum lands a few solid shots, including a Mongolian chop, from the top. Reis tries an arm bar, from on arm to the next, but Cullum defends and escapes. Amazing transition from arm bar to side choke by Reis, and Cullum rolls out. Slick, slick transitions on the ground. Reis throws several elbows from top. Close round again, but MMAjunkie.com sees it for Reis, 10-9.

Round 3 - Reis tags Cullum with a left hand. Cullum jabs a bit, but Reis scores the takedown. Cullum tries to wiggle free, but Reis slams him to the mat. Cullum stands and lands a few knees to the gut. Reis' pace has slowed a bit. Cullum lands a right hand, but Reis again shoots in successfully. Reis tries to move to the back, but Cullum twists and falls into Reis' guard. Reis takes an arm bar, but Cullum immediately escapes. Reis works to Cullum's back again, and this time both hooks are in. Cullum is unfazed, and rolls -- first into Reis' mount, then pulling guard. The round comes to an end, and MMAjunkie.com scores it again for Reis, 10-9.

Round 4 - Cullum opens up with crisp punches. Reis shoots in, and Cullum grabs a guillotine. Reis pops his head out, and begins to work from Cullum's guard. Cullum closes the guard, the puses away. Reis persists, and works back to Cullum's gard. Reis then passes to side control and then full mount. Cullum simply slides out. Reis continues to persist. Cullum unable to escape, but defendng the submissions well. Reis gets mount, begins to land punches, but Cullum slips away. The round again ends with Reis on top, and MMAjunkie.com sees it again for Reis, 10-9

Round 5 - Reis follows a familiar routine, and Cullum picks up the pace underneath. An upkick grazes Reis, but Reis continues to grind away in Cullum's guard. Reis looking for Cullum's back, but slippery defense again prevails. Cullum is running out of time, and he tries to stand. Reis simply keeps the pressure on, holding Cullum down against the cage. Less than a minute, and Cullum tries to stand again. Reis refuses Cullum to allow any time or space to work, and Reis pushes Cullum back down. MMAjunkie.com sees the final round for Reis, 10-9, good for a clean sweep and a closer-than-the-score-would-seem 50-45 victory. Wilson Reis def. Abel Cullum via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46).

QUICK PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Steve Gable def. Josh McDonald via split decision
Luke Riddering def. John Corstophino via TKO -- Round 1, 3:43
Fernando Bettega def. Mono Otero via submission (rear naked choke)
Damian Douglas def. Joe Schilling (rear naked choke)
Scott Lighty def. Jamiah Williamson via TKO -- Round 1