MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Karo Parisyan inks eight fight contract extension

I love the UFC. I love Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, they’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and that’s the truth. I don’t kiss ass. I had a meeting with them last week they gave me a new, eight fight contract and the deal is I’m happy with them, I’m happy with the UFC. But the deal is there is a lot of stuff even Dana can’t control. He can’t control a lot of the referees. A lot of the judges are from the commission so he can’t control all those guys. It’s very hard. He can control [them] a certain amount of time [and] a certain amount of people, but not everything.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UPDATED CBS-ELITEXC FIGHT CARD FOR OCT. 4

EliteXC on Monday released the updated fight card for CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights, which takes place on Oct. 4 on CBS. As previously announced, the main event features Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson against UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock.

Following the rescheduling of Affliction Entertainment’s sophomore offering, “Day of Reckoning,” a bout between Affliction heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson is a late addition to CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights.

EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields will defend his title against Cage Rage champion Paul Daley. The CBS portion of the event will also feature Gina Carano versus Kelly Kobald and former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua against former IFL fighter Benji Radach.

A preliminary bout between Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and Yoko Takahashi was originally slated to be a swing bout on the CBS telecast if time permitted. The addition of Arlovski versus Nelson puts the televised portion at five bouts, not likely to leave time for the Santos-Takahashi bout.

ELITEXC ON CBS:
October 4, 2008
BankAtlantic Center
Sunrise, Florida

Main Card on CBS:
-Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock
-Jake Shields (#5 Welterweight in the World)* vs. Paul Daley
-Andrei Arlovski (#4 Heavyweight in the World)* vs. Roy Nelson
-Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald
-Benji Radach vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua

Preliminary Bouts:
-Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi
-Edson Berto vs. Connor Heun
-Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa
-Lorenzo Borgomeo vs. Mikey Gomez
-David Gomez vs. Brett Jackowski
-Jorge Bouchat vs. Nicolae Cury

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Emeliaenko Interview with DREAM

DREAM had an interview with Fedor when he came to watch DREAM.6. on Sep 23.
- What was your main purpose of your visit this time?
I came to Japan to watch DREAM.6. and see Satoshi Ishii, who is a Judo gold medalist of the Beijing Olympic.
- You couldn't see Ishii unfortunately.
No. I had been excited to train together, but unfortunately I couldn't see him. I'm looking forward to seeing him next time.
- Did you watch his performance in the Beijing Olympic?
No. I was in the U.S. during Beijing Olympic. The U.S. television broadcast a swimming race but not Judo.
- Did you know Ishii said he wanted to fight you?
Yes, I know. I think it's too soon for him to fight me. I'm very happy to train with him whenever he comes to Russia. I heard he said he has desire to be the strongest guy in the world. I think his ambition is too unrealistic to realize for now. He is young, so it's important to take his time to gain techniques, knowledge and experiences.
- You said you came here to watch DREAM. Have you watched DREAM before?
I have only watched a fight of Mousasi because I often train with him. I got DVDs of previous events and I will watch all of them later.
- Tell me about your schedule.
I'm always ready to fight. I'm going to participate in the world tournament of Sambo in Nov.
- Who is your rival?
I have been told that my opponent would be Andrei Arlovski or Josh Barnett in the next Affliction. Both of them were the former UFC champions and I'm sure they are strong.
- Japanese fans are expected to see you fight in NYE in Japan again.
I want to fight in Japan again; however, I cannot control everything. God knows what will happen. Whether I fight or not in NYE depends on a negotiation between my manager and DREAM.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Daley Bucks Retirement for Title Contention

At the ripe old age of 25, Paul Daley considered retirement.

In February, the Nottingham, England, native announced stunning plans to step away from the fight game once he fulfilled his contractual obligations to Pro Elite. Luckily for fans of the hard-hitting knockout artist, his “retirement” followed a precedent long set in combat sports. For fighters, retirement more often than not becomes a temporary condition.

Daley (18-6-2), now fully focused on his mixed martial arts career, believes the break was necessary in order for him to sort out his future.

“I just needed some time off,” Daley says. “Training from fight to fight is a lot, physically and mentally. There’s a lot of things that obviously people don’t see going on behind the scenes in a fighter’s life, especially as young man. I’m only 25. There’s certain things that I had to deal with personally, and fighting wasn’t really a priority. I thought that if it wasn’t going to be a priority in my life -- I’d lost direction a little bit then -- why fight? I owe it to myself not to do that, so I took some time off.”

With his career back in full swing, Daley (18-6-2) will challenge welterweight champion Jake Shields at EliteXC “Heat” this Saturday at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The bout will be among five televised live on CBS.

Shields (21-4-1) -- a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt on a 10-fight winning streak -- captured the vacant title when he submitted Nick Thompson with a guillotine choke in just 63 seconds in July in Stockton, Calif. He predicts his bout with Daley will not reach the judges.

“Personally, I don’t see it going the distance,” Shields says. “I think that I’m going to submit him, or he’s going to knock me out. It’s a fight that I don’t see going five rounds. It’s going to be exciting.”

Shields -- who has voiced his desire to fight the world’s best welterweights, specifically UFC champion Georges St. Pierre -- sees Daley as a tough opponent worthy of a shot at his title.

“I think Daley’s got some of the best stand-up in the sport,” Shields says. “He got an easier route than me I think [to a title shot], but as far as the guys [EliteXC has], I think he’s the guy that deserves it right now.”

Daley’s penchant for punching and Shields’ affinity for ground fighting sets up a classic striker-versus-grappler scenario. Daley claims competing against a ground artist of Shields’ pedigree will be nothing new for him.

“I’ve been training for this fight forever,” he says. “I’m a striker. My whole career I’ve been fighting guys that want to take me down.”

The explosive Daley -- whose nickname, “Semtex,” seems more fitting each time out -- has finished his last six fights with strikes. His latest winning streak has instilled a near-superhuman level of confidence in his striking capability.

“When you start winning, when you start knocking people out a lot, you start to believe your hands are really made of steel,” Daley says. “I’m sure Jake’s going to find out my hands are made of steel.”

When asked for his view on the striking abilities of most mixed martial artists who come from grappling backgrounds, Daley does not pull any punches.

“I think it’s very poor to be honest with you,” he says. “Anyone can throw a punch. You throw a punch [and] you get hit, a lot of times you’re going to get knocked out. There’s a lot of things that I think that people neglect when it comes to striking, like the footwork and a lot of tactics, a lot of things that people overlook. I particularly pay a lot of attention to this.”

Daly’s affinity for stand-up fighting goes for beyond the work he does in the gym, and it has paid off. Thirteen of his 18 career wins have come by knockout or technical knockout.

“I study a lot of tapes on striking, not just MMA, boxing and stuff like this, and see how to exploit people who don’t move so good or don’t really know what they’re doing,” Daley says. “They think they’re throwing a good punch; it looks good when you look in a mirror and you’re standing there, you know, shadowboxing around, but when you really analyze it, it’s s--t.”

Daley, who holds the Cage Rage world welterweight championship, feels confident that Shields falls into a category of grapplers without a true grasp of the striking game.

“I’m going to exploit anything that Jake thinks he’s learned,” Daley said. “I’m going to test it.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Slice vs. Shamrock a Lesson in MMA Morality

In a rather disturbing exercise in morbidity, Harris Interactive polled 1,017 Americans via telephone in 2004 and asked if they’d watch a televised execution. Two-thirds said that they would.

This has to be encouraging news for ProElite and CBS, who happen to be scheduling one this Saturday.

Sticking his neck in the guillotine is Ken Shamrock, a 44-year-old pug with a lifetime of knowledge and a body that no longer knows how to apply it.

Years spent in Pancrase, freestyle fighting and professional wrestling have left him a hobbled and creaky parody of a once-dangerous fighter. In his last five bouts, Shamrock has been knocked out or cerebrally stunned in the very first round. Aside from a victory over Kimo Leopoldo in 2004, he’s dropped seven of his last eight. (And if you’re Kimo, you can’t be feeling too good about that.)

Despite clear evidence that Shamrock is no longer physically capable of absorbing the nominal punishment of a prizefight -- and it couldn’t be more obvious if he were wearing a medical alert bracelet -- the sadists at Pro Elite have determined that fans are going to enjoy watching Internet-bred street fighter Kimbo Slice swing the axe.

Propagandists will tell you Shamrock’s submission acumen will be a good test for Slice, that his years of experience will threaten to topple the barely professional status of the reformed backyard brawler.

Reality check: Shamrock has one submission win in 12 years -- over a man who currently has 20 losses against 7 wins on record. The vast majority of his ligament attacks came in Pancrase, where opponents wore massive leather boots that kept limbs free of sweat. Observers cannot recall the last time he even tried tackling an opponent, a probable result of decaying agility and stilted muscle activation.

If we establish that Shamrock cannot tackle Slice, and if we also accept that submission defense is a relatively substantial part of Slice’s tutelage under Bas Rutten, then we’re left with a stand-up fight -- one in which Slice will swing ferociously, backed by 240 pounds of muscle to Shamrock’s (estimated) 215.

Considering that a 185-pound Kazushi Sakuraba knocked Shamrock into the ropes, this is not exactly a bid for suspense on the level of Hitchcock.

Those of us repulsed by the idea -- a likely minority -- probably have Mike Tyson to thank. The violent mauler practically invented a new sub-genre of boxing in the 1980s when people would cheerfully pay $50 to watch him decimate an outclassed opponent.

“Sport” implies competition; these were slaughters. We watched it anyway. There’s undeniable appeal in seeing someone get obliterated, thrashed at the hands of a more competent fighter. Action heroes, after all, rarely oppose their equal in movies; they dispose of henchmen as quickly and efficiently as you would a dirty diaper.

But by and large, MMA has avoided this kind of lopsided violence. For all its perceived faults, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has made a habit of booking competitive and evenly matched fights. (Anderson Silva might be better than everyone he’s faced, but you can’t say slotting in Dan Henderson or Rich Franklin was premeditated cruelty.)

Bereft of substantial talent pools or matchmaking acumen, it’s the peripheral organizations that are beginning to trot out these kinds of depressing spectacles. Slice himself already had a turn against David “Tank” Abbott, who is as relevant to modern MMA as Jalopies are to Detroit, and Dream’s insistence on having Kazushi Sakuraba face Melvin Manhoef should’ve been criminally investigated.

There are ways of bringing along Slice without resorting to physically bankrupt competition. James Thompson was a good start, a big, athletic and experienced man who pushed Slice and arguably made him a better fighter for it. Why go backward with Shamrock? Why not once-rumored opponent Ron Waterman, another credible threat? Waterman could conceivably work Slice over on the mat, sure, but it’s also possible his underwhelming stand-up would fold under Slice’s attack.

In other words, there’s actually an element of doubt and debate over who would win the fight. And isn’t that the whole point?

Elite could argue such possibilities suffer from media apathy thanks to athletes who have yet to cultivate any kind of engaging presence. It’s an empty retort, as the Thompson fight drew big ratings for the company -- and if you can’t make something out of Waterman’s fervent religious beliefs, you’re not trying hard enough.

Shamrock’s adrenal glands, depleted at fight time, seem to come alive for the media, and his circus-barker intensity in front of a camera is a likely reason why he continues getting opportunities. But have we really reached the point where prefight banter is valued more than a fighter’s aptitude in the ring?

Shamrock has been quoted as saying he’s not concerned about his “legacy,” or how people perceive his contributions to the sport when they’ve been topped off by a string of bad performances. And he shouldn’t be: Elite and the Florida Athletic Commission should do that worrying for him, both over their endorsement of a man with seven proven years of eroding skills and their delight in making him grist for Slice’s mill.

One addendum: Of those polled by Harris, 21 percent said they’d pay to see the execution. Looks like Elite missed out on some solid pay-per-view revenue.

 

[Shogun Locc]

RANDY COUTURE TALKS UFC 91, LESNAR, FEDOR

It’s a typical predicament for Randy Couture. A bigger, younger, stronger athlete awaits him in the cage.

Couture will likely be the betting favorite when the two meet at the MGM Grand Garden arena on Nov. 15 at UFC 91 in Las Vegas – most bookies have learned their lesson by now – but not by much. Lesnar is a 265-pound problem Couture must solve along with another question of how long the UFC heavyweight champ can punch his time-defying ticket.

He is three weeks into his camp and says he’s getting back to fighting shape. This week, the big guys come to Xtreme Couture – All-American wrestlers John Juarez and Josh Hendricks, Seth Whittle, Brad Imes, and UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin, fighters as close to Lesnar’s size as possible. In sparring, the mammoths will rotate in on Couture in five-minute shifts, mimicking Lesnar’s bulldozer style.

“It’s gonna suck,” Couture said in a video interview with MMAWeekly.com.

Lesnar’s NCAA-bred power and XXXL size, as well as his existing celebrity, have taken the UFC heavyweight division by storm. After pummeling Health Herring at UFC 87, it wasn’t a big leap for UFC brass to match the former WWE wrestler against the returning champion. But Couture says Lesnar’s wrestling background makes him easy to break down.

“He comes out very aggressive, spends a lot of energy early on, tries to overwhelm guys, like Heath, he smothered him and stayed on top of him. He played it just like a college wrestler. He was just riding a guy, only in this college wrestling match you’re allowed to punch him in the head.”

Couture knows he can’t afford to spend an evening under Lesnar’s weight. Since re-emerging as a heavyweight at UFC 68, he’s abandoned the idea that he could be competitive from his back. Losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 36 and 39, respectively, taught him the value of positioning against bigger men.

“When you get stuck underneath those guys, I don’t care how good your jiu-jitsu is, they’re not going to give up submissions, they’re not going to get caught,” he said. “So now you’re down there underneath a big guy getting hit. I think I switched back to that wrestling mentality where when I get on my back, I want to scramble, fight, scrap, do whatever I have to do to get off my back, just like I would in a wrestling match.”

Then, Couture needs to put the big man on his back. Like his fights with Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga, he will need to negate his size disadvantage with a combination of lateral movement and smothering pressure. It’s the job of a matador. Though Lesnar hasn’t seen a fourth or fifth round in his short career, Couture needs to survive his initial onslaught.

“I think that’s something I have to be ready for, (to) be elusive and stick and move, force him to miss and force him to charge, come after me and be able to move out of the way,” he said.

Despite so many unknowns about the depth of Lesnar’s skill set, Couture is confident he won’t see any surprises on Nov. 15 at UFC 91.

“He is what he is,” said Couture. “He’s a big, strong, athletic guy, and that’s the strength that he’s going to try to rely on. The rest of the changes in technique are going to be fairly subtle. He’s only had a couple months since the last fight. There’s not a lot of time to develop a bunch of new tricks. That’s the reality of the situation.”

As for the future beyond Lesnar, Couture says he hasn’t put any thought into the next round of the UFC’s unofficial “tournament.” Should he be victorious, Couture will likely face off with the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir sometime in early 2009. According to Couture, talks between Fedor Emelianenko’s American representatives are ongoing; a good sign for removing the impasse that turned him from the UFC in October of 2007.

“The fact that they’re still talking and have been talking this whole time is an indication that things are going alright, and there’s some likelihood,” he said.

Given the box office potential of a Couture/Emelianenko fight, it wouldn’t take place until late next year. That suits Couture fine. Right now, he’s just happy to be back in the gym, focusing on a fight.

As Couture often says, everything will work itself out.

“It’s an end to a pretty long year,” Couture said of the Lesnar fight. “There’s been frustrations, but at the same time, there have been some really cool, great things that have happened. There’s been the good and the bad, and my whole life’s been that way.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Fight of His Life
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/The-Fight-of-His-Life-1787
Is one of the sport’s founding fathers heading into his swan song this weekend? UFC hall of famer Ken Shamrock says that remains to be seen.

Days away from his EliteXC-headlining bout Saturday on CBS with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, Shamrock and his family reveal the many sides of the legend in this exclusive Sherdog.com video feature.

Shamrock, 44, recounts a prolific career, from the early makings of the Lion’s Den to his turn as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 3” to his pending battle with Ferguson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rich Franklin could meet Dan Henderson Jan. 17 at UFC 93

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (24-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) could meet former PRIDE title-holder Dan Henderson (23-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at a UFC event tentatively scheduled for Jan. 17 at The 02 in Dublin, Ireland.

Sources close to both fighters told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the Franklin-Henderson fight has been discussed as a possibility for the fight card, though bout agreements have not been distributed.

The tentatively scheduled event was first reported by Yahoo! Sport UK & Ireland earlier today.

That report stated that Franklin could meet Chuck Liddell or Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the event's headline bout. But sources close to the fighters said that a Franklin-Henderson fight may be the most likely option.

However, sources said it's not known if the fight would take place at 205 or 185 pounds (nor is it known if the fight would even be a main event). Although Henderson has bounced between the two weight classes, Franklin only recently moved up to 205 pounds after more than three years competing as a middleweight. Earlier this month at UFC 88, he defeated Matt Hamill via third-round TKO (due to a body kick) in his return to light heavyweight.

Meanwhile, after suffering championship losses to then-UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 and middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva at UFC 82, Henderson picked up his first UFC victory in more than 10 years with a unanimous-decision victory over Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88.

Recently, Henderson has been rumored as a possible coach for the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The upcoming installment of the UFC's reality series will feature a U.S. vs. U.K. theme and begin filming in January. Season-three winner Michael Bisping is the logical choice to head the U.K. team. However, if he were to fight in January at UFC 93, Henderson would seem an unlikely candidate to head the U.S. squad.

In any manner, UFC 93 could also feature the long-awaited grudge match between former UFC welterweight champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, according to the Yahoo! report. The "TUF 6" coaches were originally scheduled to meet in December 2007, but Serra was forced out of the bout with a back injury. (Hughes has since been sidelined by a knee injury suffered in a loss to Thiago Alves earlier this year.)

Serra recently told MMAjunkie.com he expects the fight to happen in early 2009 and that he "plans on retiring" Hughes.

To date the UFC has never hosted an event in the Republic of Ireland. The recently revamped O2 (formerly "The Point") can hold nearly 13,000 spectators.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With clock winding down on career, Frank Trigg still has passion to fight

Nothing puts life into perspective quite like age.

Each additional candle on the cake can be an unwelcome reminder that we aren't as young as we once were. Frank Trigg has come to grips with what that reality means as a fighter.

Calculated in calendar years, Trigg is anything but ancient. However, measured in fight years, the veteran mixed martial artist realizes his best days in the ring can be seen over his shoulder.

"At 36, you have to start thinking about that retirement plan," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Not everyone can be like Randy Couture and fight until he's 44. I don't have that ability, so I have to figure out where I'm going to be and what's going to happen to me. I look at every fight as an individual event and see what happens."

With a mindset of "the next fight could be my last," Trigg (17-6) is putting the finishing touches on his preparation for a stout challenge in Falaniko Vitale in a featured middleweight bout as part of the Strikeforce "Payback" show Friday night at the Broomfield (Colo.) Event Center, outside of Denver.

"Twinkle Toes" has fought for a number of promotions during his 11-year career, but this will be his first start for Strikeforce. The fight against Vitale (26-8) represents a quick turnaround for Trigg, who fought just five weeks ago, posting a unanimous decision victory over Makoto Takimoto at the Sengoku "Fourth Battle" event in Japan.

"He's a typical Hawaiian-brawler type," Trigg said of Vitale. "He's got one-punch knockout power, jaw-breaking power and he's pretty decent in submissions, as well. Even though he's not ranked in the top 10, he's definitely a guy who can give me some trouble."

Trigg, who makes his home in Las Vegas with his wife and two children, is one of the elder statesmen at the Xtreme Couture training facility. When Couture is away, Trigg is usually the oldest fighter in the gym, but he has yet to fully embrace the mentor role typically associated with being the "older guy."

"I try not to let that happen because I want to learn from these guys, too," said Trigg, a finalist at the 2000 Olympic wrestling trials. "Every time I spar with Tyson Griffin, I get kicked in the liver, and I'm trying to figure out why that always happens. Every time I go with Mike Pyle, I keep getting caught in his triangle, whether it's the back-side triangle or the top-side triangle, and I'm trying to figure out how to get out of it. As a mentor, you're really not learning anything from these guys, but I am. So, it's really not a mentor role. I'm seeing what they can teach me, as well."

While the end of his professional MMA career appears in sight, Trigg will still have plenty to keep him busy. Trigg is looking forward to transitioning to the world of pro wrestling and continuing his duties as an MMA broadcaster. He made his pro wrestling debut at TNA's "No Surrender" show on Sept. 14 in Canada. Trigg faced AJ Styles in a match that ended in a no contest after Trigg was on the receiving end of a low blow.

The charisma and bravado that Trigg brought to MMA will serve him well in the pro-wrestling ranks, and though he might have a rewarding new career on the horizon, Trigg looks back on his days in MMA with a feeling of what might have been.

"I'm one of those guys who dwells on his losses a lot more than his wins," he said. "I'll always remember the two Matt Hughes losses. I'll always remember the loss to Carlos Condit. I had the victory in my hands in all those fights, and I wanted to keep it together, and I lost it. And, I'll always regret fighting Georges St. Pierre the way that I fought him because I was so banged up, had an injury and had only one leg to work with. You could look back on it, and say those guys went on to have tremendous careers. But, I'm just not wired that way. My whole wiring is that no matter how good I was, I could have always been better."

Trigg can remind us all at least one more time just how good he can be Friday night against Vitale.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor faces Barnett Im fighting Vitor Belfort says Mousasi

DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi expects to face Vitor Belfort on Affliction’s next MMA show in January.

Speaking to Fighters Only this week, he revealed that the US organisation wants him to fight the Brazilian, while Red Devil team mate Fedor Emelianenko may face Josh Barnett.

“I’m going to train with Fedor in preparation for Affliction in January,” he said. “I think it is Fedor against Josh Barnett and they want me to fight Vitor Belfort.”

Mousasi is part of the Red Devil International team and he shares a manager with Fedor in the shape of Vadim Finkelstein.

As well as training with Fedor, he will continue to train in his own gym in the Netherlands.

“[I have] some very good friends who each has a specialty – wrestling, judo, jiu jitsu and so on,” he explains. “If I need extra training I sometimes to go to other gyms in Holland.”

Josh Barnett seems to be a popular name in the Emelianenko household – earlier this week, Aleksander told Fighters Only that he wanted a rematch with the American catch wrestler.

Affliction has yet to reveal a line-up for its January event but Vitor Belfort has told Brazil’s Tatame magazine that he has been contacted and offered a fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Arlovksi catches Nelson with pants down

Roy Nelson had an interesting reaction when told he one week to prepare for a fight with Andrei Arlovski.

“Oh, I’ve got my pants down,” said the ex-IFL heavyweight, who thought the bout was going to take place in January.

However, he realied that the opportunity to fight Arlovski in a primetime slot on CBS was too good to pass up.

“If you’ve been in the fight business for a long time, when opportunities come, you kinda have to seize the day,” he told Full Contact Fighter.

His desire to capture the limelight was also behind his decision to move to Affliction rather than the UFC when the IFL folded.

Nelson says that he was attracted to the upstart promotion by the prospect of fighting the likes of Fedor Emeliananko, Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski.

Ironically, he will be getting a shot at Arlovski on an EliteXC show after Affliction postponed a planned October event to January.

Nelson will fight Arlovski on October 4th on the main card of ‘Heat’, the third Elite XC event to be televised by CBS.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EliteXC opens Wednesday's press conference to the public

EliteXC has invited the public to the pre-event press conference for Saturday's nationally televised "EliteXC: Heat" event.

The press conference takes place Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET at the Chairman's Club at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Scheduled to appear include headliners Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Ken Shamrock, EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields and challenger Paul Daley, Affliction fighters Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson, Gina Carano and others.

The press conference serves as an opportunity for the media to ask the fighters questions and secure one-on-one interviews. Photo opportunities are usually available, as well.

"EliteXC: Heat" is the third installment of the "Saturday Night Fight" series that airs live on CBS.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ELITEXC: NELSON WELCOMES ARLOVSKI'S CHALLENGE

When the upcoming Affliction show took an abrupt turn into postponement, many of the fighters were left scrambling for a chance to compete on other cards. Roy Nelson found himself with the biggest opportunity of his career on just over a week’s notice.

When EliteXC came calling to promote a fight between Nelson and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin Andrei Arlovski, the first and only International Fight League champion was quick to accept.

“For me, it’s a great opportunity,” Nelson commented about his upcoming fight. “Just out of the pure fact that it’s on CBS, I’m fighting Andrei, one of the best heavyweights in the world besides Fedor (Emelianenko) and Minotauro, so for me it’s a good stage. And then after the fight everybody will know who Roy Nelson is.”

What Nelson could be after his fight with Arlovski is an “every man’s” fighter that the average fan can relate to. The Las Vegas native has never been shy about the fact that he doesn’t have the prototypical fighter body, but when the wins keep racking up, who can argue?

“Everybody just thinks I’m that fat guy that just strikes with people and I just want to be able to show everybody that you can go out there and do it just as much as I am,” Nelson said. “It’s all about putting your heart and dedication in and putting your time in.”

Coming into the fight, the last IFL champion says that he watched Arlovski’s last bout with Ben Rothwell, a common opponent between the two, but understands that styles make match-ups and that wasn’t ideal for Rothwell.

“Actually, watching that fight you see a lot of different things,” Nelson stated about the fight between Arlovski and Rothwell. “The thing is me and Ben (Rothwell) are completely two different fighters. He’s a stand-up guy, everybody thinks I’m a stand-up guy, but I’m a grappler. I have an advantage there.

“You watch the fight in the first four minutes, Ben’s actually winning the fight. And then the last minute he gets hit and Ben starts to shut down.”

That shutdown coast Rothwell, but Nelson is confident that his training will get him past Arlovski and set up some very big fights in the future as well.

He still plans on being a part of the next Affliction card slated for January, but his sole focus right now is picking Arlovski apart in the next few days as he prepares for their Saturday night showdown.

“Big Country” isn’t sweating the step up in competition… he flat out welcomes it.

“The whole reason I got into the business is to fight the best,” said Nelson. “That’s the reason I was training with the best guys in the world, and then I felt like I was beating them up in the gym, so I figured what the heck let’s throw my hat in the ring.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

SOUWER & MASATO HEAD K-1 WORLD MAX FINAL

Fan polling on the K-1 Japanese Website has named Andy Souwer and Masato as the favorites, but longtime K-1 watchers know that anything can happen when the bell rings Wednesday at the World Max 2008 Final.

With its 70kg/154lbs weight limit, K-1 World Max's speed and technique have made the fightsport production immensely popular in Japan and around the world. At the Nippon Budokan tomorrow, this year's top four World Max fighters will clash in a couple of semifinal bouts, the winners then meeting in the Main Event to fight for the World Max 2008 Championship Belt.

The 13-bout card also includes a couple of tournament reserve bouts, a World Max Superfight, the ISKA World Lightweight Title Match and another lightweight contest, plus the quarterfinals in K-1's new Koshien King of U-18 series.

In a press conference today at Tokyo's Laforet Hotel, participating fighters shared their thoughts with the media in advance of the event.

The first of the World Max semifinals sets respected Japanese kickboxer Masato -- the World Max 2003 Champion and last year's runner-up -- against compatriot Yoshihiro Sato, the '06 & '07 World Max Japan Champion.

"Since August, I been working to make myself stronger," said Masato. "It's been the hardest, deepest and most fruitful training of my career. I think now I have more strength than ever, and tomorrow with Sato I will win. I noticed at the weigh-in that he was 500g under, so maybe he didn't maximize his training? Anyway after a beat him, I will go on and beat Souwer, and become the champion!"

"I know the expectations are high for Masato," replied Sato, "but my friends and fans and peers have all given me a great deal of courage for this fight. Last year I fought Buakaw, whom I respect highly, but I made a miracle and beat him. Tomorrow I will make a bigger miracle and beat Masato. I was at my weight when I woke up yesterday, and I got in a hot bath and lost about 300g in just a few minutes. I have a fast metabolism, that helps me grow muscle!"

The second semi sees two-time and defending World Max Champion Andy Souwer -- who has but one World Max loss since July 2003 -- taking on 21 year-old Ukrainian fighter Artur Kyshenko, whose only loss in nine World Max bouts came against Masato in last year's final.

Due to new World Max rules (see below), Souwer will not be permitted to compete in his trademark shoot boxing pants.

"I represent shoot boxing, so it's too bad I can't wear the pants, but I'll do what I have to do, it will have no effect on my performance," said Souwer. "As I always say, I am on my road to the championship. Now in the final four I'm coming to the end of the road -- everything so far this year has been leading me here, and I will continue to do my very best! I'm happy to hear Masato say he wants to fight me in the final, he's the most popular fighter here and he'll bring a lot more to the final than others, so I want to fight him too. Good luck to all!"

"It's my first time giving a speech like this," smiled Kyshenko from the podium. "To be in the final four is an honor, and I wish all good luck. To be here means we are all good and we all had some good luck. I don't know who will be smiling the champion's smile tomorrow, but I will try to be the one!"

In the first tournament reserve, Japanese kickboxer Yasuhiro Kido will fight the first-ever World Max Champion, boxer Albert Kraus of Holland.

"I appreciate the chance," said Kido, "my opponent is a star and I admired his style for years. But now, I think I can come up to his level, be even stronger, and win."

Speaking in Japanese, Kraus told the audience "I promise I will do my best!"

The second tournament reserve pits two-time World Max Champion Buakaw Por Pramuk of Thailand against Indian muay thai fighter Black Mamba.

"I have regrets about not being in the tournament bracket to fight for the championship," said Buakaw, "but it's my pleasure just to be in the ring and I will do my best."

Mamba made light of the slim chance for victory afforded him in the fan voting, "I arrived in Tokyo and immediately heard had that I had less than a 10% chance of winning! Well, I imagine Buster Douglas had about the same chance of beating Mike Tyson when he came here, so tomorrow I will fight with my feet, my hands, my spirit and everything!"

In a World Max Superfight, Japanese kickboxer Taishin Kohiruimaki will meet Dutch kickboxer Joeri Mes.

"It's been a year since my last fight," said Kohiruimaki, "so for me and my gym and my fans, I want to prove myself. Mes is strong, but I will hit hard to make it a good fight!"

"I've been fighting in Europe for a long time," said Mes, "but it's always been my dream to fight in Japan. This is a big opportunity for me, I respect my opponent but tomorrow I will destroy him!"

In the highly anticipated ISKA World Lightweight (60kg/132lbs) Title Match, it will be Japanese fighters Susumu Daiguji and Daisuke Uematsu.

Said Daiguji: "I trained very hard for this fight, and I expect it to be a clean one -- I will go for it from the first-round, and when it's over my opponent will have to shave his head!" (In Japan, shaving one's head is an atonement for shameful behavior or poor performance.)

Laughed Uematsu, "My hair will stay on top of my head, because I won't lose. I will get a victory and I will enjoy the championship!"

Remarked ISKA Vice President Paul Hennessey, who is in Tokyo to supervise the title bout. "It's experience versus youth. Daiguji has done the hard circuit, he's had some tough fights in his career; while Uematsu is a bit younger. I think it will be very interesting."

Another lightweight contest will feature Japanese fighters Haruaki Otsuki and Ryuji Kajiwara.

Otsuki: "I hear he has kicks, but I have kicks and more, and I want to get a KO tomorrow!"

Kajiwara: "I see that 70% of people who voted expect he will win. But I have prepared hard with my coach and practiced hard, and my courage and confidence will earn me victory."

In the evening's opening fight, Nieky "The Natural" Holzken of Holland's prestigious Golden Glory Gym will take on South African boxer Virgil Kalakoda in the World Max weight class.

Said Holzken, "I fought Buakaw in my first World Max fight, now I'm back and well prepared. Kalakoda's been here too long, I'm new and I'm going to beat him!"

Said Kalakoda, "I'm happy to be here, my preparation has been good, Mes is aggressive and I am aggressive so it will be an exciting fight. I did not come here to lose!"

K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa took the podium to announce a number of World Max rule changes. Effective October 1, World Max Fighter costumes may not cover the body below the knee or above the waist. No oil, lotion or potentially stimulative or irritating substances can be applied to any part of the body. Vaseline can only be applied to the face and ears, and with only a minimal amount is permitted there. Finally, an "open-scoring" system has been introduced, whereby the judges' cards will be revealed -- for the fighters and their cornermen as well as fans in the arena and watching on television -- at the conclusion of each round. It is hoped that the "open scoring" system will both provide transparency and motivate fighters to be more aggressive.

Also on tomorrow's card are the 2008 quarterfinal contest in the new K-1 Koshien King of U-18 Series. Paralleling Japan's hugely popular Koshien high school baseball tournament -- which enjoys television viewer ratings exceeding those of Japanese major league baseball -- K-1 Koshien is open to high school students aged 16-18, with a weight range limitation of 57kg/126lbs to 62kg/137lbs. Bouts are conducted under K-1 rules, but fighters wear ten-ounce gloves along with shin and foot pads.

Hiroya, a Promoter's Selection, will take on Taishi Hiratsuka, a Top-3 Fighter from the Chubu Area; Shota Shimada, also a Promoter's Selection, will meet Ryo Murakoshi, a Top-3 Fighter in the Kanto Area; while Chubu Area Champion Ryuya Kusakabe will fight Daizo Sasaki, a Kanto Area Finalist; and Kanto Area Champion Koya Urabe will meet Yusuke Tsuboi Japan, a Finalist from the Chubu Area.

All bouts on the card will be contested under K-1 World Max Rules, three rounds of three minutes each, with a possible tiebreaker round in all but the K-1 Koshien Series, and two possible tiebreakers in the ISKA Title bout and the World Max Final's championship bout.

The K-1 World Max 2008 Final kicks off at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 1, at the historic Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. It will be broadcast in Japan on the TBS network.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabrício Morango Interview

After that EliteXC striped KJ Noons title, Fabrício ‘Morango’ Camões has new motivations on his fights in the octagon. Set to come back in October 8th, the Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu athlete will face a tough Yves Edwards, who had his chance against KJ and got knocked out on the first round. In an exclusive interview with TATAME.com, Morango spoke about the fight and the expectations to fight for the belt with a new victory. “I came to America to bring the ElietXC belt home, and I’ll do whatever I need to take it to Brazil”, guarantees the athlete, that commented his training partners, Xande Ribeiro and Ronaldo ‘Jacaré’, fights in Japan.

Is it already set that you will face Yves Edwards?
I talked with my manager, Ed Soares, and I think that it is almost, I just don’t know if he will accept… It looks like he’s asking for more time, but I don’t know if it will be in November 8th or in December’s edition, I don’t know.

He gave an interview for an American site and said that already accepted the fight for November…
Ah, it’s good that he accepted… Elite’s president will contact him, I want to fight him at November 8th because after I still want to come back to Brazil.

What you expect for this fight?
I think that it will be a good opportunity for show my work in America, he’s tough but, like I said before, I’m prepared to fight with anybody and he’ll be a big opponent for me.

He just got a title shot against KJ Noons and was knocked out... What do you think a victory against him can bring to you inside the event?
KJ isn’t the champion anymore and I think that Elite wants to put another guys to fight for it… I’m after that and I believe I’ve done a good job in the EliteXC, and I have more fights in the contract to do and I’m very confident to do a good fight.

Is this your last fight in the contract? Have you already talked about a renovation?
In fact I wanna renew this contract. I have a pre-contract, an extension term, and they probably must wanna continue with me and put me to fight another time in the next year. I’m happy with them, and the fact that to have a belt make me stay still more excited in the event. I liked Wilson Reis’ victory, and I think that Giva (Santana) was robbed in this last fight… I want this belt and they might be a little bit worried with Brazilian’s dominance in the event, and I think that (Rafael) Feijão will bring the belt to Brazil too, and I want to be in the card with him. That’s what is happening, the Brazilian dominance in EliteXC: Bigfoot in the heavyweight, Feijão in the 205lbs (light-heavyweight), and I think that he’ll win the belt, and Givanildo would be a strong candidate in the185lbs (middleweight), but he was robbed… I thought he won, they gave to the other.

How did you see this problem between KJ Noons and EliteXC?
When you become the champion, you can’t avoid to face whoever it is. The belt is everybody’s goal, and when you have it, everybody will go after you. When you’re a professional and trust yourself, you can’t stay choosing. I think KJ has qualities, won all his fights by knockout, has a tough hand, but the real champion has to be ready to fight everyone. I’ll be ready to fight always and do great fights here in America.

Did EliteXC spoke anything about the belt?
I spoke today with my manager and he said exactly that. I think we’re even close to the belt, and there’s nowhere to escape. Everybody there already had a chance for the belt, and I’m after that too. It’s my last fight on the contract and with a victory I believe I’ll be closer to the belt, maybe against Nick Diaz or any other fighter, but now I’m only worried with Yves. I came to America to come back to Brazil with the belt, and I’ll do whatever I can to bring this belt home.

What do you think about Xande Ribeiro’s debut in Sengoku?
We’re very happy… We was hoping a great fight, but no one expected a knockout like that. We have a lot of things to improve, but for the first fight is great, he did there rounds and saw how it works in the ring. I spoke with him and said that this is like a long road, and you have to be ready to avoid surprises on the corners.

And what about Jacaré’s fight at Dream?
It happens… We could imagine a thousand of things for this fights, but not that. That’s the MMA reality, and you have to be ready to finish the fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

No surprises with Xande’s knockout

The man behind Xande Ribeiro’s Muay Thai performance, Artur Mariano is more than satisfied with his pupil’s fight at Sengoku, debuting in MMA with a third round knockout. “What he had best was the high kicks and knees. We saw that he had some difficulties to put the Japanese down, but he did well stand up. His timing isn’t perfect yet, but he’s just starting and did very well”, celebrates Mariano, who wasn’t surprised with the knockout victory. “I won’t say that it was a surprise. He did well on the clinch and used the knees very well. I’m certain that he realized that he has to improve his stand up game and I know he’ll do it”, said the Muay Thai black belt.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paul Buentello Patiently Waits To See What The Future Holds

It's been a frustrating past few months for Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello.

First, the California State Athletic Commission denied Aleksander Emelianenko, his originally scheduled opponent on the first Affliction show in July, from competing against him just 24 hours before their bout. (He ended up defeating late replacement Gary Goodridge in a sluggish affair).

Then, his fight against former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson on the second Affliction show gets cancelled - along with the entire card.

Things appeared to be taking a positive turn when the Affliction organization suggested to EliteXC officials that if Josh Barnett could not compete against Andrei Arlovski on Saturday's CBS telecast, Buentello would be a suitable replacement. However, the promotion chose Nelson instead.

"I was like, 'Wow'," Buentello told MMARated.com. "What can you do? I was pretty upset (but) my family and friends took it harder than I did. I think it would have been good for the sport if me and Arlovski got to trade hands again."

Buentello lost to Arlovski at UFC 55 in October 2005 in just 15 seconds when the former UFC heavyweight champion caught him with an early right hook.

"I guarantee you the result would have been different this time around," Buentello said.

As of now, Buentello is eager to fight on Affliction's upcoming January show but since hearing the news that the promotion is now teaming up with Golden Boy, he is a little concerned as to whether or not there will be room for him on the card.

"It worries me big time," Buentello said. (Affliction Entertainment VP) Tom (Atencio) and (Affliction COO) Micheal (D. Cohen) are really good guys (and) they treat me really good but, then again, you never know."

Until then, Buentello continues to hold out hope that he will fight at least one more time before the end of 2008.

"Tom (Atencio) is working hard to buy me some time before January," Buentello said. "So, we'll see."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rumor: CroCop Vs. Overeem Could Happen On NYE

CroCop spoke with a local Croatian news station and informed them that him and Alistair Overeem would be settling their differences on New Year's Eve. Their bout on September 26th ended in a DQ victory for Mirko Filipovic after Overeem repeatedly kneed him in the pills. Props to Fighterlinker.com for the translation:

"I would like to go into the fact if the strikes were deliberate or not. I know some people were saying that I was saved by the fact the match was ended. There was blood, but those cuts were nothing, small cuts to the arcades and I wasn't hurt until I got hit in the nuts. The third strike into the nuts was very powerful and the biggest problem was that the cup squashed my nuts. I'm sad, I'm sure that he is also but we'll meet again on NYE to settle the score." Stressing that the fight isn't confirmed by dream yet but its highly likely.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMANews.com Exclusive: Interview With Patrick Cote

October 22nd 2004 was a day that Patrick Cote will never forget. It was the day he fought his idol, Tito Ortiz in what would be his UFC debut. He would lose that fight but took Ortiz the distance and held his own, walking away looking like the better fighter that night.

Fast forward four years, nearly to the day, and “The Predator” finds himself up against what could be the toughest fight of his career when he comes full circle and gets a crack at Anderson Silva and the UFC Middleweight Championship.

Not to bad for a guy that many counted out after he left the UFC only to return on The Ultimate Fighter 4 and go all the way to the finals. Since then, Cote has won five straight fights and will look to cement his name in the sport by doing what many believe is impossible and defeat Silva for the title.

In this MMANews.com exclusive interview, Cote talks with Chris Howie about many topics concerning the fight and much much more.

Chris Howie of MMANews.com: Patrick, how has training gone leading up to this big fight with Anderson Silva?

Patrick Cote: It has gone really really well. I’ve spent a lot of time in Boston training at Sityodtong and things have gone very good. I haven’t had any bad things happen at all since my training began so it’s all good.

MMANews.com Who else have you been training with?

Patrick Cote: Well I am training in Boston with Mark Dellagrotte as well as with my home team in Quebec which is BTT Canada (Brazilian Top Team).

MMANews.com How has Mark help hone your game and help in your development?

Patrick Cote: Mark has already been in the corner for three fighters against Anderson Silva so he knows him very well and knows how to beat him. We are going to have a really great game plan. I am in the very best shape of my life and I am focused and healthy, mentally and physically. With the help of my trainer I will go in very brave and confident. We have the perfect game plan to beat Anderson Silva.

MMANews.com How do you feel you match up with Anderson?

Patrick Cote: I feel great. I have nothing to lose. Actually, I’ve never fought with anger before going into a fight but I can say that going into this fight I am a little pissed. There is a lack of respect towards me in the media and from a lot of people because they are already looking past me and to other fights like a super fight between Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva. That motivates me to train harder and show the world that I am here. When the fight arrives it will be a big upset.

MMANews.com What would it mean to you to win the championship?

Patrick Cote: It would be a big accomplishment. I do this sport to be the champ and to be number one and to be the best fighter in the world. Now I the chance to win the title and I train hard for that and will be ready to be the champ. Winning the title for me would be like the dream for many Canadians and that is to win the Stanley Cup. I am focused and I will be ready to go.

MMANews.com Would do you have to say to the people that are overlooking you going into this fight?

Patrick Cote: Nothing. I will show them. I’m not going to start a war with the media because everyone has their opinions but I do take it personally a little bit when people don’t think I deserve to be here and that I am already dead. We will see.

MMANews.com You were in the UFC at one point and were asked to go and get some wins. Then you returned on the Ultimate Fight 4 and despite losing in the finals to Travis Lutter, you have really been shining lately by winning your last five fights. When you left the UFC the first time what did you tell yourself you had to do to come back stronger?

Patrick Cote: I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve had some bad luck in the past like when I fought Joe Doerksen and I was winning that fight but made a rookie mistake. When I fought Leben, you know, I didn’t fight the best fight of my life but I felt that I won that fight. With the combination of BTT Canada and Mark Dellagrotte I am undefeated and I feel I am where I need to be to be a champion.

MMANews.com What were your thoughts when received the title shot at Silva?

Patrick Cote: I was very happy because I want to be the best. I knew that (Yushin) Okami was supposed to be before me but I knew that if I beat (Ricardo) Almeida that I would get a title fight. I was on vacation when Okami broke his hand so I did not find out right away. When I came back it was just crazy. I had a ton of email and my manager told me the news so I was very happy.

MMANews.com What are you seeing in Silva’s game that you will be able to exploit?

Patrick Cote: I like to stand on my feet and exchange. I think Anderson Silva will be happy to fight me because I want to stand and trade on the feet. I think it is going to be a war that no one is going to expect. After the third round people will finally say that “Cote is for real” and late in the fourth or fifth I will knock him out.

MMANews.com So you see this going into the late rounds?

Patrick Cote: Yeah. I don’t see it ending in the first but I know someone is going to get knocked out and that is not going to be me.

MMANews.com How is your cardio and conditioning coming in?

Patrick Cote: It is perfect. I’ve already fought five round fights before. I have fought Jason MacDonald in TKO and submitted him in the fifth round so I know exactly what it’s like to go that long. I will need to be in the best shape of my life to put the game plan we have on. Previously I used to do my conditioning myself but now I have a new conditioning coach so I am even ten times better than I was before.

MMANews.com What else have you done differently for this fight?

Patrick Cote: Not that much. For sure I have spent a lot of time in Boston. We are doing some things there that people may not expect. We know how to beat Anderson and now I have to go and do it.

MMANews.com Georges St. Pierre is dominating the welterweight division these days and now you are fighting for the middleweight title. What do you think that says about the caliber of fighters coming out of Canada?

Patrick Cote: The thing is, we help each other very well and we have a lot of great fighters coming up in Canada. Georges helps me a lot and I also help him and then David Loiseau helps both of us out and we help him. We are from small towns in Canada but we are here and we are true warriors.

MMANews.com You have fought some big names in the sport and have a lot of great fights under your belt. Which of your fights have been your favorites?

Patrick Cote: It would probably be the Tito Ortiz fight. That guy was my idol and to fight your idol, it was just crazy. It was a good fight to make your name in and that is exactly what I did. At that time everyone thought I was crazy to take that fight but I think that helped me grow so much because look at where I am at today. I am fighting for the title.

MMANews.com When you were offered the fight (Ortiz) did you even think twice about it?

Patrick Cote: Yeah but I had nothing to lose at the time. I went there and nobody knew me before. I was the fat chubby Canadian. I may have lost the fight but I came out the winner that night because I did something that nobody believed I could do.

MMANews.com You mention Tito as being one of you idols. Who were some of your other inspirations for getting into the sport.

Patrick Cote: Randy Couture was a big inspiration for me. Muhammed Ali was also big for me. He changed the sport of boxing. I like the types of guys that are so good they change their sport.

MMANews.com Who are some of your favorite fighters to watch?

Patrick Cote: You know I was always a fan of Vitor Belfort and always liked watching him. I liked his style and now he is a middleweight so maybe one day I will fight him.

MMANews.com When did you first start training MMA and what is your background?

Patrick Cote: I did a lot of Judo when I was wrong. When I was 19 I started to box. I have a lot of amateur boxing fights. Then I started doing BJJ and combined it all into MMA.

MMANews.com Who are some up and coming Canadian fighters that people should be looking out for?

Patrick Cote: I spare with a guy named Mike Ritchie who is a 155er and he is fighting in TKO right now. He is really good. There are a lot of good fighters in Canada right now but he is the first guy that pops into my head.

MMANews.com How much of a help was TKO in getting you to where you are today?

Patrick Cote: You know, me, Georges, David and many others all started out in TKO. It is a good place to start your MMA career. They have produced a lot of great fighters in TKO.

MMANews.com How do you predict the fight ending on October 25th?

Patrick Cote: I’m sure it will be a war. I hope I fight the best Anderson Silva and that he comes in great shape. I’ll be in crazy shape in this fight so I will be pushing the pace. I’m going to knock him out.

MMANews.com Final question Patrick, who wins the Stanley Cup this year?

Patrick Cote: I’m going with either the San Joe Sharks or maybe the Detroit Red Wings. They are very good.

MMANews.com Who’s you team?

Patrick Cote: I like the Edmonton Oilers. I like the Montreal Canadians to but I’m not a big fan of them.

MMANews.com Alright Patrick thanks for speaking with me today. Good luck on your quest for the title

Patrick Cote: Thank you very much!

 

[Shogun Locc]

Evangelista Making Rapid Ascent Up MMA Ladder

Billy Evangelista does not fight for money or fame. To hear him tell it, his career borders on a spiritual quest toward self-actualization.

The unbeaten lightweight says he fights to see how good he can become at his chosen profession and to discover how far he can take his career in mixed martial arts. He fights for the Buhawe Mixed Martial Arts Camp, where he trains, and for his trainer, Jasper Tayaba. He also fights to silence the naysayers who told the kid from a small town south of Fresno, Calif., he would never succeed as a professional fighter.

Evangelista (7-0) will carry those motivations into the cage when he meets UFC veteran Luke Caudillo at Strikeforce “Payback” on Friday at the Broomfield Events Center in Broomfield, Colo.

Growing up in Parlier, Calif., Evangelista never planned to enter MMA, even though he started wrestling at the age of 12 after a close friend had piqued his interest. It was the closest thing they had to the World Wrestling Federation. Evangelista continued to wrestle through high school, but, in retrospect, he remains uncertain as to why.

“I don’t remember why I liked it,” he says. “It was all hard work.”

After wrestling for one year at a local junior college, Evangelista joined the Army, became an Airborne Ranger and got his adrenaline fix jumping out of airplanes over Alaska. While there, he received a phone call from his brother -- current Palace Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Jorge Evangelista -- who told him he had started studying a martial arts discipline known as jiu-jitsu.

Evangelista wanted to try it. Soon, he was hooked. Through his brother, he also met Tayaba, the lead trainer at the Buhawe MMA Camp in Fresno. Just like that, the final piece fell into place.

The first time he set foot in Tayaba’s gym, however, he weighed 215 pounds and laughed when his soon-to-be mentor took one look at him and exclaimed that he had discovered a new lightweight.

“My brother, Jorge, was already training with Jasper, and so he looks at me, and my brother introduces me,” Evangelista says. “Jorge said, ‘This is my brother. He’s gonna be fighting.’ And Jasper looks at me and says, ‘Oh, yeah, a ’55er,’ and I think, ‘Man, you’re crazy.’ I’m walking around at 215, and this guy is telling me I’m gonna be 155 pounds. I was thinking I’d fight at 170.”

In the two and half years since Evangelista turned professional, he has proven Tayaba’s foresight correct. Undefeated in seven bouts, his most recent victories have come by split decision against K-1 Hero’s and King of the Cage veteran Nam Phan and by knockout against Marlon Sims, the exiled, self-professed street-fighter from season five of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

What’s most surprising about Evangelista’s success is how quickly it has come. He trained for little more than a year before he made his professional debut -- a technical knockout victory over Ryan Healy at a World Extreme Cagefighting show in January 2006. Unlike many fighters, he has already achieved the kind of financial stability needed to train on a full-time basis.

His training regimen can best be described as rigorous. Evangelista’s average weekday consists of four practice sessions that begin at 5 a.m. and end 17 hours later. Each day includes work on strength and conditioning, wrestling, muay Thai, jiu-jitsu and sparring. He attributes his success to hard work and determination.

Evangelista’s latest challenger will enter the cage as his most experienced opponent to date. Caudillo (15-11), a five-year veteran, will carry a three-fight losing streak into the bout. His experience against top-flight competition, however, makes him a stern test for the young Californian.

Those who know Evangelista best believe he is up to the challenge. In fact, Tayaba wanted to test his pupil against the highly regarded Mitsuhiro Ishida, the first man to defeat former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

“We wanted Ishida,” Jasper says. “That didn’t happen, so we get Caudillo.”

When told he had drawn a UFC veteran at “Payback,” Evangelista was overjoyed. A convincing victory against Caudillo can only increase his stature in the industry.

“Everybody wants to be in the UFC,” Evangelista says. “[A win over Caudillo] would definitely open doors, at least make some noise so that somebody will look at me.”

Marcelo Rivas, the assistant manager at the Buhawe MMA Camp, believes Evangelista has already proven himself Octagon worthy.

“I see Billy as an elite level athlete,” Rivas says. “He should be in the UFC now.”

When asked which fighters in the UFC might make for solid matchups against Evangelista, Rivas points in two directions.

“Roger Huerta,” he says. “I think that would be an exciting, entertaining fight that Billy would win. Aside from Huerta, a good matchup would be Tyson Griffin.”

Even though he has yet to taste defeat, Evangelista remains humble. He knows he’s nowhere near close to reaching his potential. His prime years lay ahead.

“I don’t think I’m ever satisfied with any of my fights,” he says. “I always think I can get smoother, faster, stronger.”

Advice he received from his father when he told him he planned to become a mixed martial artist also keeps Evangelista on his toes.

“You better be prepared,” his father told him. “I wouldn’t want to go in there.”