MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Weigh-in results official for M-1 Challenge Tokyo edition on April 29

Tokyo, Japan — A literal parade of 38 fighters made their way through official weigh-ins on Tuesday at the Pearl Kasai Hotel in Tokyo in preparations for Wednesday’s “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction” event scheduled to emanate from Differ Ariake.

A total of 19 fights are planned with a scheduled local start time in Tokyo of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday’s lineup includes two preliminary fights, a Superfight between rising French phenom Karl Amoussou and IFL veteran Kazuhiro Hamanaka, M-1 Challenge team matchups featuring France vs. Spain, USA West vs. South Korea, Japan vs. England, and a special grappling exhibition between WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

While much of the local media in Japan is fixated on Fedor’s return to the “Land of the Rising Sun,” there is a tremendous amount of intrigue regarding Team USA West’s best-of-five series vs. South Korea. Both teams are one-and-two in the standings in Group B, with South Korea holding a slim one fight lead over the USA West team. Team USA West will not only have a chance to close the gap but also take a resounding leading in the division.

Despite defeating Team Brazil Naja by a score of 3-2 during the 2009 M-1 Challenge opener in Tacoma, Wash. in February, Team USA West has changed three of its five members. Joining returnees David Jansen (lightweight) and Raphael Davis (light heavyweight) are welterweight Fabio Negao, middleweight Giva Santana, and heavyweight Shane Del Rosario.

According to head coach Colin Oyama, the changes to the roster were not performance-related, as Negao, Santana, and Del Rosario had all initially been planned to compete in the opener but were unavailable for various reasons.

“The changes had nothing to do with the guys that we had,” Oyama began to respond when asked about his team’s roster makeover. “This was the original team we had planned on. Shane Del Rosario had an injury and we had to bring in a replacement. Negao had also competed at middleweight and needed additional time to get down to 170. Giva also had other obligations. So the five you will see in this event are the original five guys we intended to start with.”

Del Rosario is a former WBO Muay Thai champion who is 5-0 in MMA. A veteran of EliteXC’s ShoXC series, he will look to improve to 6-0 when he faces South Korea’s Doo Hee Lee. For Rosario, he considers it an honor to represent his home country on foreign land.

“I’m flattered to be able to represent my country,” said Del Rosario. “Last year we were winless and coming into this year a lot of teams thought they were going to walk all over us. We proved them wrong after winning our first fight and I see us being in St. Petersburg (Russia) in the championship final.”

Del Rosario is not the only member of Team USA West who will have a perfect record on the line vs. South Korea. Team Quest’s Jansen improved to 9-0 with his stunning win over Rio Heroes veteran Flavio Alvaro during the ‘09 opener. Set to face Yui Chul Nam, Jansen was candid in admitting that he is feeling some pressure in trying to retain his perfect record.

“There is some pressure. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t,” he remarked.

But pressure doesn’t appear to be too big of an issue for Jansen, as he is already making plans for his next fight. Wednesday will mark his first time competing in Japan, but he would like to return again and challenge DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno.

“I don’t speak a whole lot of Japanese but I do know how to say one phrase: Kikuno itai meni kaketekoi, which basically means ‘Kikuno, if you want to feel pain, bring it on!’”

First, Jansen must get past Nam in order to have a chance at garnering a shot at Kikuno. The Matt Lindland-trained Jansen doesn’t seem too concerned about the challenge that lies ahead.

“I’m looking forward to this fight. He’s a big striker but he telegraphs his strikes and comes out very aggressive. I think that’s going to play into my takedown game. He’s going to throw looping punches but look for me to throw straight punches. I’m going to take him down and clobber him. It’s clobbering time!”

Even more confident than Jansen is all of Team England, which will be making its M-1 Challenge debut against host country Japan. In fact, lightweight Ian Butlin promised during the pre-fight press conference held at the 21 East Hotel earlier in the day that the Brits will defeat the Japanese 5-0.

Bold remarks are nothing new for Butlin, who has proclaimed himself the best lightweight fighter in all of England.

“I don’t call myself the best lightweight fighter in England - I am the best lightweight in England,” Butlin stated without hesitation. “All the guys that say they’re the best, stand up and fight me! Just don’t talk about it! Get in there and do it! I’m sick of fighters pulling out that are supposed to fight me. I’m the best lightweight in the U.K. - that’s right! Because I’m not just looking to submit you, I’m looking to knock you the [expletive] out!”

Butlin will have to back his proclamation of being England’s top lightweight on Japanese soil when he takes on Luiz Andrada, a long-time veteran of DEEP with notable wins over Shinobu Miura, Yusuke Suzuki, and Kosuto Umeda, along with a draw against current DEEP lightweight champ Kikuno.

Against Andrada, Butlin is hoping to wow the crowd with a brawl for the ages.

“A lot of people say they want to fight a striker like me and then they try to take it to the ground,” he said. “These grapplers think they can [expletive] tap me but they’re the ones that [expletive] tap like a little girl when I punch them in the [expletive] head!”

Opening the event will be a Group A battle between Team France, led by blue chip light heavyweight prospect Christian Mpumbu, and Team Spain, which boasts heavyweight Rogent Lloret as its top gun.

The live stream of the event will be available for non-U.S. residents at www.Mixfight.ru with full coverage for U.S. fans at www.M-1Global.com. The Fedor vs. Aoki exhibition will not be available during the live stream of the event and will instead premiere on a video-on-demand basis on Monday, May 4 at both www.Mixfight.ru and www.M-1Global.com.

Complete weigh-in results and lineups for tomorrow’s event are listed below:

Preliminary:
1. Featherweight (65 kg/143 lbs.): Takayuki Hosakawa (65 kg) vs. Tomoaki Ueyama (64.6 kg)
2. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Kosuke Umeda (69.9 kg) vs. Muneyuki Sato (69.9 kg)

Team France vs. Team Spain:
3. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Makhtar Gueye (France/70 kg) vs. Jose Luiz Zapter Aguirre (Spain/69.2 kg)
4. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Gael Grimaud (France/75.9 kg) vs. Abner Lloveras (Spain/75.9 kg)
5. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Christophe Dafreville (France/84 kg) vs. Rayco Romero Silva (Spain/83 kg)
6. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Christian Mpumbu (France/92.6 kg) vs. Enoc Solbes (Spain/90.8 kg)
7. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Soufian Elgarne (France/115 kg) vs. Rogent Lloret (Spain/104 kg)

Superfight:
8. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Karl Amoussou (France/83.9 kg) vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka (Japan/83.9 kg)

Special Super Exhibition:
9. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia) vs. Shinya Aoki (Japan)

USA West vs. South Korea (best-of-five series):
10. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): David Jansen (USA West/69.9 kg) vs. Yui Chul Nam (S. Korea/70 kg)
11. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Fabio Negao (USA West/76 kg) vs. Myung Ho Bae (S. Korea/75.8 kg)
12. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Giva Santana (USA West/83.7 kg) vs. Min Suk Heo (S. Korea/83.8 kg)
13. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Raphael Davis (USA West/92.9 kg) vs. Jae Young Kim (S. Korea/92.7 kg)
14. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Shane Del Rosario (USA West/109 kg) vs. Doo Hee Lee (S. Korea/103 kg)

Japan vs. England (best-of-five series):
15. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Luiz Andrada (Japan/71.2 kg) vs. Ian Butlin (England/69.9 kg)
16. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Hidehiko Hasgawa (Japan/76.6 kg) vs. Simon Phillips (England/75.9 kg)
17. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Yusuke Masuda (Japan/83.8 kg) vs. Matt Thorpe (England/82.9 kg)
18. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Tatsuya Mizuno (Japan/91.2 kg) vs. Tom Blackledge (England/93.3 kg)
19. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Yusuke Kawaguchi (Japan/105 kg) vs. Rob Broughton (England/120 kg)

 

[Shogun Locc]

The ’sources close’ to Anderson Silva apparently never told him …

that he would help prepare former two-time foe, Rich Franklin, for his upcoming fight against his old Chute Boxe training partner, Wanderlei Silva, at UFC 99: “The Comeback” on June 13, according to Tatame.com:

“He didn’t said any word to me about it, but he’s gonna face a Brazilian, so it’s hard that something will happen. I don’t have anything against Franklin either Wanderlei, both are great fighters. In other situation, I’d train with him, for sure. My gym is open for everyone. Whoever goes there can have classes and I won’t have any problems if he decides to go there, that’s the sports’ globalization.”

That was fast. It’s not an outright denial, but his way of answering the question is interesting. Either the “Spider” is playing dumb to try and distance himself from training an American for a fight against a popular Brazilian fighter, performing damage control so his feud with the “Axe Murder” doesn’t hit Defcon 1 or there really are no concrete plans for “Ace” to enlist his services. The plot thickens … you decide.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Michael Bisping unimpressed with Dan Henderson and his many critics

“I’ll prove you wrong at UFC 100 … people always say I’m going to lose my fights — people always call me the underdog. Maybe one day people will actually predict me to win. I actually like the role of underdog, it’s nice proving people wrong, and I WILL be proving ‘certain journalists’ wrong at UFC 100… To be honest, maybe I’m underestimating him but I don’t think I’ve got a lot to worry about. He’s got a big right hand and great clinch work, but outside of that I’ve got him beat. Having watched the Henderson/Franklin fight again, I have to say I wasn’t impressed at all. His striking looked sloppy, he fell on his arse a couple of times from kicks, landed a couple of big right hands but that was it really…. He’s never been knocked out in his career, it’d be nice to be the first, I’m definitely looking to finish the fight. I’ve been improving my explosive strength, you’ll definitely see the best Michael Bisping at UFC 100 and I’m going there to knock him out.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Alistair Overeem vs Brett Rogers Strikeforce title fight possible for June 6

Strikeforce MMA has perhaps found an opponent for its heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem (29-11), according to Sports1140.com, setting up the Dutchman to take on undefeated former Elite XC standout, Brett Rogers (9-0), in a featured match on the promotion’s “Lawler vs. Shields” card, which is set for the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on June 6.

It’s important to note that company officials could not confirm the showdown between the two feared strikers at press time; however, it was also not ruled out entirely, meaning it could (or could not) be announced shortly.

“The Demolition Man” captured the Strikeforce belt with a second round submission win over Paul Buentello back in 2007 after repeated knees to the body forced “The Headhunter” to tap out. However, Overeem has yet to defend his title since that time, fighting primarily over in Japan for the past two years.

Most recently, Overeem has been dabbling in K-1 kickboxing events and doing quite well against some of the best in the business. His most recent mixed martial arts action was against 43-year old accomplished kickboxer and UFC veteran, Gary Goodridge, at a Glory MMA show in front of his own countrymen in Arnhem, Netherlands, last November. Overeem won that bout via first round submission (kimura).

A little over a month prior to that, he was possibly getting the best of former Pride FC open weight grand prix winner Mirko Cro Cop in a heavyweight tilt on the DREAM 6 card before the bout had to be stopped and ruled a no contest because of repeated unintentional (albeit illegal) groin strikes from Overeem.

“The Grim” will be taking a serious step up in competition level for this fight. Overeem is more experienced and more accomplished than any of the nine men who have stepped in the cage with Rogers throughout his career thus far.

The Minneapolis Team Bison product has stormed through those nine men rather easily, too, finishing each of them with strikes. In fact, only once, in his most recent victory over Ron “Abongo” Humphrey on the Strikeforce: “Shamrock vs. Diaz” card earlier this month, has the knockout artist faced an opponent who has survived beyond the first round.

It’ll be a short turnaround for Rogers — less than two months to be exact — but he went nearly a full year without competing following his win over Jon Murphy under the Elite XC banner last May. He’s more than likely hungry to get as many fights under his belt as he can in 2009.

At 260 pounds, Grim should have a decent size advantage over the champion in this fight. Both fighters measure in at 6′5,” but Overeem — who used to compete as a light heavyweight — will probably be about 30 pounds lighter than the challenger on fight night. That’s something Rogers will undoubtedly look to use to his advantage.

Here’s a snip from an interview he did with MMAFighting.com about the match up:

“With Overeem, with him I think it would be a little more exciting because he wants to stand with me. He’s kind of a fast spunky kind of dude, that’s what I’ve been seeing off of his videos. He’s a dangerous fighter on the ground (in that) he can fight off of his back, too, so I ain’t gonna sleep on him when it comes to that. But he’s definitely going to have some problems with the weight. He’s gotta pump it up a little bit or I’ll lay on his ass, put that weight on him, tire him out.”

The event will be headlined by a match-up of the last reigning Elite XC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and the only man to ever hold the Elite XC welterweight title, Jake Shields. In addition, a special 180-pound catchweight fight between Nick Diaz and Scott Smith was also just recently announced.

Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields” will air live on the premium cable network Showtime on fight night, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com before, during and after the show for all the Strikeforce event coverage you can handle.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Heavyweight Prospect Shane Del Rosario Expects to Fight for Strikeforce in August

Tokyo, Japan — Former WBO Muay Thai champion Shane Del Rosario was one of the hottest heavyweight prospects in all of MMA following his second round TKO victory over the previously-unbeaten Carl Seaumanutafa during a September ShoXC event.

However, Del Rosario became sidelined after the event due to a broken hand sustained in the victory. The Team Oyama fighter spent signficiant time on the shelf and saw his weight increase to 260 pounds.

However, Del Rosario is set to return to action Wednesday night in Tokyo, Japan as a part of Team USA West as it takes on South Korea in the M-1 Challenge. Currently undefeated at 5-0, the 25-year old will be gunning for his sixth win when he takes on Doo Hee Lee at Differ Ariake.

However, Del Rosario’s tenure as a part of the M-1 Challenge could be short lived, as the former high school basketball standout revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com Tuesday that his contract was one of 42 acquired by Strikeforce during its acquisition of select assets from ProElite earlier this year.

According to Del Rosario, he is now signed with Strikeforce and indicates that he could debut for the organization as early as August.

For Del Rosario, his time away from active fighting was not easy. His broken hand prevented him from accepting an offer to compete during January’s Affliction “Day of Reckoning” event and has delayed his potential transition from heavyweight to light heavyweight. When asked whether a move down to the 205 pound weight class was still under consideration, Del Rosario acknowledged the possibility but was uncertain as to when he’ll formally make the move.

 

[Shogun Locc]

‘Minotauro’ Nogueira healthy and ready for Randy Couture at UFC 102

“I wasn’t getting to take the fight to the floor. I had an injury two weeks before the fight when I went to USA. I had my knee hurt and tore my meniscus and it messed up my standing training and takedowns. My knee displaced many times during the fight. I wasn’t well at all. I wasn’t 100%. Now it’s time to train harder and face Randy.”

Staph infection wasn’t the only malady the plagued former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira during his losing title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008” back in December. The Brazilian indicates that he was also nursing a knee injury, which required surgery to repair after the lopsided beating. He was apparently seriously messed up, which might help better explain his most recent outing — he was finished for the first time ever in his illustrious career via technical knockout in the second round. It was a feat that Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop and even “The Beast” Bob Sapp have been unable to accomplish. Perhaps most surprising is that Mir — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt — schooled Nogueira in the stand up — an aspect that Nogueria appeared to have the advantage heading into the fight. That was certainly not the case. Now healthy, Nogueira is set to face another former champion and legend of the sport, Randy Couture, at UFC 102 on August 28. With his health issues seemingly resolved, can he climb back to the top of the division heap or have his brutal days in PRIDE taken their toll on his body and career?

 

[Shogun Locc]

SHINE Behind The Grind: PROMOTION, PROMOTION, and PROMOTION!

Editor’s Note: MMAPayout will be taking a look at the process of bringing a new MMA promotion to market. Freelance writer Rhett Butler will be our guide in sharing the story of the birth of a fight company, Shine Fight Promotions. Shine Fights will debut with “Genesis” in Columbus, Ohio May 9th. Our series will give an inside look to all the steps that have been taken to get the promotion to that point.

SHINE Behind The Grind: An Inside Look at the Making of An MMA Promotion

By Rhett Butler

MMA has truly exploded. From invading the annals of reality television to capturing the attention of corporate behemoths as sponsors, MMA is mainstream. Still outside major promoter’s like the UFC and Affliction pushing the global envelope there lies the foundation of the MMA world: the regional promoter.

Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) lives in this category of regional promoters although they are a hybrid of sorts. Focusing on truly world-class cards that can only elevate the sport for the average MMA layman, Shine looks to consistently bring an entertaining show.

Behind the Grind brings you into the world of Shine Fights making its debut with “Genesis” in Columbus, Ohio May 9th in the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center.

Issue #1: PROMOTION, PROMOTION, and PROMOTION!

What is a fight without the proper marketing and promotion to let the public know what is coming to the city? Shine is no different and as an upstart promotion it is crucial to grab the public’s attention and draw them into this first fight.

The Shine marketing mix: Billboards, TV commercials, Online advertising, Publicity, Radio and Fighter Appearances. The trick is to have everything synched to create a crescendo effect in the minds of the target market. This takes coordination and a huge dose of hurry up and wait.

Bill-Boarding It

Devin Price is a Shine Fights co-owner & brother of fellow co-owner and alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter 6, Dorian Price. Devin spearheads the marketing efforts and one of the major tasks is designing and erecting a billboard in Columbus. The surprise for the public is that the billboard will be in the same place the UFC had theirs when UFC 96 came to Columbus. To see a Shine billboard in place of a Rampage vs. Jardine billboard mentally should trigger some type of reaction; or at least they hope if Dr. Phil is telling the truth about the dormant psyche.

After much grind the billboard was finished and went up in Columbus, OH. The billboard is 14’x48’ is on the main highway in Columbus, OH SR 315. Channel MMA, Columbus, channel!

TV: The Great Legitimizer
Cosby kid Malcolm Jamal-Warner a/k/a Theo Huxtable said it best of his instant rise to fame and legitimacy in Hollywood after doing the play circuit to no fanfare, “TV is the great legitimizer.” Well folks, the fight game is no different and it is a must to have a television presence in the Ohio area. As usual, Devin Price jumped to the task and began putting the first draft of a commercial together with the Marketing Director. After a few rounds of editing the commercial went into final edit and was approved by the whole staff. Even Mr. “Don’t Film Me Bro,” Doran Price made the cut and was happy to see himself on the legitimate maker.


The commercial began airing for the first time on Fox Sports and the Shine Fights staff was ecstatic about the reach and impact they believe it will have. In addition, the commercial will on Fox Sports air during the Cleveland Cavaliers and Columbus Blue Jackets games, hitting the general sports fan. It will also air on Spike TV and the Versus channel during all Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cage fighting programming, pulling in the MMA-specific fans.

Next Issue: Marketing Is Our Mission

 

[Shogun Locc]

Minotoro defends: “Anderson was smart”

Training partner of Anderson Silva at Minotauro Team, Rogério "Minotoro" Nogueira saw his friend defend the UFC middleweight title one more time at UFC 97, reaching the record of nine consecutive victories. With all the criticisms after a fight below expectations, the Brazilian defends his friend. "I thought it was a good fight. Anderson was very technical and tactical, was smart, made his fight standing, using the Muay Thai ", says Minotouro, commenting the boos and “GSP” shouts coming from the Canadian fans at the arena.

"People of Canada booed him because of St. Pierre, who wants to fight with Anderson, but that is part of the competition and that pressure. But, for me, Anderson was well", said, praising Anderson’s opponent, the black belt Thales Leites. "We can’t forget that Thales is a tough guy and that he isn’t playing. If Anderson made a mistake, Thales would try to submit, so he was very smart, because he went well on the ground, got the mount position, workd on the half guard and then got up... He fought well. It was a big test for him, because many people thought that, if they putted someone good on the ground, perhaps it could get him, but he is going over everyone".

To Minotouro, it’s difficult to get an opponent that can get the belt of the Brazilian. "He is complete standing and complete on the ground. Anderson has proven that he’s superior to Dan Henderson and, as for Michael Bisping... Bisping would try to strike and would be knocked out. Let's see what happens, but Anderson is still absolute in that category", concluded the Brazilian.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Press Conference! Fedor And Aoki Meet

DREAM EP Sasahara, who was present at the press conference, said that while there are many hurdles to cross he would like to negotiate for Fedor to fight in DREAM on July or August and also on NYE. Since the Affliction staff is also in Japan he feels that this is an opportunity to negotiate.

Update #2: It seems that Aoki didn’t get much attention. He was sitting at the side with a frozen expression. The rules of the fight are still not set.

Update #3: Fedor started serious training with his team for one week before this (and probably his visit to Korea). However, it is mainly in preparation for the summer fight rather than the exhibition with Aoki.

Update #4: Fedor said that he has seen some of Aoki’s fights and he thinks that Aoki is one of the strongest fighters. Receiving this praise, Aoki said that he’s happy and also embarrassed. When Aoki saw Affliction’s Tom Atencio (who was present at the press conference) he jokingly said: “If you give me an Affliction t-shirt I will fight with all of my might”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 101, Silva vs. Griffin and Penn vs. Florian official for Philadelphia

As expected a UFC 101 event will take place Aug. 8 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, the UFC today announced.

The pay-per-view event marks the UFC's debut in the state of Pennsylvania, which only recently began the regulation of mixed-martial-arts events.

A light-heavyweight bout between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former 205-pound title-holder Forrest Griffin, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported earlier today, has also been officially announced.

The bout, which happened only after the UFC scratched a Griffin vs. Thiago Silva matchup, will share co-main-event honors with a UFC lightweight championship bout between title-holder B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian, which was also officially announced today.

The Wachovia Center, which is home to the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, can accommodate more than 22,000 spectators, depending on the venue's seating configuration. Given the rarity of UFC events in the Northeast, Philadelphia's proximity to major-metro areas and a solid fight card, UFC 101 could reach the rare 20,000-attendance mark.

Tickets for UFC 101 are expected to go on sale soon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Soares: Silva vs. Griffin at UFC 101 is "the type of fight we want to take"

The recent news that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva's next fight will be against former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin may have come as a shock to most, but Silva's manager, Ed Soares, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the fight is exactly what "The Spider" has needed.

"I think Forrest Griffin is a big light heavyweight, and I think it's going to be a great fight," Soares said. "He's a guy that makes it exciting. He leaves everything out in the octagon, and that's the type of fight we want to take."

The UFC today officially announced the bout for UFC 101 on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.

While Griffin had been expected to face Thiago Silva at the event, Soares said Anderson Silva proved to be a better fit for all parties involved.

"We kind of came to the UFC, and we wanted to do a fight at 205 (pounds)," Soares said. "(UFC President) Dana White threw out the option (of Forrest Griffin), and I thought it was a great option.

"Forrest is an incredible fighter, a guy who is a complete fighter."

Anderson Silva's past two victories over Thales Leites and Patrick Cote have been widely panned by both fans and media alike. While Soares has been openly critical of the gameplan those two fighters brought to the cage – Leites in particular – he believes Griffin will provide the sort of test both him and his client hope to face.

"Forrest brings it every time," Soares said. "He comes to fight, and I think that's a fight we want to take. He's a big name, and he is a former light-heavyweight champion."

Soares said there wasn't much discussion from either Anderson Silva or the UFC before making the bout. Griffin's name was the first brought to the table, and the bout made sense for both the fighter and the organizaton.

"[White] threw that name out, and we thought it was great," Soares said. "We're like, 'Hey, that sounds good.'"

While the Anderson Silva vs. Griffin contest was the first bout to be made official for UFC 101, it is not expected to headline the event. That honor will most likely fall to UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and his title defense against current No. 1 contender Kenny Florian.

Soares said he and Silva were not concerned about sharing the spotlight.

"No, not at all," Soares said. "It doesn't make a difference to us. If Penn vs. Florian ends up being the main event, that's fine with us. They're fighting for the belt. They deserve to be the main event. That's for the title."

The bout will be Silva's second foray into the light heavyweight division. "The Spider" earned a 61-second TKO victory over then-205-pounder James Irvin in July 2008.

And while Griffin has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the sport's biggest light heavyweight fighters, Soares said the middleweight champ is unconcerned at a potential size disparity.

"Anderson can add on the weight pretty quickly," Soares said. "He piled it on within a month to fight James Irvin. We got asked to fight on Father's Day (2008), and the fight was July 19. I think he'll be fine."

Soares also laid to rest any concerns that a successful run at 205-pounds could leave Silva uninterested in defending his middleweight title.

"That's his title," Soares said. "He's got to defend it."

Besides, as Soares explains, there's no need for Silva to make a run at the light heavyweight crown.

"The 205-pound belt, the way Anderson feels is that it belongs to Lyoto Machida," Soares said. "Lyoto is our teammate, so we wouldn't be interested in that."

With just four fights left on his UFC contract, and rumors running rampant that Silva might be thinking ahead to retirement or a possible boxing match with Roy Jones Jr., speculation abounds each time the UFC champ books another fight.

Soares refused to speculate on what Ailva's future may hold, but he believes this UFC 101 fight with Forrest Griffin is a step in the right direction.

"For us, it's all about fighting the biggest names that we can and taking on the biggest challenges," Soares said. "This is definitely the type of fight that we want to take."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Keith Jardine and Thiago Silva agree to meet at UFC 102 in August

When one door closes, another opens.

Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) woke up this morning believing he would be facing Forrest Griffin on Aug. 8 at UFC 101. He'll go to sleep preparing to face Keith Jardine (14-5-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at UFC 102.

Sources close to the organization have informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that "The Dean of Mean" and Siva have verbally agreed to meet at the Aug. 29 event.

Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.

MMAjunkie.com originally learned of the planned Thiago Silva vs. Griffin matchup in March, but those plans were scrapped today in favor of the former light heavyweight champ and "The Ultimate Fighter" winner facing off with current UFC middleweight title holder Anderson Silva in a 205-pound contest.

The Anderson Silva vs. Griffin fight will serve as UFC 101's co-main event.

Thiago Silva will instead fight three weeks later, as the American Top Team fighter looks to rebound from his first career defeat. After reeling off four-straight wins to start his run in the UFC – and 13-straight victories overall – Silva was knocked out in a January bout with current No. 1 contender Lyoto Machida.

Jardine also looks to rebound from a recent loss. Also familiar with UFC card-shuffling, Jardine had been expected to face Luiz Cane at UFC 97, but a series of events led the Greg Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts fighter instead to a main event showdown with former light-heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 96 in March.

Jardine dropped a close unanimous decision to Jackson that many observers felt was decided in the final seconds of the 15-minute affair. While Jardine has gone just 2-3 in his past five fights, the always-dangerous, awkwardly styled fighter holds wins over Brandon Vera, Chuck Liddell, Griffin and Wilson Gouveia, among others.

While not officially announced, UFC 102 is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight bout between MMA legends Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on Aug. 29 in Portland, Ore.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TAPOUT INTO SUPPLEMENT MARKET WITH CHAMPION

TapouT on Tuesday announced a licensing agreement with Champion Nutrition to offer TapouT Sports Nutrition products. Under this relationship, Champion Nutrition will design, distribute and market the Tapout Sports Nutrition brand to all retailers in the United States and abroad. TapouT Sports Nutrition products will be available in mass-market retailers beginning this summer.

“TapouT is thrilled to be working with Champion Nutrition to offer our fans, fighters and every athlete premium sports nutrition products that will let them train harder and reach their goals,” said Punkass, TapouT Co-CEO and Co-Founder. “TapouT is about expressing your passion and attitude, and whether it’s through our clothing or nutritional products, we want our company to help take that emotion to the next level.”

TapouT Sports Nutrition products will feature premium sports supplements that will allow mixed-martial arts fighters, bodybuilders, and athletes-in-training to increase muscle size and strength. The products are competitively priced and engineered with research-tested ingredients, including highly absorbable forms of protein, creatine, hydration drink formulas, and more, to deliver results for serious minded athletes and boost endurance for those pushing their physical limits.

"It’s an honor to develop a line of sports nutrition products under the TapouT name,” said Mark Post, President of Champion Nutrition. "Champion Nutrition has been developing sports nutrition products for athletes and champions in all sports for over 26 years. We look forward to working with TapouT to introduce our nutritional performance expertise to the mixed-martial arts community and all TapouT fans around the world."

“TapouT has built a stellar reputation by supporting mixed-martial arts fighters in every facet of their career,” says TapouT Co-CEO and President Marc Kreiner. “We’re excited to team with Champion Nutrition to expand our support for these athletes by providing the supplements they need to maintain their training and take their game to the next level.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

SENGOKU 8: PHAN WON'T UNDERESTIMATE OMIGAWA

Heading into the first round of World Victory Road’s Sengoku featherweight tournament, Nam Phan was an underdog and something of a wildcard.

Having fought at lightweight throughout his career, Phan entered the tournament having lost three of his five previous fights and untested at the 145-pound weight class.

Matched up against former Shooto champion Hideki Kadowaki, Phan was able to dominate the fight and prove that he could indeed step up on a big stage, setting the table for his upcoming second round fight against Michihiro Omigawa at Sengoku 8 this coming Saturday in Tokyo.

“I’ve just got to get down in weight,” said Phan just hours before leaving for Japan. “I think everything’s good. This time I’m more used to cutting weight, and I feel healthier this time around.”

When it comes to his opponent on Saturday, former UFC fighter Michihiro Omigawa, Phan feels he must be cautious, but is still confident he can prevail.

“It’s a tough match-up,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “He’s an Olympic-level Judoka and I have a heavy load ahead of me, but I think me and my teammates had a good study for this fight, so I think we’re going to be okay.

“He’s good at throws – at judo – but I don’t think his jiu-jitsu is that good. I feel very comfortable on the ground or standing up.”

While Phan was an underdog in his previous Sengoku fight, this time around he appears to be the favorite against the 5-7-1 Omigawa. Still, regardless of his opponent’s less than stellar record, he is not taking him lightly.

“Heck no (I’m not underestimating him), he’s good and tough,” exclaimed Phan. “He’s not a slouch. I trained hard for this guy.

“I’m just going to go out there and just kill – that’s it.”

In the other half of the evening’s featherweight bracket, tournament favorite Hatsu Hioki will take on Ronnie Mann.

When asked who he feels he may face in the finals, Phan predicts a clash with his fellow Top 10 ranked fighter.

“Ronnie’s a cool guy, but I think Hatsu’s got it,” he commented.

No longer the underdog, Phan is expected to make the most of his opportunity at Sengoku and become the top fighter that many felt he had the potential to become.

“I want to say thank you to my boxing coach, Art James, my students and everyone at the MaDu Academy, all the guys at SubFighter, and everyone that helped me train,” he concluded.

“Love to my mom and dad, my brother and supportive girlfriend. Thanks to my new sponsors NO GI, Budovideos.com, and Revgear.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

DID KIMBO SLICE CLOSE THE DOOR ON ELITEXC?

There were several theories that floated around after the demise of EliteXC as to why the once thriving company closed its doors in 2008, shortly after its final CBS show in October, and a loss by their most marketed fighter, Kimbo Slice. But was Kimbo to blame for the company's downfall or simply a catalyst to draw the end closer?

According to former EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw, Kimbo was in an impossibly tough position with his place in the company, with the fans, and with the MMA industry in general.

Shaw says that there were much bigger problems going on at EliteXC that had nothing to do with Kimbo or his short notice loss to Seth Petruzelli that served as the promotion's last televised show.

"Do I think the Kimbo's loss was the demise of the company like it's being portrayed? Absolutely, 100 percent, no," Shaw said. "What I do think the Kimbo loss did was probably throw away any last ditch efforts of CBS acquiring the company, or having enough money to hang on to get another buyer to come in. But I knew for a while that this company was done. When I spoke to you guys and said I'm clearing a runway in September for El Paso to get to October, no, that's not it at all. We just couldn't put on the show."

Kimbo Slice was publicized as the face of EliteXC, and Shaw admits that he stepped up to defend the fighter on more than one occasion because they knew the pressure they had steeped on him with virtually no experience in MMA stepping into the cage for them.

"I stick up for him a lot because we put so much weight on his shoulders because we had to, we needed a face. No, we didn't expect him to be the world champion. We knew if he fought the kind of fighters that were at that level that his chances of winning were probably slimmer," said Shaw. "But you've got to throw somebody up there as the best in the world, because you've got to put a face on the company. And that's not to say he can't become one of the best fighters in the world, cause he's an athlete, he has talent, but that was the situation we were up against."

Regardless of the situation, Shaw maintains that Kimbo was definitely a viable commodity, and could have been a top fighter one day if he had been given more time to succeed.

"He didn't have a chance to succeed with the fans, with the fighters, that's what he was going to be up against," Shaw stated. "I still think he can beat (Seth) Petruzelli. I feel like he would have beaten (Ken) Shamrock. I don't think he had the best camp then, but you know things happen and for whatever reason, Kimbo's MMA journey with EliteXC, it ended right there."

There was no denying that Kimbo's crossover appeal to the mainstream brought him to the forefront of EliteXC's marketing, and Shaw compares his appeal to a very popular TV show that has received equal criticism from music industry insiders for the way it vaults newcomers into the spotlight over seasoned veterans.

"Whatever (Kimbo) did, he got 12 million viewers on YouTube," Shaw commented. "Whatever these 'American Idol' kids do, I don't care where they come from, or that there's better singers than them, at the end of the day, guess what? They've got 36 million people voting for them. So they're somebody now. And that's just the way unfortunately the game works."

Currently, Kimbo Slice is not scheduled to make a return to MMA anytime soon, although Strikeforce president Scott Coker has made several comments about using the fighter in a future show. There have also been rumors that the YouTube sensation could make a move into the boxing world in the near future, as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC cuts middleweight Jason "Dooms" Day from fighter roster

Canadian middleweight Jason "Dooms" Day (17-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC), who splashed onto the UFC scene with a win over rising contender Alan Belcher in April 2008, has been cut from the organization's roster.

Day had dropped his past two fighters, both via first-round TKO, to Michael Bisping and Kendall Grove since his debut win.

The news comes from Sportsnet.ca.

Day, a Rumble in the Cage and King of the Cage veteran, entered the UFC after a split-decision win over UFC vet David Louiseau at a February 2008 Hardcore Championship Fighting show. With the Loiseau win, Day was 9-1 in his previous 10 fights when he signed with the UFC.

Although a 1-2 start to a UFC career won't always earn a fighter his walking papers, the UFC has been in roster-purge mode in recent months and has axed dozens of fighters.

Day, who remains 5-2 in his past seven fights (despite the back-to-back UFC losses), shouldn't have a problem finding work. With his name recognition and finishing ability (he has 16 stoppages in 17 career wins), he'd be a solid addition to any mid- to upper-level fight league.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fredson Paixao returns at WEC 42

World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight Fredson Paixao (8-3) will make his second attempt at a WEC win when he returns at WEC 42.

Paixao, who signed with the WEC after a two-year layoff from pro competition, made his promotional debut earlier this month at WEC 40 and suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Wagnney Fabiano.

Paixao recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio host "Gorgeous" George Garcia he's slated for a return at WEC 42.

Although not officially announced by the organization, WEC 42 is expected to take place on Aug. 23. WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will likely headline the show against top contender Brian Bowles.

Paixao, appearing on the radio show "Good Sports" (co-hosted by Garcia), did not reveal an opponent for the August event.

Prior to the WEC debut, the Brazilian-born Paixao hadn't competed since a first-round submission victory over EliteXC and King of the Cage veteran Thomas Denny in May 2007. He was expected to fight rising contender Jose Aldo at WEC 38 in January, but he was pulled off the card for undisclosed reasons.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 42 slated for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

Although not officially announced by the organization, World Extreme Cagefighting's WEC 42 event will take place at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The event is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 23 and airs on Versus.

WEC champion Miguel Torres meets Brian Bowles in the night's main event and defends his bantamweight title.

WEC co-founder and current executive Reed Harris confirmed the date with MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) host George Garcia on the Las Vegas-based "Good Sports" show.

The WEC, whose headquarters moved to Las Vegas after Zuffa LLC (the UFC's parent company) purchased the organization in 2006, last visited the venue in December. WEC 37 took place at The Joint and featured Torres vs. Manny Tapia in the night's main event.

The Joint recently underwent a transformation and opened as a larger venue. Once constricted to no more than 1,500 spectators, the concert and event venue can now accommodate up to 4,000 fans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TEAM USA WEST SWEEPS SOUTH KOREA AT M-1 GLOBAL

After going winless last year, Team USA West is now just one win away from clinching a post-season berth in the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction."

The Colin Oyama-coached team took sole possession of first place following Wednesday night's 5-0 shutout over South Korea during M-1 Challenge's "Third Edition," which emanated from Differ Ariake in Tokyo.

Lightweight David Jansen improved to 10-0 after utilizing his outstanding wrestling ability to grind out a unanimous decision victory over Nam Yui Chul (8-2), an impressive prospect who had been 8-1 coming into the fight.

The win marked Jansen's second consecutive M-1 Challenge victory following his unanimous decision victory over Brazil's Flavio Alvaro during the '09 opener on Feb. 21, 2009. In a field of 16 lightweight competitors involved with this year's M-1 Challenge, Jansen is well on his way towards establishing himself as the competition's top 155 pound fighter.

Jansen's fight vs. Chul marked his first time competing in Japan; however, Jansen expressed his desire to return and has issued a public challenge to DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno.

USA West then moved out to a 2-0 lead following Fabio Negao's (9-4) majority decision victory over the talented Myung Ho Bae (7-4). The fight was Negao's first bout since a unanimous decision loss to Matt Lindland at Affliction's "Banned" event last July.

Next it was time for the middleweights, with Giva "The Arm Collector" Santana (12-1) clinching the team victory for USA West following a armbar submission win over Min Suk Heo (4-8) at 4:05 of round 1. In an incredible statistic, Santana now has 11 career wins via tapout with all of them having come via armbar.

Despite having clinched the team win, Team USA still needed to rack up additional individual victories due to the fact that it competes in a deep Group B division that includes South Korea, Brazil, and the defending M-1 Challenge champions Imperial Team.

All eyes were on Jae Young Kim (12-7) in his return to the M-1 Challenge following his stunning upset over Imperial's Mikhail Zayats during the Feb. opener courtesy of a head kick. However, former IFL veteran and submission wrestling champion Raphael Davis (6-1) continued his evolution as a striker following a second round TKO over Kim.

Last for Team USA West was heavyweight Shane Del Rosario, who entered the ring wearing his WBC Muay Thai championship belt. The blue chip prospect also entered the contest with a perfect 5-0 record at stake, but Del Rosario improved to 6-0 following a first round knockout over Doo Hee Lee (11-7).

The 5-0 shutout improved Team USA West's record to 2-0 with a combined individual record of 8-2. The team can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Team Imperial in its next matchup, with a date between the two juggernauts yet to be determined.

In addition to Team USA West's win over South Korea, the debuting Team England could possibly be the team to beat in Group A following its victory over host country Japan during the night's main team challenge.

The confident Ian "M-16" Butlin (6-8) ruffled several feathers during a Tuesday press conference in which the anointed England team leader informed the Japanese media that he and his teammates would shut out the Japanese by a 5-0 score.

Despite the bold proclamation, Butlin wasn't too far off the mark, as England dominated Japan by a 4-1 score. In a twist of irony, it was Butlin's first round loss to Luiz Andrada (9-6-3) that prevented the team from recording the shutout.

After promising a knockout win all week, Butlin was unable to implement his game plan as Andrada elected not to engage him in the standup and instead tapped him an armbar at 3:20 of round one.

England then stole Japan's momentum after Simon "The Executioner" Phillips (7-2) displayed his professional boxing skills and put the entire M-1 welterweight division on notice following his crushing 20-second knockout over DEEP and Pancrase veteran Hidehiko Hasegawa (16-12-5).

Japan then appeared to be well on its way to regaining the lead with Yusuke Masuda forcing Matt Thorpe to fight on his heels for virtually the entire first round. Despite losing the first frame, Thorpe displayed one of the basic principles of jiu-jitsu as a self defense technique by overcoming a more aggressive Masuda with a rear naked choke at 1:30 of round two.

Following his teammate's lead, Tom Blackledge (8-6) also used a rear naked choke to clinch a team victory for England after submitting Tatsuya Mizuno (5-5). However, Blackledge differentiated his win from Thorpe's by showing shades of Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg and utilizing a standing choke en route to victory.

In addition to having his teammates support him at ringside, Blackledge was also cornered by former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson, a well-known figure in Japan thanks to his successful tenure in PRIDE, returned to the country in order to support Blackledge, his good friend and training partner at the Wolfslair Academy in London.

Looking to fortify its standing as the early leader of Group A, British heavyweight Rob "Godzilla" Broughton (9-4-1) displayed excellent ground skills for a big man during his unanimous decision victory over Yusuke Kawaguchi.

For Broughton, the win over Kawaguchi marked yet another notch on his belt when it comes to defeating rising heavyweight prospects. In addition to holding a win over British up-and-comer Martin Thompson, Broughton now can boast that he was the first man to inflict a loss onto Kawaguchi's record, who previously had been 8-0.

While Team England's next fight has yet to be finalized, officials with M-1 Global and Cage Warriors are currently working towards bringing a 2009 M-1 Challenge event to England.

The 19-bout M-1 Challenge Japan event also featured a superfight between Karl "Psycho" Amoussou and IFL veteran Kazuhiro Hamanaka, an M-1 Challenge Group A team matchup between France vs. Spain, and a special sparring exhibition between WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.

While Amoussou's countrymen suffered a 3-2 defeat to Spain, he lifted his former teammates' spirits with a brilliant flying knee knockout victory over Hamanaka just 23 seconds into their fight with the capacity crowd rising to their feet.

The Japanese crowd displayed even more emotion during Fedor and Aoki's public sparring session, which was advertised locally as a "special super exhibition." With no scoring in effect, the encounter between the two undisputed world champions resembled a training session that you might see inside of a fight gym. The only difference was that nearly 1,000 spectators were on hand to watch the two square off while donning Gis.

Fedor utilized his strength advantage to send Aoki soaring with several Sambo throws. At one point, Aoki played to the crowd and removed his Gi in jest and attempted a flying armbar on Fedor. With both fighters pressing each other well less than 100-percent, the two smiled for much of the session and embraced after the final bell had sounded. The video of the session will air free of charge on a video-on-demand basis starting on Monday, May 4 at www.M-1Global.com and www.Mixfight.ru.

Below are complete results from Wednesday's "M-1 Challenge" event.

Preliminary -

1. Featherweight (65 kg/143 lbs.): Tomoaki Ueyama def. Takayuki Hosakawa via TKO (punches) at 2:51 of round 1.

Team France vs. Team Spain -

2. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Jose Luiz Zapater Aguirre (Spain) def. Makhtar Gueye (France) via DQ (illegal kick) at 1:21 of round 3.

3. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Abner Lloveras (Spain) def. Gael Grimaud (France) via three-round split decision.

4. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Christophe Dafreville (France) def. Rayco "Kakin" Romero Silva (Spain) via submission (Anaconda choke) at 2:48 of round 1.

5. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Christian Mpumbu (France) def. Enoc Solbes (Spain) via submission (armbar) at 4:59 of round 1.

6. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Rogent Lloret (Spain) def. Soufian Elgarne (France) via submission (Anaconda choke) at 2:44 of round 1

Spain Defeats France via 3-2 score

Preliminary -

7. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Kosuke Umeda def. Muneyuki Sato via unanimous decision.

USA West vs. South Korea (best-of-five series) -

8. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): David Jansen (USA West) def. Yui Chul Nam (S. Korea) via unanimous decision.

9. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Fabio Negao (USA West) def. Myung Ho Bae (S. Korea) via majority decision.

10. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Giva Santana (USA West) def. Min Suk Heo (S. Korea) via submission (armbar) at 4:05 of round 1.

11. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Raphael Davis (USA West) def. Jae Young Kim (S. Korea) via TKO (punches) at 3:45 of round 2.

12. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Shane Del Rosario (USA West) def. Doo Hee Lee (S. Korea/103 kg) via KO (head kick) at 2:27 of round 1.

USA West Defeats South Korea via 5-0 score

Superfight -

13. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Karl Amoussou (France) def. Kazuhiro Hamanaka (Japan) via KO (flying knee) at 0:23 of round 1.

Special Super Exhibition -

14. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia) vs. Shinya Aoki (Japan): Match was conducted as a sparring exhibition with no scoring.

Japan vs. England (best-of-five series) -

15. Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Luiz Andrada (Japan) def. Ian Butlin (England) via submission (armbar) at 3:20 of round 1.

16. Welterweight (76 kg/167.2 lbs.): Simon Phillips (England) def. Hidehiko Hasgawa (Japan) via KO at 0:20 of round 1.

17. Middleweight (84 kg/184.8 lbs.): Matt Thorpe (England) def. Yusuke Masuda (Japan) via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:30 of round 2.

18. Light Heavyweight (93 kg/204.6 lbs.): Tom Blackledge (England) def. Tatsuya Mizuno (Japan) via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:22 of round 1.

19. Heavyweight (+93 kg/204.7-plus lbs.): Rob Broughton (England) def. Yusuke Kawaguchi (Japan) via unanimous decision.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Rashad Evans will bother Lyoto Machida on May 23

“Probably after my fight with Tito Ortiz. After that fight I really believed I could make it. That was when I thought: ‘These guys aren’t that much better than me. I can fight these guys, and I can beat these guys.’ [Lyoto is] a very strategic fighter, just as I am. It will surely be a tough fight. I think if we fight, the winner will be the one with the better strategy. Machida is a really tough and disciplined fighter. He doesn’t get emotionally shaken in his fights, for being so disciplined. When this fight happens, I’m go to make him frustrated and bothered in the octagon. It will be a tough fight, for sure.”