MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Ronaldo Jacare opens up

Considered a phenomenon in the realm of Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling, Ronaldo Jacare last fought an MMA fight on September 29th. The black belt finished off the fighter “Zezao”, from the state of Para, with an armbar at 3:28 min of the first round, thus achieving his fifth win in six fights. With yet another fight set for the coming Saturday the two-time absolute champion (2004/05) granted GRACIEMAG.com this exclusive interview, talking about his fights, future and Jiu-Jitsu, here goes:

GRACIEMAG.COM: You are coming off a submission win in the first round, was it an easy fight?

JACARE: To the contrary, the fight was not easy at all. Even though I got the submission it was one of those fights in which anything could’ve happened. My adversary endured a lot, if I had not been well prepared the fight could have gone the other way at any moment. What I sought to do was move around a lot during the four minutes the fight lasted.

GRACIEMAG.COM: What has your MMA preparations been like?

JACARE: I’ve been training an average of six hours per day. My training consists of lots of boxing and Jiu-Jitsu, not to mention the parts dealing with takedowns and kicking attack and defense training, or in other words, I have been doing a lot of specific and technical training. I am making an effort to do everything well, mainly perfect Jiu-Jitsu.

GRACIEMAG.COM: Speaking of Jiu-Jitsu, do you think you will ever compete again? What did you think of the 2007 World Championship?

JACARE: I'm always thinking of competing in Jiu-Jitsu again, that’s where I come from. I still train a lot in the gi to this day, thou now I'm in another phase of my life, the MMA phase. There were no surprises in the Worlds for me. Lucas Leite is a great fighter, I’ve always believed in him since he was a blue belt, I know his potential well, it’s a pity his adversaries weren’t aware. Andre Galvao is a tough and technical guy, he will always be in the back of everyone’s mind. I thought it was a shame Marcelinho was unable to defend his title, because he is the guy to beat and has proven he is the owner of the middleweight category for a long time. As for the absolute, Roger has been narrowly missing for many years. Now, like me and Xande who have been absolute champions, now it’s Roger’s turn. Congratulations to him!

GRACIEMAG.COM: What is the forecast for your next fight? Is it going to the ground?

JACARE: I’ve been training a lot, I'm well prepared. I will fight on October 13 and my opponent is named Wendell, who has knocked out everyone in the seven MMA fights he has fought. I'm going to go with MMA, I am prepared for anything.

GRACIEMAG.COM: After the event in Manaus, where are you headed? How have negotiations been going?

JACARE: There's nothing I can tell you yet, the truth is I'm dying to sign a good contract. What I can tell you is that I’m not waiting past 2008, I want and will fight in a big event, even if I have to invade the ring, I mean ring or octagon [laughs].

 

[Shogun Locc]

Carano, Coutures Featured on Inside MMA

here is the link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1451
Join Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice as they discuss the top news stories and upcoming events in mixed martial arts.

Guests include Gina Carano (Pictures), MMA legend Randy Couture (Pictures), his wife Kim, who will make her amateur MMA debut February 29 on HDNet. Also, join Ron Kruck in the news room for the latest updates, and highlights from all over the country.

 

[heyzel]

Rashad Evans never thought the rematch with Tito would happen

By Gary Herman

Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz fought to a draw at UFC 75 Stacked. After the
fight, Dana White said that Ortiz and Evans would have an immediate rematch.
That didn't occur. Evans fought and defeated Michael Bisping while Ortiz is
set to face Lyoto Machida in a few months.

According to Evans, the rematch with Ortiz was never going to occur.

"I don't think it was very close at all," said Evans, "Ortiz had a contract
thing going, and he got started on the Apprentice."

As a result if Ortiz's outside commitments, Evans ended up fighting Bisping
in November at UFC 78. Sure, the fight was a main event, but it was widely
viewed as the weakest UFC main event in a long time.

Not having the second match-up fight against Ortiz had to a be a serious
letdown. Fighting Ortiz would give him another high profile against an MMA
superstar.

Now, the undefeated Evans is set to face off against another undefeated
fighter in Thiago Silva. A win against Silva should propel Evans back into
the main event picture. How much more does he need to do? Evans has not lost
a fight in the UFC including his run through the heavyweights in the
Ultimate Fighter season 2.

With his advanced wrestling skills, Evans may not have the most exciting
style, but he does have a very impressive winning streak. Hopefully, Evans
gets some increased top-level opportunities in 2008.

 

[heyzel]

EliteXC's Gary Shaw Wants Antonio Silva To Fight Fedor Emelianenko

Will one of the best Heavyweight's in EliteXC get to fight Fedor....

EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw has announced that if Antonio Silva is able to impressively defeat Ricco Rodriguez on tonight's "Street Certified" card that Shaw will ask Fedor Emelianenko's promoter Monte Cox about a possible fight involving Silva and Emelianenko. Silva is currently 9-1 as a pro with 7 TKO's to his credit. Silva was also mentored by current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Credit: MMA Junkie

 

[heyzel]

Tim Sylvia Addresses M-1 Rumors In New Message Posting

Posted by Randy Harrison on 02.12.2008

"The Maine-iac" seems to think that people are trying to stir up trouble for him...

Tim Sylvia, who was credited recently with a post on a message board that intimated that he might possibly be considering a move to the M-1 Global promotion, run by his manager Monte Cox, has repsonded with another message to the contrary. Sylvia posted a message that read,

"well let me just start off by saying people r f***ed up by saying that i want to leave the ufc. I dont its my home and i would love to be there for the rest of my carear. Second I didnt say i wanted or even was thinking about m1 u guys (forum users) asked about it and I told u my manager runs it thats it, so please dont take shit out of context. Some of u people are going to get me in trouble with the ufc."



Credit: mmanews.com

 

[Shogun Locc]

Scott Smith a Solid Investment for EliteXC

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — When it comes to laying out a blueprint for upstart organizations to challenge the UFC, two schools of thought dominate: 1) develop your own talent, or 2) buy someone else’s.

The International Fight League and HDNet Fights, for the most part, have chosen the former option. M-1 Global, World Victory Road and the recently launched DREAM have gone the latter route. EliteXC, though, has gone both routes — and they’ve also had success with a hybrid option: rebuilding talent.

Anyone who’s watched stock junkie Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money” program on CNBC knows his golden rules: invest in broken stocks, not broken companies. For a variety of reasons, a company’s stock price can tumble to worthlessness when the fundamentals tell a whole ‘nother story.

The same goes for MMA talent. A fighter’s win-loss record sometimes clouds our view of otherwise sound investments. Luckily for former UFC middleweight Scott Smith, EliteXC executives looked at Smith’s fundamentals — not his 1-3 record inside the octagon. They saw value with the 28-year-old former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter 4,” so they recently inked Smith to a multi-fight deal.

They figured he was worth the investment.

“Scott said it was a great opportunity for him, but it’s really a great opportunity for us,” EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “He’s one of the world’s most exciting middleweight fighters. He’s going to bring fans with him, but he’s also going to make a lot of new fans with us. They’re going to love him. We’re excited to cut him loose in the cage.“

Smith, a former WEC light heavyweight champ, appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback” in 2006. Travis Lutter, who went on to win the competition, submitted Smith in a preliminary fight and knocked him out of the competition. However, Smith rebounded for a fight-of-the-year performance with Pete Sell at the show’s finale. After wincing and backpeddling from a body shot, Smith looked injured. Sell charged in to finish him off, but Smith unloaded one final punch, which floored Sell for a knockout victory. It was no act; like Sell, Smith lay on the mat unable to stand for minutes after the fight’s conclusion.

“It was maybe the greatest come-from-behind knockout I have ever seen, and I am talking both MMA and boxing,” Shaw said upon Smith’s signing. “How he rallied with that one shot was just unbelievable.“

Unfortunately, Smith would lose his next two fights in the UFC — via decision to Patrick Cote (UFC 67) and via submission to Ed Herman (UFC 72) — and he was dropped from the organization.

Soon after, though, EliteXC arrived with contract in hand. After all, despite those two defeats (and a first-round submission loss to Dave Terrell before appearing on the UFC’s reality series), Smith still owns an impressive 12-5 record. All 12 of the victories were stoppages — 11 of which came in the first round, and 10 of which came via knockout.

There was value there — just as there was when EliteXC signed other UFC outcasts such as Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler and Yves Edwards.

“This is a great situation for me,” Smith said. “EliteXC’s middleweight division is loaded. I’m getting one of the toughest guys they have right in my first fight (with Kyle Noke), and if I beat him, I’m right there; I’m ready to fight their best.“

And while Smith admits that he’s been characterized as a “brawler” — a fighter nicknamed “Hands of Steel” who likes to stand and trade — he said his opponents would be foolish to assume that’s all he brings to the cage.

“My stand-up skills are always there, and I know that’s how people think of me,” Smith said. “But I feel comfortable on the ground. It’s not just a matter of being able to defend myself there. I think I can do some damage there… But I’m fine with (being labeled a stand-up fighter). If fans like it, that’s great. But my opponents are in for a surprise if they think they can beat me simply by taking (the fight) to the mat.“

Smith’s first test comes tonight — in mere hours — at “EliteXC: Street Certified” when he battles Australian Kyle Noke, the former bodyguard for the late Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin. The well-rounded Noke has lost just once in his past seven fights, and like Smith, he’s a legit threat to soon challenge EliteXC middleweight champ Robbie Lawler.

The Smith-Noke fights takes place on tonight’s main card, which airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hidehiko Yoshida and Takanori Gomi trained together at J-ROCK workout studio on Feb 15

Gomi asked him to train together. After they trained 2 hours from noon, they let press in and showed their training a bit. Gomi seemed as though he very much enjoyed and was satisfied with this opportunity. Gomi said, Yoshida was his idol for more than 10 years and he was honored to fight in the same ring with him. After Yoshida asked Gomi not to flatter him, he said Gomi is a lot lighter than himself, however, he felt his power and strength of his body.

It is less than 3 weeks before their fights in Sengoku on Mar 5. Yoshida said, it is wasting his time thinking too much. I do what I can do now to win. He trains with a hero of Ssireum, Lee Tae Hyun, and prepares for the fight with Josh who has good grappling skills.

Gomi focuses on the striking in the training. He said he will start running and check all the ground techniques and prepare for his fight. He also said he is going to exchange punches and won't lose by strikes.

After training, Yoshida said he really enjoyed training with Gomi and would like to do this again to develop their skills. Gomi said this is his first time to train outside of his gym in last year and a half. He could mainly train Judo techniques and would like to train there again. He said he felt Judo specialists must be tough opponents for him.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bob Sapp Interview

The strong first year that saw Sapp thrash K-1 star Ernesto Hoost twice and almost beat Pride Champion Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera made Sapp a legitimate celebrity in Japan. Things got weird quickly. Soon he couldn’t even walk outside without an escort. “When I would walk down the street and everyone would start flipping over taxi cabs and going nuts,” Sapp said. “The police would ask me not to walk outside. It was nuts.” Japan had its share of gaijin stars in the pro wrestling and fighting industries, but none could compare to Sapp.

His life was pretty crazy. It’s amazing that he even had time to fight at all. He became a staple of the network Japanese morning and evening shows and was on the air every day, sometimes on multiple channels.

“I would eat breakfast early, go to sleep, wake up again at 8 AM. From there I’d go and do television shows from about 8 to 2 o’clock. From 2 to 4 I would eat lunch, from 6 to 9 I would have to do some more television shows and then some rest and go eat dinner. Then I’d have to do some commercials and television shows, some of the late night television shows. The next day I’d get up and go anywhere from a pro wrestling match or pro wrestling practice, then kickboxing practice, followed by MMA practice,” Sapp said. “A kickboxing or MMA match would be followed almost immediately by commercials or pro wrestling. Then the next day I’d have a full onslaught of television. It was hard. And that’s one of the reasons my records are going to stand. I don’t think you’ll find anyone who’s going to be able to work and do that much stuff. I did comedy shows and the only thing beating out my fights were my comedy shows. The entertainment I was providing was ridiculous. They had me doing absolutely everything and anything.”


The Race Card

The schedule was killer and Sapp was spending more time becoming a television celebrity than he was becoming a world class fighter. In many ways his fighting career and abilities peaked in 2002 with the wins over Hoost. His celebrity, however, continued to grow. Sapp was willing to do anything to make it big. He acted like a beast, literally. He crammed bananas into his mouth and mimicked a gorilla. It was pro wrestling at its finest, booking to people’s fears and hidden prejudices.

“Kazuyoshi Ishii was brilliant at marketing Bob Sapp. He fit all the Japanese cultural stereotypes - a big, scary foreigner who also was black,” FightOpinion.com founder Zach Arnold said. “There are still very negative or cartoonish stereotypes about black people in Japan, as it’s more a result of naivete than it is malice. So, Sapp fit in perfect because he’s this larger-than-life cartoon character that was willing to say or do anything to get over with audiences.”

Sapp says the skits were all in fun. He was “The Beast” and simply playing a role. Still the criticism obviously bothers him.

“I get asked about the banana thing and everything else. Bottom line is the Beast not only had bananas, I had raw meat and all kinds of crazy stuff going on. It wasn’t anything that had to do with racism,” Sapp said. “What happens, and this is very common, we in America assume that the rest of the world has all our same views. Sometimes I’ve been criticized for my Panasonic commercial, they say ‘You look like a pimp.’ I start laughing and say ‘That’s not the way the Japanese are going to look at it.’ That’s how Americans look at it. They don’t have pimps over here, they have mama-sans. It’s a female, the mama, who is in charge of the prostitutes. Not a male. Not a pimp. So they had no idea. But it’s very common that it happens.”

To Sapp, he and comedian Bobby Olugun are playing a major role in expanding Japanese horizons and helping them confront stereotypes. After all, you need your Mr. Bojangles before you can have your Sidney Poitier.

“If it’s racism, why have there been no African Americans, no Americans, that have come over to Japan and done what I’ve done? They aren’t in the streets hollering negro this, n**gger this, they’re out there saying ‘Bob Sapp, Bob Sapp’ and everyone is going nuts. Would you say it’s racism because I’ve also got the number one selling women’s sex toy in Japan? The Bob Sapp Wild Sapp Dildo. The closest thing that compares to is a horse. I don’t think it has anything to do with a Gorilla. I think what’s occurring is that things are going so well people say ‘Why don’t we knock him down a peg?’ The success I’ve had should show you something,” Sapp said. “They’ve got another African comedy over there Bobby Olugun and he also does some things that we couldn’t do over here but you can’t find a single African upset at him in Tokyo. Because I read the stuff online like Bob Sapp and Bobby Olugun, he’s a sellout, he’s perpetuating stereotypes for blacks. Every African loves him. You know why? They’re happy just to see a black on TV in Japan. They know that with evolution, other things are to come. They’re excited about that, but everyone wants to get upset and push and shove, but one thing that’s great about it: in Japan you can bitch and moan all you want to brother, but I promise you it ain’t going to change a damn thing. It’s a different country and you will never, never understand it.”

The Battle of the Giants

New Year’s eve in Japan is all about music. The NHK network’s New Year’s Eve concert is the biggest television show in the country, not just for that night, but for the whole year. It’s a tradition and a phenomenon, untouched by competition for 40 years.

“Unlike in the U.S., where people go out to celebrate New Year’s, in Japan nearly everyone stays home for what is the most important television night of the year, and the concert is their version of the Super Bowl, the show that everyone watches,” Wrestling Observer Editor Dave Meltzer said. “For years, the networks in Japan threw in the towel rather than compete with something so big.”

Competing networks had finally found their programming kryptonite. After Sapp’s success in 2002, three different networks would air MMA shows in competition to the New Year’s concert. The most successful would be a battle of the giants. For the first time, Sapp would be the smaller man in the ring. His opponent was the recently retired Yokozuna Akebono. In the 300 years of Sumo wrestling’s history as a professional sport, there had only been 64 Yokozuna’s, or grand champions. Akebono was one of them and the first foreigner to earn the distinction. This was a big deal. This was the new, flashy fighting icon against the traditional representative of Japanese culture and combat. The fight drew 54 million people. That’s half the country. Keep that in mind when people go crazy for The Ultimate Fighter hitting two million viewers, calling the sport mainstream in America. This was mainstream and Sapp was atop the crest of MMA’s cultural tidal wave.

K-1 and Conflict

He continued as a cultural icon into 2004, but it was becoming obvious that he would never live up to his potential as a fighter. He didn’t seem to enjoy it, it was the part of his act he took the least joy in. His lack of time for proper training hurt quite a bit as most fights ended when Sapp got so tired he couldn’t compete anymore. After the Kimo debacle that saw Sapp saved by a forgiving referee in his North American debut after being hammered by the hand picked job guy, K-1 had to bring in a lower level of tomato can to ensure a Sapp win. And even that almost failed in the case of Seth Petruzelli. Sapp was fed to Kazayuki Fujita where he was absolutely brutalized by soccer kicks in a one sided match and then knocked out by Ray Sefo a month later in K-1. It seemed like the Bob Sapp fad was finally coming to an end, yet his popularity lingered.

“What’s most amazing about all this is that back in 2002 and everyone told me ‘Bob it’s just a fad.’ We’re going on seven years later,” Sapp said. “I don’t exactly how long they want this fad to last. But let me tell
you brother it’s 2008, you know what I’m saying?”

After a brief resurgence in 2005, including winning the K-1 Japan tournament, Sapp and K-1 parted ways in 2006. He was scheduled to fight Ernesto Hoost in Hosst’s retirement match in Amsterdam. Sapp was in the building but chose not to fight due to a contract dispute. His contract had expired and they were negotiating right up until the day of the fight.

“I said ‘O.K. let’s resign. No problems. We go to Amsterdam, they were supposed to put almost a million bucks in, they didn’t, they said ‘Just trust us that you’ll get it.’ I said, ‘Listen I can’t trust you. That’s too much money to be trusting anyone with. So, I tell you what, I’ll fight for free and then you guys just have to leave me alone.’ They chose not to do that, and then they chose to play several games,” Sapp said.

When Sapp no-showed the event he went in to hiding. The rumor mill said he was hiding from K-1 yakuza who were looking for revenge. Sapp has a different story, insisting he was afraid of the reaction from the rowdy European fans. Either way, his storied K-1 career was at an end. It was time for the Beast to come to America.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Interview: Larkin believes the IFL has a leg up on the competition

Q: You’ve just expressed concerns about how other companies are conducting their business. Have you had a chance to go to the other fight promotions and express your concerns directly?

JL: Yeah. Listen, I think rollup or consolidation is the future of this industry. I think you’ve got a whole bunch of smaller companies out there that are struggling. I certainly think the way to do it is to have an association; a consolidation; if not an outright partnership with a combination of companies. Certainly by combining all of the smaller groups that are out there, you’ve got this huge economy of scale as suddenly coming to the table and we could actually build a very compelling business model …

If you look at assets, we are very well positioned. We are the only ones now that have had live MMA competition on broadcast television. The only ones. That was with MyNetworkTV… We’re finding that the consumer is aware of UFC and to a much lesser degree aware of IFL, and to no degree aware of all of the others; the Elite(XC)s, the M-1s, (and) Strikeforce. They’re doing fine (and) they’re doing their own business and in some cases have a higher profile than others but as far as the consumer goes, they equate MMA with UFC.

I don’t know if that can change and I’ll tell you, I have no intention of going head-to-head with UFC and at best hope to be UFC-lite. That has no appeal to me (and) I think it is a mistake to go up against a company that’s private and can operate under conditions that a public corporation cannot (and) that has demonstrated they have vast resources and has demonstrated they are willing to lose money if need be to establish the brand. That’s a recipe for losing a battle. I am much more interested in being in the war, and that means having our own identity and our own brand … One of the major things along those lines is that when you watch one of our shows, just by not seeing a cage you know you’re not watching the UFC and that you’re watching the IFL.

As far as the fights go, our fights continue to be every bit as competitive as anyone’s, if not more so. You can take any one of our fights and lift it out of an IFL environment and drop it into the lights, the music, and the turmoil of a UFC event and nobody would ever think twice. It would probably even be an improvement over the fighting.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Evan Tanner Interview

Sam Cupitt: Thanks for the interview Evan, how has it been going?

Evan Tanner: It’s been going great. Just been training, and working on some big projects.

Sam Cupitt: As everyone has probably heard, you will be fighting Yushin Okami on the UFC 82 card next month. Your last fight was back in 2006, and in between then and now you’ve gone on a bit of a roller coaster ride, which has been documented on your personal website. You probably don’t want to rehash all of it but was their a single point in time when you decided you just wanted to start fighting again?

Evan Tanner: Yeah, I’ve got the big fight with Okami coming up soon. I’m looking forward to that. I took a little break from the fighting, but I definitely didn’t quit, or retire. I’ve been in the game, fighting consistently for over ten years. I just wanted to take a little break. I went on some adventures, and took some time to take care of some things in my personal life, and now I’m ready to go again.

Sam Cupitt: You weren’t training much during that time, was it difficult getting back into training and fighting shape after your time away?

Evan Tanner: Yeah, that was the longest I’ve been away from training since I started fighting, so it took a little while. I was so out of shape when I first started back, that a few rounds on the bag was about all that I could handle. I just stayed consistent, and now I’m finally back in fight shape.

Sam Cupitt: In preparation for the Okami fight you have trained at Hard Knocks Muay Thai and also up in Salt Lake City with Josh Burkman a fair bit. How has that been for your preparation?

Evan Tanner: The change up has been really good for the training. It’s helped keep things fresh. I’ve been getting some great striking work with my coach Renzo at Hard Knocks Muay Thai in Vegas, and I’ve been getting some great sparring and ground work in with Josh Burkman, Cort, Steve, Ben, and the rest of the guys at Absolute MMA in Salt Lake City. I’ve been spending every other week in SLC, so I’ve gotten all the bases covered. I’m ready to go.

Sam Cupitt: On a side note, did you watch Burkman’s fight with Swick and if so how did you see that fight?

Evan Tanner: Well, I think Swick got the decision, but he definitely didn’t win the fight. Josh was clearly the aggressor and was the one pushing the action. I think it was closer to a draw than anything.

Sam Cupitt: Getting onto the fight itself, what kind of Evan Tanner should the fans expect to see on March 1st?

Evan Tanner: I’m a little older and wiser now. I’ve been working on a lot of new techniques and new approaches. Even though I didn’t get a lot of physical training during the time off, I was doing a great deal of visualization. We’ll see how it all works when I step in the octagon on March 1st.

Sam Cupitt: Your opponent, Okami, is a very technical fighter, what do you think of him as an opponent and what tools do you think he brings into this fight?

Evan Tanner: I think Okami is a really solid fighter. Very athletic and strong, with good basic technique, great positioning, and really good stamina. That makes a very dangerous opponent.

Sam Cupitt: You probably don’t want to give away any of your strategy or what not but how do you think this fight will play out. Do you have any predictions on the outcome?

Evan Tanner: I don’t know. I don’t know how the fight will go and I don’t know who will win, and to me that’s the beauty of it. That’s why I like to compete, why I’m stepping in the Octagon, because I don’t know. It’s just a matter of preparing the best you can, and then just stepping in there to see what happens. It wouldn’t be any fun if I already knew the answers.

Sam Cupitt: Okami is fairly established in the UFC’s middleweight division with many thinking he could be in line for a title shot with a victory. Where do you think a victory for yourself places you in the division?

Evan Tanner: Okami has been in there paying his dues. If he wins he’s probably earned his shot. I’ve been sitting out for a while. I’ve got some work to do to get back in title contention. Winning this fight would definitely be a big step.

Sam Cupitt: Along with your fight on UFC 82 there is also the very interesting middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and your old training partner Dan Henderson. Do you have any predictions or insight on that fight? You have probably felt Henderson’s wrestling clinch first hand, how would you think that would compare to Silva’s thai clinch?

Evan Tanner: Dan Henderson is an animal, but so is Anderson. I think Dan’s style is tailor made for Anderson though. I’m going with Dan on this one.

Sam Cupitt: Moving away from fighting, you’ve recently set up Team Tanner, which is basically you being sponsored by the fans rather than any commercial entity. Can you tell us what the response to that has been like and how the idea came about?

Evan Tanner: As we’ve talked about, I sat out from fighting for a while. In that time I’ve watched the sport explode into mainstream acceptance, and I’ve watched it become very commercialized, too commercialized in my opinion, but that’s just the nature of the game. There are so many companies involved now that really had nothing to do with helping build the sport and bringing it to the forefront. I didn’t like the idea of getting back into the game, selling out the highest bidder for sponsorship, for placement of logos on my t-shirts and shorts, for products I don’t even use, from companies that had no part in the building of the sport. It’s the fans that really make this sport possible and I wanted to do something that would pay tribute to them. I decided to turn my back on the corporate money and start Team Tanner which would involve the fans directly. Through Team Tanner, fans can sponsor a fighter directly. When I step out into the ring, I won’t be stepping out covered in logos, with my cornermen carrying banners with more logos, dropping names in interviews. I’ll be walking out with no logos, just the Team Tanner shirt, giving recognition to the team and everyone who’s a part of it.

Sam Cupitt: Finally Evan, do you have a message to your fans or anything you want to say in closing?

Evan Tanner: I just want to thank everyone for the support, and I want to give a special thanks to everyone that’s joined the Team. You guys are what it’s all about. It’s goig to be a great 2008.

Sam Cupitt: Thanks again for the interview. Best of luck with the fight and rest of your career and I hope to catch up with you again at a later time.

Evan Tanner: My pleasure. Thanks a lot, Sam.

 

[heyzel]

LIDDELL SIGNS TO FIGHT SHOGUN AT U.K. UFC

Chuck Liddell is set to return to action on June 7 as the former light heavyweight champion has officially signed to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at an as of yet unofficially announced event in London, England. Liddell confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday evening.

Earlier this month, MMAWeekly.com reported that Rua had signed a contract to fight “The Iceman” in May or June, and now Liddell has confirmed he has accepted the fight and signed the contract, although he stated the fight would take place June 7 as opposed to the previously reported June 14 date.

Liddell is coming off of a win over Rua’s former teammate, Wanderlei Silva, in December. With a win over “Shogun,” he may find himself back to No. 1 contender’s status in the 205-pound division.

After the purchase of Pride by Zuffa, the owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, there was much anticipation for Rua to make his debut in the Octagon, but his welcome was short-lived, as Forrest Griffin submitted him in first fight in the Octagon.

The bout between Liddell and Rua is expected to be the main event on the card. Although no official announcement has been made by the UFC about the event, welterweight Marcus Davis previously stated to MMAWeekly.com that he believed he would also be on the same show in England.

 

[heyzel]

UFC PAY-PER-VIEW BREAKDOWN - 2007-2006

UFC 67 - Silva v. Lutter - 400,000

UFC 57 - Liddell v. Couture III - 400,000
UFC 68 - Slyvia v. Couture - 540,000

UFC 58 - Franklin v. Loiseau - 300,000
UFC 69 - St. Pierre v. Serra - 400,000
UFC 59 - Ortiz v. Griffin - 425,000
UFC 71 - Liddell v. Jackson II - 675,000

UFC 60 - Hughes v. Gracie - 620,000
UFC 72 - Franklin v. Okami - 200,000
No June pay-per-view event in 2006

UFC 73 - Ortiz v. Evans - 425,000

UFC 61 - Ortiz v. Shamrock II - 775,000
UFC 74 - Couture v. Gonzaga - 520,000

UFC 62 - Liddell v. Sobral II - 500,000
UFC 76 - Liddell v. Jardine - 475,000

UFC 63 - Hughes v. Penn - 400,000
UFC 77 - Franklin v. Silva II - 325,000
UFC 64 - Franklin v. Silva - 300,000
UFC 78 - Evans v. Bisbing - 325,000^
UFC 65 - Hughes v. St. Pierre - 500,000
UFC 79 - Liddell v. Silva - 600,000*

UFC 66 - Liddell v. Ortiz - 1,050,000

^ = reportedly did 325,000 buys at a minimum
* = MMAPayout.com's projected minimum

 

[Shogun Locc]

EDITORIAL: In-Depth Look At The Weight-Cutting Issue In MMA

With obesity on the rise, people are always looking for the quickest diet to trim down, and tone up. But what about those who are already in great shape? Athletes that need to maintain a specific weight to participate in the sport they are competing in?

Athletes like boxers, wrestlers, judo players, rowers, weight lifters and mixed martial arts fighters are all athletes who have to go through the process of “cutting weight.”

Cutting weight is when an athlete rapidly loses weight to make a specific weight class for competition. It’s the subject of intense controversy, yet is the reality for these athletes.

Nick Cipriano has coached the McMaster wrestling team for the past 25 years and says these athletes can’t take the risk that everyone won’t play by the rules.

“No one person can take the risk that we all agree to weigh in at natural weight. We are all fearful that somebody is going to cheat, somebody is going to cut weight to get an advantage” says Cipriano.

He says that if your natural weight is 150 pounds and you’re competing against someone who’s natural weight is 165 pounds, but they certify their weight at 150 pounds for the ten seconds they step on the scale, when you compete against them a day or two days later they will be bigger and stronger.

Some athletes are reported to lose up to one to two pound every half hour, after already losing 21 or so pounds in a 10 ��" 13 week period. Athletes will use rubber suits called sauna suits, some will stop eating or dehydrate themselves, others will go to the extreme and use a diuretic like x-lax.

Rory McDonell is a pro mixed martial arts fighter with a wrestling background and is very familiar with the process. He admits he did cut weight in high school but says he went about cutting weight in the wrong way.

“It’s been a learning experience, and I started out doing trial and error stuff. I remember the very first time I cut weight I was trying to drop three or four pounds and it was horrible because I ate in the morning, and I was trying to cut weight using a garbage bag to sweat and I really didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t recover properly” he says

But in his transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) McDonell did speak to a nutritionist, to help with cutting the weight and his recovery plan. The recovery plan is very important with MMA fighters it allows them to put all the minerals and nutrients back into their body before fight time.

Teenagers at high school level wrestling should be cautioned to avoid losing weight too rapidly or too excessively the way adult athletes may do.

Their bodies require additional nutrients to grow. And weight-cutting can interfere with their physical development.

Adam Morden is a personal trainer at Steel City Cross Fit in Dundas. He says he isn’t concerned with the high level, pro and elite athletes cutting weight for competition he says its high school wrestlers he’s concerned about.

“I don’t see any reason why at high school anyone should be cutting weight, it really doesn’t make any sense to me that the level of competition isn’t high enough. Non-competitive college type wrestling, really not to much point cutting a lot of weight, because of heath risks” says Morden.

In the U.S. at higher levels of competition there are strict rules and regulations about cutting weight due to three collegiate wrestlers dieing in 1997 due to rapid weight loss.

Coach Cipriano says in Canada, there are no set rules or regulations, simply guidelines athletes cutting weight should follow.

“The use of sauna’s or any kind of aparatus that you wish to facilitate weight loss is illegal. At the university level its decouraged, but there isn’t any set policy on it. And certainly at the olympic level there is no specific policy on weight loss. It becomes a very individual thing” he says.

Sheldon Francis is an accomplished wrestler from McMaster University and has experienced Olympic level wrestling training. He says that if a wrestler is in great shape the weight will just come off.

“When I was in really good shape leading up to the Olympic trials and I had to make my weight, it just flew off. It was so easy because your boy is burning things so efficiently and so high that you lose so much weight just doing regular things when you’re in really good shape” says Francis.

He says when you’re not in good shape and you try and lose that kind of weight it’s a shock to the system, it’s a shock to your body and that’s where some athletes run into complications and problems.

Although this seems unheard of and redicilous, Francis says that its called “cutting weight,” he says an athlete just loses the weight for that brief half hour or five minutes they step on the scale. As soon as these athletes rehydrate themselves they will right back up to their natural weight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tito Ortiz not fighting Machida? An interview with Renato 'Babalu' Sobral

In an interview with Dave Carpinello of PunchDrunkGamer.com, former UFC fighter Renato 'Babalu' Sobral raised some eye brows when he said, "I heard that Tito is not going to fight him anymore, so they are going to have to find another opponent for Machida. I got the news a couple of days ago that he was fighting someone else."
Tito Ortiz was slated to fight Lyoto Machida for the final fight of his contract. The fighter turned celebrity has recently said he would like to move to another organization and try out other things, primarily acting, over fighting.

Sobral went on to talk about Mirko Cro Cop, his training with Josh Barnett, and his upcoming fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Long Calm Before the Storm

Pat Healy is ready to explode. It’s been almost eight months since he last stepped in the ring, an eternity for a guy who’s thought about nothing but fighting for the last seven years. He hasn’t gone this long between bouts since he first got his start in the sport, and he can barely contain his desire to get back into action.

“I’ve been dying man. I feel like I’m going to burst,” said the twenty-four-year-old Healy. “Pretty much from when I get up to when I go to bed I’m watching fights or training or thinking about it and reading about it. I just surround myself with nothing but the sport. I love it. I have since I was about fourteen years old. I never get sick of it.”

Healy discovered MMA at the same time as his twin brother, Ryan. Growing up in Medford, Oregon, the two used to do their own primitive training, which mostly consisted of beating one another up until their mother made them stop.

Now both Healy brothers are professional MMA fighters – Pat with Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den, and Ryan with Oregon’s Team Quest. This creates an interesting scenario, as Pat’s next opponent is one of his brother’s teammates, Jake Ellenberger.

“I talk to my brother about training almost every day,” said Healy. “We like to motivate each other and share thoughts and opinions. I’ve been up to Team Quest to train with them before, and I know that they’ve got a bunch of bad-asses in their gym and they all work hard. He doesn’t give me any real inside information on what they’re preparing for specifically, but I know more or less what to expect from one of their guys.”

What he expects out of Ellenberger when the two meet in Las Vegas on Feb. 29, he says, is an opponent ready to go all out and push the pace from beginning to end.

“I’ve watched him fight a couple of times. He’s a tough guy, very well-rounded. He’s always in shape, too. That’s the thing I’ve really noticed about him. He’s a grinder. He goes hard all three rounds.

“My biggest strength is probably my wrestling. Jake has good wrestling too, but I think I probably have the edge there. Jake’s very well-rounded, though, so I have to be ready to fight anywhere it goes.”

Fortunately for Healy, conditioning has been a major part of his preparation for this fight. He’s begun working with a new strength and conditioning coach, and while he says the workouts have taken a toll on his mind and body, they’ve also helped transform him as a fighter.

Though there are days when he doesn’t know if he has it in him to make it through another practice, he says, his teammates help pull him through.

“We have a good group of guys. Everyone shows up and works hard. We push each other and encourage each other to work. It’s a great atmosphere. Camaraderie goes a long way in a gym.

“You’ve got to look forward to going to practice every day. If you dread going to practice, you aren’t going to get much out of it. Keeping it exciting and positive, keeping everyone on the same page is key. If you see someone slacking, you don’t break them down; you encourage them to work harder.”

What’s been toughest on Healy, however, is the waiting. After winning his last bout in June, an injury kept him out of the World Grand Prix. That meant an even longer wait before he’d get to fight again, and it meant he had to be careful not to become too excited too soon and risk another injury.

As if he didn’t already have enough on his mind, Healy had even more to think about when his Reno apartment was robbed recently while he was in Sacramento helping with an MMA seminar at an L.A. Boxing location. Thieves stole his computer and digital camera, as well as his checkbook and any other high-ticket item they could find.

Fortunately, the Reno and Sparks police departments caught the thieves and managed to recover much of his property, which Healy is eternally grateful for. Through that experience and the strain of his own physical preparations, he had to keep pushing himself into the gym everyday. It wasn’t difficult, he said, because he had the right motivation.

“I just tell myself, Jake’s not skipping practice today, so you can’t either.”

In just two weeks the wait is over for Healy. Fight night can’t come soon enough.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive Interview: Matt Horwich

Though he’s currently riding a wave of success in the IFL, Matt Horwich’s story hasn’t always been filled with good news. Before he made it as a mixed martial artist, Horwich battled a drug and alcohol addiction that spiraled out of control. After a period of time spent squatting in abandoned houses and searching for ways to support his habit, Horwich recognized he had hit bottom and started fighting his way back.

He turned to spirituality and adopted a Zen-like quality that is equal-parts hippie, monk, and surfer dude. He credits his faith in God and the fighters at Team Quest for pulling him out of the quagmire his life was in and setting him on his current track. That track includes his first defense of his recently acquired IFL middleweight title, which will go down February 29th in Las Vegas – the day before his wedding. We recently chatted with Matt Horwich, where he discussed his favorite training partners, his array of nicknames, his love of the IFL, and his rockstar aspirations.

CagePotato: What are your thoughts on your title defense against Ryan McGivern?
Matt Horwich: I know a lot about Ryan, more than Tim Kennedy, because I fought him before and I’ve seen him fight quite a bit. He’s way awesome – it’s an honor to fight him again. Sometimes I think he forgets how good he is, like in the (Joe) Doerksen fight. I hope this will be one of the nights he forgets how good he is.

Have you been working on anything new to prepare for this fight?
I’ve been working on a lot of counter punches and takedown defense. Getting back up. I don’t want him to win a decision from taking me down again and not getting submitted. I’m not letting him pass guard this time.

You’ve skipped around to different camps and trained in different places. What’s been your favorite place to train?
My favorite place is my team, Team Quest. It’s a blessing that they have such a great group of guys to work with so I can be well prepared. As far as venturing out and training in other places, my favorite place has been Legends in Hollywood. I’m good friends with Eddie Bravo and he showed me a lot of good rubber guard stuff. And Chris Riley, the stand-up coach there, is my favorite kickboxing coach. I’d like to do some training with Bas Rutten again – he’s pretty close to there.

Your official nickname is “Sauve”, but you’ve also been called “The Fighting Hippy.” Two names with two very different vibes – which do you prefer?
I like them both alright. It’s cool to have more than one name. I like “Sauve” because it’s like relaxed and flowing and I like “Fighting Hippy” because it’s original. It’s good to be close to earth - it’s a beautiful universe and awesome things are always happening, all the awesome potential to do great things and make our dreams come true, and affect others positively.

Do you fight full time now, or do you work on the side?
I mostly fight full time. I teach one jiu-jitsu class a day at Team Quest, five days a week.

It’s widely publicized that you had a struggle with drugs and alcohol in the past. At what moment did you realize you were at rock bottom and had to get your life back on track?
I got into some bad drugs when I was really young. That was the worst year of my life. I traveled around quite a bit and just drank beer and had greens. That was pretty much the only thing I knew then. I played guitar - I went though quite a few guitars because I’d forget them somewhere or break them. Then I got into training at Northwest Fighting Arts and heard about Randy Couture and the UFC making a comeback. Eventually I found Team Quest and got signed up there. Now the best high is being successful and liking what I’m doing, getting to train and diet and the high of getting an awesome victory – like my last fight, winning the belt.

You’ve been very outspoken about your faith. Do you credit it as much as your fighting for pulling you through your rough times?
Yeah. They both compliment each other a lot. The Bible says the body is the Lord’s temple. In training, we diet as good as possible and train hard and stay as healthy as we can to get every advantage on the competition. So, they go hand-in-hand.

Sounds like the guys at Team Quest helped in getting you back on track.
It’s a good group of guys there that want to see each other do well in the ring, so you can always get good advice there – from Matt Lindland to Ryan Schultz to Chael Sonnen.

You ever catch any flack from people saying that someone so spiritual should not be a fighter?
Yes, but it says in Exodus 15:3 that “God is a warrior”. And also it says in Genesis that we’re “made in His likeliness to be what He is” and the angels are warriors, as well. A lot of people think spirituality is about settling down. It’s the opposite, it’s about limitlessness and doing awesome things. Also there’s the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:7, where the manager is fired from his position and he has the debtors pay half of what he owes his master so he won’t have to work or beg. The person that fires him applauds his shrewdness. The Bible says in the same way we’re supposed to be shrewd with our worldly wealth and influence people positively.

Do your past experiences make you see things differently or even interact with others in a different way?
Everything you experience gives you a different perspective on things. It’s all interconnected: quantum mechanics and flowing on music or poetry and flowing on technique in the rain. Like Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, it’s all connected.

Are you content in the IFL or you eyeing another organization?
I’m content in the IFL, they’re paying me really well. I’m signed another year. All the staff have been way awesome with me. When the year’s up, I’ve got to look with my management and Team Quest and see what’s going to be the smartest contract to sign and which one’s offering me the most money and the least restrictions.

Who do you think is the best middleweight in the world right now?
Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. No doubt Dan Henderson can beat Anderson Silva. It’s a tough fight, Anderson Silva’s obviously phenomenal and has dominated that weight class, but Dan Henderson also knocked out Wanderlei Silva.

Who is your favorite fighter, past or present?
Matt Lindland, because he’s way awesome and it was great to see him out-technique Quinton Jackson, someone that much bigger and stronger. We all thought he won that fight – nothing against Quinton, he’s way awesome. I also like BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, and Randy Couture.

We’ve read where you want to record a rock album one day. Anything in the works?
Yeah, I’m working on some poetry and some flows on guitar. Hopefully soon, I’ll have an album’s worth. Eddie Bravo is producing bands, so maybe I’ll run it by him.

What are your favorite bands?
I’m a really big fan of Manowar and Dragonforce and the classically influenced heavy metal. The old school stuff: Iron Maiden, Megadeath, thrash metal. I like Pink Floyd and classic rock quite a bit. I like all rock ‘n roll, some country, classical, some jazz. I’m also a really big fan of poetry and creative writing.

You said once that when you’re done with fighting you want to get a hippy van and travel around, enjoying yourself. Will you have curtains and carpet on the inside and big flowers painted on the outside?
I don’t know, I’ll have to run it by my fiancee. We’re actually getting married the day after the fight in Las Vegas.

Congratulations! How long do you plan on continuing to step into the cage?
That all depends on how soon I can make enough money to retire and donate to the orphans. Get some property, so I can make money in real estate, open a school and an organic food restaurant. I’m not anywhere near thinking about retiring yet. I’ve been blessed not to have any serious injuries. Right now I’m doing really well.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given, as a fighter and as a person?
There’s a whole lot of good advice. “Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains”. “The Lord is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble,” is another one. I Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on the Lord, because He cares for you” is some other really good advice when you’re getting emotional about a fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Assassin’ Returns on April 2nd

With two spectacular wins over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara, Houston Alexander was the breakout star of 2007. Now, after suffering the first loss of his UFC career last November to Thiago Silva, ‘The Assassin’ is on the comeback trail and he will look to get back in the win column on April 2nd when he takes on James Irvin on Spike TV’s latest UFC Fight Night card.

Alexander-Irvin joins perhaps the greatest card in UFC Fight Night history, a show which is headlined by the all-New England lightweight war between Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon, and a classic welterweight matchup between Karo Parisyan and Thiago Alves.

Also made official
for the show, which will be held at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado is a lightweight clash between rising stars Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, and a welterweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter 6’s George Sotiropoulos and Roman Mitichyan.

 

[Shogun Locc]

VERSUS TO AIR ENCORE PRESENTATION OF WEC™: CONDIT VS. PRATER

LAS VEGAS (February 16, 2008) – After a Championship Tripleheader that saw a local hero defending his crown for the first time in his hometown of Albuquerque, and two other titles changing hands, the World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC&#8482 card on February 13 was one of the most talked about mixed martial arts cards in recent months. In response to unprecedented demand, World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC&#8482 is proud to announce that this stellar event will re-air on VERSUS Saturday, February 16, at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.

In addition to three title bouts featuring the elite of mixed martial arts, including Carlos Condit, Jamie Varner, Miguel Torres, Carlo Prater, Rob McCullough, and Chase Beebe, WEC: Condit vs. Prater also includes the three-round slugfest between Manny Tapia and Antonio Banuelos and the return of featherweight standout Leonard ‘Bad Boy’ Garcia in a bout against Japan’s Hiroyuki Takaya.

WEC: Condit vs. Prater will be televised on VERSUS in HD and transmitted in SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

 

[heyzel]

Melvin Guillard to Headline Rage in the Cage 105

Melvin Guillard (20-7-2 MMA, 3-3 UFC), a cast member from “The Ultimate Fighter 2” who recently suffered back-to-back losses in high-profile UFC fights, is temporarily leaving the UFC to headline next month’s Rage in the Cage event against Eric Regan (9-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

The event, RITC 105, takes place March 7 at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.

Guillard’s departure from the UFC should come as little surprise. During an already-legendary interview with the Baltimore Sun last month, the 24-year-old fighter stated he planned to compete in smaller organizations — but only against opponents that he feels he has a high probability of beating. He said his primarily concern is to “protect what I have in the UFC.“

Unfortunately, what he actually has in the UFC isn’t worth much. Despite being one of the sport’s biggest, quickest and most-powerful lightweights, Guillard has struggled against anything but the UFC’s lower-level talent. After defeating a then-inexperienced Marcus Davis at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale, Guillard has since gone 2-3 in the organization. His victories were over little-known Rick Davis and Gabe Ruediger, and he’s lost to Josh Neer, Joe Stevenson and Rich Clementi.

The two most recent losses, though, brought the most shame. After accusing Stevenson of using HGH (and then having to apologize and admit he had no proof), Guillard was submitted by “The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner in just 27 seconds in their UFC Fight Night 9 main-event bout. Even worse, he tested positive for cocaine after the fight and served an eight-month suspension. Then came the loss to bitter rival Clementi. And despite a first-round submission loss, he vowed Guillard would fight Clementi again anytime he saw him — whether it’s in the cage or not. Guillard had already instigated one such fight with Clementi last year.

Guillard will now take on Regan, a submission specialist and longtime RITC fighter. In fact, of his 16 professional fights, 14 have come in RITC. Regan has won four of his past six fights — and seven of his past 10.

RITC is one of the country’s longest-running and most successful regional promotions. The Arizona-based fight organization launched in 1999 and has put on well over 100 events to date. For more information, check out www.rageinthecage.com.

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[heyzel]

- BOETSCH TALKS HAMILL AND NEW DEAL WITH UFC

Stepping up on short notice is sure to be the calling card for Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight Tim Boetsch, who will again stand in for an injured fighter as he takes on Matt Hamill at UFC Fight Night on April 2 in Broomfield, Colo.

Though he is replacing Stephan Bonnar, the Pennsylvania-based fighter is looking forward to having more time to get ready for his return to the Octagon.

“I’m trying to figure out what to do with all the time,” said Boetsch with a laugh about having more time to prepare for this fight than his last time out.

It seems UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has the fighter’s number on speed dial, as this is the second time he will step up for the promotion and Boetsch is fine with that arrangement.

“I’ll be ready to fight whenever and wherever they need me,” he stated. “Somebody gets hurt or drops out, I think my name’s close to the top of the list of people they want to call.”

His reward for such a standout performance over David Heath in his debut, now coupled with his next fight, have yielded the fighter a new deal with the UFC.

“It’s looking like after the performance I put on, it’s looking like a three-fight deal at this point. So you’re going to be seeing more of me with the UFC.”

While he looked devastating on his feet in the fight against Heath, it’s a wrestling background that Boetsch employs. He’s very happy to take the challenge of facing Matt Hamill, another strong wrestler, in April.

“I think it’s going to be a great fight,” Boetsch commented. “It has the makings of being real exciting. He’s a decent wrestler, and he’s not afraid to stand in there and bang, like his fight with (Michael) Bisping. He put on a real good show. He was getting after it most of the time, and I think that will be a real good match-up for me.”