MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

ED SOARES COMMENTS ON ELITEXC CONTRACTS

The continuing fallout from the demise of EliteXC is still hitting fighters where it hurts the most – in the wallet – and Ed Soares, manager for Brazilian fighters Rafael Feijao and Fabricio Camoes, is hopeful a resolution can be reached soon.

"Basically we want to get out," Soares told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "We sent that 30-day notice that they breeched the contract and they're basically saying they didn't. They're still saying that they are putting on events, but it's hard to believe."

Soares mentioned the financial difficulty for fighters like Feijao, who was supposed to fight on the cancelled Nov. 8 show, and they all want closure to the situation so the fighters are able to move on.

"It's right before Christmas, it's right before the holidays, these guys cancelled the fights," Soares stated. "Rafael Feijao had a title fight on Nov. 8 and it's unfortunate, but on top of all that they're not even going to release them out of their contracts so they (can) sign another deal."

Both Feijao and Camoes were seen as extremely bright prospects for EliteXC, and their manager feels they are both destined to work with major promotions, but the current contract hold up is preventing them from landing that type of deal right now.

"Today, they mentioned that (Feijao) can go sign some new deals, but he wanted to get with an organization like the UFC. They're not going to want a one or two off deal. They're signing exclusive deals, so we're just going to have to wait it out and see where it takes us," Soares commented.

Another financial hardship the fighters must now undergo are the sponsors that pay the fighters a monthly stipend that at this time have no idea when they will get a return on their investment because the fighters have to stay shelved during this contract situation.

Ultimately, Soares wants what every manager in this unfortunate situation wants and that is freedom for his fighters to move on and sign new deals to get them fighting again.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce's Tony Johnson brings heavy hands from humble start

Strikeforce middleweight Tony Johnson (3-0) has shown impressive striking prowess in the initial stages of his career.

Still just 19 months into his MMA job, Johnson has earned knockout or TKO wins in each of his first three professional bouts.

And as Johnson recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), his initial success is a far cry from his fight sport beginnings.

"I grew up just an athlete in high school playing basketball, no wrestling background or anything in high school," Johnson said. "I went to college. I played a year of basketball in college. And then just trying to stay in shape, my buddy Luke Caudillo -- he's also a Strikeforce fighter now, he's fought in the UFC a couple of times -- he had just started getting into the sport. And he wanted me to come hit Thai pads one day."

Johnson said the thought of a different kind of exercise sounded appealing.

"I hated to run, and I hated to do cardio at the time," Johnson said. "I went in to hit Thai pads, and sometimes you either have it or you don't. And I guess with my basketball background and my eye-hand coordination, the first day of hitting Thai pads I was good."

While Johnson was excited with his natural affinity for the sport, his new training partners were less impressed.

"Being a new guy in the gym, they had this trick," Johnson said. "They were like, 'Oh, yeah. Why don't you throw this head gear on and spar with Luke? He's got a fight coming up.' Again this is the first day in the gym.

"(So I said), 'Yeah, OK. I'll throw it on. What harm could it be?'

"I didn't really know what sparring was about. I was hitting Thai pads, and Thai pads don't hit back. Luke broke my nose and knocked me out cold the first day in there. My nose looked like a water fountain. [Blood] was spurting out with my heartbeat, almost. And these guys thought it was the funniest thing in the world, talking, 'Basketball players can't fight. Go back to the court.'"

Undeterred, Johnson returned for more the following day.

"I came in the next day, and I was like, 'Give me that head gear back, and let's do this again,'" Johnson said. "Ever since then I've just fought. They called me up a month later, and they said, 'Hey, we've got an amateur show in Denver. Do you want to fight on it?'

"(I said), 'Heck, yeah. Lace me up. Let's do this.' I fought Muay Thai for almost six years after that. And then about two years ago I started making the transition into MMA. That's my background. It's just mostly Muay Thai and Golden Gloves boxing."

Despite his relative inexperience in the sport, Johnson said the thrill of competing kept his interest high.

"It's an incredible rush," Johnson said. "Anybody that fights and has been in there will tell you it's a rush better than any kind of drug or anything that you could possibly do. You feel on top of the world."

Johnson's striking background makes him a danger on his feet. The 25-year-old's ground game is admittedly still in the developmental stages.

"I've trained a lot of no-gi (grappling)," Johnson said. "As far as the rankings, originally I started training in the Miletich Fighting System in the Midwest. We didn't use the gi. It was all no-gi stuff.

"I just now started to get into the gi training to get my ranking. So of course I'm still at the white-belt level as far as my ranking. In the fights, man, I haven't got tested on the ground yet. The one time I've been to the ground, it was me on top. And it was just ground and pound.

"Other than that, I'm guessing that this is the first fight that I'm really going to get tested on the ground."

Johnson will be facing Strikeforce and Gladiator Challenge veteran Eric Lawson (7-2) on the undercard of Friday's "Strikeforce: Destruction" event. Johnson feels his opponent will be looking to take the fight to the mat immediately.

"I know [Lawson] is looking to come out and shoot right away," Johnson said. "I've watched some video. He just waits for the first commitment on a punch and takes the first shot he can. We'll see where my ground stands."

Of course, if Johnson can impose his own gameplan, it may be another day before his ground skills are put to the test.

"I'm definitely looking to keep it on the feet," Johnson said. "My gameplan is just going to be sprawl and brawl, I guess you could say. If it does go to the ground, I'm not counting out a triangle or an arm bar. I've got long legs. I'm lanky, 6-foot-2. So I throw on a quick triangle.

"But I'm definitely going to be looking for submissions but be looking to stand-up. I like to keep it standing and bang it out. It's always an exciting fight to watch. And it's fun to stay off the ground and not wrestle, throw some blows."

Lawson, who owns just one career knockout win, has suggested he may try to outstrike Johnson. The Nebraska-born striker said he hopes the claim is not just pre-fight posturing.

"I'm going to be looking for the knockout," Johnson said. "I read an interview where [Lawson] actually claims he's looking to knock me out in the first round. So I hope he wants to stand up and bang and do that. I'll give the crowd a highlight reel."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Aleksander Emelianenko scores KO victory at M-1 Challenge 9

Heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko (14-3), who was expected to last compete in July for "Affliction: Banned" before he was pulled from the card for still-mysterious reasons, today scored a first-round knockout of South Korean prospect Sang Soo Lee (10-5).

The fight took place at M-1 Challenge 9 in St. Peterburg, Russia.

Emelianenko used an early right hook to floor Lee in the opening minutes of the first round.

It was Emelianenko's fifth consecutive victory; all have come via first-round stoppage. Meanwhile, the loss snapped a string of four consecutive wins for Lee, a veteran of the SpiritMC and DEEP organizations.

Emelianenko, a PRIDE veteran and the younger brother of current WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, is generally considered one of the world's top-15 heavyweights with past wins over Assuerio Silva, Sergei Kharitonov, Eric Pele and others.

Back at "Banned," Emelianenko was set to make his American fight debut against Paul Buentello. However, he was pulled from Affliction's debut event just seconds before he was set to weigh in for the fight and was eventually replaced by Gary Goodridge in the FSN-televised fight.

The California State Athletic Commission stated that 27-year-old Emelianenko failed to meet licensing requirements, though officials could not divulge the reason why due to privacy regulations. Although it was widely reported that Emelianenko had tested positive for Hepatitis B, his camp has repeatedly denied the claims when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).


* * * *


Kiril Sidelnikov, who next meets Buentello in the Jan. 24 "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" HDNet featured bout, also picked up a victory at M-1 Challenge 9.

"Baby Fedor," a Red Devil fighter and teammate of Fedor Emelianenko, defeated Jang Yong Kim (2-3) with a quick and efficient first-round TKO. Sidelnikov delivered a barrage of punches until his corner threw in the towel.

 

[UCDgreek]

That Tito Vidoe Was Good He Should Get The Respect From Dana White When Was The Last Time Dana Fought In A Cage? Lmfao Enough Said

they were supposed to have a boxing match and tito bitched out. Tito is over the hill, he hasnt done shit in a while and he wont beat anyone noteworthy at this point.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Smith KOs Martin in Strikeforce Debut

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith lived up to his nickname on Friday, as he knocked out fellow UFC veteran Terry Martin in the Strikeforce “Destruction” main event before 8,152 at the HP Pavilion.

Martin backed Smith into the cage in an attempt to close the distance and was met with a short right hand that ended his night in just 24 seconds.

Following the second-fastest finish of his career, Smith (14-5) immediately went into his superhero flex pose and enjoyed the cheers from the crowd. Martin (18-6) has dropped four of his last six fights, three of them by knockout.

“I knew this fight wasn’t going to go long,” Smith said. “I stepped in there, and, as soon as we engaged, I just felt it, man. I knew this fight was going to end soon.”

A light heavyweight title bout between champion Bobby Southworth and Renato “Babalu” Sobral also ended early.

With fans firmly behind him, the San Jose-based titleholder scored with an immediate takedown against Sobral and stifled the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt on the ground. A loose attempt at a transition from Sobral allowed Southworth to control the action further before the two men returned to their feet.

Clinch work against the cage drew boos from the raucous crowd, and referee “Big” John McCarthy split up the two men after a period of inactivity, placing them in the center of the cage. Back in the clinch, “Babalu” landed a wicked elbow that sliced open the American Kickboxing Academy representative.

McCarthy promptly had ringside physicians check the cut, and fans cheered as Southworth was allowed to continue. Southworth repaid their admiration, as he countered the Brazilian with a straight right that sent him to the mat. Sobral (31-7), however, weathered Southworth’s storm until the bell brought an end to the round.

Between rounds, cage-side doctors deemed Southworth unfit to continue because of the cut. Sobral, his reign as Strikeforce champion having begun, jumped joyously.

“I tried to push the pace,” Sobral said. “I knew he was going to hold me against the cage.”

The controversial Brazilian quickly answered calls for a rematch with Southworth (9-6), who was visibly disheartened by the outcome.

“Anytime, anywhere,” Sobral said.

A catchweight bout between Duane Ludwig -- a late substitute for injured lightweight champion Josh Thomson -- and Yves Edwards promised explosive stand-up action, but it was work on the ground that made the difference.

Edwards secured an early takedown with a leg trip against the muay Thai specialist. However, Ludwig demonstrated versatility with the butterfly guard, as he prevented any serious damage and essentially neutralized his opponent. A late smattering of punches from Edwards opened the opportunity for Ludwig to return to his feet at the end of round one.

The second stanza brought dynamic striking from the fighters. Ludwig threw single shots and targeted the body when Edwards unleashed combinations. Another leg trip forced Ludwig to the ground, though he quickly scrambled back to his feet and punished Edwards with stiff body shots. Targeting the liver, Ludwig found his range before he was interrupted by another takedown. Boos rained down from the crowd as Edwards (34-15-1) worked on the ground and the round drew to a close.

Round three saw each the fighters exchange lethargic strikes before more jeers from the audience inspired Ludwig (18-8) to let loose. And while he was double-legged for his trouble, Ludwig found surprising success with his wrestling, as he fended off takedowns and controlled Edwards from top position.

All three judges sided with Ludwig by matching 29-28 counts.

“We’re friends,” said Ludwig, who has won back-to-back fights since his loss to Takanori Gomi in March. “The only way that we were going to take the fight is so we can both have a Christmas for our kids. If I didn’t take the fight, he would have been out; no money for Christmas. We do this for our jobs. This is what we do.”

One-sided fireworks were on display in the night’s lone female fight.

Kim Couture, wife of UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, threw caution to the wind and let her hands fly against Lina Kvokov, who flinched in the face of relentless pressure. Couture (1-1) controlled the clinch and battered the Oregonian across the cage, stalking Kvokov with punches as she backpedaled.

In survival mode from the opening bell, Kvokov (0-2) offered only a handful of punches, many of which missed their mark. She met her end 1:24 into the match, as Couture -- who landed 28 of her 44 strikes -- blasted her out of the cage. The victory was Couture’s first as a professional.

“My hands have been sharp,” Couture said. “They didn’t feel like they were as sharp as they’ve been feeling, but they worked.”

Finally, UFC veteran Joe Riggs made a successful return to the welterweight division, as he stopped Luke Stewart on second-round strikes.

Early on, Riggs (29-10) appeared to be the more inexperienced of the two, as he could not control the distance against the sharp San Franciscan. After landing a leg kick, Stewart scored with a quick takedown. Despite returning to his feet, Riggs was forced to fend off Stewart from all angles.

Stewart (6-2) continued to close the distance as the second stanza opened, but a takedown forced him to match his guard with Riggs’ heavy ground-and-pound. Experience soon kicked in, as Riggs founds his rhythm and began to unload. Stewart ultimately scrambled to his feet, where a big hook sent the heavily tattooed welterweight to the ground. The end came 2:05 into the second round.

Other Bouts
Luke Rockhold def. Nik Theotikos -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:06 R1
Brian Schwartz def. Lemont Davis -- KO (Punch) 2:22 R3
Kurt Osiander def. Josh Neal -- TKO (Strikes) 2:16 R1
Eric Lawson def. Tony Johnson -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 1:28 R1
Bobby Stack def. Cyrillo Padilha -- Decision (Unanimous)
Brad Royster def Darren Uyenoyama -- Decision (unanimous)
Alvin Cacdac def. Jose Palacios -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:10 R2
Zak Bucia def. Adam Steel -- Submission (Guillotine Choke) 0:35 R1

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction Puts Pieces in Place for 'Reckoning'

World Association of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will defend his title against former UFC titleholder Andrei Arlovski at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” on Jan. 24 at the Honda Center in Anaheim Calif. The bout, which pairs two of the world’s top three heavyweights, will headline the pay-per-view event.

Other pieces to the anticipated show have also begun falling into place and include a catchweight fight between 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland and reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral.

Sobral (31-7) -- who made waves with his dismissal from the UFC in August 2007 after he refused to relinquish a choke on David Heath -- stopped Bobby Southworth on a first-round cut to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight crown on Friday in San Jose, Calif.

The 33-year-old Gracie Barra representative outpointed Xtreme Couture’s Mike Whitehead at Affliction “Banned” in July. He has rattled off four straight wins.

Another UFC castoff, Lindland (21-5) also fought at Affliction’s debut last summer, as he earned a unanimous decision against Fabio Nascimento. Once viewed as one of the world’s best 185-pound competitors, Lindland has become a vagabond of sorts, bouncing between the middleweight and heavyweight divisions. He has won 10 of his last 12 bouts, losing only to Emelianenko and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Meanwhile, former International Fight League light heavyweight kingpin Vladimir Matyushenko will collide with Pride Fighting Championships veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a 205-pound rematch.

Matyushenko (21-3) defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision at a Universal Fighting-Arts Organization event in Japan back in 2002. Having dominated competition inside the IFL, Matyushenko will carry an eight-fight winning streak into the match. The soon-to-be 38-year-old Belarusian has not competed since he stopped Jamal Patterson on strikes in April. He has been finished only once -- by Arlovski at UFC 44 -- in his career and holds other notable victories against Yuki Kondo, Pedro Rizzo and Travis Wiuff.

Nogueira (15-3) -- the twin brother of interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- has won back-to-back bouts since his stunning knockout loss to Team Quest’s Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Pride 33 in February 2007. The 32-year-old Brazilian counts wins over two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba and reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem among his conquests. He last competed at Sengoku “Sixth Battle” on Nov. 1, when he cruised to a unanimous decision against Moise Rimbon.

Other bouts will pit one-time IFL poster boy Chris Horodecki against Dan Lauzon, former IFL welterweight kingpin Jay Hieron against Jason High and heavyweight veteran Paul Buentello against Kiril Sidelnikov.

Former UFC champions Josh Barnett and Vitor Belfort are also booked to compete at “Day of Reckoning,” though opponents have not yet been announced.

Affliction: Day of Reckoning
Saturday, Jan. 24
Honda Center
Anaheim, Calif.

WAMMA Heavyweight Championship
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski

Matt Lindland vs. Renato Sobral
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Kiril Sidelnikov vs. Paul Buentello
Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon
Jay Hieron vs. Jason High
Mark Hominick vs. LC Davis
Antonio Duarte vs. Albert Rios
Josh Barnett vs. TBA
Vitor Belfort vs. TBA
Brett Cooper vs. TBA

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC champ Mike Brown open to rematch, January date too soon

WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown found himself a little-known commodity in the weeks before his Nov. 5 main event bout with Urijah Faber.

Less than three minutes after the bell rang for the "WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown" contest, Faber had been defeated for the first time in 14 bouts -- and Mike Brown was the world's new No. 1 featherweight.

"I'm thankful," Brown recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I've been fighting a long time. I haven't really got the recognition I thought I really deserved. I finally got a little bit, so it's just kind of cool."

Recognition for the soft-spoken American Top Team fighter included VIP treatment by his employers at "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar."

"The UFC brought me out for the Couture fight, had me front row," Brown said. "Man, I was pretty psyched. They had (British boxing champion) Ricky Hatton sitting behind me. I felt like a star. It's Ricky Hatton right there."

While the benefits of his win over Faber were numerous, Brown did not leave the bout unscathed. Torn cartilage in his ribs have left the 33-year-old on the shelf for the immediate future.

Brown said he was satisfied with his injury's healing progress.

"I'm fine," Brown said. "I've already started running and things like that. I can't wrestle yet, but I'm fine as long as I'm not twisting real hard and using a lot of my ab muscles. But I can run, so I'm good."

Faber has stated publicly in the weeks following his loss that he hopes for an immediate rematch. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Brown said he's fine taking on any opponent.

"I'm fine with [a rematch]," Brown said. "I don't mind fighting him again. I've also heard Leonard (Garcia) might be next. So either, or. I'm willing to fight either guy. They're both great. They both deserve a shot."

While Brown is open to any opponent, the new champ said the WEC's recently announced Jan. 25 card in San Diego is too soon for a potential return.

"I'm probably not going to be ready by then," Brown said. "I want to make sure I'm full steam and don't want to mess around. I'll be fighting a world-class guy."

Instead, Brown will eye a potential March event as his first shot at a successful WEC title defense.

"It's looking like March, they're saying," Brown said. "And what's cool is I think it's going to be back in Florida is what I'm hearing. So I'll take that any day. I love fighting at home."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Werdum wants to fight the best in the world with Affliction

“When I first heard the rumours, I didn’t know anything. I had four more fights left with them on my contract, which ran to 2010. But they demanded to renegotiate my exiting contract by cutting my pay in half…. It’s a pity I would have liked to continue with the UFC but now we forge ahead…. There are several possibilities now including fighting in multiple organizations. Affliction, Sengoku and Dream are big events, but I think the possibility of fighting for Affliction in particular will give me the best chance to fight the best in the world, Fedor, in addition to (Andrei) Arlovski, Josh Barnett and several other big names … that would be a great opportunity for me”"

 

[Shogun Locc]

Alistair Overeem confirms New Year’s Eve bout vs. Mirko Cro Cop

Alistair Overeem has confirmed that he will compete against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on New Year’s Eve in a bout to be featured during FEG’s annual “Dynamite!!” event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The former PRIDE star made the announcement during an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com contributing writing Cory Brady that will be appearing later this week.

Overeem, Strikeforce’s current heavyweight champion, fought to a no contest against Cro Cop at DREAM 6 this past September. The match was called to a stop in the first round after Cro Cop was the recipitient of multiple low blows from Overeem and was unable to continue fighting.

The two heavyweights engaged in a great deal of public trash talking leading up to the bout and the manner in which it ended has only added additional fuel to the heated feud.

Overeem has already competed in the wake of the Cro Cop fight, improving his record to 29-11 following a first round submission against Gary Goodridge courtesy of a Kimura during “Glory 10” on November 19 in the Netherlands.

In addition to Overeem vs. Cro Cop II, FEG’s “Dynamite!!” will also bouts between DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen vs. Gesias “J.Z. Calvan” Calvancante in a non-title affair and Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura. Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii, who is now reportedly a contracted FEG fighter, will make an appearance on the show as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Golden Boy no longer expected to compete with Affliction on Jan. 24

When reports surfaced that Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions was planning a Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito fight to be televised on HBO on Jan. 24, questions were raised regarding the company’s commitment to Affliction Entertainment.

Both Affliction and Golden Boy have announced a partnership in recent months in which Affliction would provide merchandising resources to Golden Boy while in turn, Golden Boy would assist Affliction with its television and live event production.

The Affliction-Golden Boy marriage is set to kickoff on January 24 for Affliction’s second-ever PPV, titled “Day of Reckoning” and featuring WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko defending his title vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

While the proposed Mosley vs. Margarito fight was set to be aired on premium cable, the revelation that Golden Boy had plans to help two events in one night didn’t seem entirely logical. However, reports have surfaced in recent days indicating that Margarito did not respond in time to a Tuesday deadline that had been set for him to formally accept the bout.

Reports indicate that attempts were made to secure a replacement for Margarito with unbeaten WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto considered a leading candidate. However, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that if a Mosley vs. Berto fight is signed, that it’s unlikely to take place on Jan. 24 meaning Golden Boy is no longer expected to go head-to-head with “Day of Reckoning.”

In related news, sources have informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com that Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio incorrectly stated to SI.com’s Josh Gross last week that Showtime will be producing “Day of Reckoning.” While Showtime will be distributing the PPV, Golden Boy will be overseeing the television production with Showtime expected to provide marketing and promotional resources. Organizers involved with the event have yet to finalize the announce team for the show but a decision is expected soon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jacare: “Demian Maia is phenomenal”

Four fights inside the UFC octagon, four impressive submission victories. With a prefect card, Demian Maia is leaving America impressed with his Jiu-Jitsu game plan for the MMA. Big friend of Maia, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has been doing a great work in Japanese MMA, and is very happy with Maia’s performance in the UFC. “Demian is phenomenal, as person and as a athlete. He deserves to be where he’s now, he has a great Jiu-Jitsu and is very well on the MMA”, praised Jacare, who commented a possible fight between Demian and Michael Bisping. “Demian has all chances to beat him. He’s a tough guy, but Demian wants tougher guys now and I believe on him, his Jiu-Jitsu and everything else”, bets Souza, who commented on Maia’s chances against the UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. "I believe Demian is on the right track, he has to get Bisping and then try to get a chance with Anderson, a guy who’s in a great time and it’s very hard to find somebody to beat him, but it’s not impossible. Anderson is absolute in his weight category, Demian knows that and will go up one step after another”, said the two times BJJ openweight world champion, who doesn’t know when he’ll be back in action at Dream. “I have no proposals to fight by the end of the year, but there’s a small possibility to fight this year”, revealed Souza.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafael dos Anjos comments his UFC debut

Doing his UFC debut at the 91st edition, Rafael dos Anjos lost for the first time since 2005. After the knockout suffered by Jeremy Stephens, who also got the knockout of the night bonus with the performance, Rafael spoke to TATAME.com about the first fight in the octagon. “Unfortunately I couldn’t make it. I was well on my gas and everything, but had a little unlucky too, the punch got right on my chin… I had my chance to finish the fight and didn’t do it, he had his and got that. I’m already back on training”, said dos Anjos, who continues on the event. “It was good to see when I’m mistaking so that I don’t do the same mistakes again. Joe Silva (UFC matchmaker) spoke with me after the fight and said he liked that, it was a good fight and I’ll continue on the event”, guarantees the Brazilian.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White’s Ill Communication

Ivan Trembow makes an excellent point about the growing incompatibility Dana White seems to have with any role that involves a bargaining position with other entities:

It wasn’t the first time that Fertitta has been forced to play “Good Cop” after one of White’s outbursts directed at fighters or their managers. Who had to handle Randy Couture’s recent contract negotiations? Who had to handle Tito Ortiz’ last few UFC contracts? Who had to handle the negotiations to buy Pride FC? Who would have to handle any potential future negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko after all of White’s public insults towards Fedor and his camp? Lorenzo Fertitta.


Fitch also said to MMA Rated on Thursday, “Communication kind of broke down with Dana [White], so we talked with Lorenzo [Fertitta]. I just got off the phone with him, and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead, and I’ll be back in the UFC… we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”

Such a heavy hand at the bargaining table can have some effectiveness with fighters, but White’s communication skills haven’t curried him any favors in other aspects of the business. White’s mantra of “They need us we don’t need them” is full of bluster but somewhat effective when used against fighters, but Dana has used this same line of logic when speaking about sponsors like Coca Cola and others. A network TV deal is another area where White’s people skills may be a hindrance, with NBC rumored to have no interest in working with the UFC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brown, Herman Featured on HDNet's 'Inside MMA'
videolink:http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Brown-Herman-Featured-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1839
On this week’s HDNet “Inside MMA,” Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice were joined by WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown, heavyweight prospect Dave Herman and MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dave Herman, Dan Christison and Paul Bradley victorious on Saturday

A handful of notables were in action on Saturday and emerged victorious in regional shows around the country.

EliteXC heavyweight and undefeated prospect Dave Herman made quick work of his opponent in a King of Kombat main event fight.

Additionally, "The Ultimate Fighter 2" cast member and UFC veteran Dan Christison and "TUF 7" alumnus Paul Bradley also posted victories.

Herman (13-0) met Chris Guillen (13-11) at the KOK event in Texas. Herman forced a TKO stoppage due to strikes just 92 seconds into the fight.

It was his 13th stoppage in 13 career fights, 12 of which have come in the first round. He has previously defeated Kerry Schall in the main event of an Oct. 10 ShoXC event in Hammond, Ind.

Christison (14-6), meanwhile, picked up a submission victory at the Intimidation Cage Fighting's "Redemption" show at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Christison stopped the previously undefeated Steve Bank (who entered the fight with a 9-0 amateur record and 2-0 professional mark) with a kimura in the closing seconds of the first round.

Christison, who recently signed a contract with American Fight League (but is allowed to compete in outside organizations while the fledgling company prepares for an early 2009 return), is currently riding a six-fight win streak. All of the victories have come via stoppage, four via submission.

In other action, Bradley (9-0) defeated fellow "TUF 7" cast member Dante Rivera (10-4) during a Ring of Combat event at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Bradley forced the TKO stoppage just 34 seconds into the first round.

Bradley had a small stint on "TUF 7" ealier this year. After winning his way into the "TUF" house, he was kicked off the show after doctors determined he had a contagious skin disease.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell IV in works for Germany event

After competing in three legendary light-heavyweight fights, former UFC champions Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) and Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC) could now meet during a heavyweight encounter at a June 13 event in Cologne, Germany.

The report comes from the U.K.-based The Sun, which cites UFC officials as saying Liddell has been offered the heavyweight main event.

Couture recently lost his heavyweight belt to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Liddell, meanwhile, has dropped three of his four past fights at light heavyweight, but he's made no public statement regarding a potential move up to heavyweight.

A source told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Couture is open to a fourth Liddell fight, but we've been unable to confirm is the fight has been offered to Liddell.

With the event apparently in the works for Germany, it should come as little surprise that the UFC invited a small contingent of German press to UFC 91 to see Couture's main event with Lesnar. The 45-year-old Couture speaks German and has long been considered a likely headliner once the UFC does head to Germany, a market UFC officials have continually mentioned as a site for future expansion.

Couture and Liddell took part in a popular trilogy of fights that played out between 2003 and 2006. Couture scored a third-round TKO at UFC 43 to win the first match-up for the interim light heavyweight title (former champ Tito Ortiz had been stripped of the title), but the 38-year-old Liddell won back the belt and made a successful title defense over Couture with knockout wins at UFC 52 and UFC 57.

With Liddell potentially tied up with the Germany event, he is apparently no longer being considered as an opponent for Anderson Silva at UFC 95 in London, England.

The Sun reported the possibility of the bout, and though not opposed to the fight, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, last week told MMAjunkie.com that the UFC had not officially approached them about it.

The newspaper now reports that Silva, the UFC's current middleweight champion, could instead meet one of the losers from UFC 92's two marquee 205-pound fights: UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans or Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Emelianenko looking for new challenges, including Lesnar, in 2009

Current WAMMA heavyweight champion and soon-to-be Affliction headliner Fedor Emelianenko is looking for some new challenges in 2009, and the famed Russian fighter says he wants to compete against the heavyweight division's best.

As we mentioned last week, Emelianenko and M-1 recently issued a statement discussing Brock Lesnar's victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture. And while he spent much of 2008 trying to arrange a fight with Couture, Emelianenko now instead wants a future bout with Lesnar.

In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Emelianenko discussed what's in store for his fighting future, including a Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning" main event with Andrei Arlovski, as well as his hand injury and whether retirement is something he's seriously considered.

In last week's statement, which was issued by M-1 executive Jerry Millen, company executives publicly stated their desire for a "superfight" between Emelianenko and Lesnar. They even made a bold prediction for the fight.

"In a match between Fedor and Lesnar, we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar would be able to make it out of the first round," the statement read.

However, the stipulations for the fight -- the fight would need to be a "co-promoted event between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment" -- will make it unlikely ever to happen. The UFC doesn't co-promote fights. And given UFC President Dana White's frustrations over M-1 and Emelianenko's management team when he did explore the possibility of signing the Russian, the UFC is unlikely even to entertain discussions.

Regardless, we briefly spoke to Emelianenko about his thoughts on the fight, his upcoming bout with Arlovski, whether a hand injury that forced Emelianenko out of "Day of Reckoning's" initial October date has healed, and what challenges he awaits in 2009.

The following is a transcript of the (time-restricted) chat.

* * * *
MMAjunkie.com: In light of the recent statement in which you mentioned you'd like to fight Brock Lesnar, I'm interested to know if you saw UFC 91 and the fight between Randy Couture and Lesnar, and what your thoughts were.

Fedor Emelianenko: I think it was a good fight. It was a very interesting fight. I was very impressed with how accurate Randy was, and like a lot of fights at this level, sometimes the fights come down to which opponent takes advantage of the other opponent's mistakes, and Brock got quite lucky.

MMAjunkie.com: Do you feel Lesnar's size advantage was the determining factor in this fight?

Fedor Emelianenko: I think to some extent size makes a difference. I don't think it's the ultimate deciding factor. I think it was probably, to some extent, a factor in the fight. But it all depends on the other opponent in the ring. Some people deal with size differently. In this particular fight, it certainly played a factor.

MMAjunkie.com: Going back to what you said, you felt Lesnar may have gotten "lucky." If Lesnar and Couture were to rematch, do you believe Couture would win?

Fedor Emelianenko: I don't know. It's hard to say. It's hard to predict, but I think in reality the result could be different.

MMAjunkie.com: In the statement released by M-1, it says you're interested in a fight with Lesnar. How would you expect the fight to play out if you were to fight him?

Fedor Emelianenko: It's a difficult thing to talk about. There very well could be a time in the future I might fight Lesnar, and I can't release or divulge any secrets with the way I feel the fight would play out.

MMAjunkie.com: Again, going back to the statement, do you feel that this attention on Lesnar and Couture may overshadow your upcoming fight with Andrei Arlovski? Do you feel he could take it as you being disrespectful?

Fedor Emelianenko: No, I don't think so. In the near future, I have a fight with Arlovski. All I'm concentrating on is that fight. I don't think Andrei would be angered by the fact -- the fact is that both of us and all three of us will have careers past our next fights. And if fate were to bring Lesnar and I together, then there's no use not talking about it right now.

MMAjunkie.com: You were originally scheduled to fight Arlovski in October, but the fight was scratched due to your hand injury. Now that the fight is back on for January, I think a lot of fans are interested in knowing how the hand is doing and whether it'll be a factor in the fight.

Fedor Emelianenko: No, thank God everything with the hand is fine. I don't think the previous hand injury is going to create any problems with my next fight.

MMAjunkie.com: Aside from the Arlovski fight, assuming contracts and politics weren't an issue, what would your ideal fight schedule be for 2009?

Fedor Emelianenko: The main qualification is that I want to fight guys I haven't fought before, and I want to fight guys who are the best and are rated top 10 in the world. As long as I am able to do that in the upcoming year, then I'll be happy with how my career is continuing.

MMAjunkie.com: You're 32. Have you given any thought to a potential retirement date, or is that still a ways off?

Fedor Emelianenko: I haven't given any retirement thoughts yet. All I think about is continuing to fight. As long as I have the strength and the will, I think the right thing is for me to continue fighting.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TUF Episode 10 Rating

TUF 8 episode 10 earned a 1.1 household rating. The show did a 1.19 in Men 18-49, a .88 in People 18-49, a 1.32 in Men 18-34, and an average audience of 1.4 million viewers

The Quarter hour breakdown:

1.07
1.14
.99
1.11

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lesnar’s Trainer Eyes Next Hurdle

Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has precious little time to bask in the glow of his UFC 91 victory over Randy Couture.

A 2009 bout with the winner of the interim heavyweight title fight between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir at UFC 92 in December will serve as Lesnar’s next hurdle. The 31-year-old Minnesotan lost to Mir in his promotional debut at UFC 81, as he submitted to a kneebar from the crafty former champion. A showdown with Nogueira would pose different challenges altogether, according to Greg Nelson, Lesnar’s trainer and head of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

“Obviously, Nogueira is a completely different animal,” Nelson told Beatdown Radio on Nov. 17, less than 48 hours after Lesnar defeated Couture by second-round technical knockout in Las Vegas. “Here’s a guy that’s a very good striker. He can take a tremendous amount of punishment. He’s a phenomenal ground fighter. There’s a lot of homework we’re going to have to do as coaches to get him prepared for this potential bout. [With] Nogueira, we’re going to have to step it up another notch, pull in some other people.”

Nelson sees a rematch with Mir going differently than the first encounter. Lesnar dominated the early action between the two in February but tapped out to a kneebar 90 seconds into the fight.

“I think this will obviously be a different fight than before,” Nelson said. “He’s a bit more composed in the ring now than before. He understands what he did against Frank. I think if we faced Frank Mir again it would definitely be a different fight. We’ve trained for Frank before, so that’s something we believe we can prepare for.”

No matter who Lesnar faces next, most expect him to be at a disadvantage on the ground, as Mir and Nogueira carry with them world-class jiu-jitsu games. Nelson believes Lesnar already has the hard part out of the way.

“When you have a really high level wrestler, you don’t have to worry about developing the ground sense anymore, and that’s the hardest thing to do as a grappler,” Nelson said. “For Brock, it’s learning new motions. He likes wrestling off his back. He works off his back a lot. To him, it’s another intriguing game to learn.”

Nelson has already taken the necessary steps towards improving Lesnar’s submission skills, including bringing Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Rodrigo Comprido into the fold.

“We’re bringing in a lot of guys that can help him out, [with] Comprido being the premier guy as far as the ground because he’s a five-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu,” Nelson said. “Brock loves to work with him. He just really enjoys the process, and it’s not a chore to get in the gym. The big thing is liking what you’re doing, then putting the time in, and he’s doing both of them.”

Lesnar (3-1) continues to improve by “leaps and bounds,” according to Nelson. He has won back-to-back fights over respected veterans Heath Herring and Couture since his loss to Mir at UFC 81, becoming one of the top five heavyweights in the world.

“He’s improved phenomenally,” Nelson said. “I think the biggest reason for that is he doesn’t think he’s anywhere near where he needs to be. He’s not a guy that’s resting on his laurels at all.”

Despite entering the Couture match with only three professional fights under his belt, Lesnar moved north, from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy to Alexandria, Minn., in order to train for the 45-year-old three-time heavyweight champion. The switch did not impact his preparation much at all.

“He moved up to Alexandria to get closer to his daughter,” Nelson said. “That was the main reason behind it. He has a camp up there, and he has a good area to train in, where we have a great space with mats, weights and all the cardio equipment we need.”

Marty Morgan, Lesnar’s wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota, made the trip to Alexandria five days a week; Nelson went three days a week.

“He has his guys that are his training partners that will live up there,” Nelson said. “He basically has a house for them.”

During the training camp for Couture, Comprido and veteran trainer Erik Paulson were also brought in to work with Lesnar. Having Lesnar in Alexandria, away from the academy, allowed Nelson to focus his entire energy on the 2000 NCAA wrestling champion when the two came together.

“It worked out great because at my school I’ve got to work with all the different fighters,” Nelson said. “So sometimes I’d be pulled away to work with someone else, and I’d go back and forth. Here, I can devote 100 percent of my efforts to him, and that really made a huge difference.”

During his fight with Couture (16-9), Lesnar elected not to press the action much in the first round. The move fell in line with the game plan, according to Nelson. In the second, Lesnar connected with a right hand behind Couture’s ear, which dropped the champion and led to the end of the fight. Lesnar’s ability to handle himself standing did not come as a surprise to Nelson.

“Brock’s hands and his ability to hit aren’t going to be questioned too much anymore, obviously, with dropping Heath Herring and his shots dropping Randy Couture,” Nelson said. “He’s working on his boxing, his shoulders, and his ability to use his body behind his punches is increasingly improving.”

Couture admitted afterward that Lesnar’s reach caught him by surprise.

“One thing that we’ve really been working on is being able to allow him to use his reach to his advantage and, at the same, time being able to get his body behind each one of his shots,” Nelson said. “So building up that footwork and keeping those shoulders loose to allow him to use the length of those huge arms is the goal.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Overeem: ‘Cro Cop’ Yet to Sign

Although persistent rumors have been flying around for the past month regarding Pride grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic looking to lock horns with Dutch knockout artist Alistair Overeem again following their ill-fated Sept. 23 clash, no official confirmation for their Dec. 31 rematch at K-1 “Dynamite 2008” has been issued so far by promoter Fighting & Entertainment Group.

The distinguished heavyweight pair’s first encounter ended in a no contest after Filipovic (23-6-1, 1 NC) complained of repeated knees to the groin and the referee concurred.

“I’m afraid Mirko is trying to run from me again,” Overeem recently told Sherdog.com. “FEG wants to make it happen, I would like nothing more than get my hands on him again and I know that the fans would like to see a definite ending as well, so the only obstacle here is Cro Cop. He’s the one who hasn’t signed the contract yet and he’s the one who is trying to avoid fighting me again because he knows that he will get his ass kicked again.”

The 28-year-old “Demolition Man” did not want to talk tactics should his second meeting with the Croatian come to fruition, but did reveal one alteration he is planning.

“I won’t use any knee strikes to the body this time, so he won’t have any chance to wimp out of the fight again,” he said.

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Overeem (29-11, 1 NC), who still has three fights left on his current contact with the Dream promotion, will entertain offers from other promotions starting next summer. His management at Golden Glory has held loose talks with the UFC in the past, but those have been at a very early stage. Still, the 6-foot-5 kickboxer would not rule out a move to the Octagon should a good offer come along.