MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Final Preparations! Getting Ready For The Ninth Dream

Quote of the press conference was made by Jan “The Giant” Nortje. When asked what part of him he has an edge at compared to the other tournament participants, Nortje said: “My cute face. Just a joke (laugh), the small fighters have speed. Their condition is probably also good but, if it’s experience, I have plenty of it.”

Gegard Mousasi told reports that he feels good, he added some weight for this fight but it’s no problem. When asked about his current weight he said that he’s currently at 98 kg. Regarding the weight difference Mousasi said that he will make use of his speed and cleverly use his opponents body weight in the fight.

When asked what kind of fight it will be, Mark Hunt said that he will take Mousasi down and submit him. He says that he has done severe submission training for this fight. Hunt also said that he has opened an internet business selling apparel.

Choi was present at the DREAM.9 press conference today and when talking to the press said: “I saw the video of his (Canseco’s) Boxing fight and I thought it was pitiful.”

Also, when told that Canseco didn’t have a real trainer for this fight Choi said that it was the same for him, no proper trainer in Seoul and he had to do it himself. He says that his condition is incomplete now but it will reach its climax in the second half of 2009.

 

[Shogun Locc]

QUINTON JACKSON IS 1ST CHALLENGER TO MACHIDA

Newly crowned light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida will make his first title defense against former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a bout to be scheduled soon.

UFC president Dana White made the announcement at the post-fight press conference for UFC 98.

The undefeated Brazilian stopped previously unbeaten Rashad Evans with pinpoint punches that laid the former champion out midway into the second round. It was his seventh straight Octagon victory and fifteenth career win.

White kept with an earlier refrain on Machida’s swtich from dull to devastating.

“I think this kid needed to feel comfortable in the Octagon, and I think he got over that hump," said White. "I was blown away by his performance tonight. Absolutely blown away.”

The victory on Saturday was a validation of his investment in the Machida’s tactical, karate-based style, which drew early criticism from fans.

“We bought the WFA to acquire his contract and Rampage’s,” added White. “I’ve always thought this kid was talented.”

Former welterweight champion Matt Hughes, celebrating a close decision victory over Matt Serra, praised the new champion while sizing him up.

“He’s good, obviously really good,” said Hughes. “The thing he’s got going for him is he’s very different. If I was going to fight somebody like him, I would bring two or three karate guys in. His head’s back, his legs are forward. (He’s) obviously good on the ground, good wrestler; he defended Tito’s shots. He’s kind of the total package.”

With Jackson on deck to face Machida, White acknowledged it would be difficult to find someone to solve Machida’s riddle.

“It might be the Machida era right now,” he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dan Lauzon vs. Chris Horodecki planned for Affliction III in August

A fight that was originally scheduled to take place at Affliction's January event has instead been arranged for the organization's as-yet-unannounced third show.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the event that lightweights Chris Horodecki (12-1) and Dan Lauzon (14-2) have agreed to meet at Affliction III.

While official details have not been released, the organization's third show is expected to be held on Aug. 1 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The pair was originally expected to meet at "Day of Reckoning" in January, but Horodecki failed to receive medical clearance for the contest and was replaced by Bobby Green for the evening's first main-card bout.

Lauzon is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak. All eight wins have come by stoppage, and six of the wins have come in the opening five minutes.

The 21-year-old has yet to fight into the third round in his 14-fight professional career.

Horodecki, who is also scheduled to face William Sriyapai at "Fight Force: Ultimate Chaos" on June 27, has not fought since an April 2008 win over Nate Lamotte in the now-defunct IFL.

The 21-year-old Horodecki recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he was looking forward to the chance to revisit the canceled bout with Lauzon.

"We had planned to fight each other since October of last year," Horodecki said. "It's definitely a fight that could happen.

"I think it will be an exciting fight. You've got two young guys that want to put on a show. A little bit of counter styles, but both exciting and both always looking for the win. We'll see what happens in the future."

For the latest on Affliction III, which is expected to be headlined by the long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MACHIDA & RAMPAGE TO COACH TUF 10?

Now that Lyoto Machida has cemented himself as the #1 light heavyweight in the world, the next step for him is to defend his title, and possibly build his reputation with more fans all over the world.

A natural step to build that bridge would seem to be placing Machida on the next season of the "Ultimate Fighter" reality show, and have him opposite his next opponent, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who previously served on the show during season 7.

UFC president Dana White was asked point blank if the coaches for the tenth season of the show had been picked, and while he was able to confirm they have been chosen, he wouldn't divulge any names.

"I'm not going to tell you. We start filming on the 1st and there's a media day on like the 2nd or 3rd. All your questions will be answered then," White responded.

Even though White wouldn't disclose the coaches, he did verify that Jackson would be the fighter Machida would face for his first title defense, and with every other champion on the UFC roster already scheduled for fights over the next few months it would seem fighting to pit the two top light heavyweights in as coaches for the reality show.

With the news still forthcoming, Machida seemed intrigued at the possibility of becoming a coach, and many have noticed the Brazilian's rapidly improving English, which has been an obstacle for many foreign fighters to overcome when dealing with the American market.

"I'd like to sure, it would be great," Machida said about possibly coaching on the "Ultimate Fighter". "But Dana's the boss."

All signs point to a Machida vs. Rampage coaching situation and with the show's filming ready to start in June, the timing would seemingly work out perfectly to have the two fighters square off during the UFC's year in show in December.

Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on the "Ultimate Fighter" season 10 as it becomes available.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Initial "Strikeforce Challengers" event earns $81K gate

Strikeforce's debut "Strikeforce Challengers" event, held May 15 in Fresno, Calif., drew 2,322 paid attendees for a live gate of $81,395.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently requested and received the official attendance figures from the California State Athletic Commission.

The inaugural "Strikeforce Challengers" event took place at the Save Mart Center. The 16,000 seat arena was scaled down to 4,500 seats in preparation for the crowd size Strikeforce expects for its developmental series shows.

While MMA shows typically experience positive "walk-up" sales on the day of the event, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMAjunkie.com that ticket sales were already nearing the final tally over a week before the event.

"We're approaching the 2,400 (tickets sold) mark," Coker said. "I think we have a really good chance to have a really good crowd at that venue."

The new "Strikeforce Challengers" series is a replacement for the organization's previous "Young Guns" series.

The debut of the series was headlined by a lightweight contest between Mike Aina and Billy Evangelista. Aina earned a controversial disqualification win after an illegal knee forced referee Herb Dean to halt the contest.

The next installment of the series is set for June 19 at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., and will be headlined by middleweight sluggers Joe Villasenor and Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 42, Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles to follow UFC 101 on Aug. 9

Although originally expected to take place in late August, a WEC 42 event featuring WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (36-1) and top contender Brian Bowles (7-0) will take place Aug. 9.

The news comes from Matt Erickson of The Times of Northwest Indiana, and a representative with the Nevada State Athletic Commission told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the date has been requested from WEC officials.

The event, which takes place the day after "UFC 101: Declaration" in Philadelphia, takes place at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The night's main card airs on Versus.

Torres vs. Bowles was originally slated to take place at WEC 40, which was held near Torres' homes in Chicago. However, Bowles was forced off the card with a back injury.

However, he now gets his shot at the title after seven consecutive wins, including four (all via stoppage) in the WEC. He most recently competed at WEC 37 in January 2008, when he defeated Wil Ribeiro via third-round submission.

Torres, meanwhile, most recently defeated Bowles' replacement, Takeya Mizugaki, via unanimous decision in April. It was his 17th consecutive victory, which includes five straight wins in the WEC.

WEC 42 will help break in a new arena. The Joint recently underwent a transformation and opened as a larger venue. Once constricted to no more than 1,500 spectators, the concert and event venue can now accommodate up to 4,000 fans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fulltime Fighter: Sean Salmon discusses UK trip and training with Wolfslair

I'm back again a little sooner than normal with my latest update, and it's for a good reason.

So, I was in bed last Sunday night (May 17) when my phone started ringing. It was my super agent, Ken Pavia.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Can you go to London on Tuesday?" he asked right back.

No, "Hey Sean, how have you been?" Nothing like that. Just the question if I could leave the country in two days.

I was still half sleeping, so my response was, "Yes, call me when everything is finalized."

I woke up the next morning only partially remembering the phone call the night before. I got a text message later the following morning from Ken telling me to call (former UFC/WEC fighter) Zach Light for all the details. It turns out Zach is the man in charge of some very serious training camps for a handful of fighters in the UFC, and he wanted me to help with a couple of guys.

So late Tuesday night, I got an email with my itenerary. I was not heading for London. I was leaving Wednesday afternoon for Manchester, England. That was all I knew. I didn't know where I was staying or who was even picking me up at the airport at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

As it turns out, the answers to those questions proved to be very important when I was dealing with customs in the UK.

If I remember the lady's exact quote, it went, "How are you claiming to be a grown man and not know where your staying or who is picking you up? And why in the world would you not print our your itenerary? Have a seat. I have to talk to my supervisor."

Luckily, they eventually let me in the country.

From my conversation with Zach the night before, my gameplan was to get my luggage and wait for him (he was to fly in two hours later than me), and we would be picked up together. I was so tired from traveling that I got my bags and fell asleep on the chairs in baggage claim. I was woken up at 2 p.m. by security. They were very curious why I had been sleeping there for five hours. After my quick explanation, they informed me that there were no more flights coming in that terminal and that I had to leave.

I walked out and felt very lucky to find a pay phone that accepted credit cards. I called Zach and found out that his flight was changed and that someone had been there at 9 a.m. to pick me up, but because I stayed in baggage claim (where no one is allowed to be but those claiming bags), they couldn't find me (I was told they looked for two hours before giving up) and that I would have to wait until 6 p.m. (when Zach landed) to be picked up. That was actually good news considering I had no idea what was going on or what I was going to do when security woke me up at 2 p.m.

So current Paul Kelly (currently in the UFC) picked me up at 6 p.m. as expected. Zach, Paul and I got some food and dropped Zach off. I was sleeping at Wolfslair that night, which I was a bit nervous about until I learned that they had bedrooms and a kitchen – everything I needed.

I had no idea how tired I was when I went to bed around 11 p.m. and Ricco Rodriguez woke me up at 10 a.m. for class. However, I was in the gym, down the hall and training 30 minutes later. I couldn't have been happier. Somehow, no matter how screwed up things get, a workout can always make them better.

It was a great workout! Paul is a stud and strong as hell. Michael Bisping only has one speed: hard as hell. And Ricco definitely knows his stuff.

What a beautiful situation for me at this point in my career. I am not where I want to be right now with my career, but I have the work ethic, the desire to learn, and the athletic ability to get me there. All I need is someone to show me the door, and I'll barge through it like a train. I have found that situation here at Wolfslair.

Don't for a second think that I am bashing my normal crew of trainers and partners – because I am not. Jason Culbertson, Marc Cofer, Brandon Willis, Gene Steele and Terry have been great for me. But sometimes you just need a new perspective, and I will bring that back to them when I return home.

As I write this (it'll be published quite a few days later), I'm planning to provide some more updates from over here "'cross the pond." I think a lot of MMA fans will be interested to hear about my inside look at this fast-rising gym.

As always, you know I have some sponsors to thank. Obviously, there's MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) for continuing to allow me to run my mouth whenever I see fit (thanks Dann). TFSupplements.com (www.tfsupplements.com), I have been preaching about them for awhile. If you take supplements, make sure to check them out first. They are cheaper than anyone and will get it to your mailbox faster than anyone.

There's also Cage Fighter (www.mmaauthentics.com), a Columbus, Ohio company that I am very proud to be working with for more than just free gear. These guys love MMA and know how to take care of the athletes in it! I also want to thank my chiropractor, who I take full advantage of: Dr. Jim Viers. If you live in the Columbus area, make sure to check out Viers Chiropractic on the corner of Hamilton and Johnstown roads.

And, last but not least, I want to thank my new team: KOBC (www.kobc.tv), which is a newer company that knows what fighters and fans want. Check them out. They have some great designs and are ready to release some new ones.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rory Markham vs TJ Grant planned for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 finale on June 20

Hard hitting slugger Rory Markham (16-5) is set to do battle with UFC sophomore TJ Grant (14-2) in a welterweight match up at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale at “The Pearl” at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 20.

MMAmania was informed of the bout by Grant’s camp earlier today.

Grant originally agreed to battle top welterweight contender Martin Kampmann, however “The Hitman” refused to sign the bout agreement, stating that a match with the up-and-coming Grant “didn’t make sense” for him.

Now former International Fighting League (IFL) standout Rory Markham has stepped up to the plate to tangle with the Canadian grappler in what should promise to be an exciting showdown.

Markham is coming off a devastating knockout loss to British export Dan Hardy which took place this past February at UFC 95. It was a fight that saw him a tad overeager to brawl it out which he would pay dearly for. He now looks to get back on track against one of Canada’s top prospects.

Grant made his UFC debut with a split decision victory over PRIDE veteran Ryo Chonan on April 18 at UFC 97 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Fit Plus standout has won 14 of his 16 professional fights - with a staggering 12 of those 14 by submission.

In addition to winning matches, he’s been winning over audiences in Canada for quite some time and holds convincing victories over UFC veterans like Forrest Petz.

TUF 9 Finale features a lightweight match between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida, as well as a co main event that pits and Joe Stevenson against Nate Diaz in another fantastic 155-pound showdown.

Naturally, the Spike TV special will also host the lightweight and welterweight finales for the ninth season of TUF, which is currently in progress. Coach Dan Henderson is leading a U.S. team against coach Michael Bisping and his British squad.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: ‘My psychotic inhuman rage’

Jason “Mayhem” Miller is the host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown, where he goads real-life bullies into accepting $10,000 prize fights against professional fighters. He has a recurring guest role most Mondays on The Jason Ellis Radio Show on Sirius XM Radio, he writes a popular monthly humour column for FIGHT! Magazine and has a large and growing fan club whose members call themselves Mayhem Monkeys.

He is also a BJJ and Muay Thai stylist with a professional MMA record of 22-6-0. He will be facing the 2004 and 2005 open weight BJJ world champion Ronaldo “Jacaré” de Souza for the middleweight title at DREAM 9.

Miller has already competed twice for DREAM, knocking out pro wrestling tough guy Katsuyori Shibata at DREAM 3 and losing an exciting match to “Jacare” by decision in the second round of the middleweight tournament at DREAM 4 in June 2008. His most recent fight was in Honolulu, at the debut event for Kingdom MMA, where he choked out local hero Kala “Kolohe” Hose in the first round.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com had the chance to catch up with Miller just before his big rematch with the submission wizard in Japan and he reassured us that this time around his gameplan would be “STRIKINGLY different”.

Gordi Whitelaw for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What led you to compete in MMA?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: An innate genetic desire to damage my fellow human beings, coupled with the realization that you can only do this if you join the Army or be a professional fighter.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Who are some of the people who’ve helped you along the way?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, Ryan Parsons. Jesus-not the one you are thinking, the guy who used to mow the lawn at my high school.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your greatest strengths as a fighter?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: My unwillingness to quit and my psychotic inhuman rage.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What weaknesses, if any, do you perceive yourself as having in the ring?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: My sensitivity to my opponents family.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How does your family feel about what you’ve chosen to do with your life?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: They would beat your ass for asking that question.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: In training, do you focus more energy on trying to fine tune the strong points of your game, or on trying to bring up whatever areas might need improving?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Improvement. Why would I beat a dead horse with something I already do well? It’s not 1992 and I’m not wearing a gi.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do your training change as fight day approaches, how so, and how far out from a fight do these changes take effect?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: A week out training is much lighter, gives the body time to recover and get strong for the fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What is your diet like? Do you use supplements?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: During training camp a lot of vegetables, brown rice and lean protiens. I use whey protien, flax seeds, multivitamins, glucosamine and fiber.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What part(s) of your physical training regimen do you feel have the biggest impact on what happens in the ring?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: I do different drills for different fights. This fight has been all about footwork and conditioning, the last fight was more about strength.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How will your strategy be different for the rematch? What did you learn in the first fight that might help you this time around?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: I plan on making him fight to my strengths. Last time we fought on his terms and I didn’t win. This time will be STRIKINGLY different.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What changes have you made to your training in preparation for this fight?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: More wrestling, more boxing, better ju jitsu. it’s not going down the same way this time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lyoto Machida Says His Best is Still Yet to Come

New light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida has fought 17 rounds in the UFC. He has gone 17-0 in those rounds and moments after a close to a perfect performance against former champion Rashad Evans, Machida warned that his best is still yet to come.

“Now that I’ve become champion is when the real work begins,” Machida said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “My goal is always to go out there and become a better fighter every time I step into the octagon. Now, with the title, there is even more responsibility to do that.

“I’ll go back home, my father will analyze the tapes with my brothers and see the mistakes that I’ve made, and (I’ll) try to improve.”

That’s not good news for the rest of the light heavyweight division. In the last 18 months Machida has already easily disposed of Evans, Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Next up for The Dragon appears to be a showdown with former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the last man to successfully defend the title..

“For every fighter I have a different strategy in my training because every fighter has different weaknesses,” Machida said. “My goal is to study Jackson’s weaknesses and try to capitalize off his mistakes.”

Jackson will represent another tough test for Machida but we could be seeing the start of something special with The Dragon. Machida has not only been the most dominant fighter in UFC history in terms of pure numbers, he appears to have the drive that will make him an even better fighter in the future.

And he doesn’t plan on giving up his belt any time soon. Machida says he plans on defending the light heavyweight title many times in the years to come.

“I want to stay the champion and to keep the belt a long time.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ronnys Torres to debut at UFN 19

Scheduled to make his UFC debut in April, Ronnys Torres had to postpone his dream due to a knee injury. After there months of treatment, the Brazilian is already with new fight scheduled in the American octagon. "I’ll fight on September 16 (UFC Fight Night 19), but I still have no opponent", said Ronnys, exclusively to TATAME.com.

With nine consecutive victories, Ronnys hopes to make beautiful at the first time he’ll fight in America. "I can’t imagine who my opponent is, it would be Melvin Guillard, but I got hurt. Regardless of who it will be, I’ll be 100% ready to make a great fight", promises the Brazilian, celebrating the quick recovery in the knee. "The recovery was great. The doctors said that I would return to the trainings in five, six months, but I was already getting crazy. I did the right recovery with the physiotherapists, it was everything very fast. So, we called the UFC and marked the fight", finalized Ronnys.

 

[Shogun Locc]

LYOTO MACHIDA'S TIMING IS EVERYTHING

With a new UFC belt sitting in front of him, Lyoto Machida said his preparation for Rashad Evans boiled down to timing and aggression.

It took Machida just under nine minutes to rip the title from Evans’ hands at UFC 98.

That Evans struggled to find his range and offensive rhythm was only a by-product of the overall game plan. Matching up with Machida karate was difficult for anyone, the new champ said at the post-fight press conference.

Finishing the champion came down to seizing the moment when he was most vulnerable.

That moment, as Machida called it, was called “kyo.”

“Which basically means when you’re opponent has no defense,” said Machida through translator Ed Soares. “So what I did is I studied it, to make sure I attacked at the right kyo, and that’s exactly what I did. I timed his mistake properly.”

In the second round, Evans walked into a straight left hand that buckled him. In the subsequent scramble, he stood on shaky legs. The “kyo” had arrived.

“I’ve been training with a new physical trainer and I’ve also been working on being a lot more aggressive,” said Machida. “But at that particular moment, as soon as I hit him and I felt that he felt it, I knew in my heart that right then I had to go in and finish the fight.”

The fight’s end, a flurry of punches that sent Evans keeling backwards, was another decisive counter to charges that he was boring.

“As soon as I hit him with that final punch, and I saw his legs bend back like they did, I saw that most likely he was out,” said Machida.

The challenge moving forward was to avoid complacency.

“Now that I’ve become the champion, is when the real work begins,” he said. “My goal is always to go out there and become a better fighter every time I step into the Octagon, and now with the title, its even more responsibility to do that. So what I’ll do is I’ll go back home, my father will analyze the tapes with my brothers, and see the mistakes that I’ve made, and try to improve.”

Machida stressed that like the Gracies, family made his art possible.

“The only difference is that we’re showing it through karate, and the Gracie’s are showing it through jiu-jitsu,” he said.

"It's hard to match up with Machida Karate. That's my base," commented the newly crowned light heavyweight champion. "Some guys have a base in Jiu-Jitsu, some have a base in Muay Thai. My base is in Machida Karate, and it's a difficult style to understand."

But one thing’s for sure. As the new champion said after his win... "Karate is back."

 

[Shogun Locc]

HUMBLED, ARLOVSKI IS RESTOCKING HIS ARSENAL

LOS ANGELES – Former light heavyweight and heavyweight boxing champion Michael Moorer loves the attitude Andrei Arlovski wants to change.

“I love his personality,” said Moorer, ringside at Wild Card Gym after a session with the former UFC heavyweight champ. “Just like mine: don’t give a (expletive).”

Moorer, a chief assistant to gym patriarch Freddie Roach, is training Arlovski for his boxing debut on June 27, and presumably, his fight with Brett Rogers on June 6 at Strikeforce in St. Louis.

Moorer loves MMA and watches it frequently. Training wise, he’s as new to it as Roach, and can’t speak for anything other than the pugilistic part of Arlovski’s training. Anderson Silva wanted to bring him to Brazil to train, but he declined.

In Arlovski, he sees a young, talented fighter that can be molded. The downside of the attitude doesn’t concern him, and anyway, he hasn’t been around long enough to see its effects.

“That’s just the way I was,” he said. “You’ve gotta have a chip on your shoulder in boxing. You have to have arrogance. You gotta have a little disrespect. You gotta show that. How many nice guys you know make it?”

Arlovski arrived with a different plan. After a right hand crushed his dreams of toppling the dominant Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction "Day of Reckoning," he said he needed more discipline. He didn’t follow the gameplan; he was reckless in attempting the flying knee that set up Emelianenko’s punch. Roach wanted an immediate rematch.

Back in Chicago, Arlovski made a promise to his trainers – no more complaining. He wanted Roach and Moorer to push him.

“My last training workout before my fight on Jan. 24, I was kind of sick, I was in a bad mood,” said Arlovski. “I just messaged my friends and joked around. My trainer, John Kading, I never, ever, heard him raise his voice. He said, ‘listen, what’s your problem, man? Everybody came here for you and you’re joking around. You didn’t do what your trainers told you to do.’

“Here, for example, I wanted to jump rope for six minutes, and Michael told me, ‘you have to do 20 minutes.’ So it doesn’t matter if I like it or not, I’m going to do 20 minutes.”

The 41-year-old heavyweight is less drill instructor than patient tutor. He gives calm and deliberate instruction between rounds as Arlovski spars with one of the gym’s boxers. Arlovski charges forward, throwing jab-cross combinations, bullying his partner around the ring. The boxer is far slower, and seems more concerned about Arlovski’s defense than getting hit.

“I can still hit you!” he yells after taking a combination. “I can see that (expletive) coming!” after another.

At one point, Arlovski tires of the constant clinching and trips his partner to the floor, almost taking mount... He still likes to joke around.

“He’s trying to MMA me!” the partner counters.

Afterwards, Moorer meets Arlovski in the ring, recaps the action, and sends him off to jump rope. His goal – a goal they share – is consistency.

“I want him to start hitting with power,” said Moorer of his instructions. “I want his power to be displayed all the time. Not when he wants to do it. I want a jab to be powerful, like my jab was powerful.”

The champion boxer is encouraged by what he’s seen so far.

“He’s very green,” said Moorer. “But he’s learning a lot. He’s the type of guy that studies it. When I tell him to do something, he’ll wonder why he’s doing it. But then he goes home, he writes it down, and he practices it. He dreams about it. He’s a guy who wants to do it – that’s always good.”

Whether the skills are used for boxing or MMA is no matter – Moorer says Arlovski will be more dangerous wherever he goes.

“He’s going to be able to keep people at bay with his jab,” said Moorer. “He can knock him out with a right hand, left hook, uppercut, whatever punch we work on. Most fights end up on the ground if you don’t knock 'em out. But he has that under lock and key already.

“I’m just trying to remind him of the things he can do. The arsenal’s going to be a lot different now.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Machida, Evans Earn $200,000 at UFC 98

It pays to be king of the hill.

Newly minted light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida netted $200,000 for his gripping second-round knockout of Rashad Evans at UFC 98 “Evans vs. Machida” last Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old Machida (15-0) flustered Evans (13-1-1) early with a persistent left kick and floored the former champion in both rounds. The beginning of the end came with a crushing left hook that staggered the Michigan wrestler in the second round. Evans never recovered from the barrage of strikes that followed from every direction, and was left listless on the cage by his aggressor.

Evans earned $200,000 in defeat, while the UFC matched up Machida’s purse by adding a knockout bonus of $60,000 to the Brazilian’s bounty.

Former welterweight titan Matt Hughes was the event’s big breadwinner though. The 34-year-old wrestler took $260,000 back to the Prairie State with him in his sixteenth Octagon victory and shrugged off previous statements that he’s content to hang up his gloves.

Rival Matt Serra, who coached opposite Hughes on “The Ultimate Fighter 6” nearly a year and a half ago, made $135,000 for the unanimous decision loss. Hughes and Serra shared in the spoils of a $120,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus doled out by promoters.

Rising lightweight Frankie Edgar banked $40,000 and formidable bragging rights for his defining victory over former lightweight champion Sean Sherk, who also earned $40,000.

UFC 98 Payouts

Lyoto Machida -- $200,000 (including $70,000 win bonus, $60,000 knockout bonus) def. Rashad Evans -- $200,000

Matt Hughes -- $260,000 (including $100,000 win bonus) def. Matt Serra -- $135,000 (including $60,000 fight of night bonus)

Drew McFedries -- $34,000 (including $17,000 win bonus) def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam -- $6,000

Chael Sonnen -- $50,000 (including $25,000 win bonus) def. Dan Miller -- $15,000

Frankie Edgar -- $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus) def. Sean Sherk -- $40,000

Brock Larson -- $102,000 (including $21,000 win bonus, $60,000 submission bonus) def. Mike Pyle -- $15,000

Tim Hague -- $10,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) def. Patrick Barry -- $7,000

Kyle Bradley -- $8,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) def. Phillipe Nover -- $10,000

Krzysztof Soszynski -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) def. Andre Gusmao -- $5,000

Yoshiyuki Yoshida -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) def. Brandon Wolff -- $3,000

George Roop -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) def. David Kaplan -- $8,000

 

[VanD]

shogun u got the dream9 vids? or kno where they at?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive K.J. Noons interview

K.J. Noons is the former lightweight champion of EliteXC.

Since his falling out in that organization Noons' has been absent from MMA, instead engaging in boxing.

Noons took some time to answer some questions regarding his contract situation, future in MMA and Nick Diaz.

WatchKalibRun: Let's start off with your current contract status. Are you currently a free agent?

K.J. Noons: Yes I am a free agent.

WKR: Were you one of the victims of EliteXC's ‘zombie' contracts?

K.J.: No, I was a free agent before Elite XC had failed.

WKR: Is Mark Dion still your manager?

K.J.: No, me and Mark had differences and have just got through with legal paperwork and he is not my manager as of couple days ago. We ended on good terms and I'm starting to move forword with my career.

WKR: Have you been in contact with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker?

K.J.: Scott and I have been talking the past few days. I used to fight on Scott's fight cards in San Jose 10 years ago, so I've known him a long time.

WKR: Shifting gears, recently you said that you were coming back to MMA. Why the shift from MMA, to boxing, back to MMA?

K.J.: I never said I was giving up MMA, I just enjoy competing in both sports, I boxed since I was a kid and just love to box. I love MMA also, I just going back and forth.

WKR: Why did you turn down a title fight against Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson?

K.J.: I had already committed to some boxing fights. So when the boxing fights are over, that would be a very exciting fight I think because Josh is a good fighter.

WKR: Do you regret that decision?

K.J.: No, I feel I am young in MMA, and I had committed to some boxing fights and know that offer would still be on the table after I am done with the boxing fights.

WKR: Do you want to fight Nick Diaz again?

K.J.: There is some bad blood, drama, and history between us, so I think people would want to see it again. I'm down for it.

WKR: With Diaz's status within Strikeforce, would you be willing to take another fight before facing Diaz?

K.J.: It doesn't matter to me, whenever I have a date for a fight, I'm going to train hard and make sure I come ready to fight and give the people a great fight and what they paid to see.

WKR: Is there a particular opponent, besides Diaz, that you would like to fight?

K.J.: I want to fight anybody that people think is an interesting fight. I don't mind going up or down in weight. I'll train hard and fight hard for the fans.

WKR: Some cynics are not sure how serious or dedicated you are to Mixed Martial Arts. Would you care to answer the critics?

K.J.: I love both sports. Whichever one I'm getting ready for I'll train hard and give a good fight.

WKR: You are both a boxer and an MMA fighter. In your opinion what is the biggest difference between the two sports?

K.J.: Boxing is the sweet science, and MMA you have to train for so many disciplines and be ready for a lot more things to be thrown at you.

WKR: The biggest similarity?

K.J.: Still get hit in the face.

WKR: I would be remise if I didn't ask you about your time with ProElite.

K.J.: It had it's ups and downs. I like all the people there, just had difference in opinions.

WKR: How would you describe your time fighting for ProElite and EliteXC?

K.J.: I enjoyed it and had some great fights. there were just some differences in the end.

WKR: In a recent interview you mentioned that fans don't always understand what goes into a contract dispute. With your history at EliteXC a lot was said regarding your contract and the subsequent fallout. Is there anything else you would like to add to the official record?

K.J.: I am very fortunate to be doing something I love and get paid for it. I stood up for something I believed in and stood by it.

WKR: What are your thoughts about the possible Shaw Family reality show?

K.J.: Should be interesting.

WKR: Thanks for your time K.J.

 

[VanD]

found some, heres canseco vs choi for now

http://ballhype.com/video/hong_man_choi_vs_jose_canseco_dream_9/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shogun: “Lyoto is the best of this division”

Back to great performances after knocking the former UFC champion Chuck Liddell out at UFC 97, Maurício “Shogun” Rua is waiting for the definition of his next fight in the octagon. While Joe Silva and Dana White doesn’t set his future in the organization, Shogun spoke with TATAME.com about the title fight between Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, giving the Brazilian the title of your division.

“Lyoto was phenomenal, beat Rashad and proved he’s the best os this division”, praised Rua, who was pointed the best light heavyweight fighter in 2007, after 12 victories at Pride, most of all by knockout. Without opponent set, the Brazilian approved the fan’s choice in some internet forums, asking for a fight between the Brazilian and Rashad Evans. “I’d love to, he’s a top guy. I wanna fight the best”, finished Maurício.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shinya Aoki, Melvin Manhoef and Paulo Filho among DREAM.10 additions

During today's DREAM.9 event, the Japanese-based organization announced some additions to its upcoming July 20 DREAM.10 card.

Participants include Shinya Aoki, who will not face Joachim Hansen as originally planned, and former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho, who returns to the cage for the first time since a bizarre non-title loss to Chael Sonnen in late 2008.

DREAM.10 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

The event, which also features the semifinals and finale of the organization's 2009 welterweight grand prix, airs in North America on HDNet.

Aoki (20-4), who was knocked out of the grand prix with a 27-second loss to Hayato Sakurai at DREAM.8, was expected to challenge for Hansen's lightweight title in July. However, DREAM instead confirmed he'll fight jiu-jitsu ace Vitor Ribeiro (20-2), who's 10-1 in his past 11 fights. He most recently defeated Katsuhiko Nagata via first-round TKO at DREAM.8.

Meanwhile, Filho (16-1), once considered the world's top middleweight fighter, will look to rebound from two lackluster fights with Sonnen in the WEC. Filho narrowly won their first meeting in December 2007, and after failing miserably to make weight in their second match-up a year later, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss in the second meeting.

Filho, who sought treatment for depression and chemical dependency between the two fights, will take on on a tough Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1), who's 6-1 (with six knockouts) in his past seven fights.

Meanwhile, DREAM also announced a lightweight bout between Katsunori Kikuno (11-1-1), a DEEP vet who puts an eight-fight winning streak on the line in his DREAM debut, vs. Andre Amade (6-3-1), who hasn't fought since March 2008 following back-to-back losses to Gesias Cavalcante and Eddie Alvarez.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nick Thompson vs. Tim Kennedy added to June 19 Strikeforce Challengers

The June 19 Strikeforce Challengers event will feature a welterweight bout between Nick Thompson (38-10-1) and Tim Kennedy (9-2), as well as fight between rising Strikeforce prospects Cory Devela (9-2) and Luke Rockhold (4-1).

Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz today confirmed the fight-card additions with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Afromowitz also confirmed that Sarah Kaufman (9-0), fresh off a unanimous-decision win over Miesha Tate on May 15, will be ready to fight Shayna Baszler (9-5) at the show. It'll be Kaufman's second fight in just 35 days.

The event, which airs on Showtime, takes place at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.

The night's main event features Joey Villasenor (26-6) vs. fellow middleweight Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (16-12).

Thompson, a UFC/EliteXC/Sengoku/BodogFIGHT vet who signed with Strikeforce earlier this year, brings to the organization a 14-1 record in his past 15 fights, which included a unanimous-decision win over Paul Daley at a February event in Canada. The lone loss during the stretch came to Jake Shields at a CBS-televised July 2008 EliteXC show.

He'll now meet Kennedy, an Army Ranger who recently concluded another tour of duty overseas. The popular IFL vet is 9-1 in his past 10 fights, and the lone loss came to notable Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Kennedy nearly ended the December 2007 bout with a rear-naked choke, but Miller survived to win the unanimous decision. Kennedy fought in the IFL just two weeks later and picked up a first-round TKO over Elias Rivera. He hasn't fought MMA since that event, which took place 18 months ago.

Meanwhile, Devela and Rockhold both look to continue climbing up the Strikeforce ranks. Devela posted a seven-fight win streak, which included an upset of Joe Riggs in his February 2008 Strikeforce debut, before a loss to Terry Martin at the September Strikeforce at the Mansion II event. Rockhold, meanwhile, makes his fourth consecutive appearance for Strikeforce, where he is 3-0 with three first-round submission victories.

In the night's lone female fight, Kaufman goes for her 10th consecutive victory when she meets Baszler. The winner of the Kaufman-Tate fight was promised the bout with Baszler, though there were concerns Kaufman might not be ready for the quick turnaround. Despite Kaufman going to decision (for the first time in her career), she's been cleared to fight Baszler, an EliteXC vet whose four-fight win streak was snapped with a second-round TKO loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. Baszler hasn't fought since the July 2008 CBS-televised loss.

Showtime Sports today released a Twitter message stating that the full June 19 card had been posted on its website. Afromowitz, though, said the full card has not been released and that the organization hasn't yet determined the televised main card.

Although no opponent has been named, Afromowitz also confirmed rumored participant Dennis Hallman (40-12-2) will, in fact, be on the card.