MMA News Thread

[heyzel]

Some fighters revealed for UFC video game

Confirmed fighters so far:
Chuck Liddell
Quinton Jackson
Gleison Tibau
Thiago Alves
Bruce Buffer
Forrest Griffin
Diego Sanchez
Matt Arroyo

Here’s what Michael Bisping had to say: “I had only been in the country for an hour and the creators of the UFC game THQ, wanted me to go to there studio type thing to get straight to work. This I suppose was good as it gets it out the way, but I was knackered so I may have red eyes on the game. I had to do a full body scan for my image likeness, and then a facial scan, obviously for my facial likeness. In the face scan I had to hold several different emotions for about 30 seconds so they have different facial expressions. This sounds easy, but when you have to hold a huge smile for that long it starts to look very fake. When I looked at the results after I looked like some kind of freak but they assured me that it will look fine on the game (yeah right). Along with a happy expression I had to do confused, angry, sad, bored and surprised. Next it was to a photo shoot for the typical shots but then they wanted to shoot everything to the inside of my legs to my feet and my ass. The attention to detail on the fighter images is going to be amazing and the game is gonna look great. As long as they don’t use my freaky look from the facial scan.”
http://mrslick.com/2008/02/17/update-thqs-ufc-video-game-pictures-revealed/

 

[heyzel]

Dan Henderson Talks Anderson Silva, Moving Down To Middleweight And More

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PRIDE middleweight champion Dan Henderson is set to battle Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship on March 1 in Columbus, Ohio. He recently held an open training session and addressed a variety of topics including his highly anticipate match up with Anderson Silva, his move down to the middleweight division and much more. Here are the highlights of that conversation courtesy of The Orange County Registry.
Henderson on striking with Silva:

"I'm going in there hoping to knock him out. I'm not going to out-slick him on his feet, but I'm definitely going to land the harder shots."

Henderson on his wrestling skills vs. Silva's Jiu-Jitsu:

"I'm not nervous about his ground game at all. Wrestling-wise I feel I can put him on the ground whenever I want. Sometimes you can't finish them quite as easy on the ground, so I'm definitely going to stand on my feet with him and striking ... it will be a good mixture of mixed martial arts. It's not going to be just on the feet. It's not going to be just on the ground or in the clinch. It's going to go all over. I'm ready for a 25-minute fight against him. I'm hoping for a 25-second knockout."

Henderson on Silva being considered the top MMA fighter pound-for-pound in the world by a number of publications and Web sites:

"I think that's great. I've already said my piece about it. I think he is a tough guy and very skilled but I wouldn't consider him the top pound-for-pound fighter, just because I've seen more of his past than what the U.S. crowd has in the UFC. The guys he's fought in the UFC really compliment his style. I expected him to walk through most of those guys. He's very skilled on his feet. The guys he's fought aren't very good wrestlers."

Henderson on who is the top pound-for-pound fighter if it's not Silva:

"After this fight it will be me. But it's hard to say. I would argue against it being Fedor (Emelianenko) because he's a heavyweight. Heavyweights are tough to give that pound-for-pound ranking. He hasn't fought a top heavyweight for a while. So I don't know. It's those guys that have beaten guys a little bit heavier than them and beaten everybody at their weight as well. I would argue that Matt Lindland should be in there as well. He's gone up in weight and done well. There are a lot of guys. (Georges) St. Pierre is right up there and B.J. Penn."

http://www.fightline.com/news/2008/221/dangerous_dan_henderson_316932.shtml

 

[heyzel]

Mir: Randy, Fedor & Josh: NOT Top Fighters

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/...of-a-carnival/


Frank Mir Calls Fedor Emelianenko Fights 'More of a Carnival'
Posted Feb 20th 2008 8:38AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Fighting, MMA

Yesterday I wrote about the possibility of Randy Couture fighting Fedor Emelianenko and asked whether mixed martial arts is actually popular in America, or just UFC. Another way of asking that would be: Do people perceive mixed martial arts fights that aren't under the UFC umbrella as legitimate?

One person who doesn't is Frank Mir, who said in an interview with Gary Herman of CBS Sports that he views the MMA fights outside UFC as lacking in quality competition. Specifically, Emelianenko's last fight, against the 7-foot-2 Korean fighter Hong-Man Choi, earned Mir's derision:



Q: Now there are a lot of top heavyweights not in the UFC -- like Couture, Fedor Emelianenko, and Josh Barnett. Can they be mentioned as the top fighters in the world if they are not in the UFC?

Mir: I don't think that is a possibility anymore. You're only as good as your competition. Before, with Pride being separate from the UFC, you had tough competition there and tough competition here. But now, we have the strongest competition. Fedor's last opponent was not a ranked guy. If that is the trend now -- to fight unranked guys -- it will be very hard to sway the rankings. Fighting 7-5 guys is more of a carnival. Not that you're not a great fighter, but you need to fight top guys. Nogueira is the top fighter in the top organization in the world. It would be very hard not to give him the top spot right now.

I

 

[heyzel]

Chuck Liddell Lands on NYT Best Seller List for Second Week

Posted by MMA Junkie on February 21, 2008 at 5:06 pm ET
For the second straight week, “Iceman: My Fighting Life,” a book written by former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and co-author Chad Millman, has landed ninth on The New York Times Best Seller List for hardcover nonfiction.

The book was released last month by Dutton Adult, which is part of the Penguin Group.

“Iceman” covers the entire life of Liddell — from his childhood through his reign as the UFC’s 205-lb. champ up until his May 2007 loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and subsequent defeat to Keith Jardine. The 305-page title recently received a ringing endorsement from MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) book reviewer, Paul Larkin.

“With comprehensive storytelling, Liddell and Millman are able to give a history of the UFC and its beginning, which is appealing to diehard fans and novices alike,” Larkin wrote. “We hear of the elder Gracies, their status as Jiu Jitsu masters and fighting champions, and what ultimately led to Rorion Gracie and Art Davie in their joint venture. Putting topics like these in the biography and making sure the reader has a background on certain subject matter keeps the reader entertained.“

The New York Times Best Seller list is published weekly in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. The list is created through a survery of independent and chain bookstores. Since its inception in 1942, it’s been widely regarded as preeminent list for best-selling books.

Liddell’s book was preceded by a Matt Hughes autobiography that was co-written by Michael Malice. A slew of additional MMA biographies are due out in the next 12 months, including titles by Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Sean Sherk and Rich Franklin.

(Touch of gloves:

 

[heyzel]

Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

HEAVYWEIGHT (265-205)

1. Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) (27-1-0, 1 NC)
After quickly submitting Hong Man Choi (Pictures), Emelianenko may see his next competition come against another K-1 standout. M-1 Global is currently considering former Fedor foe and three-time running K-1 World Grand Prix champion Semmy Schilt (Pictures) as a candidate for the Russian's next competition. More likely, however, is a bout this summer against former UFC heavyweight title challenger Jeff Monson (Pictures).

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) (31-4-1, 1 NC)
In a vintage performance, Nogueira took 10 minutes' worth of championship abuse from Tim Sylvia (Pictures) before submitting the two-time UFC champ in the third round. With the victory, Nogueira became the only man to wear both Pride and UFC title belts, and he regains the No. 2 spot in the rankings. If "Minotauro" can duplicate his performance against other top-10 foes, he may regain the top heavyweight status he once owned.

3. Randy Couture (Pictures) (16-8-0)
Just when it seemed Couture couldn't capture any more headlines in 2007 after his underdog demolitions of Tim Sylvia (Pictures) and Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures), "The Natural" resigned from the UFC. Couture's next battle will be a legal one, as he attempts to get out of his contract with Zuffa and pursue a fight versus Emelianenko. With Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures)'s win over Tim Sylvia (Pictures), Nogueira regains his former two spot, while Couture slips to three.

4. Tim Sylvia (Pictures) (24-4-0)
Through 10 minutes, Sylvia worked a perfect game plan in battering "Minotauro." However, Nogueira made the most of his opportunity and swept and submitted the former UFC champion. Still a top heavyweight who may have title chances to come, Sylvia's route back to a title shot is anything but certain.

5. Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) (11-5-0)
After being held hostage by his promoter for most of 2007, the former UFC champ will see action in March against undefeated heavyweight prospect Jake O'Brien (Pictures). The bout will be relegated to the prelims, though, and win or lose, it could spell the end of the Belarusian in the Octagon. Nonetheless, Arlovski rises from sixth to fifth in the rankings after Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures)'s loss.

6. Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) (10-3-1)
Werdum successfully rebounded from a woeful Octagon debut in April against Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) with a well-earned stoppage over Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) in January. Now, as Dana White has suggested, Werdum could have the opportunity to avenge a loss and snag UFC gold if a title bout with Nogueira is inked.

7. Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) (8-3-0)
After his devastating knockout of Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), many thought Gonzaga was the next UFC champion. However, Randy Couture (Pictures) brought him back down into the atmosphere, and then Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) slammed him back down to earth with a second-round stoppage in January. It remains to be seen if Gonzaga will be able to replicate his win over "Cro Cop" in the near future.

8. Cheick Kongo (Pictures) (11-3-1)
While no one can take away his win over "Cro Cop," one can certainly debate how the limited Kongo will fare with experienced grapplers in the future. The best way for the Frenchman to end such discussions would be to take a win over Heath Herring (Pictures) in March.

9. Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) (22-6-2)
"Cro Cop" is just 1-2 since joining the UFC ranks after winning the 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix. After a considerable hiatus, Zuffa and Filipovic agreed to part ways, allowing the Croat to return to Japan, where he will fight for the newly formed Dream organization.

10. Ben Rothwell (Pictures) (29-5-0)
While Rothwell is unproven against top competition, the 26-year-old Miletich product is riding a 13-fight winning streak, including wins over former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (Pictures) and recently crowned IFL champion Roy Nelson (Pictures). With his relationship with the IFL looking a tad rocky, many are calling for Rothwell to take the jump in competition in 2008.



LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (205-185)

1. Quinton Jackson (Pictures) (29-6-0)
"Rampage" has worked past the troubles that haunted him after a tough series of fights in Pride, the last of which saw him go down in defeat to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The exciting and flamboyant UFC light heavyweight put himself on the map by blasting out Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in less than two minutes. He followed that with a hard-fought victory over Dan Henderson (Pictures) on Sept. 8. Next up, Jackson looks to become a crossover star, as he'll coach alongside Forrest Griffin (Pictures) as part of the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

2. Dan Henderson (Pictures) (22-6-0)
Undersized for the division, Dan Henderson (Pictures) is not a known name amongst many casual MMA fans. A scrappy former Olympic wrestler who has worked hard to integrate a dangerous striking game punctuated by one of the best right hands in the sport, Henderson has continually defied the odds against heavier opposition. His 25-minute war against Jackson is indicative of how tough the 37-year-old Henderson can be. In March, Henderson will drop to middleweight for a meeting with UFC champion Anderson Silva.

3. Keith Jardine (Pictures) (13-3-1)
Proof that a good game plan and a quality fight camp can get you far in MMA, Keith Jardine (Pictures) enjoyed the benefits of both on Sept. 22 in out-pointing former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (Pictures). Like Liddell, "The Dean of Mean" was returning to the ring for the first time since suffering a brutal knockout loss, but Jardine showed no ill effects in winning.

4. Forrest Griffin (Pictures) (15-4-0)
An enormous win over "Shogun" validated Griffin in September. Now he will have the chance to add to both his celebrity and his résumé when he takes on a coaching role on the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which will culminate in a title clash against Quinton Jackson (Pictures). Silva's loss to Liddell allows Griffin to rise one slot, from fifth to fourth.

5. Chuck Liddell (Pictures) (21-5)
After back-to-back disappointing losses to Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and Keith Jardine (Pictures), Liddell was in a must-win situation in his long-awaited showdown with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures). "The Iceman" turned in one of the best performances of his career, punching his way to a dominant decision against "The Axe Murderer." Next up the pipe may be an equally alluring bout with another top Brazilian in Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

6. Mauricio Rua (Pictures) (16-3-0)
After a dismal effort in September against Forrest Griffin (Pictures), many thought "Shogun" was in for a softball in his second UFC bout. Instead, the former Pride GP champ has signed on to face Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in another star-laden fight in arguably MMA's most illustrious division.

7. Lyoto Machida (Pictures) (12-0-0)
An undefeated record, years of hype and a riddle of a fight style have gained Machida attention, and his recent domination of a surging Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) really put him on the map. However, Machida's path to his deserved title shot now seemingly runs through former UFC poster boy and champion Tito Ortiz (Pictures).

8. Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) (31-8-1, 1 NC)
Silva fought gamely in losing a decisive decision to Chuck Liddell (Pictures) on Dec. 29. The 31-year-old Brazilian has lost three in a row, but there are still plenty of interesting matchups for "The Axe Murderer" heading into 2008.

9. Rashad Evans (Pictures) (11-0-1)
Evans' close decision win over Michael Bisping (Pictures) may not have gained him many fans or greatly increased his stature in the division. However, he has moved into position to challenge another undefeated up-and-coming light heavyweight in Thiago Silva (Pictures). If the bout materializes, it could put either fighter in the thick of things in a very deep 205-pound talent pool.

10. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) (4-2-0)
Africa's top mixed martial artist exploded upon the world stage in 2007 with early knockouts of then top-10 light heavyweights Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pictures) and Ricardo Arona (Pictures). Whether it was a case of too much too soon, or just being matched against a special kind of opponent, Sokoudjou was crushed by Machida in his UFC debut on Dec. 29. At 23 years old, Sokoudjou has all the time in the world to evolve into an elite fighter.

 

[heyzel]

Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

1. Anderson Silva (20-4)
After a string of stirring victories that earned him the title of the sport's top fighter in the eyes of many, Silva will have an opportunity to further cement his status in a March bout against Dan Henderson (Pictures). In Henderson, Silva meets another pound-for-pound stalwart who could possess the staying power to test "The Spider" in a way he hasn't been challenged in quite a while. Here's to hoping a potential classic delivers.

2. Paulo Filho (Pictures) (16-0-0)
The good: Filho knocked off a very solid and worthy opponent in his Dec. 12 WEC title defense in Chael Sonnen (Pictures). The bad: He looked positively awful doing it, and the fight's finish came amid considerable controversy. The ugly: The fight has led to many fans and pundits alike questioning whether Filho is nearly as talented as his beefy record says. It's a question that could get answered when he rematches Sonnen in March.

3. Rich Franklin (Pictures) (22-3-0, 1 NC)
Following another destruction at the hands of Anderson Silva, Franklin will attempt to get back into the saddle in March against solid but unspectacular competition in Travis Lutter (Pictures). Like Franklin, Lutter has firsthand knowledge of the division's kingpin, having been another victim of Silva last February. With Lindland out of the picture, Franklin jumps up one spot to third.

4. Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) (26-7-2)
Although Marquardt was overwhelmed in his UFC title bid in July by Anderson Silva, the multiple-time King of Pancrase looked sterling in his destruction of Jeremy Horn (Pictures). The win puts Marquardt back in the mix at 185, and with the subtraction of "The Law," Marquardt rises from five to four.

5. Robbie Lawler (Pictures) (16-4-0)
Injury again nixed a proposed Dec. 15 bout in Icon Sport with Hawaiian banger Kala Kolohe Hose (Pictures). Here's hoping that the third time is the charm for getting this fight done and that one of ProElite's top talents can stay healthy for action in the new year. Lawler also gains one spot, heading from six to five.

6. Yushin Okami (Pictures) (21-4-0)
Following his domination of Jason MacDonald (Pictures) in October, rumors immediately surfaced that Okami was done in the UFC and that Zuffa had no interest in re-signing him. Thankfully, that isn't the case, and the Japanese standout will look to ruin the Octagon return of former champ Evan Tanner (Pictures) in March. Okami also gains a spot, moving from seventh to sixth.

7. Frank Trigg (Pictures) (16-6-0)
Not the most poignant victory in the world, "Twinkle Toes" made easy work of Edwin Dewees (Pictures) on the Dec. 15 HDNet Fights card. What's more important is that Jason "Mayhem" Miller knocked off Tim Kennedy (Pictures), setting up a quality rematch between the two fighters early next year. Their first encounter was the bout that brought Trigg back to prominence, as he literally stomped out MMA's cult hero in December 2006.

8. Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) (10-1-0, 2 NC)
While there is much scrutiny around potential political motivations being the impetus for overturning Akiyama's bout with Kazuo Misaki (Pictures), the fact remains that the governing powers overturned the bout. However deserved, Akiyama moves ahead of Misaki and takes the eighth spot following the invalidation of his loss. For the sake of propriety, hopefully a rematch happens down the line.

9. Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) (18-8-2, 1 NC)
Talk about a rollercoaster: after his improbable and arguably tainted PRIDE Grand Prix run in 2006, Misaki began 2007 with high hopes, and was instead destroyed by Frank Trigg (Pictures). Misaki appeared to turn in a performance that embodied the brand of gameness he's known for, getting up from a brutal knockdown to put Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) to sleep in vicious fashion. However, Akiyama protested, alleging that Misaki finished with an illegal soccer kick. The result was overturned and the win erased.

10. Jorge Santiago (Pictures) (16-7-0)
The Brazilian seemed relegated to gatekeeper status after being ousted from the UFC on two losses. Since then Santiago has went on a four-fight win streak, including respectable wins over Jeremy Horn (Pictures) and Andrei Semenov (Pictures) anchored by a fantastic win over the ever-tough Trevor Prangley (Pictures) to capture Strikeforce's one-night tournament in November.

WELTERWEIGHT (170-155


1. Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) (15-2-0)
GSP has the top spot in these rankings but not the UFC 170-pound championship. In order to hold his place and regain the UFC championship, St. Pierre will need to defeat Matt Serra (Pictures) in their rematch April 19. If nothing else, he will have a raucous, partisan crowd behind him, as the two do battle in Montreal's Bell Centre.

2. Matt Serra (Pictures) (9-4-0)
Serra's chance at an epic year was erased when he was forced to pull out of his slated Dec. 29 title defense against Matt Hughes (Pictures). Then GSP stepped in and destroyed Hughes. However, Serra still owns the UFC welterweight title, and as soon as he's ready to go, he'll have the chance to prove lightning can strike twice.

3. Matt Hughes (Pictures) (41-6-0)
The sport's most celebrated welterweight is nearing the end. Hughes was completely destroyed by Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) in their rubber match on Dec. 29. With only a couple of fights left, it will be interesting to see what Zuffa proposes for the former champ before his retirement.

4. Jon Fitch (Pictures) (15-2-0, 1 NC)
Fitch, who openly states he wants to face top opposition no matter the challenge, got his wish with veteran Akihiro Gono (Pictures). However, when a broken hand forced Gono from their March 1 bout, Fitch didn't have to go slumming for an opponent. Now he will face tough Team Quest product Chris Wilson, who has recently taken wins over the likes of Derrick Noble (Pictures), Rory Markham (Pictures) and Jay Hieron (Pictures).

5. Josh Koscheck (Pictures) (9-2-0)
After wanting to get back into action as soon as possible following his loss to St. Pierre in August, Koscheck will finally make his return March 1. He will find opposition in submission-savvy upstart Dustin Hazelett (Pictures), who rides a three-bout win streak into their bout.

6. Diego Sanchez (Pictures) (17-2-0)
Sanchez has opted to stay at 170 pounds following losses to Koscheck and Fitch. His road to recovery in the 170-pound class starts March 1, when he'll meet Swedish standout David Bielkheden (Pictures).

7. Karo Parisyan (Pictures) (18-4-0)
If Parisyan wanted an easy bout to ensure a better chance at getting a UFC title shot, he sure didn't get it. Instead, the Armenian will meet Brazilian dynamo Thiago Alves (Pictures) in what could be an early fight of the year candidate on the televised main card of the stacked April 2 Ultimate Fight Night card.

8. Jake Shields (Pictures) (20-4-1)
With free agency looming, Shields inked a long-term deal with ProElite and then quickly dispatched of a quality opponent in Mike Pyle (Pictures). The next stop for Shields is an EliteXC title match versus battle-tested welterweight Drew Fickett (Pictures) on March 29.

9. Carlos Condit (Pictures) (22-4-0)
Condit was the marquee man for the WEC's recent foray into New Mexico, and the 170-pound champ didn't disappoint. He avenged his September 2004 loss to Carlo Prater (Pictures) with a first-round guillotine in front of his raucous home crowd. That win sees Condit climb from 10th to ninth in the rankings. While WEC's 170-pound division doesn't have a deep contingent of contenders ready to face Condit, "The Natural Born Killer" has emerged as a must-see fighter for hardcore fans and continues to improve as he reigns.

10. Nick Thompson (Pictures) (34-9-1)
MMA's foremost caprine competitor earned his way on the list the old-fashioned way. Riding a 10-fight win streak, Thompson has finished all of his last 10 foes. Better yet, he's 18-1 in his last 19 bouts, with his lone loss coming to ranked opposition in Karo Parisyan (Pictures). With wins over the likes of Eddie Alvarez (Pictures), Josh Neer (Pictures), Keith Wisniewski (Pictures) and Chris Wilson, Thompson takes the 10th spot and will have the chance to add to his resume March 5 when he takes on tough Brazilian Fabricio Monteiro (Pictures) on World Victory Road's debut Sengoku card

 

[heyzel]

Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

LIGHTWEIGHT (155-145)

1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
World Victory Road has announced that Gomi will meet Duane "Bang" Ludwig on its March 5 debut card. Ten days later, many of the world's best lightweights will step into action as part of the Dream debut card, and meanwhile the UFC's young crop of lightweights continue to revamp the landscape of the division. The lightweight world is changing, and it doesn't seem that Gomi is going to be a part of it.

2. Gesias Calvancante (Pictures) (14-1-1)
JZ's March 15 bout with Shinya Aoki (Pictures) looks good to go at Dream. Better yet, the winner will see action throughout the year against many other top lightweights in the world. It's hard to ask for more.

3. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (16-3-1)
Just when it looked as if many of the Pride refugees would be stuck in limbo, FEG's desire to restructure and rejuvenate its MMA program produced the Dream project. Now, coming off the biggest win of his career against Gilbert Melendez (Pictures), "The Endless Fighter" will look to ride that momentum into the stacked tournament bracket.

4. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (12-4-1)
There is little left to be said about B.J. Penn (Pictures)'s UFC lightweight title capture over Joe Stevenson -- the Hawaiian's first win over a top-10 lightweight in four years. He fought in the fashion most hoped he would for the duration of his career. If the new "Hilo Rude Boy" shows up with similar motivation, his forthcoming bout with Sean Sherk (Pictures) could be an Octagon classic. A win over Sherk would almost certainly propel Penn to the top of the division.

5. Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) (13-1-0)
Following his Dec. 31 loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures), Melendez said he wanted a rematch, but there was no avenue readily available for such a promotion. Now, with the Dream GP set to kick off March 15, Melendez's fate may be in his own hands when it comes to earning redemption. He is scheduled to fight March 29 in a co-promoted card between Strikeforce and EliteXC on Showtime.

6. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (20-4-2)
In many ways, the former Shooto world champ has become a forgotten man in the flux of the lightweight division. However, "Crusher" will have his chance to put his name firmly amongst the division's elites with a strong performance in 2008's Dream GP.

7. Vitor Ribeiro (Pictures) (19-2)
"Shaolin" had successful eye surgery in September following his destruction at the hands of Gesias Calvancante (Pictures). For Ribeiro, recovery likely can't come fast enough to allow him to erase the memories of his dreadful performance in the Hero's semifinal.

8. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
With his steroid saga behind him, Sherk can now focus on his opportunity to regain the UFC lightweight title he believes should still be his. The ever-game fighter faces an enormous challenge against the ultra-talented Penn in what should be a hotly anticipated encounter.

9. Joe Stevenson (28-8-0)
After earning a well-deserved title opportunity in January, Stevenson was dismantled by B.J. Penn (Pictures). Thankfully, there are still dozens of compelling bouts for the solid Stevenson, though another title shot in the UFC's 155-pound class could be a ways away.

10. Frank Edgar (Pictures) (8-0-0)
One of the most pleasant surprises of 2007, Edgar burst onto the scene in February with an instant classic and fight-of-the-year candidate against then-undefeated Tyson Griffin. The New Jersey standout will look to push his record to 9-0 against fellow undefeated wrestler Gray Maynard (Pictures) in April.




FEATHERWEIGHT (145-135)

1. Urijah Faber (Pictures) (20-1-0)
For a while, Faber was seen as the world's top featherweight based on talent and visibility rather than knocking off top competitors. "The California Kid" finally got the chance to validate his hype, and he passed the test with flying colors by choking out Jeff Curran (Pictures) in the second round of his Dec. 12 WEC title defense. With the victory, Faber finally earned the top spot in the rankings. However, heavy is the head that wears the crown, and with a potential bout with Jens Pulver (Pictures) looming, Faber could be in for the stiffest test of his career.

2. Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures) (11-5-2)
One of the biggest surprises of 2007, Tamura makes the first defense of his Shooto world title March 28 against Hideki Kadowaki (Pictures). The bout will also give Tamura the chance to erase another defeat from his résumé, having lost to Kadowaki in March 2005.

3. Takeshi Inoue (Pictures) (14-2-0)
In a thoroughly entertaining but ultimately one-sided affair last month, Lion Takeshi showed the form that made him Shooto world champion while dominating tricky veteran Katsuya Toida (Pictures) for the meaningless Shooto 143-pound Pacific Rim title. However, a rubber match with Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures) will have to wait. Tamura defends his title against Kadowaki, while Lion sees undercard action on the March 28 bill.

4. Jeff Curran (Pictures) (29-9-1)
"The Big Frog" had a great first round but ultimately fell prey to Urijah Faber (Pictures) in their Dec. 12 WEC title bout. A highly skilled vet at only 30 years old, Curran is nowhere near the end of the road as a fighter, but the miles ahead may be much harder with the influx of talent into the WEC.

5. Masakazu Imanari (Pictures) (13-5-1)
Imanari will make the first defense of his Cage Rage title March 8, when he heads back into hostile territory to face Chute Boxe product Jean Silva (Pictures) in London. MMA's leglocking authority may also have to make another title defense in the near future in Deep. Here's to solid competition. With the fall of Takaya to Garcia, Imanari slides up from seventh to fifth.

6. Leonard Garcia (Pictures) (11-3-0)
After mixed results in his UFC tenure, Garcia parlayed his drop to 145 pounds into results with his 91-second knockout victory over well-regarded Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures). That victory sees him debut at No. 6 in these rankings. Yet another former lightweight joining the WEC 145-pound mix, the free-swinging and always-game Garcia should continue to provide fireworks if nothing else in the exciting division.

7. Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) (9-5-1)
There was much excitement over Takaya's Feb. 13 WEC debut. Many thought he could be a quality competitor and offer a challenge to divisional kingpin Urijah Faber (Pictures). However, the hype was quickly nixed by Leonard Garcia (Pictures), who knocked Takaya down and out early in the first round. The loss sees Takaya drop from fifth to seventh.

8. Antonio Carvalho (Pictures) (10-3-0)
Carvalho came out the loser in his toe-to-toe war with Takaya in November, but now he figures to be the favorite in the 145-pound Cage Force tournament that GCM has lined up for '08. Carvalho's first action of the year comes in April, when he'll meet sturdy Japanese veteran Yuji Hoshino (Pictures). With Garcia's victory over Takaya, Carvalho falls from sixth to eighth.

9. Yoshiro Maeda (Pictures) (23-4-2)
Maeda, long known for choking in big fights, came through in the clutch in his stateside and 135-pound debut, starching a tough Charlie Valencia (Pictures) with a body kick in the first round. While his WEC competition will see him look to make waves as a bantamweight, his next featherweight action will come later this year, when he'll defend his King of Pancrase title against the winner of the March 26 title eliminator between Miki Shida (Pictures) and Marlon Sandro (Pictures). With Garcia's win over Takaya, Maeda falls from eighth to ninth.

10. Hatsu Hioki (Pictures) (14-3-1)
After a miserable 2007, Hioki opened 2008 in fashion, destroying Katsuya Toida en route to a second-round submission. Hioki will again be a considerable favorite for his next in-ring action on March 28. He'll meet grappling star Baret Yoshida, who makes his return to MMA after four years away from the sport.

 

[heyzel]

BANTAMWEIGHT (135-125)

1. Miguel Torres (Pictures) (21-1-0)
With a low profile, low activity and few matchups between top fighters in the division, the 135-pound class was hurting for a while. However, with the WEC's goal to develop a potent bantamweight class, Miguel Torres (Pictures) finally got the chance to put his outstanding talent on display. With his title capture against Chase Beebe (Pictures) on Feb. 13, Torres jumps from ninth to first in the Sherdog.com rankings. More importantly, however, the mulleted Mexicano has excited and ignited the bantamweight division, setting the table for what should be a fantastic 2008.

2. Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) (5-0-1)
Okazaki will have the chance to actually earn the top spot if he can become the fifth 132-pound world champion of pro Shooto in March, when he, meets Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures). With the ascent of Miguel Torres, Okazaki drops from first to second.

3. Masakatsu Ueda (7-0-1)
Ueda put on an impressive, technical display against Atsushi Yamamoto to earn a unanimous decision and burst back into these rankings. Now 2006's most outstanding Shooto rookie champion will have the chance to become Shooto world champion when he meets Okazaki in March. However, with the rise of Torres, Ueda falls from second to third.

4. Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1)
The Norifumi Yamamoto pupil had the biggest opportunity of his career in his bout with Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures), which offered the winner a chance to fight for the vacant 132-pound Shooto world title. In a hard-fought bout, Ueda came out the victor, which will send Yamamoto back to the drawing board. Yamamoto falls to fourth following Torres' win over Beebe.

5. Brian Bowles (Pictures) (4-0-0)
Bowles went from "Who is this kid?" after his June submission win over vet Charlie Valencia (Pictures) to "This kid is serious" after his Dec. 12 steamrolling of the well-traveled and well-accomplished Marcos "Louro" Galvao. With the win, Bowles notched the most significant victory to date for a North American bantamweight against international competition and also cemented himself as a worthy adversary to the likes of Chase Beebe (Pictures) and Miguel Torres (Pictures). Bowles drops to fifth with Torres' WEC title capture.

6. Marcos Galvao (Pictures) (6-2-0)
After years of competing in Shooto, "Louro" got a golden opportunity to showcase his skills in the WEC, which has quickly become the big stage for talent below 155 pounds. The result? Galvao got absolutely destroyed by upstart Brian Bowles (Pictures), who tore him apart on the feet en route to a second-round stoppage.

7. Daniel Lima (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The Australia-based Brazilian enjoyed a solid 2007 campaign. He moved his mark to 3-0 on the year with an exciting split decision over Kenji Osawa (Pictures) in September. Next up for the "Little Devil" is a bout with Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) in front of a partisan crowd in Perth, Australia, on March 16. In the meantime, Lima falls from sixth to seventh.

8. Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The 2005 Shooto rookie MVP has a golden opportunity in front of him. With GCM promoting a 135-pound tournament this year for its Cage Force series, Mizugaki has the chance to not only grab the attention of fans in the cage but also earn a ticket stateside, where the talent pool is rapidly improving and there is more money to be made.

9. Chase Beebe (Pictures) (11-2-0)
Yes, Beebe lost his WEC title. Yet there is little that can be said to disparage the former champ, who simply was outgunned by a far more seasoned and savvy opponent in Miguel Torres (Pictures). At only 22 years old, the ultra-talented Beebe is still improving largely from fight to fight and figures to play a pivotal role in the WEC's intensifying 135-pound picture. With the subtraction of Kenji Osawa (Pictures) from the rankings, Beebe actually gains a spot in defeat, rising from 10th to ninth.

10. Manny Tapia (Pictures) (10-0-1)
Although it seemed for a moment that Tapia had been robbed of his victory over Antonio Banuelos (Pictures), it turned out that the scorecard was misread, and Tapia got his well-deserved "W." With the victory, he debuts in the Sherdog.com rankings at No. 10. KOTC's longtime kingpin at 135 pounds, Tapia may now be the next in line to challenge newly minted champ Miguel Torres (Pictures) later this year in what would be a highly compelling affair.


FLYWEIGHT (125-115)

1. Shinichi Kojima (Pictures) (8-3-4)
After an absolutely humiliating 2007, the Shooto 123-pound world champion showed he had learned nothing in his bout with Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas by taking another fight at 132 pounds against So Tazawa (Pictures). He was thoroughly outworked in the match and saved by the referee in a locked armbar in the third round. Hopefully it signals the end of Kojima's dream to be a two-division champion.

2. Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) (14-3-5)
A rough year got rougher for Urushitani in December. He got a much tougher-than-expected tune-up against Guamanian import Jesse Taitano (Pictures). Though he controlled most of the bout, a knockdown seemingly swayed the judges, who ruled the bout a majority draw, with only one card going to the deserving Urushitani. Thankfully, it appears Urushitani will get his opportunity to take the belt he should already own against BJ Kojima in the Shooto ring in '08.

3. Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) (18-4-3)
With recent losses to Kojima and Urushitani, the road back to the title Yamaguchi owned for three years is uncertain. However, in order for Mamoru to make any progress, he'll have to beat a streaking up-and-comer on Feb. 23 in Yuki Shoujou (Pictures).

4. Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) (7-3-2)
With a perfect record on the year, including wins over Masatoshi Abe (Pictures) and Junji Ikoma (Pictures), Shoujou caught fire in 2007. He'll have the chance to prove himself to be among the upper echelon of Shooto's 123-pounders this month when he meets former champion Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) in what should be an all-action bout.

5. Rambaa Somdet (Pictures) (4-2)
Surreal to say the least, former Thai stadium standout Rambaa "M-16" Somdet, after nearly five years away from MMA, returned to the ring last year. First he demolished 115-pounder Takehiro Harusaki (Pictures) effortlessly in July. Then in November he destroyed a streaking Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures), threatening with both submission attempts and vicious strikes before forcing a doctor's stoppage after the second round. While it's unclear if Somdet will continue campaigning at 115 or 123 pounds, the colorful and unorthodox fighter has commanded the attention of fans with his last two wins.

 

[Shogun Locc]

THE LEGALIZATION OF MMA IN FRANCE

France has become quite a hot bed for mixed martial arts talent over the years, but not one that immediately springs to mind on the world stage. Why? Because MMA as a sport in France has been banned for many years; mainly for political reasons and to protect the sanctity of traditional martial arts, but the times they are a changing.

It was recently announced that there will be a test event in April that will be used to assess the sport. If it gets the all clear, promotions will be popping up all over the place to satisfy previously withheld demand. The inaugural promotion is as yet unnamed, but a basic outline of the approved MMA format is as follows:

- There will be no “Cage” events; all events must be held in a ring.
- There will be no kicks to the body or the head on the ground.
- There will be no knee strikes to the head on the ground, but the body is allowed.
- There will be no elbow strikes on the ground.

Aside from the above, the basis of the rules remains similar to the “Unified Rules” format as adopted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the vast majority of promotions worldwide.

The legalization of MMA as a sport in France has massive implications, positive and negative. Established fighters will finally be able to fight in their own country without having to fight abroad. They will be able to advertise their gyms as MMA disciplined and thus increase awareness of the sport, in turn gaining new members and increasing the depth of talent in training. Finally, they will be able to be recognized for the talented fighters they are in their own country.

“About four or five years ago, the U.K. was in a similar situation to France in relation to the amount of good solid teams you could train at. If you wanted everything in-house, top notch, you went to London Shootfighters, but now things are different and there are literally gyms all over the country that offer top-level training. It’s not just limited to one place anymore,” stated UFC veteran Jess “The Joker” Liaudin about the potential talent pool growth.

“This will likely be the same in France, we have excellent strikers there and excellent grapplers too, it’s only a matter of time before they all come together”

Negatively, if promotions start popping up too fast, there could be infighting between them and a lot of sharks getting involved under the perception that the sport will sustain them. If new promotions don’t tread carefully from a medical and safety point of view, it would take only a few incidents to undo all the positive work undertaken so far in legalizing the sport. If established fighters demand too much money and place themselves outside of the affordability range at this early stage, the French fans will still not get the chance to be able to see their stars.

French fighter Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate offered his thoughts on the subject, “Well, as I was expecting... now that the sport is allowed a lot of people are going to be fighting to get the key functions in the sanctioning body. There's going to be a lot of bickering and disputes and I'm not sure that the first period of MMA in France is going to be a very good one for the sport. We'll just have to wait and see and hope I'm wrong”

Liaudin also weighed in, saying, “It is going to be a year of mistakes and politics, but it’s good that it’s legal now. We just need to avoid experienced guys with 15-0 records fighting local nobodies and damaging the sport. If you look at MMA globally, it took 10 years to get to where we are now. France will not change overnight, it will take time, but people will rush it and jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck.”

From a global MMA point of view, the sport’s legalization in France presents an interesting opportunity for the UFC. It had previously been mentioned that the American MMA Goliath had considered running an event in Monaco, but due to close political affiliation with France, Monaco had become less of a prospect of late. With the relaxing of stance relating to MMA in France, the principality becomes a very wealthy and elite potential location for a premiere MMA event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PETE SPRATT WANTS RESPECT AT FRIDAY'S MFC

Despite the fact that he’s been fighting for nine years and has had nearly 30 fights in his mixed martial arts career, along with countless Muay Thai bouts, Pete “Secret Weapon” Spratt still feels that he has something left to prove.

Whether as part of the UFC’s “Ultimate Fighter” reality TV series, or as a veteran draw on a show, Spratt always feels the pressure to perform and win so he can get one more chance at glory.

Having won his last two fights, both for Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights promotion, he looks to keep his momentum going, as he starts off 2008 headlining Friday night’s Maximum Fighting Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada against up-and-comer Ryan Ford.

“I feel good about the momentum I have,” said Spratt of his recent winning streak. “It was just a matter of me changing my training up, and doing the right things for the longevity of my career.

“I’ve been busy the past few months; this will be my third fight in the last six months, so it’s good stuff. I don’t think it’s a good match-up for my opponent. I have to prove that (tonight).”

As Spratt points out, he doesn’t think his fight in MFC against Ford will be beneficial to the youngster, as Spratt feels his veteran presence will be too much for Ford to handle.

“I think it’s a stupid match-up on their part,” exclaimed Spratt. “The guy’s got only four fights in eight months experience; now tell me how smart is that? The guys he’s fought have a combined record of 2-7. I mean it’s not very smart on their part.

“For me, it’s just going to be a situation where I go out there and handle my business like I have my last two fights. If something bad happens to the kid, don’t blame me. It’s going to be their problem for putting him in prematurely against a guy who has been doing it for nine years.”

If it sounds as if Spratt has a chip on his shoulder entering the fight, it’s because he does.

“They are trying to make a name for this guy off of me,” he stated simply. “So I feel a bit disrespected and quite honestly I’m pissed off about the situation, so I feel I’ve got to go out there and prove myself once again.

“(I’ve got to) defend my name, my honor and reputation. I feel again that I’m the underdog and that I’m being put out there as the scapegoat and it’s just not going to happen.”

As for strategy, Spratt feels people should know by now what to expect from him, as his intentions for every fight never change.

“It’s always the same,” he said of his fight strategy. “Even if I face somebody that’s supposed to be a good striker, they turn into wrestlers. So my game plan is always the same – I’m going in there looking for the knockout.

“They’ve compared this match-up to when I fought (Georges) St. Pierre in ’03 (in TKO), the difference is, St. Pierre is good. This guy doesn’t have enough experience to be good. My thing is, I have to come in fully prepared, be on my P’s and Q’s and make sure I don’t caught with nothing crazy and just do what I do.”

Spratt doesn’t mix words when it comes to where he wants to be this year with his career.

“For me, it’s getting back to where I feel like is home, and that is the UFC,” he said. “With another win, I’m one step closer. I know they’re looking at me, they’re watching me, and I expect to be back before this year is up, maybe as soon as after this fight.”

Along with goals for his fight career, Spratt also has a myriad of outside the sport projects that look to keep him busy this year.

“HDNet contracted me to do an intro for their ‘HDNet Fights’ show,” he commented. “So I’ve recorded the intro for this particular fight, and I’ll be doing the more generic version for future HDNet shows.

“I’ve got four or five movies out there on the table. I just got a script for a new movie called ‘Double Down’ about a couple of football players that got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-80’s. It’s a true story about an actual double homicide that these two football players got charged with. It’s a really intriguing script, and the character I play is a good character role for me. It’s going to be pretty challenging.”

Whatever prospects lay in the future, Friday night’s MFC show is where Pete’s attention is now, as it is another chance to prove himself and show the world that he’s still a dangerous weapon in the welterweight division.

“I want to thank my sponsors Renegade Fight Gear, Toes Up and all the new ones I’ve picked up,” closed out Spratt. “I want to thank all my fans for being behind me, for supporting me, and check out the show live Friday night on HDNet.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

IFL MOVES ON FROM MYNETWORKTV WITH HDNET

The International Fight League is in the midst of a rebirth of sorts, changing many aspects of the promotion as it readies for its first event of 2008 on Feb. 29 in Las Vegas. Perhaps chief among all the changes is the promotion’s television presence.

Earlier this month, the IFL and HDNet announced a partnership, which calls for HDNet to air the first three IFL events of 2008 live on its network.

Lost to most among all the changes has been the parting of ways between the IFL and MyNetworkTV. According to IFL CEO Jay Larkin, “It was a mutual decision. They were going in a different direction with the programming, finding their way as a young network, and we respect that.”

Despite MyNetwork’s new direction, it’s not surprising that the IFL wouldn’t be that put off by a separation from the network. Sources indicate that the promotion was spending more money in production of its “Battleground” series than it was bringing in.

The current deal with HDNet is for the IFL’s first three events of 2008. It answers many detractors of the promotion’s presence on television last season, which was all on a pre-recorded basis. HDNet will air the events live.

The biggest criticism now has been the limited reach of HDNet. The network reportedly reaches between six to eight million homes, whereas MyNetworkTV is available in more than 95 percent of all homes in the U.S.

Larkin, however, doesn’t see HDNet’s smaller audience as a barrier. “The fact that HDNet is limited helps us in the important area of after-market sales, particularly with DVD sales and Fox Sports Net broadcasts. Since it is virtually untouched product, other than with the core fans who know where HDNet is for live coverage.”

In regards to the FSN broadcasts, Larkin said that they have an “open-ended deal” with the sports network, but that “FSN is committed through 2008.”

And it doesn’t appear that the IFL is done exploring other television deals. Saying that the loss of MyNetworkTV was “not a blow at all,” Larkin commented, “We have moved on and are exploring other broadcast options.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Judge Shows Leniency with John Koppenhaver Sentencing

John Koppenhaver, a current UFC welterweight and a cast member from “The Ultimate Fighter 6,” has received three years probation and has been forced to pay $2,300 restitution and serve 30 days of community service — but will serve no jail time — stemming from a September arrest for assault.

The report comes from the San Diego-based 10news.com.

In December Koppenhaver pleaded guilty to felony assault for choking and punching a man outside his training center, and on Thursday, Judge Frank Brown opted to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor — partially at the urging of the case’s victim, Darren Zatkow.

According to the report, Zatkow said he didn’t want to jeopardize Koppenhaver’s fighting career. The 26-year-old fighter is currently signed to a 10-fight deal with the UFC that includes a bout at UFC 84 in May. A felony conviction could have voided the deal, his attorney stated.

Koppenhaver, who entered the UFC’s reality series with a 4-1 professional MMA record, was arrested soon after the show finished taping and just weeks before it debuted on Spike TV.

Koppenhaver was accused of choking unconscious Zatkow and striking him in the face outside Undisputed, a fitness and training center, on Sept. 2. Koppenhaver is a trainer at the facility. After the arrest, a police detective stated that Zatkow suffered four fractures to his left eye socket during the assault.

Zatkow said he was confronted by a group of men and was choked from behind until he went unconscious. Zatkow’s friends said he was then assaulted. A man who originally testified on Koppehaver’s behalf said the fighter held Zatkow, who admitted he had been drinking throughout the evening, during the confrontation but that that the assault was done by another man. The confusion over who did what continued at Thursday’s hearing.

Koppenhaver, whom the judge said didn’t deserve the tag “felon,” was also told he needs to continue counseling with his private physician.

Koppenhaver (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) most recently scored a come-from-behind, third-round TKO of Jared Rollins at The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale in December. He earned $30,000 in Fight of the Night and KO of the Night bonuses for the performance.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Fedor Emelianenko On NYE 2009?

The following is a translation of an article found on Sherdog.com:
Why did you leave the UFC?

I just couldn't wait until May.

But Dana White told the press he was waiting for you and not the other way around?

White obviously thought I was still on vacation but I notified him I was in full training and wanted to compete in March. However, the UFC couldn't find me an opponent that fast and I didn't want to stop my preparations and start all over again for my match in May. Besides I was HUNGRY for a fight and nervous (anxious) like a dog.

How did you come to an agreement with DREAM?

Soon after my conversation with Dana I got a call from DREAM. Altough I didn't sign any contract we came to an agreement for 3 fights in March, June and September. I never had written contracts with the Japenese because we have always done business by oral agreement (handshake).

What has drawn you to Dream?

The key thing was the opportunity to fight in March. Also Japan is where I built my name and in a way my second home.

What happened to your obligations towards the UFC?

I'm going to go back to the UFC without a doubt, although my contract doesn't bind me to do so. The date of return depends on a possible fight with Fedor. The fight should take place on 31st December if Fedor accepts. If that fails I'll be back in the UFC by the end of this year.

The UFC has 'agreed' to let you go to the competition?

I have managed to come to terms with Dana and I'm thankful for his cooperation and understanding. I owe not only the UFC but especially my British fans who really supported me in my last two bouts. Not even in Japan have I received such support so I'm really sorry I was in a crisis back then.

With who did you want to fight in the UFC?

I asked for a rematch with Gonzaga but that was not possible because he lost to Werdum. Then I asked for Kongo but that wasn't possible either.

Will you be training in the ring or in the cage?

I'm continuing to train in the cage. Transitioning from the cage to the ring is not a problem but the other way around requires adjustments. It seems all the PRIDE fighters
underperformed when they made the transition to the UFC.

So you didn't take the transition from the ring to the octagon well?

I had fallen into some kind of psychological crisis. Even in the Sanchez fight I wasn't my old self. Maybe I got saturated with fighting after the OWGP.
How do you explain this crisis?

It's hard to explain, all I know is that I lost that KILLER INSTINCT. I lost 5kg (10lb) before the fight with Kongo, I had a hard time wanting to train and on the day of the fight I thought to myself: Why do I even need this, why am I fighting a guy I have never seen before. I was fed up with it all.

Are you in your old form again?

Everything is alright now. The fire in me is back and I want to fight really bad. I've never felt better, I'm in excellent shape. Once I fought for my material existence now I fight for pride.

Will there be a TV broadcast of your fights from DREAM?

Most certainly.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White: "Tank Abbott will absolutely be in our Hall of Fame."

Dana White admitted that he got a chance to take in the Kimbo Slice/Tank Abbott fight after watching Kelly Pavlik defeat Jermaine Taylor in a boxing match. He gave his impressions of the fight and UFC legend Tank Abbott in particular, to ESPN.com.
"I think the whole thing was a farce," White told ESPN.com. "I love Tank. I have nothing but respect for him; he's always been good to me. But I don't want to see that again."

White went on to pay Tank Abbott the ultimate homage.

"Tank Abbott," White said, "absolutely will be in our Hall of Fame."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tank Abbott On Kimbo: "Next time I would have shot on him."

Tank Abbott is a UFC legend and according to Dana White a sure-fire UFC Hall-of-Famer. He was recently defeated in emphatic fashion by Kimbo Slice, a man who like Tank himself, came to prominence fighting on the streets before climbing into the cage. Abbott spoke at length to ESPN.com about his defeat and gave his thoughts on the man who had defeated him so soundly.
Abbott On His Fight With Kimbo Slice:

I just ran into one [hard shot]. Kimbo definitely came out differently than I thought he would. He's improved his punches; they are straighter. He didn't come out like he did in his videos. But I was whacking him, and he wasn't moving, like a telephone pole. Usually when I hit someone, they move.

Abbott On Kimbo's Ability To Take A Punch:

I'm pretty strong and I was whacking him, and it didn't seem like it bothered him at all. He was still there. I give him his due. Hindsight being 20/20, next time I would have shot on him.

Abbott On The Heavily Rumored Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock Fight:

Shamrock would get his head taken off. Kimbo will just work at not getting taken down; then, Ken's in trouble.

 

[KrazeeRDM]

Tank Abbott On Kimbo: "Next time I would have shot on him."

Tank Abbott is a UFC legend and according to Dana White a sure-fire UFC Hall-of-Famer. He was recently defeated in emphatic fashion by Kimbo Slice, a man who like Tank himself, came to prominence fighting on the streets before climbing into the cage. Abbott spoke at length to ESPN.com about his defeat and gave his thoughts on the man who had defeated him so soundly.
Abbott On His Fight With Kimbo Slice:

I just ran into one [hard shot]. Kimbo definitely came out differently than I thought he would. He's improved his punches; they are straighter. He didn't come out like he did in his videos. But I was whacking him, and he wasn't moving, like a telephone pole. Usually when I hit someone, they move.

Abbott On Kimbo's Ability To Take A Punch:

I'm pretty strong and I was whacking him, and it didn't seem like it bothered him at all. He was still there. I give him his due. Hindsight being 20/20, next time I would have shot on him.

Abbott On The Heavily Rumored Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock Fight:

Shamrock would get his head taken off. Kimbo will just work at not getting taken down; then, Ken's in trouble.

thats prolly the best compliment i ever heard a fighter say about another fighter but it's very true

 

[Shogun Locc]

Reporter Jonathan Huntington goes one-on-one with colourful billionaire Mark Cuban

Can you imagine Mark Cuban owning the Chicago Cubs?

Or developing a mixed-martial arts company to rival the UFC?

In a crazy week for the owner of the Dallas Mavericks - the Jason Kidd deal finally became a reality on Tuesday - Cuban spent a few minutes with Sun Media via an e-mail interview.

With HDNet - Cuban's satellite TV channel - broadcasting MFC 15: Rags to Riches tomorrow night from the River Cree Resort and Casino, the interview ranges from MMA to baseball.

Q: Why did you decide to partner with the Maximum Fighting Championship to broadcast fights?

: "They put together a quality card. Great fighters, combined (with) great presentation are ingredients for success."

Q: Why did you decide to carry so much MMA content on HDNet? (The channel has created the HDNet Fights brand.)

A: "We think MMA is just starting to take off. It's a great sport that combines athleticism and strategy and of course toughness that is just starting to go mainstream.

"It's a great opportunity for HDNet to gain viewers in the U.S. and Canada."

Q: How many MMA fight cards have you attended?

A: "About eight so far, with many more on my schedule."

Q: What's your personal opinion of the sport?

A: "I love it. Once you understand the strategy and contrast of styles it's addictive."

Q: Where will MMA be in five years on the North American sports map?

A: "If we can put the focus on the athletes rather than the promoter, the sky is the limit."

Q: In a crowded TV universe, where will HDNet be in five years?

A: "We are growing by leaps and bounds. In Canada alone, we are increasing our (subscribers) by as much as 10% per month. We are excited about our future."

Q: Are you trying to form an MMA company to rival the UFC? Are you thinking of involving the McMahon family from the WWE?

A: "Absolutely. We are looking to partner where we can, do our own promotions where it makes sense. We think the future is built around the fighters and their personalities. No one else has this focus and partnership approach. We think it's a winner."

Q: Have you cut down on your criticism of NBA referees this season? Or has it been another frustrating year?

A: "It's been frustrating, but I think the NBA has gotten used to me."

Q: Can you describe your interest level in buying the Chicago Cubs?

A: "Very interested."

Q: What is your best memory from Dancing with the Stars (last fall)?

A: "Walking out there for the first time - right before the music was to start and realizing I was doing something I had never done before in front of 25 (million) people."

Q: After showing interest in the Penguins two years ago, do you see yourself owning an NHL team in the future?

A: "Not at this time. But I love the game."

Q: Rate the odds of the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA title this spring?

A: "I don't predict."

Q: If you could be commissioner David Stern for a day, what would you do to the NBA?

A: "Promote the game more. It's a great, great game."

Q: What is your overall opinion of sports writers?

A: "I love them ... OK, maybe only some of them."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fujita’s Opponent Announced! K-1 Fighter Peter Graham Enters MMA

Kazuyuki Fujita’s opponent at Sengoku on March 5th has been announced. It is Australian K-1 fighter Peter Graham who you might know from knocking Badr Hari out with a rolling kick in 2006. Graham is a big guy at 190 cm and 114 kg. He has a 17-7 (9 TKO’s/KO’s) K-1 record and last fought in K-1 last year against Badr Hari in a rematch where he lost by decision.

Sengoku I
Date: March 5th, 2008
Place: National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan

Fights:
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Josh Barnett
Kazuo Misaki vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Makoto Takimoto vs. Evangelista Cyborg
Takanori Gomi vs. Duane Ludwig
Ryo Kawamura vs. Antonio Braga Neto
Fabricio Monteiro vs. Nick Thompson
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Graham

 

[Shogun Locc]

HDNet to Broadcast MFC Tonight, Strikeforce Tomorrow

HDNet, the all-high-definition cable station geared toward MMA, will broadcast two major MMA events this weekend: “Maximum Fighting Championship 15: Rags to Riches” tonight and “Strikeforce at the Dome” tomorrow.

Both events will be broadcast live.

The MFC show features a main event between Pete Spratt (17-10), a UFC veteran and “The Ultimate Fighter 4” cast member, and prospect Ryan Ford (4-0). The event takes place at River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton.

HDNet will air the event live from 9-12 p.m. ET.

Saturday’s Strikeforce event features a main event between NFL lineman-turned fighter/kickboxer Bob Sapp (9-2-1) and undefeated boxer Jan “The Giant” Nortje (1-5). Other bouts include Maurice Smith vs. Rick Roufus, Joe Riggs vs. Cory Devela, and Jorge Masvidal vs. Ryan Healy.

The event, which is presented by BodogFIGHT, takes place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash.

It airs live from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.

MFC and Strikeforce each recently inked deals with HDNet. Both organizations will broadcast four live events on the cable station in 2008. They’re two of nearly a dozen that have agreed to team up with HDNet in 2008. The International Fight League, SportFight, and — most recently — the Xtreme Fighting League have all agreed to deals.

HDNet, which is owned by Dallas Mavericks/HDNet Fights owner Mark Cuban, is available as a premium-package channel with most cable systems. Currently, the cable station is seen in approximately seven million homes.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cub Swanson Reflects on Jens Pulver, Prepares for Fight Outside WEC

In the aftermath of a disappointing 35-second submission loss to Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-8-1) at December’s WEC 31 event, lightweight Cub Swanson (11-2-0) still finds it difficult to cope with the results of that night.

Swanson reflected on the fight, and looked to the future, while a guest on Wednesday’s edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a partner site of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

“I made a mistake,” Swanson said. “I know I can beat him. It’s just hard for me to swallow.“

Much was made of the rivalry between Swanson and Pulver in the build up before the fight. That rivalry intensified after the original date for the bout was pushed back three months due to an injury sustained by Pulver. Swanson felt the delay was detrimental to his performance.

“It definitely wore on me,” Swanson said. “It was a little strange. I was better prepared and in better shape the second time around, but it was just something different about it. It was more pressure, more pressure, more pressure. I don’t know if it got to me that much, but like I said, I made a mistake.“

According to the 24 year-old Swanson, the mistake he made was two-fold. A misunderstanding of Pulver’s strategy in the fight, as well as not accurately recognizing the choke Pulver was applying, led to Swanson’s downfall.

“I didn’t think he was going to put a choke on,” Swanson said. “I thought he was just going to stand up and try to hit me… I thought he’d want to get right back to his feet. So I was just waiting for him to jump to his feet, and then I was going to roll back and get to my feet and start over.“

Unfortunately for Swanson, Pulver had other ideas.

“When he put the choke on, I thought it was just a guillotine,” Swanson said “You know, I’m facing the ground, I can’t see anything. So my first reaction was ‘OK, no big deal. I’ll pull guard, my head will slip out, and we’ll still be on the ground in my world.’ You know, I said ‘he doesn’t want to be there.‘

“So when I went to pull guard, my neck cranked pretty severe, and I realized it was a wrestler’s front head lock. We would call it like a no-arm D’Arce, or a no-arm anaconda, but it’s really a wrestling move, and that’s the only reason that he knew it. So I would have had to fight the hand instead of pull guard. I guessed the wrong choke, and all I did was make it worse.“

After the stoppage, Swanson said the rivalry continued to boil as Pulver took the opportunity to yell profanities at Swanson and flash obscene gestures to Swanson supporters in the stands. Since that episode, however, Swanson insists the turmoil has settled.

“I was pretty angry afterwards in the hotel,” said Swanson. “I said, ‘You know if he apologizes to me, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt of being excited and not be pissed off. But if he’s going to be a jerk to me, I’m definitely not going to like this guy.’ But he came up to me and apologized for it, and I said it was cool, you know… I took my loss like a man, and I forgave him for flipping off my fans and everything.“

With that disappointing evening behind him, Swanson is focused on returning to his previous winning ways, albeit on a much smaller stage, at this Saturday’s IFBL Fight Night 11 in Niles, Ohio. Swanson will compete in the main event against Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker.

“Tough kid,” Swanson said of his opponent. “He’s 11-6, and he went all three rounds with Jeff Curran, which tells me he’s a game opponent.“

One might question why Swanson would take a fight outside of the WEC to compete for an organization he has admittedly never heard of, but Swanson feels it was a necessary step for him.

“After training five months to fight Jens, then making a huge mistake and losing the way I did, it was just very frustrating,” Swanson said. “So I just kind of wanted to step back, and take a different fight, and try to get back on my feet before I jump back in (the WEC)… (I want to) get the spark back and start tearing through people in the WEC again.“

And Swanson wants to assure his fans they will be able to see him in the WEC again very soon.

“They (the WEC) want me to fight right away, like March 26,” Swanson said. “But the card’s getting pretty full, and they kind of need an answer. And it’s so close to this fight that we’re not real sure. So it’s a possibility. And if it’s not that card, then it will for sure be the next one, which is June 1.“

The March 26 WEC event, to be held in Las Vegas, is currently rumored to have eight fights lined up. The event is headlined by a Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen rematch. No announcement has yet been made by the WEC regarding a June 1 date.