MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

SUN Launches New National MMA Series With FAME USA

DALLAS, TX–(Marketwire - February 20, 2009) - SUN Sports & Entertainment, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SUNR) announced today it has signed an Agreement to produce up to six Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Events in 2009 for FAME USA (www.FAMEUSAEVENTS.com), a series of events showcasing the elite natural and drug-free athletes of the country, starting on May 8th, 2009 in Houston, Texas.

The first leg of the tour, FAME USA’s Lone Star Weekend, will feature some of the country’s most exciting natural talent in a myriad of events including: bodybuilding, fitness, figure, bikini, step competitions and all-star coed cheer and partner stunt challenges. For the first time, mixed martial arts will be part of that line-up and FAME USA Presidents Jason Powell and Kai Miranda hope to make it a permanent fixture with the organization.

SUN President Clyde Gentry III stated, “Mixed martial arts competitors are world-class athletes and they will feel right at home with FAME USA. This is a great co-branding opportunity for ART OF WAR and the crossover market for both fans and sponsors is limitless. After meeting the management team of FAME USA, and seeing the real passion they share for the FAME USA series, we hope to add that extra spark with our MMA events that will take place the second day of each two-day affair.”

FAME USA President Jason Powell, a martial artist and professional bodybuilder in his own right, commented, “We are very excited to include MMA in our line-up of events because our market is their market and vice versa. When we look at the growth of our business, MMA has organically become a natural fit and we know our fans will appreciate it.”

After the FAME USA’s Lone Star Weekend (May 8-9, 2009), the series is tentatively scheduled in the following cities: Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Atlanta, GA; and New Orleans, LA.

“With the crossover market and the nationwide platform, we are reviewing different broadcasting vehicles and have had numerous new sponsorship opportunities,” said Gentry. “We hope to build on this relationship with FAME USA for years to come to making it the number one bodybuilding and fitness competition in America.”

Interested professional fighters can register at: www.ifapro.com/register.htm to qualify.

About SUN:

SUN Sports & Entertainment, Inc. (www.sunorganization.com) is a Professional Mixed Martial Arts Event Production and Promotion Company specializing in concept-driven MMA events. SUN is a Certified and Licensed Combative Sports Promoter that produces World Class MMA Events under the brand, Art of War (www.artofwarlive.com).

About FAME USA:

FAME USA is a nationwide bodybuilding and fitness expo with up to eight different competitions that take place over the two-day schedule, in addition to vendor booths that cover a wide range of products in the fitness/nutrition world. For more information on their global events, please visit www.FAMEUSAEVENTS.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Spike Nixes Full Tilt

MMAPayout.com has written extensively on the curious path of Full Tilt Poker as it has made itself a premier sponsor for both fighters and the organization itself in the UFC. The UFC had for some time kept sportsbooks and online gambling/gaming businesses at arms length. Their being competition for the major Vegas casinos who hosted the UFC as well as their illegality in some situations made the UFC reticent to work with them. With a collapsing ad market, the UFC recently changed their informal policy and brought in Full Tilt as a top shelf sponsor for the fight company. Full Tilt has also become a major sponsor of fighters, with their logo being omnipresent on fighter hats, shorts, and T-shirts. The road seems to have taken another turn, as MMAPayout.com has learned that UFC television partner Spike TV has stepped in and nixed Full Tilt from being a sponsor on its’ airwaves. Sources indicate the embargo on Full Tilt could go into effect as soon as this week-end’s UFC 95 card on Spike. The Full Tilt sponsorships would still be OK for PPV, since they aren’t first run on Spike. The ban affects the UFC in it’s ability to have signage on the Octagon mat as well as naming rights on the replays during the broadcast. The ban looks to affect the UFC as well as fighters, who wouldn’t be able to wear signage for the poker company.

Full Tilt Poker has been able to skirt a federal ban on online gaming by the duality of their usage of the .net/.com brands. The .net brand is used for educational/entertainment purposes and is the brand that is advertised through all of the company’s media. The .com is the money site that would raise the ire of regulators, with the .com accessible through using the software from the .net. This gray area may be a bit too murky for Spike to sign off on. The Fight Night and Euro Cards on Spike represent a more direct connection from Spike to Full Tilt (as opposed to PPV cards), making them unwilling to sign off on the UFC’s deal.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Palhares ready for “whoever comes”

With two victories in three fights in the UFC, Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares didn’t have any easy fights when he entered the octagon. Dominating the fight against Jeremy Horn, at UFC 93, the athlete of the Brazilian Top Team wasn’t able to finish, due to a fracture in his hand in the first round, but the undoubted victory left the Brazilian more than satisfied. "I'm much better, I’ll go to the doctor to be able to return to training as soon as possible. In fact I still haven’t got back to the trainings, I'm just doing a movement, nothing heavy", says the fighter.

"The hand didn’t help, but had nothing to do. My hand hurt a lot, I left some things out of the fight, but this isn’t the case", said the Brazilian, who doesn’t expect easier challenges ahead. "First I will take care of my hand and then I think about it. Murilo (Bustamante) is taking care of that part, but I’m used to fight against tough guys and now I’m ok with it... Whoever comes is ok (laughs)”, finalized the fighter, without forecast to return to the UFC.

 

[rylor206]

Does anybody know if Jason Jones is the Brother of Jon Jones they look very similar

 

[Shogun Locc]

Alvarez, Smith and Belcher Featured on HDNet’s ‘Inside MMA’
videolink: http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Alvarez-Smith-and-Belcher-Featured-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1926
On this week's HDNet "Inside MMA," Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten preview UFC 95 with the help of Eddie Alvarez, Scott Smith and Alan Belcher.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jansen, Team USA Conquer Brazil in M-1

TACOMA, Wash. -- Undefeated lightweight and Team Quest standout Dave Jansen led Team USA to victory over Team Brazil by a 3-2 score in the M-1 Challenge 2009 season opener on Saturday at the Emerald Queen Casino.

Self-billed as the World Cup of mixed martial arts, M-1 Challenge pits teams of fighters from all over the globe in best-of-five competitions.

Jansen (9-0), filling in for the UFC-bound Brian Cobb, earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Rio Heroes veteran Flavio Alvaro (22-6) in front of a sold-out crowd, despite fighting just two weeks ago at the World Cagefighting Alliance premiere in Atlantic City, N.J.

“Actually, I think [fighting two weeks ago] gave me some confidence,” Jansen said. “I ran through Matt Lee, and he’s a tough son of a bitch. I watched Alvaro in Rio Heroes. It didn’t scare me. Gloves are an advantage for me. I can hit harder with gloves on.”

Jansen controlled the pace from the opening bell, finding his range standing and scoring with takedowns.

“He hit hard, but I didn’t back down,” Jansen said. “This was for my country. I want to continue to shock the world until they believe I’m for real. My goal is to be number one in the world.”

Also victorious were Americans Reggie Orr and Raphael Davis, defeating Juliano Cioffi Belgine (9-3) and Jair Goncalves (6-3), respectively. King of the Cage veteran Orr (8-5-1) eked out a split decision, while his teammate, Davis (5-1), stopped his opponent on punches late in the first round.

For the Brazilians, former International Fight League competitor Eduardo Pamplona (10-2) scored a technical knockout over Dylan Clay (5-2) after the fight was ruled too close to judge and sent to a third round. It ended 2:48 into the third. In the last fight of the night, Brazilian heavyweight Jose Edson Franca (9-2) won an uneventful split decision over Elite XC vet Carl Seumanutafa (4-2).

After three consecutive losses last season, Team South Korea finally gained a measure of revenge against the Russian Imperial Team, defeating the former Red Devils by a 3-2 count.

In the “Fight of the Night,” South Korea’s stocky light heavyweight, Jae Young Kim, knocked out Russia’s Mikhail Zayats with a lead-leg head kick 4:02 into the second round.

“It was a good experience to step up to the next level,” Kim said through his translator. “[The head kick] is my best skill. People don’t expect to get hit with it when they fight me.”

Throughout the first two rounds, both fighters kept a quick pace, giving the crowd in attendance nonstop action, both standing and on the mat. Late in the first round, Zayats (8-2) locked on an armbar and appeared to have the fight won as he hyperextended Kim’s elbow. Though he admitted he heard something in his arm pop, Kim (12-6) refused to tap and somehow escaped the hold. As the action progressed into the second round, it became apparent that both fighters’ gas tanks were running on empty. Then came the kick.

“I was tired, but I didn’t want him to know,” Kim said. “I had to keep my poker face on.”

South Korean lightweight Do Hyung Kim overcame an accidental clash of heads to defeat Mikhail Malyutin by unanimous decision. Kim worked rubber guard effectively in round one after a Malyutin (9-7) takedown, neutralizing any offense the Russian could muster. Round two was filled with scrambles and reversals, with Kim (6-2) usually getting the better of the exchanges.

Joining the two Kims in victory was their welterweight teammate, Myeon Ho Bae, who forced Bodog Fight veteran Erik Oganov to submit to a rear-naked choke 2:12 into the second round. Bae (7-3) was the aggressor from the opening bell, scoring takedowns and using strikes to force Oganov (9-9) to give up his back and eventually his neck.

Russians Dmitry Samoilov (7-3-1) and Alexey Oleinik walked away with wins for the Imperial Team, defeating Hyun Gyu Lim (4-2-1) and Sang Soo Lee (11-6) by unanimous decision and Ezekiel choke, respectively. Oleinik (24-4) cinched his choke 4:27 into round two.

Team Finland dominated Team Benelux 4-1 in the first matchup of the night.

The lightweight opener between the two squads did not disappoint, as Benelux’s Danny van Bergen (6-4-3) fought through a significant reach disadvantage and a bloody nose to secure a close but unanimous decision over Finland’s Juha-Pekka Vainikainen (10-4). The crowd erupted several times during the two-round slugfest, as both competitors found their range standing. Equally loud were the cheers for nearly missed submission attempts.

Heavyweight Toni Valtonen brutally finished Benelux’s Sander Duyvis (2-2) by knockout in a mere 18 seconds. Caught in a Valtonen double-leg takedown, Duyvis’s skull bounced off the mat with an audible thud, knocking him unconscious instantly. Valtonen (18-8) followed up with two stiff shots on his sleeping opponent before the referee intervened.

“My strategy was to take him down,” Valtonen said. “I knew he was out, but I had to keep punching so the referee would stop it.”

Finland’s Janne Tulirinta finished Tommy Depret early in round one with a standing D’arce choke in the welterweight contest. After Tulirinta (10-3) secured the takedown, Depret scrambled to his feet but was quickly caught in the D’arce. Depret (4-1) leaped in the air and twisted, attempting to lessen the pressure, but he only succeeded in tightening the hold as he crashed to the canvas. The tapout came 2:30 into the opening period.

“Luckily, it went easy,” said Tulirinta. “It’s my favorite choke. I had it perfect. When I get it locked on, they tap.”

Finland’s dominance continued, as middleweight Lucio Linhares defeated Kamil Uygun (6-4), finishing the noticeably smaller fighter by armbar just 1:22 into the first round. Linhares (10-4) has won back-to-back fights.

After a lackluster first round from both light heavyweights, Finland’s Marcus Vanttinen quickly secured the mount after his fight wit Jason Jones hit the floor early in the second. Vanttinen (9-1) rained down shots, eventually causing Benelux’s Jones (8-5) to surrender his back. The two fighters remained in that position, with Vanttinen unable to finish the fight but securing a unanimous decision nonetheless.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Penn still seeks to file formal complaint against St. Pierre and team

While the widespread discussion of the actions of UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre's cornermen during his UFC 94 bout with lightweight champion B.J. Penn on Jan. 31 have slowly started to simmer down, the ultimate outcome of the situation has yet to be decided.

Penn's lawyer, Raffi A. Nahabedian, who earlier this month filed a request with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to investigate the potentially improper use of Vaseline on St. Pierre's body, recently let the NSAC know that Penn still intended on filing a formal complaint.

The comments were made during the NSAC's recent monthly meeting.

In his address to the commission, issued during the public comments portion of the agenda, Nahabedian said he felt the commission's esteemed reputation made it imperative for them to issue a directive for future combatants.

"I'm here to bring mention to the commission of a letter that I provided to Mr. Kizer, which I understand was forwarded on to the commission," Nahabedian said. "I know that it's not on the agenda here today, but we do look forward to the matter being presented to the commission and the commission looking in to matters in the letter -- the reason being that it's considered by most people in the U.S., if not the world, that Nevada is the bastion of unarmed combat. It regulates all forms of unarmed combat, and it sets precedents that other states in the U.S. follow, if not the world."

Penn and Nahabedian's complaints center around the lightweight champion's inability to effectively utilize his grappling skills during the bout due to the improper application of Vaseline to St. Pierre's back by his cornermen.

"In order for Mr. Penn (or any other licensed fighter of the Nevada Athletic Commission) to properly executive Brazilian jiu-jitsu or the many other grappling techniques which are an essential part of MMA, it is necessary that an environment exists without any illegally applied lubricants, oils or other substances that cause or result in slippery surfaces on the combatants," Nahabedian stated in his original letter.

Nahabedian said he would soon follow up that earlier letter of request with the filing an official complaint on St. Pierre and all members of his team.

"I know that the matter is going to be coming up in the near future," Nahabedian said. "We also are intending on filing a complaint with the athletic commission with respect to the persons that are licensed by the state such as Mr. St. Pierre, Mr. (Greg) Jackson and Mr. (Phil) Nurse relating to their activities as well as other members of their team that are licensed by the state."

Kizer said the issue will be addressed formally in a future meeting of the commission, though he is still waiting on St. Pierre's camp to file an official response to Nahabedian's original inquiry.

"I sent a request for information to the cornermen and I gave them 20 days from the date of the letter which is sometime next week, if my calculations are correct," Kizer said.

Kizer said he would supply the commission with the responses from St. Pierre's team, as well as a DVD that shows the complete events that occurred in St. Pierre's corner between each round.

Nahabedian reiterated how serious Penn's camp was about the alleged "greasing."

"It's a very serious matter that needs to be tended to no different than steroids have been treated in the sport, or other types of substances in the sport," Nahabedian said. "Anything that gains unfair advantage for one combatant over another, or positions another combatant in a situation or manner that renders his opponent defenseless is something the commission should really take seriously -- and I know it does."

While the events in question happened nearly a month ago, Kizer told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Penn's camp is not facing any sort of formal statute of limitations.

"I don't there's any deadline in that, just reasonable time," Kizer said.

Penn recently released his own video evidence of the alleged incident on BJ Penn.com. While obviously one-sided in its presentation of the evidence, the video has swayed many viewers into seeing the incident from Penn's perspective.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz: Poll suggests UFC's fight in N.Y. just got tougher

Score one for the opposition in the ongoing battle to legalize mixed martial arts in New York State.

Assemblyman Bob Reilly (D) this past Friday released the results of a poll he commissioned to gauge the opinion of MMA among constituents in his district in the nation's third most populous state. Nearly 70 percent of the 468 New Yorkers surveyed said they are against legalizing the sport.

"The poll found overwhelming opposition to making mixed martial arts legal in New York State," Reilly stated in a press release announcing the poll results. "Of those surveyed, 67 percent said they opposed making MMA legal in New York. Just 18 percent said they supported making ultimate fighting legal."

The sample size is not large enough to be statistically significant, but that fact will be lost on many Empire State residents who learned of the results from Albany-based media.

Another interesting note from the survey is how the question was asked. Instead of posing a straightforward question, such as "Should MMA be allowed in New York?," the question was accompanied by the background information below that could have compromised the survey's objectivity.



"Ultimate fighting, or mixed martial arts, is currently banned in New York State. There is current debate whether ultimate fighting should be permitted statewide. Do you think ultimate fighting matches should be allowed in New York State?"



The survey is the latest salvo from the opposition in an extended debate about the merits of MMA. The UFC has used an economic-impact study, an informational Web site and fighters themselves, including Long Island's Matt Serra, to make a case for the sport.

"Let me say how important New York is to our company," Lawrence Epstein, the UFC's general counsel, told the Associated Press. "New York is the world media center. When you do events in New York, you get more attention."

Lawmakers in the state remain mixed on the idea of giving MMA a stamp of approval.

"I believe my district is reflective of the state as a whole and am confident a statewide poll would yield similar results," said Reilly, who's leading the push to keep MMA on ice. He added that he's more opposed to legalizing MMA now than he was last June when he helped sink the bill in committee.

Even the sponsor of the bill to legalize the sport can't be described as an ardent supporter of MMA.

Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who chairs the state's Committee on Tourism, Arts & Sports Development, has been reluctant to rally additional support for the measure. Englebright says he's being "cautious" in his approach and adds that he's in no rush to push the measure through.

The UFC was hopeful for passage of a bill this year to enable the promotion to stage its first event in New York by year's end. However, in the battle of PR tactics, this survey is a setback. And, with the state grappling with more critical issues, such as rising unemployment and a $14 billion budget shortfall, the UFC's 2009 timeline appears in jeopardy.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ibarra sets up new gym

Trainer Juanito Ibarra has opened up a new MMA and boxing gym in California.

Ibarra, who raised his profile in MMA by helping to resurrect Quinton Jackson's career earlier this decade, opened the facility on Feb. 21 in Westminster, near Anaheim. The trainer bills his World Class MMA/Boxing facility as a "real fight gym" that offers training in boxing, jiu jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling, along with nutrition counseling and weight management.

Ibarra was a rising figure in the sport before Jackson, after his loss to Forrest Griffin last July, cut ties with the trainer. Following the split, Ibarra's reputation took a hit with allegations that he had taken money from Jackson and overcharged him for training expenses. Ibarra continued to work with Cheick Kongo after the Jackson separation, but Kongo has since moved on, as well.

Ibarra is looking to make a fresh start with the new gym and put a difficult 2008 behind him.

 

[Shogun Locc]

After passing final regulations, Pennsylvania now regulates MMA

Add Pennsylvania to the growing list of states that now allow and regulate mixed martial arts.

The state, which features potentially lucrative markets such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, today announced it has approved final regulations for the sport.

It was the final step of the process for the State Athletic Commission in Pennsylvania, which in July 2007, voted to draft regulations that would allow MMA events to take place in the state.

In accordance with the Regulatory Review Act, various House and Senate committees, the Office of Attorney General and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission had to first evaluate and approve the guidelines.

The review process included considerations for age and medical requirements, fees, promoter activity, ring requirements, fight-night medical requirements and the public's protection at shows.

The process took 19 months.

"I commend the work of the State Athletic Commission on the regulations, which were crafted to ensure participant and spectator safety," Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés stated in a press release. "These efforts will assure licensure and testing of participants for communicable diseases, as well as require emergency medical care and insurance for participants. Regulation of the sport also will help ensure that events are orderly and crowd control is maintained."

The SAC, a self-supporting entity that receives no taxpayer dollars, expects as much as $80,000 per year in revenue from MMA event fees. However, one major event from an organization such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship could greatly impact that figure.

With the addition of Pennsylvania, MMA regulation is now handled by 37 states (the District of Columbia and Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission also regulate the sport in their respective areas). Although the sport isn't regulated by some states because no athletic commission exists (such as in Alabama and Maine), Pennsylvania's neighbor, New York State, remains one of the few to outright ban the sport.

Pennsylvania locales such as Philadelphia (sixth with 1.45 million residents) and Pittsburgh (59th, 311,000 residents), and to a lesser extent Allentown (235th with 107,000 residents) and Erie (247th with 104,000 residents), are among the country's most populous cities and are potential host sites for major MMA events.

 

[Shogun Locc]

After UFC 95 win, Demian Maia ready for title shot

With Demian Maia's slick submission victory over Chael Sonnen at Saturday night's "UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson," many observers are claiming the Brazilian has earned a chance to face the division's top contenders.

While Maia (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) appreciates the positive feedback, the submission ace respectfully disagrees.

As Maia recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he believes he's earned a title shot.

"I've already had [five] fights in the UFC, and I won," Maia said. "I think I have the experience to fight for the title."

Now undefeated in his first 10 professional bouts, Maia has earned "Submission of the Night" in four of his five UFC contests. Only Maia's submission win over Nate Quarry, a rear-naked choked issued in under three minutes, didn't earn an award as the night's best.

It is the 31-year-old's aggressive jiu-jitsu that many believe could prove challenging for current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Maia knows the task would be daunting.

"I think Anderson is very dominant right now," Maia said. "Nobody has been so dominate like Anderson."

Should Maia successfully make his case with UFC brass and earn himself a shot at the title, there would still be one step remaining to arrange a bout with Silva. "The Spider" must first get through an April bout with challenger Thales Leites.

With Leites a Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert in his own right, Maia believes Silva could be in for a more difficult bout than many experts are currently predicting.

"Thales is very good in jiu-jitsu," Maia said. "I [grappled] against him in 2003. It was a pretty hard fight. There was a lot of points both ways. In the end, I won. But it was a really tough one.

"As soon as [Leites] got his black belt, he started to fight MMA more and more. So I don't know how is his level because he was not too long fighting black belts. He did not get the same experience I got. But for sure he's pretty tough. And if Anderson makes a mistake with him, I believe [Leites] has a pretty good chance to win."

Regardless of the results of UFC 97's main event between Silva and Leites, the UFC's middleweight division -- once considered to have been "cleaned-out" by the current champion -- has a host of deserving contenders in Leites, Maia, Yushin Okami, Michael Bisping, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, among others.

Maia hopes the UFC is prepared to put his name at the top of the list.

"This weight right now is kind of a mess," Maia said. "[The UFC is] trying to figure it out.

"About my ranking, I can not say. But I want to fight for the title. I never wanted to before. I thought I needed experience. But now I feel have the experience to fight for the title."

 

[Shogun Locc]

BELLATOR OPEN TO WORKING WITH STRIKEFORCE

You’d be hard pressed to find an avid MMA fan that didn’t want to see Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson face off with East Coast standout Eddie Alvarez.

While Thomson carries the belt of an organization poised to be the next serious player in the MMA market, Alvarez’s popularity in recent years has run parallel to the American Kickboxing Academy product.

Alvarez’s fight contract was one of 42 acquired in Strikeforce’s purchase of ProElite assets, touching off speculation on the 25-year-old’s future home. In November, Alvarez signed a deal with Bellator Fighting Championships, whose 12-week tournament based show debuts on ESPN Deportes in April.

Monte Cox, Alvarez’s manager, confirmed to MMAWeekly.com last week that his fighter was under exclusive contract with Bellator and would meet his obligations to the emerging promotion, which included its first tournament pairings in April and, if victorious, the second and third rounds scheduled for May and June. If Alvarez were to fight for another promotion, it would be at the discretion of Bellator, said Cox.

But Bjorn Rebney, CEO of Bellator FC, says there is room for Alvarez, and others, to roam.

“From our perspective, the agreements that we have with numerous different fighters we’ve signed, that contractual opportunity absolutely exists,” he said. “We have the wherewithal and ability to put together matches and put together fights that people want to see across promotional platforms. Those are open doors.”

Rebney said he had not met Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, but had great respect for the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion.

“I’ve been traversing this landscape for the last two and a half years, putting everything in motion,” said Rebney. “One guy who I have heard nothing but good things about is Scott. His record speaks for himself. Those of us in the fight industry who have been able to consistently operate in a positive margin – that speaks volumes.”

So far, Strikeforce has sustained only one co-promotional relationship, with now-dormant EliteXC, though it was borne out of a contractual snafu with one of its chief stars, Frank Shamrock. In December of 2006, the former UFC middleweight champion nearly caused a lawsuit by announcing his intention to fight for Elite less than two months before a Strikeforce event proposed for April of 2007. The crisis was averted when the two promotions came to a limited co-promotional agreement.

Rebney hoped any possible fighter exchanges take place under better circumstances.

“I’m kind of old school,” he said. “If the best fighting the best means that (Strikeforce) fighters would match up through our ESPN alliance on Bellator shows, that’s what will happen. If the best fighting the best would mean there’s an opportunity to test an Eddie Alvarez or a Wilson Reis or a Jorge Masvidal against the best that fight for Strikeforce that would be very cool from my perspective.

“I’m not the kind of promoter that says you’ll fight under this banner and this banner alone,” said Rebney. “If we can make those things work – and I think Scott’s shown a pretty open willingness to make those kind of things happen – and it were the right kind of fight, I’d be completely open to it.”

At the time of this writing, Strikeforce is in the final stages of booking its April 11 show, as well as a proposed May card in Tacoma, Wash., with new broadcast partner Showtime. Showtime executive Ken Hershman said 10 Strikeforce cards would air by the end of 2009. Coker was to fly to New York next week to schedule the remaining eight events with Hershman and his team, but was held up by negotiations for the spring events.

Bellator is expected to announce locations and dates for its April, May, and June cards on Wednesday.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC BUILDING NEW STARS IN ENGLAND

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's worldwide expansion will grow later this year as the promotion will travel to Germany, but this is only after spending the last couple of years building a brand name in both England and Ireland. That showed true once again with a successful show in London on Saturday night.

As announced at the post fight press conference, UFC 95 drew a crowd of 13,268 rabid MMA fans clamoring to see the show, with a live gate of just over $1 million U.S. dollars. The success of the UFC in the U.K. cannot be denied and UFC U.K. President Marshall Zelaznik agrees with the successful plan implemented so far.

"I still think we're a couple years behind where the U.S. is. I remember being there then," he commented after the show. "We're getting better and better media coverage, which I think is important, it helps spread the word. There's still a lot of misunderstanding about our sport."

The U.K. UFC president added how important it is for the sport to continue to grow in England and beyond.

"We're building a sport, not just the UFC," Zelaznik stated. "I'm very passionate about that as is everybody."

The UFC is definitely building a brand name overseas and the star power is starting to grow as well. With British fighter Dan Hardy claiming the last fight before the main event on this show and the success of other U.K. fighters on the card, such as Paul Kelly and Terry Etim, England is continuing to build new stars.
At the top of that list of course is British superstar and "Ultimate Fighter" winner Michael "The Count" Bisping. While fellow Brit Dan Hardy is happy to be mentioned in the same breath as Bisping, he's okay playing backup for now.

"I'm certainly not trying to steal his spot. He's done wonders for MMA in the U.K. and just for the UFC. He's pioneered the UFC in the U.K. You say UFC to a British person and the first person that's on their lips is Michael Bisping, so I think he's secured his spot," Hardy said about Bisping. "We've just got his back."

As The Ultimate Fighter season 9 starts with a U.K. based team and Bisping as a lead coach on the show, the UFC will look to return to the island later this year, although no date or time line has been announced for the next England card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

KOHIRUIMAKI WINS K-1 WORLD MAX '09 JAPAN

TOKYO – Taishin Kohiruimaki prevailed in three bouts in one night to win the K-1 World Max Japan Tournament at the Yoyogi Olympic Stadium in central Tokyo. It was the veteran kickboxer's third World Max Japan Championship -- he also captured the honors in 2004 and 2005.

At 31 years of age, Kohiruimaki was the oldest fighter in the tournament. Few figured on the Aomori-born kickboxer upsetting the field as he did -- he had won just twice in his last seven World Max bouts, a rough road going back to the summer of 2006.

It was a classic K-1 eight-man elimination tournament -- a quartet of first-tier bouts sending four fighters to semifinals, the winners then meeting in the final. K-1 World Max bouts are conducted under K-1 rules, with a weight limit of 70kg/154lbs.

First up in the tournament quarterfinals were 25-year-old kickboxer Hayato and Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima, who is the NJKF Super Welterweight Champion and who dresses up as female cartoon characters -- a practice known as "cosplay" (costume play). Nagashima pranced into the ring as the green-haired "Ranka Lee" of the "Macross" science-fiction anime series.

It turns out Ranka packs a pretty big punch for a pretty little girl. A right straight earned Nagashima a down midway through the first, and in the second the fists put Hayato on the canvas twice, giving Nagashima the win and a trip to the semifinals.

In the second quarterfinal, boxer Tatsuji, who made it to the final at the '06 and '07 Max Japan Tournaments, stepped in against karateka Yuya Yamamoto.

Fast and furious action here, both fighters smart with their positioning, combinations and blocking in the early going; each rattling the other with fists in the second to start the final frame even on all cards. A good deal of slugging in the third, Yamamoto also firing in the low kicks. One judge liked Yamamoto, the others saw a draw, and so a tiebreaker round was prescribed.

In the extra round Yamamoto scored with a high kick and got a down with a straight punch to take the victory and advance to the semis.

Next up it was Defending World Max Japan Champion Yasuhiro Kido and 22-year-old kickboxer Hinata.

A spirited start, with Hinata landing a left to the face, Kido matching the pace as the round progressed to keep the score even. A Kido knee and punching combination downed Hinata early in the second. Kido was too defensive in the third, and Hinata's attacks forced an extra round. Both fighters got some stuff through here, but the judges liked Hinata's spunk, and rewarded him with a spot in the semis.

The last of the first-tier matchups saw Kohiruimaki take his first step to victory in a bout with Nigerian-born, Japan-based kickboxer Andy Ologun. Because Ologun had not made weight, he started down one point on all cards.

Too much time in the clinch here, with Kohiruimaki twice cautioned for holding in the second round, as Ologun connected with a hard right to the head to inch ahead on one scorecard. In the third Kohiruimaki was shown a yellow card for holding, after which he stood and fought, and well -- although the bout ended with the two, again, locked in the clinch. One judge saw a draw, the other two said Kohiruimaki, sending him to the semis.

The first of the semifinals featured Yamamoto and Nagashima, who had thoughtfully prepared a costume change and choreographed a second ring entrance number for Ranka Lee. Nagashima was again adept with his lateral movement and precise with his punches and took the first round by a point on two cards. He weathered a Yamamoto challenge early in the second, and came back with big punches only to be felled when Yamamoto smacked home a left. Nagashima made a valiant effort to catch up in the third, pounding in punches, but Yamamoto answered in kind, aggravating a nasty cut over the scrappy cross-dresser's right eye to force a doctor's check and stoppage. Yamamoto to the final.

Kohiruimaki was meant to meet Hinata in the second semifinal, but it was announced that the fighter had a busted nose and could not continue in the tournament. Under K-1 Rules, Yasuhiro Kido took Hinata's place.

After a tentative start the fighters tested with kicks, and in the late first began swinging, both making good contact, Kohiruimaki finishing stronger. Kohi carried the momentum into the second, scoring an early down with a flurry of punches. Kido beat the count but was less than 100% at resumption, and Kohiruimaki quickly exploited, firing in fists to score a second down and pick up the win.

It was Kohiruimaki and Yamamoto in the final, and what a final it was.

Yamamoto chased Kohiruimaki from the bell, laying in with the fists, but Kohi was no slouch, and repeatedly sunk his opponent's head and brought up the knee, a maneuver that scored points and delivered a down. Coming into the second with a two-point lead on all three judges' cards, Kohiruimaki elected to circle beyond harm's reach. But Yamamoto cut off the ring, and stunned Kohiruimaki with a left hook. Kohiruimaki countered by again working the knee from the clinch to brutalize Yamamoto's face. The third was a thrilling round, as the determined Yamamoto answered Kohiruimaki's high kicks and hit-and-rum strategy by rushing in with a right straight punch that connected hard for a down.

Yamamoto pressed after resumption, while Kohiruimaki stalled with the clinch before answering fists with fists. That's the way it ended, the pair in a toe-to-toe slugfest, each giving it their all. Try as he might, Yamamoto could not put Kohi down again, and when the bell sounded and the scores were tallied he had fallen just short. A smart fight and a smart night from Kohiruimaki, whose experience proved the difference here.

"My first opponent, Andy Ologun, was pretty tough," said Kohiruimaki afterward, "but I knew I could win if I fought my style of fight. For the second match I expected to face Hinata, but it turned out to be Kido. In the third fight, Yamamoto had strong heart, but I finally managed to win!"

"I didn't have any damage at all," continued Kohiruimaki, "I only got punched and went down during the final because I slackened my concentration a little. In the last few years, I'd had quite a long blank in my carrier. But I volunteered to fight in this Japan tournament, and I'm ready now for the next stage, for the World Max Tournament!"

"I took a lot of kicks in my first fight, so my legs were really heavy and I couldn't use them," said Yamamoto. "I had to go with my punches, and I thought I was lucky to face Kohiruimaki, who doesn't like getting punched. However, I barely remember the match, I fought with nothing but pure willpower!"

By winning the Japan Tournament, Kohiruimaki earns the right to represent the Land of the Rising Sun at the World Max 2009 Final-8 elimination in July.


There were three Superfights on the card.

Yoshihiro Sato of Japan took on Russian boxer Sergey Golyaev. Standing 185cm/6'1", World Max '06 Japan Champ Sato has fought many shorter opponents over the years, but in Golyaev meet a man his own height.

Sato was not intimidated, and outperformed Golyaev through the first, connecting with low kicks while the Russian misfired his overhand punches. In the second, Golyaev's big punches again failed as he got caught on counters, Sato scoring successive downs with low kicks. Now the wobbly Russian's legs were gone, and Sato delivered the coup de grace with a right low kick.

The inaugural (2002) World Max Champion, hard-punching Albert "Hurricane" Kraus of Holland, stepped in against Korean kickboxer Su Hwan Lee.

Lee used his 5cm/2" height advantage to set the distance, firing low kicks and reaching in with straight punches; but a speedy Kraus closed effectively with body blows and punch combinations, and in the second round added low kicks and knees to his attacks. Kraus brought a slight points advantage into the third, and again pummeled the right to the body before clocking Lee in the chops a coupla times at the clapper. A unanimous decision for the Dutchman.

"I think it was a good fight for the crowd," said Kraus afterward. "I knew from the beginning that he was a good fighter, and he really was a good fighter -- so I had to do my very best to win!"

In another Superfight, Japanese kickboxer Daisuke Uematsu, the ISKA World Lightweight Champion, took on compatriot Kazuhisa Watanabe, a freewheeling boxer making his K-1 debut.

Speedy hands and amusing antics from Watanabe throughout, the showman surprising with a number of unusual kicking attacks. Uematsu's evasions remained sound, especially in the face of a frenetic Watanabe punching assault at the onset of the third. Lots of fun here -- although Uematsu did not appear amused, only allowing a faint smile when his victory by unanimous decision was announced.

Theirs was an undercard bout, but that didn't stop Shingo Garyu and Hiroyuki Owatari from turning it into a thoroughly entertaining dance -- Garyu taking the win by majority decision.

In a K-1 World Youth Rules 62kg bout, K-1 Koshien 2008 Champion Hiroya eked out a majority decision over karateka Kizaemon Saiga.

In the Japan Tournament Reserve bout, Yasuhito Shirasu beat Keiji Ozaki by unanimous decision.

This was the opening event of the eighth K-1 World Max season. All fights were conducted under K-1 Official Rules, 3Min. x 3R, with a possible tiebreaker round, and two possible tiebreakers in the tournament final.

The K-1 World Max Japan Tournament attracted a sellout crowd of 10,421 to the Yoyogi Olympic Complex in central Tokyo. It was broadcast live across Japan on the TBS network, and will be delay-broadcast internationally on Eurosport, HD Net, CJ Media, GloboSat, ViaSat, Al Jazeera Sport and Saran Media. Contact local providers for broadcast times.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dan Hardy on His Knockout of Markham at UFC 95

 

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Four fighters earn 40K bonuses at UFC 95

Four fighters earned $40,000 bonuses UFC 95 ended as it began explosive and exciting.

Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson earned bonuses as they were awarded fight of the night honors. These two lightweights kept going right at each other commencing a great fight with a final flurry as the fight ended. Sanchez won a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 and 29-28).

The knockout of the night could have gone to a host of fighters including hometown hero Dan Hardy as he knocked out Rory Markham in just 1:09. Nathan Marquardt capped an exciting middleweight battle with Wilson Gouveia at 3:10 into the third round with a flying knee-head kick combination for the knockout. Junior dos Santos captured his second first round knockout in as many tries in the UFC as he defeated Stefan Struve 54 seconds into the first round.

Terry Etim utilized a head kick followed up with strikes as he knocked out Brian Cobb just 10 seconds into round 2. If that wasn’t enough the man who won knockout of the night honors went into his fight as a heavy underdog. Paulo Thiago 10-0 in a career that never saw him fight outside his native Brazil shook off some serious punishment from Josh Koscheck and caught the stand-out wrestler with an uppercut left hook combination for the knock out at 3:29 of round 1.

In a battle that may have determined the number 1 contender for the middleweight championship. Demian Maia ran his record to 5-0 in the UFC and 10-0 overall with a slick triangle choke submission over the returning Chael Sonnen. The two battled back and forth for the first half of round one until Maia was able to take Sonnen down and lock in the choke at 2:37 of round 1. Maia earned his fourth submission of the night bonus in just five tries.

 

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MMA Branding Theory 101

The old saw that there is more than one way to skin a cat is never more true than in the world of MMA. Companies looking to goose sales through sponsorship of MMA fighters do so through a multitude of ways, each with their own viewpoints as to effectiveness. Some go for quantity while others stress quality and then there are those seeking out a middle ground.

Dan Henderson is an example of a fighter that looks to maximize revenue through including the greatest possible number of sponsors in his marketing efforts. With the Daytona 500 just passed, it is fair to say this train of thought lends itself to more of a NASCAR-ification of sponsorship in MMA. An example of this strategy is seen in his walk out jersey for UFC 93, where he faced of with Rich Franklin in the main event.

Henderson has total of 10 sponsors on his shirt alone. Some argue that whatever marketing message that companies are looking to achieve is lost in the clutter and sheer numbers game of such a strategy. The description of Max Cady in Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear stating “I don’t know whether to look at him or read him” seems apropos to Hendo during his walk-out. On the other hand, such a strategy does allow a greater variety of sponsors to be able to have access to sell their message in the Octagon. Having a more dominant message is tied to paying a higher premium, which can be something of a limiting factor for some looking to sponsor fighters.

Some others, like Affliction or Cage Fighter for example, pay for the right to have an uncluttered artist’s pallet. They value a “clean” scenario when presenting their marketing message. When they sponsor fighters it is often with their brand being the only one present on the gear. An example of this would be Mark Coleman’s walk-in shirt for UFC 93, which sported MMA Authentics brands only.

It is hard to argue the effectiveness of this approach, but it often comes with a premium price tag attached. For smaller businesses, sole sponsorship is possible on the lower end of the card but the price tag increases as you move up the card, often times pricing the small business out of the market.

Even when their is a happy medium between these two methods, there are are often certain restrictions on how big and how many additional sponsors can be added to the mix. Tapout, for one, takes measures to make sure their logos are taking precedence and are also limiting the amount of branding dissonance by limiting the number of other sponsors allowed on their fighters. The standard contract with TapouT includes the following clause:

Except as set forth above, Fighter shall have the right to add up to four logos of the other companies to the clothing bearing the logo of Company, so long as the other company is not another clothing/gear manufacturer and so long as the other logos are not larger then the Tapout logo.

As you can see, there are many different approaches to getting you brand in front of the vaunted demographics of the average UFC fan. One is not necessarily better than the others, but rather each fill a needed spot in sponsorship food chain.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jorge Santiago can return in May to Sengoku

With nine consecutive victories and three titles won in 13 months, Jorge Santiago is returning to training at American Top Team to get back to Sengoku’s ring. "I was talking to the Sengoku’s organization and, if everything is right, I’ll get back to the ring in May", revealed the fighter, who still doesn’t know who can be his opponent.

"We heard some names, but still has nothing right, because they are still finishing the tournament and hiring other fighters for the event. Actually, I wanted to continue fighting against the best Japanese in weight, but I’m also open to other proposals", said the athlete, with great trainings at ATT. "The guys are still very good. Everyone has returned from vacation and is getting better every day, every day is coming more people and this is only to improve the quality of training and the results of the fights", concluded Santiago.

 

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Nakamura Victorious At ADCC Japan! Clash With SENGOKU Colleague In Final

SENGOKU fighters Kazuhiro Nakamura and Yukiya Naito clashed in the -99 kg division final of the ADCC Asia Qualifiers yesterday in Japan. It ended with a point victory by 7 to 1 for SENGOKU Middleweight GP runner-up Nakamura.

Another Nakamura won the -77 kg division tournament when DREAM veteran KTaro Nakamura choked out his opponent, Yoshinao Shitabayashi, in the final. MMA veteran Kohei Yasumi won the -66 kg division, Yukinori Haruhara won the -88 kg division, and Koji Kanechika won the +99 kg division.

Kazuhiro, who decided that he would participate around one week ago, did not know the rules of the matches very well and was seen at times asking the referee if what he was doing was OK. He won the quarterfinal by heel hook and the semifinal by armbar. He is not sure yet if he will participate in the World ADCC tournament but he definitely wants to.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Diego Nunes vs. Cub Swanson added to WEC 40

With just less than six weeks remaining before the WEC makes its Chicago debut, the organization has added a featherweight bout to the April 5 event.

Undefeated Brazilian Diego Nunes (12-0 MMA, 1-0 WEC) will meet WEC and King of the Cage veteran Cub Swanson (13-2 MMA, 3-1 WEC) at "WEC 40: Torres vs. Bowles."

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed the matchup with Swanson, who said bout agreements have been signed.

Nunes will be making his second appearance for the WEC. The 26-year-old Team Nogueira Brazil fighter handed the previously undefeated Cole Province his first loss at WEC 37 in December 2008. The unanimous decision win was the first time Nunes had gone the distance in his four-year career.

Swanson also last fought at WEC 37, earning a unanimous decision win over Hiroyuki Takaya at the December 2008 event. The win was the 26-year-old's second-straight after a December 2007 loss to Jens Pulver snapped an 11-fight win streak for the California resident.

"WEC 40: Torres vs. Bowles" takes is scheduled for April 5 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The main card airs live on VERSUS.

With the addition, the card now includes:

Champ Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles (for bantamweight title)
Joseph Benavidez vs. Jeff Curran
Wagnney Fabiano vs. Fredson Paixao
Ben Henderson vs. Shane Roller
Akitoshi Tamura vs. Manny Tapia
Rafael Assuncao vs. TBA
Rafael Dias vs. Cole Province