MMA News Thread

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

18 Questions for Jake Shields

Jake Shields is a father, fighter and soon-to-be gym owner. On Saturday he hopes to add an EliteXC title defense to his resume. Sherdog.com spoke with him about his future, EliteXC’s future and the UFC.

Sherdog.com: Do you think Paul Daley is your toughest fight to date?
Shields: I think he’s a tough opponent, but I don’t think he’s my toughest fight to date. He’s certainly … he’s dangerous. He’s probably the best stand-up fighter I’ve faced, but I think I’ve probably fought tougher competition before.

Sherdog.com: Like who?
Shields: I fought a lot of good guys, so it’s hard to compare, but guys like [Yushin] Okami, Hayato Sakurai. I fought [Kazuo] Misaki and Carlos Condit. I’ve fought quite a few tough guys.

Sherdog.com: He hits really hard. Like you said, he’s probably the most dangerous stand-up guy you’ve faced. What’s the hardest you’ve been hit during training and in a fight?
Shields: In a fight … I’ve never really been rocked that bad. The only time I [was] is hard to find. A guy that did land a good one on me -- what was that guy’s name? Milton Vieira caught me with a good knee right on the jaw.

Other than that, I’ve never really been hit so hard in a fight. In training, I’ve been hit lots of times. Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz -- these guys always hit me. Luckily, I’ve never been knocked out, but they’ve given me some hard shots.

Sherdog.com: Daley’s been talking about how he’s going to outclass you. On your end, as the defending champion, do you think Daley deserves a shot?
Shields: You know, he’s probably the number one guy for [EliteXC] right now contending for the shot. I don’t think he’s had the kind of competition I’ve had to deserve the shot, but I guess as far as our sport goes, he deserves it.

Sherdog.com: The fight is being marketed as the best from the U.S. versus the best from Britain. Do you feel you’re being pushed enough in this really important fight of yours or is it still the Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice show?
Shields: I’m being pushed a lot more, so I can’t complain. I always feel like I can be more, but this is the biggest push they’re giving me, so I’m not gonna complain. I’m going to go out there and keep doing my job. I’m gonna keep getting a bigger and bigger push. I just have to go out there, put on a good, exciting fight, beat Daley, and from there obviously they’ll want to push me.

Sherdog.com: Do you get tired of people asking you UFC questions?
Shields: Yeah, sometimes. Definitely, yeah. You hear it over and over, “Why aren’t they there?” I certainly have a ton of respect for the UFC and the guys fighting there. At this point, I’m looking at this as a better option for my contract and I like EliteXC.

Sherdog.com: Cool. Right now we’re going to do the UFC portion of the interview.
Shields: [Laughs]

Sherdog.com: What has your correspondence been with the UFC?
Shields: Right now, my dad handles my [management]. He’s definitely talked to them in the past, but I don’t think he’s talked to them since I signed a new contract. … But I know we had a very positive relationship, good talks, before I signed with EliteXC.

Sherdog.com: What do you think their level of interest is in you?
Shields: I’m pretty sure they’re very interested as far as I know. I’m not 100-percent sure. Only Dana [White] and Joe Silva know. But it seems like they’re very friendly to me, treating me good. I’m pretty sure [I’m] respected.

Sherdog.com: You’re talking about the Georges St. Pierre fight a lot lately. Do you have any reason to believe you can get that fight while you’re not in the UFC?
Shields: I mean, you never know. It’s certainly a possibility. Obviously, you know at this point most likely it’d be a UFC fight. It’s something I’m interested in and one day might happen. But also, the possibilities of GSP coming to other shows like Affliction, who he’s sponsored by, and things like that, you never know what’s going to happen.

Sherdog.com: You were in negotiations with Affliction to fight at 185 pounds. Is that something you’re still going to pursue in the future, especially if you can get more important fights outside of the UFC?
Shields: Definitely a good chance. Like I said, I’m just kind of worried about getting through this fight. Daley is a good opponent, don’t want to look past him. But Affliction and I have a good relationship, and that’s something I’d be willing to do.

Sherdog.com: Do you think EliteXC is going to make it and why or why not?
Shields: I’m pretty sure they’re going to make it. I think they’re definitely in trouble right now financially, but I’m pretty sure things are going to work out. I talk to some guys on the inside. I don’t really know what I’m saying and what I’m not, so I’ll just say I’m pretty sure they’re going to make it. Obviously not 100 percent, but I’m pretty sure they’re going to pull through.

Sherdog.com: Is it the quality of fights? Star power? What factors do you think are going to keep them in?
Shields: I just think they’re putting on better and better shows now. I just think the production is top notch -- it’s up there with the UFC. Originally it wasn’t, but when you watch the production, its really like, “Wow, this is a good show.” Not to mention, they’re signing better and better fighters. I think it’s just a positive direction.

They have great exposure with CBS and Showtime. This is the third one on CBS -- that’s why it’s going to do good. The first two shows did great. Even though lots of people bashed the ratings of the second show, that was still way above the average Saturday night, especially for that time of the year, put together in six weeks with hardly any advertising. With this one, its been advertised more. Kimbo’s back on the card, so I think EliteXC is moving in the right direction.

Sherdog.com: One of the things about fighting is that it’s centered in Las Vegas. There was talk about Affliction being run out of Las Vegas by the UFC. Do you think EliteXC is going to have trouble breaking into that market?
Shields: Yeah, you know, I think they do. I think Vegas -- UFC has that in lockdown right now. It’s a really difficult market. I think that’s why EliteXC has been smart to not try and bust in there right away. I think at some point some other shows will move in there, but now is not the time. They’ll have to have those superfights truly when they go into Vegas cause, like I said, UFC has that in lockdown.

Sherdog.com: If EliteXC dies, do you see that as losing a place to fight or a clean slate for you in the long term?
Shields: I don’t want them to die, so it’s probably bad for me. It’s one less big show, but if they die, I think I’m OK, especially if I go out there and look good in this next fight. There’s obviously the UFC with the huge show out there, Affliction, Japan. There’s lots of other options for me.

Sherdog.com: Gilbert Melendez alluded to fighting in the UFC when his contract ends. Would you be tempted to follow him since you guys do everything together?
Shields: I just need to do what’s best for my career. The UFC is the first show I started watching, so I do love the UFC. Hopefully, one day to at least fight in there once or twice. Right now I have to sit back and let my manager see what’s best for my career and we’ll go from there. But certainly St. Pierre is over there. If I’m winning my fights and he’s winning his, its definitely going to be something on my mind.

Sherdog.com: After this, do you think you’re done answering UFC questions for the rest of your career until you actually get there?
Shields: [Laughs] Yeah, I wish. Every interview I get two of those at least.

Sherdog.com: What’s your prediction for the fight with Daley?
Shields: I don’t want to be into predictions. He’s a tough fight. He’s a tough guy, but I think I’m going to be too much for him. I’m going to go out there really hard and try to overwhelm him and hopefully submit him in the first round.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

UFC 93, Franklin vs. Henderson, and Coleman vs. "Shogun" announced

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will head to Dublin, Ireland, for the first time in the organization's history for a Jan. 17 pay-per-view event at The O2.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported on Tuesday, the event features a headline bout of former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (24-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) vs. former PRIDE title-holder Dan Henderson (23-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

Additionally, the organization announced UFC hall-of-famer Mark Coleman (15-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will meet former PRIDE stand-out Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (16-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a long-awaited rematch.

The Franklin-Henderson fight will take place at 205 pounds.

"Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson is a battle between two great former champions who are both looking to get another chance to wear a world title around their waist," UFC President Dana White stated in a press release. "These are two fan favorites with a lot of pride on the line as they want to show that they are still among the very best fighters in the world."

Franklin recently took his first light-heavyweight fight in more than three years and defeated Matt Hamill via third-round TKO at UFC 88. Aside from two losses to current middleweight champ Anderson Silva, Franklin has won his past 12 fights -- all but two via stoppage.

Henderson, meanwhile, picked up his first UFC victory in more than 10 years with a unanimous-decision victory over Rousimar Palhares earlier this month at UFC 88. Prior to the loss, Henderson arrived from PRIDE and suffered championship losses to then-UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 and Silva at UFC 82

"Dan Henderson has great credentials, and he is going to be one of the toughest fights of my career," Franklin stated. "That being said, I'm planning on winning the fight, and I'm looking forward to fighting in the main event and fighting in Ireland. I love the fans, and the way they react by singing and chanting makes it a unique experience for me."

Coleman, meanwhile, will return to the octagon for the first time in more than nine years. After his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame earlier this year, Coleman announced he had signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC so he could return to competition. He was slated to fight Brock Lesnar in August at UFC 87 but was forced to pull out of the event with an injury.

In February 2006 Coleman defeated Rua at PRIDE 31; Rua suffered a broken arm in the fight, and the bout was halted after just 49 seconds. Rumors of the possible rematch first surfaced over the summer. At the time, Coleman told MMAjunkie.com that he wasn't opposed to the fight -- but that it wasn't necessarily his first choice either.

"I've never picked my opponents since the beginning," Coleman said. "I don't go around picking my opponents. I let the promoter do that. Whoever the promoter picks, that's obviously who the fans want to see.

"If [a fight with Rua] is something that interests the fans, if that's something that the UFC wants to make happen, I don't go around turning down fights. 'Shogun' is fine."

Rua will also return from recent injury. The Brazilian went under the knife after he made his UFC debut against Forrest Griffin in September 2007 and suffered an upset submission loss.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Frank Trigg: ‘It’s not difficult to see how to beat Anderson Silva’

“Everyone’s so scared of his length and his reach that they stay way the hell outside. They’re idiots. That makes no sense. You have to be on the inside. You have to be a Mike Tyson-style boxer against him. He’s too elusive to hit in the face. He just has too much movement. You have to work his body. You have to pick him apart. You have to out-point him…. He can’t hurt you when you’re inside because his punching power is from his length and he has to be outside to kick. You have to take Anderson Silva down and hold him down. You almost have to fight him like B.J. Penn fought Sean Sherk: Constant movement, peppering him with quick shots. It’s not difficult to see how to beat Anderson Silva. What’s difficult is putting yourself to the task and understanding that the game plan isn’t going to be perfect, and when something bad happens, overcoming that bad thing. If you don’t think you would win, why the hell are you showing up? Yeah, I think I could win.”

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Josh Grispi vs Diego Nunes WEC 37 fight likely Dec. 3

Josh “The Fluke” Grispi (9-1) will face off against Brazilian Diego Nunes (10-2) in a featherweight bout on the WEC 37 card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 3, according to InTheGuard.tv.

“The Fluke” is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, including his most recent first round destruction of Micah Miller at WEC 35. In fact, each of his nine career wins have been ended in the first frame (five by (T)KO and four by submission).

The Boston area fighter is among the WEC’s youngest and brightest up-and-coming stars. At only 19 years old he’s already developed into a very dangerous mixed martial artist and he still has a world of potential in front of him.

This will be his third fight in the WEC cage. He previously defeated Mark Hominick with a first round rear naked choke at WEC 32 and Miller at WEC 35 by technical knockout.

Nunes is part of team Nogueira in Brazil. He trains day in and day out with some of the best mixed martial artists in the world. He’s mainly competed on the smaller level events in Brazil, but appears ready for his first big stage fight in the WEC.

Like his opponent, he too has demonstrated the ability to end fights quickly. Of his 10 wins only one made it into the second round. And that was the first fight of his career … more than four years ago.

This will be a high paced fight that more than likely won’t see the final bell. Both guys will be looking to finish the other early which should make for an exciting scrap.

Miguel Torres will defend his bantamweight title against Manny Tapia on the card as well. That bout will more than likely be the event’s headliner.

WEC 37 will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET on December 3. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more news and information on WEC 37.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Benji Radach not happy with the UFC

EliteXC newcomer Benji Radach will be fighting this Saturday during CBS’ “Saturday Night Fights” for the first time since losing in the finals of the IFL middleweight Grand Prix Finals to Matt Horwich last Dec. 29.

Radach was the odds-on favorite to become the first-ever IFL middleweight champion in that fight and a victory would have given him a perfect 6-0 record in 2007. Burned out from competing six times in one year, Radach’s body was depleted and he was not able to perform to the best of his ability.

There still was a silver lining coming out of the loss in that Radach still posted an impressive 5-1 record following a three-year hiatus from competitive MMA due to a multitude of injuries.

Due to the demise of the IFL, Radach never was able to get a second shot at claiming the title. He become a free agent two months ago and spoke with a number of suitors before signing a multi-fight deal with EliteXC.

However, Radach revealed to me in a new interview with CBSSports.com that he had contacted the UFC before speaking with any other promotion in hopes of a possible return. He was none too pleased with the response he received, as he was told he would need to win a fight outside of the UFC first before they would consider extending him an offer.

“The UFC actually never pursued anything,” Radach answered when asked to address reports that he had received an offer from the UFC before signing with EliteXC. “I actually gave them the option at first (to negotiate) by letting them know I was interested in fighting for the UFC again. But they said I needed to win a fight before I could be a part of the UFC. That really was kind of retarded from my point of view. If there’s a good fighter out there, then you want to grab that good fighter. It doesn’t make a difference if he goes out there and beats a nobody and then gets a win and comes back in. It’s just really stupid. Why is it important that I go out and smash somebody just to get a win rather than fight a top guy in your organization?”

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Sobral: Ortiz is still my dream fight

After defeating Mike Whitehead at the last Affliction show, Renato “Babalu” Sobral made it very clear who he wanted to fight next. He publicly stated that Tito Ortiz is his dream fight.

Ortiz appeared destined to sign with Affliction after finally parting ways with the UFC. However, to this day, Ortiz and Affliction have not come to terms on a contract. Sobral has still not wavered on a potential match-up.

“That is my dream fight,” said Sobral, “I’d fight him for free. I’d whip that ass for free.”

Sobral and Ortiz undoubtedly had multiple opportunities to get to know each other. They both fought in the UFC for many years. Apparently, that time didn’t go very well.

“I don’t like his attitude,” said Sobral, “it would be awesome to fight him.”

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Cris wants another knockout at EliteXC

After finishing her first international fight with a “double-knockout” at EliteXC, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be back in October 4th for another challenge. Against Yoko Takahashi, Cris is looking forward the fight. “I’m very happy, and I’ll do some training today. Cristiano Marcelo and (Evangelista) Cyborg are coming now”, said the Chute Boxe athlete, that’ll pick up her husband at the airport after his tragic fight at Sengoku. About the fight, Cris doesn’t wait a different close from the first bout. “It’s another opportunity to fight, and I’m ready. I want another big knockout and a great fight… The knockout is a consequence”, hopes, after studying her opponent’s fight on the internet. “I saw one fight on the internet and she got submitted, I couldn’t analyze is she’s good or not, but I believe she has some of every skill, like takedowns, Muay Thai, Wrestling, but not an specific game”, said the fight”. Check below the complete card of EliteXC – Heat.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Inside the Numbers: Who Draws On PPV?

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

HBO, WWE Executives Weigh-in on UFC

MMAPayout.com recently did a segment on Inside MMA on the PPV battles between UFC, HBO, and WWE. Multichannel News recently elaborated on this battle for supremacy, with HBO and WWE execs commenting on the situation. At least for the press, both HBO and WWE execs tend to play down the impact that the UFC is having on their business.

HBO Pay-Per-View senior vice president Mark Taffet tends to feel a rising tide is lifting all boats:

“The landscape continues to look bright,” he said, adding that HBO’s pay-per-view boxing set records in 2006 and 2007 with 2008 proceeding apace, while the traditional network’s live events are also faring well. (Boxing tends to draw an older demographic than MMA.)

“There is room for everyone,” said Taffet. “It’s good for pay-per-view — mixed martial arts has just added more consumers to the television set.”

Taffet comes off as having his head in the sand as to the demographic divide between the younger skewing MMA and the graying Boxing crowd. There are a few factors, though that still make his a catbird’s seat for PPV. One is the much wider International PPV base that is enjoyed by boxing compared to MMA. International numbers put up by guys like Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe help boost the bottom line over and above the domestic sales.

Another factor keeping boxing relevant are the shifting ethnic demographics of the United States. The Hispanic audience that has been a core of the HBO boxing customer base will only continue to grow over time, with HBO reaping the benefits of this demographic shift. The UFC is currently laying the groundwork to make in-roads to the Hispanic market but it will be a long game of catch-up to get within striking distance of Boxing’s hold on the Latino fight fan.

Members of WWE management also weighed in on the UFC, believing that the WWE attracts a much wider market, limiting competition with the UFC:

Much of what UFC is doing with MMA has been done before, said WWE executive vice president Geoff Rochester.

“We think they’ve borrowed from us — all the pyrotechnics, the high-energy music are things we brought in years ago,” he said. “They adopted our production techniques.”

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Rochester also says WWE’s demos are much broader, attracting both older and younger viewers (they just launched a kids’ magazine) and the company is more layered with books, DVDs and theatrical releases complementing the live and televised events.

WWE views movies and television shows as its main competition, according to Rochester. But with respect to UFC, he said, “We watch each other, make no mistake.”

While the WWE does attract a wider demo, the WWE has to be worried with the performance of Brock Lesnar in his performance with the UFC. The former WWE champ has drawn new customers to the UFC, and they aren’t coming because of his amateur days with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Brock’s first bout against Frank Mir brought in 300k folks that had never purchased a UFC PPV before. Most of these buys are either current or disaffected WWE fans, a sign that has to be troubling to Vince McMahon.

Rochester speaks the truth when saying that the UFC has followed the WWE blueprint, and UFC execs will admit as much. Some of these moves have been dubious (like the Octagon Card Girl search and the Dana vs Tito boxing match, both made for TV events that veered too far into the WWE antics) but for the most part, the UFC has been handsomely rewarded.

The UFC spoke recently about their plans to increase shows internationally and a big part of that was going to areas that the WWE had been able to operate successfully in. The UFC is essentially using the WWE as a “canary down the coal mine” in order to feel out prospective markets, saving both time and money.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

BRIAN GASSAWAY: "MY STRONG POINTS SHOULD OVERWELM HIM"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3528.html?PHPSESSID=4ecc25f98e2c8de35373ca544122310d
"I don't know if there is, per se, any weaknesses in his game, but I think my strong points should be able to overwhelm him. It's just a matter of taking the fight to him and imposing my will," stated mixed martial artist Brian Gassaway as he talked about his upcoming October 11th clash with Mike Pyle at "Night of Combat II." Check out what he had to say about the fight and much more.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

GIDEON RAY: "THIS SHOULD MAKE FOR AN INTERESTING FIGHT"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3527.html
"John Alessio is so well-rounded, we have to be prepared for everything. Whatever he decides to bring, I know he's going to bring his A-game. This should make for an interesting fight for the fans and it will be a wonderful challenge for me, being the warrior that I am, and it should be a great challenge for him also," stated mixed martial artist Gideon Ray as he talked about his upcoming October 11th clash with John Alessio at "Night of Combat II." Check out what he had to say about the fight and much more.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Mousasi dismisses Manhoef claims

Gegard Mousasi has dismissed Melvin Manhoef’s claims that the two had a gentleman’s agreement to engage in a stand-up battle in their middleweight grand prix bout at DREAM 6 last week.

After the bout – which he lost quickly by way of a Mousasi triangle – Manhoef said that he had not expected to be taken to the floor.

“Melvin says that he was not expecting it, but that is not true,” Mousasi told Fighters Only earlier.

“The fighters have a ring check earlier in the day and he was practicing nothing but takedown defence. I was watching him on the television in my locker room!”

The DREAM champion also pointed out that Manhoef had spent “two months training with American Top Team” prior to the tournament.

“If he doesn't like the ground, he should go kickboxing,” he concluded.

Manhoef announced his retirement shortly after the fight, saying he needed to spend more time with his family.

However, it was not clear whether the retirement would be from MMA or from fighting as a whole, since he also has a successful career in K-1 kickboxing.

Mousasi is scheduled to appear in the USA in January, when he may be fighting Vitor Belfort at Affliction 2.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Jacaré on Mousasi: “It wasn’t a lucky shot”

After submitting Zelg Galesic at the Dream’s middleweight GP, Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza got to the final as the favorite against Gegard Mousasi, but an unpredictable kick put an end to the championship for Jacaré. “It wasn’t a lucky shot! I did some mistakes and he was the champion of the night”, said the fighter, who doesn’t thinks about a revenge. “I don’t think about a revenge. I wanna fight always and if one they he come to fight me, I’ll be very happy”. One of the biggest names of the championship, Melvin Manhoef was submitted by Mousasi on the same night, but Jacaré was already expecting the result. “I was prepared to fight both of them, and the day after I said that Mousasi was more complete fighter and had more chances to win”, said the athlete, that comes back to train waiting for his new challenge in the event.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Cyborg still wanna to be at Sengoku GP

Back to USA after his traumatic loss to Siyar Bahadurzada, when he injuried his left arm with only 22 seconds of fight, Evangelista “Cyborg” went to the doctors and got out with good news: no broken bone. Now, the athlete wants to come back to training as soon as possible, to try to come back to the GP. “I don’t like to stay out for too much time, I like to fight and I just need some time to recover. The next event is in November, and I think I’ll have enable time to recover and come back to the GP, maybe at an alternate fight”, said the athlete, that bets in his wife for her fight against Yoko Takahashi at EliteXC, next October 4th. “It’s an important fight for her and she’s well trained and prepared. I believe she’ll do a great fight and it’s a natural consequence and who knows one day he’ll fight for a title. She’ll fight and she’d really well prepared for it”, bets the athlete, who has more three fights on the contract with Sengoku and also three fights at Strikeforce to do.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Wilson Reis interview

Wilson Reis needed four fights in EliteXC to win his first belt in América. Unbeaten after six fights in professional MMA, Wilson defeated Abel Cullum at September 26th, and bring home the ElieXC title. In an exclusive interview with TATAME.com, Wilson spoke about the fight, the polemical Giva Santana’s loss, and the Brazilian domain in the event. “I think the Brazilian fighters will dominate other categories, because all of them have qualities and talent”, said the athlete, in the exclusive interview you read today here at TATAME.com.

How was the fight?
The fight was great since the beginning. I think we did a great fight and I put some punches that he really felt on the second round. I was comfortable on the fight, well prepared for the five rounds, and I won all of them.

Did everything go like you were planning?
Yes. I went there to win by submission, but Abel defended my takedowns very well and used the cage. I didn’t punished him like I wanted on the ground and pound, but I’m getting better on it. I felling more comfortable standing up, and my Boxing it getting better. Abel had 22 fights and only one loss, so I fought a very expert fighter.

How do you feel about winning the belt?
I feel very good with this victory, after more than 10 years and now I’m the champion of a big event. I knew that it wouldn’t be easy, Abel is an expert fighter. I’m very happy to be back on training and be the most complete bantamweight fighter. I’m happy to continue unbeaten with my sixth fight and fought better than the last fight. I know I have a lot of thing to develop, but now I’ll enjoy my title.

What’s your plans for the future?
I’ll rest a little, because I fought four times this year… I wanna relax now, train a lot of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I’ll promote my belt, do some seminars and wait for my next fight.

Do you think the Brazilian fighters will dominate the EliteXC?
I think the other Brazilian fighters will dominate all weight division in EliteXC, because all of them has qualities and Elite is very happy with our performance. We have (Rafael) Feijão, that’ll fight for the 205 belt in November, and I’m sure he’ll win, because he’s well prepared for it.

What do you think about Givanildo Santana’s fight? Was it fair?
People said that he fought well, but I was concentrating for my fight and didn’t watch his, but he said that he deserved to win and I saw a lot of prople saying the same thing. His opponent was very good too, and I’m sure that it won’t change anything, because EltieXC likes Giva and he’s a good and humble man.

Do you wanna thank anybody?
I wanna thank TATAME for another opportunity to show my work on the site and speak to Brazil and all the world. I also wanna thank my teacher, Roberto Godói, and I dedicate this victory to him, my family, friends and sponsors Bad Boy, Fightplanet.ca, P90X and Fightma.com.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

DIRE STRAITS: CEO TRIES TO RESUSCITATE ELITEXC

In the corporate world, Chuck Champion is seen as a turnaround artist. After making his start in business-to-consumer marketing for newspapers, he took the reigns of several companies in financial distress. His last turnaround, online gambling website Youbet.com, went from $.45 a share to $6.50 a share in his five-year tenure with the company.

Champion had left Youbet and was “taking a break” when he received a call from a board member of ProElite, Inc. in November of 2007, asking him to take a look at the company’s ledger. Their balance sheet was a story he’d read before.

“Like a lot of startups, they’d gone out and their appetites were fairly significant. They’d bought a lot of brands and they did that very quickly,” he said. “You could see the problems that created, trying to integrate all that stuff into one company.”

The company was also bleeding cash. Champion says Sales, General, and Administrative costs, which account for the overhead of a business, were burning $1.7 million dollars a month in cash reserves. Something needed to be done, fast, or ProElite would soon close its doors.

Now eight months into his new job as the CEO of a struggling fight corporation, Champion is a “newbie” in the game, trying to meld his business expertise with the unpredictable whims of MMA’s audience.

The way Champion tells it, he’ll take the cage over the boardroom any day.

“There’s more rules in MMA than there are in the corporate world,” he said. “Here in MMA you can’t get hit in the back of the head and you can’t get kicked in the face when you’re on the ground.”

ProElite has certainly taken a beating, though, since its inception in November of 2006. The company has managed to ink several important, even historic, partnerships with media companies like Showtime and its parent company, CBS. But it’s paid too much for the alliances, and taken on too many assets that don’t produce revenue. Combined with its extremely high overhead, the company has spilled over $55 million in red ink.

In an August SEC filing, ProElite said it needed $3.5 million dollars of additional funding to keep doors open until the end of the year. A month later, another SEC filing said the company had received only $1 million of the required amount, and “continues to evaluate its options on how to respond to its severe liquidity problem.”

In a candid conversation with MMAWeekly.com, the CEO said that the $2.5 million dollar shortfall came when two major investors in the company, The Hunter Fund and Absolute Fund, elected not to make a scheduled loan.

“Them not having been able to consummate those, for reasons that are better illuminated by them than me, put us in a situation where we had to rely on our commercial partners, CBS and Showtime, to help us get through that bridge. They were terrific enough to be able to advance us license fees in order to be able to put on the rest of the shows for the remainder of the year, the last one being Nov. 8.”

But the company is still $2.5 million short. Champion says he’s cut SG&A costs by a million dollars per month since taking the reigns of ProElite, and is looking for other ways to pad the bottom line. “There’s still more an opportunity to take out some more to be run more efficiently and effectively,” he said. That includes possibly cutting assets that don’t produce revenue, like the satellite promotions ProElite gobbled up in its first year of operations.

“King of the Cage is solid, it’s doing well,” he said. “But you got Cage Rage, Rumble World, and Icon. Icon and Rumble World (are a) very difficult market; very hard hit by this economy. With Cage Rage, we have not been able to turn a profit on some of those major events we’ve put on there. I’m a big believer if you aren’t making money, why are we putting them on?”

Champion says that talks with major stakeholder Showtime for a possible takeover of ProElite are not at an advanced stage. The company has hired a strategic planning organization and an investment banking firm to decide which option is best for its future. Talks on increased investment from outsiders like Showtime are among “a number with our current partners as well as others,” Champion said.

As for EliteXC’s Oct. 4 card being a “make or break” event for the company, Champion says it is and isn’t. While he acknowledges that its success is “very, very important” for the parent company, it will not close shop before Nov. 8, the date of its next Showtime-broadcast show.

“The first one was make or break, the second one was make or break, now we’re down to the third make or break,” he said. “You look at our balance sheets and our income statements – we’ve got to do things, we’ve got to execute once and a while. So yeah, from that perspective, absolutely. (Oct. 4) will be the best overall card that we’ve put on. As we put those fights on, we’re getting more phone calls from people who are interested in doing business with us.”

Undoubtedly, the company’s fate will be largely determined by its third CBS event, and will shape the strategic planning firm’s advice in days to come. Elite does have several valuable assets – Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, and deals with a major network and its premium cable channel. Champion’s job is to figure a way to maximize these assets before the ship sinks.

If there’s a sunny side to the situation, it’s that Champion has been here before. The turnaround artist in him sees 2009 as a new start for Elite.

“A re-shaped, re-formed EliteXC will emerge, and I believe its prospects are good,” he said.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

UFC 94: Matt Arroyo vs Dan Cramer

It’s a battle of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestants as season six alumnus Matt “No Regard” Arroyo (3-2) is scheduled to face season seven’s Daniel Cramer (0-0) at UFC 94 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31, according to WrestlingObserver.com.

Arroyo was last seen getting pounded out by Matt Brown at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale back in June. This will actually be Dan Cramer’s first professional fight despite a 3-0 amateur record and making it all the way to the TUF 7 quarterfinals.

This should prove to be an interesting fight between two competitors who match up pretty well.

Shogun Locc · Oct 1, 2008

Interesting Points Made On TUF Six Figure Contracts

Tomas Rios at Sherdog.com gives his thoughts on the Ultimate Fighter six figure contract:

The six-figure contract is nothing more than a slick piece of marketing; its original incarnation was as a nine-fight deal that required three full years of service to earn $300,000, assuming you could go undefeated over the course of the contract. Let’s also not forget the contract is not guaranteed, which means you’re always a couple of losses away from being shown the door.

Considering the value of your average “The Ultimate Fighter” winner to the UFC, it becomes rather obvious the promotion preys on the desperation of fighters who would practically sell their souls to get their foot in the door.

As the nature of the six-figure contract has become more publicized, however, many top prospects have come to realize that their future does not rely on allowing themselves to be manipulated into becoming cash cows on the cheap.

Perhaps the most notable example is Brandon Vera, who refused to sign on the dotted line when offered a spot on TUF because he felt the contract contestants must sign was simply unfair. You’d think the perpetually vindictive White would have made sure Vera got his comeuppance by joining the UFC’s blacklist, but a funny thing happened along the way to banishing the gifted light heavyweight. Knowing it could ill afford to lose a charismatic and talented prospect like Vera to another promotion, the UFC signed him. He made $200,000 in a unanimous decision win over Reese Andy in his seventh fight inside the Octagon in July. Even more staggering, Vera pocketed more in his last three fights -- he lost two of the three -- than a TUF winner would make even if the winner went undefeated over the entire life of his initial contract.

It makes more sense for blue-chip prospects to negotiate a three-fight UFC contract that pays them less than TUF winners initially but leaves the door open for future.

Shogun Locc · Oct 2, 2008

UFC 92 TO FEATURE NOG VS MIR, GRIFFIN VS EVANS & SILVA VS RAMPAGE

The Ultimate Fighting Championship expects to close out 2008 with a bang as the promotion has decided on three key match-ups for their year end show on Dec 27.

Interim heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will face Frank Mir, while light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin returns to action defending his belt against Rashad Evans and Wanderlei Silva goes for three in a row against former 205lb champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The news was confirmed by UFC President Dana White to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

The fights will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and with those three match-ups along with a solid undercard including Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister, which was first reported on MMAWeekly.com earlier this week, the UFC is looking at one of their most stacked cards this year.

White told Iole that he wanted to “stack” the end year show and with three huge match-ups, including two title fights, the UFC has done exactly that.

Nogueira and Mir were already expected to meet after their stint as coaches on this season’s version of the “Ultimate Fighter”, but the new bouts announced bring a powerful punch to the card.

Forrest Griffin’s meteoric rise up the light heavyweight division began with his run to win the “Ultimate Fighter” season 1 and culminated with his 5 round win over former champion, Quinton Jackson, in July.

As for Rashad Evans, the “Ultimate Fighter” season 2 winner, he cemented himself in the top contender spot after a devastating knockout of Chuck Liddell in early September.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will also return for the first time since losing his title and going through a very tumultuous summer which included him leaving former trainer, Juanito Ibarra, and his arrest in California after a hit and run chase with local police.

This will be the third time for Jackson to take a shot at former Pride champion, Wanderlei Silva, who defeated Rampage both previous times in dominant fashion while the two fighters were mainstays in the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships.

The event will take place on Dec 27 in Las Vegas, NV.

Shogun Locc · Oct 2, 2008

10 October Tussles Worth Watching

Welterweights are the name of the game this month as three of the top 10-ranked 170-pounders in the world and a trio of the best European 77-kg fighters go at it in October.

Sherdog.com has compiled a list of 10 worthwhile battles to watch outside the blockbuster fare of Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote and Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock, all within the span of 31 days.

10. Daiki Hata vs. Naoya Uematsu
Deep 38th Impact, Oct. 23 -- Tokyo

With Dream and Sengoku already firing their big guns in late September, it is former Pride feeder show Deep who will put on the most compelling fight in Japan this month. Matchmaker extraordinaire Shigeru Saeki has found probably the two best featherweight fighters currently not under contract with a major Japanese promotion. Uematsu (15-7-2) is a strong grappler who holds wins over Shooto champions Caol Uno and Hideki Kadowaki, while “DJ.taiki” Hata (8-5-3) excels on his feet, underlined by a TKO win over King of Pancrase Yoshiro Maeda.

9. Bob Schrijber vs. Barrington Patterson
K.O. Events, Oct. 5 -- Rotterdam, Holland

This bout has “old school” written across it in big red letters. Schrijber (20-16-1) comes out of a 41-month retirement to take on Englishman Patterson (3-4). “Zulu” -- as the man from Coventry is called -- is well known in the Netherlands from his legendary wars with Schrijber’s longtime associates Hans Nijman and Dick Vrij. With both men preferring the knockout to end their fights, fans at the completely sold-out Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam are in for a battle.

8. Daniel Weichel (15-5) vs. Peter Irving (8-5-1)
Strike & Submit 8, Oct. 26 -- Newcastle, England

The Strike & Submit European welterweight title is on the line for a pair of Europe’s most promising welterweights. Only 23 years old, German Weichel (15-5) has had mixed success fighting in the UK, defeating former Cage Rage British lightweight champion Abdul Mohamed and Brazilian submission expert Josenildo Ramarho. He has also suffered losses against Paul Daley and UFC fighters Thiago Tavares and Dan Hardy. Irving (8-5-1) has gone undefeated for close to two years and comes off a decision victory over tough-as-nails Swede Reza Madadi.

7. Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach
EliteXC: Heat, Oct. 4 – Sunrise, Fla.

There is a reason why this middleweight tilt will lead off EliteXC’s third Saturday Night Fights broadcast on CBS. Former Pride brawler Rua (16-8-1) is on a mission to try and regain the 185-pound title Robbie Lawler plucked from his waist a year ago and has reeled off two consecutive wins to prove it. Radach (18-4) is a recent acquisition from the defunct International Fight League, where the heavy-handed Washington native pillaged for five straight bouts before falling to underdog Matt Horwich in December 2007. Expect punches in bunches for this experienced pair.

6. Ricco Rodriguez vs. Rob Broughton
Cage Gladiators IX, Oct. 4 -- Liverpool, England

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Once a proud UFC and Abu Dhabi World Submission Grappling champion, Rodriguez (32-9) will now ply his trade in Liverpool, England. What was unthinkable three years ago is now made possible by Cage Gladiators, one of the fastest rising promotions in the UK. Rodriguez’ opponent will be no slouch either. Massive 280-pound colossus Broughton (7-3-1) is a former Cage Rage British heavyweight champion and has convincingly defeated the likes of James Thompson, Robert "Buzz" Berry and Eric "Butterbean" Esch.

5. Drew Fickett vs. Jesse Taylor
Total Combat 32, Oct. 2 -- El Cajon, Calif.

Under normal circumstances a guy like Fickett (35-6), who holds wins over UFC stalwarts Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck, would be under contract with Zuffa. Though Fickett has been freelancing for his last six fights, the 28-year-old submission specialist has managed to keep his notoriety up during that time with his behavior in and out of the cage. Taylor (6-3) missed his first shot at fame on “The Ultimate Fighter 7.” Now both of these wandering standouts have the chance to prove they do belong in the upper echelon of MMA as they fight each other outside of the Octagon.

4. Sami Aziz vs. Emmanuel Fernandez
Superior Challenge II, Oct. 25 -- Stockholm, Sweden

What is a promoter to do if his top ace defeats one of the continent’s best judo players? Book a fight against the older, more well-rounded and experienced brother of the losing fighter. This scenario began to unfold at the Superior Challenge in Sweden earlier this year when undefeated featherweight Aziz (4-0-1) took out Frederic Fernandez. Now Aziz, a Bodog Fight standout, gets to feel the wrath of older sibling Emmanuel (9-4-1). “Pythagoras” is currently ranked No. 2 at 145 pounds in Europe and is certain to put on a jiu-jitsu clinic against Aziz.

3. Denis Kang vs. Marvin Eastman
Raw Combat, Oct. 25 -- Calgary, Alberta

After a few deviations that led to two crushing first-round defeats at the hands of Yoshihiro Akiyama and Gegard Mousasi, former top 10 ranked middleweight Kang (30-10-1) has returned to his roots. At the end of August, he made short work of experienced wrestler Jae Young Kim in Korea, homeland for Kang’s father. Two months later, Kang will fight in his home country for the first time in over five years as he takes on always-dangerous kickboxer Eastman (15-8-1).

2. Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley
EliteXC: Heat, Oct. 4 -- Sunrise, Fla.

This was the fight British welterweight Daley (18-6-2) has been looking for since he put his signature to paper with EliteXC. After proposed title fights between Shields (21-4-1), Drew Fickett and John Alessio did not come to fruition during the first go-around, “Semtex” immediately jumped at the chance to get a crack at Sherdog.com’s No. 6 ranked welterweight when the offer came again. The question is whether the 25-year-old Brit, who promised a knockout over the Californian, has the wrestling and grappling prowess to survive a ground clash with his much more seasoned foe.

1. Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves
UFC 90, Oct. 25 -- Rosemont, Ill.

On the undercard of UFC 90 “Silva vs. Côté” there is a fight worthy of headlining its own show -- the original “Ultimate Fighter” Sanchez (19-2) will square off against white-hot Brazilian knockout machine Alves (15-3). Though not announced officially, this bout is for No. 1 contender status of champion Georges St. Pierre’s crown. If the “Nightmare” comes in the shape and with the aggression he showed in his last fight against Luigi Fioravanti and the “Pitbull” can duplicate his performance against Matt Hughes (minus the weigh-in fiasco), fight fans are in for a “fight of the year” caliber confrontation.

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