MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Nate Quarry confident in gameplan for UFC 91 bout with Demian Maia

You've seen the highlight -- Rich Franklin, in the prime of his UFC-dominating run, dropping a board-stiff Nate Quarry (10-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) to the canvas in their middleweight title fight.

It's a reel destined for a lifetime of replays on UFC highlight films. But as Quarry told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he's put the pain of that day behind.

"That's just the nature of the sport," Quarry said. "If you look at anybody's career, they're always a highlight for somebody else. Every single great champion or fighter that's ever stepped in against any competition at all is a highlight for someone else.

"From Chuck Liddell and 'Rampage' (Jackson), to Wanderlei Silva and 'Rampage,' Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. It just goes round and round. That's just the nature of the beast."

Quarry rebounded from that loss with a third-round knockout of then-middleweight Pete Sell. His next outing, at "UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre II," was just as memorable as his bout with Franklin as perhaps the most uneventful "fight" in UFC history.

Kalib Starnes spent 15 minutes running away from Quarry's advances. The display was so appalling Quarry was forced to result to antics inside the cage to appease a rabid crowd.

"I just look at that fight (with Starnes) as, 'It is what it is,'" Quarry said. "I went out there and did the best that I possibly could. I tried to keep the fans interested and give them a show. I think for years to come, at least hopefully, people are going to be thinking about that fight and the time I made an ass out of myself -- just have good memories of the show, something to pull away."

On Saturday night Quarry will fight for the seventh time in the UFC. Despite the entire pre-fight hype for "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar" being centered around the main event, Quarry is excited about his chance to return to action.

"I'm just glad to be on the card, and I'm glad that somebody knows abut it," Quarry said. "If you see the posters or the UFC (web) page, you would pretty much think there's one fight that night and it's Couture and Lesnar. I'm just happy that the word's getting out there that there's going to be other fighters on the card. And maybe [fans will] see them, too.

"You've got guys like Joe Stevenson and Kenny Florian fighting on the card. At one time, those guys were main event fighters. They pulled the whole card themselves. And now they don't even get a mention. It's just kind of surprising to me. But I don't make the decisions."

Quarry will be matched up with undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Demian Maia. With six submission wins in his eight career victories, Maia will present a stern test to Quarry -- particularly if the action takes place on the ground.

"The Rock" has no desire to test his his ground game development with an elite-level grappler.

"I think it's a common-sense type of approach," Quarry said. "Even when I was first getting ready for this fight, I had one of my training partners say, 'Hey, if you were going to fight Mike Tyson, would you want to go out there and showcase your boxing skills? Or would you want to do whatever it took to win the fight?'

"Because this is MMA. This isn't jiu-jitsu. This isn't boxing. This isn't Muay-Thai. If you want to do those things, there's all sorts of places where you can go and do those things. I could, in the future at some point, challenge Demian Maia to a grappling match just to see how good I am on the ground. But that's not what this sport is.

"This sport is fighting, and you have to fight to win. And you have to go in with your gameplan, and with your strengths, and inflict those things. To try and prove something to the world shows maybe you need to prove it to yourself -- that maybe you're not as confident in who you are from the get-go."

Quarry believes the lessons learned from Maia's UFC 87 bout with Jason MacDonald should prove valuable in developing a gameplan.

"Jason MacDonald is a prime example," Quarry said. "You had his corner yelling at him between the second and third rounds, 'Do not take him down. Do not take him down. You have to knock him out.' First thing [MacDonald] does is he runs out there and he takes him down.

"Trying to take down a guy who wants to go to the ground in the first place? You're going to get the takedown every time. That's just ridiculous. If you're going to fight somebody and you know that his strength is on the ground, you need to stand up. You need to have a clear-cut gameplan, and you have to inflict that."

A win for Quarry would be his third straight in the UFC. While the 36-year-old is certainly looking for another chance at the title, Quarry refuses to consider where a win would leave him in that process.

"I'm never going to have the balls to say that," Quarry said. "The last thing I would want to do is piss off (training partners Nate) Marquardt and (Dan) Henderson and all those guys. And have them go, 'Oh, you think you're tough?' and start picking on me or something -- slapping the books out of my hand.

"I'm just fortunate to be where I'm at, and I'm fortunate to have so many great coaches and training partners come together from these camps. I'm just looking at one fight at a time. That's the reward for knocking guys out or winning fights: You get to fight tougher guys. It's kind of a two-edged sword.

"But I'm just going to keep on doing the best that I can and not really think about the title picture. I don't want to get rushed into it again. I've been there. I've done that. Now I want it to be, 'OK. I'm ready. I can see how I can win this fight.'"

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hector Lombard latest addition to American Top Team roster

Cuban Judoka and former Australian resident Hector Lombard (17-2-1) has relocated to the U.S. and joined the growing roster of American Top Team.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was able to confirm Lombard's switch with American Top Team general manger Richie Guerrero.

A former Olympic competitor, Lombard will join the all-star cast of the Florida-based academy that includes new WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown as well as Thiago Alves, Marcus Aurelio, Jorge Santiago, Denis Kang, Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, Antonio Silva, Cole Miller, Alessio Sakara and Wilson Gouveia among others.

A four-year veteran of MMA, Lombard has fought in some of the world's biggest organizations -- including PRIDE, DEEP and Spirit MC -- but has not yet competed in the U.S.

Lombard has suffered just two defeats in his 20-bout career. Both were decision losses to world-class competition in Gegard Mousasi and Akihiro Gono. His wins include seven knockouts or TKO's as well as five submissions.

Lombard was set to make his U.S. debut against Scott Smith at EliteXC on Nov. 8. Financial struggles for the organization forced the cancellation of that show.

Now represented by First Round Management -- a Florida-based firm that also represents Brown, Alves, Aurelio, Silva, Sakara, Thiago Silva, Bobby Lashley and Yves Edwards, as well as several boxers and NFL veterans -- Lombard has been recently linked with the still-in-development Bellator Fighting Championships.

No official announcement have been made regarding Lombard's next bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bobby Lashley vs. Joshua Franklin set for Mixed Fighting Alliance card

Former collegiate wrestling standout and WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (0-0) will make his professional MMA debut for the Mixed Fighting Alliance on Dec. 13 in Miami.

Officials from the Florida-based organization recently confirmed Lashley's bout with fellow first-time fighter Joshua Franklin (0-0) with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Lashley will make the appearance while on loan from the American Fight League, who have elected to suspend operations until 2009.

Lashley, a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion while at Missouri Valley College, also won two armed-forces titles while serving in the U.S. Army. The 32-year-old signed with the WWE in 2003 and debuted with the organization in 2005. His character won titles in both the WWE and Extreme Championship Wrestling organizations.

Lashley signed with the American Fight League in May. The former WWE superstar told MMAjunkie.com then that he was taking his time in preparation for his MMA debut.

"I'm putting it all together," Lashley said. "I'm going into this thing not with just overpowering my own style with [wrestling]. I'm actually learning everything else. I'm learning the jiu-jitsu; I'm taking it from the basics. I'm learning my kickboxing, my boxing. I'm getting the whole game tied together. So when I debut, it's not going to be a wrestler trying to do MMA. It's going to be a fighter."

In addition to Lashley vs. Franklin, "Mixed Fighting Alliance: There Will Be Blood" will be headlined by Jeff Monson (26-8) vs Ricco Rodriguez (34-9). That bout will represent a rematch from "UFC 35: Throwdown." That 2002 fight saw Rodriguez, who was on a nine-fight win streak at the time, victorious with a third-round TKO.

Tickets for "Mixed Fighting Alliance: There Will Be Blood," which will be held at The American Airlines Arena in Miami, are currently on sale and range from $30 to $200.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jeremy Stephens ready to bounce back at UFC 91 against Rafael dos Anjos

Just 22 years old, UFC lightweight Jeremy Stephens (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was riding high after back-to-back victories over Cole Miller and Diego Saraiva.

A disappointing loss to Spencer Fisher followed at "The Ultimate Fighter 7" finale followed, and now Stephens will look to rebound against UFC newcomer Rafael dos Anjos (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) Saturday night on the undercard "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar."

"I just think I made a few mistakes," Stephens recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about his loss to Fisher. "I spent a little bit too much time on my back. My wrestling wasn't on that day, and it caused me to be on my back a little bit longer than what I thought."

Just his second loss in three years as a professional, Stephens took the defeat as an opportunity to focus on the areas of his game that needed refinement.

"I think there's always room for improvement in all aspects of my game," Stephens said. "I wouldn't call it lacking. I always try to improve, and I always get better every fight. I've been working with a lot of different people. I've been out with Hermes Franca in San Diego. I trained with Dean Lister. I've been working a lot more on my jiu-jitsu."

Stephens jiu-jitsu skills will be tested when he faces dos Anjos, who has earned six of his eleven victories by submission.

"I've seen [dos Anjos] fight on YouTube," Stephens said. "He's a jiu-jitsu fighter. I've been working with a lot of jiu-jitsu guys, especially Hermes Franca -- one of the best.

"The guy seems just like a straight jiu-jitsu guy. I fought plenty of jiu-jitsu guys before, so no big difference."

Stephens said he hopes to punish dos Anjos with his striking.

"If I'm on my back, I'm definitely going to look for submissions," Stephens said. "But I'm going to get up. I want to do some damage in this fight. I want to win.

"This is a good card to get a KO victory. So I'm looking for that KO. I'm looking to stop his takedowns and just bust him up on the feet."

On a card that may end up breaking UFC pay-per-view sales records, Stephens said the potentially large audience helps motivate him even further.

"It actually kind of drives me to do better," Stephens said of the audience. "I like performing in front of big crowds. It doesn't bother me at all. I've been fighting from a very young age in front of a lot of people. It really doesn't play a factor. It gets me kind of more excited, more pumped up."

And with the excitement surrounding the main event, Stephens said he hopes to perform up to the crowd's expectations.

"I bring the pressure," Stephens said. "I bring a lot of skill to the ring. I definitely like to keep it exciting. I don't like to be boring.

"I throw a lot of crazy stuff out there. I definitely perform well, and I'm always looking to finish my opponent."

 

[Shogun Locc]

COUTURE FILES RESTRAINING ORDER ON AFFLICTION

Kim Couture, wife and business partner of UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, has filed a lawsuit and been granted a temporary restraining order in a Las Vegas court against Affliction CEO Todd Beard, according to a report by MMAPayout.com.

"The suit alleges that Beard threatened Couture and seeks a restraining order preventing Beard or others working in concert with Beard from interacting, communicating and/or having any contact with Couture, including attending the events surrounding UFC 91 this weekend at the MGM Grand. A temporary restraining order was granted by a judge this morning," read the report.

The threat allegedly took place after Randy Couture decided to rejoin the ranks of the UFC. He will defend his heavyweight title on Saturday night at UFC 91 against Brock Lesnar.

Kim Couture told MMAWeekly.com, "Yes, it is true. The reports are accurate, but I'm not able to comment further at this time."

Affliction and Randy Couture are partners in the Xtreme Couture line of clothing, and evidently, Beard did not take kindly to Couture's return to the UFC. Affliction also runs its own mixed martial arts promotion and is not allowed to promote it or Couture's clothing line at UFC events.

While appearing on the Scott Ferrall radio show shortly after Couture re-signed with the UFC, Beard made a bold statement about Couture regarding his match-up against Lesnar.

“Randy, if you’re listening right now, I hope (expletive) Lesnar kills you,” Beard stated.

The lawsuit also reportedly includes a private background check on Beard that allegedly unearthed several past felonies with prison time served, according to MMAPayout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

READY FOR WEC 37, MARK MUNOZ PLANS UFC MOVE

Up-and-comer Mark Munoz will take one half of World Extreme Cagefighting’s last fight to feature light heavyweights at WEC 37 on Dec. 3. The decorated wrestler will face off with jiu-jitsu exponent Ricardo Barros, who makes his first and likely last appearance with the Zuffa-owned organization.

Munoz was originally scheduled to round out the last fight on his contract Sept. 10 at WEC 36, but was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.

Munoz’s manager, Mike Roberts, recently told MMAWeekly radio his client was currently training in Los Angeles at the Joker’s Wild Academy and Renato Sobral’s new gym in Cerritos.

Munoz spent much of his early career at Urijah Faber’s gym, Ultimate Fitness, but decided to spread his training out to take advantage of gyms with more fighters in his weight class.

Roberts says Munoz has inked a deal to fight in the UFC following his fight with Barros, win or lose. He sees a bright future for the former Oklahoma State wrestler, given his work ethic.

“His last WEC fight he looked really sluggish to start with, I mean, he was fighting a guy that was 6-foot-8,” Roberts said. “It took a minute for him to adjust, but he finished the guy in devastating fashion. That fight was on a Sunday, and him and Urijah were both there in the gym Monday by 5 o’clock the next day.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA Karma? Sean Sherk on Armando Garcia resignation

“I knew some stuff about him throughout the entire appeal process that I was going through. You know, I was doing my homework, I was doing my research and I knew the guy had some issues. I mean, I knew that just by the way he treated me during my case. I knew that it was just a matter of time…and I am glad to see that is finally taking place. I think that you don’t really deserve a position of power if you are going to take advantage of it like that. So, hopefully, they get a good commissioner in there and hopefully things can get fixed up…. The UFC was actually there when I was going through my appeal. They saw the way my case was handled and they were sickened by it. You know it’s not right that you treat somebody’s life like that. You know, this is my life. They should at least give me a fair opportunity to defend myself and they didn’t do that. They treated my case like complete garbage.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Envelope Math: Is Zuffa Worth $1 Billion?

The conventional wisdom in MMA is that Zuffa is a billion dollar company. That is the company line and has been whole heartedly accepted by the media, most notably by the influential Forbes magazine. Information about the private company is hard to come by, making informed fact checking on the subject a difficult task. However, last week Zuffa disclosed to the Sports Business Journal that it is generating $300 million in annual revenue. That number makes it possible to do a little envelope math to arrive at a potential valuation of the company.

Based on S&P reports, Zuffa’s highest EBITDA margin is believed to have been 40% in 2006, falling as low as roughly 20% in 2007. Therefore, the company’s EBITDA on $300 million in revenue would likely be between $60 and $120 million.

The closest comparable company is World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE is a publicly traded company with a market cap of $931,740,000, $5.35 million in debt, and $184.39 million in cash. Those numbers produce an enterprise value of roughly $738.24 million. Comparing the company’s EBITDA of $104.69 million to its enterprise value, produces a ratio of 7.05. Applying that multiple to Zuffa’s estimated EBITDA produces a ballpark enterprise valuation between $423 and $846 million.

One major caveat to the comparison is the vastly different capital structures of the two companies. Zuffa is highly leveraged with $300 million in debt while WWE is virtually debt free. Zuffa could also command a healthy growth premium that wouldn’t be adequately captured by the WWE comparison.

Another important caveat is the dramatic change in market conditions since earlier this year at the time of the Forbes article in particular. In April WWE was trading at roughly $19 per share as compared to its current level of $13 per share. That multiple applied to Zuffa would yield an enterprise valuation of somewhere between $630 million and $1.2 billion.

The stated $300 million in revenue is a roughly 58% increase from Zuffa’s reported 2006 revenue of $190 million. The number seems high to me based on what we know about Zuffa’s revenue streams. Live event revenue accounts for 75% of total revenue, with the vast majority dependent on pay-per-view. That means that the company would have generated roughly $225 million on its 11-12 pay-per-view events per year.

It’s hard to imagine a scenerio in which the company could generate an average of $18.75 million in revenue per event, unless the company is including total pay-per-view revenue (i.e. $45 per event, as opposed to the roughly 50% the company actually sees).

 

[Shogun Locc]

LEONARD GARCIA: "I'M WILLING TO FIGHT WHOEVER!"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3782.html?PHPSESSID=0cbeb15aacb1c1884a91b66b18f1be49
"I'm still hungry as hell man. I want the title, but like I said, I'm willing to fight whoever. If a situation arises where they offer me a fight, I'm going to take it. I'm not going to sit here for Mike to get better and be the next person in line. I'd rather take the risk because when you're the champion, you don't have any options. You have to fight who they put in front of you and I want to get used to having that mentality," stated WEC featherweight contender Leonard Garcia as he talked about his future plans after his impressive win over Jens Pulver. Check out what he had to say about his performance and much more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TWO BIG BOUTS IGNITE SPARK FOR DYNAMITE NYE

One fight that Japanese fans have waited years for and a lightweight showdown between two of the Top 10 lightweights in the world were announced on Wednesday for the K-1 Dynamite!! 2008 New Year's Eve event in Saitama, Japan.

A couple of years past what would have been prime time for the bout, Kazushi Sakuraba and Kiyoshi Tamura will finally take place on Dec. 31. Both fighters are 3-2 in their past five bouts and considered on the downside of their peak as fighters, but this is sure to be a highly marketable bout to the Japanese audience. They each are extremely popular in Japan, giving Dynamite!! 2008 a huge MMA headliner.

Also announced at a press conference in Tokyo is a highly anticipated lightweight showdown between Dream Lightweight Grand Prix champion Joachim Hansen and Gesias "JZ" Calvancante.

Hansen was ousted in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, losing a decision to Eddie Alvarez. When Alvarez was deemed by officials to be unable to continue, Hansen returned to the tournament and wound up defeating Kultar Gill and Shinya Aoki to capture the title.

After a no contest bout with Aoki, Calvancante lost in a unanimous decision in their rematch to make his exit from the tournament. He has since been hampered by a knee injury that he suffered in 2007.

“My first injury was a week before the first tournament in Hero’s when I fought Shaolin (Ribeiro). I kept going because I wanted to fight on New Year’s Eve,” he stated. “I could not so I came back in March to fight (Shinya) Aoki. It was a no contest. Then I kept pushing my knee, and then it ruptured totally.”

While in attendance at the recent WEC 36 event in Florida, Calvancante told MMAWeekly.com that he was healthy and believed he would be 100-percent ready for the fight on New Year's Eve.

 

[Shogun Locc]

“Pezão” Close To Signing With SENGOKU

Former EliteXC Heavyweight champion Antonio Silva is close to signing with SENGOKU. They have made an offer to him to participate in their January 4th event.
Do these recent Heavyweight offers indicate a tournament in 2009?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sudo takes over Takushoku's wrestling team

His post-MMA life has prized the pen over the sword, but Genki Sudo is about to put his creative energy to use on the mat again -- though in a brand new way.

Sudo's alma mater, Takushoku University, revealed late last week that the charismatic "Neo-Samurai" will take over the reigns of their acclaimed wrestling program as head coach. Takushoku had been looking for potential coaching candidates within their alumni over the last two months following the passing of former coach and Diet parliamentary representative Kotaro Akimoto, who died on Aug. 22 after suffering a stroke.

Sudo was named the choice on Nov. 5, and will officially be announced as the team's wrestling coach on Nov. 13 at a press conference where he'll meet with the media.

At Takushoku, Sudo was an All-Japan collegiate Greco-Roman wrestling champion, and went on to an MMA career that saw him become one of Japanese's biggest combat sports superstars. Sudo retired after his New Year's Eve 2006 submission win over Damacio Page, infamously citing a message above a urinal that beckoned him to take "one step forward.” He has since focused his efforts on writing, music and even starting an amateur baseball team. Ironically, Sudo's retirement in part was influenced by lingering neck injuries sustained during his collegiate wrestling career.

Never one for a dull quote, Sudo said that he hopes to bring the sort of "change" to Takushoku's wrestling program that United States president-elect Barack Obama has preached for America.

Takushoku has traditionally been one of Japanese collegiate wrestling's "big three,” alongside Nippon Sports Science University and Yamanashi Gakuin University, the alma mater of former rival Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

However, more recently, NSSU and YGU have dominated the collegiate scene, with NSSU housing eight All-Japan collegiate champions and YGU producing three this past August. Takushoku team captain Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, who has won the last two All-Japan collegiate freestyle championships at 145 pounds, is considered the top Japanese collegiate wrestler in either style.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Boxing on Kimbo’s Mind, Manager Addresses Auction

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has a hankering to try boxing, he told host Dan Le Batard on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket Wednesday.

“I’m thinking about boxing as well,” said the Internet legend turned MMA fighter. “Boxing is wide open right now. I want to do it all.”

Ferguson’s revelation didn’t come with any news of a fight on the horizon, though he said he’d like to return to MMA competition by February.

The interview marked Ferguson’s first since his lackluster 14-second TKO loss at the hands of last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli on Oct. 4.

Ferguson, 34, said he took the loss –- which came in front of a hometown crowd in Sunrise, Fla., at EliteXC “Heat” –- in stride. In fact, the only ones the bearded brawler said he had difficulty explaining the defeat to were his six young children, whom he told, “what comes up, must come down.”

“It comes with the territory,” said Ferguson. “It’s like I said from the beginning. I’m a fighter and that’s what I’ll continue to do, and I’ll give it 110 percent. If a guy catches me with a good one, that’s cool.”

Ferguson’s accelerated rise to the top of the MMA food chain earned him Nike commercial spots and the cover of ESPN the Magazine, though many felt the then 3-0 novice would be exposed in defeat sooner than later. However, no one could script the bizarre circumstances that surrounded Slice’s fall.

The chaotic circumstances of Oct. 4 affected the newcomer profoundly, he recalled to the Florida radio show.

“They [EliteXC] had us under the impression that the fight wasn’t happening. When they said it wasn’t going to happen, that blood I’ve been holding on the whole time while I was training, I kind of let it go a little bit,” Ferguson said. “I was a little bit depressed, but I kind of had a relaxed mind frame and everything about me was no longer in fight mode.”

An hour later, Ferguson said EliteXC officials raced to his side to propose the much younger Petruzelli as a replacement for the 44-year-old Ken Shamrock, who’d been sidelined by the Florida State Athletic Commission with a cut. Ferguson said he didn’t hesitate to accept.

“I didn’t want to back down,” Slice told Le Batard. “That night wasn’t my night. I didn’t have the fire and the mind and the heart and my understanding was the fight wasn’t going to take place, so I wasn’t in fight mode anymore.”

With Ferguson’s first knock in the cage, came a tidal wave of critics and even accusations of fight fixing. Ferguson said he’d never work a fight, though no questions regarding Petruzelli’s post-fight comments alluding to a tampered bout were asked to him.

“Expect the good with the bad. You’re an entertainer. The comments are gonna come whether they’re good or bad, it’s gonna come,” said Ferguson. “No, I’m not embarrassed by it [the performance]. You can’t be embarrassed when you’re an entertainer. If you’re gonna get embarrassed, whether it’s fighting, rap, or anything on that level, then you’re in the wrong business. Real professionals prepare themselves for the good and the bad.”

What came of fight night was much more than the defeat of a promotion’s main star. Two weeks later, Pro Elite, under the microscope for dubious conduct in the Slice-Petruzelli bout, cancelled a Nov. 8 event and closed its doors after a lifesaving deal for its purchase by Showtime ran dry.

Ferguson and his manager Mike Imber have seemingly stood alone in voicing their support of Pro Elite since it ceased main operations on Oct. 20. Ferguson told the radio station he’d continue to fight for the promotion if they were able to resume business, though his name was the first of many listed in online advertisements solicited by Showtime, who will attempt to sell off the fighters’ contracts as collateral at an open auction on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.

Showtime lent $6.5 million to Pro Elite during their collaboration, according to SEC filings, and is trying to make good on at least a portion of it.

However, a Nov. 10 letter circulated by seven fighter representatives stated that they and their clients planned to legally challenge any contracts transferred in the sale. Imber said he was not contacted by the group for inclusion in the letter, nor was he forewarned that Ferguson’s contract would be listed for sale to the highest bidder.

“Nobody told us, but I think everyone’s in unchartered waters right now and who knows what’s going to happen with it,” Imber told Sherdog.com on Wednesday. “These people can all fight it; they can do whatever they want. They’re still going to put these contracts up at the auction, so I’m sure it’s some sort of ‘buyer beware’ [situation].”

Imber would not indicate if he and Ferguson would honor the fighter’s contract in a new buyer’s hands.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Two additional UFC 91 competitors test clean

UFC 91 competitors Nate Quarry and Demian Maia have passed pre-event drug tests administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) via email.

The commission recently enacted year-round drug testing, and the NSAC has been testing fighters prior to major events.

Quarry and Maia join UFC 91 main-event fighters Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar, as well as Amir Sadollah, Nick Catone, Jorge Gurgel, Aaron Riley, Mark Bocek and Alvin Robinson on the "clean" list.

UFC 91 takes place this Saturday, Nov. 15, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Quarry and Maia meet in a bout that will be televised on the night's pay-per-view telecast.

Earlier this year the NSAC announced it would begin conducting year-round testing. MMA fighters are subject to drug testing at any time -- for just about any reason -- throughout the year as part of the initiative, which was launched to combat steroid and other drug use among combat-sports competitors.

For more on the NSAC's new procedures, check out our interview with Kizer that followed the commission's official announcement.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MACDONALD VS GOUVEIA AT TUF8 FINALE

Jason MacDonald will return to action on Dec. 13 as a part of "The Ultimate Fighter” season finale to take on American Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia in a middleweight match-up. The fight will be a part of the televised broadcast featuring the finalists in the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions of the eighth season of the Spike TV reality show.

MacDonald’s manager, Mark Pavelich, confirmed the fight during an appearance on MMAWeekly Radio on Wednesday night.

Currently sporting a 5-3 record in the Octagon, MacDonald has always been seen as one of the toughest match-ups in the all of the 185-pound division. With a very dangerous ground game and a rapidly developing stand-up arsenal, the Canadian has been in the cage with some of the best fighters the division has to offer.

On the other side of the fight, Wilson Gouveia comes into the bout with MacDonald after making his move to the middleweight division in his most recent outing against Ryan Jensen. Gouveia submitted Jensen in the second round of their fight at UFC Fight Night in September.

The fight could be pivotal to an ever-expanding middleweight division as both fighters are trying to get closer to contender status and will be gunning for an exciting win on a highly publicized card.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 finale show will take place on Dec. 13 and will be telecast live on Spike TV.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Demian Maia ready to display a lifetime of preparation at UFC 91

With his three straight submission wins in the UFC, it would be easy to believe that middleweight Demain Maia attacks with a grappling-only attitude.

And despite being an Abu Dhabi world champion, Maia told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he's just as happy to bang it out on the feet.

"When I was a kid, I was training karate and kung fu," Maia said. "It was a long time ago, but I think you keep a little bit in your muscle memory. Now that I come back to training, it's not so hard to kick or do some stuff that maybe for other guys who just teach jiu-jitsu all their life it's harder.

"I like to fight stand up also, so it helps. I think when you do something that you love, you're going to be good."

Maia may get a chance to test his childhood striking skills when he faces hard-hitting Nate Quarry at "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar" on Saturday. Maia is well aware of the skills his opponent will bring to the cage.

"[Quarry] is strong," Maia said. "I saw his fights. He has a lot of heart. He's a tough guy. I'm trying to do the same -- submit the fighter -- always. But I'm ready for anything that can happen during the fight. Stand up, clinch, ground -- it doesn't matter for me. I've prepared all my life to do well during an MMA fight."

Maia has already submitted Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen. A win on Saturday would be his fourth straight in the UFC for the undefeated 31-year-old. But Maia isn't concerned with his positioning in the middleweight rankings.

"Of course [a UFC title shot] is my dream, but I know the UFC guys," Maia said. "They will know the time to put me in a title shot.

"For me, each fight I learn. I'm going to learn more this fight. Win or lose, I will be another fighter -- a better fighter -- for sure. And so it's just more experience. When the title shot comes, I will be more prepared."

Part of that preparation involves working with UFC light-heavyweight contender Wanderlei Silva. Along with sparring preparations, Maia also submits himself to the same snorkel-mask-assisted training program created by Rafael Alejarra.

"That [training] is crazy," Maia said. "You almost die. If you can do that, then during the fight you're going to do well.

"It's crazy training, but it really works. Alejarra, he really studies the physiology. He's not just inventing stuff. He studies if it works and why."

While Maia enjoys the training with Silva, a permanent relocation to Las Vegas is not currently a priority.

"I love to come here, but I love Brazil," Maia said. "I have my friends there. I have my family. I have my wife. I was born there in Sao Paulo. I've been there all my life. If I come here for two or three weeks, it's OK and I'm really happy. It's very nice to be here. But after some time, I miss my home."

Quarry claimed earlier this week that he wouldn't allow the bout with Maia to become a traditional striker vs. grappler matchup. For his part, Maia agrees.

"Fighting is fighting," Maia said. "MMA is MMA. I'm a world champion in grappling. It doesn't matter. The important [part] is inside the octagon."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Amir Sadollah hoping for hospital release today

"The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah, a former UFC 91 competitor who was pulled from the card earlier this week due to a leg infection, hopes to be released from the hospital today.

Sadollah, who's been in the hospital since Sunday, mentioned the possibility on his official blog.

Sadollah didn't mention any details of the infection, which began last week.

"It started on Friday with a small mark on my leg," Sadollah stated. "I immediately went to the doctor, and he gave me medication and told me if it got worse to go to the hospital. Well, it got worse, and on Sunday I went in and have been here ever since. I am hoping they will discharge me by Thursday."

Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who defeated C.B. Dollaway to win the "TUF" championship during the summer, was scheduled to fight UFC newcomer Nick Catone on the UFC 91 main card. With UFC officials unable to find a replacement, Catone was also pulled from the card, and a welterweight bout between Dustin Hazelett and Tamdan McCrory was promoted from the preliminary card.

Sadollah hopes for a quick return at a future UFC card.

"I am very sorry if I disappointed anyone," Sadollah wrote. "A lot of work by a lot of people went into this. For it to end with something totally out of my control makes it difficult to swallow. I will be back in the gym as soon as possible and will be ready to fight as soon as Joe Silva can get me back in."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Dana White: UFC 91 will set UFC record for PPV buys

UFC 91 is poised to be the highest-grossing pay-per-event in the promotion's history, according to UFC President Dana White.

Appearing this week on "ESPN First Take," White said Brock Lesnar's cross-over appeal will spur many WWE fans to buy the show, helping to generate what White estimates will be more than one million buys.

"We think we're going to do 1.2 million buys on this fight," White said on the show. "It's a big fight. ... (With) the WWE cross-over for this fight, a lot of WWE fans are going to tune in to see if their former wrestling champion can win in a real fight. Vince McMahon might even buy this fight."

If UFC 91 delivers that number, it will be the biggest in UFC history, surpassing the UFC 66 buy rate of 1.05 million.

UFC 66 took place in December 2006 and featured a main event of then-UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz. The event, which drew a record live gate of $5.4 million, also featured Forrest Griffin vs. Keith Jardine.

Lesnar faces champion Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title in the UFC 91 main event Saturday night. The event takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS DANNY MARTINEZ AT WEC 37

The growing bantamweight division in World Extreme Cagefighting adds two more potential contenders to its Dec. 3 show in Las Vegas, as MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that Joseph Benavidez will face Danny Martinez on the card.

Many fans will remember Benavidez from his brief stint fighting in Japan for the Dream promotion, when he was originally scheduled to face Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. Unfortunately, Yamamoto dropped out of the fight due to injury. Benavidez went on to dominate Junya Kudo, a late replacement for his original opponent.

Now Benavidez will move onto the WEC, which is quickly becoming the home of many of the top bantamweights in the world, including current champion Miguel Torres.

His opponent, Danny Martinez, is 11-2 in his professional career, while also holding the Rage in the Cage bantamweight title.

Last competing in early October, Martinez hopes to add onto his current three-fight win streak against an undefeated opponent in Benavidez, who trains alongside former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 91: FLORIAN READY TO PUT THE PAST BEHIND

When Kenny Florian defeated Roger Huerta in August it seemed like the Boston based fighter was headed straight for a title shot against UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn.

Instead, Florian’s route detoured due to Penn moving up to welterweight for a fight against Georges St. Pierre so instead of waiting for a title shot, he instead opted to take a shot at former No. 1 contender Joe Stevenson.

With every fight comes risk, but Florian was insistent on keeping up his fight schedule, while facing every top contender along the way.

“I just love to fight and I told the UFC that not only did I want to fight, but I want to fight someone tough,” Florian commented on MMAWeekly Radio recently. “And Joe Stevenson certainly fit the bill and I was happy when they gave me that name, I said ‘I’ll take it’. That’s one of the guys I always wanted to fight, I consider him one of the best guys out there.”

While a title shot seemed just within his grasp, Florian would rather eliminate any doubt as to whether or not he deserves a shot at the 155-pound championship for a second time in his career.

“I don’t want anything handed to me, I really want to earn it,” Florian stated. “The kind of opposite way I was thrown into a title shot really early in my career, and really thrown in the UFC early on in my career. I really wanted to prove I’m the No. 1 contender hands down, and here I have another opportunity to prove it against Joe Stevenson.”

With Florian in the proverbial cat bird’s seat as the top contender in the division now, Stevenson has been vocal about his role as an underdog coming into the fight. While the betting odds may read that way, Florian feels there is no real favorite in this fight until they square off Saturday night.

“No, absolutely not, there’s no such thing, that’s all (expletive).” Florian said about Stevenson’s supposed underdog role in the fight. “When it comes down to fight time, there’s no such thing as a favorite, there’s no such thing as an underdog. I don’t believe in that at all, and I’ve come in as an underdog many times and it just doesn’t mean anything as far as I’m concerned.”

Beyond the oddsmakers, many fans and critics have been critical when breaking down this fight simply because of Florian’s last fight against a very physically strong wrestler.

In only his eighth professional fight, Florian lost his first chance at the UFC gold by dropping a five-round decision to Sean Sherk, who essentially outwrestled and outmuscled the former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor for the win.

“I love hearing people saying ‘oh Joe Stevenson he’s very similar to (Sean) Sherk and I think he’s going to do the same thing that Sherk did,’" Florian said. “I hope people think that, I really do. I really hope people think that I have the same wrestling that I had since the Sherk fight.

“People think I’m sitting here on my (expletive) watching TV, or watching instructionals on wrestling. I’m out there training every single day, and I’m getting some good wrestling training partners and I can’t wait.”

Not only is Florian training his wrestling, but he also says he’s more than happy to test his ground game against Stevenson’s if the fight goes there.

“Let’s see whose wrestling’s better. Let’s see if he can take me down, let’s see if he can overpower me and let’s do it,” Folorian stated. “I hope people are looking at that Sherk fight and thinking that’s the same Kenny Florian. People like living in the past, and that’s good for them, I’m living now.”

Florian will get the chance to show his improvement and most likely guarantee a title shot if he gets past Joe Stevenson at UFC 91 on Saturday night.