MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck knows judo

“I was originally preparing for Mr. Yoshida before I stepped up and took the Thiago fight. .. (It’s) definitely a different style. He poses some interesting threats, but I definitely have a lot of good training partners at American Kickboxing Academy and I think I’ll be ready. I’m a good wrestler, so I think our styles are going to make for an exciting fight…. Dave Camarillo is a judo guy and we are working on the judo throws. And I have San Jose State former judo coach who comes over. And there’s a lot of judo guys at our gym — Dave Camarillo teaches a judo class. So I’ve been doing judo for some time . … I have no worries.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Martin Kampmann vs Alexandre Barros UFC 93 fight possible Jan. 17

Former top middleweight contender Martin Kampmann (13-2) could make his welterweight debut against Octagon newcomer Alexandre Barros (13-5) at UFC 93: “Franklin vs. Henderson” at The O2 in Dublin, Ireland, on January 17, acoording to MMA Insider Blog.

The “Hitman” recently had his nine-fight win streak snapped after getting wrecked by Nate Marquardt in short order via bruising first round technical knockout at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” back in September. It was apparently a wake up call for the Danish kickboxer that perhaps he is better suited to compete in a division 15 pounds lighter.

This will mark the first time ever that Kampmann will compete at 170 pounds. And if he is able to adjust and perform well he could facing some top competition in the category sooner rather than later.

His possible opponent, Barros, is currently enjoying a streak of nine consecutive victories. In fact, the Brazilian product has not dropped a bout since 2004. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Udi Lima at Watch Out Combat Show 2 in September.

Barros — who has been competing in professional mixed martial arts since 1999 — has a notable loss (unanimous decision) to former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes back in 2000 at World Extreme Fighting show in Indiana.

UFC 93 features the highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and former Pride FC dual welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson.

In the co main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) event, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will rematch the most recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee, former UFC heavyweight champion and 2000 Pride FC Open Weight Champion, Mark Coleman.

 

[Shogun Locc]

5 Oz. of Pain on CBS Sports: ‘Bellator’ formulates game plan for success

In addition to FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s new content partnership with CBSSports.com, Five Ounces of Pain founder and publisher Sam Caplan will continue to submit exclusive columns to the site.

In Caplan’s latest CBS Sports column, he provides a great deal of new details pertaining to the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships promotion, which plans to begin producing events for ESPN Deportes in April.

During an exclusive interview with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Caplan made it a point to ask the former Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing owner why he believes his new MMA promotion can succeed where so many others have failed.

“I give a lot of credit to people for trying,” Rebney responded when the question was posed to him. “But I think what we have is a team in place that understands the drivers in the industry and what drivers need to be successful in order to survive. … We have a well-established industry expertise. We understand the different facets of this business. We understand how to market and promote fighters, not just athletes. We understand the importance of the story-telling behind those fighters.”

Caplan also expresses a belief that Bellator might finally be the promotion that establishes itself as a stable number two behind the industry’s leader, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“After speaking with Rebney, it’s hard not to come away with the impression that he’s a man with a plan,” writes Caplan. “Rebney represents a hybrid: a polished and respected businessman who has related experience in the fight game. During his time spent in the business world, Rebney once worked side-by-side with one of the most respected agents in sports, Leigh Steinberg. Rebney also holds the distinction of having produced four years of boxing programming for ESPN2 through the Sugar Ray Leonard presents Friday Night Fights series.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Quote of the Day: Dana White Slams HBO PPV

"Did you see the production? And that was HBO. Maybe they should give us some of their Emmys. The pacing was awful. There was no energy in the crowd. They had to loop Pacquiao’s music when he came out because he had to walk so far."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Anderson negotiates next fight

Anderson Silva really does like to fight. That’s why Ed Soares, the Brazilian’s manager in the United States, is hard at work with the UFC’s organizers to find the middleweight champion’s next challenge. And from the looks of it, there’s a chance Anderson may try his luck at light heavyweight once again.

“It’s really a tough mission trying to find fights for Anderson when all the other fighters have fights lined up. Dana White (UFC president) and I met up and were unable to reach a conclusion. We’ll meet again in three weeks and I hope we manage to get a fight for him. I think it will be at light heavyweight. He (Anderson) wants to come back in January. So we’ll see,” declared Soares to the Wrestling Observer.

 

[B-Buzz]

Has anyone else seen the Anderson Silva vs. Banha Cane rumor on any sites besides sherdog? It's all over the place there right now and that's a terrible fight for Silva imo

 

[Shogun Locc]

Penalty awaits Badr Hari for disqualification

K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 runner-up Badr Hari is expected to receive a punishment for his unsportsmanlike action that led to his disqualification loss on Saturday at the tournament final.

FEG event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa says he will determine a punishment for Hari with K-1 rules director Nobaki Kakuda.

"K-1 is a sport, K-1 is not street fighting," Tanikawa said Sunday, according to the K-1 website. "We had the same problem with Bob Sapp in the past, and it's unfortunate it happened again yesterday. I was sitting ringside with Masato, and he was very angry with Hari's actions. This morning in the newspapers I read Hari's comments, he seemed unapologetic, and that is disappointing. We have rules, to fight in K-1 you must have a professional attitude."

2008 K-1 World GP winner Remy Bonjasky, who woke up with double vision after getting knocked down and stomped by Hari, suggests that Hari should be hit in his pocketbook.

"It's not me who has to decide what sort of penalty he's going to get, but I think he needs to be punished where it will hurt most, which is financially," Bonjasky said. "I think he will not do it again if he's punished financially."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Silva Aims to KO Machida at UFC 94

After taking a month off to treat a back injury, Thiago Silva has returned to training in preparation for his bout with fellow unbeaten Lyoto Machida at UFC 94 “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2” on Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Silva, who has delivered all but one of his wins by knockout or submission, sat down with Sherdog.com’s Marcelo Alonso to discuss his looming showdown with Machida, his union with American Top Team and his future in the UFC.

Q: What injury forced you postpone your fight against Machida at UFC 89?
A: About three weeks before our fight, I pinched a nerve in one of the discs in my back and lost the power in my lumbar muscles. I stopped training for a month and only did physiotherapy and strengthening of my back muscles. About one month ago, I returned to training, and now I’m already feeling ready to fight.

Q: How do you plan to beat Machida?
A: My plan is to attack him all the time.

Q: What about his dangerous counter attack game? Aren’t you concerned about that?
A: The opponents who have faced him attacked and stopped; I’ll have a different gameplan. I want to see how he deals with someone who’s in very good shape and attacks him for five minutes over three rounds. I’m not underestimating him. He’s a great fighter, but I’d bet on me. I’m not here to joke around. I have my goals, and I’m ready to beat Lyoto.

Q: If you had to predict the outcome of this fight, what would you say?
A: It will be a knockout in the first round.

Q: Which of Machida’s fight impressed you the most?
A: I don’t know. Actually, there aren’t any of his fights I really like. Lyoto’s a fighter who runs more than he fights. He’s not a fighter who will knock me out easily. He scores points, and I’ll make it hard for him to score. I already faced the toughest fighters. I believe it will be more of a psychological fight than a physical fight for me.

Q: Which fighters have you faced that you believe are tougher than Machida?
A: Houston Alexander, Tomasz Drwal, James Irvin. Actually, I’ve only faced tough fighters in the UFC -- just like Lyoto -- who already defeated many top fighters. I’m on my way to the title. I want this belt, and it will be mine

Q: If you beat Machida, what are the plans? Do you believe you will have to face someone else before getting a title shot?
A: I believe beating Lyoto will make me more than qualified to fight for the belt. I’m undefeated. If I beat Lyoto, I want the title shot. I don’t want another fight. Actually, it depends on my manager, Alex Davis. He’s the one who will argue about that, but if I win this fight, I don’t believe there’s a reason to postpone a title shot.

Q: What memories do you have from the time you spent training at the Chute Boxe Academy?
A: I only have great memories from my experience at Chute Boxe. For me, it was the best experience of my life. I learned all my muay Thai there. I owe a lot to master Rafael [Cordeiro] and Rudimar [Fedrigo]. Wanderlei [Silva], [Mauricio] “Shogun” [Rua] and all the Chute Boxe people always gave me great support during the time I was there. Chute Boxe was a family to me. Their training added a lot to me as a fighter and as a person.

Q: What would it be like if you had to face Wanderlei Silva or “Shogun” Rua?
A: I wouldn’t like to face friends like them, but I’m a professional, and everybody has the same goal. My dream is the most important in that case.

Q: Do you believe Rashad Evans can beat light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 later this month?
A: I think Rashad’s in an excellent phase in his career. He surprised me a lot againt Liddell. I believe he’ll win by knockout or by using his ground-and-pound game. I love tough challenges, and, if I beat Lyoto, I’d love to face him for the belt, because it would be a challenge between two undefeated fighters.

Q: What about the UFC 92 matchup between Wanderlei Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson?
A: They’re two top athletes, but, as we use to say training at Chute Boxe, Wanderlei’s the crazy dog. He has an excellent striking game and never steps back. I bet on Wanderlei.

Q: How would you describe your experience at American Top Team?
A: I’ve been living here in the U.S. for almost eight months. It’s been an unbelievable experience. I’m very happy here, and I don’t want to return to Brazil. I’m training in a very professional camp, which feels more like a family. I believe soon ATT will be recognized as the biggest MMA team in the world. Our goal is to have at least one belt in each category, and everybody’s working hard for that. Besides great training partners, we have great trainers like Mohamed Ouali [for muay Thai], [Marcos] “Parrumpinha” [DaMatta for jiu-jitsu], Conan [Silveira for MMA] and André “Benkei” [Vinicius Aurnheimer Ferreira], who’s the best physical trainer I’ve ever met and one of the best in the world.

Q: After his impressive win over Randy Couture at UFC 91, do you see anyone beating Brock Lesnar?
A: Lesnar proved to be a great fighter, but I believe [Antonio] “Minotauro” [Rodrigo Nogueira] will win, and [Frank] Mir has good chance to beat Lesnar again, too. Lesnar needs to train a lot of boxing to try an put him down with his hands. If “Minotauro” can take him down, he will win easy.

Q: Your ex-rival in Brazil, Luis “Banha” Arthur Cane, is moving up the UFC ladder after his impressive win over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 89. Do you believe we’ll see a fight between you two one day?
A: That’s true. “Banha” rose very fast in the UFC. I’ve followed his career, since we started almost at the same time. He’s a really talented fighter. He has everything to be among the top 10 soon, but he has to improve a lot as a person and stop talking s--t about people he doesn’t know. When he gets his mind straight, he’ll go up faster.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PROVING HE BELONGS IN UFC... TIM CREDEUR

Tim Credeur is looking to give back a little to the troops on Wednesday night when the Ultimate Fighting Championship puts on its Fight for the Troops card. Being a navy veteran himself, he was excited about the prospect of being on a show of this importance.

“It's huge,” said Credeur in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “You know there's a lot of people out there, some people agree why we're at war, some people don't agree why we're at war, but for me as a military vet the reality is that there's Americans out there getting shot at. There's Americans out there putting their lives on the line, and regardless of whether you agree with it or not, supporting those guys, supporting their situation, and more importantly supporting guys coming back from that and having difficulties from that is a huge thing for me as a vet and as somebody who supports our military.

"I'm excited about it. I requested to be on the card and I'd love to give back as much as I can. I'm proud of the UFC for taking a stand.”

Credeur hasn't fought since July, but for him, that time off was very much needed since he's been so busy the last few years.

“It was about a year of me kind of grinding. I think I had 10 fights in 10 months. That's a wear and tear on the body. That's a grind on training for 12 months like that consecutively. It kind of gave me a couple months to take off and be with my family," recounted Credeur.

"To say I took some time off would be ridiculous. I think I took a week off from training. I'm not really an athlete and I'm not that talented, so I have to be in the gym every day. That's the only way I think I can win fights. I think that's called over-compulsive training disorder. I think I have that. That's how you keep getting W's.”

After defeating Cale Yarbrough in his last fight in July, Credeur will return to take on undefeated Nate Loughran. Loughran already has a fight in the Octagon, defeating Johnny Rees by triangle choke in his debut. Knowing of his opponent's background, Credeur is taking this fight very seriously.

“I know that you're walking down the aisle with Dave Terrell behind you, you are going to be a legit guy,” he explained. “Dave puts out tough guys. That whole camp out there puts out tough dudes. The kid is 9-0. He is tough. He is from a tough camp. He's got a good wrestling background and phenomenal jiu-jitsu from what I've heard. I'm sure it'll be a great fight. Both of us need it. This is a defining fight in my career.”

Due to Loughran's submission prowess, this is a fight that Credeur is more than likely going to try to keep on the feet. However, that's not to say that his jiu-jitsu has gone neglected. He trains very hard in all areas to keep himself versatile.

“I think that's the point of the fight," he said. "As a jiu-jitsu guy, sometimes if you're going to decide to be a professional fighter, you're going to have to take some things into perspective in terms of what your weapons are and what people know about your weapons. I've worked on everything. I'm trying to turn myself into a much more well-rounded fighter.”

Credeur self-admittedly doesn't pay attention to what things are being discussed around him and stays completely focused on the things that mean the most to him.

“I don't really pay attention to stuff. I have ADD pretty bad,” he said jokingly. “I pay attention to my training and getting the practices in. I'm getting my master's degree in college. These are the things I pay attention to. All of the other things, I don't care about.”

This fight means a lot to Credeur because with the UFC tightening its roster as of late, he knows that being an exciting and winning fighter means a lot to the upper brass. With that type of pressure, he is prepared to prove he belongs in the UFC.

“I have a lot to prove here to the fans, to the UFC, to the critics and to myself more than anyone," he stated. "I want to get out there and be impressive. I want people who are my bosses saying 'Good decision on bringing that one in.'”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marc Ecko Going MMA With ProElite Purchase?

It sounds as if Marc Ecko Enterprises may be the latest apparel company willing to try its hand and gamble its reputation on mixed martial arts. That is if our friends over at iGuillotine.com have all their ducks in a row...

Although they weren't able to confirm it with Marc Ecko Enterprises directly, iGuillotine says that Ecko is the leading bidder to purchase what's left of ProElite, Inc. and its EliteXC brand.

There have been strong rumors lately that ProElite's doors, already shuttered, could soon be re-opened if a sale for the company's assets goes through.

Ecko has been dabbling its toes in the MMA waters, creating MMA specific apparel and sponsoring UFC fighters such as Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping, and Matt Hughes. Of course, the sponsorship door to UFC fighters will surely be slammed shut if Ecko does takeover ProElite and its television contracts with CBS and Showtime. Just ask the guys at Affliction.

Other strong rumors place Terry Trebilcock's King of the Cage -- and an unidentified partner -- as one of the front-runners to take over ProElite. Of course, there's nothing saying that Trebilcock's partner couldn't be Ecko.

Grind rumor mill, grind.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Varner: ‘It’s Good to be on Top’
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Varner-Its-Good-to-be-on-Top-1851
World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Jamie Varner seems to have adjusted to life with a belt wrapped around his waist.

As he approaches his second title defense, this one against undefeated Donald Cerrone next month, the confident 23-year-old remains focused on maintaining his status as the WEC’s top 155-pound fighter. Success has only strengthened his resolve.

“It doesn’t feel like I’m any sort of superstar,” Varner told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “I don’t even feel like a world champ, but there’s obviously a target on my back. Everybody’s gunning for that world title. There are some big guns coming after me, but you know what? I like it. It’s good to be on top.”

Varner (15-2) will carry a four-fight winning streak into his bout with Cerrone at WEC 38 on Jan. 25 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif. Based out of Arizona Combat Sports, he last competed in August when he stopped the previously unbeaten Marcus Hicks on first-round strikes at WEC 35. Fourteen of Varner’s 15 career wins have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Cerrone (9-0), a product of Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M., defeated former champion “Razor” Rob McCullough by unanimous decision at WEC 36 in November.

“Donald Cerrone is probably one of the most dangerous fighters I’m ever going to fight,” Varner said. “He’s so good at kickboxing, and he’s got a good, tight jiu-jitsu game on his back. I’ve had my eye on him for a while.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Swick seeks defining performance in third welterweight bout

Mike Swick isn't satisfied. Not yet anyway.

Despite a dominant performance in a unanimous-decision victory over Marcus Davis at UFC 85, Swick doesn't believe he has hit his stride as a welterweight. Never mind that he convincingly beat a fighter who had not lost in 11 consecutive fights over a nearly three-year period.

It wasn't good enough for Swick.

"I don't think I've really showcased my abilities at welterweight," Swick (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently as he prepared to face Jonathan Goulet this week at UFC Fight Night 16. "I think this fight is going to showcase my ability. I'm healthy for this fight. I'm in shape for this fight. I feel as good about this fight as I have in some of my best middleweight fights."

The bout against Goulet (22-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has been a long time in the making. The two were supposed to tangle on the UFC Fight Night 11 card last year in Swick's 170-pound debut, but Swick was forced out of the fight due to a rib injury.

Goulet stoked the fires for the planned September 2007 bout with a message-board post saying Swick was trying to get out of the fight because he was scared. Swick shot back by saying the comment made Goulet sound desperate.

The two have taken a more collegial approach this time around, but Swick is still betting that Goulet brings a heavy dose of aggressiveness to the octagon. That was lacking in Swick's most recent opponent, which made it difficult for the strike-first fighter to utilize those stand-up skills.

"I think it was a pretty dominant win over Davis, and I think that said a lot," Swick said, "but it wasn't necessarily the way I wanted to fight. It threw me off when he went for takedowns those first two rounds. Davis is a great conventional boxer, and I totally didn't expect him to take me down for the first two rounds, but when he did, I tried to counter and show that I could control him."

While it was surprising that an adept boxer such as Davis didn't try to strike more with Swick, it worked out for the best, given that Swick was nursing a painful elbow injury.

"It actually had been ongoing for quite a while, and I had been training through it," said Swick, who was coping with the bum elbow for more than a year. "It hasn't given me the confidence and ability to throw my right hand in quite some time. Basically, if I punched with the right hand and missed and extended the arm straight out, it would swell up and it would be pretty much useless for the next few days."

Right after the Davis fight, Swick, 29, had surgery to remove bone fragments and clean up the joint. After a short rehabilitation, he was able to resume intense training, and says he's at a hundred percent going in against Goulet.

The nagging elbow injury has certainly been a factor in why fans haven't recently seen the Swick of 2005 and 2006 when was living up to the billing of his "Quick" nickname. In a span of four fights, Swick needed all of five minutes and 10 seconds to beat Joe Riggs, Steve Vigneault, Gideon Ray and Alex Schoenauer. However, in his past four fights, he's gone the distance each time.

From Swick's vantage point, that's just part of the fight game. He feels no pressure to finish fights in a hurry.

"I'm not trying to live up to that moniker; I'm not trying to have a quick fight," said Swick, who believes he's a stronger fighter at 170 pounds. "I don't want to go out there on Dec. 10 and knock him out in 10 seconds. I prefer to have a first-round victory, yes, but I haven't showcased my skills. I've trained so hard for this fight, and I have improved so much. I want to show the world how much work I've put in."

He should get the opportunity against Goulet, who's looked sharp in his past three victories, two coming by TKO.

"Stylistically, it's going to be a great match-up," Swick said. "He's an exciting fighter. He brings it, and he's not afraid to throw down and mix it up. I'm hoping we don't even clinch."

The recent controversy between UFC President Dana White and Swick's American Kickboxing Academy camp has been a bit of a distraction during Swick's prep for the bout. His name was pulled into some of the media coverage of the verbal back and forth between White and Jon Fitch. However, Swick has remained diplomatic through it all, and there was never an issue with him pushing back on the terms of the licensing agreement the UFC asked him to sign.

"My stuff (with the UFC) was settled way before that (controversy) ever happened," he said.

Swick has three fights left on his current UFC contract and adds that he has a solid relationship with the promotion.

The Swick-Goulet bout is the co-main event of "UFC Fight Night: UFC Fights For The Troops" on Wednesday night in Fayetteville, N.C.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ON THE RISE: RONYS TORRES SIGNS WITH UFC

Name: Ronys Torres
Professional Record: 13-1
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 155lbs
Discipline: Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo
Notable Wins: Luiz Azeredo, Adriano Martins

People make do with the cards they have been dealt with; some rise above the rest. Ronys Torres has endured humble beginnings to become one of the best lightweight prospects out of Brazil today.

Torres had dreams of becoming a fighter as a young man. Despite opposition from his parents, he pursued his goals. He began studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his home city of Manacapuru in the state of Amazonas.

When Torres made the decision to further his grappling discipline, he made the difficult decision to move to Rio de Janeiro to study at Nova Uniao; Torres left his family behind. His family was very important to him, but his personal sacrifice allowed him to hone his skills and develop into the fighter he is today. Under the tutelage of Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, Torres earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and quickly emerged as one of the best talents out of team.

Torres’ aggressive ground and pound style has helped the 23-year-old fighter amass an impressive 13-1 record. His strength lies in his excellent cardio and his ability to shoot in and take his opponents down. Versed on his feet and on the ground, Torres is well-rounded and will prove to be a formidable challenger to any lightweight fighter in the world.

Torres is coming off the biggest win of his career, an impressive submission victory over Pride veteran Luiz Azeredo at Jungle Fight 10. The Nova Uniao fighter was a big underdog to his Chute Boxe counterpart, but Torres overcame the odds dominated the fight from start to finish.

There is a lot of fighting opportunities for Torres in Brazil, but none that will garner him the high profile matches he can attain in the U.S. Ronys Torres recently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“Ronys is a great fighter. He will rock at 155-pounds and is a great addition. He will have many great fights,” commented fellow teammate and UFC fighter Thales Leites.

Ronys Torres has worked hard to be where he is today and his journey is just beginning. Expect the Nova Uniao fighter to make his Octagon debut sometime next year.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FIRST M-1 CHALLENGE FINAL SET FOR SEATTLE

Finkelchtein's M-1 Challenge was designed to be the "World Cup of MMA," with teams comprised of mixed martial artists from all over the globe representing their respective country in head-to-head competition. If MMA was an Olympic sport, chances are it would resemble the M-1 Challenge.

On Dec. 26 in Seattle, Wash., at the Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino, the top two teams from the competition's regular season will be going for the gold when Team Russian Red Devil squares off with Team Holland in the finals to determine the first-ever winner of the M-1 Challenge.

Lineups for the best of five head-to-head series have been set for both teams. At lightweight, Team Holland's Bogdan Christea (Career MMA Record: 5-3/M-1 Challenge Record: 2-1) will take on Mikhail Malutin (8-6/4-0) of Team Russian Red Devil.

If MMA had a "Comeback of the Year" award, Christea would be the leading contender after overcoming near fatal injuries sustained in an auto accident. Despite a prognosis from doctors that he'd never fight again, Christea went 2-1 during M-1 Challenge regular season play.

Once overheard telling his coach that an "armbar is not a submission," the rugged Christea knows he'll have his work cut out for him on the 26th.

"It is gonna be a challenge for me, but I like challenges," said Christea. "I respect (Malutin) very much, he has a lot of experience and a good training camp with Fedor and the others. I will do my best and hope I can make a good show of it. We are both pool winners, so may the best win."

At welterweight, Red Devil's Erik Oganov (8-8/3-2) will meet Romano de los Reyes (8-6/1-2) of Team Holland. Oganov, one of Red Devil's most active competitors might be best known to U.S. fans after going 2-0 for the BodogFIGHT promotion with wins over Derrick Noble and former UFC veteran Keith Wisniewski.

In a season in which many fighters involved with the M-1 Challenge raised their global profile, few involved with the competition saw their stock rise higher than that of Jason Jones (7-5/1-2). Despite finishing with a record below .500 during M-1 Challenge play, Jones has made quite a name for himself this season with his dynamic striking ability.

Representing Team Holland in the M-1 Challenge finals as its middleweight representative, Jones will be looking to set off some championship fireworks when he takes on Red Devil's Dmitri Samoylo.

"Samoylov is a good fighter," Jones began, "but he stands in my way to the top and after my recent loss I have to settle the score. No need to say more."

At light heavyweight, Red Devil will be represented by Mikhail Zayats (7-1/3-0) with Team Holland's Kamil Uyghun (6-3/1-2) opposing him.

Uyghun knows he will have his work cut out for him against Zayats, a World Champion in Sambo.

"I saw the fights of Mikhail Zayats and he is a good fighter, because you're just a fighter if you become the World Champion in Sambo," said Uyghun. "But if we enter the ring I don't think about that. I'm really ready for him and on the day itself we will see what happens. I never enter the ring with the feeling that I'm going to lose."

At heavyweight, Team Holland's Jessie Gibbs (6-1/3-0) will be taking on Alexey Oleinik (9-4/1-0) of Red Devil. Oleinik will be replacing up and coming heavyweight prospect Kiril Sidelnikov, who has been tapped to fight Paul Buentello during Affliction and M-1's "Day of Reckoning" event on Jan. 24.

Gibbs was looking forward to making a name for himself against Sidelnikov, who is known around the world as "Baby Fedor." Disappointed that he won't be afforded that opportunity, Gibbs is planning to take out his frustrations on his replacement.

"I was supposed to fight Kiril Sidelnikov, but now I have a new unknown opponent," said Gibbs. "Whoever it is, it won't be a problem but I'd loved to fight Kiril because he is becoming a big name in the MMA circuit and I'm sure that I'm better."

But Gibbs better not take the 9-4 Oleinik lightly. Oleinik made a name for himself having fought in the U.S. earlier this year during YAMMA's heavyweight tournament in Atlantic City. Facing UFC veteran Sherman Pendergarst during the tournament's first round, Oleinik submitted the Miletich Fighting Systems veteran with an Ezekiel choke.

Gibbs vs. Oleinik could be the deciding fight because while a team only needs three wins to clinch the title, pundits believe it will take all five fights to decide the first-ever M-1 Challenge champion.

"I am really excited about the Red Devil vs. Holland final, and feel that either side can win the championship," said M-1 Challenge play-by-play announcer Sean Wheelock. "I see the final score 3-2 for whoever is the winner."

The lineup for the M-1 Challenge finals are as follows:

LW: Mikhail Malutin (Team Russian Red Devil) vs. Bogdan Christea (Team Holland)

WW: Erik Oganov (Team Russian Red Devil) vs. Romano de slos Reyes (Team Holland)

MW: Dimitri Samoylo (Team Russian Red Devil) vs. Jason Jones (Team Holland)

LHW: Mikhail Zayats (Team Russian Red Devil) vs. Kamil Uyghun (Team Holland)

HW: Alexey Oleinik (Team Russian Red Devil) vs. Jessie Gibbs (Team Holland)

 

[Shogun Locc]

COREY HILL LEARNING TO USE HIS WEAPONS

By all accounts, Corey Hill was towering over Justin Buchholz for the first two rounds of their UFC 86 fight. Buchholz could barely get into kicking range before he was eating punches. The 6’4” newcomer with a seven-inch reach advantage was just too big.

Had Hill coasted in the third round, he probably would have won the fight anyway. Buchholz had another plan.

“I remember before that last fight, Justin made a comment, ‘I’m going to exploit his inexperience,’” Hill told MMAWeekly.com. “And that’s exactly what he did.”

The two spilled onto the canvas midway through the third round. Buchholz took advantage of a scramble, took Hill’s back, and submitted him.

“Being new to the cage, the lights and the cameras… I’m sort of a rookie, and that was my awakening,” Hill continued.

So it went for the 30-year-old Spring Hill, Fla. native, who essentially made his debut in the sport’s toughest proving ground. Hill had experienced one set of lights and cameras before, as a contestant on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” But he says he was unprepared for the pressure his pay-per-view debut brought.

“When I was at Miletich, I didn’t really concern myself with what other people were going to do,” Hill said. “I was so new, I was so naïve, I was like, I’m going to focus on what I’m doing and I’m going to make you stop it. But I never took into consideration, what if someone stops it? Then what happens? And that’s essentially what happened in my last fight. So I do my research now.”

Hill is now training with Rob Kahn in North Tampa, Fla. at Gracie Tampa, and says the change has invigorated him. He bears no hard feelings towards Miletich; he credits them for building his foundation. He does, however, like that there are fewer “names” at his current gym.

“That brings a family atmosphere,” he said. “I feel like I’ve progressed so much from my last fight.”

He doesn’t know a lot about his upcoming opponent, Dale Hartt, whom he will face on the UFC Fight for the Troops event on Dec. 10. He’ll have a height and reach advantage, but he’s getting used to that by now. The most important thing will be to stay on top of the fight.

“It’s learning to deal with adversity, but more importantly, it’s about not putting myself into situations where I have to deal with adversity,” he said. “I never take anything from anyone who beats me. I think Justin’s a great guy, he won that fight fair and square. But I did a lot of things because of inexperience. It’s nobody’s fault, I did a lot of things wrong.”

Hill says it will be an honor to showcase his skills in front of the troops, even though his charge is a former Navy man who may have the crowd on his side. To illustrate his improvement, he offers a metaphor for men at arms.

“It’s like being in a military aircraft,” he said. “You can have the best military plane, but if you don’t know how to use it, you’re pretty much flying around wasting gas. In this fight, I’m learning how to use those weapons. Still to this day, if Corey Hill learns how to use these weapons, that’s a scary guy in the 155-pound weight class.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA Quick Quote: ‘2009 is the year for Semtex to arrive in the UFC’

"I’d love to fight at Affliction, they have shown some interest, but we have to wait on ProElite. Whether they keep my contract or they let me go…who knows if they’re even gonna still put on shows? It’s all unclear right now. But if they release me, I’ll fight for Affliction and win - and then hopefully the UFC will come calling. I think 2009 is the year for Semtex to arrive in the UFC."

In a recent interview with Fighters Only Magazine, former Elite XC welterweight number one contender Paul Daley (19-7-2) sounds off on a possible future with Affliction and the UFC following the untimely demise of EliteXC earlier this year. "Semtex" is coming off a second round TKO win over John Alessio at a Maximum Fighting Championships event this past weekend in Canada. It was the first time in Alessio’s thirty-six fight career that he was defeated by knockout. The Nottingham native is considered one of the top 170 pound strikers in the world, but there have always been questions about whether or not his ground game would be good enough keep him competitive in the UFC’s deep welterweight division. Perhaps those questions could be answered sometime in the next 12 months.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BACK TO HIS ROOTS, HARTT SEEKING FIRST UFC WIN

Dale Hartt is looking for his first victory in the UFC. In preparation for his upcoming fight, the Bangor, Maine resident packed up his things and moved to Las Vegas.

“Marcus (Davis) is one of the most fantastic guys to train with on the planet and he has helped me so much with everything. The problem I have with Bangor, Maine is that there’s times where you go into the gym and Marcus will be gone and a couple of the other guys will be gone; next thing you know I don’t have anyone to train with,” explained Hartt.

Now that he is relocated to what many consider as the ‘Mecca’ of MMA, Hartt has been training hard and is dedicated to his career like never before. He has enlisted the help of many reputable training centers including Xtreme Couture, Master Toddy’s and Cobra Kai.

“Everything is different. There’s been good and there’s bad. One bad thing is I have been away from Marcus and I haven’t had his ‘guiding light’ so to speak. There’s a lot of guys at Team Irish that have helped me out tremendously. I train pretty much full time now. I think I’m a lot more ready this time than last time. I only had three and a half weeks last time. I’m not making excuses but I was a little overwhelmed.”

This Wednesday at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C., Hartt will take part on a special Ultimate Fight Night (UFC Fight for the Troops) dedicated to the troops of the U.S. Armed Forces. A former member of the United States Navy, Hartt will face Corey Hill in lightweight action.

“Honestly, I’ve never been so nervous for a fight. I feel like it’s ‘good’ nervous; I have a lot of good nervous energy that I didn’t have last time,” he said. “When I actually got in the ring, I made a lot of clutch mistakes because I was so tense and so nervous.”

In his UFC debut, Hartt suffered the first loss of his career when he was submitted by Dean Lister pupil Shannon Gugerty. The 29-year-old fighter looks to rebound and earn his first victory in the Octagon.

“All I could think about was having an exciting fight. I was so worried about being exciting and so worried about having a good performance; I wasn’t having good thoughts in my head,” revealed Hartt.

“I need to get back to my roots. For me to be successful in the UFC, I have to get back to my roots and not worry about my fights being exciting. I need to not worry about the result. I need to just worry about the journey; I need to worry about the road. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to have a good time.”

A product of The Ultimate Fighter season five, Corey Hill is commonly seen as an awkward opponent who is unusually tall for a 155-pound fighter. The 6-foot, 4-inch former high school state wrestling champion was dealt his first loss in his last outing against Justin Buchholz. Hill, who controlled most of the fight, made a mistake that his opponent capitalized on and succumbed to a rear naked choke.

“I found a couple of people and they’re definitely not perfect replicas of Corey Hill. I’ve got a Muay Thai guy that I’ve been working with; he’s about 6’3” and fights at 165. He’s got nasty stand-up. Working with him has been good. I try and find worst case scenarios; I’m not being disrespectful to Corey, but I think that kid has a lot more skills than Corey does.

“Obviously being tall is one of his best assets. On top of that, I think he brings excellent strength; he’s real strong. Everyone that I’ve talked with that’s trained with him or fought him said he’s very strong. His conditioning is great,” added Hartt.

Regardless of what happens in the Octagon at this Wednesday's UFC Fight for the Troops, Dale Hartt takes pride in knowing he’ll be able to entertain the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and is honored to have the opportunity.

“It’s not a way to get even with them, but it’s a way to get closer to even, you know what I mean. This is kind of what I do and hopefully I go out there and me and Corey (Hill) give them a really, really good show. I’m hoping we make their night and I'm hoping that they realize that we, or at least me, I'm going to fight extra hard just cause of what they've done for me," he stated.

“It’s a huge honor and I’m really proud to be on this card. I think we’re going to have a really exciting fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marcus Davis: UFC 93 bout against Chris Lytle ‘potentially legendary’

“Chris and I have spoken a number of times about this fight and we know the opportunity that it gives us. That’s why we were so desperate to get it organized. We’re aiming for more than just Fight of the Night. We think our styles and the way we fight match up really, really well and that this fight could potentially project us into a sort of legendary status. I want to be remembered in this sport, and this fight is my chance to make sure that happens.”

UFC welterweight Marcus Davis (15-4) hypes his upcoming fight against Chris Lytle (26-16-5) at UFC 93: “Henderson vs. Franklin,” which will take place at The O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland on January 17. Davis is calling in several radio interviews for Lytle to keep this fight standing, adding that whoever takes the match to the ground will be branded a pussy. Believe it or not neither the “Irish Hand Grenade” nor “Lights Out” have ever been stopped by strikes in their respective mixed martial arts careers. That could all change in early 2009 … at least for one fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jess Liaudin dropped by the UFC

Jess Liaudin can now be added to the list of fighters released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in recent months.

It is believed that Liaudin was dropped by the UFC soon after his unanimous decision loss to David Bielkheden at UFC 89 on Oct. 18 in Birmingham, England.

After beginning his UFC career 2-0, Liaudin was knocked out in the first round against Marcus Davis at UFC 80. He then dropped a split decision against Paul Kelly at UFC 85. Liaudin’s loss to Bielkheden was his third straight and dropped his overall record to 12-11.

Born in France but residing in the United Kingdom, Liaudin has fought for several European-based promotions the past few years, most notably Cage Rage.

Liaudin joins a list of fighters recently cut by the UFC including Fabricio Werdum, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Jason Lambert, and Jorge Gurgel.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Suspended Silva Opts for Sengoku Fight

Antonio Silva has accepted an offer to face Yoshihiro Nakao at World Victory Road’s upcoming Sengoku event on Jan. 4 in Saitama, Japan, confirmed his manager Alex Davis on Sunday.

The American Top Team heavyweight’s decision comes in the wake of a letter received last week from California State Athletic Commission Assistant Executive Director Bill Douglas, who said he will recommend Silva’s license be revoked if he does not adhere to a suspension imposed on him last July.

Silva, 28, was suspended for one year after allegedly testing positive for Boldenone following his July 26 contest against Justin Eilers at an EliteXC event in Stockton, Calif.

The EliteXC heavyweight champion, his manager Alex Davis, and world-renowned doping attorney Howard Jacobs appealed the fighter’s sentence on the grounds of a “false positive” at a CSAC hearing on Oct. 22 in Los Angeles. Five commissioners voted to unanimously uphold the suspension through July 27, 2009.

“Antonio has decided to fight, he really has no option,” wrote Davis in an email to Sherdog.com. “He’s innocent, he’s tried to prove it and it fell on unwilling ears, and he has financial commitments that to not meet would have serious consequences for him. In light of these, he has decided to continue his career in Japan until when and if his situation with the CSAC is resolved.”

If Silva competes, Douglas said the fighter will be in direct violation of a statute within California’s Business and Professions Code. Douglas said he’d be forced to recommend that the commission vote to revoke the Brazilian’s license at a Feb. 10 hearing. If passed, Silva’s California license could be frozen in one-year increments until the commission voted again to reinstatement him. The commission could also vote to not revoke the license, alter Silva’s suspension, and impose a fine.

Douglas said a license revocation would be filed with the National Suspension Registry, and would likely be honored by other regulatory bodies throughout North America.

In addition, any licensed parties found to have aided Silva in competing outside the state while under suspension would be subject to disciplinary action, according to the statutes. Silva’s manager Davis said he is not licensed as a second in California.

Silva has decided to move forward as the future of Pro Elite, the parent company of EliteXC, seems to be coming into focus. In recent weeks, select executives of Pro Elite have made a bid to regain the remaining assets of the Los Angeles company that ceased operations in late October. There is evidence the company will attempt to rise under new ownership and continue its broadcast relationship with both CBS and Showtime if allowed to.

Pro Elite was said to have some 80 fighters under various forms of contract when it closed its doors on Oct. 22. Silva’s heavyweight championship was never officially rescinded by the promotion after his appeal proved fruitless.

Though other Elite-contracted fighters like Scott Smith have contacted the promotion and been granted permission to accept single-fight assignments to compete in other promotions while Pro Elite’s direction is decided, Silva’s manager Davis said he has not had that same experience.

“There is no one in charge at Pro Elite,” wrote Davis. “All this talk of resurrection, although it would be great it is just talk. There are no events scheduled. Our agreement was that Antonio would be able to fight in other events, as long as they agreed, but there is no one there to agree.”

The 6-foot-4, nearly 300-pound Silva (11-1) burst onto the scene in March 2005. Nearly all of the towering Brazilian’s victories have come by way of his fists, with his only loss against fellow heavy hitter Eric Pele at a Bodog Fight event in December 2006. Silva went 4-0 in EliteXC’s heavyweight ranks, earning a notable split decision win over former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez last February.

Nagao (7-1, 2 NC) is best known for his fateful New Year’s Eve 2005 staredown with Heath Herring, in which the Texan flattened Nakao for kissing him on the lips prior to the bout.