MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Galvão trains at the U.S. for Dream GP

After passing through the first phase of Dream’s welterweight GP, the black belt André Galvão decided train for the final stage of the tournament, which happens on June 20, in the U.S.. Beside of Anderson Silva, Rafael "Feijão" Cavalcante and other fighters, André trains hard in Los Angeles, prepared to face whoever comes ahead. "So far I haven’t got a defined opponent, but I'm already training because I know that it won’t be easy", says the black belt, without choosing opponents.

"Man, I prefer not to choose, I prefer to train to whoever comes. Of course (Hayato) Sakurai is the most experienced guy there, already made lots of title fights, but if it happen for us to face each other before, there’s no problem ", says Galvão, with one goal in mind: "what I want is to get out of there as the champion, no matter who I face". While training in the USA, André will cheer for the training partner Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza, who will fight for Dream’s middleweight title at May 26 against Jason Miller.

"Jacaré is training in Brazil with (Josuel) Distak and Rogerio (Camões), and I think he will do well in Japan. He has everything to win the belt too, because the quality of training that he is having is excellent", shows the black belt. After training for a while with Wanderlei Silva in Randy Couture’s team, at the same place where Forrest Griffin trains, Galvão now trains with Anderson Silva, Griffin’s next opponent: "I only know him through the fights, I never saw him train there. I know he likes to go inside, make his ground game, which is good. He is a great fighter and I think it will be a very good fight".

 

[Shogun Locc]

A Blood Called Shooto: Part 2

No matter how momentous and sentimental its past, I can’t help but feel professional Shooto has come to a crossroads with its 20th Anniversary.

Over the last decade, Shooto Japan has, however wittingly, carved out its niche in the lighter weight classes. It was home to many of the top welterweights at the turn of the decade -- Anderson Silva, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, Jutaro Nakao and Tetsuji Kato -- but with the rise of the UFC, the strength of its 168-pound division evaporated over time.

Eventually, the lightweight division was its calling card, due to the depth of the division and the fact that so few well-paying organizations had opportunities for these fighters. Rumina Sato, Caol Uno, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Takanori Gomi, Joachim Hansen, Vitor Ribeiro, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mitsuhiro Ishida and others all jump off the page on a list of Shooto’s top 154-pounders. However, when Dream Stage Entertainment retooled its Bushido program and launched its own lightweight division, and K-1 backer Fighting and Entertainment Group launched Hero’s, the fighters who had created the image of Shooto Japan as the factory of lightweights were gone.

Even with the rise of the promotions that picked the bones of its 168- and 154-pound divisions, Shooto Japan still remained the locus of flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Shooto authorities and promoters never intended to define a role for Shooto in this way, but it was the only show in town, thus defining its role for the last five years.

However, Shooto’s control over the sub-lightweight world is rapidly shrinking, domestically and internationally. This year has featured featherweight tournaments from both Dream and Sengoku -- each bracket replete with Shooto veterans -- and Sengoku plans a strong emphasis on the bantamweight division in the near future. Meanwhile, Zuffa’s World Extreme Cagefighting product has become the righteous delicacy of hardcore fans, controlling most of the world’s top fighters at 135 and 145 pounds, including many Shooto veterans who have crossed the pond to fight in the cage. With the anticipated forthcoming addition of the WEC’s flyweight division, which will likely include Shooto world champion Shinichi "BJ" Kojima, there’s a serious question as to whether or not professional Shooto can withstand another redefinition.

Promotions, Possibilities and the Art of Party Planning

Not too surprisingly, Taro Wakabayashi -- the man who arguably knows Shooto best -- is not concerned with the world outside of Shooto.

“We’re just going to continue on like we’ve always been, without really changing anything,” he says. “I think one of Shooto’s attractive points is just that it continues. There have been fighters who have been fighting for 20 years, and there are new fighters, too, but no one is going to remember the champions of a promotion that has disappeared.”

Hearing Wakabayashi’s answers, and having talked with Shooto bigwigs in the past, I’m always stunned by the honesty with which they assert that Shooto as a concept and ideology is what’s important, not Shooto as a powerhouse promotion. Wakabayashi’s analogy of Shooto as a school seems increasingly more apt; the emphasis is placed firmly on the pragmatic improvements of athletes -- as people and as prizefighters -- rather than any promotional niche on which Shooto brass can capitalize.

For the man who says Shooto is not his work but his life, the idea that Shooto would be impacted by the promotional strategy of big money MMA is simply folly.

“Money is important, but there’s more to life than just that: the experiences you have with your friends and things like that,” Wakabayashi says. “That’s Shooto.”

Part of it is that Wakabayashi, like his fellow Shooto officials, takes a sincere pride in seeing Shootors go on to high-profile, lucrative status in MMA. There’s a deep belief that Shooto is not the ring fighters stand inside but something inside of fighters when they’re in the ring. However, that’s not to say that fighters never return to that ring, since Shooto homecomings are prevalent for star Shootors and play a considerable role in Sunday’s 20th Anniversary card.

“I’m very much involved in matchmaking, so I actually thought a lot about these matches,” Wakabayashi says. “I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about them, but I think they’re fitting for the 20th anniversary.”

It is befitting simply in terms of the star power. Although it would be impossible to feature every active important fighter who once graced the Shooto mats, promotional group Sustain has put together a card featuring high-profile Japanese talent, including Gomi, Ishida, Sato, “Lion Takeshi” Takeshi Inoue and arguably the sport’s greatest female, Megumi Fujii, among others. However, the event simply isn’t a collage of talent, a homecoming hodgepodge of meaningless fights. Rather, these fighters face forks in the roads in the Shooto ring.

“This card doesn’t really represent all of Shooto’s weight classes, so it probably doesn’t convey the whole picture of what Shooto is,” Wakabayashi asserts. “But in terms of relevance, there are certain fighters on the card who can either win everything or lose everything.”

All-or-Nothing Anniversary

Wakabayashi’s assessment could not be much more accurate. To scan up and down the card, nearly all of the major matchups on the bill are built on the principles of make-or-break, do-or-die scenarios.
Kenichiro Togashi and Tetsuji Kato will fight, essentially, to help themselves get in line for a run toward prominence, rather than simply being called upon by promoters to serve as gatekeepers. Kotetsu Boku and Yutaka Ueda will meet with vastly different motives; Boku, a rock-solid and serially underrated veteran, has not been able to stick around in shows like Hero’s and Dream and has battled to become more than a slick one-dimensional striker. If he’s to be considered something greater than criminally overlooked and if he wants to earn more lucrative purses, then he must deal with Ueda, a hard-punching prospect with designs on upward mobility in Shooto. A loss for Boku leaves him to uncomfortably fill a role as the gatekeeper-to-the-stars in the division, while a loss for Ueda makes him just another lightweight, rather than one to keep an eye on.

Ishida and Mizuto Hirota have both been on the rollercoaster. Ishida was the first man to put a blemish on the record of Gilbert Melendez but was shockingly choked out by former Shooto world champion Uno in last year’s Dream lightweight grand prix. Hirota upset streaking International Fight League champion Ryan Schultz in Sengoku’s lightweight tournament before an underwhelming performance in his semi-final loss to Kazunori Yokota. With Dream still possessing a rock-solid contingent of that weight’s elite and Sengoku shrewdly piecing together its own strong 154-pound division, a loss for either fighter leaves him even further behind in an ever-expanding lightweight universe.

Both Ishida and Hirota have been to major shows; Yusuke Endo and Willamy Chiquerim have not. The 26-year-old Endo has teetered on the cusp of a breakout for the past three years, but despite wins over blonde brawler Ganjo Tentsuku and UFC sparkplug Clay Guida, he has not been able to get over the hump and get to his golden ticket. The 21-year old Chiquerim, the Shooto South American 154-pound champion, has struggled to find suitable tests on the Brazilian regional circuit and now has the chance to leap into the consciousness of hardcore fans and Shooto authorities. A loss for either man further consigns him to the regional scenes he’s desperate to escape.

The recent doldrums of former lightweight king Gomi have befuddled and bemused MMA fans. “The Fireball Kid” has looked positively lackluster over the last two and a half years, and with a crop of young and gifted lightweights emerging, a third straight loss would all but banish him to the periphery of the division, despite being perhaps the most accomplished fighter in the division’s history. However, in opposition, he finds current Shooto world champion Takashi Nakakura, who’s one of the sport’s most improved fighters over the last two years. At 32 years old, the time is now for the Osakan, who belongs to the same championship lineage as Uno, Hansen, “Shaolin” Ribeiro, Kawajiri and Gomi himself. If the new-look Nakakura can knock off Gomi, bigger paydays and marquee opposition will not be far behind.

That leaves the main event, a quintessential passing of the torch. While it may not be his last bout ever, this will likely be Sato’s last chance in his 15-year odyssey to become Shooto world champion. Sato’s championship quest has been MMA’s ultimate exercise in repetitious heartbreak, as his career of high-profile failures has made him the sport’s ultimate tragic hero.

It was a decade ago -- at Shooto’s 10th Anniversary show -- that he first challenged a young, unheralded underdog named Caol Uno for the title and was upset in one of MMA’s seminal classics. Now 35 years old, this fight represents the last stand for “Shooto’s Charisma,” as he takes on Shooto’s poster boy nouveau and 143-pound world champion, “Lion Takeshi.” Inoue gave up a potential berth in Sengoku’s featherweight grand prix to defend his title against Sato, showing the kind of unflinching loyalty that typifies Shootors.

The bout is more symbolic than it is relevant. With one win in the last four years, Sato in no way deserves a shot at Lion Takeshi and will likely be knocked out. However, it all seems strangely appropriate for professional Shooto’s 20th Anniversary. And in the off-chance that Sato actually won, well, words would surely fail.

“It’s an all-or-nothing event,” says Wakabayashi. “It’s very life-and-death and very much fitting of a Shooto card.”

Nothing out-of-the-ordinary is going to happen, per se, in that familiar ring at JCB Hall in Tokyo on Sunday. It is, in some ways, just another card, just another nine MMA fights. It probably won’t rewrite MMA’s top 10s and pound-for-pound universe or blaze over blogs with feverish discussion.

However, the blood and magic of professional Shooto exists both within and beyond MMA. To read Shooto’s 20th anniversary as just another excellent nine-fight card misses the point entirely.

“Of course, I think it’s important to make promotions bigger or make more money or foster more famous fighters,” Wakabayashi says. “But I’ve learned it’s not really all about that. What is important is that the fighters grow. It’s really a very precious and rewarding experience, as a human being, to be involved in something like this.”

Something like this. Something that inspires a culture of fighters, not just in their skill but in their conviction. Something like blood. Something called Shooto.

Here’s to another 20 years of that something special.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Inoue Retains Shooto Title; Gomi Strikes Back at ‘The Final Tradition’

TOKYO -- Rumina Sato endured another bittersweet outing at Shooto “The Final Tradition” on Sunday, as he dropped a first-round technical knockout defeat to Shooto 143-pound world champion Takeshi Inoue at JCB Hall.

Both fighters started off in typical fashion, as Sato dazzled with daring offense and Inoue took his time to get comfortable before landing the kill shot. Despite bandages that reached from knee to ankle on his left leg, Sato was quite mobile, as he threw side kicks, spinning back kicks, axe kicks, flying knees and Superman punches at a hesitant Inoue. The low kicks and occasional jab Sato ate in response seemed of little consequence, as the “Charisma of Shooto” was on his way to winning a lopsided first round.

Sato’s big break came after he scored with a hard left hook that sent the champion to the mat. Sato jumped on the prone Inoue (16-3) and tried to finish, but “Lion Takeshi” covered up and quickly collected himself. Standing up in the clinch, an overzealous Sato unleashed a feeble knee to Inoue’s body before the champion opened up with four stout punches at close range. A dazed Sato careened back-first into a corner, as Inoue jumped to finish. Doing little more than cover up under the assault, Sato (24-14-2) was soon saved by referee Toshiharu Suzuki, who called a stop to the bout at 4:41 of the first period.

“I knew he’d be impatient to finish, so I wanted to take my time and proceed calmly,” Inoue said. “I won, but I owe my origins to Rumina. I want to one day become someone as influential as him.”

In the co-main event, former Pride Fighting Championships lightweight titleholder Takanori Gomi returned to the winner’s circle with a second-round knockout of Shooto 154 pound world champion Takashi Nakakura.

In shape and focused, “The Fireball Kid” played a tactical game, as he baited and engaged Nakakura from the center of the ring and wore him down with mixed-level combinations. Nakakura was not without his own offense, however, as he racked up low kicks, stiff jabs and hard right straights.

Gomi’s chin still proved solid, and Nakakura wilted under the accumulating punches, his left eye swelling shut after the first round. The end came in the final minute of the second period when Gomi shook up Nakakura (11-3-1) with right hooks to the face and body, sending him backwards into the ropes. Gomi then threw a right hook to the body, followed by a left and right hook to Nakakura’s head for the knockout. Referee Taro Wakabayashi jumped in at 4:41, as Gomi (30-5, 1 NC) swarmed to finish.

“I’ve come back home,” screamed an ecstatic Gomi, greeted by raucous applause. “This is my return to Shooto and a return to my style, the ‘Rascal Style.’ I don’t have a belt or anything now, so why don’t we throw down for one next time?”

Meanwhile, Shooto South America 154-pound champion Willamy Chiquerim submitted Pacific Rim 154-pound titleholder Yusuke Endo at the first-round bell.

When Endo botched an early takedown, Chiquerim (13-1) took advantage and captured mount. The Brazilian champion landed several punches before Endo pried him off with his legs and forced Chiquerim to stand in his guard. Endo (12-3-2) then sat up but landed right in Chiquerim’s arms for a guillotine choke. Suzuki called the catch a minute later, but Chiquerim was forced the tap out soon after.

The most surprising finish belonged to Cage Force lightweight champion and Sengoku veteran Mizuto Hirota, who shocked everyone by destroying Mitsuhiro Ishida.

Ishida (18-5-1) circled Hirota, landed harrying low kicks and baited the Gutsman banger forward. Hirota, who only recently discovered the wonders of taping his hands, absorbed the punishment and patiently set up the fight-ending one-two, which seemed to knock the wrestler out cold in a corner. Hirota (11-3-1) lunged to finish, but as Ishida sat up to drive for a double-leg, Wakabayashi stepped in for the stoppage just 93 seconds into the first round.

Elsewhere, Kotetsu Boku got back on track, as he dispatched Yutaka Ueda in the first round.

Pumping a stiff jab into Ueda’s face, Boku followed up with grazing right hooks; Ueda responded by landing low kicks. The end came when Boku (14-5-2) disengaged from the clinch and sent a stiffened Ueda to the mat with a flurry that ended with a hard right straight. Boku closed in on his fallen foe and dropped punches as Ueda (6-2-1) covered up. Having seen enough, Wakabayashi intervened at 4:56 of round one.

Finally, the unbeaten Megumi Fujii did not even break a sweat against South Korean import Won Bun Chu. Fujii (17-0) dropped for a leg lock right at the opening bell, but, in defense, Chu fell on her with her full weight. Chu (0-1) survived kneebar and toehold attempts, but she could not stop Fujii from taking mount and ultimately moving to side mount, where she locked up the keylock. Suzuki called the stop at 0:52 of the first round.

Other Bouts
Kenichiro Togashi def. Tetsuji Kato -- Majority Decision
Akiyo Nishiura def. Takumi Ota -- Unanimous Decision

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 98 official weigh-ins set for May 22 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will host the official fighter weigh-ins for "UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida" on Friday, May 22.

As always the event is free and open to the public.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT/local time), and the first fighter hits the scale at 4 p.m. PT. UFC.com and Yahoo! Sports will host live streams of the weigh-ins.

The same venue hosts the following day's pay-per-view event. UFC 98, which takes place May 23, features a title fight between UFC light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and top contender Lyoto Machida, as well as the long-awaited welterweight fight between "The Ultimate Fighter" coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

Prior to the weigh-ins, members of the UFC's official fan club, the UFC Fight Club, are invited to a question-and-answer session with former UFC light-heavyweight title-holder and fan favorite Quinton Jackson. The session takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. PT on May 22.

The official fight card for the (injury-riddled) UFC 98 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida (for light-heavyweight title)
* Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
* Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Drew McFedries
* Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen
* Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Brock Larson vs. Chris Wilson
* Pat Barry vs. Tim Hague
* Kyle Bradley vs. Phillipe Nover
* Andre Gusmao vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
* Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* David Kaplan vs. George Roop

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antwain Britt swiftly KOs UFC vet Antonio Mendes at Shine Fights

The featured bout at Saturday's Shine Fights' debut event ended swiftly.

Eights seconds to be exact.

Antwain Britt (7-2), who earned a spot on "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast before being forced off the show due to injury, stopped UFC vet Antonio Mendes (16-5) with a swift first-round knockout during Saturday's "Genesis" event at the Celeste Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Britt, who suffered a submission loss to Jamal Patterson in February, picked up his fourth win in five fights when he launched an immediate attack on Mendes in the opening seconds of the night's headline bout.

Mendes, an American Top Team member who went 0-2 during a recent stint in the UFC, crashed to the mat. Britt followed with a flurry of blows to force a stoppage just eight seconds into the fight.

After a 12-fight win streak that earned him a ticket into the world's top fight promotion, Mendes has since suffered three consecutive losses, all via first-round stoppage.

Other winners from the card included Brian Foster (10-3), who picked up his 10th stoppage victory in 10 career wins and snapped a five-fight win streak put together by opponent Kyle Baker (6-4). Foster post a 59-second knockout win.

Additionally, H.I.T Squad fighter Martio Stapel (15-12) picked up his ninth career submission win by forcing 45-fight vet Harris Sarmiento (25-20) to tap out from a guillotine choke at the 1:47 mark of the first round.

Shine Fights, launched by Devin Price (the brother of former "TUF" cast member and Shine Fights matchmaker Dorian Price), is expected to host its next show in July. The event, scheduled to take place in Miami, is slated to feature Roan Carneiro (a scratch from the debut card) vs. Jorge "Macaco" Patino.

"We wanted to launch in Ohio," Devin Price, who competed in basketball and track at the University of Rhode Island before getting his MBA at Ohio State, recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But we plan to go to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, even the Norfolk, Va. area (for future shows)."

The full results from "Genesis" included:

* Antwain Britt def. Antonio Mendes via KO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:08
* Brian Foster def. Kyle Baker via KO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:59
* Mario Stapel def. Harris Sarmiento via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 1:47
* Beau Baker def. Jason Nickoson via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 1:53
* Marcus Reynolds def. Brad Harris via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:16
* Joel Wyatt def. Nick Braker via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 3:17
* Ed Newalu def. Dan Swift via unanimous decision
* Valter De Menezes def. Brian Rogers via unanimous decision

 

[Shogun Locc]

FIGHTING BLIND, BEN HENDERSON OPENING HIS EYES

In mixed martial arts, fighting blind is typically more or less a euphemism, but in WEC fighter Ben Henderson's case, it's been applied quite literally.

Often seen after fights donning glasses that make him look rather scholarly, Henderson, in a recent interview on MMAWeekly Radio, gave some insight into the effect his poor eyesight has had on his fight career.

"It's not very good, my vision," said Henderson. "I can (my opponents) far away as a blur, but the closer they get, if I squint, I can see them more clearly.

"With the years of wrestling, once I have my hand on somebody, I can feel them pretty well, where you need to see. But as far as boxing and kickboxing-wise, it did take me a long time to get used to it, to really see the punches coming. It took me a while to get adjusted and really see it coming, but I do the best I can. I see a general blur, once they get within range, I see enough to avoid the punches and all that."

That's surprising coming from someone who has to fend off punches for a living. But it is also something that Henderson is working on correcting.

"We are talking to a guy right now... on some eye surgery, PRK. I'm not eligible for LASIK because LASIK is for people who don't do combat sports like wrestling and whatnot. So I have to get the PRK done," he explained.

If everything goes as planned, Henderson's recovery time should only be seven to 10 days, according to what his ophthalmologist has told him.

"As bad as my eyes are, after I get the surgery, it'll be like night and day difference. I'm excited for it," he stated. "I don't like getting punched in the face. I like to avoid it at all costs. So if getting surgery helps me to avoid getting punched in the face, I'm all for it."

Besides being excited to avoid the punches that are flung in his face, Henderson is perhaps even more excited for what it will do for his arsenal.

"I think with the boxing, my punches will be more crisp and precise," he explained. "And also, on top of that, I'll be able to see the punches coming from a lot further away. So I'll have three-quarters of a second to pick up the punch, as opposed to a quarter of a second. Just that less than half a second to see something coming on the way is a big difference."

Henderson has made a sizable splash since accepting his WEC debut as a short notice fill-in. He now has back-to-back wins in the WEC cage against Anthony Njokuani and Shane Roller. But even with the promise of finally being able to see his opponent's coming, he is in no hurry to rush his way into a title fight.

"A lot of guys in the MMA world are in too big of a hurry. I'm 25 – I'm not super young for the MMA game – by the same time, I'm not old either. I have plenty of time. I'm not in any hurry."

When everything in his fight career thus far has been a blur, literally, maybe it's that much easier for Henderson to want to slow down and savor the sights as they come his way.

 

[Shogun Locc]

RANDY CAN RELATE, SUPPORTS CHUCK'S DECISION

There are a number of options for Chuck Liddell’s future, and former opponent Randy Couture supports all of them.

Couture told MMAWeekly.com he empathized with Liddell’s situation – the former light heavyweight champ is currently stuck in the middle in a war of words between coach John Hackleman and UFC president Dana White – though he hadn’t spoken to him personally in recent weeks.

Having been asked questions about retirement for much of his career, Couture can understand Liddell’s struggle.

“I’ve talked with some of his friends, and I know he’s struggling with the decision, he’s being pressured, and he’s not sure that’s what he wants to do,” said Couture. “I want him to do it on his terms, do what he wants to do, what’s in his heart. He’s a smart guy, and he’ll be able to rationally evaluate how he feels physically, how he feels mentally, where he’s at.”

White made the unusual decision to announce Liddell’s retirement after the former light heavyweight champ was TKO’d by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 97. But Liddell never fully committed to the idea, despite White’s claims of a promise made to retire in the event of a loss, and he has yet to formally announce his decision.

Couture said Liddell’s losses to Rashad Evans and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua should not be factored into his decision.

“You almost have to in some ways throw the performances out the window,” he continued. “He’s got that kind of style anyway, that’s the fighter he’s always been. We’re just used to seeing him on the other side of it – landing the shot instead of taking the shot. He has to rationally evaluate all the other stuff: his lifestyle, his training, his spirit and warrior’s heart he has. All those things are the real factors.”

Couture notes the issue is further complicated by the friendship between Liddell and White. Because he has a relationship with both, he gets where they’re coming from.

“I see (Chuck’s) point,” said Couture. “It’s like, ‘you’re not going to fight for the UFC again, because we don’t want to see you do this anymore.’ That sucks. He should be able to make that determination on his own and still have the option to fight if that’s what’s really in his heart. But I understand too, him and Dana are very close, and Dana doesn’t want to see him get hurt, get knocked out. He has his own strong opinion and he’s willing to voice it.”

But as someone who’s struggled with the UFC over his destiny, he believes the fighter should have the final say on his future.

Should Liddell decide to retire, he sees an active future for the former champ.

“He’s still going to be a public figure for the company, an ambassador for appearances, for representing products and fights,” said Couture of the option.

“Could he get into training and helping fighters prepare? Absolutely. He’s got some great kids that he works with now that are in the WEC now. The UFC’s getting involved in this whole gym endeavor – that’s an area that Chuck could be of use for them, setting up curriculums and training regimens for striking and wrestling. There’s places for him for sure. Whatever he decides to do, I’ll back him.

“Maybe he’ll be the accountant.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

NEW BRITISH PROMOTION HEADED STRAIGHT TO TV

Bravo Television is a tempting proposition for any Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the U.K., as it presents a unique opportunity to reach a wider viewing audience as well having a background in UFC programming. In short, Bravo understands the sport.

So when it was originally announced that Bravo was considering MMA in its programming schedule, the promotions started to take note, most of all the British Fighting Championship and Ultimate Challenge. The reality is that neither show will be featured on Bravo and that a new tournament based format show will emerge in its place.

Starting on June 28, BAMMA will be running its first event on Bravo, a fight card featuring three tournaments across the lightweight, middleweight and light heavyweight categories and will be fought with the winners moving onto a place in the finals. August 16 will feature featherweights, welterweights and heavyweights with the winners helping to make up the final show of 2009 on September 26 that will crown a champion of each weight class.

So the BAMMA name looks familiar? It should to anyone training MMA in the U.K. Originally formed back in the dark ages of the sport to regulate events and provide certification on training gear, the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts has recently evolved into its own promotion and will be looking to build upon its background as it moves into the live event arena.

Finer details of the new promotion are quite limited at the moment, but what we do know is that all fights will take place the evening before the broadcast date. It is expected that all events will take place in London, but exact details of venue have yet to be finalized.

With fight cards still to be determined for the BAMMA events, MMAWeekly.com can exclusively confirm that the following bouts have been set:

Middleweights:
John Maguire vs. Tom Watson
John Phillips vs. Denniston Sutherland

Lightweights:
Abdul Mohammed vs. Tim Radcliffe

Having caught up with John Maguire recently, he was forthcoming in his opinions on the fight. “I have been waiting for this fight for ages. It's been a long time coming and now that contracts are signed, I can concentrate on training hard. My last fight was against Chris Rice, so I am really itching to get back in there.”

It appears that the demise of TWC, Nuts TV, and ITV's termination of Mixed Martial Arts programming hasn't blunted the appeal of the sport. The UFC generates solid viewing figures with its TUF 9: U.K. vs. USA show, and Bravo, with its MMA broadcasting experience, can only help to improve weekend viewing for the core MMA fan.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TEAM BRAZIL SCORES A SHUTOUT AT M-1 CHALLENGE

SAU PAULO, Brazil – After losing to Team USA West by a 3-2 margin during the season opener of the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction," losing at home in their second head-to-head series was not an option for Team Brazil.

However, matched up with the 2008 defending M-1 Challenge Cup Champions Team Imperial, Brazil felt the need to change four of its five fighters heading into Saturday's "Fourth Edition" of the 2009 M-1 Challenge from the Ginasio Esporte Club Sirio in Sau Paulo, Brazil.

Led by former IFL superfight veteran Eduardo Pamplona, the team's lone holdover from the opener, Brazil swept Imperial by a score of 5-0. Pamplona earned "Fight of the Night" honors after improving his record to 11-2 following his majority decision victory over BodogFIGHT veteran Erik Oganov (9-10).

Prior to Pamplona's fight contested in the M-1 Challenge welterweight division, Brazilian prospect Hacran Dias preserved his perfect record (11-0-1) after submitting Amirkhan Mazikhov (1-1), the first-ever graduate of the M-1 Selection fight series.

The M-1 Selection was created with the intent to established qualifiers for the 2010 M-1 Challenge. However, Mazikhov received the promotion to the M-1 Challenge sooner than anticipated after an injury replacement was needed for Mikhail Malyutin.

With big shoes to fill, Mazikhov held tough in the early going before Dias took control of the fight by submitting Mazikhov with a rear naked choke at 3:58 of round 1.

The Brazilians clinched the best-of-five series to move to 1-1 on the season after middleweight Leandro "Batata" Silva (14-5) was victorious over Dmitry Samoilov (7-4-1).

Down 3-0, the Imperial Team needed to try and salvage the final two fights in order to keep their playoff hopes alive in the all-important individual victories tie-breaking category. Mikhail Zayats (8-3), one of the top fighters during the 2008 M-1 Challenge, was primed and positioned to bounce back from his shocking season opening loss in February to South Korea's Jae Young Kim.

Once again this was not Zayats' night, as Machado won a three-round unanimous decision, marking the first-time in the Russian light heavyweight's career that he has suffered consecutive losses.

Heavyweights Joaquim Ferreria (Brazil) and Maksim Grishin (Imperial) were the last two fighters to take the stage with Ferreira (8-2) allowing Brazil to complete the 5-0 sweep over Imperial after submitting Grishin, another graduate of the M-1 Selection, with a North-South choke at 3:57 of round 1.

With the 5-0 victory, Brazil took sole possession of second place in Group B. With a 1-1 challenge record and an individual record of 7-3, a second Brazil victory coupled with a loss for Team USA West could put Brazil in a position to qualify for a post-season berth.

In the night's second team challenge, Russia Legion supplanted Germany for first place in Pool D by defeating the Germans by a score of 4-1. The end result was quite disappointing for a German team that recorded a 5-0 victory over Turkey in Bourgas, Bulgaria this past March.

Kicking it off for Legion was steady veteran Yura Ivlev (7-5), who forced Franco de Leonardis (11-4) to tap out to knee strikes on the ground at 2:14 of round 1. Legion then moved to 2-0 following Magomed Shihshabekov's knockout of Sven Heising. Shihshabekov also defeated Jason Ponet of the World Team during March's event in Bulgaria and now holds a perfect 3-0 record.

Down 2-0, Gregor Herb kept the Germans' hopes alive after submitting Sergey Kornev at 4:32 of round 1. It was a quick and dramatic comeback for Herb, who was losing the round and appeared to be running low on energy before catching Kornev in an armbar.

Unfortunately, Germany's hopes of a comeback were dashed by Legion light heavyweight Gadzmyrat Omarov, who improved to 4-0 after submitting last-minute replacement Ismail Centikaya.

Despite having clinched it team challenge vs. Germany, Legion still needed to notch an additional individual win to take over first place. Enter heavyweight Akhmed Sultanov (4-3), who submitted German heavyweight Lars Klug (1-3) with an armbar at just 1:21 of round 1.

The fourth edition of the M-1 Challenge opened with an upset, as Bulgaria won a 3-2 head-to-head challenge match with Team Benelux.

Benelux, an amalgamation of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, was a finalist in the 2008 M-1 Challenge under its previous identity, Team Holland. After being upset in Tacoma this past February vs. Finland during the season opener, Benelux was favored to defeat a Bulgaria team that lost 5-0 to Team USA East in its home country this past March. However, it was Bulgaria that was the team able to redeem itself and not Benelux.

Things started off poorly for Benelux after Danny van Bergen (7-4-3) was submitted by Yanko Yanev despite dominating the fight with strikes administered from the top position. However, Yanev had a slipper guard and tried numerous submission attempts from the bottom before eventually catching Yanev with armbar at 2:23 of round 1. Yanev improved to 7-1 after suffering his first professional lost in March against jiu-jitsu ace Renato Migliaccio.

There was a brief momentum change during the welterweight matchup between Benelux and Bulgaria, when Raymond Jarman (10-8) landed a beautiful flying knee to Ivan Ivanov (5-1), earning himself a TKO victory just 35 seconds into the fight.

Former UFC veteran and one-time Bulgarian national wrestling team member Jordan Radev (19-4) put Bulgaria back in front following a unanimous decision victory over Danny Smit.

Despite a 2-1 lead, Bulgaria was still an unlikely candidate to complete the victory with Benelux's two best fighters, Jason Jones and Jessie Gibbs, still slated to compete. However, Jones (8-7) suffered his second loss of the season after a doctor forced a stop to his light heavyweight encounter vs. Emil Samoilov (4-0-1) due a doctor's stoppage as a result of excessive blood from Jones' nose.

Despite having been guaranteed a team loss, a rejuvenated Gibbs enacted a measure of revenge for his Benelux teammates. After missing the team's February opener, Gibbs (7-2) needed just 1:37 to submit Nikola Dipchkov (0-1) at 1:37 of round 1.

The fifth edition of the M-1 Challenge is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 5 in Kansas City, MO with Team USA East returning to action against Finland. Lineup information will be released soon at www.M-1Global.com, with updated results and current team standings currently available at the site as well.

Official Results of Saturday's M-1 Challenge Event:

Team Challenge Number One: Bulgaria vs. Benelux -

1. Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Yanko Yanev (Bulgaria) def. Danny van Bergen (Benelux) via submission (armbar) at 2:23 of round 1
2. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Raymond Jarman (Benelux) def. Ivan Ivanov (Bulgaria) via TKO (flying knee) at 0:35 of round 1
3. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Jordan Radev (Bulgaria) def. Danny Smit (Benelux) via unanimous decision
4. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Emil Samoilov (Bulgaria) def. Jason Jones (Benelux) via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 2:09 of round 1
5. Heavyweight: (204.7 lbs.-plus/+93 kg): Jessie Gibbs (Benelux) def. Nikola Dipchkov (Bulgaria) submission (strikes) at 1:37 of round 1

Bulgaria defeats Benelux 3-2

Team Challenge Number Two: Russia Legion vs. Germany -

6. Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Yura Ivlev (Legion) def. Franco de Leonardis (Germany) via TKO (strikes) at 2:14 of round 2
7. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Magomed Shihshabekov (Legion) def. Sven Heising (Germany) via knockout (strikes) at 4:27 of round 1
8. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Gregor Herb (Germany) def. Sergey Kornev (Legion) via submission (armbar) at 4:32 of round 1
9. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Gadzimyrat Omarov (Legion) def. Ismail Centinkaya (Germany) via submission (strikes) at 1:09 of round 1
10. Heavyweight: (204.7 lbs.-plus/+93 kg): Akhmed Sultanov (Legion) def. Lars Klug (Germany) via submission (armbar) at 1:21 of round 1

Russia Legion defeats Germany 4-1

Team Challenge Number Three: Brazil vs. Team Imperial -

11. Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Hacran Dias (Brazil) def. Amirkhan Mazikhov (Imperial) via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:58 of round 1
12. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Eduardo Pamplona def. Erik Oganov (Imperial) via majority decision
13. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Leandro Silva (Brazil) def. Dmitry Samoilov (Imperial) via three-round unanimous decision
14. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Alexander Machado (Brazil) def. Mikhail Zayats (Imperial) via three round unanimous decision
15. Heavyweight: (204.7 lbs.-plus/+93 kg): Joaquim Ferreira (Brazil) def. Maksim Grishin (Imperial) via submission (North-South Choke) at 3:57 of round 1

Brazil defeats Imperial Team 5-0

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Winning means everything inside the Octagon

“In Pride, I used to take fights on 10-day notice, one-week notice. And as long as you went out and put on a good show, you were fine. You’d be back next time. UFC’s a little different. And I think the drawback of that is that sometimes you get really boring fights. You have guys that are worried about winning; they’re not really worried about putting on a show. I think you’ve seen that in the last couple of events in the UFC, and that’s the double-edged sword…. It’s a lot of added pressure and stress. I think the most important thing is to go out there and put on a good show. There’s other organizations out there, other promotions out there. I think at the end of the day, even if the UFC was to cut me, I’ll go back to Japan or find somewhere else. Worse things have happened.”

-- Former Pride FC star and current UFC heavyweight, Heath Herring, talks to MMAWeekly.com about the importance that fighters place on winning inside the Octagon … even if it means fighting careful and not putting on exciting matches. His promotional debut against Jake O’Brien in 2007 is a prime example. “The Texas Crazy Horse” has struggled since that time, winning just two of five fights with the organization. His next fight against Cain Velasquez at UFC 99: “The Comeback” in Cologne, Germany, on June 13 is more than likely a “do or die” situation, but he doesn’t seem to concerned about his future — there are other options beyond the eight-walled cage.Then again, fighters such as Clay Guida, Patrick Cote, Chris Leben, Alessio Sakara and Chris Lytle, to name just a few, have all struggled at times in their careers and still been invited back because of their styles. Where should the UFC draw the line?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gesias “JZ” Calvancante possibly headed to Bellator

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that top lightweight Gesias “JZ” Calvancante has expressed interest in the possibility of joining the fledgling Mixed Martial Arts organization Bellator’s second season.

The bit of information came in a conversation with Bellator CEO/founder Bjorn Rebney at this past Friday’s Bellator VI event. American Top Team’s Calvancante attended a previous Bellator card where he stated his interest to Rebney in involving himself with Season Two’s lightweight tournament.

The young Brazilian is widely regarded as one of the top 155-pound fighters in the sport. He is 12-1-1 in his last fourteen bouts and is scheduled to compete against Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM 9 on May 26, 2009.

 

[Shogun Locc]

More Thoughts on MMA for NY

Assemblyman Bob Reilly will interject himself into the ESPN piece that should is coming up shortly. It is a bit odd that he is venturing beyond his opposition to MMA, going further and choosing to interject his feelings on particular promoters of MMA. Not sure how that jibes with his supposed opposition to the sport as a whole, and not the individual promoters. Then again this would tie in with the money trail from Unite Here to Reilly.

The article indicates that there should be a vote before the tourism committee within the next couple of weeks, while Mike Chiappetta over at MMA Fanhouse indicates that a vote is only likely through the end of the session in late June. As the members of the Tourism committee will take up the issue soon, it is instructive to take a look at CampaignMoney.com and the money links between Unite Here and those on the Tourism committee that will decide the fate of MMA:

Brodsky: $500 in 2003, $1000 in 2004, $3400 in 2006
Del Monte $1500 in 2004, $10,000 in 2006
Fields $1000 in 2004
Gunther, $1000 in 2003, $500 in 2008
Gianaris $3500 in 2003
Hoyt $500 in 2004, $1500 in 2006, $1000 in 2008
McEneny $500 in 2004, $3000 in 2006
Reilly $1500 in 2004, $4000 in 2006
O’Donnell $1000 in 2006

Do I think there is a strict quid pro quo going on for opposition to MMA? No, Unite Here lobbies on a number of topics in the State of New York, MMA being one among them. Their donations look to sway legislators on any number of subjects. Through their donations in the past, Unite Here has built relationships with these legislators, relationships that may be revisited with the vote for the MMA bill to come out of committee and into the larger Assembly. It should be interesting to see how the legislators listed above vote on the subject once they are asked to go on the record as yeah or nay on MMA for New York.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pan-Regionalism in MMA Promoting

Total MMA’s Alan Conceicao takes a look at when regional MMA doesn’t really mean regional MMA:

The problem is that “regional MMA” is generally not actually regional. King of The Cage is a small feeder show and accepts that, but it is not regional. Its been franchised out to a number of promoters all across the world who’ve put on events everywhere from Wisconsin to Singapore. There are no touring fighters that go from place to place for 6 months, challenge for titles, lose by DQ, and go to the next territory. Bellator and SHINE may be guppies, but they certainly aren’t regional, and they definitely aspire for more. MFC is among the many organizations that has been open about expanding their operations to new locales with aspirations of joining the big dogs of the sport.

The problem is that “regional MMA” is generally not actually regional. King of The Cage is a small feeder show and accepts that, but it is not regional. Its been franchised out to a number of promoters all across the world who’ve put on events everywhere from Wisconsin to Singapore……. Bellator and SHINE may be guppies, but they certainly aren’t regional, and they definitely aspire for more. MFC is among the many organizations that has been open about expanding their operations to new locales with aspirations of joining the big dogs of the sport.

In the case of someone like Bellator, whose ethnic based appeal would lend itself to a more tightly focused regional approach (Texas, Florida, California) has seen them branch out beyond those areas in the Northeast, Canada, and beyond. XFC has jumped from Florida to Knoxville, Tennessee and has entertained the thought of entering the Canadian market if Vancouver proper once again allows MMA in that city. MFC’s Mark Pavelich has looked at reversing that move and heading south of the border and extending his promotion into the States. The promotions seem to be “tweeners” - to small to be national, but to big to be regional. TV often plays a factor in the tweener status. Strikeforce played very much the same role, being a bit of a tweener when it had the NBC and HDNet deals and worked shows in Denver and the Pacific Northwest.

Conceicao’s piece is well worth a read and looks at how these burgeoning super-regional shows might tie in to a future landscape where the UFC puts on weekly live television show. Go check it out.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Shamrock pens instructional book "Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies"

Mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock has earned his share of titles in a near-15-year professional fighting career.

With the recent release of his first book, "Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies," the 36-year-old adds "author" to his list of accomplishments.

"The book is something I've been writing for about 15 years since I first started training," Shamrock recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "When I got into martial arts, back when it was no-holds-barred, someone told me to take notes and write everything down. So I just started writing everything down, and it kind of became a running training log/manual of sorts."

Shamrock originally used his notes as a training curriculum for students in his San Jose-based martial arts academies. When approached with the opportunity to publish his work as part of the 200-million-copy-selling "For Dummies" series, Shamrock immediately accepted.

"I just couldn't resist," Shamrock said. "It's such an iconic brand."

While the book provides a detailed history of the evolution of mixed martial arts as a sport, Shamrock believes readers will benefit from his focus on the concept of martial arts in its entirety.

"I think everybody can learn from [the book]," Shamrock said. "It's written for the novice person who knows nothing about mixed martial arts, but there's so much information in there. It's so varied in the content we have from the meditation to the stretching to all the things that are holistic about martial arts, which most people don't even realize is present.

"It's an art form, and it's a lifestyle. It's a way of thinking. I think a lot of that is in the book. There's a different way to think about mixed martial arts. When you begin thinking that way, you kind of understand it better."

It's the latest step for the UFC and Strikeforce veteran in his quest to educate the public on the sometimes-controversial sport of mixed martial arts.

While the rapidly growing sport that combines the best aspects of traditional martial arts and combat sports is often described as "brutal" or "barbaric," Shamrock sees the beauty in the lifestyle required for success during competition.

"Most people see [mixed martial arts] on TV and have a completely different opinion on what it really is," Shamrock said. "It really is martial arts. It's a lifestyle of training.

"Martial arts is for everybody. That's my opinion, and I think the people that benefit the most from it are the kids and are the young ladies in their self-defense."

To prove his point, Shamrock is opening up his academy at the San Jose Athletic Club in San Jose, Calif., to the public for free classes through May 14. The school is one of three academies Shamrock owns in the Bay Area.

"We run a regular martial arts school inside of the facility, and then the two communities interact and have become one," Shamrock said. "We do all kinds of promotional stuff and community effort stuff to get people in and see what's going on."

In addition to his new book and mixed martial arts academies, Shamrock is filming a reality series about training in the sport. The former UFC champion is also fulfilling television-broadcasting duties for the California-based Strikeforce promotion.

It's a lot for one man to juggle, but Shamrock's commitment to educating the public to the benefits of martial arts forces the 35-fight veteran to wear a variety of hats.

Of course, that doesn't mean Shamrock the businessman has completely won out over Shamrock the fighter, despite recent discussion of a potential retirement.

"I love the new format with (premium cable channel) Showtime and Strikeforce – not only the energy of it, but the educational format of it is very strong," Shamrock said. "And I love commentating. It's better than getting my head punched in, and I get to talk about fighting, which is something I love to do.

"But I don't know. I love fighting. I want to fight. I think I've just got to pick which hat."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Following back surgery, Goran Reljic takes up light training for UFC return

Goran Reljic's UFC debut couldn't have gone much better.

Pushing his professional career record to 8-0, the 25-year-old Croatian defeated Wilson Gouveia via second-round TKO and earned a $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts.

Reljic (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) hasn't fought since that UFC 84 main-card bout a year ago, but his manager told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the middleweight recently recommenced light training and hopes to return to the UFC later this year.

Reljic had been slated to make his second UFC appearance in October at UFC 90. However, a back injury forced him out of his scheduled bout with Thales Leites just two weeks before the Chicago event.

"Since then we had been trying different (forms of) rehabilitation to solve his back problems," Relic's manager, Zoran Saric, said. "Three months ago, doctors in Croatia decided to do lower back/disc surgery. Everything went well, and Goran started light training for a month."

Saric said he's keeping a watchful eye on his client because Reljic likes to train and spar in mock fight conditions, and "the human body is just made to take pressure like that, specifically on the back and joints where fighters get hurt the most."

Assuming the light training continues successfully, Reljic will then be sent to a neurologist for another evaluation before he's cleared to train at 100 percent.

Reljic remains under contract to the UFC, and Saric said the organization remains patient.

"Goran is such a talent, and it'd be a shame if we didn't see him fighting again," Saric said. "So Goran is coming back soon stronger and better than ever."

 

[Shogun Locc]

With Anderson Silva partnership, Rich Franklin staying at light heavyweight

Although he'll move from 205 pounds to 195 for a UFC 99 main-event fight with Wanderlei Silva in June, Rich Franklin will return to light heavyweight division.

Quite possibly for good.

In this week's "MMA Insider" column for the Dayton Daily News, MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp spoke to Rich Franklin, who said his new alliance with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva probably means a permanent move to light heavyweight.

As MMAjunkie.com reported last week, Franklin recently arrived in Los Angeles for two weeks of training with Anderson at Black House. Franklin is spending approximately a quarter of his pre-fight camp with "The Spider" as he prepares for UFC 99, which takes place June 13 in Cologne, Germany.

Although still ranked among the world's best 185-pounders, Franklin was already bearish on his prospects in the division. After losing his title and a rematch to Anderson, Franklin knew a third fight was unlikely. And now, with a mutually beneficial partnership with the champ, Franklin doesn't want to compete in the same division as Anderson.

"I'll say this much,” Franklin told the newspaper. "With training with Anderson out here in L.A. and him being the champ at 185, it really makes me feel like I don’t have a place at 185 pounds anymore.

"I don't see myself going to back to 185."

Since a pivotal victory over Ken Shamrock in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in 2005, Franklin has made two other appearances at 205. The first came in a TKO victory over Matt Hamill in September at UFC 88. The second came against Dan Henderson in January, when Franklin suffered a close and somewhat controversial split-decision loss.

He'll return to the division after his fight with Wanderlei (who plans to move to 185 pounds, possibly for a future with Anderson, after UFC 99).

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz: King of Kombat promotes with cuts, creativity

With a recession gripping the country, the days of simply building a cage, rolling out some fighters and dressing down a few ring-card girls to produce a successful local MMA show are over.

Creativity is the new "killer app" in promoting an MMA show, and it covers everything from two-for-one tickets to replacing paid staff with volunteers to give regional and local promoters a fighting chance to separate fans from what little discretionary cash they have left.

While some promoters sit on the sidelines waiting for the reemergence of better economic times, King of Kombat (KOK) owner and CEO Ron Hernandez isn't one of them. Not only is Hernandez planning on staging shows this year in the promotion's home market of Austin, Texas, he's also considering expanding KOK to Houston and, later, San Antonio. Hernandez is doing so with a fine eye on expenses and using unconventional approaches to managing costs.

"Instead of paying people for setting up the venue and other jobs, I'm giving away annual packages to our fights for volunteers to come help us set up," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If they come and set up with us, they get to watch the fight for free. If they break down with us after the fight, they get to go to the next fight for free. I try to implement a lot of volunteers rather than having people on pay. I try to do a lot of trade. I try to cut every single possible dollar I can. And, even my vendors – the guys who run the lights and the sound – I've had to cut their bids almost in half. We're all in this together. If I continue to lose money, then we're all going to be out of a job."

Welcome to the harsh reality of trying to make a local show work. Hernandez opted for this stripped-down approach out of necessity for his sixth show, held at Austin's Crockett Center on April 25. He had little choice. Hernandez's traditional sponsors such as Dave & Busters and a local Harley-Davidson dealer had their marketing budgets sliced, which resulted in a more than 50 percent reduction in sponsorship revenue for the April show. And, those are dollars that can't be replaced by hiking ticket prices when consumers are more closely guarding their wallets.

In its promotions for the show, KOK introduced a "push card" or coupon good for $3 off a regularly priced ticket and a free nonalcoholic beverage. Prices ranged from $25 to VIP cage-side for $145. Hernandez says the discount offer, which was pitched at several Austin-area bars for a six-week period ahead of the event, generated interest. Each bar promotion also included ticket giveaways. However, pre-show ticket sales were running about 15 percent behind the pace set by previous KOK events, which have featured several Texas-based fighters, including Pete Spratt, Nick Gonzalez and, most recently, Todd Moore.

Fighters on a KOK undercard typically earn $500 to fight and another $500 for a win. Main-card fighters pocket between $2,500 and $3,000 to show, with the same amount for a victory bonus. The main event on last month's card was a welterweight bout between Kamel Shalorus and Mike Jackson.

KOK launched in September 2007 and prior to this year, had drawn close to the Crockett Center capacity of 3,500 for three of its first five shows. Last month's attendance drew a comparable crowd. Hernandez isn't turning a profit yet, but in keeping with his creative approach, each show affords him an opportunity to invest in the future by acquiring additional infrastructure and equipment.

"For instances, during these last six fights, I haven't made any money, but we own our own lights," he said. "I own my cage. I own my linens. I own my bleachers and barricades. Every time a fight goes on, I get to acquire new equipment. By the time our eighth or ninth fight comes around, there will be no more sub-vendors. I'll own our sound system, our screens. I'll own everything, so my operations costs will be almost eliminated. I'm predicting by our 10th show, we'll be profitable."

Hernandez, who trains in MMA himself under Rudy Vasquez in Austin, had no intentions of getting into the business of promoting shows until his sponsorship of a local MMA event in Texas left him unimpressed.

"I started off as a sponsor, and a staffing company I owned sponsored a show," Hernandez said. "When I started going to fights, I started noticing that there was a lot of the 'used-car-salesman' type of mentality in the industry. And, loving the sport and seeing how these fighters put their time and their hearts into it, I wanted to change things, and we are now the last steppingstone before fighters get to the big leagues."

With a solid base of fighter and fan support now established in Austin, Hernandez is eyeing expanding KOK beyond the Lone Star State capital.

"We will eventually move on to San Antonio and move on to Houston, and I more or less want to stay in Texas," said Hernandez. "We'll be in San Antonio in the next two or three years, and I want to move our next fight, in July, to Houston."

KOK has three more shows planned this year, but those plans don't include television – at least not yet.

"I'm playing it right, continuing to have sold-out shows, the best fight cards in Texas," he said. "If I go to them, I'm not going to get the best deal for my buck. I'm going to sit back and wait for someone to come to us to make a TV deal."

Hernandez is clearly bullish on the local MMA scene. In his opinion, local and regional promotions shouldn't be at risk even in these recessionary times.

"Not if you play it smart," he said. "If you go out and triple your wages on your fighters and spend ridiculous amounts of money on your vendors, and just don't watch your dollar, you're going to lose money, and you're going to file bankruptcy. But if you prepare for the worst and maintain your entertainment value, you'll hopefully turn a profit.

"That's what we're expecting."

 

[Shogun Locc]

New Strikeforce series debuts this week

Strikeforce and Showtime collaborate on their first "Strikeforce Challengers" event Friday night, with unbeaten lightweight Billy Evangelista headlining against Mike Aina.

"The difference between the 'Strikeforce Challenger' series and the bigger Strikeforce events is that we're looking for the next up-and-coming stars," said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. "The next Robbie Lawlers, the next Gina Caranos and the next Frank Shamrocks. And we're going to find them on these Challenger series."

In theory, billing a series as "seeing tomorrow's stars today" sounds compelling, but the truth is some of the mixed martial artists on the series will be longer in the tooth than those on the championship Strikeforce events. Plus, Showtime needs some familiar names to attract viewers.

For the premiere of the series, Evangelista (9-0) represents a legit rising contender. Aina, not so much. At 11-6-1, he's neither up nor coming, but he does have a modicum of name recognition from camera time in EliteXC.

The series originally was announced to MMA media as "SHO MMA: Strikeforce Challengers," but brevity eventually won out and SHO MMA was dropped.

Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros, the duo behind the microphone on the ShoXC series, are back to take the announcing helm on the Strikeforce version. Pat Miletich will join them as the third man in. They will call the action from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira wins Brazilian debut at Jungle Fight Ceara

World top-15 light heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira picked up his fifth consecutive win and made a successful Brazilian debut at this past weekend's Jungle Fight event.

"Minotoro" (17-3) submitted Dion Staring (15-6) via second-round triangle choke at an event on Ceara Beach in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The Brazilian fighter previously had never fought in his home country.

Nogueira dominated the fight standing and on the mat. A takedown and submission attempt in the third round eventually forced Staring, a European fighter and Golden Glory team member, to tap out due to the choke.

Nogueira, now 5-1 in his past six fights, previously fought at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning," where he picked up a quality win with a second-round knockout of Vladimir Matyushenko in January.

Six of Nogueira's past seven wins have now come via stoppage.

Saturday's event was part of a new and aggressive promotional schedule for Jungle Fight, arguable Brazil's most popular MMA promotion. Although events have been held sporadically in past years, Jungle Fight now plans to host monthly shows while trying to keep some of the country's top fighters competing domestically.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pulver, Others Offer Liddell Unsolicited Advice

Like Chuck Liddell, Jens Pulver is at a career crossroads.

Both veteran fighters have lost many more bouts than they’ve won recently and are considered by some in the sport to be on the downside of long, storied careers.

So Pulver can certainly relate to the 39-year-old Liddell’s situation, in which the MMA light heavyweight superstar is under pressure from UFC President Dana White to hang his gloves up and retire.

Pulver, however, as well as everyone else asked by Sherdog.com, said that only Liddell can decide what’s next for Liddell.

“He’s in the same boat I’m in,” said Pulver (22-11-1), 34, a WEC featherweight who has lost five of his last six fights, including his last three. “Personally, I think he needs just to sit back and figure out what it is he wants to do.

“Should he retire? No,” Pulver said. “I mean, I don’t believe anybody should retire unless they feel they’re ready to retire. Is he still a fighter? Absolutely. The guy can knock someone out in a heartbeat.”

Following Liddell’s first-round technical knockout loss against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 97, his fourth loss in his last five fights, White said he would not allow Liddell (21-7) to fight again in the Octagon out of concerns for his physical well-being.

Pulver said that unlike Liddell, he needs the money, especially since his second child, a son, was born in December, and that’s a big factor in him deciding not to retire.

“So does he need the money? No,” Pulver said. “So why does he even want to do it? ‘Why do you feel like doing it?’ And find that out and hold on to that, man, and use it to get through training, use it to go back, go old school, go back to your roots, to what got you here. Lambaste people. Ignore the bumps. Get back out there and keep going. You get bumped off. You get back on.”

Pulver said Liddell’s age in and of itself is no reason to retire.

“But when you’re fighting the best guys in the world, the top five guys in the world, things are gonna happen, and that’s something I’m always saying to myself: ‘You’re not losing to the worst guys in the world,’” said the former UFC lightweight champion.

However, unlike in boxing, Pulver said, there are no “tune-up” fights in the Octagon.

“Chuck’s name is too big,” Pulver said. “He’s a Hall of Famer, a legend, a world champion. Every guy he fights is gonna be gunning for him. `Cause they can make a name for themselves” by beating Liddell. “I’m sitting in the same boat. Everybody I fight, they’re coming at me 1000 percent.”

Pulver said he presumes his next opponent, 20-year-old Josh Grispi, who he faces June 7 for the WEC, will be no exception.

Another older MMA superstar, Randy Couture, who temporarily retired in 2006 after getting knocked out by Liddell in their rubber match at UFC 57, agreed that only Liddell can decide what’s next for his career.

“I'm in support of whatever Chuck decides is best for him,” said Couture, 45, who come out of retirement in 2007 to capture the UFC heavyweight belt for a third time before losing it to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 last November. “I reserve comment. It's hard enough making a decision like that without everyone else adding their two cents.”

Monte Cox, widely considered the dean of MMA managers, agreed with Pulver, who he represents, that Liddell’s age alone is no reason to retire. Cox cited a number of fighters older than the 39-year-old Liddell who are still competing, including Couture, Mark Coleman, 44, and Dan Severn, 54.

“It’s certainly a precedent that guys that age in the sport can still compete,” Cox said. “It’s funny how it works in MMA. You can be on top of the world and you lose two fights and everyone thinks you’re done.”

Noting that Liddell and White “get along probably as well as any promoter/fighter duo out there,” Cox said that “if Chuck really wants to fight again, I think Dana will let him fight.”

And as Liddell’s longtime trainer, John Hackleman has suggested, Liddell’s next fight doesn’t necessarily have to be against an opponent as top-tier as his last several, Cox said. That likely would produce a victory for Liddell that would re-build his confidence, or at the very least, let him go out a winner, Cox said.

“It’s not something that would be revolutionary,” he said. “It happens all the time.”

Former fighter Jeff Clark, who along with another former competitor, Matt Stansell, runs NCFC Fight Management in Carlsbad, Calif., said he believes “a lot of people are born to do certain things and I think he (Liddell) is kind of born to be a fighter. So a lot of times if people try to get forced into other things, it doesn’t transfer all that naturally.”

White told Sherdog.com last Thursday that he wants Liddell to work for the UFC for the rest of his life, possibly doing regulatory work for the promotion.

Clark said that since Liddell remains such a draw and his passion for fighting is still there, “why not let the guy fight? You don’t have to be just the best in the world. As long as he still draws, as long as people still want to see him, you know, he could probably still have a few more fights in him.”

Despite White’s insistence that Liddell will never again fight in the UFC, Clark said he can’t imagine that White would ever let Liddell fight for any other promotion.

“It’s hard for me to believe that Dana would allow that to happen because Chuck is such a huge draw,” Clark said. “He is a guy who will become an icon of the sport forever.”

Even so, Clark said, from Liddell’s perspective, fighting in another promotion “would be great move because I think wherever Chuck fights, people are going to watch him.”

White told Sherdog.com that he would never allow Lidell to fight for another promotion, but later said he might if Liddell really pressed him to do so.

Trainer Greg Jackson, who runs Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M, one of the top MMA camps in the country, said, “Chuck’s next career move should be whatever Chuck feels is best for him. I think he’s still relevant. I think he’s still a great fighter. He’s got a lot of options.”

Those options, Jackson said, as Pulver and Cox noted, include, “trying to get back on the winning track by taking someone [on] not at the highest level. Getting his game back together might be a really good move. It’s all up to him and Hackleman, who are very knowledgeable and certainly know what to do.”

Jackson said he believes that even as he approaches 40, Liddell still has some fights left in him.

“I think he does,” Jackson said. “No one can tell a fighter when he’s done except that fighter. Your friends can say, ‘Hey I think you should be done,’ but he has to feel it in his heart.

“People are looking out for his best interests, or what they feel are his best interests, but it really has to come from him.”