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Everyman Mike Brown holding onto elite status and WEC belt while he can
Mike Brown is motivated by his past, to the point of being frightened to fail and flat out compelled to succeed.
It started following his 2000 graduation from Norwich University, a tiny Division III school in Northfield, Vt. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology not because he loved the subject, but he felt it would provide him with a decent job to pay the bills in the event his true calling didn't work out.
Deep down Brown was a fighter, so his intent was to work as few hours as possible to commit the majority of his time to training.
At the turn of the millennium, there was little money and almost no future in fighting for those who hovered around the 140- to 150-pound mark. Brown's dogged persistence led to eight years of building a career the hard way. While toiling the small arena circuit, Brown began working as a merchant for Budweiser, a company that fired him because he was taking too much time off to train and fight. Then there were the oddest of jobs that helped him scrape by: pumping gas, produce clerk, cashier at a wholesale distributor, cemetery worker.
None compared to Brown's lowest point as a mover.
"It sucked," Brown told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Moving was the worst job. It sucks to move your own house. It sucks when you have to do it every day, day in and day out, for somebody else with a lot of furniture (laughs). For a moving company, it never ended. Every day there was a new move to do.
"It's motivating when you've got to train and sometimes your body is sore and you don't want to train. You're like, 'Man I'd hate to me moving somebody's heavy stuff all day.'"
With little fanfare Brown hasn't stopped moving – up MMA's rankings. Flying stealth Brown raced to a 19-4 record before pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the business when he shocked WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber with a first-round TKO. Just like that, Brown is a winner of eight straight fights and raring for his first title defense Sunday night against Leonard Garcia at WEC 39.
Brown has been inactive since upsetting Faber in November, when he suffered torn rib cartilage at the end of the bout. After taking three to four weeks to heal, Brown returned to training with a vengeance. Instead of basking in the spoils of a champion, he still drives the same beat-up car to his job working the front desk of the American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Fla. Rather than think he knows it all, he's done it all, Brown's intensity has increased, the target on his back twice as big as the tattoo of an angel that covers his chest in honor of his late mother.
"I'm getting even more motivated because now I'm considered the No. 1 guy in the world," Brown said. "Every training session I try to think that, like train like you're the [freakin'] best in the world, don't [mess] around and be the best. I think of that every day of training. I train like an animal, and everything is coming together nicely."
The dichotomy between the two fighters headlining WEC 39 can't be any more distant. Brown is humble, soft-spoken and wears a warm smile, wholly appreciative of the journey that led him to the top of the featherweight division. Garcia is loud, bombastic and boastful. After disposing of veteran Jens Pulver in only 72 seconds on the undercard of Faber vs. Brown, the "Bad Boy" grabbed the house mic and yelled, "At 145 who wants some? I want me a title shot!"
Garcia gets his shot on his turf. Corpus Christi, Texas, is 479 miles from his hometown of Lubbock. His following is certain to pack the American Bank Center and assert their Texas pride, energy that will give Garcia an extra jolt – but perhaps a bit too much.
"Once you get into the fight the crowd doesn't matter, I don't think," Brown said. "I would rather fight at my home, but if it's not in Florida, I honestly don't care where it is.
"I take my time and analyze the situation, and if there's an opening for a submission or knockout, I take it. That's what I'm looking for."
Winning the title
Faber never saw it coming. Brown's best defense created the opportunistic opening for that one big punch.
Going into the fight, Brown was a 3-to-1 underdog by most Las Vegas wagering lines and viewed as yet another stepping stone for the WEC's Golden Boy, who was a winner of 13 straight fights and armed with an aura of invincibility. Brown never blew off any of the pre-fight analysis that essentially gave him no chance. He remained quiet and thankful knowing he was playing with house money. His whole career the role of the underdog has fit him like a pair of sweatpants. His plan was simple: Take a deep breath, let it roll, and see what happens.
"When you're an underdog like that, you have absolutely nothing to lose," Brown said. "I know what I'm capable of, so I don't go in thinking I'm going to lose."
Controlling the tempo, Faber missed a roundhouse elbow and was caught flush with a right hook to his jaw. With the champion on his stomach, Brown pounded his way to an upset that in the MMA world was akin to Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson in 1990. But while boxing's erstwhile "Baddest Man on the Planet" coasted through training and made excuses, Faber shrugged and accepted his fate. "The California Kid" didn't plead nescience. He had spent time backstage with Brown one night to see him compete in the UFC at 155 pounds and since studied the tendencies of one everyone thought would be another checkmark in the win column.
"Ignorance is sometimes the case in the matter that people don't recognize someone and don't really know that much about him," Faber told MMAjunkie.com. "But I knew he was going to be a tough fight for sure.
"A lot of people will say that kind of stuff, that he was lucky, but it was more unlucky for me and not necessarily lucky for him. He knows what he was there to do, and he capitalized on my mistake. I definitely got out of position and got a little careless, but he was there to capitalize on it, so more power to him."
The bond between the new champion and the vanquished golden child only grew after the bout. Backstage Brown told Faber it was actually the first time he's ever had luck on his side, not in the sense that Brown caught him with a lucky punch but in the ability to finish a tough opponent when he had the chance. Months later Brown was ringside watching Faber defeat Pulver for the second time. Without a trace of bravado, Faber looked toward Brown and demanded a rematch. Rather than smirk, Brown wore a dignified smile, a contrast to UFC heavyweight king Brock Lesnar embracing the antagonist role once Frank Mir called him out after his TKO of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92.
It was Good vs. Good, two classy men creating buildup and selling anticipation to their fans.
"That's what the fans want, that's what the WEC wants, and I think that's what Urijah deserves," said Brown of a potential Brown vs. Faber II fight.
"He felt fortunate he was able to finish me and would look forward to a rematch," Faber said. "He's ready for a rematch, and I think the people would love to see it. I think it's a matter of time of him being in the limelight where people can embrace him and see him what he is, and that's a class act.
"And now I have to get in there and get my belt back."
Brown vs. Faber II?
Whether Faber gets his chance against Brown, Garcia or anyone in a suddenly deep 145-pound division is the great unknown. Garcia enters Sunday 12-3 with his past five wins coming in the first round and two UFC losses through wars of attrition with Roger Huerta and Cole Miller. Almost as much as he wants to rule the featherweights again, Faber wants redemption, the shot at doing what Lennox Lewis did in 1997 when he avenged his stunning second-round knockout loss to Oliver McCall.
"Heck yeah," Faber said. "For whatever reason people like to get behind me, and I feel fortunate about that, but I know people want to see me have that run to get that belt back. I'm looking forward to being a big part of that story."
That fan base spoke volumes in a Feb. 14 MMAjunkie.com/"Inside MMA" poll. Sixty-four percent of voters expected Faber, who held the featherweight crown for 32 months, to be champion again by the end of the year. Garcia checked in at 14 percent. Brown, the one who knocked off the indestructible California Kid without any controversy, had the faith of a paltry nine percent of the voters.
Mike Brown, humble, likeable and blue-collar, is still very easy to write off. In a momentary lapse of weakness, Brown once told the WEC his frustration over a perceived lack of respect.
"It is what it is," Brown said. "I just have to keep winning and doing what I'm doing. I'm always assumed to be the underdog, and I'm the underdog against Garcia. I just have to do what I do. I'm training really, really sharp right now. I'm really the best and most dangerous I've ever been. I'm confident enough in a fight that if I go in and fight well, I'm going to be on top. That's for sure."
Perhaps, notes Faber, it's a simple matter of being overlooked. Faber's the one with the golden locks and statuesque physique, the popular profile of a surfer dude. Brown is the everyman content with the quiet life. One look at Faber and you're drawn in immediately. Brown's case study may just require a bit more time.
"He stands out as exactly what he is, and that' a stand-up individual," Faber said. "He's an educated guy, he's put in his time, he's dedicated his life to something, and right now, he's at the top of his game, so that's commendable on its own account. People can love it or not care about it, but he's a working-class guy who's worked to where he is."
Like it or not, Mike Brown is not going to change. He's more than happy to blend in with everyone else. He harbors faith that winning will naturally boost his profile. And instead of becoming a fat cat, Brown is motivated by fear. The fear of becoming forgotten. The fear of having to once again barely scrape by.
"I know once I get knocked off everybody is going to sweep me under the rug," Brown said. "I know how this sport is, so I have to keep my head focused and treat every fight like it's the most important in my life and train like an animal for it. I have to hold on to this while I can."
If he keeps winning, Brown will neither have to relocate nor go back to moving furniture. He'll have squatter's rights for as long as he wants to.
Mike Brown is motivated by his past, to the point of being frightened to fail and flat out compelled to succeed.
It started following his 2000 graduation from Norwich University, a tiny Division III school in Northfield, Vt. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology not because he loved the subject, but he felt it would provide him with a decent job to pay the bills in the event his true calling didn't work out.
Deep down Brown was a fighter, so his intent was to work as few hours as possible to commit the majority of his time to training.
At the turn of the millennium, there was little money and almost no future in fighting for those who hovered around the 140- to 150-pound mark. Brown's dogged persistence led to eight years of building a career the hard way. While toiling the small arena circuit, Brown began working as a merchant for Budweiser, a company that fired him because he was taking too much time off to train and fight. Then there were the oddest of jobs that helped him scrape by: pumping gas, produce clerk, cashier at a wholesale distributor, cemetery worker.
None compared to Brown's lowest point as a mover.
"It sucked," Brown told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Moving was the worst job. It sucks to move your own house. It sucks when you have to do it every day, day in and day out, for somebody else with a lot of furniture (laughs). For a moving company, it never ended. Every day there was a new move to do.
"It's motivating when you've got to train and sometimes your body is sore and you don't want to train. You're like, 'Man I'd hate to me moving somebody's heavy stuff all day.'"
With little fanfare Brown hasn't stopped moving – up MMA's rankings. Flying stealth Brown raced to a 19-4 record before pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the business when he shocked WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber with a first-round TKO. Just like that, Brown is a winner of eight straight fights and raring for his first title defense Sunday night against Leonard Garcia at WEC 39.
Brown has been inactive since upsetting Faber in November, when he suffered torn rib cartilage at the end of the bout. After taking three to four weeks to heal, Brown returned to training with a vengeance. Instead of basking in the spoils of a champion, he still drives the same beat-up car to his job working the front desk of the American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Fla. Rather than think he knows it all, he's done it all, Brown's intensity has increased, the target on his back twice as big as the tattoo of an angel that covers his chest in honor of his late mother.
"I'm getting even more motivated because now I'm considered the No. 1 guy in the world," Brown said. "Every training session I try to think that, like train like you're the [freakin'] best in the world, don't [mess] around and be the best. I think of that every day of training. I train like an animal, and everything is coming together nicely."
The dichotomy between the two fighters headlining WEC 39 can't be any more distant. Brown is humble, soft-spoken and wears a warm smile, wholly appreciative of the journey that led him to the top of the featherweight division. Garcia is loud, bombastic and boastful. After disposing of veteran Jens Pulver in only 72 seconds on the undercard of Faber vs. Brown, the "Bad Boy" grabbed the house mic and yelled, "At 145 who wants some? I want me a title shot!"
Garcia gets his shot on his turf. Corpus Christi, Texas, is 479 miles from his hometown of Lubbock. His following is certain to pack the American Bank Center and assert their Texas pride, energy that will give Garcia an extra jolt – but perhaps a bit too much.
"Once you get into the fight the crowd doesn't matter, I don't think," Brown said. "I would rather fight at my home, but if it's not in Florida, I honestly don't care where it is.
"I take my time and analyze the situation, and if there's an opening for a submission or knockout, I take it. That's what I'm looking for."
Winning the title
Faber never saw it coming. Brown's best defense created the opportunistic opening for that one big punch.
Going into the fight, Brown was a 3-to-1 underdog by most Las Vegas wagering lines and viewed as yet another stepping stone for the WEC's Golden Boy, who was a winner of 13 straight fights and armed with an aura of invincibility. Brown never blew off any of the pre-fight analysis that essentially gave him no chance. He remained quiet and thankful knowing he was playing with house money. His whole career the role of the underdog has fit him like a pair of sweatpants. His plan was simple: Take a deep breath, let it roll, and see what happens.
"When you're an underdog like that, you have absolutely nothing to lose," Brown said. "I know what I'm capable of, so I don't go in thinking I'm going to lose."
Controlling the tempo, Faber missed a roundhouse elbow and was caught flush with a right hook to his jaw. With the champion on his stomach, Brown pounded his way to an upset that in the MMA world was akin to Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson in 1990. But while boxing's erstwhile "Baddest Man on the Planet" coasted through training and made excuses, Faber shrugged and accepted his fate. "The California Kid" didn't plead nescience. He had spent time backstage with Brown one night to see him compete in the UFC at 155 pounds and since studied the tendencies of one everyone thought would be another checkmark in the win column.
"Ignorance is sometimes the case in the matter that people don't recognize someone and don't really know that much about him," Faber told MMAjunkie.com. "But I knew he was going to be a tough fight for sure.
"A lot of people will say that kind of stuff, that he was lucky, but it was more unlucky for me and not necessarily lucky for him. He knows what he was there to do, and he capitalized on my mistake. I definitely got out of position and got a little careless, but he was there to capitalize on it, so more power to him."
The bond between the new champion and the vanquished golden child only grew after the bout. Backstage Brown told Faber it was actually the first time he's ever had luck on his side, not in the sense that Brown caught him with a lucky punch but in the ability to finish a tough opponent when he had the chance. Months later Brown was ringside watching Faber defeat Pulver for the second time. Without a trace of bravado, Faber looked toward Brown and demanded a rematch. Rather than smirk, Brown wore a dignified smile, a contrast to UFC heavyweight king Brock Lesnar embracing the antagonist role once Frank Mir called him out after his TKO of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92.
It was Good vs. Good, two classy men creating buildup and selling anticipation to their fans.
"That's what the fans want, that's what the WEC wants, and I think that's what Urijah deserves," said Brown of a potential Brown vs. Faber II fight.
"He felt fortunate he was able to finish me and would look forward to a rematch," Faber said. "He's ready for a rematch, and I think the people would love to see it. I think it's a matter of time of him being in the limelight where people can embrace him and see him what he is, and that's a class act.
"And now I have to get in there and get my belt back."
Brown vs. Faber II?
Whether Faber gets his chance against Brown, Garcia or anyone in a suddenly deep 145-pound division is the great unknown. Garcia enters Sunday 12-3 with his past five wins coming in the first round and two UFC losses through wars of attrition with Roger Huerta and Cole Miller. Almost as much as he wants to rule the featherweights again, Faber wants redemption, the shot at doing what Lennox Lewis did in 1997 when he avenged his stunning second-round knockout loss to Oliver McCall.
"Heck yeah," Faber said. "For whatever reason people like to get behind me, and I feel fortunate about that, but I know people want to see me have that run to get that belt back. I'm looking forward to being a big part of that story."
That fan base spoke volumes in a Feb. 14 MMAjunkie.com/"Inside MMA" poll. Sixty-four percent of voters expected Faber, who held the featherweight crown for 32 months, to be champion again by the end of the year. Garcia checked in at 14 percent. Brown, the one who knocked off the indestructible California Kid without any controversy, had the faith of a paltry nine percent of the voters.
Mike Brown, humble, likeable and blue-collar, is still very easy to write off. In a momentary lapse of weakness, Brown once told the WEC his frustration over a perceived lack of respect.
"It is what it is," Brown said. "I just have to keep winning and doing what I'm doing. I'm always assumed to be the underdog, and I'm the underdog against Garcia. I just have to do what I do. I'm training really, really sharp right now. I'm really the best and most dangerous I've ever been. I'm confident enough in a fight that if I go in and fight well, I'm going to be on top. That's for sure."
Perhaps, notes Faber, it's a simple matter of being overlooked. Faber's the one with the golden locks and statuesque physique, the popular profile of a surfer dude. Brown is the everyman content with the quiet life. One look at Faber and you're drawn in immediately. Brown's case study may just require a bit more time.
"He stands out as exactly what he is, and that' a stand-up individual," Faber said. "He's an educated guy, he's put in his time, he's dedicated his life to something, and right now, he's at the top of his game, so that's commendable on its own account. People can love it or not care about it, but he's a working-class guy who's worked to where he is."
Like it or not, Mike Brown is not going to change. He's more than happy to blend in with everyone else. He harbors faith that winning will naturally boost his profile. And instead of becoming a fat cat, Brown is motivated by fear. The fear of becoming forgotten. The fear of having to once again barely scrape by.
"I know once I get knocked off everybody is going to sweep me under the rug," Brown said. "I know how this sport is, so I have to keep my head focused and treat every fight like it's the most important in my life and train like an animal for it. I have to hold on to this while I can."
If he keeps winning, Brown will neither have to relocate nor go back to moving furniture. He'll have squatter's rights for as long as he wants to.
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Ross Ebanez a late booking for DREAM.7
Popular Japanese fighter and former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) has been booked to fight Hawaiian-based EliteXC veteran Ross Ebanez (19-6) next month at DREAM.7.
The event takes place March 7 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It airs on HDNet via one-week tape delay.
Kawajiri vs. Ebanez is the third non-tournament bout booked for the show, which also includes the opening round of the organization's 16-slot featherweight grand prix.
Kawajiri, who most recently defeated Kozo Takeda at a K-1 rules match in December, returns to MMA for the first time since DREAM's lightweight grand prix. Kawajiri defeared Kultar Gill and Luiz Firmino in the opening rounds, but he was stopped in the semifinals by Eddie Alvarez.
The 30-year-old has now won seven of his nine fights, which has included wins over notables such as Joachim Hansen, Per Eklund and Charles Bennett.
Ebanez, meanwhile, could go 6-1 (with one no-contest) in his past eight fights with a victory over Kawajiri. The six-year vet's only loss during that stretch came in January 2008 to Alvarez via second-round TKO.
Ebanez, who trains with UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn, has been on a roll in recent years going 9-2 (with one no-contest) since June 2006.
Popular Japanese fighter and former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) has been booked to fight Hawaiian-based EliteXC veteran Ross Ebanez (19-6) next month at DREAM.7.
The event takes place March 7 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It airs on HDNet via one-week tape delay.
Kawajiri vs. Ebanez is the third non-tournament bout booked for the show, which also includes the opening round of the organization's 16-slot featherweight grand prix.
Kawajiri, who most recently defeated Kozo Takeda at a K-1 rules match in December, returns to MMA for the first time since DREAM's lightweight grand prix. Kawajiri defeared Kultar Gill and Luiz Firmino in the opening rounds, but he was stopped in the semifinals by Eddie Alvarez.
The 30-year-old has now won seven of his nine fights, which has included wins over notables such as Joachim Hansen, Per Eklund and Charles Bennett.
Ebanez, meanwhile, could go 6-1 (with one no-contest) in his past eight fights with a victory over Kawajiri. The six-year vet's only loss during that stretch came in January 2008 to Alvarez via second-round TKO.
Ebanez, who trains with UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn, has been on a roll in recent years going 9-2 (with one no-contest) since June 2006.
Troy Mandaloniz latest fighter cut from the UFC roster
Troy Mandaloniz, a cast member from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" who recently suffered the first UFC loss of his career, has been cut from the organization.
Mandaloniz learned of the news after a hard-fought unanimous-decision loss to Paul Kelly at the Feb. 21 UFC 95 event in London, England.
The Hawaiian fighter concludes this stint of his UFC career with a 1-1 record.
Mandaloniz, a longtime friend and training partner of B.J. Penn, defeated Paul Georgieff in the opening round of "TUF" but was stopped by Matt Arroyo in the quarterfinals. However, at the show's live finale, he scored a first-round TKO of Richie Hightower to earn a second chance in the organization.
However, it wouldn't come for another 14 months as Mandaloniz rehabbed a neck injury. He returned at UFC 95 this past weekend but suffered the decision loss to Kelly with losing scores of 27-30, 27-30 and 28-30.
"I thought I showed them what I was made of, but I guess not," Mandaloniz told BJPenn.com. "I don't think I see too many other fighters out there fighting with the same passion and intensity that I bring."
Mandaloniz now owns a 3-2 career record.
Troy Mandaloniz, a cast member from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" who recently suffered the first UFC loss of his career, has been cut from the organization.
Mandaloniz learned of the news after a hard-fought unanimous-decision loss to Paul Kelly at the Feb. 21 UFC 95 event in London, England.
The Hawaiian fighter concludes this stint of his UFC career with a 1-1 record.
Mandaloniz, a longtime friend and training partner of B.J. Penn, defeated Paul Georgieff in the opening round of "TUF" but was stopped by Matt Arroyo in the quarterfinals. However, at the show's live finale, he scored a first-round TKO of Richie Hightower to earn a second chance in the organization.
However, it wouldn't come for another 14 months as Mandaloniz rehabbed a neck injury. He returned at UFC 95 this past weekend but suffered the decision loss to Kelly with losing scores of 27-30, 27-30 and 28-30.
"I thought I showed them what I was made of, but I guess not," Mandaloniz told BJPenn.com. "I don't think I see too many other fighters out there fighting with the same passion and intensity that I bring."
Mandaloniz now owns a 3-2 career record.
"Minotauro" Nogueira also approached about UFC 101 fight with Randy Couture
A day after it was learned former UFC champion and hall-of-famer Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) had been approached about a possible UFC 101 fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC, a source close to the Brazilian fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Nogueira, too, has been pitched the bout.
The fight, first reported as a possibility by MMA Weekly on Thursday after speaking to sources close to Couture, is expected to take place in August.
A source close to Nogueira said the fighter is open to the bout but that negotiations remain in "very preliminary stages."
The UFC has made no official announcement regarding the possible bout or a date or venue for the upcoming show.
However, Couture vs. Nogueira has been discussed by UFC executives on multiple occasions. UFC President Dana White first spoke about the potential bout in early 2008 when Couture was still embroiled in a contract dispute with the UFC.
A second round of rumors began after recent losses by both fighters. Couture lost the heavyweight belt to Brock Lesnar in November, and a month later, Nogueira was upset by Frank Mir, who staked claimed to the interim heavyweight title.
While originally targeted for early 2009, the bout could now become a late-summer affair -- one that could earn the winner top contender's status and a chance to reclaim the heavyweight title, which will be unified when Lesnar and Mir meet at UFC 98.
According to the source, Nogueira could prepare for the Couture bout at Freddie Roach's gym in California. Roach, one of boxing's most prolific trainers, recently prepared Andrei Arlovski for his "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" bout with Fedor Emelianenko. Nogueira is currently one of MMA's better strikers in the heavyweight division and trained boxing during his childhood.
Couture, meanwhile, had flirted with the idea of taking off most of 2009 due to injuries and film work. He was then a rumored headliner for a planned UFC 99 Germany event in June, though he later said he wouldn't be available for the card.
A day after it was learned former UFC champion and hall-of-famer Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) had been approached about a possible UFC 101 fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC, a source close to the Brazilian fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Nogueira, too, has been pitched the bout.
The fight, first reported as a possibility by MMA Weekly on Thursday after speaking to sources close to Couture, is expected to take place in August.
A source close to Nogueira said the fighter is open to the bout but that negotiations remain in "very preliminary stages."
The UFC has made no official announcement regarding the possible bout or a date or venue for the upcoming show.
However, Couture vs. Nogueira has been discussed by UFC executives on multiple occasions. UFC President Dana White first spoke about the potential bout in early 2008 when Couture was still embroiled in a contract dispute with the UFC.
A second round of rumors began after recent losses by both fighters. Couture lost the heavyweight belt to Brock Lesnar in November, and a month later, Nogueira was upset by Frank Mir, who staked claimed to the interim heavyweight title.
While originally targeted for early 2009, the bout could now become a late-summer affair -- one that could earn the winner top contender's status and a chance to reclaim the heavyweight title, which will be unified when Lesnar and Mir meet at UFC 98.
According to the source, Nogueira could prepare for the Couture bout at Freddie Roach's gym in California. Roach, one of boxing's most prolific trainers, recently prepared Andrei Arlovski for his "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" bout with Fedor Emelianenko. Nogueira is currently one of MMA's better strikers in the heavyweight division and trained boxing during his childhood.
Couture, meanwhile, had flirted with the idea of taking off most of 2009 due to injuries and film work. He was then a rumored headliner for a planned UFC 99 Germany event in June, though he later said he wouldn't be available for the card.
South Carolina legislators unanimously approve bill to lift MMA ban
South Carolina, one of a declining number of states that currently outlaws the sport of mixed martial arts, has taken a significant step to lift the ban.
Earlier this month South Carolina's House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee passed a bill to eliminate the ban.
On Thursday it hit the House floor, and with no debate, legislators passed the bill with a unanimous 57-0 vote.
The bill next heads to the Senate, where it's expected to pass easily.
That would open the door for the South Carolina State Athletic Commission to begin regulating events. However, as with Pennsylvania, Tennessee and other states that recently passed legislation to regulate the sport, it can take more than a year between the time the legislation passes and when the first event is held in the state.
Once through legislation, South Carolina would become the 38th state to regulate MMA. (The District of Columbia and Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission also regulate the sport in their respective areas.)
Although MMA isn't regulated by some states because no athletic commission exists (such as in Alabama and Maine), South Carolina is one of the few to ban it outright.
South Carolina has the country's 24th largest state population (4.5 million residents). It's largest city, Columbia, boasts 125,000 residents and is the 190th most-populous city in the U.S.
South Carolina, one of a declining number of states that currently outlaws the sport of mixed martial arts, has taken a significant step to lift the ban.
Earlier this month South Carolina's House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee passed a bill to eliminate the ban.
On Thursday it hit the House floor, and with no debate, legislators passed the bill with a unanimous 57-0 vote.
The bill next heads to the Senate, where it's expected to pass easily.
That would open the door for the South Carolina State Athletic Commission to begin regulating events. However, as with Pennsylvania, Tennessee and other states that recently passed legislation to regulate the sport, it can take more than a year between the time the legislation passes and when the first event is held in the state.
Once through legislation, South Carolina would become the 38th state to regulate MMA. (The District of Columbia and Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission also regulate the sport in their respective areas.)
Although MMA isn't regulated by some states because no athletic commission exists (such as in Alabama and Maine), South Carolina is one of the few to ban it outright.
South Carolina has the country's 24th largest state population (4.5 million residents). It's largest city, Columbia, boasts 125,000 residents and is the 190th most-populous city in the U.S.
Todd Duffee vs. Mustapha Al Turk set for UFC 99
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who signed with the UFC last year, will make his long-awaited octagon debut against Mustapha Al Turk (6-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 99.
Duffee today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he has signed a bout agreement for the heavyweight fight.
Although not officially announced, UFC 99 is expected to take place June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.
The Duffee-Al Turk fight will likely take place on the night's un-aired preliminary card.
Duffee, an American Top Team Fighter who turned pro in 2007, has finished all four of his fights via knockout. Only his most recent victory, which came over UFC veteran Asseurio Silva at a September 2008 Jungle Fight event, went past the first round.
On sabbatical from his studies at the University of Georgia, the 23-year-old Duffee is currently training with ATT in Florida and the HardCore Gym in Georgia. While he knows he still needs to prove himself on the world's biggest stage, Duffee said fans can expect him to enter the octagon in peak condition.
"I will not get outworked," Duffee told MMAjunkie.com in a recent interview. "A guy may be more skilled than me, a guy may be more experienced, but he will not outwork me. That's the one thing I know will not happen to me. I will not let that happen."
His opponent, Al Turk, returns to the octagon for the first time since his first-round TKO loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 in December.
Prior to the loss, he went 6-1 in his previous seven fights in the U.K.-based Cage Rage, where he was the organization's British heavyweight champion. All six of the fighter's victories came via stoppage -- all in the first round.
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who signed with the UFC last year, will make his long-awaited octagon debut against Mustapha Al Turk (6-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 99.
Duffee today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he has signed a bout agreement for the heavyweight fight.
Although not officially announced, UFC 99 is expected to take place June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.
The Duffee-Al Turk fight will likely take place on the night's un-aired preliminary card.
Duffee, an American Top Team Fighter who turned pro in 2007, has finished all four of his fights via knockout. Only his most recent victory, which came over UFC veteran Asseurio Silva at a September 2008 Jungle Fight event, went past the first round.
On sabbatical from his studies at the University of Georgia, the 23-year-old Duffee is currently training with ATT in Florida and the HardCore Gym in Georgia. While he knows he still needs to prove himself on the world's biggest stage, Duffee said fans can expect him to enter the octagon in peak condition.
"I will not get outworked," Duffee told MMAjunkie.com in a recent interview. "A guy may be more skilled than me, a guy may be more experienced, but he will not outwork me. That's the one thing I know will not happen to me. I will not let that happen."
His opponent, Al Turk, returns to the octagon for the first time since his first-round TKO loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 in December.
Prior to the loss, he went 6-1 in his previous seven fights in the U.K.-based Cage Rage, where he was the organization's British heavyweight champion. All six of the fighter's victories came via stoppage -- all in the first round.
Jacaré, Galvão Training Silva for Leites
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- If you need to train top-level jiu-jitsu, there is no better place than Rio de Janeiro.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva knows this well, and that’s why he’s in Rio getting ready for his April 18 title defense against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Thales Leites at UFC 97.
Two BJJ legends are helping Silva prepare: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (ADCC 2005 88-kg champion and multiple-time world BJJ champion in his weight class and the absolute class) and André Galvão (current world BJJ Champion and ADCC 2007 third-place finisher at 77 kilograms and the absolute class).
“I’m studying Thales’ fights, imitating his way of fighting, in order to help Anderson,” explained Galvão, whose left eye was purple after a hard sparring session on Feb. 10. “This is the result of two high kicks. He hit me while I was trying to take him down. Anderson never stops and changes his base all the time, which makes him hard to clinch and take down. I admire Thales a lot, but I would bet all my money on Anderson.”
In early February, Galvão was the highlight of the Brazilian ADCC Trials. He submitted five of his six opponents to earn a spot in the 88-kg bracket of the submission wrestling tournament.
“If ADCC 2009 is really confirmed for September, I may compete. But now my main focus is MMA, and Anderson is helping me a lot,” said Galvão, who is confirmed for the 76-kg Dream grand prix in April. “Training every day with him, Jacaré, Feijão and sometimes the [Nogueira] brothers, I feel I’m in the best place in the world for a MMA fighter.”
Jacaré, who has defeated Roger Gracie twice in submission competitions, is also happy to be part of Silva’s training.
“I didn’t get adapted at Xtreme Couture, but I was having nice training with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro in San Diego,” he said. “Actually I came here invited by Galvão just to visit him, but Anderson and the whole group treated me so well that I decided to stay. Now I’ve been training with them for almost two months.”
Jacaré is also scheduled to fight in Dream in April. The bout will not be a rematch against Gegard Mousasi, as many have thought.
“Mousasi went up to fight in another division. I don’t know who will be my opponent, but I’ll be ready for him,” said Jacaré, who has a record of 10-2 in MMA.
Asked for his opinion on the title bout between his new training partner in Silva and the Nova União black belt in Leites, Jacaré didn’t hesitate: “I hope Anderson gives 1,000 percent in this fight and brings one more victory to us.”
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- If you need to train top-level jiu-jitsu, there is no better place than Rio de Janeiro.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva knows this well, and that’s why he’s in Rio getting ready for his April 18 title defense against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Thales Leites at UFC 97.
Two BJJ legends are helping Silva prepare: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (ADCC 2005 88-kg champion and multiple-time world BJJ champion in his weight class and the absolute class) and André Galvão (current world BJJ Champion and ADCC 2007 third-place finisher at 77 kilograms and the absolute class).
“I’m studying Thales’ fights, imitating his way of fighting, in order to help Anderson,” explained Galvão, whose left eye was purple after a hard sparring session on Feb. 10. “This is the result of two high kicks. He hit me while I was trying to take him down. Anderson never stops and changes his base all the time, which makes him hard to clinch and take down. I admire Thales a lot, but I would bet all my money on Anderson.”
In early February, Galvão was the highlight of the Brazilian ADCC Trials. He submitted five of his six opponents to earn a spot in the 88-kg bracket of the submission wrestling tournament.
“If ADCC 2009 is really confirmed for September, I may compete. But now my main focus is MMA, and Anderson is helping me a lot,” said Galvão, who is confirmed for the 76-kg Dream grand prix in April. “Training every day with him, Jacaré, Feijão and sometimes the [Nogueira] brothers, I feel I’m in the best place in the world for a MMA fighter.”
Jacaré, who has defeated Roger Gracie twice in submission competitions, is also happy to be part of Silva’s training.
“I didn’t get adapted at Xtreme Couture, but I was having nice training with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro in San Diego,” he said. “Actually I came here invited by Galvão just to visit him, but Anderson and the whole group treated me so well that I decided to stay. Now I’ve been training with them for almost two months.”
Jacaré is also scheduled to fight in Dream in April. The bout will not be a rematch against Gegard Mousasi, as many have thought.
“Mousasi went up to fight in another division. I don’t know who will be my opponent, but I’ll be ready for him,” said Jacaré, who has a record of 10-2 in MMA.
Asked for his opinion on the title bout between his new training partner in Silva and the Nova União black belt in Leites, Jacaré didn’t hesitate: “I hope Anderson gives 1,000 percent in this fight and brings one more victory to us.”
Carwin Focused on Gonzaga
videolink: http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Carwin-Focused-on-Gonzaga-1931
Sherdog.com’s Dave Mandel and Greg Savage caught up with Shane Carwin to discuss the heavyweight’s bout with Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96.
Carwin discussed his preparation for the bout in which he predicts will change his life forever.
videolink: http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Carwin-Focused-on-Gonzaga-1931
Sherdog.com’s Dave Mandel and Greg Savage caught up with Shane Carwin to discuss the heavyweight’s bout with Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96.
Carwin discussed his preparation for the bout in which he predicts will change his life forever.
MCCULLOUGH EXPECTS FAST AND FURIOUS AT WEC 39
Two years ago, “Razor” Rob McCullough didn’t really care whether he was a champion or not. He fought for money, and because he was good at it.
“I have enough belts to start a department store,” he tells MMAWeekly.com.
But when the most meaningful belt of his eight-year career left him – the WEC lightweight belt – and slid further away in a bid to regain it, his priorities shifted.
There was pressure from passers-by, and his pride took a little hit. More than that, he says, the belt was a “good commodity.”
“Now, it makes me a little more hungry,” he says. “I know I’m good enough to be up there doing this, I’ve had it before, and I’ve been there.”
McCullough had two choices: fight through his plateau in comfortable surroundings, or put himself on unfamiliar ground.
The 31-year-old faces the stout "Wrecking Ball" Marcus Hicks at WEC 39 on March 1, and for the first time in his career, he will place his faith in fighters other than his usual Huntington Beach crew.
In January, McCullough moved to Las Vegas to join Xtreme Couture. He would not, as before, tire out his training partners. There were no kickboxing classes to teach. He was just another guy in the gym.
“I think it was perfect timing,” says McCullough. “Before, (when) I had the belt, it didn’t matter. If you told me to go somewhere else, I would have been like, obviously, I’m not doing anything wrong. Why fix it if it’s not broken?
“I look back, there’s no reason to try and do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.”
Now, he’s having fun with the craft of fighting.
Vegas, a place to fight and party afterwards, has become something different.
“Living out here is… man,” says McCullough. “If it’s not super hot outside in the summertime, it’s really cold and windy and it sucks, and I’m away from all my friends and family. I was a big shot at my gym for so long, you set up your own workouts and go do your own thing. As much as I don’t want to say I got lazy doing it, you kinda have to.”
If Hicks stays true to his past, McCullough says, the action will be fast and furious on Sunday.
“I believe Marcus is going to come in and go balls to the wall,” he says. “Something brutal is going to happen. I’m saying the first, maybe second round.”
In nine fights, Hicks hasn’t seen a third round, so that’s a safe bet.
McCullough says his conditioning is where it needs to be at the end of his seven-week run. If he can weather Hicks’ early storm, the fight’s pace could factor heavily in its outcome.
“I hope he’s in shape,” says McCullough.
Two years ago, “Razor” Rob McCullough didn’t really care whether he was a champion or not. He fought for money, and because he was good at it.
“I have enough belts to start a department store,” he tells MMAWeekly.com.
But when the most meaningful belt of his eight-year career left him – the WEC lightweight belt – and slid further away in a bid to regain it, his priorities shifted.
There was pressure from passers-by, and his pride took a little hit. More than that, he says, the belt was a “good commodity.”
“Now, it makes me a little more hungry,” he says. “I know I’m good enough to be up there doing this, I’ve had it before, and I’ve been there.”
McCullough had two choices: fight through his plateau in comfortable surroundings, or put himself on unfamiliar ground.
The 31-year-old faces the stout "Wrecking Ball" Marcus Hicks at WEC 39 on March 1, and for the first time in his career, he will place his faith in fighters other than his usual Huntington Beach crew.
In January, McCullough moved to Las Vegas to join Xtreme Couture. He would not, as before, tire out his training partners. There were no kickboxing classes to teach. He was just another guy in the gym.
“I think it was perfect timing,” says McCullough. “Before, (when) I had the belt, it didn’t matter. If you told me to go somewhere else, I would have been like, obviously, I’m not doing anything wrong. Why fix it if it’s not broken?
“I look back, there’s no reason to try and do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.”
Now, he’s having fun with the craft of fighting.
Vegas, a place to fight and party afterwards, has become something different.
“Living out here is… man,” says McCullough. “If it’s not super hot outside in the summertime, it’s really cold and windy and it sucks, and I’m away from all my friends and family. I was a big shot at my gym for so long, you set up your own workouts and go do your own thing. As much as I don’t want to say I got lazy doing it, you kinda have to.”
If Hicks stays true to his past, McCullough says, the action will be fast and furious on Sunday.
“I believe Marcus is going to come in and go balls to the wall,” he says. “Something brutal is going to happen. I’m saying the first, maybe second round.”
In nine fights, Hicks hasn’t seen a third round, so that’s a safe bet.
McCullough says his conditioning is where it needs to be at the end of his seven-week run. If he can weather Hicks’ early storm, the fight’s pace could factor heavily in its outcome.
“I hope he’s in shape,” says McCullough.
CAMP GSP SUGGESTS CHANGES DUE TO CONTROVERSY
In a recent letter to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, trainers and coaches for UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre stepped up to refute claims by B.J. Penn and his camp about the improper application of Vaseline during their 170-pound divisional title fight in January.
Beyond the statements sent to the commission from Greg Jackson, Phil Nurse, John Danahar, and Steven Friend, the collective also made suggestions to help prevent any situation like this from happening in the future, recommending minor changes made to how fighters are checked and Vaseline applied before the fight and in between rounds.
In the letter to the commission, Camp St. Pierre commends the commission for rules that create "a safe and fair environment for mixed martial arts combatants," but because of the current controversy, they believe there are changes that could be made to improve conditions.
The statement suggests continuing the current pre-fight "touch test" to detect both the presence of water and petroleum based lubricants that could have been applied to the fighter's body hours before the bout.
In addition to that rule, they believe a pre-fight rubdown, excluding the face and gloves of the fighter, with a towel containing alcohol or another commission approved solvent to guarantee any lubricants applied before the fight are removed.
The team also mentions the possibility of rubbing the fighters down between rounds with a dry towel to remove any Vaseline applied that may have "migrated" to the fighter's body during the bout.
The last part of the proposed changes goes along with a rule that was implemented by the Florida State Boxing Commission during the UFC's recent trip to Tampa for a Fight Night event. Only licensed cutmen were allowed to apply the Vaseline to the fighter's faces before or during the bout.
The letter clearly states that the team involved with Georges St. Pierre does not want the controversy swirling around the fight with B.J. Penn to tarnish his reputation as one of the best fighters in the world, and the changes could help to prevent any situations like that from arising again.
In a recent letter to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, trainers and coaches for UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre stepped up to refute claims by B.J. Penn and his camp about the improper application of Vaseline during their 170-pound divisional title fight in January.
Beyond the statements sent to the commission from Greg Jackson, Phil Nurse, John Danahar, and Steven Friend, the collective also made suggestions to help prevent any situation like this from happening in the future, recommending minor changes made to how fighters are checked and Vaseline applied before the fight and in between rounds.
In the letter to the commission, Camp St. Pierre commends the commission for rules that create "a safe and fair environment for mixed martial arts combatants," but because of the current controversy, they believe there are changes that could be made to improve conditions.
The statement suggests continuing the current pre-fight "touch test" to detect both the presence of water and petroleum based lubricants that could have been applied to the fighter's body hours before the bout.
In addition to that rule, they believe a pre-fight rubdown, excluding the face and gloves of the fighter, with a towel containing alcohol or another commission approved solvent to guarantee any lubricants applied before the fight are removed.
The team also mentions the possibility of rubbing the fighters down between rounds with a dry towel to remove any Vaseline applied that may have "migrated" to the fighter's body during the bout.
The last part of the proposed changes goes along with a rule that was implemented by the Florida State Boxing Commission during the UFC's recent trip to Tampa for a Fight Night event. Only licensed cutmen were allowed to apply the Vaseline to the fighter's faces before or during the bout.
The letter clearly states that the team involved with Georges St. Pierre does not want the controversy swirling around the fight with B.J. Penn to tarnish his reputation as one of the best fighters in the world, and the changes could help to prevent any situations like that from arising again.
LEONARD GARCIA: NO REST FOR THE WICKED
As he prepares for the fight of his life, WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia sees no reason to go easy on anybody, especially himself.
“I don’t pace myself ever, with anything,” Garcia told MMAWeekly Radio. “That’s the way I fight, and that’s the way I train.”
Aside from the nest of champions at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., fighters aren’t lining up to spar with him.
“But it’s the way I see it: if you’ve got 16-ounce gloves, and we’ve got pads and headgear, we should be able to hit each other full force,” Garcia explains. “I have several knockouts in the gym, and I feel like if guys can’t take the punches with them big gloves on and headgear, they’re in the wrong sport.”
Garcia is hard-headed, so to speak, because he’s been around the block enough to know that opportunities like the one at WEC 39 don’t come by on a whim.
“I’m not afraid to say it: I go into a lot of fights scared to death,” he said. “Being that I feel that, I train that much harder, because I’m afraid of what this guy’s going to do to me. Mike Brown definitely puts that there.”
On Sunday, he challenges Brown for the WEC featherweight title, in his home state no less. Of course, if it were any state other than Texas, the 532 miles between his hometown of Lubbock and the Corpus Christi fight would be separated by a state line. No matter to Garcia.
“It’s definitely a pressing situation for me,” he said. “Any time you fight in your home state. For me, it’s the pride of Texas. That’s what I’m fighting for. I can’t back down at all. I have to take the challenge – horn to horn, head to head.”
March 1 is also the two-year anniversary of the day he walked into Greg Jackson’s gym to forge a new path. In 2003, he had given up on fighting and taken a full-time job in the shipping department at Frito-Lay.
“I just didn’t think there was any money to be made,” said Garcia. Bored by 9-to-5, he tried his hand at boxing, taking three pro fights in Austin in 2005, winning two. A little over a month into his training at Jackson’s, he got the call to face Roger Huerta at UFC 69.
Two years later, Jackson’s camp is at the pinnacle of the sport, and Garcia is a step away from his biggest prize yet. Like his TKO victory over Jens Pulver at WEC 36, it’s hard for him to believe everything is real.
“I use that statement, ‘it’s not going to be real until I see the whites of his eyes,’” said Garcia.
Brown saw the whites of former champion Urijah Faber’s eyes – a man many thought unbeatable in the division – with a right hand no one saw coming. Garcia had his eye on the American Top Team fighter long before the title-changing strike, and though he was shocked by it, doesn’t see it as a “lucky punch.”
“Granted, everybody sees it as a lucky punch,” he said. “I see it as he had really good awareness, he sidestepped the elbow and landed the good shot. It was basic boxing. I thought for sure he could beat Urijah, but I thought it was going to be a ground and pound type deal.”
To prepare for the ground skills he saw as Brown’s strength, he focused more on wrestling technique.
“Wrestling has been the weak point since I came to Jackson’s,” said Garcia. “We brought in guys who throw looping punches and try to push you up against the cage and try to muscle. To their credit, they tried to mimic Mike Brown as much as they could. I feel a lot stronger now that I’ve been going to wrestling practices.”
He also feels a lot more confident that he won’t slow down, no matter how hard he tries to make himself tired during the five-round fight.
“Forty-five seconds rest is what we get in between rounds over here, and we get a whole minute over there,” he said. “So that extra 15 seconds is going to be that much help.”
He's sworn not to cry if he ever becomes a champion, but that promise seems ready to be broken.
“There’s been a couple times that I think about it in my mind, and I get choked up a little now just with the thought of it,” he said. “If that’s not something to get you out of bed and start training, I don’t know what is.”
As he prepares for the fight of his life, WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia sees no reason to go easy on anybody, especially himself.
“I don’t pace myself ever, with anything,” Garcia told MMAWeekly Radio. “That’s the way I fight, and that’s the way I train.”
Aside from the nest of champions at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., fighters aren’t lining up to spar with him.
“But it’s the way I see it: if you’ve got 16-ounce gloves, and we’ve got pads and headgear, we should be able to hit each other full force,” Garcia explains. “I have several knockouts in the gym, and I feel like if guys can’t take the punches with them big gloves on and headgear, they’re in the wrong sport.”
Garcia is hard-headed, so to speak, because he’s been around the block enough to know that opportunities like the one at WEC 39 don’t come by on a whim.
“I’m not afraid to say it: I go into a lot of fights scared to death,” he said. “Being that I feel that, I train that much harder, because I’m afraid of what this guy’s going to do to me. Mike Brown definitely puts that there.”
On Sunday, he challenges Brown for the WEC featherweight title, in his home state no less. Of course, if it were any state other than Texas, the 532 miles between his hometown of Lubbock and the Corpus Christi fight would be separated by a state line. No matter to Garcia.
“It’s definitely a pressing situation for me,” he said. “Any time you fight in your home state. For me, it’s the pride of Texas. That’s what I’m fighting for. I can’t back down at all. I have to take the challenge – horn to horn, head to head.”
March 1 is also the two-year anniversary of the day he walked into Greg Jackson’s gym to forge a new path. In 2003, he had given up on fighting and taken a full-time job in the shipping department at Frito-Lay.
“I just didn’t think there was any money to be made,” said Garcia. Bored by 9-to-5, he tried his hand at boxing, taking three pro fights in Austin in 2005, winning two. A little over a month into his training at Jackson’s, he got the call to face Roger Huerta at UFC 69.
Two years later, Jackson’s camp is at the pinnacle of the sport, and Garcia is a step away from his biggest prize yet. Like his TKO victory over Jens Pulver at WEC 36, it’s hard for him to believe everything is real.
“I use that statement, ‘it’s not going to be real until I see the whites of his eyes,’” said Garcia.
Brown saw the whites of former champion Urijah Faber’s eyes – a man many thought unbeatable in the division – with a right hand no one saw coming. Garcia had his eye on the American Top Team fighter long before the title-changing strike, and though he was shocked by it, doesn’t see it as a “lucky punch.”
“Granted, everybody sees it as a lucky punch,” he said. “I see it as he had really good awareness, he sidestepped the elbow and landed the good shot. It was basic boxing. I thought for sure he could beat Urijah, but I thought it was going to be a ground and pound type deal.”
To prepare for the ground skills he saw as Brown’s strength, he focused more on wrestling technique.
“Wrestling has been the weak point since I came to Jackson’s,” said Garcia. “We brought in guys who throw looping punches and try to push you up against the cage and try to muscle. To their credit, they tried to mimic Mike Brown as much as they could. I feel a lot stronger now that I’ve been going to wrestling practices.”
He also feels a lot more confident that he won’t slow down, no matter how hard he tries to make himself tired during the five-round fight.
“Forty-five seconds rest is what we get in between rounds over here, and we get a whole minute over there,” he said. “So that extra 15 seconds is going to be that much help.”
He's sworn not to cry if he ever becomes a champion, but that promise seems ready to be broken.
“There’s been a couple times that I think about it in my mind, and I get choked up a little now just with the thought of it,” he said. “If that’s not something to get you out of bed and start training, I don’t know what is.”
Alistair Overeem set to face Remy Bonjasky at K-1 World GP 2009 on March 28
Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) has confirmed that Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem will return to K-1 on March 28 to face World GP 2008 Champion Remy Bonjasky under K-1 rules at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
“Demolition Man” is coming off a first round destruction of former K-1 heavyweight champion Badr Hari at the Fields Dynamite!! super show on December 31.
Overeem has looked solid of late, winning five straight consecutive bouts and — before smashing his balls — was putting it to Mirko Cro Cop at DREAM 6 in September. Overeem has been in against some of the best in the business throughout his career and is still in his prime.
Still, one has to wonder if he’s in over his head taking on a K-1 champion under K-1 rules. True, he dismantled former champion Hari with relative ease, but the Moroccan was competing just three weeks after his appearance in the 2008 Grand Prix Tournament where he fought three times in one night.
One of those opponents was eventual tournament winner Remy Bonjasky, who took the title via controversial disqualification in the GP Finals. Hari pulled Bonjasky to the ground in the second round and seemed to lose control of himself, pummeling the downed opponent and even trying to stomp on Bonjasky’s face.
Bonjasky was allowed five minutes to recover but was still seeing double after the time elapsed and the referee called the match. Hari was stripped of his heavyweight title and received no pay for his participation in the event.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how far Overeem has come in his performance on March 28.
Also on the card, Melvin Manhoef will join the heavyweight tournament in a bid to lay claim to the heavyweight title that was stripped from Badr Hari following last year’s improprieties. While Hari will also be on the card, he is not included in the tournament and will instead rematch Errol Zimmerman from their match at the 2008 GP.
Here is the current line-up for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009:
Superfights:
Alistair Overeem vs. Remy Bonjasky
Badr Hari vs. Errol Zimmerman
Jerome LeBanner vs. Ewerton Teixeira
Junichi Sawayashiki vs. Glaube Feitosa
Heavyweight Tournament:
Semifinal 1: Melvin Manhoef vs. Chalid “Die Faust”
Semifinal 2: Ruslan Karaev vs. Gokhan Saki
Reserve Fight: Tyrone Spong vs. Keijiro Maeda
Heavyweight Final:
Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2
Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) has confirmed that Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem will return to K-1 on March 28 to face World GP 2008 Champion Remy Bonjasky under K-1 rules at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
“Demolition Man” is coming off a first round destruction of former K-1 heavyweight champion Badr Hari at the Fields Dynamite!! super show on December 31.
Overeem has looked solid of late, winning five straight consecutive bouts and — before smashing his balls — was putting it to Mirko Cro Cop at DREAM 6 in September. Overeem has been in against some of the best in the business throughout his career and is still in his prime.
Still, one has to wonder if he’s in over his head taking on a K-1 champion under K-1 rules. True, he dismantled former champion Hari with relative ease, but the Moroccan was competing just three weeks after his appearance in the 2008 Grand Prix Tournament where he fought three times in one night.
One of those opponents was eventual tournament winner Remy Bonjasky, who took the title via controversial disqualification in the GP Finals. Hari pulled Bonjasky to the ground in the second round and seemed to lose control of himself, pummeling the downed opponent and even trying to stomp on Bonjasky’s face.
Bonjasky was allowed five minutes to recover but was still seeing double after the time elapsed and the referee called the match. Hari was stripped of his heavyweight title and received no pay for his participation in the event.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how far Overeem has come in his performance on March 28.
Also on the card, Melvin Manhoef will join the heavyweight tournament in a bid to lay claim to the heavyweight title that was stripped from Badr Hari following last year’s improprieties. While Hari will also be on the card, he is not included in the tournament and will instead rematch Errol Zimmerman from their match at the 2008 GP.
Here is the current line-up for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009:
Superfights:
Alistair Overeem vs. Remy Bonjasky
Badr Hari vs. Errol Zimmerman
Jerome LeBanner vs. Ewerton Teixeira
Junichi Sawayashiki vs. Glaube Feitosa
Heavyweight Tournament:
Semifinal 1: Melvin Manhoef vs. Chalid “Die Faust”
Semifinal 2: Ruslan Karaev vs. Gokhan Saki
Reserve Fight: Tyrone Spong vs. Keijiro Maeda
Heavyweight Final:
Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2
Vernon “Tiger” White: A Changed Man
It’s hard to think of anyone in mixed martial arts as ring tested and battle proven as Vernon “Tiger” White. An original member of the Lion’s Den, White has been involved in the sport since the very beginning. Over the course of sixteen years the 37 year old father has been involved with virtually every major promotion on the planet and has fought the very toughest competition the game has had to offer.
His record reads like a who’s who list of the some of the very best to have ever fought. Guys like Lyoto machida, Chuck Liddell, Vladimir Matyushenko, Kazushi Sakuraba, Frank Shamrock, Jeremy Horn, Mario Sperry, Pedro Rizzo and Bas Rutten have all traded blows with ‘The Tiger’ at some point during their illustrious carers. The resume is staggering.
White is far from done in the game. In an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com the dangerous veteran confirmed that he has signed to face off with UFC veteran Josh Haynes at the upcoming Wargods event, hopes to face off with Mike Whitehead in a kickboxing match, and is in talks to possibly face off with Kimbo derailer, Seth Petruzelli sometime very soon.
Fresh off of an eight month suspension for the use of a diuretic (commonly used to help shed water weight), White is eager to get back in the cage and return to his old form.
A changed man, the former IFC and King of the Cage champion recently turned his life around when his fiancee gave him an ultimatum. ‘It’ drugs or me’. That was all he needed to hear. The two have since been married and White has been clean ever since. Making the changes that needed to be made and recently becoming a father for the first time has given White an all new perspective on life.
Cory Brady: Has this recent time off kind of helped you to spend that extra time with your baby boy?
Vernon White: This time off has actually been great that way. It’s hard because I haven’t been able to make any money but I’ve bonded with him like my dad never bonded with me, so it’s kind of cool
Cory Brady: So you had to actually fight just hours after he was born? That’s crazy! What can you tell me about that?
Vernon White: Well, it started the night before the fight. My wife started going through labor pains and she woke me up at about two or three in the morning. I didn’t really get any sleep that night, and then at seven in the morning, she started having worse pains than before so we went to the hospital. I was at the hospital all day with her. He was born at 3:26 and I had to be at the arena at 4:30, so it gave me just enough time to get back to the Hotel and get back to the arena. I ended up fighting at nine that night. I won the fight but the commission took it from me and suspended me because I took a diuretic.
Cory Brady: Can you talk to me a little about your suspension for the use of a diuretic? I know it’s normally used to help shed water weight, is that what you used it for?
Vernon White: Yes, it was. I actually checked on the website, I checked my contract, And I checked on the Nevada State Commission site. It didn’t say that I could not use a diuretic. Then my wife checked in deeper aand found something on the website that stated that you could only use one certain type of diuretic. When I brought that to the athletic commission’s atention, they said ‘Yeah, it says that it’s okay, but we won’t let you use it.’. What I don’t understand is how their website says one thing is okay and another isn’t, how they justify that all of it is bad when somewhere else it says it’s okay. Even my opponent’s trainer asked if it would give me any type of advantage, and they said no.
Cory Brady: When we can expect to see your return to action?
Vernon White: The suspension is over as of March so I’m ready to fight. I’m going to be fighting Josh Haynes on April 25th in Reno, Nevada in a co promotion with Ken Shamrock Productions and Wargods.
Cory Brady: So how do you feel about this match up with Josh Haynes? What are your thought on him?
Vernon White: I believe that Josh Haynes has a big mouth and I need to shut it. He was telling some of our guys that he’s going to be spanking me in April. He can be sure that I’m not going to run from him like his last opponent and let him get a split decision. He’s going to know that he was in a fight, especially after he’s looking at his face in the mirror.
Cory Brady: Have you been focusing on anything specific, or just your whole game?
Vernon White: I’ve kind of been focusing on my strength for this one. He was whining and complaining, and now they want me to fight at 195 pounds, knowing that I normally fight at 205 pounds. He thinks that he’s going to run through me at 195, but they don’t know how easy it is for me to get down to 195 pounds, I just decide to fight at 205. The only thing for me is, I’ve just been working on my strength so I don’t lose anything when I go down there. I think I’m goiing to be the stronger guy and a lot of people comment on how fast I am at 205, so he’s going to have his hands full once I make that drop. He’s going to have a lot of words to eat after this fight.
Cory Brady: Do you still talk to Ken pretty regularly?
Vernon White: Oh yeah.Ken’s actually getting ready to have another fight on March 21st. I’m holding the pads for him and helping him to get ready. I’m a little bit excited about it because it’s going to be the first time that I’ve been able to be in Ken’s corner while completely sober. I’ve stopped drinking and I’ve stopped taking drugs, so now, I can be there for him. The other times I was in his corner, I was out partying the night before or whatever so I couldn’t be there for him the way I should have on the day of the fight. Now my life has changed. I’ve done a 180 degree change so I’m excited about helping Ken for this next fight.
Cory Brady: So what gave? What was the breaking point for finally wanting to turn your life upside down?
Vernon White: Well my fiancee at the time, basically told me that it was either her or drugs, and I chose her. We ended up getting married, had a child and I gave my life back to God. I’m actaully working to get a degree online and I’m studying to be a pastor right now. I have also started a Tae Kwon Do class for the children at my church. I feel like if I can give back to some of the kids and help them take a different path that I did, it would be all worth it.
Cory Brady: Are you under contract with anyone, or are you a free agent at this point?
Vernon White: I have KO Dynasty and their talking with Affliction to see if they’re going to honor my contract. I’m still going to fight for Ken Shamrock and Wargods whenever they want me to, and I’d like to get back in and fight with the XFA, because the XFA wanted to build a fight between myself and Mike Whitehead in kickboxing, and I’d love to have that fight. He wanted no part of me on the feet when we fought in the IFL so that would be interesting. They’re also talking about a possible fight with me and Seth Petruzelli. I would love to get that one going.
Cory Brady: You’re one of the most experienced fighters in the game but a lot of people don’t realize that you are still fairly young at 37. How many more years can we expect to see you compete?
Vernon White: I’m thinking that maybe at fory two or forty three I’ll quit. I want to keep going as long as I can to show people that you can still be a christian and go out their and use the talent that you were given. God gave everyone a special talent, and it’s up to you to use that talent.
Cory Brady: You’ve fought so many of the toughest guys that are out there. Who are a couple of the absolute baddest, toughest dudes you’ve ever fought?
Vernon White: I’d have to say Vladimir Matyushenko, Pedro Rizzo and Sakuraba. A lot of people would like for me to add Chuck Liddell to that list but I can’t, because if his finger hadn’t gone into my eye, then I probably wold say thatbhe was one of the toughest, but he doesn’t rank in that list right now.
Cory Brady: In the wake of the whole GSP greasing allegations, do you think there is a serious problem with cheating in the sport?
Vernon White: There are some guys in the sport that have a way of punching with their fingers not all the way open, but they leave their knuckles extended so the knuckle can go right in the eye, which can cause severe damage. As far as I’m concerned, you need to close your fists and fight like a man. I don’t have anything against Chuck or GSP, they’re doing what they feel they need to do to win, but sooner or later someone’s going to do it to them, and then they’ll realize what it feels like. My eye took 38,000 dollars to fix. Maybe they’re waiting until someone gets their eye taken comletely out.
Cory Brady: Is there anyone that you would like to thank?
Vernon White: I want to thank everyone that has been behind me from the beginning. I have nothing but love for all of my fans. I would love to have some sponsors to thank. Anyone out there looking to sponsor Vernon “Tiger” White, give my manager a call. I also want to thank God, Ken Shamrock, my wife and I want to say ‘I love you’ to my son.
It’s hard to think of anyone in mixed martial arts as ring tested and battle proven as Vernon “Tiger” White. An original member of the Lion’s Den, White has been involved in the sport since the very beginning. Over the course of sixteen years the 37 year old father has been involved with virtually every major promotion on the planet and has fought the very toughest competition the game has had to offer.
His record reads like a who’s who list of the some of the very best to have ever fought. Guys like Lyoto machida, Chuck Liddell, Vladimir Matyushenko, Kazushi Sakuraba, Frank Shamrock, Jeremy Horn, Mario Sperry, Pedro Rizzo and Bas Rutten have all traded blows with ‘The Tiger’ at some point during their illustrious carers. The resume is staggering.
White is far from done in the game. In an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com the dangerous veteran confirmed that he has signed to face off with UFC veteran Josh Haynes at the upcoming Wargods event, hopes to face off with Mike Whitehead in a kickboxing match, and is in talks to possibly face off with Kimbo derailer, Seth Petruzelli sometime very soon.
Fresh off of an eight month suspension for the use of a diuretic (commonly used to help shed water weight), White is eager to get back in the cage and return to his old form.
A changed man, the former IFC and King of the Cage champion recently turned his life around when his fiancee gave him an ultimatum. ‘It’ drugs or me’. That was all he needed to hear. The two have since been married and White has been clean ever since. Making the changes that needed to be made and recently becoming a father for the first time has given White an all new perspective on life.
Cory Brady: Has this recent time off kind of helped you to spend that extra time with your baby boy?
Vernon White: This time off has actually been great that way. It’s hard because I haven’t been able to make any money but I’ve bonded with him like my dad never bonded with me, so it’s kind of cool
Cory Brady: So you had to actually fight just hours after he was born? That’s crazy! What can you tell me about that?
Vernon White: Well, it started the night before the fight. My wife started going through labor pains and she woke me up at about two or three in the morning. I didn’t really get any sleep that night, and then at seven in the morning, she started having worse pains than before so we went to the hospital. I was at the hospital all day with her. He was born at 3:26 and I had to be at the arena at 4:30, so it gave me just enough time to get back to the Hotel and get back to the arena. I ended up fighting at nine that night. I won the fight but the commission took it from me and suspended me because I took a diuretic.
Cory Brady: Can you talk to me a little about your suspension for the use of a diuretic? I know it’s normally used to help shed water weight, is that what you used it for?
Vernon White: Yes, it was. I actually checked on the website, I checked my contract, And I checked on the Nevada State Commission site. It didn’t say that I could not use a diuretic. Then my wife checked in deeper aand found something on the website that stated that you could only use one certain type of diuretic. When I brought that to the athletic commission’s atention, they said ‘Yeah, it says that it’s okay, but we won’t let you use it.’. What I don’t understand is how their website says one thing is okay and another isn’t, how they justify that all of it is bad when somewhere else it says it’s okay. Even my opponent’s trainer asked if it would give me any type of advantage, and they said no.
Cory Brady: When we can expect to see your return to action?
Vernon White: The suspension is over as of March so I’m ready to fight. I’m going to be fighting Josh Haynes on April 25th in Reno, Nevada in a co promotion with Ken Shamrock Productions and Wargods.
Cory Brady: So how do you feel about this match up with Josh Haynes? What are your thought on him?
Vernon White: I believe that Josh Haynes has a big mouth and I need to shut it. He was telling some of our guys that he’s going to be spanking me in April. He can be sure that I’m not going to run from him like his last opponent and let him get a split decision. He’s going to know that he was in a fight, especially after he’s looking at his face in the mirror.
Cory Brady: Have you been focusing on anything specific, or just your whole game?
Vernon White: I’ve kind of been focusing on my strength for this one. He was whining and complaining, and now they want me to fight at 195 pounds, knowing that I normally fight at 205 pounds. He thinks that he’s going to run through me at 195, but they don’t know how easy it is for me to get down to 195 pounds, I just decide to fight at 205. The only thing for me is, I’ve just been working on my strength so I don’t lose anything when I go down there. I think I’m goiing to be the stronger guy and a lot of people comment on how fast I am at 205, so he’s going to have his hands full once I make that drop. He’s going to have a lot of words to eat after this fight.
Cory Brady: Do you still talk to Ken pretty regularly?
Vernon White: Oh yeah.Ken’s actually getting ready to have another fight on March 21st. I’m holding the pads for him and helping him to get ready. I’m a little bit excited about it because it’s going to be the first time that I’ve been able to be in Ken’s corner while completely sober. I’ve stopped drinking and I’ve stopped taking drugs, so now, I can be there for him. The other times I was in his corner, I was out partying the night before or whatever so I couldn’t be there for him the way I should have on the day of the fight. Now my life has changed. I’ve done a 180 degree change so I’m excited about helping Ken for this next fight.
Cory Brady: So what gave? What was the breaking point for finally wanting to turn your life upside down?
Vernon White: Well my fiancee at the time, basically told me that it was either her or drugs, and I chose her. We ended up getting married, had a child and I gave my life back to God. I’m actaully working to get a degree online and I’m studying to be a pastor right now. I have also started a Tae Kwon Do class for the children at my church. I feel like if I can give back to some of the kids and help them take a different path that I did, it would be all worth it.
Cory Brady: Are you under contract with anyone, or are you a free agent at this point?
Vernon White: I have KO Dynasty and their talking with Affliction to see if they’re going to honor my contract. I’m still going to fight for Ken Shamrock and Wargods whenever they want me to, and I’d like to get back in and fight with the XFA, because the XFA wanted to build a fight between myself and Mike Whitehead in kickboxing, and I’d love to have that fight. He wanted no part of me on the feet when we fought in the IFL so that would be interesting. They’re also talking about a possible fight with me and Seth Petruzelli. I would love to get that one going.
Cory Brady: You’re one of the most experienced fighters in the game but a lot of people don’t realize that you are still fairly young at 37. How many more years can we expect to see you compete?
Vernon White: I’m thinking that maybe at fory two or forty three I’ll quit. I want to keep going as long as I can to show people that you can still be a christian and go out their and use the talent that you were given. God gave everyone a special talent, and it’s up to you to use that talent.
Cory Brady: You’ve fought so many of the toughest guys that are out there. Who are a couple of the absolute baddest, toughest dudes you’ve ever fought?
Vernon White: I’d have to say Vladimir Matyushenko, Pedro Rizzo and Sakuraba. A lot of people would like for me to add Chuck Liddell to that list but I can’t, because if his finger hadn’t gone into my eye, then I probably wold say thatbhe was one of the toughest, but he doesn’t rank in that list right now.
Cory Brady: In the wake of the whole GSP greasing allegations, do you think there is a serious problem with cheating in the sport?
Vernon White: There are some guys in the sport that have a way of punching with their fingers not all the way open, but they leave their knuckles extended so the knuckle can go right in the eye, which can cause severe damage. As far as I’m concerned, you need to close your fists and fight like a man. I don’t have anything against Chuck or GSP, they’re doing what they feel they need to do to win, but sooner or later someone’s going to do it to them, and then they’ll realize what it feels like. My eye took 38,000 dollars to fix. Maybe they’re waiting until someone gets their eye taken comletely out.
Cory Brady: Is there anyone that you would like to thank?
Vernon White: I want to thank everyone that has been behind me from the beginning. I have nothing but love for all of my fans. I would love to have some sponsors to thank. Anyone out there looking to sponsor Vernon “Tiger” White, give my manager a call. I also want to thank God, Ken Shamrock, my wife and I want to say ‘I love you’ to my son.
Behind The Scenes Marketing Key to Profitability
While most fans usually see the overt marketing efforts (TUF seasons, Countdown shows) in trying to get them to purchase a PPV, often there are back-end efforts that help make these PPV shows a huge success for companies like the UFC. Success often builds on success. Long term sustainability is driven by building and maintaining a customer base, and one of the keys in doing this are things like direct mailings. Deliver Magazine has an excellent article on the WWE’s efforts in this respect as a driver PPV sales:
WWE also does slightly more traditional mailings, too, as part of its overall integrated marketing formula. “We use direct mail as a direct-response tactic, dropping one to two weeks before our PPV events,” Richards explains. “We work with our cable and satellite partners, because they have the lead list to target WWE fans, so we know who our fans are.”
In explaining how WWE leverages its cable/satellite partners in direct mail, Richards offers the example of the company’s marketing campaign for its 2008 WrestleMania XXIV extravaganza. To push the event, WWE sent out 8-1/2 by 5-1/2–inch tiered “inline mailers” featuring a feast of information about the festivities and the related promotions/events.
Included in the mailers was a 2008 WWE pay-per-view calendar, info about a co-branded sweepstakes in which fans could register to win a custom WrestleMania chopper and details about WWE’s 24/7 On Demand gift-with-purchase promotion. WWE also provided space in the mailers for cable and satellite clients to hawk their own promotions. The mailers went out to 1.6 million fans in 24 states and three Canadian provinces in March 2008 — 10 days before WrestleMania XXIV. Sustainability
“We had our clients pull lists of all WWE pay-per-view buyers, so whoever purchased PPV in the last couple of years were targeted,” Richards says. “We use our partner’s database so we can profile and look at the crossovers. We can target anyone who purchases WWE pay-per-view, and we can target ‘like’ fans. So we really rely on (the cable/satellite provider’s) database.”
While the WWE is the basis of the article, the UFC is in much the same situation here. They have amassed large databases that they can work with cable and satellite providers in order to “get out the vote” so to speak when it comes to getting fans to purchase their PPV’s. Dana White’s video blogs have on occasion shown the UFC hosting the likes of Direct TV and the like at events, and the passage above notes the symbiotic relationship that the PPV providers and companies like the UFC and WWE. The increase in buyers over the past few events for the UFC are great from a revenue standpoint, of course, but they have also provided a wealth of new information upon which they can leverage for future growth.
While most fans usually see the overt marketing efforts (TUF seasons, Countdown shows) in trying to get them to purchase a PPV, often there are back-end efforts that help make these PPV shows a huge success for companies like the UFC. Success often builds on success. Long term sustainability is driven by building and maintaining a customer base, and one of the keys in doing this are things like direct mailings. Deliver Magazine has an excellent article on the WWE’s efforts in this respect as a driver PPV sales:
WWE also does slightly more traditional mailings, too, as part of its overall integrated marketing formula. “We use direct mail as a direct-response tactic, dropping one to two weeks before our PPV events,” Richards explains. “We work with our cable and satellite partners, because they have the lead list to target WWE fans, so we know who our fans are.”
In explaining how WWE leverages its cable/satellite partners in direct mail, Richards offers the example of the company’s marketing campaign for its 2008 WrestleMania XXIV extravaganza. To push the event, WWE sent out 8-1/2 by 5-1/2–inch tiered “inline mailers” featuring a feast of information about the festivities and the related promotions/events.
Included in the mailers was a 2008 WWE pay-per-view calendar, info about a co-branded sweepstakes in which fans could register to win a custom WrestleMania chopper and details about WWE’s 24/7 On Demand gift-with-purchase promotion. WWE also provided space in the mailers for cable and satellite clients to hawk their own promotions. The mailers went out to 1.6 million fans in 24 states and three Canadian provinces in March 2008 — 10 days before WrestleMania XXIV. Sustainability
“We had our clients pull lists of all WWE pay-per-view buyers, so whoever purchased PPV in the last couple of years were targeted,” Richards says. “We use our partner’s database so we can profile and look at the crossovers. We can target anyone who purchases WWE pay-per-view, and we can target ‘like’ fans. So we really rely on (the cable/satellite provider’s) database.”
While the WWE is the basis of the article, the UFC is in much the same situation here. They have amassed large databases that they can work with cable and satellite providers in order to “get out the vote” so to speak when it comes to getting fans to purchase their PPV’s. Dana White’s video blogs have on occasion shown the UFC hosting the likes of Direct TV and the like at events, and the passage above notes the symbiotic relationship that the PPV providers and companies like the UFC and WWE. The increase in buyers over the past few events for the UFC are great from a revenue standpoint, of course, but they have also provided a wealth of new information upon which they can leverage for future growth.
Satoshi Ishii goes to Brazil
Sportsnavi updated about Satoshi Ishii, who was a Beijing Olympic judo gold medalist, on February 27.
Ishii is currently training in Tokyo. He was going to join in American Top Team in the end of February, yet he changed his plan. He leaves for Brazil on March 4 to train with Lyoto Machida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. After training in Brazil, he will join in American Top Team or come back to Tokyo.
Sportsnavi updated about Satoshi Ishii, who was a Beijing Olympic judo gold medalist, on February 27.
Ishii is currently training in Tokyo. He was going to join in American Top Team in the end of February, yet he changed his plan. He leaves for Brazil on March 4 to train with Lyoto Machida and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. After training in Brazil, he will join in American Top Team or come back to Tokyo.
The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale slated for June 20
The live finale for "The Ultimate Fighter 9: U.S. vs. U.K.," which is set to debut April 1 on Spike TV, will take place June 20.
A source close to the UFC reality series told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the date is set but that a location has not been decided. The finale will air on Spike TV.
"TUF9" features a U.S. squad headed by celebrity coach and former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson and a British team headed by "TUF3" winner Michael Bisping.
The show began taping in early January with 32 hopefuls vying for eight welterweight and eight lightweight spots on the 16-person cast. An elimination round cut the group in half and determined this season's cast, which is the first one that will compete with a nation vs. nation format.
The two finalists from each division will then meet at the live finale on June 20. And while the coaches usually fight at the end of the show's run, Bisping vs. Henderson won't take place on June 20. Instead, UFC President Dana White said he expects the fight to happen at UFC 100 on July 11.
An official event announcement (with ticket on-sale dates) for the live finale is expected to be made in the next few weeks.
The live finale for "The Ultimate Fighter 9: U.S. vs. U.K.," which is set to debut April 1 on Spike TV, will take place June 20.
A source close to the UFC reality series told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the date is set but that a location has not been decided. The finale will air on Spike TV.
"TUF9" features a U.S. squad headed by celebrity coach and former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson and a British team headed by "TUF3" winner Michael Bisping.
The show began taping in early January with 32 hopefuls vying for eight welterweight and eight lightweight spots on the 16-person cast. An elimination round cut the group in half and determined this season's cast, which is the first one that will compete with a nation vs. nation format.
The two finalists from each division will then meet at the live finale on June 20. And while the coaches usually fight at the end of the show's run, Bisping vs. Henderson won't take place on June 20. Instead, UFC President Dana White said he expects the fight to happen at UFC 100 on July 11.
An official event announcement (with ticket on-sale dates) for the live finale is expected to be made in the next few weeks.
Gilbert Melendez Comments On Rematch With Thomson
Just days after the announcement of the rematch between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight title, MMA Insider caught up with the Cesar Gracie student to get his thoughts on the rematch, and possibly the biggest fight of his career.
"Looking forward to the rematch," Melendez said in communication with MMA Insider this week.
The bout will happen just about 9 months after the first match-up that saw Melendez lose his title to Thomson via unanimous decision. Since that time Melendez hasn't fought, but has been training for sometime waiting for an opponent.
Now that opponent will be none other than the last fighter to defeat him.
For this fight, Melendez understands that he has to go back and learn from past mistakes to get the win over a very tough and game opponent like Josh Thomson.
"I'm going to look at the tape and come up with a better gameplan," Melendez said about the rematch.
With the fight in San Jose, both Thomson and Melendez will have a big support system in the crowd, but for now the former champion is only focused on getting the title back.
Just days after the announcement of the rematch between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight title, MMA Insider caught up with the Cesar Gracie student to get his thoughts on the rematch, and possibly the biggest fight of his career.
"Looking forward to the rematch," Melendez said in communication with MMA Insider this week.
The bout will happen just about 9 months after the first match-up that saw Melendez lose his title to Thomson via unanimous decision. Since that time Melendez hasn't fought, but has been training for sometime waiting for an opponent.
Now that opponent will be none other than the last fighter to defeat him.
For this fight, Melendez understands that he has to go back and learn from past mistakes to get the win over a very tough and game opponent like Josh Thomson.
"I'm going to look at the tape and come up with a better gameplan," Melendez said about the rematch.
With the fight in San Jose, both Thomson and Melendez will have a big support system in the crowd, but for now the former champion is only focused on getting the title back.
Santiago bets on Anderson against Thales
One of the best middleweight fighters in the world, Jorge Santiago has been doing a great job in MMA, winning three titles in the last 13 months. After conquering Strikeforce and Dream’s belts, Jorge Santiago is getting ready to get back to the ring at May, but eyes a great fight in his category, at UFC 97. For the middleweight title, Thales Leites will step on the octagon to battle against the reign champion, Anderson Silva.
“I think both of them will be very careful in this fight, any mistake can be the end of the fight. Anderson doesn’t lose any opportunity on striking and Thales, once on the ground, has great chances to finish the fight”, analyzed Santiago, believing in another victory for Silva. “It’s hard to say who’s gonna win, but I think it’s 70-30 (%
to Anderson”.
One of the best middleweight fighters in the world, Jorge Santiago has been doing a great job in MMA, winning three titles in the last 13 months. After conquering Strikeforce and Dream’s belts, Jorge Santiago is getting ready to get back to the ring at May, but eyes a great fight in his category, at UFC 97. For the middleweight title, Thales Leites will step on the octagon to battle against the reign champion, Anderson Silva.
“I think both of them will be very careful in this fight, any mistake can be the end of the fight. Anderson doesn’t lose any opportunity on striking and Thales, once on the ground, has great chances to finish the fight”, analyzed Santiago, believing in another victory for Silva. “It’s hard to say who’s gonna win, but I think it’s 70-30 (%
to Anderson”.