MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce Challengers Series Debuts Friday

NEW YORK (May 12, 2009)—Undefeated lightweight (155-pound. limit) sensation Billy Evangelista (9-0) will fight hard-hitting brawler and BJ Penn protégé “Iron” Mike Aina (11-6-1) in the main event of the inaugural, newly titled Strikeforce Challengers series from leading MMA promoter Strikeforce and premium television network SHOWTIME, on Friday, May 15 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event. Friday’s SHOWTIME telecast will air live beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

In other SHOWTIME fights: Sarah Kaufman (8-0) of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, faces Meisha Tate (6-1) of Olympia, Wash., in a terrific women’s match at 135 pounds; Lavar Johnson (11-3) of Fresno throws down with Carl Seumanutafa (4-2), a Samoan based in San Francisco, in a heavyweight fight; Anthony “A Train” Ruiz (21-12) of Coarsegold, Calif., takes on San Antonio’s Aaron Rosa (11-2) in a light heavyweight bout and Bao Quach (15-9-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif., takes on Tito Jones (6-2) of Sacramento, Calif., in a featherweight scrap.

“This is where the men—and women—will be separated from the boys, so to speak,” said Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker. “The growth and future of our sport just got a turbo injection. For regional fighters and up-and-coming men and women looking to test themselves against other top prospects and get on the fast track to stardom, Strikeforce Challengers is the place to do it. I can’t wait for this first event.”

Tickets for the Strikeforce Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). Doors open at 5:15 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised, preliminary bout is 6 p.m. (see below for matchups).

“I don’t know anything about my opponent, but it doesn’t matter because I know he’s going to try to take me out like everyone else has, so it’ll be my job to react to whatever he does,” said the 28-year-old Evangelista, who fights out of Fresno. “I’ve got a great team behind me and I’ve been training really hard so I’m not worried.”

A finely tuned Muay Thai technician and wrestling expert, Evangelista notched his last Strikeforce victory by turning the tides on road warrior Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo in a thrilling slugfest at Broomfield, Colo., on Oct. 3, 2008. After being dropped twice with punches in the first round, a determined Evangelista battled back in the following two rounds to earn a unanimous decision.

Three and a half months prior to his conquest of Caudillo, Evangelista secured a key win over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Nam Phan in Strikeforce action at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The 28-year-old Aina has never been stopped as a pro. Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, he has been a student of MMA superstar Penn for six years and has since developed a dangerous, hybrid fighting style that favors dirty boxing and kickboxing and is supported by a strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu foundation.

“It’s a big opportunity for me,” said Aina of the matchup with Evangelista. “Billy is no slouch. I’m expecting a really tough fight because we have similar styles. We both like to stand up even though we’re both also well rounded. I’m going in with a positive mindset and I’m ready to work hard in there.”

Aina nearly pulled off a stunning upset over superstar Nick Diaz when the two faced off in Hilo on Sept. 15, 2007, on SHOWTIME. Aina stalked Diaz early in their matchup and got the better of Diaz in a few of their exchanges. By the third round, however, fatigue set in and Aina’s pace slowed while Diaz, known for his outstanding stamina, continued to dish out punishment before earning a split decision.

“I kind of wore out as the fight went on,” admitted Aina. “Nick stands up in front of you and doesn’t give you a break. I definitely think I won the first two rounds, hands down, but that’s why you can’t leave things in the hands of the judges. That fight definitely tested my character and helped bring my game to the next level.”

Since the loss to Diaz, Aina has reeled off two consecutive victories, his last being a first-round submission of Ismael Gonzalves on Aug. 9, 2008.

For Kaufman, punching and kicking opponents is a far cry from her former passion. She’s been dancing since the ripe age of two. At eight years old, the five-foot, five-inch Kaufman joined a dance company and soon after began performing in musicals, dancing to everything from ballet to jazz to hip-hop.

It was a few years ago that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Adam Zugec opened an MMA school directly underneath the dance studio where Kaufman practiced daily. After trying a single aerobic kickboxing class, she quickly gravitated towards martial arts.

Since her professional MMA debut three years ago, Kaufman has added a breath of athleticism as well as credibility to the women’s field of competitors in the sport with the speed and force of her hands.

Tate was introduced to wrestling during her teen years when a girlfriend convinced her to join their all-boys high school wrestling team. Tate’s passion for the sport developed as she learned. Eventually, wrestling led Tate to join the MMA club at Central Washington University.

Last year, Tate enlisted with Victory Athletics, the elite fight squad headed by MMA star Dennis “Superman” Hallman.

“He’s got so much to offer technically,” she said about her mentor. “He comes from a wrestling background so his fighting style is very similar to the one I want to develop.”

Johnson, a standout football player as an outside linebacker ay Madera (Calif.) High, began his MMA training in the garage of his friend’s mother after getting the urge to fight following two victories in Tough Man Competitions in 2002.

A large, powerful and athletic fighter, Johnson rebounded after losing his MMA debut to register seven straight triumphs by stoppage. He lost two straight after the winning streak but has looked completely refocused in his last four, taking all by either knockout or TKO.

Seumanutafa, who possesses strong Jiu-Jitsu skills for a fighter his size, will try to regain his winning ways after going 4-0 at the outset of his career. He suffered his first defeat to Shane Del Rosario on Sept. 26, 2008, on SHOWTIME. In his last outing, Seumanutafa came up on the wrong end of a split

decision to Edson Franca on Feb. 21, 2009.

Rosa was victorious in his first 10 starts as a professional. Following two losses in a row, he stopped Ron “Killing” Fields in the second round in Chicago, Ill., on June 14, 2008.

Ruiz, a former Strikeforce light heavyweight championship challenger, last saw action at Strikeforce’s second event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he lost a unanimous decision to former South African national wrestling champion Trevor Prangley.

Quach is a determined fighter and submission specialist who has turned his career upside down, winning nine of his last 10 starts due in large part to improved striking honed through amateur Muay Thai fights. He will have a huge experience advantage in this one.

Jones, who is taking a step up in class, is a rising star who loves to entertain the crowd. His only losses have come in fights outside his natural 145-pound weight class.

Mauro Ranallo will call the action from cageside with Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr., with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast info and more, visit the SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

Friday’s non-televised fights: Ben Holscher (1-0) of Fresno vs. Cody Cantebury (1-3-1) of Sacramento at 160 pounds; Zoila Frausto (1-0) of Fresno vs. Avery Vilche (1-0-1) of Redbluff, Calif., at 125 pounds; Ousmane Thomas Diagne (debut) of San Jose, Calif., vs. Kaleo Kwan (7-9) of Kailua, Hawaii, in a lightweight fight; Fabricio “Morango” Camoes (9-4) of Brazil vs. Torrance Taylor (7-5-1) of Cleveland, Ohio and Chad Sutton (2-1) of Fresno vs. Spencer Herns (debut) of San Jose at 185 pounds.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Commentary: Dana, The UFC Fanbase, and The Next Level

Ivan Trembow caught the E60 segment and weighed in with his thoughts on his blog. One particular passage caught my eye:

Near the end of the E:60 segment, Farrey asked the only question of the segment that could be classified as anything even close to a “tough question,” as he essentially asked White if the UFC could ever be truly mainstream with someone like White as its president. White’s response was, “Maybe not.”

…….

The fact of the matter is that the UFC is never going to be “the biggest sport in the world” or even a truly “mainstream” entity as long as it has a president that behaves like a vulgar, dogmatic bully.

Maybe it will take two more obscene public tirades for more people to come to that realization, maybe it will take four more obscene public tirades, or maybe some people will never come to that realization, particularly if they remain ignorant of just how much of a role Lorenzo Fertitta and Joe Silva already have in running the UFC.

White’s “maybe not” comment to me seemed indicative of his knowledge of his ability to be profitable even in the face of no acceptance or even skepticism from the mainstream. Much like Vince McMahon before him, he knows that he enjoys a certain amorality of the UFC’s hardcore fanbase that makes the notion of “getting to the next level” something on an irrelevancy. He has a core fanbase, a profitable one, that will endure even the most outrageous of comments or actions. While homophobic rants may scare away the mainstream from White’s UFC, to the core UFC it is the cost of doing business to watch the UFC. McMahon before him has shown proof that there is no bridge too far that will dissuade the core fanbase. McMahon has had wrestlers fall to their death from the ceiling, had fighters under contract dying from steriod use, and often has played the media bugaboo with little seeming impact on the 3 to 5 million folks that tune in to watch his product every Monday night. To too much of the fanbase, the ownership and the sport are so closely intertwined to the point of there being no delineation between the two, with rejection of one being the rejection of the other. And therein lies the rub: White knows that he is profitable outside of the media’s acceptance and willfully ignores calls to “moderate your tone” so to speak. Is that right, or the best the best thing for MMA? No, but unfortunately that is the playing field we are presented with at the present and for the foreseeable future.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Minotoro talks victorious debut in Brazil

The atmosphere was great even before Rogério “Minotoro” Nogueira’s fight, and the crowd was excited to see the idol fighting in his homeland for the first time after 20 fights in his career. Used to fight in the biggest events around the world, as Pride and Affliction, Minotoro dominated Dion Staring at Jungle Fight, which happened last weekend at Fortaleza, Ceará, and, from the first minute, went inside the opponent and showed a great striking game, finishing the fight with a tight triangle choke. After the show inside the octagon, Minotoro spoke with TATAME.com about the victory, the fans and revealed: wants to fight again in Brazil.

What did you think about your first fight in Brazil?

It was good. Being in Brazil, I felt like I had to go inside and the responsibility of showing my work, show that the level is high. We train to reach the highest level. I think he (Staring) was a little slippery on the beginning of the fight, when we were at the ground I tried to pass the guard and I actually talked about it the with referee, but he said he had cleaned him before the fight. He was a tough guy, handled it and came here to win. I was faster, more trained… But he hits hard and, when worked on the ground and pound, I felt he still was alive on the fight.

And the energy coming from the crowd?

They were satisfied, I fought well standing, on the Muay Thai, knees, and, in the end, I finished it on the ground… It was a complete fight. I’m with a great ground game, Muay Thai and Boxing too, the guys were very happy and gave me a good energy. I had the responsibility and went inside all the time. For sure, this responsibility gives you an extra gas.

How did you like the organization of the event?

It was good. We’re used to fight overseas, but it was great here too. They had the support of the government, had a huge support. I think it was Wallid Ismail’s best event in Brazil. I had a locker room just for me, with fruits, food (laughs)… A great level.

After the fight, you needs a couple hours to reach the locker room with the fans all around you and your brother, right?

Yeah, I just left there one hour later, but it was great… That normal with that party, the fighter needs to have this responsibility with the fans, receive everybody, thank, take pictures with everyone who went there to see me…

After the debut, do you think about fighting again in Brazil?

Of course, absolutely… If there’s another opportunity, I’ll be back for sure.

What are you gonna do now? Your focus now is to help your brother’s preparation to fight Randy Couture?

I still don’t know when I’m going, I think I’m going to U.S. next week to do that movie with (Sylvester) Stallone, we’ll be there 12 days doing it. Rodrigo (Minotauro) went there today (yesterday) and, then, we’ll go to Miami or California to train.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DEEP 42 Impact! Middleweight Title Fight Announced

A DEEP Middleweight title fight between champion Yuichi Nakanishi and Riki Fukuda was announced for DEEP 42 IMPACT on June 30th today. Nakanishi defeated Fukuda last time they met which was in last years DEEP Middleweight GP final. Since then Nakanishi has lost to Yuya Shirai in a non-title fight and Fukuda has won four straight with his latest being an unanimous decision win over Murilo Ninja at DREAM.8.

Also on the card are DREAM veteran Takeshi Yamazaki, Ryuta Sakurai, and Hiromitsu Kanehara among others.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ishiwatari Returns! Shooting Disco 9

On June 6th SENGOKU Featherweight GP participant Shintaro Ishiwatari will look to get back to his winning ways when he faces another fighter with heavy strikes in Daiki Tsuchiya at the Gutsman Promotion Shooting Disco 9 event in Tokyo. Though Tsuchiya lost in the second round of the 2008 Shooto Lightweight rookie tournament, he had an excellent fight with Hidenori Nishino, which can be seen below, in the first round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Greasegate" slides on; NSAC takes no official action on Penn's complaint

LAS VEGAS - Two months after UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn's filing of an official complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding Georges St. Pierre and his camp – and three-and-a-half months after the pair's UFC 94 bout – "Greasegate" is still without resolution.

The NSAC briefly addressed the situation as part of today's NSAC hearing at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas.

Penn's attorney, Raffi Nahabedian, as well as "The Prodigy's" mother, Lorraine Shin, represented the lightweight champion at the meeting.

The meeting was the latest chapter in an ongoing saga surrounding Penn's allegations that St. Pierre had an unfair advantage in their Jan. 31 fight. Penn, whose fighting style heavily incorporates Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ground fighting, said he was at a disadvantage because of Vaseline that was inappropriately applied to St. Pierre's body between rounds of the fight.

NSAC chairman Bill Brady made it clear before proceedings began that little progress would be made.

"This is a non-action, informational item, and therefore no formal action can be taken by the commission regarding this item," Brady said.

Senior Deputy Attorney General David Newton then explained to the commission why the topic was in front of them for today's meeting.

"It's on the agenda because Mr. Penn has filed a series of motions as pursuant to instructions or comments or suggestions by one of the commissioners at the March agenda meeting," Newton said. "We're bringing the matter forward because the documents have been filed pursuant to the instructions given to Mr. Nahabedian at that meeting."

Essentially, the agenda item was scheduled simply to officially acknowledge the receipt of four separate documents submitted by Penn's representatives. The documents included:

* Filing of DVD for review by the commission
* Motion of request for definitive statement of the commission refgarding its decision in moving forward with disciplinary action and/or sanctions against Georges. St. Pierre, Greg Jackson and Phil Nurse for the activities of Jan. 31
* Motion requesting evidence relied upon for Executive Director Keith Kizer in determining not to file a formal complaint with the commission against Georges St. Pierre
* Motion requesting the commission to obtain video coverage and/or recordings of the event at issue

Newton went on to state the NSAC was simply to "acknowledge the receipt of those motions and then see if there's any further instructions to the commission either to Mr. Nahabedian or to myself regarding the handling of those motions."

Nahabedian was instructed to forward on the documents in question to St. Pierre, as well as his cornermen Greg Jackson and Phil Nurse, then provide proof of the delivery. St. Pierre, Jackson and Nurse will then be given ample time to respond to the documents.

Nahabedian, who has openly expressed his concern for the NSAC's handling of the case throughout the extended proceedings urged the commission to act swiftly in response.

While addressing the NSAC, Penn's attorney appeared anxious to exhaust all avenues of action from the commission in order to take his complaint to a different venue.

"This whole process, and I've indicated this to you before, is relating to the administrative procedures – that we have to exhaust administrative procedures for us to move forward with this issue," Nahabedian said. "I need to have the commission make a definitive statement as to their decision, and I would request that the commission provide us with information relating to these motions represented because they are directed to the commission. They're not directed to anybody else."

While no official response was issued from the NSAC, commissioner Pat Lundvall shared her feelings on the matter after reviewing all information submitted to date.

"I don't have any interest in recommending there be disciplinary action taken," Lundvall said.

The commission meets again in June. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following the meeting that he's unsure if any action will be taken at that time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FEELING THE PRESSURE, SPOTLIGHT ON EVANGELISTA

Billy Evangelista is headed into the biggest fight of his career.

On Friday night, all eyes will be on the hometown hero as he headlines the first Strikeforce Challengers Series event on Showtime since the premium cable network and venerable fight promotion partnered up. The event takes place at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Sporting an undefeated professional record of 9-0, Evangelista is feeling the mounting pressure of maintaining his spotless resume and headlining in his hometown.

“This is a great opportunity for me. A lot of people want me to win, especially because I’m the local boy. There is a lot of pressure being undefeated. I just try to ignore the pressure," he said in a recent media teleconference.

It's not like he hasn't been in tough fights before. Evangelista eked out a split decision over Top 10 ranked featherweight Nam Phan in a lightweight contest, came back from the brink of extinction against UFC veteran Luke Caudillo, and won a unanimous decision over 45-bout veteran Harris Sarmiento in his most recent action.

It's not likely to get any easier against Mike Aina on Friday night. Aina is a product of Hilo, Hawaii – read: fighting flows through his veins – who trains with UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn. He's an athletically gifted fighter who barely lost a split decision to Nick Diaz – one of Strikeforce's top dogs – when the two were under contract with EliteXC.

"These guys are definitely getting tougher,” Evangelista said recently on Strikeforce.com.

In preparation for the steps up he is taking in competition, he says he is just “trying to stay explosive. Hopefully I can bring enough to get a win over Mike. I know he’s a tough fighter, and very explosive. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

At the same time that he's feeling the pressure of the spotlight and the tougher opposition, Evangelista is also excited about being at home for this one.

"It’s going to be great – finally fighting in my hometown. My dad is going to come down and be there for the first time at a fight with me. I’m just so excited," he said, before adding, "It’s going to be a great show. I’m going to have a lot of friends and family watching. It’s going to be a great fight for me and Mike.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Hughes Calls on the Opposition to Train for Serra

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra are fighting at UFC 98 next week, and Hughes appears to be taking the fight very seriously.

It's been basically a year since either has fought, and both are coming off of losses. Hughes enters the bout off of a devastating flying knee from Thiago Alves, which followed his second loss to Georges St. Pierre. Serra faces Hughes after losing his rematch with St. Pierre at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

As the time for UFC 98 draws near, Hughes has branched out of the confines of his H.I.T. Squad gym. In a post on his official blog, he indicated that not only has he sought out a familiar face in former teammate Jeremy Horn, but he also traveled to Minnesota to train with former opponent Sean Sherk.

Last week, Matt Pena and I went up and trained with Sean Sherk and several other fighters at Greg Nelson's Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. We were there from Monday through Saturday afternoon. I had a great training session and also a good time. One thing about that gym is that they've got some tough guys in there. No wonder Sean has done as good as he has. The week before that, I was in Salt Lake City training with Jeremy Horn.


Hughes and Sherk fought at UFC 42 several years ago. Sherk lost his bid to take the UFC welterweight title away from Hughes, but took him the duration of their five-round championship bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Canadian UFC Vets Return To Action

Canadian UFC vets Victor Valimaki and Joe Doerkson have been absent from the MMA scene in 2009, but that's soon to change.

According to a source close to the fighters, the two will return to action on separate cards late this month.

Edmonton, Alberta native Valimaki will face Palace Fighting Championships vet Isaiah Larson (6-3) at Canadian Fighting Championships on May 22nd in his hometown. Larson trains alongside EliteXC and Strikeforce veteran Brett Rogers at Team Bison in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Valimaki is on a four-fight win streak, having last fought at M-1 Challenge 10 last November, where he submitted Rodney Glunder in the first round.

Winnipeg, Manitoba native Joe Doerkson will also keep it local, facing Greg Babene (6-4) at "The Fight Club" on May 30. The jiu-jitsu specialist has racked up a two-win streak, having last appeared at Sengoku Sixth Battle, where he defeated Izuru Takeuchi by TKO.

 

[Shogun Locc]

HIGH DRAWS GALVAO, SAKURAI VS. ZAROMSKIS

The brackets of Dream’s Welterweight Grand Prix Final Round are set.

Jason High will face off with jiu-jitsu ace Andre Galvao at Dream 10 on July 20 at Saitama Super Arena. The news was confirmed Wednesday by a source close to the Affliction veteran.

The eight-man tournament is the second-to-last weight class featured in the promotion’s tournament focus, and will be followed by a “Super Hulk” open weight tournament on May 26 featuring several inherently Japanese match-ups.

After a devastating knockout loss to Jay Hieron at Affliction “Day of Reckoning,” High signed with the Japanese promotion and dispatched Yuya Shirai by submission in under a minute at Dream 8, the tournament’s first round, last month. The victory improved High’s professional record to 7-1.

Galvao made his Dream debut as well, submitting veteran John Alessio by armbar late in the first round, giving the Mundial champ his third MMA victory since arriving last August.

Hayato Sakurai, fresh off an upset victory over Shinya Aoki in the tournament’s opening round, will be a significant favorite heading into the finals. He has suffered only one loss in six fights since the fall of Pride, and carries a professional record of 35-8-2. He will face Marius Zaromskis in the other semi-final pairing.

Zaromskis defeated Seichi Ikemoto by unanimous decision to earn his berth in the semi-finals. A veteran of Cage Rage, he has a 9-2 record as a professional.

A rubber match between submission star Shinya Aoki and Lightweight Grand Prix winner Joachim Hansen is also confirmed for the summer event, according to Dream officials.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Noons, Previously Uninterested in Diaz, Now Interested in Diaz

You remember KJ Noons: excellent stand-up ability; prone to post-fight West Side Story rumbles in the cage; bloodied and battered Nick Diaz for an EliteXC title of some kind last year. (Light fly-welterweight, something like that.) Resisted attempts by Elite to sign a rematch and headed back to pro boxing.

Now Noons, who has a boxing fight coming up on May 28 in Houston says he’s ready to get back into MMA. It is probably not a complete coincidence that the change of heart coincided with the change in Showtime’s MMA management from Gary Shaw to Strikeforce and Scott Coker.

Noons gives credit to Diaz for beating Frank Shamrock, but liked Diaz’s chances less in a Noons rematch: “I’m his kryptonite, man.”

Two variables that could contradict that statement: Since their 2007 bout, Diaz has had scar-tissue removal surgery -- documented by this author in the latest issue of Real Fighter magazine -- that may prevent him from leaking with the same volume of plasma as in their first fight.

Diaz also appears ready to take on super heavyweights. Reputed to walk around at over 200 pounds, he missed weight by eight pounds for a 160-pound bout in the summer of 2008.

 

[Shogun Locc]

White Takes Bait, Responds to Atencio

And I had such high hopes for the high road: UFC President Dana White responded to Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio’s grandstanding challenge to fight him last week with typical reserve, telling Yahoo’s Kevin Iole that Atencio is a “f---ing loser” who needs to worry about plugging the financial leaks in his promotion first.

“When I was $44 million in the hole, the last thing I was doing was leaving the office and going out to train for a joke of a fight,” White said. “… He should be worried about the millions and millions of his bosses, or his partners' money, whoever it is, that's he's burning. That's a complete joke."

It appears White may be correct: While Atencio has been distracted by his bizarre pseudo-fight career, Affliction has gone and signed dust-coughing Gene Simmons as their “brand ambassador.” Paul Stanley is in final talks to assume the role of matchmaker.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wilson Gouveia, Charles McCarthy among ATT belt-ceremony honorees

MMA powerhouse American Top Team promoted a handful of fighters during a belt ceremony that took place Wednesday at its headquarters in Coconut Creek, Fla.

Current UFC fighter Wilson Goiveau added a stripe to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and retired UFC veteran Charles McCarthy earned his black belt.

Master Ricardo Liborio and instructor Conan Silveira were also awarded seventh-degree black belts, according to americantopteam.com.

In addition to McCarthy, Master Liborio also issued one-time UFC and PRIDE fighter Paul Rodriguez his black belt.

Other black belts receiving one stripe were Juliana Borges, Fabio Mello and Nicolae Cury. DREAM and PRIDE vet Luis "Buscape" Firmino and Ben Guerriero received their second stripes, and ATT General Manager Richie Guerriero earned his third.

Among the hundreds of ATT students in attendance for the ceremony were Din Thomas, Danilo Villefort, Rafael Dias, Jorge Santiago, Antonio Silva, Jeff Monson, Cole Miller, Mike Brown, Dan Cramer, Ben Saunders, Hector Lombard, Chris Manuel, Todd Duffee and others, according to ATT's website.

ATT, established in 2003, is one of the biggest and most prestigious gyms in the world. Boasting dozens of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts and countless fighters from the world's top promotions, ATT now has facilities in more than a dozen U.S. states.

 

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BOB SAPP WANTS TO SHOW FANS HE'S STILL AROUND

Styles make fights and the June 27 main event match-up between contrasting MMA fighters, kickboxer Bob “The Beast” Sapp and wrestler Bobby Lashley, features a potential instant classic of pure entertainment on the “Ultimate Chaos” pay-per-view event live from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The imposing 6-4, 350-pound Sapp (10-3-1), who played in the NFL for four years before becoming an iconic combat fighter in Japan, wants to brawl on his feet while the chiseled 6-3, 265-pound former WWE star Lashley (2-0), 3-time NCAA champion (1996-98) and 4-time All-America wrestler at Missouri Valley College, prefers to ground and pound.

Sapp starred as an offensive lineman on the University of Washington’s football team, winning the prestigious Morris Award, and he was selected in the third round of the NFL draft in 1997 by the Chicago Bears. Bob turned to pro wrestling after football and was later recruited by Pride in Japan, where his incredible size, strength and bull-rush style made him an instant fan favorite. He went on to star in K-1 as well as become an actor, playing roles in movies like The Longest Yard and Elektra.

“This fight is what fight fans want to see,” Sapp said. “It’s intriguing and will be very entertaining. Bobby is bringing ‘The Beast’ out in me- I want to brawl. I’m the last person to say I’m a submission artist. I want to box. I’m a brawler. I’m going to come at him with my long arms and legs, punching and kicking. He’s going to come strong at me, trying to take me off balance, but I’ll come back with a straight right knee to his jaw and follow with a left hook. He’s never been hit by anybody like me. He’s new on the MMA scene. Bobby’s more or less a grounder and pounder who wants to slam me and hold me down. He’ll throw in some elbows and maybe some new, slick MMA moves. What’s left?

“I’m a huge test for him, which says a lot about Bobby. He has no fear of getting cracked real hard. It could be a flash knockdown or an accumulation of punches, which does worse damage and is tougher to get over. Bobby’s powerful, his slams are strong and he does have some pro wrestling moves. But I’ll be faster than he imagines. If he wants to be a star in MMA, he needs a more entertaining style of fighting, one that I’ve built by career on. I’m more of an entertaining fighter than typical MMA guy.”

After graduating from Missouri Valley College, Lashley joined the U.S. Army and was a 2-time Armed Forces Champion and 2002 Military Games Championship silver medalist. Two years ago, Lashley became a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) superstar, joining Donald Trump at Wrestlemania 23 in a bet against WWE president Vince McMahon. Lashley won the match and helped Trump shave McMahon’s head in the ring. Bobby made his MMA debut last December 13, stopping Joshua Franklin only 0.41 into the opening round, and March 21 he won a 3-round decision versus 37-fight veteran Jason Guida in Pensacola, Fla.

“This fight is going to let fans in the U.S. know that Bob’s still around,” Sapp added. “I’ve been fighting for organizations all over the world, in a ring, not a cage. I want to go at it and make all my fights exciting. I’ll be training 20 days in a Judo center in Japan (for a Dream show there in late May) and it’ll be the first time that I’m only training for an MMA fight – no movies, no television, just training everyday. It’s a great opportunity for me and American fans are going to see the real Beast.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Roger Gracie may be headed to Strikeforce

Heavyweight grappling sensation of the legendary Gracie family Roger Gracie is close to signing a deal to compete in the Strikeforce organization.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed they are close to finalizing the terms of a multi-fight deal with Gracie In a recent report published by Sports Illustrated columnist Josh Gross.

Gracie who is 2-0 in his MMA career and comes from a long line of great competitors as the Gracie family is known world-wide, and are credited with teaching their style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all around the world. The 27 year old Gracie would compete in the heavyweight division which currently has Alistair Overeem as its champion with Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers leading the pack of contenders.

In 2005 Gracie won the ADCC World Championships at 98 Kilograms. He also won the open-weight division by becoming the first man to submit all 8 of his opponents.

According to Coker they will bring Gracie along slowly by placing him on their Strikeforce: Challenger Series events which will air on Showtime. Although he carries the Gracie name they will need to build him up to MMA fans and this is the perfect way to do so. Coker went on to say that he was hoping to get Gracie an opponent sometime in the fall.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Joint Training! KID X Naito

Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto and Daisuke Naito, the two stars of the 3-hour Martial Arts Festival which will be aired on TBS on May 26th did a combine public training at the Boxing gym which Naito belongs to, the Miyata Gym in Tokyo, in preparation for their fights.

Naito first sparred for 2×3 minutes and then did some mitt training for 2×3 minutes. After that, KID did some mitt training (punches, kicks, and knees) for 1×10 minutes and then sparred for 1×10 minutes. The temperature in the gym was high since Naito is cutting weight for his fight. However, KID, who has confidence in his stamina, did not get fatigued. The president of Miyata Gym who was watching KID at ringside was very impressed by what he saw.

Afterward, KID said that the knee he injured last year is already perfectly healed. He showed some good kicks and knee strikes during the training. About the super hulk tournament, since the featherweights have the speed and the big fighters have the power, he thinks that it’s good to have such varying things to look forward to. He was a little disappointed though that he didn’t get to spar with Naito during the training session since he wanted to “furubokko” him (to really beat him up).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Xande Ribeiro’s knockouts

Two-time absolute Jiu-Jitsu world champion Alexandre Ribeiro has been drawing attention in MMA. However, it’s not his slick ground and submission game that’s been calling that attention. In his two fights in the modality, both times the black belt secured victory by way of knockout, the last time against Keiichiro Yamamiya, at the Sengoku event held May 2nd.

Check out the interview with Xande, who talks of his preparations with Wanderlei Silva and Andre Dida, his unexpected knockouts and his shot at becoming the first three-time champion of the absolute category of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship.

Portal das Lutas – Two fights and two knockout wins. What are you doing in terms of standup training?

Xande Ribeiro – The standup I’ve been doing with Dida and Mauricio Veio, who spent three months with me here. I had the opportunity to go to Canada twice or thrice to train with Dida, do a bunch of sparring and fight strategy work. I also had the chance to spar with Wanderlei. I think this exchange is valid because the more you put yourself in situations you’re not accustomed to, the better. After all, going toe-to-toe with Dida and Wanderlei is rough. The guys are black belts and work you like a kid. It’s important to get used to taking blows, seeing shots coming in from all angles, because when it comes fight time your radar has to be up and running, you can’t get caught by surprise. I have an advantage in having quality training partners, at the sport’s highest level, like Wanderlei and Dida, who even fights in K-1. Therefore, when I fight someone inferior to them I feel the difference. I’ll keep on training with them, they’re my muay thai coaches, and with Apolo, who’s a Thai guy who’s here with me. When the fight doesn’t go to the ground, I got to do it standing.

PDL – How important was this training to you and how did the fight with Yamamiya go?

XR – He’s an experienced guy and just having that on his side is valid. I lost a bit of pressure in the takedown, I tired a bit trying to take him down and it ended up that, in the third round, he came at me full force. My strategy was to, as soon as he’d try and hit me, dodge and smack him in the face. That’s what Dida and Wanderlei instructed me to do. In the third round he tried an uppercut and I dropped him with a hook to the jaw. He’s got 67 fights on his record, he managed to do a lot with that experience, but in the end all my training over the months worked out.

PDL – What about these knockouts? Will that always be the strategy?

XR – It’s even something unheard of: everyone was expecting me to work submissions and it ended up ending by knockout again. I think at the end of the day it shows I have the heart to fight striking. It’s not the smartest thing to do, I’m aware of that. It’s not what I want for my future in MMA because, if you strike, you end up giving your adversary a chance. But, in the end, it was a great experience. I’ve had two appearances and have fought six rounds, so I know what it is to face hardships. For the future, since I want to be champion, it’s all valid, but I don’t want to get knocked out. I want to start getting submissions and showing my Jiu-Jitsu.

PDL – What do you think of Sengoku?

XR – It’s a new event, very well organized and sanctioned by the Japanese MMA Federation. The guys treat the fighters with a lot of respect, they take good care of us and that will certainly help the event to progress. It’s the eighth installment of the event and I like fighting there a lot.

PDL – So, when will the next fight be?

XR – I’ll see about fighting by the end of the year. I intend to have two more fights by January of next year.

PDL – This year you could surpass champions like Amaury Bitetti, Rodrigo Comprido and Marcio Pe de Pano and become the third three-time absolute world champion at black belt…

XR – I’m anxious to defend my title. I try to forget about what is being expected of me and try to focus on being well prepared. The transition from MMA to Jiu-Jitsu is kind of complicated, you have to do everything just right so your grips will be up to speed. It’s something that’s been motivating me a lot, because as a Jiu-Jitsu player I never expected to get to where I have. I have to be really focused, and fighting in an intelligent manner. It’s a long championship, with the weight group and absolute together it comes to eight or nine matches. I’m training the physical part and I just have to fix up the technical and Jiu-Jitsu-specific parts so my grips won’t wear out. I’m doing a strong training camp and I can’t see any other result, God willing, other than winning my third absolute championship.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monson’s Domestic Violence Charge Dismissed

Domestic violence and property damage misdemeanor charges filed against former UFC heavyweight contender and professed anarchist Jeff Monson were dismissed by a Davie County judge on May 7 in Mocksville, N.C.

The court ruled the charges had been misclassified as a domestic case under state law and Monson had been improperly held at the time of his arrest, according to Davie and Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank. Monson spent five days in the Davies County Detention Center.

Monson was arrested on Jan. 19 at the residence of Stephanie Trapani, 30, for “assault to a female” and “damage to real property or personal property” following an alleged domestic dispute. At the time, officers described Trapani and Monson as having a “dating relationship.”

Monson, 37, has been married for 16 years and has two children in Olympia, Wash., where he resides.

Trapani was also arrested for injury to personal property when she allegedly tossed Monson’s cell phone out of her car after finding out he was involved in romantic relationships with other women. That charge was also dropped on May 7, although Trapani still faces a felony charge of identity theft, according to the Davie County Clerk’s Office. Monson told Sherdog.com that Trapani used his bank card and security code to empty out his account without his knowledge.

In a January interview with The Olympian, Trapani said Monson “… destroyed my house. He started just bashing holes in the walls and the columns," during the dispute.

Trapani also claimed that Monson had grabbed her.

“I made the mistake of breaking her clock and her computer, but I never touched her,” Monson told Sherdog.com on Tuesday. “I never actually made physical contact with her.”

Monson said he felt vindicated with the court’s ruling to drop both charges.

“It’s just not in my character to do these things,” said Monson. “It’s been hard on my family. It’s been on hard on me. The allegation was completely unfounded and untrue.”

The world-champion grappler still faces a first-degree malicious mischief charge for spray-painting the peace sign, the anarchy symbol, and the phrases “No war” and “No poverty” on the Washington state’s capital building on Nov. 26.

ESPN The Magazine documented Monson’s protest while trailing the politically minded fighter for a feature that ran in its Dec. 29 issue. Monson was photographed defacing the monument in one of the article’s accompanying photographs, which led officials to their suspect. The act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Monson (30-8) pleaded not guilty on Jan. 27, but was asked to surrender his passport to the court. He has been able to recover it for work-related activities, and has since fought twice outside the country, including a first-round submission victory over Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) at Dream 8 on April 5 in Japan.

Monson said a hearing for the vandalism charge is scheduled for Aug. 17.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Strikeforce Challengers: Aina vs. Evangelista" weigh-in results

All 20 fighters competing at tonight's "Strikeforce Challengers: Aina vs. Evangelista" event weighed in for the show on Thursday.

The weigh-ins took place at the World Sports Café in Fresno, Calif.

Fresno's Save Mart Center hosts tonight's Showtime-televised show, which features a main event between Mike Aina and Billy Evangelista and a co-headliner of Sarah Kaufman vs. Miesha Tate.

Although both headliners appeared to miss the 156-pound limit, Strikeforce officials didn't mention any penalties and instead stated the bout is official and ready to go.

Evangelista, undefeated at 9-0, fights in front of a hometown crowd when he meets B.J. Penn-trained Aina.

"I plan to spoil his homecoming and win one for all my fans in my hometown in Hawaii, who have always been there and supported me," Aina stated. "They are with me each and every time I step into the cage."

Tonight's main card airs at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. MMAjunkie.com will have a complete event recap posted later today.

The full weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD

* Mike Aina (157.2)* vs. Billy Evangelista (157.5)*
* Sarah Kaufman (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135.4)
* Lavar Johnson (246.4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (250.5)
* Aaron Rosa (205.4) vs. Anthony Ruiz (205.2)
* Tito Jones (145.6) vs. Bao Quach (145.8)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Cody Cantebury (160) vs. Ben Holscher (160.2)
* Zolia Frausto (129.8)* vs. Avery Vilche (122.8)
* Ousmane Thomas Diagne (155.6) vs. Kaleo Kwan (155.4)
* Fabricio Camoes (156.2)* vs. Torrance Taylor (155.8)
* Spencer Herns (180.6) vs. Chad Sutton (184)

* - Although the fighter appeared to miss weight, Strikeforce made no mention of any penalties.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 98: PHILLIPE NOVER AFTER FIRST UFC WIN

It’s been a while since Phillipe Nover has been seen in the Octagon. In fact, it’s been almost five months since we’ve seen The Ultimate Fighter finalist lose to Efrain Escudero. In that period of time, he has been training hard to improve his game to make himself a threat in the lightweight division.

Returning at UFC 98, Nover will be taking on Kyle Bradley in a chance to get his first official win in the cage.

“I feel great,” said Nover on a recent episode of MMAWeekly Radio. “I've definitely been itching to get back in there. I actually, from my track record, don't fight that often, so I'm used to the downtime and taking a few weeks off. Now that I'm fighting full time and training full time, I definitely got the itch so I can't wait to get in there.”

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White had lots of impressive things to say about Nover when he was on The Ultimate Fighter, drawing comparisons to the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva. While flattered by the comments, he realizes that he is not at that level yet.

“It depends how you take Dana White's words. I'm not on GSP's level or Anderson Silva's level. They're years and years ahead of me. They're training full time and they are super-talented, but there is no telling in the next five years if I can get to a championship level. I'm training my ass off and I have some talent, so it depends how you take it. Anderson Silva would whoop my butt. I'm not at their level, but maybe someday I will be.”

Most fighters would love to have their boss compare them to the likes of two dominating champions, but Nover was more taken back by a different comment that White made.

“I took it as a big compliment,” Nover offered. “One of the biggest compliments that I saw on an episode is that he said I'm possibly one of the most talented guys to get on the show. That just blew my mind.

"I try not to let things gas my head up. It added some pressure and added some nervous energy, but I really wanted to out in that fight with Escudero and knock his head off and say, 'yeah, I'm really good.' But strategy-wise, I was out strategized. Just over committing to power punches, things of that nature.”

When Nover lost to Escudero in the finals, it was the first loss of his career. After finishing his opponents quickly on the show, the loss took him by surprise. But like all good fighters do, he took his loss as a learning experience and is ready to unleash his newfound lessons on Bradley at UFC 98.

“It wasn't such a bad loss as in getting knocked out or submitted. I wasn't really hurt after the fight. More than anything I felt like I was mentally put in a different place. I didn't know how to come back from that. I went back to the drawing board and looked at things very positively," he recalled. "I saw the things that I need to work on and my holes are wrestling, which I've been working on day and night putting the puzzle pieces together, working on my wrestling and working on my hands. You have to put all the puzzle pieces together. I'm more a strategist now and in this next fight, you'll see that.”

Now more focused than ever, Nover realizes the opportunity that he has and doesn’t want to spoil it, which is why he has now transitioned to full time training.

“People would kill to get in my position,” he said humbly. “They have the talent, but they don't have the people around them or the ability to be like I do because I got on the show and got to show them the type of fighter I am to show them that I'm a UFC caliber fighter.

"The only way to prove you are a fighter is to train full time. I can't be working forty hours a week as a nurse and go and train. It's too draining for me.”

Nover’s opponent hasn’t had great success in the Octagon going 0-2, but losing to very tough opponents Chris Lytle and Joe Lauzon. Even though Bradley hasn’t won a UFC fight yet, Nover realizes the threat that Bradley possesses, especially because it could be win or be cut from the UFC.

“He's definitely a wounded dog right now and he's going to go all out. It's do or die for him, so I'm taking him very seriously," Nover said. "He's fought two tough guys and he didn't lose to scrubs. He has a decent record and he has a few knockouts on his record, so he is going to pour it all out and he's going to try to knock my head off. He'll try to win by any means, so I'm taking that very seriously. I'm not underestimating him at all."