MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

ATT LEADER RICARDO LIBORIO LEADS USA GRAPPLING

USA Wrestling announced a new alliance to provide leadership for USA Grappling, its national program in the sport of Grappling.

Internationally respected coach Ricardo Liborio of Coconut Creek, Fla. has been named the National Coach for USA Grappling.

“Ricardo Liborio brings credibility to our Grappling program,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We are confident that we will not only sustain our competitive excellence but will take it to a new level with Ricardo on our team. USA Wrestling is committed to maintaining our dominant position in international Grappling.”

Jeff Levitetz of Boca Raton, Fla., USA Wrestling’s 2004 Man of the Year, has been named Managing Director of USA Grappling.

“Jeff Levitetz has had a significant impact on the programs at USA Wrestling,” said Bender. “Our Grappling program will significantly benefit from his leadership and involvement. We look forward to working with Jeff to build, expand and improve the sport in America.”

In addition, FILA, the international wrestling federation, has notified USA Wrestling that it has been selected to host the 2009 World Grappling Championships in the United States.

The 2009 Grappling World Championships will be held at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Dec. 12-13. The No-Gi competition will be held on Dec. 12, with the Gi competition on Dec. 13. The U.S. is the defending World Team champions in both disciplines.

Ricardo Liborio is the co-owner and head instructor for American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., one of the top Grappling and MMA academies in the world. He was a champion in international Jiu-Jitsu, and has trained numerous champion athletes in Grappling, Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and other disciplines.

In his new role, Liborio will help develop the national Grappling program. He will serve as the head coach of the 2009 U.S. Grappling World Team. Liborio will organize and conduct the 2009 U.S. Grappling World Team Training camp at the American Top Team facility in Coconut Creek. He will also help coach U.S. Grappling athletes from around the nation as part of the USA Grappling program.

“I am honored to be named the National Coach for USA Grappling,” said Liborio. “I understand the responsibility of this position. Our athletes will need to fill in their knowledge in comparison to other countries. Our intention is to get the best athletes to compete under the flag of USA Grappling and to represent our nation at the FILA World Grappling Championships.”

As an athlete, Liborio was awarded a Black Belt in 1993 under Master Carlson Gracie. He was a 1996 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World (Mundial) Champion, and was voted the Most Technical Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor in 1996 Mundial. A three-time Brazilian National Champion, he placed second at the Abu Dhabi Submission Tournament in 2000 and third in 1999. Liborio was a Brazilian national champion in judo, and also was a state champion in wrestling in Brazil.

Liborio was a co-founder of Brazilian Top Team, a successful program he directed in Brazil for two years. He moved to the United States in 2001 and along with Dan Lambert, developed American Top Team into a championship program. He was voted NAGA Coach of the Year in 2005 and has been inducted into the NAGA Grappling Hall of Fame. He is the trainer of multiple World Champions and MMA fighters. Among the champion Grapplers he has coached are Ricardo Arona, Marcelo Garcia and Jeff Monson. Liborio is expected to receive his American citizenship later this year.

“Hosting the National Team here for training will allow our athletes to go to the next level,” said Liborio. “It will improve the level of technique and training in our nation. Hosting the World Championships will provide a lot of tough competition because it is held in the United States. It will be hard work for our team. We will have more competition than ever before.”

Levitetz, a longtime leader within USA Wrestling, has developed an involvement in Grappling through his sons, who train under Liborio. His personal friendship and association with Liborio and American Top Team has developed over time. He has worked with USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender and American Top Team owner Dan Lambert to formulate plans to improve the U.S. program.

Levitetz will be involved in USA Grappling in program development on the National Team level, as well as developing the brand for the sport. He will also serve as a spokesman for USA Grappling. He is excited about USA Grappling and its potential for growth and success.

“We start with the best coach we could ever hope for,” said Levitetz. “We are both very excited to work together. I will act as a liaison between Ricardo Liborio and USA Wrestling to help identify where the USA Grappling program is headed. The alliance between USA Grappling and American Top Team is very exciting. We welcome the prospects of what this can become. We are interested in exploring all possibilities for Grappling in the United States.”

Levitetz served as Team Leader of the U.S. Olympic Team for Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was a team leader for other U.S. international teams, including the 2003 Senior Greco-Roman World Team, the 2003 Pan American Games Greco-Roman Team, the 2002 Senior Freestyle World Team and the 1999 Senior Freestyle World Team.

He served as Co-Chairperson of the successful “Wrestling for the Next Millennium” capital campaign, which benefited USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Levitetz developed The Levitetz Family Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships for worthy athletes to attend summer wrestling camps they would not have otherwise been able to afford.

Levitetz is the Chairman of the Board of Purity Wholesale Grocers, Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla. His company has been listed among Forbes top 150 private-owned companies. In 2002, Levitetz was named as an Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which recognizes former wrestlers for their success in all walks of life.

FILA hosted its first Grappling World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland in December 2008. The competition features divisions for both men and women in two disciplines, No-Gi Grappling and Gi-Grappling. The United States won the team title in both disciplines at the 2008 Grappling World Championships.

The last time that USA Wrestling hosted a World Championships event in the United States was in 2003, when the Freestyle World Championships were hosted in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

 

[Shogun Locc]

JOHN ALESSIO LOOKS TO REBOUND AT MFC 21

After having lost his last two fights, former UFC and WEC welterweight John Alessio found himself at a crossroads.

He could either resign himself to possibly never getting back to form, or he could make some serious changes to improve himself and get back on track.

Alessio chose the latter.

As he explained to MMAWeekly.com, “I had to re-evaluate what was going on. I had to do a little soul searching to figure out what I thought might have been wrong. Whether it be in training or my personal life, I just re-evaluated everything.”

While deciding to remain at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Alessio shook things up by adding top Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Robert Drysdale and famed boxing coach Gil Martinez to his coaching staff.

Those additions, including his already established work with Muay Thai guru Shawn Tompkins, have him anticipating great things in his future performances.

“I think you’re going to see a big difference,” he stated. “You’re going to see a guy who is willing to stand in the pocket and trade more punches because I know now that my footwork and head movement have improved a lot.

“My jiu-jitsu has gotten a lot tighter and we'll be adding more submissions to my arsenal, but the main thing I’m looking for is more control on the ground. I’m excited to get out there and showcase the stuff I’ve been working on.”

Scheduled to face Andrew Buckland at the Maximum Fighting Championship on May 15 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Alessio knows he’ll be in for a tough fight against an up-and-comer looking to make a name for himself.

“It’s a dangerous fight when you’re fighting a kid who’s got nothing to lose,” said Alessio. “He’s probably going to let it all hang out and be aggressive. But that’s just going to help me and fall into my game plan.

“I’ve got the experience, strength and all those things on my side. I’m going to use that to my advantage and take him out.”

Further motivating Alessio is his desire to rank among the top fighters at 170 pounds.

“Honestly, I’ve had enough of sitting in the middle,” he admitted. “I’ve been a fighter where you can say I’m not Top 10, but I’m not trash. I’m sitting in that middle zone and I’m (expletive) tired of it.

“My goals now are to become a black belt in jiu-jitsu, for my boxing and Muay Thai to be world class, continue to learn, develop my game and make my mark on this sport. I want to end up in the Top 10 and be a guy who isn’t forgotten about in 10 years down the road when I’ve stopped fighting.”

A win on Friday could not only put him back on the winning track, but it could also bring Alessio one step closer to his goals.

“I want to say thanks to Tapout, Knockout Wear, GAMMA-O, Dr. Shaw Chiropractic and Denaro Sports Marketing,” he concluded. “Thanks also to my girlfriend, my family and friends for all their support.

“I want to dominate this fight and then figure out what’s next. Whether it’s a run at a title in the MFC – which I’m very interested in – or fighting in the UFC; I just want to fight good opponents, get paid decent and have a good time.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sean Sherk's "Deadly" Workout Preparing for UFC 98

 

[Shogun Locc]

Phil Baroni: Joe Riggs ‘is a kid’ who is going to get ‘hurt’ during Strikeforce fight on June 6

“He will find out when they lock us in the cage together. I’m nobody to overlook or take lightly. I need this win bad and I will fight like I do. He is a kid. He’ll have a lot more opportunities after I KO him…. I think I’m going to be too much for him to deal with and I’ll break him down and KO him. It all depends how long he wants to stick around for. I’m going to try my best to really bust him up and hurt him. It should not go three.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paulo Filho on Wanderlei Silva: ‘I’m here to help’

Wanderlei Silva recently announced that he had a desire to bury the hatchet and train with formal rivals Paulo Filho and Ricardo Arona, today a response was reported from Filho in regards to the invitation.

“It would be an honor, I’m very happy to have received this invitation and tell him to wait for me… What he needs from me, I’m here to help” Filho was quoted as saying to Tatame.com concerning the invite.

Filho last competed at WEC 36 where he was handed his first loss at the hands of Chael Sonnen in an extremely lackluster bout that had the crowd jeering more often than not.

However, although Filho was the WEC’s middleweight champion at the time, he missed weight which caused the bout to be changed to a non-title bout at the last minute which resulted in the title never switching hands.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce, Showtime encouraged by "Challengers" series as May 15 nears

The California-based Strikeforce promotion is just days away from hosting its first "Strikeforce Challengers" event on Showtime, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently said he's looking forward to a packed house on May 15 at the SaveMart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Well, a scaled-down packed house, anyway.

"The arena is set up for 4,500 seats," Coker recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We're approaching the 2,400 (tickets sold) mark. I think we have a really good chance to have a really good crowd at that venue."

While the "Strikeforce Challengers" shows will feature smaller crowds and focus on developing new talent within the organization, Coker said he doesn't want to skimp on the quality of venues Strikeforce books for the shows.

"I know that the past regime used to go to mostly Indian reservation casinos or some different types of casinos where they were in a ballroom that sat 1,500 or 1,800 (people), something like that," Coker said.

"But we, for the first two shows on May 15 and the second show on June 19 – which will be in Kent, Wash., and Joey Villasenor is going to fight 'Cyborg' Santos in the main event, and that's 'Cyborg's' husband, not the wife – on those two shows we've chosen to go into these venues that we're going to set up for 4,000 to 5,000 (seats)."

Showtime Senior Vice President Ken Hershman said fans not at the arena can also expect a unique feel to Friday night's Showtime broadcast. The event will be headlined by a lightweight contest between Mike Aina and Billy Evangelista.

"The look and the feel of the 'Challengers' show will be distinct and unique to itself," Hershman said. "While there's obvious continuity with Strikeforce as the over-arching brand, the Challenger show has its own graphic look, it's own separate announce team of Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich, and less of the bells and whistles that we bring to the big show.

"Those would be a bit overkill in some of the venues we're going to be expecting to be in, but (we'll still have) the same high quality standards that we bring to every show."

Showtime's broadcast of the April 11 "Shamrock vs. Diaz" event from San Jose, Calif., registered as the second-highest rated MMA event ever broadcast on the network. While the "Strikeforce Challengers" shows aren't expected to draw the same type of ratings as the larger shows, Hershman is still encouraged by what the new series will represent.

"The 'Challenger Series' is going to be on Friday night at 11 p.m." Hershman said. "It's a different audience, different HUT levels, so the two aren't really apples-to-apples. We'll look at it much more akin to our ShoBox series, and those have a very nice, steady audience – very, very reliable group of fans.

"And remember we re-run this shows repeatedly across the schedule, so people if they can't see the live show have an opportunity to see some of the replays. Then we'll have clips and things available online as well. There's plenty of chance to catch the action."

While premium-cable networks focus more on subscriptions than ratings, Hershman believes MMA has been an important part of Showtime's recent growth.

"We never really can tie any increase in subscriptions to any particular program, whether it be an original series or a sporting series such as Strikforce," Hershman said. "One thing I'll tell you is that in the last two years, Showtime subscriptions are up well over two million subscribers, and that's a testament just to the great programming, including mixed martial arts and boxing, that we have on the the network.

"The other thing, in terms of the male 18-to-34-year-old demo, the Strikeforce show did garner almost nearly half of the audience of 18-to-34-year-old males, which is a very, very significant number for us. No programming on Showtime draws that kind of number. So, in terms of hitting the demo, it does so dead on."

A longtime broadcaster of championship boxing, Hershman said he's been impressed with the market share MMA has been able to gain.

"Mixed martial arts continues to surprise me with its strength compared to our boxing franchise," Hershman said. "It's right up there with the top boxing events that we do. We look for sustained growth from [MMA]."

While "Aina vs. Evangelista" certainly doesn't carry the type of name-recognition Strikeforce's "Shamrock vs. Diaz" event utilized, Coker promises the end product will still be just as entertaining.

"It's a smaller card, but there's not going to be any easy fights," Coker said. "It's all going to be tough fights with tough young guys to see who can step up and move to the next level."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thales Leites to face Alessio Sakara at UFC 101 in August

The UFC wasted little time in finding a replacement for the injured Rousimar Palhares an as-yet-unannounced bout with Alessio Sakara (13-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) at UFC 101.

Recent middleweight title challenger Thales Leites (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will step in to meet the Italian striker at the Aug. 8 event in Philadelphia.

Leites revealed his involvement in the bout to Intheguard.tv, two days after Palhares was scratched from the event.

Paulhares was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a broken tibia in training.

Leites was last in action in the heavily criticized main event of UFC 97 in April. The Nova Uniao fighter lost a unanimous decision to middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a lackluster bout that brought a chorus of boos from the Montreal crowd in attendance, as well as a host of questions from many MMA observers.

Leites had put together a five-fight winning streak before the loss to Silva.

Sakara hasn't fought since a September 2008 knockout win over Joe Vedepo. The American Top Team fighter owns three knockout or TKO victories in the UFC, but Sakara has also been stopped in the first round in all four of his losses for the organization.

With the change, the current UFC 101 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian (for UFC lightweight title)*
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin (non-title fight)
* Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Kendall Grove
* Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellgrino

PRELIMINARY CARD

* John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
* Dan Cramer vs. Matthew Riddle
* Rob Emerson vs. George Sotiropoulos
* Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort
* Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley*
* Thales Leites vs. Alessio Sakara*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

GABE RUEDIGER RETURNS, LEAVES PAST BEHIND

Heading into 2009, former WEC lightweight champion Gabe “Godzilla” Ruediger was on a downslide.

After a controversial stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” bad tidings with his former team and a neck injury forced him on a rollercoaster ride of wins and losses.

In desperate need of a change, Ruediger set out on a new path, got healthy and has since won both fights this year, the most recent being a 63-second submission victory over Darren Crisp for the Palace Fighting Championship this past Friday.

“I think it was decisive, obviously,” he said of his PFC win. “I would have liked to have stood a little more with him, but when I really thought about it, why even give him an option of potentially winning.

“If I could decisively win the fight by what I’m best at, why not utilize that.”

Getting back on the right track after having a tumultuous past couple years wasn’t easy. As Rudiger puts it, it took the willingness to do things his own way to set things right.

“I had my neck fused in ’08, and to rebound off that was kind of difficult,” he stated. “I changed camps – which helped out immensely – and started CrossFit by Overload, which has helped my strength and conditioning as well.

“Those factors and getting into a good, solid, positive camp was the biggest thing. The camp I was involved with had a lot of negativity, so just being involved with very positive people helped me out immensely.”

Opening a gym with martial arts guru Bob Chaney, combined with going back to his roots working with Millennia Jiu-Jitsu and Rodrigo Medeiros of BJJ Revolution was just the start. Now Ruediger hopes to put his past behind him as he works his way back into the 155-pound mix.

“I think it’s unfortunate that a television show dictates what people think of me,” he commented. “I think that one aspect completely detracts from my career up to that point.

“To an extent, it is important to me to show that’s not the person I am or the fighter I am. I want to stay active and take my spot back in the lightweight division. Now that I’m 100-percent (back from neck injury) and in training, I’m ready to make a run at it.”

Rudiger is due to return to action in early June, and from there he hopes to be ready to step back up into the big time.

“I’ve really decided that my first few fights would be in small organizations, just so I could get that ring rust off and rebuild myself,” he said. “I didn’t want to jump into a big organization right away.

“I wasn’t ready to fight top tier competition. Now, I’m slowly picking up my competition and I think one more fight I’ll be ready to fight in the major organizations.”

Having put his past firmly behind him, Ruediger looks to recapture sense of excitement and promise he had started out his career with, and silence the naysayers in the process.

“I want to thank Toe-2-Toe, Fairtex, 40 Duce Clothing, OnTheMat, CrossFit by Overload and Bob Chaney’s Martial Arts,” he concluded.

“I hope that those were fans before hand and stuck with me are still watching, and those have their eyes closed are finally able to open them.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Takanori Gomi: Hi, Dana!

In shape and focused for the first time in a while, the Takanori Gomi of old returned to us on Sunday evening's Shooto Tradition Final card, where he knocked out Shooto 154-pound world champion Takashi Nakakura late in the second round.

After the event, Sherdog.com was able to catch up with an ecstatic and jovial “Fireball Kid” to talk about his immediate feelings on the bout, as well as his next step in the sport.

Sherdog: It's been about 20-30 minutes since your knockout victory over Takashi Nakakura. How're you feeling now?

Gomi: Shooto is where I grew up. It feels like home, like my hometown. I feel nostalgic. It feels really good.

Sherdog: In the days leading up to Shooto Tradition Final, you were commenting that this fight with Nakakura was a “do or die” for you -- that you absolutely needed to win. Now that you've returned to Shooto and have won like this, do you feel reborn?

Gomi: Yeah. I've been a pro for about 10 years. MMA is starting to lose its popularity a little bit here, and a lot of people in Japan don't really know what's going on in places like the UFC and all that. So, I felt I needed to step up and do my best to show them what MMA is all about.

Sherdog: Your right foot seems to be all taped up. Did you injure it during training?

Gomi: No. They're actually both taped up, just for support. No injuries.

Sherdog: Speaking of training, is there any one thing that you can credit in your preparation for your success tonight?

Gomi: Mm, it's the return, my mental mindset in coming back. Day by day, my chances become fewer and fewer, and the window to challenge myself overseas gets smaller and smaller. The opportunities are less and less now.

Sherdog: Do you feel like you're racing against the clock?

Gomi: Yeah, certainly. [Laughs] My time is running out, while my students are getting better and better, so that puts even more pressure on me!

Sherdog: Since “time is running out,” where do you want to go next? Do you want to stick around in Shooto a little longer, or will you be heading back to fighting in big promotions? What do you, personally, want to do?

Gomi: I'd like to relax for a little bit, and if I continue fighting, I'd like to test the waters overseas.

Sherdog: Is there any goal in particular now that you think you must achieve?

Gomi: I'd like to get married. [Laughs]

Sherdog: That is indeed a great goal, but what about your career? Is there anything you're set on doing, or do you just want to take things one fight at a time?

Gomi: Yeah, one fight at time. I want to help out my teammates and just take things one fight at a time.

Sherdog: Are there any comments you'd like to convey to all your international fans?

Gomi: “I'm coming soon! The Fireball Kid will be there!” [Laughs] I'd like to thank all of you, and continue to thank you for supporting me and MMA. You guys are important, and I'll continue to do my best. Oh, and tell Dana White I said, “hi!”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tompkins Scolds Silva

Xtreme Couture marquee trainer Shawn Tompkins may not be in Wanderlei Silva’s corner against Rich Franklin at UFC 99. Tompkins disclosed that Silva’s erratic training schedule wasn’t to his liking and that he instructed Silva to find a different trainer.

Since I’m sure stereotyping entire nationalities can only end well, it’s worth pointing out that Brazilians are somewhat notorious for paying little heed to the clock. In a recent profile commissioned for Real Fighter magazine, Thiago Alves was observed as having “improved” on his tardiness.

Trainer Marcos da Matta: “He’s getting better. [For an 11 a.m. class], instead of coming here at noon, he comes at 11:15.”

Way to apply yourself, Thiago. Silva is his own man, and he knows himself best, but his fans had better hope his fluctuating instruction -- he’s now training with former Chute Boxe tutor Rafael Cordeiro -- doesn’t mar his concentration. At this stage in their respective careers, Franklin is the far fresher fighter, and it’ll take a considerably focused “Axe Murderer” to navigate through his defenses. Angry Caveman Swinging™ probably isn’t going to cut it.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Choi criticized for Canseco fight

The critique in Korea for Choi isn’t ending. Last week it was him acting in Japanese movie “Goemon”, now it’s his DREAM fight against Canseco. However, Denis Kang defended Choi when asked about it in an interview on a Korean site. He is disappointed that Canseco is fighting but said that the fight might not be the will of Choi, but his managers.

Akihiro Gono, who is a big fan of baseball, is another fighter who is disappointed at Canseco fighting. He expressed this in a column on Kamipro.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Korean Zombie back to training

Chan Sung Jung knows what he has to improve from now on as he indicated in an interview by Korean site MFight that he will work on his Wrestling for future fights. He is still hostile toward Kanehara and has a burning desire for a rematch where he says that he will definitely return the debt.

He doesn’t know if he will fight in the reserve fight of the GP but he has already begun training for his next fight. He think Sandro and Hioki will meet in the final of the GP.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vale Tudo Japan 2009! Don Quijote On Shooto Ring Posts

It was rumored a while back and now it’s official. Vale Tudo Japan will return for the first time in 10 years this fall with Vale Tudo Japan 2009. No other details have been revealed.

SENGOKU’s big sponsor Don Quijote was on the ring posts at the Shooto event this past weekend. It seems like the relationship between WVR and Shooto promoter Sustain might start to take off. Could Vale Tudo Japan be something that they are working on? If I remember correctly the VTJ 2009 rumor started around the same time that WVR and Sustain announced their relationship.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Everything in its Light Place

When I got into sports at 10, I thought I was a “fan” of the Minnesota Vikings and Colorado Avalanche. I realized in subsequent years -- as my interest in those specific teams waned -- that it really wasn’t any attachment to the abstract idea of “team” that I had but rather that I deeply enjoyed watching the offense Brian Billick had put together and the Avalanche’s blend of technical dominance, with both grit and flair.

Although the Bill Simmons era has made super-fandom tolerable in journalism, that mentality has always stuck with me. Since becoming a prizefighting geek, I’ve had the chance to watch, meet, interview and even train with many outstanding fighters, but I’ve never really formed any deep attachments that make me feel as if their success is paramount to me. Most of my desire to see any fighter win comes from whether or not I’ve bet on him or her, or whether or not I’ve said or written something that will make me look like a moron if he or she loses.

I’m also motivated by the fact that because of my sports “nerdiness,” I’m pathologically rational, fastidious and orderly. I’ve found now that I tend to gravitate toward any champion -- team or individual -- retaining titles, because I like the prestigious cleanliness of legacy and dynasty. I love a good upset now and again -- if I didn’t, covering mixed martial arts would have been a rather insane choice of interest -- but I feel the best about sports, and life itself, when I feel like everything is in its right place.

That’s why, despite some souring refereeing -- which I’ve already blogged about -- I so thoroughly enjoyed Shooto’s 20th Anniversary on Sunday.

Takanori Gomi turning in a vintage performance against Takashi Nakakura made me happy as an MMA observer. It wasn’t because I have any affinity for Gomi (in fact, it should be the contrary due to past difficulties in dealing with his management), but he’s a great lightweight fighter, and so for him to perform as one is righteous. Nakakura is an underrated and legitimate opponent, but Gomi dealt with him as an excellent fighter should deal with a very good fighter, showing the division between the two with a stern knockout.

It’s a tad too early to assume Gomi is going to return to the form he showed in 2005. However, I feel the world is a more just place when he actually shows up in shape and doesn’t turn in the sort of clunkers he’s turned in since bashing Mitsuhiro Ishida nearly two and a half years ago. Gomi is MMA’s most accomplished lightweight; even though I would, without hesitation, pick B.J. Penn to re-dummy him in a rematch, that doesn’t change the fact that, over his 10-year career, Gomi has done more within the boundaries of that weight class than anyone. If he’s going to take a backseat to the enormous amount of talent that’s filling up the lightweight division, domestically and internationally, so be it, but I’d rather he lose as a trained, prepared and motivated fighter than the compromised sort we’ve seen over the last two years.

I’ve already discussed elsewhere how dismaying Taro Wakabayashi’s stoppage in the Mizuto Hirota-Ishida fight was at JCB Hall. I’ve spent column inches in the past bemoaning the negative impact of overly officious refereeing and the disruption it can have on fighters’ livelihoods. For those reasons, I feel less nauseated in this case.

If the e-mails I’ve received on the event are a representative sample, Ishida already has popular opinion on his side as far as the stoppage goes, and I doubt Dream and Strikeforce brass will erase him from their memories due to the loss. While he’ll have to suffer with an unjust loss on his ledger, his future prospects aren’t particularly compromised in the way that early stoppages in big shows often compromise. Meanwhile, Hirota’s win actually bodes very well for the immediate future of domestic MMA and ultimately may have a more pragmatic end.

Not only does Hirota get some well-deserved publicity, but his win makes Sengoku’s Aug. 2 show much better than before. That card is scheduled to feature lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka’s first title defense, despite no clear top contender. After knocking off Leonardo Santos earlier this month, former Deep champ Kazunori Yokota looked like the potential choice, despite the fact that he met Kitaoka in Sengoku’s lightweight tournament last year and wasn’t terribly competitive.

Although Yokota beat Hirota to get into that tournament final, styles make fights, and Hirota is more interesting against Kitaoka. Yokota is savvy and well-rounded but lacks the major one-shot power Hirota has shown since he began to tape his hands 18 months ago. No, that’s not a joke. For Kitaoka, who’s still very hittable and has struggled against anyone who has kept him upright, Hirota is the more daunting task and, for fans, a much more compelling fight.

I was happy to see Kotetsu Boku not just beat Yutaka Ueda but stop him in the first frame. This is no attack on Ueda, but he’s 25 years old, has a career ahead of him and hopefully can learn from it. Boku is about to turn 32 and, despite cropping up in K-1 Max, Hero’s and Dream over the years, hasn’t been able to get quality purses with any regularity.

That sort of ill luck is commonplace in fight sports, but I’m more sympathetic to Boku for a variety of reasons. He’s been robbed of at least three wins in the last two years and change (Kenichiro Togashi, Artur Oumakhanov and Yusuke Endo). Secondly, he’s been physically shortchanged by the cosmos. With his accuracy and combination punching, he should be a highlight reel regular, but he’s always displayed an unfortunate lack of natural punching power that has undermined his style. Go watch him land a crisp 53-punch combination on Joachim Hansen, only to be hit with a massive Mortal Kombat uppercut from the Norseman that sent him flying across the ring.

On top of all that, he’s truly tried to become a better fighter on the floor in the last year and has made genuine progress. Boku is true to the game, always fun to watch, aesthetically and technically, and got shafted when the fight gods were giving out KO power. The fact that he got a first-round stoppage and the chance to maybe grab a bigger purse somewhere else makes me believe there’s justice.

Brazilian prospect Willamy Chiquerim choking out Endo also makes the future more interesting. A stud up-and-comer like Chiquerim deserved a take-notice win, and this one earns him a return ticket to Japan. If he had lost, it would have been easy for Shooto’s brass to leave him in Brazil to defend his South American Shooto title. Instead, he now provides an interesting face in an otherwise stagnant division where nearly every fighter has already fought one another with little appeal in rematches. When we get to see Shooto hold fast to its own ideology as an international sport, and we get the mixing of regional talent pools and see contenders emerge, I’m profoundly excited.

These four outcomes -- all in the lightweight division, incidentally – can’t totally assuage the constant chaos of MMA. However, events like this make me feel better about the sport and life, when they’re working like the tidy, rational machines they should be and so seldom are.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Spike TV debuts "Countdown UFC 99" preview show on June 9

The UFC's official preview show for next month's "UFC 99: The Comeback" event debuts June 9 on Spike TV.

"Countdown UFC 99" airs at 11 p.m. ET/PT, and a replay is slated for the day of the event, June 13, at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The Spike TV-televised show focuses on the night's headliners, Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva, who meet at a catch-weight of 195 pounds in the first-ever UFC event to take place in Germany.

The overseas event in Cologne airs in an unusual pay-per-view slot at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT). The night's preliminary card begins at approximately 12:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. PT).

Cameras will follow Silva as he prepares for the bout in his new home of Las Vegas, where he recently opened his own training facility. Training stops for Franklin, meanwhile, include his home of Cincinnati, as well as Los Angeles (where he's been training with Anderson Silva) and Seattle, where he works with head trainer Matt Hume.

The main event is vitally important for both fighters, who look to rebound from recent losses. Silva, fighting for the first time since his December knockout loss to Quinton Jackson, has now lost four of his past five fights. He plans to drop to middleweight after UFC 99, but he needs a win to gain any sort of momentum.

Franklin, meanwhile, fights for the first time since his close split-decision loss to Dan Henderson in January. The former middleweight champ, who recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's moving back to light heavyweight after the fight, headlines an event for the first time since he lost a rematch to Anderson Silva at UFC 77 in October 2007.

The full card for UFC 99 includes:

MAIN CARD (televised)

* Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva
* Heath Herring vs. Cain Velasquez
* Ben Saunders vs. Mike Swick
* Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
* Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-televised)

* Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim
* Dale Hartt vs. Denis Siver
* Peter Sobotta vs. Paul Taylor
* Roli Delgado vs. Paul Kelly
* Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve
* Mustapha al Turk vs. Todd Duffee
* John Hathaway vs. Rick Story

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce opens May 19 "Lawler vs. Shields" press conference to the public

Nearly three weeks before the organization makes its Missouri debut, Strikeforce will head to St. Louis for a press conference with many of the card's top fighters.

The organization has opened the event to the media and the public.

The press conference takes place next Tuesday, May 19, at the Atrium in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The event begins at 1 p.m. CT (local time).

The Scottrade Center also hosts the June 6 "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" event, which airs on Showtime. The main event features two champions from the now-defunct EliteXC organization, middleweight Robbie Lawler and welterweight Jake Shields, at a catch-weight of 182 pounds.

In addition to Lawler and Shields, scheduled to appear at the press conference are event participants Kevin Randleman and opponent Mike Whitehead, and Joe Riggs and opponent Phil Baroni. Strikeforce CEO and founder Scott Coker will also be in attendance.

Strikeforce, which recently inked a multi-year deal with Showtime, is based in California and recently expanded into Washington and Colorado. The June 6 show marks its first-ever event in the Midwest.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce's Evangelista fights pressure, Aina in May 15 main event

Imagine the pressure that comes from fighting in a nationally televised main event for the first time – pressure to perform and prove you're worthy of the evening's top billing.

Or imagine the pressure of fighting in front of your hometown crowd for the first time – friends and family excited for the chance to watch you perform live.

Now put both of those situations together, add in the fact that you're trying to remain undefeated, and you'll understand what it's like to be Strikeforce lightweight Billy Evangelista (9-0).

"I think a lot of people want me to win, especially since I'm the local boy," Evangelista said on a recent media call. "I try to just ignore the pressure – mainly be by myself and really focus on what I've got to do instead of just the pressure, just what everybody else wants."

Evangelista is in the final days of preparation for his May 15 main-event bout with Mike Aina (11-6-1) at "Strikeforce Challengers." With the event being held in Evangelista's hometown of Fresno, Calif., the striking ace admits there's some excitement surrounding his appearance.

"It's a great opportunity for me," Evangelista said. "People have been asking me when I was going to start fighting in Fresno because I had been fighting everywhere else around here. I know Strikeforce had come here once before, so they were just like, 'Talk to them. Tell them to come over here.'

"You know I can't do that. (But) they're here now, and there are friends and family that are coming. I'm so excited. My Dad is going to come down and watch. That will probably be his first fight there with me."

While Evangelista hopes to impress his friends, family, and his employers, the five-time Strikeforce veteran isn't over-thinking the situation as he prepares for Aina.

"I kind of just go out there and feel the fighter and feel the fight, how it's going," Evangelista said. "A fighter can change from one day to the next. Today he's a striker, and tomorrow he's a grappler. If I just train for one counter-move and he changes on me, then my whole gameplan is kind of screwed up.

"I just try and prepare for anything that's thrown at me."

Aina will undoubtedly throw plenty at Evangelista. The Hawaiian has won four of his past five contests, with his lone loss coming in a hotly contested split-decision defeat in a September 2007 bout with Nick Diaz.

Evangelista realizes a decisive win over such a challenging opponent could prove his chance to move from Strikeforce's developmental shows to its featured performances.

"It's tough guys that I've fought, and it's only going to get tougher," Evangelista told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If I showcase what I've got ... I would think I would get opportunities for more exposure on the bigger shows with Strikeforce."

But before that opportunity comes, Evangelista must battle the pressures of Friday night's bout and the challenges that Aina will bring to the cage.

"I just want to keep having great fights and fighting tough people," Evangelista said. "I know Mike's going to be a tough guy. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to try and do my best with him."

 

[Shogun Locc]

PRANGLEY OUT TO PROVE CRITICS WRONG AT MFC

While some people feel that MMA has proven to be a recession-proof entity, some fighters would disagree.

It seems there is a sizable group of veteran free agent fighters who have been having trouble securing contracts. Among them is former UFC middleweight Trevor Prangley.

After over 10 years and nearly 25 fights, Prangley has found himself on the outside looking in, and with a noticeable frustration over the situation.

“I was trying to get with a big organization last year, but it didn’t work out, so I’ve got to go back to the grass roots I guess,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “For some reason I couldn’t get a contract signed with anybody.

“They asked to use me as an opponent for somebody, and people have turned me down. I think I’m a high-risk fight for anybody. People know that and tend to shy away from that.”

One organization that was willing to give Prangley an opportunity was the Maximum Fighting Championship promotion in Canada.

He is currently slated to challenge for the company’s light-heavyweight title on Friday in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and he’s happy for the opportunity.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a big show, and I’m ready to get out there and show the crowd I’m still around,” he exclaimed. “People forgot about me, and I want to make them remember.”

Moving up 20 pounds from his normal middleweight has Prangley cautious, but still optimistic for his chances against Emanuel Newton.

“I won’t be cutting any weight and I’ll be the smaller guy in the ring for once, so it’s going to be a challenge,” he commented. “The guy’s young and tough, but anybody who’s fought me knows that when I get a hold of you I’m going to test you.

“Not only physically, but mentally. I’m going to test every part of you and make you make a decision whether you want to be a fighter that night or not.”

Don’t expect Prangley to do things any differently this time around, regardless of circumstances.

“I’m going to fight this guy no differently than I’ve fought anybody,” he stated. “I’ve fought a lot of big name guys – and this kid is tough and up and coming – but I’m not intimated or scared, or going to change my game plan.

“I’m going out there to impose my will and inflict as much damage as I can in as little time as possible.”

At 36 years old, Prangley acknowledges that this could be his final opportunity at something big.

“I’m under no illusions that this is ‘do or die’ time for me,” he said. “This is my last chance and I’m taking it seriously.

“I’ve got a two-fight contract with the MFC, and in both fights I’m going to show promotions around the world how they lost out on me and should have signed me.”

Should his step up pay off for him at the May 15 MFC and he proves he’s still got plenty of go left in him, Prangley may not have to wait much longer for his next big moment to come.

“I want to thank my sponsors for always being there and stepping up every time I fight,” he closed out. “I want to thank all my training partners and my team up in Idaho who sacrificed their bodies so I could get the best training possible.

“I kind of get the feeling these guys are trying to use me as a stepping stone or I’m expected to not win the fight – it’s not going to happen that way. This guy’s going to realize that grabbed something by the tail that he’s not prepared to handle.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

CUNG LE NOT READY TO DITCH REAL FIGHTING

Cung Le may be on his way to movie stardom, but he still wants to get in the cage.

This year, the Strikeforce middleweight champion will have four movies in the can. Fighting, with Channing Tatum, was released last month. Pandorum, with co-star Dennis Quaid, is due Sept. 4. Video game adaptation Tekken is undergoing final touches. True Legend, with legendary fight coordinator Woo Ping, is in production.

Between takes, he sneaks in workouts, trying to stay in shape for an eventual return to the cage.

“Every time I’m on set, I have to be focused on whatever I’m doing,” Le told MMAWeekly.com. “But I’m training while I’m on set, just to stay in shape. That pushes me because I’ve got to stay in good shape to potentially defend my title. If I get a little break, I’m doing something.”

The physical demands, while difficult, pale compared to the average fight camp.

“Fight coordination and doing stunts is hard on the body, but it’s a lot more fun, because at the end of the day, nobody’s trying to take your head off,” he said.

A movie career, though, needs as much tending as a fight career, and he has to get it while the getting's good. It places him at odds with his other job as a belt holder in an emerging MMA promotion.

The shape of Le’s return is the question on everyone’s mind.

Since the acquisition of EliteXC fighters, Strikeforce’s 185-pound division has changed immeasurably. There’s enough top-tier talent for two years of middleweight challengers.

Le picked Frank Shamrock, from whom he took the belt, to beat Nick Diaz at the promotion’s exclusive Showtime debut last month. Had Shamrock won, he was a logical welcome for a return.

That rematch is now in severe jeopardy, and many of the remaining options may not favor Le, especially with a year-plus layoff. But he says he has no preference for a first fight.

“Frank and I have that chemistry, and we both come to fight,” said Le. “Nick comes to fight. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It would be great to fight Frank again. I don’t know if Nick’s going to stay in the division. There’s a whole bunch of other great middleweights in the division, too.”

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker assures his return by the fourth quarter of the year. Le doesn’t offer a timetable. His other gig is going full steam.

“I definitely plan on returning to the cage as soon as possible, but right now I have a couple of things in the works,” he said.

He doesn’t, however, want the fans to think he’s forgotten about them, or think he’s lost his taste for the cage.

“I definitely have that itch, and I’ve been training, and you can ask my coach Javier Mendez and Josh Thomson – I’m always working,” he said.

Thomson doesn't need convincing, "His heart could be halfway into it and he could still beat almost all of the top 185-pound fighters out there."

 

[Shogun Locc]

The Evolution of the Mixed Martial Arts Gym

There is an old saying that goes “Behind every good man there is a good woman”. Well I say “Behind every good mixed martial artist is a good group of trainers”. I hope that you noticed how trainer is now trainers as today’s top MMA camps have a plethora of great coaches.

The days of a fighter being trained in one discipline is long gone. All of the top camps today employ several different coaches who are experts in their own discipline. Today you can go to an MMA gym and learn boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. It is completely necessary for today’s fighters to be strong in all of these disciplines as mixed martial artists today are more well rounded than ever.

American Top Team, which has its central location in Coconut Creek, Florida, have locations all throughout Florida as well as across the United States, and they have even branched out overseas to England and Australia. They are growing at a phenomenal rate and that is just a testament to the quality of trainers that they employ.

ATT’s top MMA fighters train out of their central location. Led by head MMA trainers Ricardo Liborio and Conan Silveira, this group of fighters include UFC #1 welterweight contender Thiago Alves, WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, Denis Kang, Thiago Silva, Jorge Santiago, Antonio Silva, Din Thomas, Yves Edwards, Jeff Monson, Cole Miller, Wilson Gouveia and Bobby Lashley just to name a few.

They train in a state of the art 20,000 square foot facility that allows them to improve each and every area of MMA.

They employ former 1976 Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist Howard Davis Jr. as the team’s boxing instructor while the wrestling coach is Darrel Gholar. Gholar was a three time Greco Roman National champion, won the 2000 Vale Tudo middleweight championship and was an alternate on the 1988 Olympic team.

Coordinating a host of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts is head coach Marcos Da Matta who is a third degree black belt under Carlson Gracie. He is a BJJ world champion, a multiple NAGA superfight winner and has been invited to the ADCC’s.

Leading the instruction for Muay Thai is Chutiphat Runsgawang who has won multiple titles in the sport dating back to 1988. All told, he has over 120 Muay Thai fights.

The head conditioning coach is Stefane Dias who is credited with the great conditioning that all of the ATT fighters are always in.

If you look at the pedigrees of the trainers and those of the fighters of whom they train it is no wonder why American Top Team will be a leader in MMA for years to come.

Greg Jackson who is based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a man who needs no introduction in MMA circles as he has earned his reputation for solid game plans and for having his fighters at their peak physical condition come fight time. Boasting such stars as UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, middleweight contender and seven time King of Pancrase champion Nate Marquardt, Keith Jardine, Donald Cerrone, Leonard Garcia and Joey Villasenor, it’s easy to see why top fighters all around the world make the trek to New Mexico when they need help for a fight. The most recent addition is former UFC #1 lightweight contender Joe Stevenson who is training with Jackson in preparation for his upcoming bout with Nate Diaz. Also training with the camp is UFC heavyweight contender, the undefeated Shane Carwin.

Jackson is highly regarded by promoters, fighters and managers alike for his hands-on approach and solid game planning skills. Jackson trained fighters are constantly in the mix for titles no matter the weight class or the organization they fight in. Although Cerrone and Garcia were both unsuccessful in their WEC championship bouts the fact that either fighter earned the right is an amazing story.

Garcia had legal issues and was arrested in a drug sting operation in which he was found innocent. He never lost focus and earned his title shot by brutally destroying Jens Pulver.

Cerrone has overcome numerous injuries throughout his life and has been molded into a dangerous mixed martial artist by the hands of the man they call “Yoda”.

Jackson established Jackson Submission Fighting in 1992 and he has produced ten world champions thus far. Jackson is also well known for developing Gaidojutsu which combines basic judo locks with wrestling and striking.

His work will be on display as Evans defends his title against Lyoto Machida on May 23 and GSP defends his title against Thiago Alves at UFC 100 in July.

Jackson’s best work may have been the transformation of Rashad Evans from a great wrestler to a great well rounded mixed martial artist. Evans possessed very minimal MMA skills when he was on The Ultimate Fighter, now he is a world champion.

Last but not least is Xtreme Couture which was founded by former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture. They are based out of Las Vegas, Nevada and have began to set up locations all across the United States.

Led by Couture, this group of fighters consists of former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, Tyson Griffin, Gray Maynard, Gina Carano, Jay Hieron, Vitor Belfort, Martin Kampmann and Stephan Bonnar. The list really goes on and on as fighters flock to Las Vegas for the chance to train with the six time UFC champion Couture and his host of trainers.

Randy’s best work may have been with Forrest Griffin as he took a guy who loved to stand and bang and turned him into a world champion who began to utilize all of his other skills including his brain to become a mixed martial artist.

Junie Browning who was on last year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter is a prime example of a fighter who has talent but needs that extra push and prodding to be successful. If anyone can get the talent out of Browning it is certainly Couture.

While Couture is the head trainer the man behind the scenes who is credited with a lot of the success is Shawn Tompkins who is well known for his Muay Thai striking and clinch work. At 30 years old Tompkins is slowly building a solid reputation as a guy MMA fighters want to train with if they want to succeed.

Many of the fighters who train at Xtreme Couture also teach as well. Some examples are Tyson Griffin whose strengths are wrestling and ground pound, Jay Hieron who is a former IFL welterweight champion is proficient at Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Martin Kampmann, Gray Maynard, Mike Pyle and John Alessio also fill important roles at the gym.

The gym in which they train consists of two floors covering over 11,000 square feet in which fighters can be trained in all areas of MMA. Couture has put his fighters in position to succeed and maintains a hands on approach even when he is training for a fight himself.

If you want a great example of the respect that Couture has in MMA; Shortly after losing to Brock Lesnar in November he was approached by the new UFC heavyweight champion about helping him prepare for his next bout which will be against Frank Mir. Wanderlei Silva has also trained at the gym but it seems as though he has decided to move on due to a disagreement with Tompkins. You would be hard pressed to find an event that does not have at least one Couture fighter on the card.

Well there you have it, a brief inside look at some of the top MMA camps around today. There are plenty of other gyms that deserved consideration such as American Kickboxing Academy which boasts top UFC welterweights Mike Swick, Jon Fitch and Josh Koshcheck along with rising heavyweight Cain Velasquez.

Don’t forget about Arizona Combat Sports which just added former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit to its stable of fighters that includes Ryan Bader, C.B. Dolloway and Jamie Varner to name a few.

The instructors at these camps for the most part do not get a lot of credit and it is important that the fans know who they are.