MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Werdum reveals strategy against Alistair Overeem: ‘Just wait for him to get tired’

Fabricio Werdum is currently preparing for the most important professional fight of his life.

On August 15 the renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt will be facing off with Dutch wrecking ball Alistair Overeem for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship on the main card of “Strikeforce: Carano vs.Cyborg“.

The two are far from strangers as they had previously faced off at “PRIDE: Total Elimination Absolute” in May of 2006. A bout which Werdum had his hand raised in victory following a second round kimura submission from his guard.

The towering Brazilian knows full well that Alistair isn’t the same fighter that he faced over three years ago. Most notably, Overeem is a good 40 pounds heavier than he was in their previous encounter, with muscles packed on top of muscles. Something Werdum plans on using against Overeem when the two meet for the second time.

“As I changed, he changed too,” Werdum was quoted as saying in a recent interview with Tatame.com. “I know he’s heavier and stronger, but there is one thing: the stronger and heavier, the guy can get tired fast.

“In our other fight, he gave me a heat in the first round and began to get tired in the second. I can use this strategy again, just wait for him to get tired, but if I have a way to finalize before, I will.”

Make no mistake about it, Fabricio has no illusions of going in there to knock Overeem unconscious standing. He plans on taking the fearsome knockout specialist to his world as soon as humanly possible; the canvas.

“I’ll bring the fight to my area, but that is thing: the fight starts standing,” said the 6′4″ heavyweight. “I’ll train standing as on the ground, but I’ll give more emphasis to the ground.”

However, talking about taking Overeem to the ground, and doing it are two entirely different things. Something Werdum already knows all too well.

“It’s difficult to take Overeem to the ground,” admitted the Chute Boxe trained submission specialist. “In the other time that we fought, I couldn’t give him any takedown, and he took me down five times, so I was forced to fight standing with him. The strategy is this: take to the ground as soon as possible and submit.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jose Aldo Set to Challenge Mike Thomas Brown in November

Despite speculation that he could head down in weight to avoid a collision with fellow Nova Uniao featherweight Wagnney Fabiano, Jose Aldo (15-1) will challenge Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) for the WEC 145-pound strap on November 11 at WEC 45. The Brazilian confirmed the news to intheguard.tv on Tuesday and said bout agreements were signed on Monday; the location of the show is not yet determined.

Since entering the WEC with a shocking upset of featherweight legend "Pequeno" Nogueria last June, Aldo has racked up four more wins by TKO, each more impressive than the last. His most recent fight - an 8-second demolition of the very tough Cub Swanson - earned him "Knockout of the Night" honors and made him the clear-cut #1 contender to Brown's title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fighter Salaries Revisited: More Sponsorship Tax & EA Ban Analysis

The recent kerfuffle due to the new “sponsorship tax” that the UFC has levied against companies looking to sponsor (read: advertise with) UFC fighters has brought me back to some pieces I did last summer on addressing the problems behind MMA’s compensation system.

It should come as no surprise that fighter pay is still an issue in the sport: the issue of pay or “compensation” is and probably forever will be a hot button topic.

Why? People, much like corporations, are inherently greedy and always want more.

It’s funny, too, because some of the very same individuals that are clamoring for better pay and benefits as employees are sometimes the principles being served by those ”greed, money-grubbing” agent corporations that are trying to “shaft” their own employees in order to maximize shareholder wealth.

This is the way of the world.

The compensation issues within MMA seem to be just a small part of a much larger issue: the perceived fair and ethical treatment of the fighters in general. It’s a very large blanket issue that covers safety, contract transparency, property and likeness rights, non-fight work requirements, and compensation, amongst others.

Lately, the sponsorship tax and EA MMA ban have become lightning rods for the fair and ethical treatment issue.

The Sponsorship Tax

To most, the UFC has come across as greedy and monopolistic in its efforts to charge potential fighter sponsors a reported semi-annual $100,000 fee to advertise their brands on the apparell of UFC fighters. Furthermore, the organization appears vindictive in trying to ban the collective fighter community from signing with EA’s MMA video game.

However, from the UFC’s perspective, it feels its actions are completely justified.

The UFC is the platform by which sponsors are trying to reach a particular demographic. By levying a sponsorship tax, the UFC feels it is accomplishing two goals: a.) it’s bringing the cost and value of sponsorship back to its equilibrium level, and b.) it’s bringing back a bit of lost control over its brand image and appearance. The UFC also felt slighted by EA Sports in the past and is now looking to protect its interests and those of its loyal partner (THQ) by helping to keep all fighters under the same “UFC umbrella.”

The two sides are on opposite ends of the spectrum here, and in looking for a solution, we’re best to start in the middle (where else, right?).

Probably the best solution to meet both the interests of the fighters and the UFC in regards to sponsorship is for the UFC to become a sponsorship middleman in a sense (I know…there’s a part of the MMA community cringing right now, but read on).

While fighters should be free to seek externally negotiated endorsements, the UFC and the fighters could be best served through implementing a program whereby the UFC acts as an intermediary to seek out and assign sponsorships to those fighters in need. In turn, the UFC could take a percentage not only for its service, but also as a platform fee.

The benefits of such a plan are numerous:

1.) The UFC would retain enough control and influence over what appears on its telecasts to properly shape its image as it sees fit. In the process it receives a platform fee and helps return the cost of marketing to what it feels is the equilibrium.

2.) The fighters benefit from the extensive network base of the UFC, and they’re likely to receive a greater sum of money in the long-run as a result of the UFC’s help.

3.) The percentage of each individual sponsorship - as opposed to the $100,000 fee - that goes to the UFC would also mean that the smaller players on the sponsorship scale aren’t totally eliminated from the equation. Further, the UFC could cap the gross amount of sponsorship tax at $100,000 so as to not penalize the big boys any further.

4.) In retaining those smaller sponsors, it’s also easier for the undercard and preliminary fighters to round out their pay. More options, more money essentially.

It seems like an even-keeled way to meet the interests of both the UFC and its fighters; quite reminiscent of a suggesting made last year around this time.

What about the EA ban?

The UFC’s animosity towards EA and the loyalty towards THQ is understandable - nobody likes a bandwagon jumper. After all, it’s reasonable to be loyal to those that helped you to get where you are. However, there’s a difference between loyalty and bridge-burning.

The UFC can no longer afford to give the finger to everyone that might have pissed them off a few years ago. If the sport is going to grow, the community as a whole - not just the UFC - is going to have to accept the fact that people are going to change their minds about MMA. And, really, isn’t that the point: to convince people that MMA is legitimate and that they should want to be involved with the sport?

Furthermore, the UFC cannot afford to limit their talent pool by imposing bans on future fighters - that’s why it’s an empty threat. The UFC has shown great precedence for going back on its word in regards to fighters they’d “NEVER” sign, but let’s be honest: there’s no such thing as NEVER in this business. If the UFC wants to have the best of the best, they’ll go out and get them “eventually” and that includes anyone that signs with EA.

Besides, competition is a good thing. A competing title is going to eliminate developmental complacency and spur innovation. You’ve also got to figure that enough intellectual piggy-backing will occur that the MMA community ends up with excellent video game representations of the sport - something which has proven to be a valuable marketing and awareness tool for other sports.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jacaré vs. Miller 3 to happen in September

Coach of big stars like Anderson Silva, Paulo Filho, André Galvão and Rafael “Feijão”, Josuel Distak spoke with TATAME.com about the return to the rings of another great fighter he commands: Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza. After a disastrous title fight against Jason Miller, who applied an illegal soccer kick against the black belt and wasn’t punished, the Brazilian will return to Dream against the same opponent in September, again in a title fight.

“Jacaré will return to the rings in September to fight again with Jason Miller, the irregular guy... So, let's get this irregular guy and, this time, we will work more submissions", revealed Distak, in the expectation with the belt conquest in the MMA of the two times BJJ open class world champion. "It happened that fatality, not by our mistake. We were winning the fight, and I hope that Jacaré can win the belt in September", says, defending the strategy used in the fight. "The strategy was right, so that we were winning the fight, what happened was Jason Miller’s mistake. So, we're already working this, so that it doesn’t happen any mistake from the others. It’s equal on traffic, you have to drive for you and for others, and is like that that we’ll have to do now with Jacaré", finalized.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gewik Mousasi, older brother to Gegard, set to compete in the M-1 Challenge on Aug. 15

For the past three years, Gewik Mousasi, older brother of former DREAMGegard Mousasi, has focused on becoming one of Holland’s best MMA trainers. Most recently, Mousasi has served as a coach for Team Benelux in the “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction.” middleweight champion

However, on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Studio 22 in Hilversum, Holland (just outside of Amsterdam), Gewik will take on the unique role of player-coach as he returns to active competition as the heavyweight representative for Benelux when it faces Group C rival USA East.

For Mousasi, it will be his first bout since a co-promoted M-1 and MFC show in April of 2006 featuring Russian fighters taking on European fighters. During the show, Mousasi lost his match against Besike Gerinava. The defeat ended a four fight win streak that included a notable win over current Team Finland heavyweight Toni Valtonen.

A submission specialist, Mousasi is answering the call to fight due to Jessie Gibbs, Benelux’s regular heavyweight, being slated to fight Rob Broughton on the undercard of Affliction and M-1’s “Trilogy” pay-per-view event on Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif. In stepping in for Gibbs, Mousasi will look to help lead his team to victory on its home turf and spoil USA East’s hopes of qualifying for the 2009 M-1 Challenge post-season.

While USA East works to finalize its roster for Aug. 15, Team Benelux has submitted its full lineup to M-1 Challenge officials. In addition to Mousasi, lightweight Danny van Bergen, welterweight Raymond Jarman, middleweight Richard Plug, and light heavyweight Jason Jones are all slated to compete for Benelux.

Jarman will be fighting in the M-1 Challenge for the first time since his devastating knockout victory in Sau Paulo, Brazil this past May in which he dropped Bulgaria’s Ivan Ivanov just 35 seconds into their bout. The quick KO earned Jarman “Knockout of the Night” honors.

Van Bergen and Jones also competed for Benelux on the same show, but suffered difficult losses. After recording a unanimous decision victory over Finland’s Juha-Pekka Vainikainen during the M-1 Challenge ‘09 season opener this past February, van Bergen lost via submission to Yanko Yanev in Brazil. Meanwhile, Jones is on the comeback trail after suffering consecutive losses in ‘09 following a 2008 season in which he established himself as one of the M-1 Challenge’s first breakout stars.

In addition to Mousasi’s return after an extended absence from competition, Plug, 8-4-1, will be fighting for the first time since 2004. An assistant trainer at M-1’s training facility in Amsterdam, Plug was recently added to the Benelux roster as a replacement for Danny Smit.

The best-of-five series between USA East and Benelux will serve as the headlining team challenge of a 15-bout card that will kick off a two-day “MMA Extravaganza” in Holland that will feature a total of 30 M-1 Challenge bouts from Aug. 15-16.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rob Kimmons meets veteran middleweight Jorge Rivera at UFC 104 in October

Fresh off a new multi-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, veteran fighter and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" cast member Jorge Rivera (16-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will meet rising middleweight prospect Rob Kimmons (22-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC 104.

A source close to one of the fighters today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) bout agreements have been distributed and likely signed.

UFC 104, which features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and airs on pay-per-view.

Rivera, who recently signed a new UFC deal after openly pondering retirement, returns to the cage for the first time since his April split-decision win over prospect Nissen Osterneck at UFC Fight Night 18. The 37-year-old Rivera, now a six-year veteran of the UFC, has experienced a recent career resurgence and will go for his fifth win in seven fights.

Kimmons, who racked up an impressive record during a five-year run in the Midwest's top fight promotions, is 2-1 in the world's top organization with victories over Rob Yundt and Joe Vedepo (both via submission) and a loss to fast-rising middleweight contender Dan Miller.

Kimmons now goes for his sixth win in seven fights. He hasn't posted a win via decision in 10 fights and nearly three years.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103, four bouts officially announced for Dallas; Tickets on sale this week

The UFC today officially announced its long-rumored UFC 103 event, which takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and four featured bouts for the show.

Previously reported and now-official bouts include Martin Kampmann (15-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) vs. Mike Swick (14-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), Josh Koscheck (12-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) vs. Frank Trigg (19-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Hermes Franca (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Tyson Griffin (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Efrain Escudero (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Cole Miller (15-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC),

Tickets for the sale on on sale beginning this week.

UFC 103 marks the UFC's first-ever trip to Dallas and the first in Texas since UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

The event will also feature a heavyweight fight between Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Junior Dos Santos, and Rich Franklin is also a possible headliner for the show.

Tickets for UFC 103 go on sale to UFC Fight Club members this Thursday, July 16, at 11 a.m. ET (11 a.m. CT). UFC.com newsletter subscribers can purchase tickets 24 hours, and the general public on-sale date is slated for Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103's Martin Kampmann vs. Mike Swick will, in fact, determine a No. 1 contender for GSP

A UFC 103 welterweight bout between veterans Martin Kampmann (15-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Mike Swick (14-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will, in fact, determine a No. 1 contender to challenge for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre's championship belt.

During this past Saturday's, July 11, UFC 100 pay-per-view event, broadcaster Joe Rogan said he was informed by UFC Vice President of Fighter Relations Joe Silva that the Sept. 19 fight could be a No. 1 contender's bout.

Sources close to the fight have since confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the winner will be assured a title shot.

The date for that title shot has not been determined, though. St-Pierre defeated clear No. 1 contender Thiago Alves via unanimous decision at UFC 100 and injured his groin during the matchup. Unless cleared by a doctor, he's medically suspended until January. And even if cleared, St-Pierre hinted during the UFC 100 post-fight presser that he might take some time off from competition to recover from the injury and a busy schedule.

The time off could also give the UFC some time to market a new contender. St-Pierre has recently defeated the three fighters – Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Alves – many considered the most likely to challenge for his title. He beat them all, and he beat them all in convincing fashion, which has left many wondering whether anyone could possibly topple a seemingly unbeatable fighter.

Kampmann and Swick will look to prove they deserve the opportunity.

Kampmann is 2-0 at 170 pounds after making the switch from middleweight following a September 2008 loss to Nate Marquardt. Kampmann was 4-0 in the UFC as a middleweight prior to the loss.

The Xtreme Couture fighter earned a split-decision victory over former WEC champion Carlos Condit earlier this year in the main event of UFC Fight Night 18. That win followed a January TKO victory over Alexandre Barros in Kampmann's welterweight debut.

Swick is currently riding a four-fight winning streak in the welterweight division after compiling a 5-1 mark at 185 pounds. In June the American Kickboxing Academy fighter earned a second-round TKO over Ben Saunders at UFC 99, after which he called out former champ Matt Hughes.

But prior to the fight, Swick told MMAjunkie.com he was simply looking for the biggest fights available.

"I'm going to go in there and try to show that I deserve a big fight in my next fight," said Swick, who found his way into the UFC via the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter." "I definitely think I deserve a big fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

HENDERSON BELIEVES HE'S EARNED TITLE REMATCH

On the UFC’s most historic card, it was befitting to have living legend and UFC 17 middleweight tournament winner Dan Henderson grace the card.

A few weeks removed from the Season 9 finale of The Ultimate Fighter, dubbed “Team U.S.A vs. Team U.K.,” where both lightweight and welterweight finalists had been of the British persuasion, it only added more fuel to the fire when coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping eventually squared off at UFC 100 this past Saturday.

After all the trash talk and hype leading into the bout, though Team U.K were decisive in their wins on the latest season of TUF, it was U.S.A.’s Dan Henderson who had the last word.

Henderson dictated the pace of the fight early on, establishing Octagon control, stalking Bisping and launching right hands. Bisping, however, survived long enough to reach the second round. Though the U.K. swept team U.S.A in the finales, it was Hendo’s infamous right hand that put “The Count” down and out.

Though it was clear Bisping was out after the initial shot, Henderson’s reaction got the better of him and he landed another thunderous looping right hand to his downed foe, cementing the victory and getting a little bit of payback.

“It was just the reaction of mine to keep going till I was stopped. It did feel good though.”

Though Bisping's gameplan appeared evident early on, to use his quickness and footwork en route to a decision victory, he made the unconscious mistake of circling towards the “dooms day weapon” that is the Californian's right hand.

“It was apparent that he always liked to circle off to his left, which is my right hand, but I was supposed to be setting it up better with my jab and my left hook,” explained Henderson.

“I’m not too sure exactly what I did right before I landed that right, but I knew he likes to circle off after an attack to try and get away towards my power hand, which was not a smart thing to do against me.”

With three-straight wins in the UFC, having stopped Bisping, a feat that had never been accomplished before, it’s hard to argue with the facts. The Team Quest co-founder may have very well jumped in line, throwing his name in the hat for a rematch against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

It’s a bout that Henderson is content with to redeem himself after his performance and feels his accomplishments since losing to Silva in their first meeting have earned him that right.

“Ultimately its up to him (Dana White), but I feel in my mind that I came back and fought some fights and deserve that, but it's up to him to make that decision.”

Prior to the bout, at the pre-fight press conference, White had indicated that the bout would basically determine Silva's next opponent at middleweight, but it has yet to be cemented.

For any reason if the rematch should not incur in the near future for Henderson, he knows he has some options.

Having competed in the UFC’s middleweight division in three of his last four fights, he knows full well of the potential of other intriguing matchups in the light heavyweight division, where he has also seen success in the past, beating notables Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin.

“It’s a fight that I want and I feel like... I haven’t asked for it yet, I’d let it be known that I would like that rematch, but I have never asked Dana or anybody to give me that. It's just a matter of time, I knew that I had to win some fights and beat some good guys first and I feel like I’ve done that now.

“If it doesn’t happen, I kind of like fighting at 205 too, so there’s lots of match-ups for me.”

 

[killahoe666]

GSP needs to be fighting Anderson Silva next

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC OFFICIAL CONFIRMS BROWN VS ALDO TITLE BOUT

The news broke on Tuesday that WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, ranked No. 1 in the world, would fight top contender Jose Aldo at WEC 45 in November.

Though the bout had been backed through independent sources, MMAWeekly.com spoke with World Extreme Cagefighting General Manager Reed Harris on Wednesday morning, who made the fight official.

"The fight is on," he said emphatically.

Mid-November is the target, but neither a hard date nor a location has been set. "Not yet," responded Harris. "We are looking at three or four different venues. That will of course determine the date, depending on the venue we decide to go with and its availability."

The championship fight is the latest in a series of WEC bouts pitting the top fighters in their respective weight classes against each other. Brown recently defended his title against No. 2 ranked Urijah Faber in Sacramento, Calif., and bantamweight champ and No. 1 ranked Miguel Torres will defend against No. 2 ranked Brian Bowles on Aug. 9 in Las Vegas.

Aldo is currently ranked No. 5 in the featherweight class.

"This will not only be a test for Jose Aldo," said Harris, "but also for Mike Brown. Aldo's fighting style is really dynamic, posing some interesting challenges to Brown.

"But on the other hand, I don't know if Aldo has faced anyone on the level of a Mike Brown, either."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Josh Neer gets suspended sentence for January arrest, UFC 101 bout will go on

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Josh Neer will likely serve no prison time and instead received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a New Year's Day drunk-driving arrest.

Polk County, Iowa District Judge Douglas F. Staskal last month issued Neer a maximum two years of imprisonment after the fighter pleaded guilty to second-offense OWI and five years after a guilty plea for eluding or attempting to elude a police vehicle, as first reported by mixedmartialartslawblog.com. The entire sentence was suspended, a customary practice in such cases.

Neer, who next fights at UFC 101, will avoid prison time if he fulfills the terms of his probation, and he's also been given clearance to travel for his job.

"We are very pleased with the decision the judge made on Josh's hearing, and we can now finally put this matter behind us and move on," Neer's manager, Mickey Dubberly of KO Dynasty, said in a statement issued to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "In no way will the judge's decision keep Josh from fighting in UFC 101. Josh has been training very hard for this fight and is looking forward to putting on a great fight for the UFC and the fans.

"Josh would like to thank the UFC, family, friends, fans, sponsors and his training partners for supporting him through this incident."

Neer was arrested in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1 after allegedly hitting a police car and fleeing from the scene in a subsequent 15-minute police chase that reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Cops unsuccessfully deployed the PIT maneuver but successfully laid down stop sticks to disable Neer's car, according to law-enforcement officials.

Neer was released later that morning after posting $7,000 in bail for the two offenses.

Neer (25-7-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) fought just six weeks after the arrest and defeated Mac Danzig via submission at UFC Fight Night 17. The rousing matchup earned each winner a $30,000 "Fight of the Night" award. The six-year MMA professional, who made his UFC debut in 2005. is currently in his third stint with the UFC and has won four of his past five fights and eight of his past 10.

The 26-year-old, who fights Kurt Pellegrino on Aug. 8 at UFC 101, signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC after the Danzig victory.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC tentatively adds Vancouver and Toronto shows to 2010 fight schedule

In addition to a likely show in Montreal, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will visit two new Canadian locations in 2010.

UFC CEO and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta said the organization has "penciled in" Vancouver for a June 2010 pay-per-view event, and the executive also gave his "guarantee" the UFC will head to Toronto for what will be the "biggest mixed martial arts event in North America."

The comments, made during a keynote speech at the UFC Fan Expo, were reported by the Canadian Press.

To date the UFC has hosted two events in Canada. Both events took place in Montreal. UFC 83 was held in April 2008 and drew 21,390 attendees (a North American MMA attendance record) for a $5.1 million gate. UFC 97 took place a year later and drew 21,451 for a $4.9 million gate.

Vancouver, home to nearly 2.2 million people, is Canada's third-largest metro area in the country. Toronto, with 5.2 million residents, is the largest.

The Toronto event could take place at the Rogers Centre, formerly the SkyDome, which could seat nearly 70,000 people for a mixed-martial-arts event.

UFC officials are working with local legislators to get needed regulation in place to host the shows. Under the current ownership, the UFC has made significant process in the U.S. A total to 40 states now regulate the sport, and an additional seven are in advanced stages. However, UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs has plenty of work ahead of him in Canada, a nation with a strong MMA following.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White says "The Ultimate Fighter 10" heavy on storylines, online bonus episodes possible

The upcoming 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" is so packed with storylines that the show's producers aren't sure how to cram all the content into the 12 scheduled 42-minute episodes.

That's according to Dana White, who discussed the heavyweights-only season in media sessions before and after UFC 100.

White said the show, which debuts Sept. 16 on Spike TV with notables such as Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Roy "Big Country" Nelson, could be extended with online bonus episodes that would air on UFC.com or Spike.com.

"This is some of the best television ever. ... Think about all the television we've done," White said shortly after a pre-UFC 100 press conference. "(Show producer) Andrea (Richter) ... she said, 'Dana, I don't know what to do. We could have a 10-set DVD pack on this show. There's no way we could possibly tell all the storylines and all the things that happened during this season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.''

"It's some good [expletive]. It'll be interesting to see which way they go with it."

This season of "TUF" is the first to feature heavyweights since season two in 2005, and it's the first to feature heavyweights exclusively. Unlike the second season that ultimately saw the top competitors drop to light heavyweight, this year's crop of heavyweights is on the bigger range of the weight class.

In addition to Ferguson, the former EliteXC headliner, and Nelson, the IFL's final heavyweight champion, "TUF 10" features four NFL veterans (Marcus Jones, Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub and Wes Shivers) and former UFC fighters such as Wes Sims, Scott Junk and Mike Wessel.

In a post-UFC 100 press conference, White said he and Spike TV officials have had preliminary discussions about possibly posting bonus footage and extended episodes online to supplement the normal episodes.

"We've just got so much good stuff," White said.

"TUF" debuted in 2005 and quickly proved a ratings hit. The series, which has launched more than 100 UFC careers, is largely credited with the UFC's current growth spurt and has produced eventual UFC champions in Matt Serra, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DANA WHITE CONFIRMS GSP'S NEXT OPPONENT

It has been widely rumored and Joe Rogan mentioned it during the UFC 100 broadcast, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Wednesday made it official, the fight between Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann will determine the next challenger to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

"Wherever we go, fans know UFC delivers great fights,” UFC president Dana White said. "Mike Swick vs. Martin Kampmann could be fight of the night at UFC 103 because the winner takes on Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title.”

After suffering an injury to his groin at UFC 100, St. Pierre will be taking some time off to heal up, but has at least narrowed his next opponent down to the winner of the bout on Sept. 19 in Dallas.

"I want to face the best guy," the champ commented after his victory over Thiago Alves. "Right now, I'm in really bad pain. I'm going to take a step back and take a look at it and we'll talk about it, and in a couple of weeks we'll see."

He should have plenty of time to rehab his injury and get prepared for his next challenge. Swick vs. Kampmann is still two months away and no date has been revealed for St. Pierre's return bout against the winner.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA Quick Quote: Fabricio Werdum plans to submit Alistair Overeem (again) on Aug. 15

” … the fight starts standing. I’ll train standing as on the ground, but I’ll give more emphasis to the ground. I like to train and fight standing, and it hasn’t that thing of taking the fight directly to the ground. It’s difficult to take Overeem to the ground. In the other time that we fought, I couldn’t give him any takedown, and he took me down five times, so I was forced to fight standing with him. The strategy is this, take to the ground as soon as possible and submit…. I know he’s heavier and stronger, but there is one thing: the stronger and heavier, the guy can get tired fast. In our other fight, he gave me a heat in the first round and began to get tired in the second. I can use this strategy too, just wait for him to get tired, but if I have how to finalize before, I will.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Randy Couture: Brock’s antics atypical of MMA — but will keep people tuning in

“That’s not the kind of thing our sport is known for. Those kind of antics and those kind of comments. I know there’s a lot of people who are going to tune to see when he gets beat now. I got 10 texts that night watching the fight [saying] ‘what an idiot.’ We really don’t need to know that he’s getting on his wife that night. And I’m thinking what is that, a special occasion? You’re married to Sable, you think that would be happening all the time.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shane Carwin speaks on UFC 104 showdown with Cain Velasquez; A 5 Oz. Exclusive

There were mixed emotions among the mixed martial arts community when 5 Oz. recently revealed that fellow undefeated heavyweight prospects Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez would be butting heads at UFC 104.

Many fans, myself included, were thrilled at the announcement. The two fastest rising prospects in the UFC’s big man division trying to beat one another into an unconscious stupor; What’s not to love.

Well there are quite a few out there that will tell you what’s not to love, and that’s the fact that one of these two unblemished titans will leave the arena that night….. well, blemished.

I say let the chips fall where they may. What better way to get to the bottom of exactly who the definitive contender to Brock Lesnar’s crown is than to have Shane and Cain figure it out the old fashioned way?

Apparently UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was thinking the same thing as it has been reported that the winner of this heavyweight slugfest in October is guaranteed a shot at Lesnar’s championship strap.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with the educated smashing machine that goes by the name of Shane Carwin to get his quick thoughts on what is sure to be the most bout of his life up until this point in his career.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So it’s going to be you and Cain in Los Angeles, I know there are a whole lot of fans already extremely excited about this upcoming fight and it’s still a few months away. What are your thoughts on Velasquez as an opponent and what he brings to the table?

Shane Carwin: The scouting report on Cain is that he is well rounded and has an unlimited gas tank. He is an aggressive fighter who posses a ton of skill. He trains with one of the elite camps in the world so I really expect him to be in top shape and ready to go.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What were you able to take away from Cain’s last performance against Cheick Kongo? Were you impressed or would you say that you saw a few holes in his game that you feel like you’re going to be able to ultimately capitalize on?

Shane Carwin: I saw that Cain is ready to bang it out with the top of the division. When preparing for a fight my team and I really just build our game plan. You can’t ever control what your opponent is going to do so we focus on imposing our will. Cain is a legitimate contender and I hope that winner gets a shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are some of the major advantages you feel like you are going to possess over Velasquez going into this match-up?

Shane Carwin: It’s hard to say. I think my striking is an advantage but honestly you never know until you are in the cage. A good example was when Gabe took me down, we had drilled that situation so many times that it was like second nature getting back to my feet. You kind of go on auto pilot when the cage door closes. That is why a lot of guys say pre-fight “I am going to stand and bang” and they’re shot as soon as a single leg happens. You’re not thinking about your interviews or promises made to your fans. Your going over your game plan and looking for those situations your coaches told you would be there. My trainers Trevor and Christian don’t get the credit they deserve a lot of times.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I know you’ve had to take some time off to recover from the nose surgery, how far out do you imagine you will start your training camp for this fight, and where do you plan on doing the bulk of your training?

Shane Carwin: I am always training. I have been back in the gym since the doctor cleared me. As soon as my team is back from The Ultimate Fighter we will crank up the training camp. Until then, I am working my fundamentals and strength and conditioning.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How did you hook up with Renzo Gracie black belt Amal Easton, and what was the motivation behind your desire to obtain your black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Shane Carwin: I was introduced through Eliot Marshall. I really enjoyed Amal’s attitude and approach to training and it will be a good fit. My head trainer Trevor really encourages us to work with other people. Lately I have been training at the Olympic Training Center along with my other regular spots. I think BJJ is a critical component to becoming a great MMA fighter. As a wrestler it is important for me to increase my exposure to all of the various aspects of the sport. Christian Allen will always be one of my top coaches as well, he has been with me from the beginning and is amazing in all aspects of the game. I earned a Purple Belt under Nate Marquardt, whom is a fabulous instructor. I made the choice to start over as a White Belt and it was out of respect to Amal and his approach to training.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Honestly, how excited are you that you are finally just one fight away from your dream, a shot at the UFC heavyweight championship?

Shane Carwin: I think the UFC has shown time and time again that they give those shots to the guys that are the most exciting. You have Randy and Nogueira fighting, and then you have great guys like Junior Dos Santos. I am in awe of the fighters in the UFC Heavyweight Division, they have really built up the talent pool.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Thanks for taking this time with me Shane, is there anyone you would like to thank?

Shane Carwin: I would like to thank the fans of the sport without you guys none of this would be possible, so thank you. I want to thank my amazing team and coaches, my management company. Last but not least my sponsors Warrior Wear, MMAadnet, Max Muscle, Xyience, CarnalDammage, and www.shane-carwin.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dida training BJJ for Katsunori at Dream 10

As soon as it was announced his fight against the Japanese Kikuno Katsunori at Dream 10, which happens on July 20th in Japan, André “Dida” Amade didn’t hesitate and went to San Diego (USA), where two months ago he trained with the Jiu-Jitsu world champions, Saulo Ribeiro, André Galvão and Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro, besides Fabrício “Morango” Camões, who is pulling the team’s MMA training. Knowing the qualities of his opponent - specialist in wrestling - Dida revealed that the training is focused on ground defenses for the fight to stay is his area, the striking.

"Kikuno is good on takedowns and likes to work the ground and pound, so I’m training a lot the ground part to defend the positions and be able to return to the fight standing, which is my strength. I’m confident and believe in the victory. I’ll embark on July 16th with André Galvão, Saulo, Xande and my brother (Maurício). If the fight goes to the ground, I have Saulo directing me, if it stays standing, my brother will pass all instructions", guaranteed Dida, who flies from Japan direct to Brazil to assist Maurício Shogun’s preparation to the fight Lyoto Machida for the UFC title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Gold Tournament" bouts added to Sengoku Ninth Battle, Aug. 2 fight card now complete

A trio of bouts, determined by the Sengoku Gold Tournament television competition reality series, has been added to World Victory Road's Sengoku Ninth Battle event, the organization today revealed.

The event, which also features the semifinals and finale of the organization's featherweight grand prix, takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs on HDNet.

New bouts, which were determined by a nationally televised Sengoku show, include lightweights Koji Ando (2-0-2) vs. Ikuo Usuda (4-0), featherweights Toru Harai (6-2) vs. Shigeki Osawa (2-0), and bantamweights Ryosuke Komori (3-1) vs. Takeshi Numajiri.

The prospect-rich additions complete a 15-fight lineup that also includes a lightweight title fight between champion Satoru Kitaoka and challenger Mizuto Hirota.

Ando, who turned pro last year and has now fought exclusively for Greatest Common Multiple's Cage Force series, takes on undefeated Usuda, also a one-year veteran who's competed exclusively for Shooto.

Harai, a DEEP and Pancrase vet, has won three consecutive fights and five of his past six. He now meets fellow featherweight Osawa, who turned pro in April and made his WVR debut a month later with a unanimous-decision win over Kota Ishibashi at Sengoku Eighth Battle.

Komori, meanwhile, has fought exclusively for DEEP, where he posted three consecutive submission victories in one night to win the organization's "Future King Tournament" in December. He looks to rebound from his first career loss (to Hiryu Okamoto) when he takes on Numajiri, who's 1-1 since making his pro debut in October.

The full card for Sengoku Ninth Battle now includes:

* Hatsu Hioki vs. Masanoru Kanehara*
* Michihiro Omigawa vs. Marlon Sandro*
* Sengoku featherweight GP finale
* Matt Jaggers vs. Chan Sung Jung+
* Mizuto Hirota vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for Sengoku lightweight title)
* Kazuo Misaki vs. Kazuhiko Nakamura
* Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov
* Choi Mu Bae vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
* Clay French vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
* Dan Hornbuckle vs. Akihiro Gono
* Koji Ando vs. Ikuo Usuda
* Ryosuke Komori vs. Takeshi Numajiri
* Koji Ando vs. Ikuo Usuda
* Toru Harai vs. Shigeki Osawa
* Ryosuke Komori vs. Takeshi Numajiri.

* - Featherweight GP semifinals
+ - Featherweight GP reserve bout