MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Tyson Griffin to return in April at UFC Fight Night 18

After what will be more than a six-month layoff, UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will return to action in April at UFC Fight Night 18.

A source close to the Xtreme Couture fighter today told MMAjunkie.com Griffin has agreed to fight at the event. UFC officials are currently finalizing plans for an opponent.

UFC Fight Night 18 takes place April 1 possibly in Nashville, Tenn., though the UFC has yet to officially announce the Spike TV-televised event.

Griffin last competed in October at UFC 90 and snapped a five-fight UFC win streak with a unanimous-decision loss to former UFC title-holder Sean Sherk. During his two-and-a-half-year UFC career, Griffin has defeated Marcus Aurelio, Gleison Tibau, Thiago Tavares, Clay Guida and David Lee; his other loss came to Frankie Edgar.

All of his UFC fights except the Lee bout have gone to a decision, though Griffin has picked up four Fight of the Night and one Submission of the Night bonus in the process.

Prior to joining the UFC, the 24-year-old Griffin was perhaps best known for his third-round TKO of former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber at a September 2005 Cage Gladiators event. It was the only loss Faber suffered from his debut in November 2003 until his title loss to Mike Brown in November 2008.

 

[Shogun Locc]

World beater: Josh Barnett interview exclusive with MMAmania.com

Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnett (23-5) — currently ranked number three on the WAMMA top 10 list for heavyweights — is set to face Dutch striker Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel (35-12-1) in a number one contender eliminator match on January 24 in the co-main event at Affliction: “Day of Reckong” at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Barnett sat out all of 2007 after the Japanese promotion Pride FC was sold to the UFC and eventually closed down. In early 2008 he came back onto the Japanese MMA scene, fighting twice on Sengoku cards, defeating training partners Hidehiko Yoshida with a third round heel hook submission and Jeff Monson via unanimous decision.

Then in July he competed on the first ever Affliction MMA card, avenging an earlier loss in his career to Pedro Rizzo by knocking him out cold with a left hand in the second round.

With WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko out due to a hand injury, The Baby Faced Assassin was booked to fight Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski in the main event of the second Affliction card in October. The winner of the match would get the first crack at Fedor in early 2009.

But for whatever reason that card fell through and now, three months later, Barnett is basically left as the odd man out. Regardless, he remains only one fight away from a shot at the title. Affliction higher ups have already guaranteed a shot at the winner of Fedor and Arlovski for Barnett if he can get past Yvel.

However, that won’t be an easy task.

Yvel is a fantastic striker with 48 professional fights to his credit and 30 of his 35 wins coming by knockout or technical knockout. Not to mention he has a bad reputation in the sport as a dirty fighter. Affliction certainly isn’t making the path to a title shot a walk in the park for Barnett, but he feels confident that’s exactly where he’ll end up.

We recently sat down with Josh and discussed his upcoming fight, his friendship with WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko, his future and several other topics about him and MMA in general. He’s a true professional and as confident as they come.

Check out the conversation below:

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How are you feeling man? Any nagging injuries or anything heading into this fight?

Josh Barnett: I’m just one big nagging injury.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) How has your training camp been?

Josh Barnett: It’s been going really well actually. I’ve had great sparring partners like Rampage, JP Fletcher, Ben Jones and they’ve been a real big help getting prepared for this.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Are you training at the same place?

Josh Barnett: Yep, same place I always train at — CSW in Fullerton.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Your opponent, Gilber Yvel, is a very dangerous striker, perhaps even more so than your last opponent, Pedro Rizzo, which is scary. Do you plan on using the same approach in this fight as you did in July by trying to win the fight on your feet?

Josh Barnett: I’m going to try to take him out in any way shape or form possible. I don’t like decisions and I don’t intend to let this one go to one.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Well it’s no secret that perhaps your biggest strength, your ground game is his biggest weakness. Wouldn’t it be easier to just attack that weakness instead of trying to win at his game?

Josh Barnett: Sure, but if your gameplan is so exposed right away then it makes the balance easier for them to defend it. The thing is I’m not looking to pass up a knockout just to forward through and get a takedown. There’s no guarantees in anything, but when I have opportunities I take them.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you feel like you have any weaknesses in this fight or do you feel like you’re better than Yvel in most areas?

Josh Barnett: No, I don’t consider anybody in the world to be at a level that I can’t compete at or I’m not better than. I’m really not concerned with anybody. It’s all about not allowing them to establish what they want to do. If they can’t dictate the fight, if they can’t find their rhythm, then whatever it is they want to affect in the fight isn’t going to be of much use to them because it’s going to be under my control.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There were rumors of you facing both Brett Rogers and Aleksander Emelianenko before Yvel was officially announced. Which of the three would you fight if it were your choice?

Josh Barnett:Brett Rogers was I guess a possibility, but because of all the legal aspects of the Elite XC scenario right now, it couldn’t happen. I was fine with that. Aleksander was absolutely never a consideration. That was just some sort of propaganda that he or somebody else was trying to put out there. He can’t even be licensed in the state of California so it’s an impossibility for him to be an option for anyone at this point. And Gilbert Yvel was the only solid offer I got, you know, besides Brett, and Brett, well I guess I can’t acknowledge because he could never fight.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You mention Aleksander having some trouble getting cleared to fight in California. Yvel also had problems getting licensed in Nevada for Pride 33 a couple of years ago and some people believe he’ll have similar problems getting cleared for this fight. Do you know anything on that?

Josh Barnett: He’s absolutely cleared to apply for his license. And the only thing that would keep him from getting it, I would imagine, would be if he failed one of his medicals.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): He’s got a pretty bad reputation for his actions inside the ring. He’s been caught eye gouging, biting, kicking to the groin and even striking an official. What are your thoughts on facing a guy like that and what are you going to do if he starts in with the dirty stuff on you on January 24?

Josh Barnett: Well if he knocks the ref out there’s not much I can do about that (laughs). And if he tried to bite me, you know, I don’t really know. It’d be ugly, that’s all I can say. I don’t really have the same mercy for my opponents as maybe other people do and that just goes for within the rules.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I’m sure Affliction has a back up plan in case Yvel doesn’t get cleared. Have you heard of any possible replacements just in case?

Josh Barnett: No, I haven’t heard any particular names at all at this point. All I know is I’m going to be ready for them … don’t know if they’ll be ready for me.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) Right on. This is obviously a huge fight for you because a win secures you a match against the winner of Fedor and Arlovski for the WAMMA championship in your next fight. I imagine you’ll be keeping a close eye on that one. How do you see it going down?

Josh Barnett: I think it’s really going to come down to Fedor’s ability to put the fight on the ground. Once Arlovski’s on his back I don’t think he’s going to be able to execute very well and the fight is over I think. I think Fedor’s going to establish that control and he’s never going to let it go.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have a preference as to which one you face?

Josh Barnett: I don’t care about who I fight so much, but I want Fedor to win, he’s my friend. I want to see him do well.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Can you elaborate on that friendship a little bit for us and maybe talk about how you guys became friends and what it might be like fighting a friend?

Josh Barnett: Well, I never had any trouble fighting friends before. I fought Jeff Monson who was in some ways a person I’ve always, I’ve kind of coached him for the most part, you know. I’ve been in his corner for a lot of big fights. I’ve worked with him in the past as been training partners. We just went out there and fought. Yoshida was a training partner as well. I had no problem fighting him, either. I’ll fight anybody. I’ll fight family if I have to if that’s what it comes down to. In terms of Fedor, we just really got along after we just sat down on a night of me, him and Roman Zentsov just hanging out. It turned out that we got along very well and he’s a very caring and cool guy. We keep in touch and we want the best for each other. But at the same time we’re competitors in the same sport and none of that really overlaps as far as being an issue.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So if your friendship isn’t holding you guys back why haven’t we seen a fight between you two yet?

Josh Barnett: Timing and the promoters is what that really comes down to.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How do you feel you match up with either Fedor or Andrei? Are both of those fights you feel like you can win?

Josh Barnett: Yeah, I think on the feet I can knock either one of them out. I think that Fedor is actually more dangerous because of his ability to mix it up so well between striking and then initiating grapples and taking you down. He keeps people on their toes and he keeps them off balance. It’s really a cool thing to see him implement it. As far as the grappling aspect, I think that Fedor would be a much more difficult fight for me on the ground than Arolvski. Arlovski’s a very strong, capable heavyweight and when he’s doing well he gets stronger as he goes. That’s always something to keep in mind, but when things are going tough you usually test the faith.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What are your thoughts on the rumors of poor ticket sales for this event?

Josh Barnett: They’re just that, rumors. I’ve not heard or seen anything to substantiate them. Unfortunately, a lot of things that people like to point out is the negative. I’ve read some of the negativity in terms of — not just Affliction — but any promotion besides the UFC that’s trying to get off the ground. Everybody’s got an opinion and they all think they can do a better job. Instead of being happy for the possibility of seeing more great fights and sometimes the match ups you’ve been wanting to see for a while, I don’t know, people are just very, very hard to please nowadays. But, you know, the economy is hurting things and the UFC has a huge lock on the market so it’ll be hard to establish your brand amongst that. But you do what you can and if you can put on the kind of fights that get people talking then that’s what’s going to keep bringing them back.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You mention the UFC basically having the market locked down. When Affliction had its first show in July, the UFC — on short notice — put together the fight night card with Anderson Silva. What were your thoughts on that counter programming, I mean, is that the UFC using dirty tactics?

Josh Barnett: It is, but I mean all is fair in love and war, and apparently business. Personally, I don’t think the demise of Affliction would help them in the least. I think what it does is it makes your market, your pool, bigger from which to draw from. Therefore, they would see an increase in funds with a bigger viewing audience for the sport as a whole. And appreciate that Affliction is going to go and do things that UFC either won’t or actually couldn’t because they weren’t interested in dealing with the UFC’s particular image, you know, however the view that. But I think if the UFC is a one man show, I guess things will survive, but it’s going to be a lot rougher for not just the UFC but the fighters as well. Just maybe the people at the top will get rich, but in the end everybody’s out for their own anyhow.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you think the second Affliction show in Las Vegas getting canceled had anything to do with the UFC?

Josh Barnett: I’m not entirely sure. I mean it very well could have, but it was very disappointing nonetheless.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Right, you were supposed to fight Arlovski then for the number one contender slot. There are some people who believe you’re more deserving of the first shot at Fedor than Arlovski. Do you agree?

Josh Barnett: Uh, I just don’t care. I just want to fight. Eventually the fights that are going to be the most important will come my way. And no matter what, I got to win. You never know, the fight that I have with somebody that everybody wants to pass off and just casually dismiss, that might be the fight that’s the most exciting one they’ve ever seen me fight. You just never know what’s going to happen until you get into the ring. Gilbert Yvel is a veteran with well over 40 fights. I really think that there could be a really great match up out of this. I don’t strive to make my name off beating anybody in particular. I’ll make my name off my own merit, my own skills and my own accomplishments. I don’t need to be in any specific organization and I don’t need to fight any specific fighter. I just need to do the best I can do out there.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you think Affliction is going to survive as a mixed martial arts promotion, honestly?

Josh Barnett: Uh, well yeah. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have signed with them.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What is your contract status with Affliction?

Josh Barnett: Uh, good (laughs). I’m able to fight for both Affliction and Sengoku if I want, and Pancrase. I’m pretty open to being able to fight most places.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’re also into the pro wrestling scene over in Japan. What are your thoughts on some of the WWE guys like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley making the move to MMA?

Josh Barnett: Well, if they got the talent then I absolutely support it. I just hope that they can keep some of that persona and ability to personalize and make a character out of themselves when they come to MMA. It gives somebody out there in the fans and the audience somebody to really latch onto. Someone that sticks out — that’s an individual and is interesting and that makes people think or hate or love or whatever the case may be to get some sort of emotion out of them. Instead of being carbon copy, tribal tattoo, goatee, shaved head, board short wearing yahoo that you see on every card.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Right, you mention that if they have the talent then you support them. Do you thin Brock Lesnar is the real deal and worthy of the UFC title or is he just a flash in the pan that veteran fighters will eventually figure out?

Josh Barnett: He’s new, I mean, he’s green to fighting, I’ll give you that. But he’s got the gold and he beat somebody that whether you think he could beat the best out there is one thing, but I’ll tell you what, any newcomer with three fights getting into the ring would be hard pressed to beat a guy like Randy Couture.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Can Frank Mir beat him again?

Josh Barnett: I put my money on Lesnar, but then again it just really depends on what kind of preparation he’s going to do. I think that if he wants to beat Mir, he needs to come out to Fullerton and train at CSW with myself and Erik Paulson. I think if he goes in again he could possibly hit him with those ham hocks and put him out on the ground. The thing is that Mir’s dangerous and explosive and he could very easily end up with another leg submission and there goes his new found title.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you still wrestle at all? Is there any chance we’ll see you in the WWE one day?

Josh Barnett: I don’t have any interest necessarily in wrestling in the states so much, but I continue to wrestle over in Japan for the IGF on a fairly regular basis — at least four matches maybe five matches a year. I even have student named Eric Hammer I have working over there, too. In my mind, whether I’m over there in Japan in the IGF or in the ring in Affliction, they’re all pro wrestling to me. I’m fighting for the entertainment of the fans.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What are some of the differences with fighting over in Japan as opposed to the states? And which do you prefer?

Josh Barnett: I in general prefer to fight in Japan. I’ve been doing it for a while. The way everything is put together with the promotion, there’s a lot less hassle. Even just some of the simpler things in terms of there’s food and blankets and pillows and mats and everything and it’s all laid out for you backstage. They just really make sure that the fighter is taken care of and that they’re as comfortable as they can be to fight the best fight that they can. But also, I love the events themselves. They seem bigger and larger than life.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): After you defeated Rizzo in July, Mirko Cro Cop is now the only man you have faced in your career that you haven’t beat. Is a fourth fight with him and a win over him something that’s important to you for your legacy?

Josh Barnett: Uh, I don’t really know. Sure I would love to beat him. I would love to have a win over him — a very decisive, clear cut, you know, straight up finish. But it seemed to me that it was always a bad omen fighting Cro Cop. Whether it was dislocating my shoulder, to anything else that may have impeded my ability to be at my best. And that guy, when I fought him he was amazing. He fought incredible fights and he was a world champion. He’s tough. He’s tough as nails when he’s on. And a win like that would always look good on my record.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Where do you see yourself on the list of top heavyweights in the world?

Josh Barnett: I don’t give a shit about rankings. I just take a look at the list, you know, it doesn’t matter where they place, I just know I can beat them all.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Is there bad blood between you and the UFC and is there ever a chance we’ll see you back there? I mean, you never really lost your title.

Josh Barnett: Right, well I don’t see it happening anytime soon, especially with the way that I’m able to fight in different organizations as it is right now. Dana White or whoever else it is out there seems to have a real issue with me beyond business. It doesn’t matter who I like or dislike in terms of what organization. I just know that when it comes to doing business, I do business unless you are unethical or try to do something grievous to me through the rest of the contract or through business, then we can’t work together. But I don’t have to like anybody, I just have to do my job.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you want to make a prediction for the fight against Yvel?

Josh Barnett: Sure, I predict that Gilbert is going to be wishing he left his finger in the dike instead of coming over here and getting in the ring with me.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) Nice, thanks man. It was an honor getting a chance to talk with you. Is there anything else you want to talk about or anybody you’d like to thank?

Josh Barnett: Just my Web site and my MySpace page.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Cool. Thanks again Josh and good luck to you in the future.

Josh Barnett: Thank you, too.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Martin Kampmann: “185 or 170, I don’t care”

Martin Kampmann is finally ready to pick on someone his own size. Not that the man nicknamed “The Hitman” has ever made it a habit to pick on smaller men but exactly the opposite.

On Saturday night Kampmann will make his welterweight debut against Alexandre Barros who will be making his first appearance in the octagon. Kapmann had previously campaigned at 185 pounds for the bulk of his career but will be moving down to 170 pounds for the match up with Barros.

Kampan confessed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that there are times at the gym that he walks around lighter than some of the guys that compete at 155 pounds. In today’s age of cutting weight, that’s a problem.

“I’ve always been kind of light for a middleweight,” admitted Kampmann. “When I go down to the gym some of the guys that fight at 170 are heavier than me. Even some of the guys that fight at 155, when they’re out of shape, they would be heavier than me. I figured I would give it a try and try the welterweight division out.”

Barros has been in the game for more than a decade, went to the third round with former UFC welterweight Champion Matt Hughes back in 2000 and is currently riding a nine fight win streak. Even considering all of these factors it has been extremely difficult for Kampmann to do any homework on his opponent but he has a pretty good idea of what he can expect.

“I’ve seen a little video on him but not much,” said Kampmann. “I’m just expecting for him to be a really tough guy.”

“He’s been fighting for a long time. He’s been fighting since before I even knew what MMA was. He’s been in the game for a while so I’m expecting a really tough fight.”

There may not be an abundance of tape to research on his opponent but Kampmann knows one area that he will need to spend some extra time in the gym on while preparing for the seasoned Brazilian.

“My main focus has been working on fighting left handed fighters,” said Kampmann. “Barros is a southpaw so I’ve been training with a lot of southpaws for this one.”

“All of the punches come from different angles so you have to move a little differently as compared to when you fight a right handed guy. That has definitely been one of the main areas I have been focusing on.”

He’ll have plenty of good left handers to help him get ready while preparing at one of the world’s most respected mixed martial arts gyms.

“It’s great to have a camp like Xtreme Couture to train at,” said the 26 year old Denmark native. “I have a bunch of good training partners and of course we have Randy down here and he’s a great guy. Everybody helps each other out and I feel like it has helped my game a lot.”

“Here most of the guys that I train with do this for a living. Back home it’s guys that have jobs and families so it’s hard to schedule everything. Here at Xtreme Couture you know that there will always be guys training professionally because they have to fight.”

After compiling a nine fight win streak with four consecutive wins in the UFC, Kampmann was stopped in the first round of his last bout by top middleweight, Nate Marquardt. The loss put a bad taste in his mouth and he is eager to show that he is back and better than ever at 170 pounds.

“I feel really good,” said Kampmann. “I’ve been training hard every day and I’m looking forward to the fight.

“I just want to go out there and beat him up. I want to get the win any way I can.”

Just because Kampmann can make the cut down to 170 pounds doesn’t necessarily mean that he is ready to call the welterweight division his home for good. Kampmann doesn’t sweat the small stuff, he just wants to scrap.

“I don’t care so much about the weight,” said Kampmann. “I don’t really care where I fight as long as I get paid so 185 or 170, I don’t care.”

“I just want to thank all of my fans back home, Hitman Fight Gear for supporting me and MMA Agents for helping me out.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Forget Brock Lesnar, “UFC Primetime” is the next big thing

As The Ultimate Fighter’s ratings continue a precipitous decline, now down 36 percent from their Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock fueled heights, Zuffa has quietly been searching for replacement programming to take over as their flagship show on Spike TV.

Despite the success of live fight specials, that couldn’t be the answer long term. The shows are simply too draining on the entire staff, not to mention a fight roster and audience already worn thin by an increasing barrage of MMA on television and pay per view. At a certain point, panic began to set in. “We really don’t know what we’re going to do when The Ultimate Fighter runs its course,” one UFC insider told me backstage at UFC 91. Now they know. Forget Brock Lesnar. UFC: Primetime is the next big thing.

Last night, Dana White and company went a long way towards ensuring their next contract with Spike TV and even further towards making the Georges St. Pierre-B.J. Penn fight a mega success on pay-per-view. It was a show obviously inspired by HBO’s groundbreaking 24/7 and their seminal NFL training camp show, Hard Knocks. What separates UFC: Primetime from these other excellent programs are the UFC fighters. As always, I’m impressed by the personalities. Both B.J. Penn and St.Pierre came across as great ambassadors for the sport. The audience saw, perhaps for the first time, what makes a fighter tick. And, despite eight seasons of TUF, many saw for the first time just how hard it is to be a professional fighter. These aren’t just born warriors, stepping out of the bar and into the cage. It takes work to be GSP. Maybe a little less to be B.J. Penn, and that was the story of this show, the first of three broadcasts leading up to UFC 94.

The story they are telling here is simple but effective. B.J. Penn is the rich kid, growing up in paradise and fighting because he can. He’s good at it and success comes easily for him. Georges St. Pierre’s is a more typical story, at least for a fighter. He grew up poor and struggled to make it to where he is, even quitting school for a time to work as a garbage man. He’s seen poverty and despair and this drives him, keeps him going back to the gym when others might be taking it easy, terrified to go back to his old life.

Penn’s is a more comfortable lifestyle. He’s on the beach, taking it easy with his boys and laughing about the dumb Canadian plunging through the snow in Quebec. The editing of the show clearly indicates the producers value making Penn appear as if he is not training hard, using footage of a routine break in training to push the idea. But those close to Penn say he is more dedicated than ever to ensuring his legacy in this sport and is training like never before. Even the noted training fanatic Frank Shamrock took a week off during his preparation for the Tito Ortiz fight in 1999 to make sure he was hitting all cylinders in the cage, not in the training room before the fight.

Manufacturing this conflict is understandable. It allows an opportunity for Dana White to make an appearance (always a good thing) and helps the audience decide between two popular fan favorites. Programs like this need some conflict, and while the specifics of this particular issue were contrived, Penn’s dedication to training is always ripe for speculation. One could expect in coming episodes that Penn will be shown making a concerted effort to train like a demon and this will simply be a narrative device to tell the story of his renewed commitment to greatness.

Despite some minor quibbles, like Penn providing stock material for the sport’s critics by threatening to kill GSP and vowing to die in the cage, this was a triumph. This show is masterfully produced, by far the best work we’ve ever seen on a UFC program. I can’t wait to see what comes next and I think many fans will feel the same way.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Penn’s coach assures that fighter is taking St. Pierre fight seriously

Viewers of the first excellent episode of UFC Prime Time on Spike last night may have walked away with the impression that lightweight champion BJ Penn is not taking his training for Georges St. Pierre seriously enough. But according to the “Phenom’s” head coach, Rudy Valentino, nothing could be further from the truth.

“Dana White was making a big deal out of nothing,” Valentino tells InsideFighting.

What Valentino is referring to is UFC President Dana White’s “check up” call to BJ Penn and brother/manager JD Penn. Penn had decided to take some days off from his training for his rematch with the welterweight champion, White got wind of it and seemed very disturbed by the notion.

But contrary to White’s characterization of Penn’s time off of as a “vacation” or “f_king around” and the people around Penn as “yes men”, Valentino says that the camp he’s running is running smoothly and effectively with quality people involved.

“He makes it out to be that [BJ] is on vacation, not training and not taking [the fight] seriously. This fight is the most serious fight of all time. We’re not playing around…We’ve got a good training camp here,” Valentino assures. “I saw that and I laughed because we know what we are doing.”

Valentino says that he has never heard of White calling to check up on one of Penn’s previous training camps and suspects that it was done this time around in order to generate additional drama for the Prime Time show. “[Dana] will pull out drama in anything he does. He’s not a drama queen, he’s a drama king,” Valentino says.

Valentino says that Penn’s scheduled rest time occurred last week “Tuesday through Saturday,”* after Penn had already been training for three consecutive months. Without that time off Penn would have been on schedule to walk into UFC 94 after an approximately five month training camp without pause - entirely too long by anyone’s standards.

“[Dana] didn’t understand what we have to do. Dana doesn’t understand because he’s not a fighter. We don’t want [BJ] burning out or peaking at the wrong time,” Valentino says, also noting that Penn has employed a similar rest period before his last six to seven fights.

“It’s not a vacation,” he says. “Its just a rest period to recuperate the body and get more focused on the fight.”

Valentino also added that unlike St. Pierre, who said in an interview aired on this episode that he goes out to night clubs during training camps (but without doing drugs or drinking alcohol), Penn does not go partying during camp and that “it is all hard work,” in Hawaii for “The Prodigy” right now.

Penn is currently on a three fight win streak heading into the January 31st main event in Las Vegas, including one world title securing bout and another successful title defense. Overall, Penn is 4-3 in his last seven fights, which took place in three separate weight classes.

Valentino says that he and Penn’s methods are paying off exactly how they hoped they would, culminating in the best sparring session of the camp yet just this past Tuesday.

“The last sparring session we had with BJ was the best because he just methodically took apart his opponents that he sparred with,” Valentino says.

“I was very happy with his last sparring session. And that capped of the all these months of training. That capped off what I wanted to see BJ improve on - where he can read the opponent and take him apart - and that’s what I saw. I’m very satisfied going into this fight right now with BJ being in shape and having an excellent training camp and training partners.”

*The time frame for Penn’s rest period was originally published as being “3-4 weeks ago.” At just past 1am CST Thursday morning, however, Mr. Valentino messaged InsideFighting to clarify that the period actually took place last week in the span currently quoted. We made the change after the message from Mr. Valentino and thank him for the clarification.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Reilly Could be a Problem In NY, Even with Passage of MMA

Multiple sites out there seem to be reacting to the recent interview New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly did with MMAWeekly, with some surprised that Reilly is still showing opposition to MMA legislation, but the reason behind that should be obvious. One thing that many folks aren’t taking into consideration is the thorn in the side that Reilly could still be even if MMA legislation is passed. Much has been made by the UFC about the financial impact of the UFC on New York. If the UFC is successful in passing laws allowing MMA in NY, Reilly has the ability to exact his pound of flesh financially to further gum up the works.

Much is made of the tourist dollars and ancillary spending that are attached to putting on an event in the state but another way for the state of New York to realize revenue from MMA is to go the route of Nevada, by placing a tax on any PPV cards that take place in the state. Inserting such a tax could be a poison pill that could cause the UFC not run the state very often if at all. There are also other fees and requirements that could chill the possibility of the UFC running in New York. Hawaii recently passed MMA legislation with similar provisos and was met with a statements from Dana White that it would be a long time before before the UFC held a card there as a result. Getting MMA legislation passed and one that is to the UFC’s liking may be two entirely different things, unfortunately. While most, including those with the UFC seem optimistic of passage, the back room machinations in areas like those mentioned above make Mr Reilly still a viable threat to MMA in New York. If nothing else Reilly doesn’t seem the type to go quietly into the night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Palhares' boxing coach comments training

The responsible for the Boxing training of athletes like Murilo Bustamante, Pedro Rizzo, Rodrigo “Minotauro”, Marco Ruas, Ryan and Royce Gracie, Zé Mário Sperry and many others, the Boxing coach Cláudio Coelho has improved Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares stand up game to face Jeremy Horn at UFC 93.

Commenting on the training of the Brazilian, Claudio is only confidence for a Brazilian victory in Dublin, Ireland: “I always bet on Toquinho. If it snaps straight game, he's favorite. He’s a guy very well physically conditioned, well prepared, but the fighter also depends on luck. I’m suspect to talk about it, but by his potential, only if the game doesn’t fit right, like against Dan Henderson, but I bet on him", said the coach. “I'm always cheering for him, against anyone. He’s a great guy, very polite and has desire to win. Toquinho is special ", praises Claudio, drawing to comment Rodrigo Minotauro loss at UFC 92, when he was knocked out by Frank Mir and lost the interim heavyweight title.

“He wasn’t on his day. He had a good preparation, either in Boxing, Wrestling and ground game, but sometimes it’s not the day... Everyone thought he would win, but these things happen. It wasn’t for lack of training, they trained everything, but on the day the things doesn’t fit. Minotauro has potential, he already shown that. Disasters like this happen. If he has chance to fight with this guy he can win, but we cannot diminish what his opponent did, was willing and able to overcome this, he had his merits. People are saying now that Minotauro’s boxing wasn’t good... No, he trained everything, but it wasn’t his day", finalized Claudio.

 

[Shogun Locc]

André Benkei conquests Japan

Forget about Paulo Coelho… The Brazilian magician that is dominating the (MMA) world is called André Benkei. After gaining recognition in the U.S. for his excellent work in ATT, Benkei begins to spread his fields in the East. After helping Jorge Santiago to recover 26 pounds between the weighing and the day of the fight with Misaki, the weight-in magician starts to be recognized also in Japan.

"After Sengoku, I was invited to two small seminars in the Uematsu’s academy (Japanese champion of the ADCC selective) and also in the network of Cross Point academies. I was also invited, and accepted, to be a columnist about training in the Japanese Fight & Life magazine and, after the performance of my athletes in Japan, also had an invitation to begin to train the main Japanese athletes and establish fixed base in Japan. I postponed the invitation to 2010, because I want to wait for Thiago "Pitbull" Alves, Thiago Silva and Wilson Gouveia to be UFC champions, there my mission will be completed in America and it’ll be in time to help building a strong Japanese team", reveled Benkei that, in 2009, will have part of his secrets (dehydration and rehydration) revealed by an American company, which will manufacture a line of products with his name.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BJ PENN: "WE DON'T NEED THE JUDGES SO THEY DON'T EVEN NEED TO SHOW UP"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content4128.html?PHPSESSID=08c810b9c92c816730c5176055819d5b
"I think he's improved everywhere. You know, his experience, he's had some big wins and some big losses since then. His striking is better, his wrestling is better and his Jiu Jitsu is better. So all in all, he's just a better fighter than he was. But his most important muscle is his weakest and that's his heart. Once I get in through there and start breaking him down and he realizes that I'm not going away, that's how I'm going to end up beating him. He will end up giving up," stated UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn as he talked about his upcoming clash with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. You don't want to miss what he had to say about St. Pierre, the fight and much more. Check it out!

 

[Shogun Locc]

Heath Herring To Fight At Next UFC 97

DreamFighters.com spoke with Heath Herring’s management team today very briefly to talk about a few promotional points, however we asked when Heath will be fighting next, and they let us in on his next fight date.

As quoted:

Heath is on the card for ufc montreal. (UFC 97)

However, when we asked who he will be fighting, we were unable to get a response. It is great to hear Heath will be back and fighting soon in the UFC.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monma Vs. Ikemoto and the Winner Enters DREAM?

DREAM veteran Hidetaka Monma vs. Seichi Ikemoto was announced for the DEEP 40 IMPACT event on February 20th today. Seichi Ikemoto is the DEEP Welterweight champion but the fight will not be for the title. However, DEEP boss Saeki said that he wants it to be a fight in which the winner enters DREAM.

Could we see one of these fighters in the DREAM Welterweight GP this year?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive: Quick Chat With Middleweight Joe Doerksen

Earlier this week MMANews.com was able to catch up with middleweight fighter Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen (41-12-0) before he boarded a plane to head to Ireland to help corner Jeremy Horn for his UFC 93 bout against Rousimar Palhares.

Doerksen, who last fought in November at the sixth installment of Sengoku, picked up the win via TKO in the third round over Izuru Takeucki. He has won his last two fights after losing three in a row to top notch opponents in the UFC and WEC. “El dirte” has been fighting since 1999 and is a vet of the UFC and WEC and has been in the ring and cage with some of the world’s top competition.

Not sure where he may fight next, Doerksen has a feeling it could be for Sengoku and as he talks about in this interview, would love the chance to get back to Japan and fight for the organization.

Doerksen also talks about numerous other topics including his training, his plans for 2009, and his plans to have a good time in Ireland

Chris Howie with MMANews.com: Thanks for speaking with me today Joe, How are things?

Joe Doerksen: Pretty good. How are you?

MMANews.com: Not to bad dude. What is new with you? Any fights planned or coming up?

Joe Doerksen: Nothing yet but I'm going to talk to my manager this week and see what's happening. I could be ready as early as late February, but I think it may be March before I get one.


MMANews.com: Any idea with which organization?


Joe Doerksen: I still have two fights with Sengoku on my contract, but I'm only exclusive with them in Asia, so I can fight in other shows in North America. It all just depends on timing and money.


MMANews.com: How are you feeling health wise? Any nagging injuries?


Joe Doerksen: Nothing real bad. I strained a muscle in my back the other day while wrestling but it's already feeling a lot better. By this time next week I'll probably be back at it a one hundred per cent. Massage therapy is a wonderful thing. It loosens things right up.


MMANews.com: Where you training at these days?

Joe Doerksen: I am living in Winnipeg but I am in Utah at the moment training with Jeremy Horn. I've been here two weeks. I am leaving for Ireland tomorrow (Monday). I'll probably visit Duke Roufus in February for a week or two, and then maybe back here again for a few weeks. Not really planning it out completely but that's what I'm thinking about right now. It all depends on when I fight next, I guess.

MMANews.com: Are you cornering Horn at UFC 93 this weekend?


Joe Doerksen: Yeah, he also has Matt Pena out here as well who is his boxing coach. I've been playing the role of punching bag for Horn's training. (*Note* Pena coached alongside Matt Hughes during Hughes second run as a coach of The Ultimate Fighter season 6.)

MMANews.com: How's the punching bag treatment working out for you?


Joe Doerksen: I'm a little banged up but it's a great way to kick start my training. I did nothing but drink all through December so it's nice to get away from that for a bit and get back to work.


MMANews.com: Is there anyone out there you are looking to fight?

Joe Doerksen: Anyone and everyone. I won my first Sengoku fight, against the King of Pancrase, so I'm thinking possibly a big fight for them soon. But who knows... I have no idea how they choose match ups. I'll do whatever. It would not be surprised me if I was given a title shot, or a complete can. You can never tell what they'll ask me to do.

MMANews.com: What are your thoughts on fighting in Japan?

Joe Doerksen: Well I have fought once in DEEP before almost two years ago but I love fighting in Japan. Fighting in Sengoku has been the single greatest experience of my career. It was so cool. I felt like the happiest little kid in the world.

MMANews.com: [laughs] Why was that?


Joe Doerksen: Just standing up there for the opening ceremony. So many people, so far from home. It all just felt so different. It was like when I used to watch Pride on TV, but I was the dude standing up there. It was the best feeling ever. I really enjoyed the experience


MMANews.com: So it is likely you'll fight for them next?


Joe Doerksen: Possibly. I don't know anything for sure right now.

MMANews.com: Do you have anything else planned that you would like to mention?

Joe Doerksen: Not really. I'm just going to go home after Ireland and get back to training. Just going to wait and see what's up in the next month or two. I'd expect I'll fight in March or April, but until I talk to Monte (Cox), I won't really know. Not too worried, though. I'm sure something will be happening soon. I just want to make sure I'm ready when it does.


MMANews.com: Alright man. Thanks. I'll talk to you soon and have fun in Ireland which is probably not the country you want to be going to if you wanted to stop drinking beer. [laughs]


Joe Doerksen: Oh, I'm going to go ahead and enjoy myself when I'm there. Not to worry. [laughs]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Satoshi Ishii trains at American Top Team

Satoshi Ishii, who won a judo gold medal in Beijing Olympic, left for Florida to train at American Top Team on January 14. He is going to work on his striking skills at ATT.

Ishii said, “I decided to train at ATT because I was recommended by Ryo Chonan and fighters in Yoshida Dojo.” He doesn't visit Xtreme Couture this time, yet he is planning to train there again near future.

He started his own company "Twill33" to manage his contract last year; although, he signed with a management company "K Dash Group" on January 13. “I realized that I should entrust the negotiation to the experienced management company. K Dash Group takes care of my contract, and now I can focus on my training.”

After watching the UFC 94 in Las Vegas on January 31, he comes back to Japan on February 2.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sherk Possible For Roger Huerta's Send-Off

MMAInsider has learned from several sources close to former UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk that a meeting with fellow Minnesotan Roger Huerta is possible for UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada.

Huerta recently elected not to sign a contract extension with the UFC, deciding instead to focus on recent opportunities in acting and modeling. He has reportedly signed a three-film development deal with Lions Gate Films, and is working on a book about his life.

A meeting with Sherk would be the last fight on Huerta's current contract.

In a recent interview with MMAWeekly.com, the soon-to-be-thespian said he'd be open to a fight up north.

"Actually, I would kind of like to fight in April, the Montreal card, cause a lot of the Canadian guys want me to fight on that card," he said. "So it'd be kind of cool if I did that. In the meantime, I'm doing other things."

Sherk is currently in training at Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts. In his last appearance, he outpointed up-and-comer Tyson Griffin at UFC 90, showcasing an improved stand-up game. The former champ has repeatedly stated he only wants to fight contenders and names, and a bout with Huerta appears to fit the latter half of that bill.

"I want to push myself and challenge myself," he said. "I've got 41 professional fights. I feel like I've accomplished everything in this industry a guy could ever dream of accomplishing, and now, at this point in my career, I only want to fight the best guys. That's all I'm interested in. I'm not here to collect paydays. I just want to test myself and finish my career knowing that I fought the best of the best and beat them."

 

[Shogun Locc]

KEITH JARDINE VS LUIS CANE AT UFC 97 IN MONTREAL

A light heavyweight bout has been set for UFC 97 in Montreal as popular fighter Keith Jardine returns to action to face a very formidable opponent in Brazilian Luis Cane. The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Thursday.

Jardine steps into the bout in Montreal on the heels of a split decision win over Brandon Vera back in October 2008. The "Dean of Mean" currently sports a 6-3 record in the Octagon, with his biggest win coming over former champion Chuck Liddell in September 2007.

The Team Jackson's fighter was previously rumored to be involved in a possible rematch against Liddell this year, but the interest in the fight waned and now Jardine will face another tough test instead.

Luis "Bahna" Cane has been on a tear since coming to the UFC in late 2007. His first fight was his only hiccup, as he was disqualified after an illegal knee strike forced James Irvin to be unable to continue and thus handed Cane the loss.

Since that time, Cane has gone 2-0 with two devastating TKO's to his credit. After taking out Jason Lambert, he returned with another big win over former Top 10 light heavyweight Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 89 in England.

With a chance to get his own placement in the Top 10, as well as put himself into title contention, Cane steps up to face Jardine in Montreal.

The Montreal card is shaping up quickly with more fights being added almost daily. The main event is set to put middleweight champion Anderson Silva against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites in a 185-pound title match.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fun and Games Part of the Plan for ‘King Mo'

He comes out to the ring with his four queens. He dances and tries to get the referee involved in his routine before his fights. He might be called arrogant, cocky and maybe even disrespectful. But if you ask him, that’s just who Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal is.

“That’s actually a part of my personality,” Lawal told Sherdog Radio’s “The Savage Dog Show” on Monday. “People who don’t know me just as a fighter and know me as a person know I like to have fun. I’m a cool dude. I’m not an asshole even if you think I am cause I’m celebrating.”

Lawal isn’t celebrating when he trains though.

“I spend six weeks uptight, training hard and preparing for a battle,” he said. “Pretty much battle time is a fun time. That’s when you should have fun. Training is when you buckle down and you’re serious and you don’t let loose, when you get in the ring that’s the time to let loose. I train so hard to give my fans a good show so I do it all from start to finish.”

It’s that dedication that has contributed to the 2007 U.S. Open wrestling gold medalist’s meteoric rise. He’s 3-0 after his first-round technical knockout over Yukiya Naito on Jan. 4 at World Victory Road’s “Sengoku No Ran” in Saitama, Japan. But the wins aren’t enough -- Lawal believes there’s a place for entertainment in MMA.

“Some people just want everyone to be like Fedor (Emelianenko) or ‘Cro Cop’ (Filipovic),” said Lawal, who wrestled for Oklahoma State and Central Okalahoma. “But if MMA had everybody act like Fedor and Cro Cop, who would want to watch it? How would you sell fights? Fedor vs. Cro Cop over and over again would give you the same interviews all the time. No one would buy a fight like that.”

It’s also why, when asked about the criticism UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has received for his own antics, the 2002 Div. II champion becomes a bit more animated.

“Rashad’s holding back,” said Lawal. “I’ve known Rashad since college. He can let loose even more. Sometimes people are negative to Rashad because they haven’t embraced Rashad yet. And I’m sorry Antonio McKee, you told me not to say this, but Rashad is a different color and they can’t relate to him.”

Lawal said other fighters have been given more leeway than his friend.

“Rashad is a cool dude,” Lawal said. “Just because Rashad did some stuff in the ring doesn’t mean he’s an a-----e. You don’t see people complaining about some of the stuff Genki Sudo was doing. Everyone thought that was cool. They thought it was cool when Tito starting flipping people off. But let Rashad do a few things and people start trippin’.”

There are more sides to Lawal than he initially lets on. He’s a combat sports historian weary of what he calls the David Reid effect, in which a boxer who came up through the ranks too quickly was beaten up against his first elite opponent in Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Having an eye on everything going on around him, Lawal aspires “to be a mixture of Lyoto Machida going backwards if I have to and Anderson Silva coming forward.” He has a great appreciation for Machida’s style.

“He’s not a defensive fighter,” said Lawal. “It’s counter-offensive fighter. He’ll move, you’ll miss [and] then he’ll make you pay. A defensive fighter will just move and not do anything afterwards. But if you chase Machida he’ll make you pay for it. [Olympic wrestler and UFC vet] Kevin Jackson came up with that term. MMA is not just bashing people. MMA is not a kickboxing match with MMA gloves and sub par or no grappling. If you’re a wrestler, take him down. But there’s no game plan or tactics in so many of these fights. Lyoto Machida is one of the more athletic fighters I’ve seen and he’ll use his game plan and everything to get the victory. That’s what a fight is supposed to be. Not a brawl. If they’re both smart, that’s what a true fight is supposed to be.”

Lawal’s aspirations in the sport are as detailed as the pre-show appearances he makes with his royal entourage.

“My goal in this sport is to become a legend,” Lawal said. “I’m going to win at 205 then move up to heavyweight. I want to fight where I could take on the best people. Right now I’m still a prospect. I look at Sherdog sometimes and look at people saying I should be fighting Nogueira or Manhoef and them. Yeah, I should fight them but I’m only 3-0. I’m not the best fighter in the world right now. I didn’t ask for the hype. This is my job. I have to build my way up.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monson: ‘I’d Do It Again’

Former UFC heavyweight contender and professed anarchist Jeff Monson is now a wanted man in Washington state, but he doesn’t regret the spray-painted message he left on the state Capitol building denouncing the war in Iraq.

The Olympia native has been charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a felony carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, according to The Olympian, which reported the story first on Wednesday.

A warrant for Monson’s arrest was issued on Wednesday after the state spent $19,000 to remove the graffiti, said The Olympian.

Monson, 37, told Sherdog.com on Thursday that he’d spray-painted the peace sign, the anarchy symbol, and the phrases “No war” and “No poverty” on multiple columns of the building on Nov. 26.

Monson, who is currently out of state on personal business, said he will convene with his lawyer on Thursday to coordinate turning himself into authorities. Monson expects to be released on his own recognizance. He said he plans to fight the charge and will not serve any jail time.

Monson said he’d planned the protest with “anarchist friends” on Nov. 26, but proceeded alone when they didn’t arrive. An ESPN photographer and writer, who were profiling the outspoken political proponent, documented the act, which appeared in a snapshot accompanying the article in the Dec. 29 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

At the time, Monson admits he wasn’t thinking of what repercussions his actions might cause.

“After [the picture] was taken I did,” said Monson. “We didn’t plan on taking it during the photo shoot or anything like that. That [ESPN] guy was with me for two straight days, and it just kind of happened.”

Monson -- who said he’s attended protests, been tear gassed, detained and arrested for his beliefs in the past -- was initially disappointed by the lack of media coverage his act had drawn.

“It sounded like a bunch of kids vandalized it,” he said of the abbreviated stories written about the incident.

Monson believes the issues should resonate with adults though.

“I feel totally justified in what I did,” Monson told Sherdog.com. “I just wanted people to know that there’s an illegal war going on right now and we’re four years and running. People are dying. There’s 800,000 Iraqis dead and we don’t seem to realize it.”

Monson contends that the money used to fund the war could be better used stateside to tackle poverty.

“When we talk about the economic problems we have in this country right now and we’re spending over a billion dollars a week on this war? Wow. There you go,” he said.

A world grappling champion many times over and a member of the formidable American Top Team, Monson (27-8) bested former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez by unanimous decision on Dec. 13 at a Mixed Fighting Alliance event in Miami. He had vied unsuccessfully for the heavyweight title against Tim Sylvia at UFC 65 in November 2006.

Monson -- who dons anarchy-inspired tattoos on his chest, back and leg -- isn’t worried that the added attention will hinder his fighting career, which could include a bout in World Victory Road’s next “Sengoku” installment this March in Japan.

“I think it will help,” said Monson. “It might hurt sponsorship, but when you have a show, you have someone that is well known. I think you have to do something really bad, like molest a kid or something really, really terrible for them not to want you. I believe in what I did. I would do it again.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: Why the lure of MMA proved strong for NFL lineman Rex Richards

Several years ago, Rex Richards arrived at a submission grappling tournament hosted by Brad Barnes, a professional fighter. Richards, the skilled offensive lineman standing at 6 feet 5 and 320 pounds who was still a mixed-martial-arts novice, was placed in the beginner division.

"He walked right through it," Barnes told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Barnes, meanwhile, was handling the advanced division with ease, including a quick disposal of an opponent at least Richards' size. When both were through, they agreed on a friendly exhibition.

"I went up, kind of faking a shot, and went high," said Barnes, now MMA coach at West Texas Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness in Lubbock, Texas, and a close Richards friend. "It was a full-size collegiate wrestling mat, and he literally picked me up and threw me outside the big circle. I was 6 feet (tall), maybe 265 pounds at the time."

Barnes reset, and they continued.

"I thought maybe he's just a strong upper body," Barnes said of the former Texas Tech University, Indianapolis Colts and San Jose SaberCats offensive lineman. "I pulled guard, and he just went ahead and passed a half guard and sat on me. He went for a key lock."

Barnes, not a quitter, gulped.

"I tapped," Barnes said. "I thought, 'This guy will rip my arm right out of my body.'"

This is the story of big, bad, analytical and (some say) UFC-ready Rex Richards, a hope to beef up the organization's heavyweight division and make a stronger bridge between the NFL and MMA.

Richards' professional career has quickly led him to an 8-1 record, and his only loss came to Shane Carwin, the respected and undefeated UFC fighter. Each of his fights has ended in less than one round, underlining his power.

Yes, he's big enough to do all those things.

"His size is hard to describe," Barnes said, "unless you meet him."

Football first

On Nov. 12, 1993, Richards sat with his father and watched the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event broadcast. His mother wandered in and out of the West Texas family room.

"She thought we were scumbags for watching it," Richards said with a laugh. "Blood, punching in the groin. She was like, 'Great, my son wants to be a scumbag.'" But first Richards filled his life with football, the pride of Midland, Texas. By his senior season at Midland Lee High School, Richards was a highly sought-after offensive line recruit, and he received 40 NCAA Division I scholarship offers.

Richards chose Texas Tech, and he became an All-Big 12 Conference performer. His 40 starts set a school record for offensive linemen, and he later signed a free-agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts and then with the Arena Football League's SaberCats.

While at Texas Tech, though, Richards couldn't shake the feeling he experienced watching UFC 1. He signed up for a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class taught my Klay Pittman at Pittman's Academy of Martial Arts in Lubbock, Texas. He could already bench press 515 pounds, but the skill of this new art was a unique thrill.

Not long after, Richards found himself inside a New Mexico gym waiting for his first professional fight, against Ashley Rivers in a Renegades Extreme Fighting show. That November 2005 crowd of 300 or so wouldn't even have formed the concession-stand force at his college football games.

"I'm sitting there, hands wrapped, hitting Thai pads, thinking, 'What the hell are you doing?'" Richards said. "I'm telling myself, 'This is ridiculous. I'm gonna fight for 200 dollars. This guy could beat the hell outta me.' That's the only anxiety I had about it. Then it was like, 'Why didn't I do this sooner?'"

Growing career, slimming down

Yes, soon. That's how the fight ended. Richards beat that first opponent with an 84-second TKO.

In the next two years, Richards began his professional career 4-0 fighting in REF, Fightfest and Strikeforce events. In October 2007, he faced Shane Carwin in Art of War 4 and, this time, lost in the first round via guillotine choke.

Since, he licked Jeremy Carver in King of the Cage with a rear-naked choke and TKO'd Sunia Filikitonga in a Katana Cagefighting show.

In those professional fights, Richards has been viewed as a big, strong, commanding fighter who is both comfortable with large crowds from his football days and trained to study opponents from his hundreds of hours in film rooms.

"He has that raw talent and raw power," said Richards' manager, Mickey Dubberly of KO Dynasty Sports Management. "He's an offensive lineman who can pick you up and slam you, but he also studies and learns."

Now, supporters say, if only Richards could devote himself to MMA full time. If only his training schedule hadn't always been weighed down with other concerns – college football, professional football, a day job as a salesman with the family's oilfield company and, now, as a medical-sales representative.

Well, the latest one isn't so bad.

"Sometimes I'm in the operating room, watching them work on people's spines, working on their brains," Richards said. "It's interesting."

In fighting, Richards is entering the most important two months of his burgeoning career. He'll fight again Feb. 20. By his March bout he hopes to make the drop from super-heavyweight to heavyweight and fight at 265 pounds.

UFC officials have told Dubberly they like what they see, but Richards has to prove himself as a heavyweight.

"I want to fight in the UFC since they are the NFL of MMA, and that is my ultimate goal," Richards said. "I have played football in front of millions of fans, so making the transition to the UFC wouldn't be a problem for me."

That drop in weight means the next few weeks will be filled with 90-minute morning cardio routines to begin grueling days of workouts and a severe lack of carbohydrates in the diet.

"I work hard; I don't expect handouts," Richards said. "I've been hooked from the day I saw that first fight. I'm not just jumping on the bandwagon. I want to make it to the highest level, and I'm working as hard as I can to get there."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Returning ‘Shogun’ Into Small Details

Before he entered his ill-fated Octagon debut against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 in September 2007, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was arguably the world’s most dominant light heavyweight. Much has changed in the 16 months since.

Kept on the sidelines by two reconstructive knee surgeries, Rua (16-3) makes his long-awaited return when he meets UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman at UFC 93 “Franklin vs. Henderson” this Saturday at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The two met once before in an infamous Pride 31 showdown that ended after 49 seconds when a Coleman takedown resulted in an awkward fall and broken arm for Rua.

Many have played up the bad blood that purportedly still exists between the two, though Rua elects to take the high road.

“I face it as a professional fight,” he says. “I respect Coleman a lot. Actually, he was in the business before I started fighting, so I have all the respect for him. I’m sure we’ll make a great show for the Irish audience, but I’m prepared to win.”

A little more than a year ago, Rua was on top of the world, almost universally hailed as the sport’s premier 205-pound fighter. He entered his bout against Griffin with wins in 12 of his last 13 fights. Included in that stretch of dominance were his march to the 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix title and high-profile victories against Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem (twice).

Few saw the durable but unspectacular Griffin as a legitimate threat at UFC 76, and though Rua opened a gash between the American’s eyes with a nasty elbow, he faded as the battle wore on. By round three, nothing was left in the gas tank, and Rua succumbed to fatigue and a rear-naked choke. Two weeks later, he underwent surgery to repair his damaged knee. Rehabilitation followed.

Rua -- who reinjured his knee and underwent a second knee surgery in March -- credits Griffin’s efforts but believes a rematch between the two would end differently.

“Certainly, it would be different,” he says. “The difference is that I’d get in there more prepared and focused. That’s not an excuse. I recognize his victory, but I lost that fight myself.”

Rua’s climb back to the light heavyweight mountaintop begins with Coleman (15-8), a rugged former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride open weight grand prix winner. As the man who introduced modern ground-and-pound to mixed martial arts, Coleman carries a resume that speaks for itself. Even though his last appearance inside the Octagon came in January 1999, the 44-year-old one-time Olympian remains a dangerous man inside the cage. To Rua, Coleman represents an obstacle standing between him and a return to prominence.

“My great dream is to win the UFC belt, but to get it, you have to win your next fight, and my next challenge is a great athlete in Coleman,” he says. “I just think about him right now.”

In advance of his rematch with Coleman, Rua augmented his normal training regimen at the Universidade de Lute in Curitiba, Brazil, with sparring sessions against UFC heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos and Brazilian prospect Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. The 27-year-old Brazilian left for Ireland -- the trip covered some 6,000 miles -- last Saturday weighing around the 220-pound mark.

“I truly feel like I’m back in great shape,” Rua says. “I’ll keep my weight there until I get closer to the fight.”

Though he has spent a year and a half away from competition, Rua kept his eyes on what went down inside the Octagon in his absence, including Jackson’s decisive knockout victory against former Chute Boxe Academy comrade Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December.

“I got really sad about Wand’s loss,” Rua says. “Besides being a great friend, I’m also a big fan of his. Wanderlei always fights on the attack in order to give a great show to the audience, and when you look to hit, you’re also open to getting hit. That’s part of the game. Wanderlei’s a warrior, and I’m sure he’ll be on top again soon.”

Rua also watched with vested interest the light heavyweight title match between Griffin and the unbeaten Rashad Evans at UFC 92 -- a bout Evans won by third-round technical knockout.

“It was an amazing fight,” Rua says. “In my opinion, Forrest dominated rounds one and two, but Rashad was calm enough to wait for the right moment to get his perfect punch and win the fight. He deserved to win, and I believe he’ll be a tough challenge for any fighter who tries to take his belt.”

Still very much in his prime, Rua wants nothing more than to vault himself back into title contention.

“This division’s so tough,” he says. “The small details decide who’s champion.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nate Mohr believes "Frankenstein knee" holds key to UFC 93 success

When Nate Mohr (8-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) walks into the cage for the opening fight of Saturday's UFC 93 pay-per-view event in Dublin, it will be on the strength of a surgically repaired right knee.

The 25-year-old suffered the injury in a December 2007 loss to Manny Gamburyan at UFC 79. And while the operation cost Mohr nearly a year of his career, the Team Curran fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he learned a valuable lesson.

"It was a lot of equations coming together and equaling up to something bad happening," Mohr said. "Mainly the thing that I got from it was to not get excited and be a little more relaxed in a situation like that."

Gamburyan secured Mohr's leg early in the first round of their UFC 79 meeting. Mohr had suffered a submission loss via leg lock to Kurt Pellegrino eight months earlier, but extensive training in the defense of the holds left him feeling comfortable with Gamburyan.

The comfort level quickly changed.

"I felt it all at once," Mohr said. "[Gamburyan] was going for [a submission], and he was committed to it. I felt secure enough in the spot that he didn't have anything, at least he didn't have anything yet. That's what I mean that I got anxious.

"I wanted to sit up and punch at the same time. And as I sat up and came across, I felt everything just rip. There were like seven pops, and I just laid back and called it a night."

Mohr yelled out in obvious agony, and the bout was halted just 91 seconds after it began.

"I ended up tearing three ligaments and a meniscus in my knee and had to go into, well, they called it an 'emergency surgery,'" Mohr said. "I don't know what kind of surgery isn't an emergency surgery.

"But it was emergency surgery eight days later. They did the 'Frankenstein' [expletive] to my knee and put it all back together."

Once he could resume training, Mohr said the eye-opening and ligament-tearing experience forced him to take a different approach to his training.

"I've always tried to manage to not get my wagon in front of the horse with the learning," Mohr said. "When you get caught in two ankle locks, you've got to kind of jump the boat and start looking at other things. So I started looking at more leg locks and all that stuff just to educate myself and be a little bit more aware of what's going on in the ring.

"A situation like that shouldn't happen again."

Mohr will test his preparation against German UFC veteran Dennis Siver (12-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in Saturday's first preliminary bout. Mohr believes the 30-year-old provides a favorable matchup.

"I think he's a tough guy and definitely going to want to be aggressive and want to push the match," Mohr said. "And I'm thrilled that he likes to stand up. That's what I'm hoping we'll do.

"I just want to make it an exciting fight and make it worth it. Being the first fight of the night, I just hope that after the whole night's done somebody will remember the first fight."

And while Mohr has won just one of his three UFC bouts, the five-year professional veteran refuses to focus on what a loss might mean.

"I'm not going to let that bug me at all," Mohr said. "Instead of having stuff put against me, I'm just letting it all go. I want to mainly just go out there and have fun."