MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Ed Herman: It’s win or get cut at UFC 97

“I think this is going to be a really exciting fight. Hopefully it’s Fight of the Night or Ass Whooping of the Night. I’m looking to finish him as fast as I can…I’ve lost two in a row and if I lose another fight, the UFC will probably cut me so I’m trying to keep my job. It’s rough times. It’s a bad economy, so I gotta keep my damn job so I can keep living. I respect Loiseau, but on the 18th, I’m going in there to beat his ass.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Silva analyzes Evans vs. Machida

The last man to face Lyoto Machida before the sixth victory in a row and getting a chance to fight for the UFC title, at the UFC 98, which happens on May 23, Thiago Silva will be watching the undefeated challenge for the belt. Exclusively to TATAME.com, the American Top Team athlete commented the confrontation, pointing out Lyoto’s "secret weapon" for the fight.

"Honestly, I think Lyoto is a very smart fighter. I think his father is even smarter, the guy behind all of this. From what I saw, Lyoto never changed his tactics, his tactic that is that, let the opponent nervous and break the psychological, and he is doing that", analyzes Thiago, without pointing favorites for the fight. "I’m not Rashad and I don’t put my hand in fire for anyone, but I think it will be a tough fight and that wins the best", concluded the fighter, who faces Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, which happens on August 8.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rani Yahya with no hurry for WEC’s belt

After making a great WEC debut, where he need just three minutes to submit the former Pancrase champion, Yoshiro Maeda, with a guillotine choke, Rani Yahya showed his class one more time in the octagon of WEC 40, where he submitted Eddie Wineland, former WEC champion with less than two minutes and also won the submission of the night bonus. "It happen a quick striking, it made my work easier and I could take him to the ground. I got lucky to fall in his back, in a very good position to fit the guillotine that defined the fight and gave me the award for best submission of the night", said the black belt.

Despite winning two tough opponents, Rani ensures that don’t matter when he’ll have the opportunity to fight for the belt: "I can dispute the belt in a future fight, because it seems it has some other fighters on the line. The most important is to be in action, if I'm fighting it's all right. The trainings continue and the demand for new challenges too, no matter how, whether in the Submission, Muay Thai, regardless of the fight, my goal is to expose myself as much as possible. The MMA is the main focus, but always when other activities appear, is worth the same way", said Rani, who might compete in ADCC 2009.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vitor Shaolin Interview

More than a year away from the ring, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro gave no chances to Katsuhiko Nagata, punishing the opponent and winning by medical interruption in the first round at Dream 8. After the conquest, the Nova União black belt spoke to TATAME.com and revealed that has asked to fight against Shinya Aoki, talked about his victory in the return to the ring, his plans for 2009, the chances of André Galvão in the welterweight GP and the invitation received to fight against Gilbert Melendez, in Strikeforce, in the week following the fight in Dream. Check below the complete interview.

What did you think of your performance in Dream?
It was a nice presentation, I think I couldn’t fit certain positions and lost others. I guess I felt for being a while without fighting, when you have more training time you gain that trust. I will start to increase the rhythm of everything, of Wrestiling, Boxing, the gym, do what I couldn’t do to fight this and raise a little more... Sometimes you train something that you won’t use much in the fight, but when you see, facing with a complete different fight and ends up using a lot something that you haven’t trained much. Now I will get some fundamentals that I haven’t trained much for this fight, to use at the next one and not lose any positions and some submissions.

Did you feel this time without fighting?
Honestly, if I say that I felt a lot is a lie, because I was quite calm, thank God, and could make a nice training with my friends, because everyone knows in what I’m good and not, and they seek to train more where I’m worse. I think this has made me feel good. I started not training very well, but I ended up doing pretty confident, because I was training with people here that helped me a lot. That’s why I was confident there, I wasn’t nervous.

What did the Japanese think of your return?

I think they liked it, with whom I spoke after the fight seemed happy with my performance. I left a little from the submission and toke the rule, which allows using the knee, then the guys that didn’t saw me for a while, the direction of the event, liked to see me. It was nice to return with victory.

You won the fight using knees from the side mount position, a position that you don’t usually use. Were you training or was in instinct that you used those knees?
I was training at the gym, Danilo (Cherman) and (Marco Galvão) “Louro” were talking about this a lot... All the guard that I made, they reminded me to use the knee and also warned me to be careful with the position. So, at the first time I passed the guard and had the opportunity to lock his arms, I was free to the knee, the guys yelled and reminded me to use and I was able to use the position well. I think this is a nice rule, I liked to use elbows when was allowed and now I pretend to use the knees all as possible.

Do you already know when you will fight again?
You see Gesias (Cavalcante), for example, he hasn’t fought yet and doesn’t know when he’ll fight, imagine me that just fought... Now I have to wait. You see also the case of (Murilo) “Ninja”, who was affected by the change of opponents. Now I have to be trained, because suddenly there is a significant chance. They’ve called me, after my fight in Dream, to fight the Strikeforce against (Gilbert) Melendez, but I decided not to do it.

Your contract with Dream allows you to fight in other events?
They allowed me, but I didn’t allow me, I thought it would be very complicated, I thought that change everything suddenly would get hard with my body... Now I’ll forget this fight I did and put another focus in my head.

What are the main goals for 2009?
My first goal is to take care of my son who is born big, with a lot of health, at the same way the first came. My second goal is to train and wait what comes ahead. The first thing is to see my son born with health, then see the gym growing and the fights appearing. I’ll keep training because, if I train, things will happen.

What will be the name of your second child?
Man, because of you (laughs), it’ll be Eduardo.

André Galvão fought at the same event and won well. Do you think he is a tough candidate to win this GP?
Sure, he made his third MMA fight, the first in a big event and he showed, against a tough guy, very calm at the ground and standing part. Now it only depends on him to do a right training, because I believe that he’ll go to the final against Sakurai, who is a very tough guy, but I think he will connect well the ground game and will leave with the victory.

What did you think of the Aoki’s defeat to Sakurai?
Aoki was the Shooto 170lbs champion and then dropped to 155lbs, but I’m not surprised with his defeat because Sakurai is very tough. Sakurai weighted 170lbs and Aoki weighted 10 pounds more, I think that prevailed a little. Sakurai swept and reversed the position very well. Before the fight Aoki was also provoking, then Sakurai went with an extra dose of gas and was able to win Aoki well.

Would you like to face Shinya Aoki?
It’s a fight that, of course, I would accept, because it would be a good fight for me. Let's see if after that defeat of him I can get this fight. I've heard that it wouldn’t be a good fight, because we are two grapplers, so I need a good argument to convince them that the fight won’t be stopped on the ground, which will be movement and different fight, at first I’ve already asked and got a no. If I would face him, I would make a mixture of Hansen's game with my Jiu-Jitsu.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tito Ortiz negotiating with Strikeforce, return still six months away

Where will Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) fight next?

It's a question that has been asked many times since the former UFC champ in 2008 elected to walk away from the only major organization in which he's ever fought.

While his contract with the UFC expires in May, Ortiz has now added another name to the seemingly endless list of "probable" employers: Strikeforce.

Ortiz was cageside for Saturday night's "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz" in San Jose, Calif. The "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" was also a featured speaker at the evening's post-event press conference where it was revealed he is "in dialogue" with the company.

"We are in dialogue, and we look forward to Tito fighting for Strikeforce," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. "We'd love to have him here in San Jose. I think our fans would really appreciate Tito fighting in San Jose."

Following major back surgery in late 2008, Ortiz said he's about six months from being ready to compete again.

"I actually just got [cleared] from my doctor to start doing my weight training, which I've been doing the last seven days," Ortiz said. "I kind of need to hold myself back a bit because I want to go harder. But the doctor says, 'Take your time. Take your time.'

"I'm six months out now. I've got about another month-and-a-half or two months and I can start wrestling again."

While Ortiz stopped short of saying he was committed to Strikeforce, he said he was excited about the possibility.

"I want to thank Showtime/CBS, Scott Coker, Ken Hershman, and all the rest of the gang for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to possibly be on free television on CBS and possibly here on Showtime – possibly pay per view, also," Ortiz said.

Coker has repeatedly stated a Strikeforce pay-per-view is a future possibility, perhaps in a year or so. Ortiz already has a plan for the event.

"I see (Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato) 'Babalu' (Sobral) out here running around flapping his lips," Ortiz said. "That might be a pay-per-view fight. After the fight they're going to be saying 'Baba-who?' So that's going to be good."

Ortiz did admit he'd like to have a little time to warm up first.

"I really think I need a tune-up fight before (a fight with 'Babalu')," Ortiz said. "I probably shouldn't be saying 'tune-up fight,' but I had major back surgery, and I have no more pain. For the first time in six years, I can wake up without having pain in my back.

"I'm excited to get back in a cage and compete and give all of my fans the best that I do."

Ortiz admitted he was hoping for a Frank Shamrock victory over Nick Diaz in Saturday's main event, a win that could have set up a rematch of a 1999 bout between the two. With Diaz's second-round TKO win, that possibility no longer seems relevant.

"Tonight was kind of a letdown, watching Frank lose," Ortiz said. "I wanted that rematch, but the way he looked? Thanks, Nick. I appreciate it. It's like watching money go out the window."

In October 2008, Ortiz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he felt EliteXC might earn his services.

"I think it's just a percentage of all the way around what my name is going to be in -- merchandising, pay-per-view, gate, everything," Ortiz said. "I want a piece of it just because I'm putting the butts in the seats (and getting) the pay-per-view buys.

"The brand of me the last 11 years, the competition I've been doing, I feel like I got my ass kicked the last 11 years. I've set some historical marks, and now I've set some goals for fighters in the future. Myself, I defended my world title five consecutive times. I've done a lot in the last 11 years that I think a company needs a name like myself to succeed. And EliteXC may be that company."

The brand went under shortly after.

Ortiz also previously mentioned Affliction as a possible employer in an August 2008 report to SI.com, and mentioned starting his own promotion in a June 2008 appearance on the Howard Stern Show.

None of those deals panned out, so it remains to be seen if this opportunity will move beyond the negotiating process. But the chance to appear on CBS and shut up Sobral both seem to be motivations for Ortiz to join the rapidly growing company.

"I want to compete," Ortiz said. "I want to be on CBS for free, give my fans a free fight, and get on pay per view and get a title around my waist again. 'Baba-who' is holding it on, so I would like to take it from him.

"He's a great fighter, but we have our words. It's going to be awesome to compete again and be 100 percent.

"I'm amped. I can't wait."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brandon Vera vs. Matt Hamill now targeted for UFC 102, not UFC 101

A light-heavyweight bout between Brandon Vera (10-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Matt Hamill (6-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) originally expected to take place at UFC 101 will instead take place later in the month at UFC 102.

Sources close to the bout told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the fight is in the process of being finalized for the Aug. 29 event.

Although not officially announced, UFC 102 will likely take place in Portland, Ore.

Hamill, fighting in his home state, last competed in March at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio. There, facing former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Mark Munoz, Hamill scored a dramatic first-round TKO via head kick.

Hamill has now won three of his past four fights; the lone loss came to former champion Rich Franklin.

Vera, meanwhile, fights for the fourth time since dropping to light heavyweight after back-to-back losses to heavyweights Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum. Vera defeated Reese Andy via a lackluster unanimous decision in his 205-pound debut and then suffered a split decision loss to Keith Jardine.

However, Vera rebounded at UFC 96 and showed a dominant stand-up game from the clinch. He scored an impressive second-round TKO over Michael Patt via leg kicks, and after the event, Vera said it was indicative of his new commitment to the sport.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Atencio: Affliction countering UFC 100 on July 11 "not even a possibility"

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio was among the many notable figures in attendance at Saturday's "Shamrock vs. Diaz" in San Jose, Calif.

And while highly complimentary of the first event in Strikeforce's new era, Atencio said he wasn't there in any official capacity.

"I'm a fan first and foremost," Atencio today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But I have a good relationship with (Strikeforce CEO) Scott Coker. I've always said that. I'll continue to say that any time I talk about him."

Atencio said the strength of his relationship with Coker was evidenced in Strikeforce's approval of Affliction as a sponsor of main-card winner Scott Smith.

"[Coker] could have chosen not to let me sponsor Scott Smith, but he did," Atencio said. "I think that speaks volumes about Scott. I'm a fan first and foremost, and I have a good relationship with them."

Atencio said he believes Affliction and Strikeforce will continue to work together in hopes of advancing the sport as a whole.

"I'm always looking to cross-promote," Atencio said. "We've talked about it. Aside from that, we share fighters. [Strikeforce] has (Affliction and Strikeforce veteran Renato) 'Babalu' (Sobral). We've used a couple of his fighters.

"For me and [Coker], I know it's just for the greater of the sport. It's not about anything more than that."

Atencio said he can envision a situation in which Affliction and Strikeforce can both survive in the marketplace as viable secondary competitors to the UFC, though he knows the sport's biggest organization doesn't want to see that happen.

"I hope [all three organizations can survive], but you never know," Atencio said. "The UFC likes to crush. That's what they do, and that's what they've done. They don't want competition, and that's evident by them putting on the free event on Saturday, replaying [UFC 94 on Spike TV in order to counter-program Strikeforce].

"But it is what it is. ["Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz"] was a successful show. You saw the amount of people in there. If we can all three stay in, then great. If not, then I guess the strong will survive."

Affliction is currently in the development stages of promoting its third event. Rumors of a July 11 date that would counter-program UFC 100 have been widely circulating. Atencio said while nothing is finalized, that plan would be absurd.

"That's all rumors, and that's just what people think," Atencio said. "In my eyes, it's not even a possibility. It doesn't make sense."

Atencio said he hoped to begin finalizing details for the event after a series of upcoming meetings with his business partners.

"We're still talking," Atencio said. "There's a lot of things going on.

"I leave this weekend to Russia, Japan, then Korea for some fights out there. I'll talk to my partners, sit down with my partners at M-1, and we'll all just try to figure out everything."

While Affliction's logo was on Smith's shorts at Saturday's event, Coker and Strikeforce may not have intended for Atencio's name to make the evening's Showtime broadcast.

But after Smith fought back from almost certain defeat, "Hands of Steel" worked in the executive's name for the second time in as many post-fight interviews. While Smith took a swipe at Atencio's masculinity for the second consecutive broadcast – thanking him as a "personal masseuse" – the Affliction VP said he found the humor in his friend's personalized message.

"It's cool," Atencio said. "We have a good relationship. I thought it was a hilarious.

"It was funny, I didn't even catch it. My girlfriend did. She said, 'Oh my God, he said you're his masseuse.' It's good. How he says it with a straight face is beyond me, especially after getting the [expletive] beat out of him."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Clementi To Adrenaline III

Lightweight Rich Clementi's next career move has been a persistent subject of fan speculation.

Clementi was released by the UFC in February and has since been fielding offers from various promotions, including Strikeforce. When lightweight champion Josh Thomson broke his leg ten days before his rematch with Gilbert Melendez, Clementi was offered his spot.

Clementi declined the offer due to illness, but he liked the idea of fighting for the San Jose based show.

As of yet, his only confirmed fight is Adrenaline III, manager Monte Cox's recently relocated show featuring a boxing match between Tim Sylvia and Ray Mercer in the main event.

Clementi's opponent has not been booked, but he and Cox client Jeremy Horn will take up the number one and number two spots of the MMA card at the BJCC Center in Birmingham, Alabama on June 13.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kevin Randleman: ‘There’s a lot of 205-pounders we can all bang’ (Video)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Aaron Simpson: Throwing First and Throwing Last

Do you believe in fate, or destiny? If you do, you would have to believe that Aaron Simpson’s story was written long before he had any say in the matter.

A natural born competitor, Simpson immersed himself in the world of combat from adolescence and has not taken a back step since. In high school the budding athlete put together a jaw dropping record of 142-1 during wrestling competition. Upon graduation the Phoenix, Arizona native continued with his success on the mat for the prestigious Arizona State University wrestling program. While with ASU he was named a two time All-American, won a Pac 10 championship and holds wins over Mark Munoz and Olympian Ben Askren.

Having maintained an unblemished straight A record throughout his days wrestling, Simpson went on to graduate from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and earned himself a masters degree in higher education. Needless to say, the academic and athletic stand out had his options upon graduation. He easily could have gone on to secure himself a number of different jobs in a variety of different fields with his strong education, but that wouldn’t have been Simpson’s fate. Simpson was meant to be a fighter from day one.

Simpson wanted to give back to the team that had given so much to him, and shortly after graduation he landed a job as an assistant wrestling coach for ASU. For nine years Simpson shared all of the fundamentals he had learned during his many successful years on the mat with many of the best athletes ASU’s wrestling program has ever produced. It was during this time that the lifelong wrestler finally discovered his true calling in life.

As fate would have it, UFC veterans CB Dollaway, Ryan Bader and Cain Velasquez had all fallen under the guidance of Simpson during his coaching days with the school. Even back then his up and coming pupils often expressed their desires to possibly transition into mixed martial arts in the future. Simpson didn’t thnk too much of it at the time. Even after Jesse Forbes came up to train with him in preparation for his stint on The Ultimate Fighter in 2006, sure it peaked Simpson’s interest, but nothing was set in stone at the time.

This is where former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz comes into the grand scheme of things. Longtime friends from their wrestling days in college, Ortiz had recently enlisted Simpson’s services during his preparation for his showdown with current king of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Rashad Evans, in July of 2007. After the time Simpson spent with Ortiz in Big Bear and the experience of being able to help corner Ortiz in his bout with Evans, there was nothing left to consider. As soon as he got back to the desert he hooked up with one of the best gyms in the business, Arizona Combat Sports, and the rest is history so to speak.

Jump starting his career with a first round beatdown of Tim Coulson in October of 2007, Simpson went on to fight for the WEC in his fourth professional bout and graduated to the UFC in his most recent bout, a first round mauling of former training partner Tim McKenzie on the first of April. He has been extended out of the opening round only once during his career and has finished every single one of his bouts by knockout.

Training with an incredibly talented group of fighters at AZCS like Carlos Condit, Jamie Varner, Jacob McClintock, Jesse Forbes and former students Dollaway and Bader have helped to propel Simpson into the biggest fighting promotion in the planet in the blink of an eye. One would think that his overwhelming wrestling pedigree would be the backbone of his fighting style but Simpson has surprised many with the dynamite in his fists and willingness to exchange punches with tremendous success. The combination of skill in the the separate aspects of MMA have left Simpson as an obvious up and coming talent to keep a very close eye on in the future.

Every now and then an athlete will come along in mixed martial arts that it’s nearly impossible to not have incredibly high expectations for. Simpson is without a doubt one of those fighters.

Cory Brady with FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Why do you think that so many top level wrestlers have been enjoying so much success in recent years?

Aaron Simpson: I feel that wrestling at the top levels helps an athlete develop skills that you cannot simulate in any other form of mixed martial arts. The day in and day out training, develops timing, speed and quickness, explosiveness and endurance as well as top notch mental toughness. Those who actually train and compete on the highest levels are having a great deal of success in MMA because they’ve already competed for so long and have so much experience with wrestling as combat.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you feel that the transition to mixed martial arts has been a natural one because of the time you spent in the wrestling room?

Aaron Simpson: I definitely feel the quick learning curve for me and MMA is directly related my years spent in the wrestling room. There are so many attributes that I have developed in wrestling that help me in fighting.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Did you ever imagine yourself fighting for the UFC back during your wrestling days at all?

Aaron Simpson: I think every wrestler who has ever seen the UFC, as well as most men on this planet, imagine themselves fighting in the Octagon in the UFC. Now, some are a little more realistic than others, but I believe that it is natural for humans to want to test themselves in physical combat. As far as me personally training in the sport, I have always thought about fighting, but never put myself in the right situation due to coaching and competing in wrestling.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Your hands have looked extremely explosive during your MMA career so far, have you always been fairly heavy handed, or is the power behind your punches something you have had to really focus on?

Aaron Simpson: I feel that my style as a wrestler helps the power in my hands. That being said, I still train my hands everyday. I am a big fan of Jamie Varner and Carlos Condit and it so happens that I get to train with them everyday. Their hands are so impressive, that I would like to mimic certain things they do. It always helps to have great people around you when you’re trying to get better

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You can see that you look really comfortable on your feet, when did you first begin formal training in any kind of striking?

Aaron Simpson: I started formal training in May of 2007 at Arizona Combat Sports, so that puts me at just 2 years. I feel like I’ve come a long way, but still have so much more to get better at.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Would you credit a lot of your success you’ve had in MMA to training at one of the best gyms in the business, Arizona Combat Sports?

Aaron Simpson: Yes, I definitely credit ACS to my success. They’ve put together a great fight team: Ryan Bader, Steve Steinbeiss, Ray Steinbeiss, CB Dollaway, Jamie Varner, Carlos Condit, Jesse Forbes, Jacob McClintock, and Estevan Payan. In my honest opinion, you can’t find a better place to reach your goals.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you think that having a good group of guys around you in the gym is one of the keys to progressing your game, and continuing to improve?

Aaron Simpson: I can get freaky knees and elbows from Carlos, I can get awesome stand up from Jamie, I can get top notch wrestling and toughness from Bader, I can get unorthodox wrestling and ground with CB, I can get top level BJJ with McClintock, I can get K1 level kickboxing with Steve. I have no excuse but to get better.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How do you feel about having the opportunity to swim with the sharks in the UFC’s middleweight division at this early point in your career?

Aaron Simpson: I am honored to be fighting in the UFC and feel that I can compete with most anyone in the middleweight division and with time… I feel like I can beat them all.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Did you suffer from any of the notorious UFC pre-fight jitters in the moments leading up to your bout with McKenzie?

Aaron Simpson: Honestly, I have not had too many pre-fight jitters before the last fight. I may get a little nervous a week out hoping I did everything in my power to prepare for the fight. But, one hour leading up to right before, I’m calm and collected. The reality is I love the spotlight. I love being in the middle and having pressure to excel on me. I’ve finally found something that really gets me going.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you find being a full time father and a full time fighter to be quite a balancing act at times?

Aaron Simpson: The first several months of having twin babies is absolutely ridiculous! My elbows were killing me from holding and feeding, holding and feeding! But, things have slowed down a little now that they’re 10 months old. My wife is amazing and has them on a schedule, so nothing cuts into training. She is understands the rigors of training and competing. She grew up in a family that lives for wrestling, so she learned at a young age about the discipline and sacrifice that comes with being great. I am able to do what I do, because she is so great at being a mom.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you think there is any reason that Arizona State’s wrestling program has produced so many top level fighters over the last couple of years? In the last year or two, Ryan Bader, yourself, Cain Velasquez, CB Dollaway and others have really taken MMA by storm. Is there something in the water down there?

Aaron Simpson: I’m not sure what to say about us all fighting now and all former Devils. We all have different stories and took different paths to get where we are. Cain was the first, Bader and CB followed. I had an opportunity and decided it is now or never. It is really amazing to think that just a couple years ago, I was helping coach these three against Minnesota, Iowa and Iowa State and now we’re all fighting on the biggest stage in the world. It is crazy to see how life unfolds.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your ultimate goals in mixed martial arts? What did you get involved for?

Aaron Simpson: The ultimate goal is to fight for and win the UFC World Title. I would not be in this for anything less.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is it important that you are known as the kind of fighter that finishes his fights?

Aaron Simpson: It is important for me, because I train so hard for these fights. The day after my fight, I ran 3 miles in Nashville. The next day I was back doing my conditioning workout with Bryan Davis, a former Superbowl Champion cornerback for the Washington Redskins, and several of the Elite Freestyle wrestlers who were getting ready for the US Freestyle Nationals. I train that hard so I can push my opponents to their breaking point. I know that someday my fight will go the distance. But, when it is over and I am getting my hand raised, my opponent is going to remember me and know that he will never want to go through that again.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What can people expect from Aaron Simpson in the future with the UFC?

Aaron Simpson: They can expect me to start the fight and end the fight. I will be throwing first and throwing last. My goal going into every fight is to dominate. That is the game plan first and foremost. I will leave everything I have on that canvas.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Aaron Simpson: I would like to thank all of my training partners (mentioned above) as well as the Lally brothers. I would also like to thank Dave Martin and Amanda Barnes with Wasserman Media Group as well as Brad Martin with UltimatePros.com. Last but not least I would like to thank my wife for being a perfect role model of hard work and true honesty as well as my daughter Claire for taking everything that she’s been dealt and turning it into gold…and lastly my baby boy Nico and baby girl Mia for making me smile all day long…oh and thank you for letting me rattle on!

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 94 REPLAY KNOCKS OUT LIVE BOXING EVENT

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night continued to pull positive numbers on Spike TV with its replay of UFC 94 "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2."

Reaching a peak audience of 2.4 million viewers during St. Pierre fourth round TKO victory over Penn, the UFC 94 replay averaged 1.9 million viewers for the three-hour telecast, according to Spike TV.

The network also revealed that the telecast was the No. 1 program among Men 18-34 on all of television during its time period, and was also "the highest-rated telecast among Men 18-49 on cable for the entire day." Both are key demographic groups with advertisers.

The 1.9 million average viewers was enough to score a win for MMA over boxing. The UFC 94 replay topped HBO's live coverage of the Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams boxing bout, which drew an average of 1.5 million viewers.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Stephan Bonnar vs. Mark Coleman official for UFC 100, slated for prelims

The UFC today officially announced a long rumored light-heavyweight bout between Stephan Bonnar (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and Mark Coleman (15-9 MMA, 6-4 UFC) for UFC 100.

The fight, which was first reported as a possibility by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in March, is slated for the night's preliminary card, meaning a currently unannounced bout between Jon Fitch and Paulo Thiago will likely take the night's final main-card slot.

UFC 100 takes place July 11 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and airs on pay per view.

The event features two title fights: UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar vs. interim title-holder Frank Mir, and UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre vs. top contender Thiago Alves. A contest between "The Ultimate Fighter 9" coaches Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson, as well as a middleweight bout between UFC newcomer Yoshihiro Akiyama and rising contender Alan Belcher, round out the televised main card.

The Bonnar vs. Coleman fight was essentially considered a done deal last week when it was reported during Spike TV's news updates that air during episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K."

Now signed and announced, the fight becomes a must-win for both competitors.

Both Bonnar and Coleman are looking to bounce back from losses in their most recent bouts. Bonnar dropped a unanimous decision to the fast-rising Jon Jones at UFC 94 in January. Coleman, meanwhile, suffered a third-round TKO loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 93.

While Bonnar may always have a home in the UFC because of his popularity and ground-breaking fight with Forrest Griffin at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, his stock in the 205-pound division would plummet with another loss, which would be his fourth in six fights.

Coleman, meanwhile, needs a win to keep any hopes of a post-UFC-retirement comeback alive. Coleman returned from a 15-month layoff (and 10-year break from the UFC) in January, when he suffered the lackluster stoppage to Rua.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller vs Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza fight possible for DREAM 9 on May 26

Grappling phenom Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is possibly slated to once again do battle with the charismatic Jason “Mayhem” Miller at “DREAM 9″ from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on May 26, according to a Tatame.com report.

The bout will likely be contested for the DREAM middleweight title because the current champion, Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), has relinquished the belt to prepare for a move up to light heavyweight.

This will be the second encounter between “Jacare” and “Mayhem” — the pair first met during DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix quarterfinals at “DREAM 4″ in June 2008. The bout would go the distance and the conclusion would see Souza garner a unanimous decision victory over Miller.

First things first, however.

“Mayhem” has to get past dangerous striker Kalo Hose (7-2) at the debut show for “Kingdom MMA” on April 18, which could put Miller’s proposed bout in jeopardy if any injuries are sustained or he can’t make a quick enough turn around.

Hopefully it won’t come to that.

“Dream 9″ will feature the promotion’s featherweight grand prix quarterfinals.

The focal point of which will boast the long awaited return of 139-pound superstar Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, who was offered a first-round bye in the tournament in hopes that he will have recovered from a previous injury in time to compete. He’s coming off a long 16-month layoff but now he’s finally ready to compete and will take on wrestling standout Joe Warren.

In non-tournament action will be highly regarded lightweight standout Gesias “JZ” Calvancante who is set to do battle with Japanese mainstay Tatsuya Kawajiri.

That’s it for now. Look for more fights to be added as we get closer to May 26.

Here is the current line-up for “DREAM 9:”

Featherweight grand prix quarterfinals:
Norifumi Yamamoto (17-1) vs. Joe Warren (1-0)
Masakazu Imanari (16-6-1) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (4-2)
Yoshiro Maeda (24-6-2) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (10-6-1)
Abel Cullum (14-2) vs. Hideo Tokoro (21-16-1)

DREAM middleweight title:
Ronaldo Souza (10-2) vs. Jason Miller (21-6)

Non-tournament bouts:
Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2)

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: ‘The Crow’ returns home on April 18

“Loiseau, he’s another one of my favorites. I love that kid. He’s such a nice guy. He went through a streak there in the UFC where he wasn’t really letting it all go and got some losses. Ed Herman’s a tough son of a bitch, man. Ed Herman’s mean, nasty and tough. If Loiseau can get by him, he deserves to be back in the UFC…. This guy trains with GSP, he’s talented as hell. He can kick, he can punch, he’s good on the ground. It’s just like he wasn’t letting it go for some reason. He’s still young, he’s in his prime. So we’ll see. Herman’s a mean bastard, man. If he can get through Herman, he’s back.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sakuraba Could Return at DREAM.10

During a press conference at Laughter7 Dojo on Monday -- held to announce the addition of a Kazuhiro Hamanaka (4-5-1) vs. Karl Amoussou (9-2-1) superfight to the April 29th DEEP/M-1 Challenge card -- founder Kazushi Sakuraba spoke briefly to Sportsnavi about the future of his own MMA carer.

"The IQ Wrestler" told the site that there's a strong chance he'll be back in action on July 20th (the date for DREAM.10 at Saitama Super Arena), though his return may have to wait until September, when the as-yet-unannounced DREAM.11 is tentatively scheduled.

Sakuraba suffered a fractured left ulna in his June 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix bout with Melvin Manhoef, had surgery, then reinjured the arm on New Years Eve against Kiyoshi Tamura (who, perhaps not coincidentally, also just announced plans to return this summer). Sakuraba said he had a second surgery done in February. He also joked about K-1's Masato retiring at 30 while he (Saku) will turn 40 in July.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Second Opinion: Tough Financial Road for Fighters

The following is a guest editorial from Nick Meyer of BetUS Sportsbook.

With the success of The Ultimate Fighter TV show and the larger-than-life personas of the fighters, it seems as if everyone wants to at least train in MMA if not make it to the big show. It is little wonder as the glory and respect garnered by popular UFC fighters puts them right up there with movie starts now that the sport has blown up.

Many young people who have been discouraged about their chances of making it far in major pro sports such as the NBA and the NFL because of the incredible caliber and number of athletes populating these positions, have now turned their attention to training for an MMA career.

While there are success stories of underdogs who have made it far in the UFC, the reality of the business is that the only fighters who can make a comfortable living off of the sport in this day and age are the big-name guys, big-time personalities, and the most exciting fighters.

One look at the UFC 96 pay scale for fighters shows just how hard it is to make a living in the sport for the lesser-known’s. While Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made $325,000 for his fight with Keith Jardine, which wasn’t even a title fight, Jason Day, a pretty solid fighter according to most, only made $5,000.

Day was 17-7 going in with wins over some good fighters like Alan Belcher and Jonathan Goulet and he even has an interesting nickname, “Dooms,” but he doesn’t put fans in the seats so he was relegated to a tiny salary for the night.

The fight was Day’s first in three months, which equates to a $20,000 yearly salary going by fight salaries only. He would have gotten a $5,000 fight bonus but going up against a guy like Kendall Grove is tough.

Fighters are lured by cash incentives given to the guys that win Submission of the Night and Knockout of the Night, among others.

But that raises another problem for the up-and-comers: there’s always tremendous pressure to put on a show in addition to the pressure of actually winning the fight. If guys of Day’s caliber don’t put on a high-octane, back-and-forth undercard fight that entertains the crowd, they will be booed mercilessly. And if they win in a not-so-exciting fashion, which might be their best bet in a lot of cases, they aren’t likely to get a good slot on the next fight card, either. All these things are going through a fighters head before he enters a ring or octagon with an opponent that is trying to knock you out.

What many people don’t consider when they think about the life of MMA fighter is everything outside of the ring. Take into account the costs for training and equipment as well as the immense physical and mental toll it takes to be a fighter at the highest level. There is also the strong possibility or inevitability of being knocked out of action for long stretches due to injuries and it’s easy to see why the life of a UFC fighter coming up through the system is often anything but glamorous.

Still, fighters often jump at the chance to fight in the UFC because the exposure and clout they gain from the organization can help them further their careers down the line.

Many UFC fighters such as Shane Carwin continue to hold down second jobs. Carwin remains a full-time engineer while also juggling a busy family life and the type of training it takes to be a high-level UFC fighter.

It takes that kind of commitment, some luck, and good management skills to become a profitable UFC fighter these days. With the short expected career span for a guys in this dangerous line of work, you can’t fault them for wanting to squeeze every last dollar out of their fighting careers before it’s time to move on to a different lifestyle. That is, if you can make it that far.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Scott Coker Confirms Werdum Signing

Will Alistair Overeem fight on June 6?
We’re trying to work it out. It’s not guaranteed, but we’ll try to put it together.

Who would his opponent be?
That hasn’t been determined yet.

Did you just sign Fabricio Werdum?
Yeah, but that’s not a fight necessarily we feel we’d have to do first.

Frankly, aside from Fabricio Werdum I’m not sure you have any heavyweights who could give Alistair much of a test.
Well, there are some other free agents out there, and guys fighting with other companies who aren’t exclusive. So we’ll explore those options before we make the announcement of who he’s fighting.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shamrock Earns $370K in Strikeforce Loss

Frank Shamrock’s pride took a hit at Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Diaz” on Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., but his bank account emerged in far better shape.

The 36-year-old icon banked an event-high $369,790 after his one-sided second-round stoppage defeat to Nick Diaz, according to figures released on Tuesday by the California State Athletic Commission. Shamrock earned almost 10 times as much as his adversary, who pocketed $39,950, including a $10,000 win bonus.

The volatile Diaz finished Shamrock with a barrage of quick punches along the cage after he dropped the former UFC champion and King of Pancrase with a brutal body shot. Referee “Big” John McCarthy implored Shamrock to defend himself, but the outspoken mixed martial arts pioneer had nothing left to offer, and the bout was halted 3:57 into round two.

Shamrock has dropped consecutive fights for the first time in more than 12 years, leading many to question his place in the sport. The 25-year-old Diaz, meanwhile, has taken aim at Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, the man who started Shamrock’s current downward spiral.

Other notable earners included UFC veteran Scott Smith, who engaged and knocked out Benji Radach in one of the more memorable fights of the last year. He banked $49,940, including a $25,000 win bonus, in wake of his remarkable comeback victory. Radach pocketed $16,940 for his efforts.

Finally, Strikeforce interim lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez took home $49,890 after he smashed through Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Rodrigo Damm with second-round punches. A late replacement for injured lightweight champion Josh Thomson, Damm earned $9,190 in his Strikeforce debut.

The CSAC has not yet released attendance and gate figures for the event.

Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Diaz” Pay Scale

• Frank Shamrock - $369,790
• Scott Smith - $49,940 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
• Gilbert Melendez - $49,890 (no win bonus announced)
• Nick Diaz - $39,950 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
• Brett Rogers - $39,940 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
• Cristiane Santos - $18,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
• Benji Radach - $16,940
• Eric Lawson - $9,950 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
• Rodrigo Damm - $9,190
• Raul Castillo - $6,890 (includes $3,500 win bonus)
• Luke Rockhold - $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
• James Terry - $3,940 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
• Ron Humphrey - $3,205
• Waylon Kennell - $1,950
• Buck Meredith - $1,540
• Brandon Michaels - $1,500
• Zak Bucia - $1,500
• Hitomi Akano - $1,450
• Shingo Kohara - $940 (no win bonus announced)
• Jeremy Tavares - $940

 

[Shogun Locc]

CRUNKILTON OUT; CERRONE VS JAMES KRAUSE JUNE 7 WEC

A change has been made to the upcoming WEC card set for Sacramento, CA as Richard Crunkilton will be unable to make his scheduled fight due to an undisclosed injury. Stepping in to face Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will be newcomer, James Krause, who currently holds an undefeated record making his WEC debut.

The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Tuesday who indicated that bout agreements for the fight have been issued at this point.

James Krause makes his move to the WEC holding a 9-0 record with most of his fights taking place in regional MMA shows. His most recent fight took place in the Titan Fighting Championships, getting a submission win over Steve Schneider.

Getting the opportunity to fight in the WEC, Krause will have no easy task at hand when he faces Cerrone, who comes into the fight after a tough loss to Jamie Varner in January, which was the first of his career.

Training with Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico and Colorado, Cerrone will look to cement himself as the top contender to Varner's title with a win in June.

The main event for the June 7 show will pit featherweight champion, Mike Brown, against Urijah Faber in a rematch for the 145lb title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rob Emerson vs. David Baron at UFC 101 Scratched

On Saturday, MMAWeekly.com reported that a match-up between lightweights David Baron and Rob Emerson was likely for UFC 101 on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia, citing sources close to negotiations.

However, a subsequent message from a representative in Baron's camp stated that the fight was off.

In email sent to MMAInsider, the representative said Baron had recently taken a new job and was undergoing "intensive on-the-job training" until August or September. The French fighter would not be available until October or November at the earliest.

"Because of this, David is likely to be released by the UFC," the representative stated.

Baron, 16-3, last appeared at UFC 89, where he lost to Jim Miller by submission.