MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC officials will use proven U.S. blueprint to build fan base in Mexico

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a plan to build up its organization in Mexico.

It's the same one company officials used to build a fan base in the U.S.

UFC president Dana White recently said the keys to Mexico, a southern neighbor that began broadcasting UFC events on network television for this past weekend's UFC 100 event, are exposure, education and one-on-one meetings with MMA's opposition.

Prior to the milestone UFC 100 event, Grupo Televisa, the largest media conglomerate in the Spanish-speaking world, announced the airing of UFC 100 would "mark the beginning of a strategic alliance" between the company and the UFC. It was a huge coup for the UFC, which has long had its eye on the country and its 112 million citizens.

Officials for both the UFC and its sister promotion, the WEC (which has many fighters from Mexican descent), have said the Mexico market is ripe for the companies' growth.

So how will they do it?

"Same thing that we did here in the United States," White said. "We start on free TV. We start educating people on the sport. We start traveling around Mexico and do doing all the things that I did in the United State from radio to television, meeting with all the different people who probably oppose it and think it's bad and start trying to educate people.

"We'll then a bring live event down there. And then we'll continue bringing live events down there."

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported last week, White also envisions using an upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter" competition reality series to highlight Mexican fighters.

"Once we get Mexico rolling – it's going to take some time – I'd like to do something like we did 'The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.' (with) U.S. vs. Mexico, U.K. vs. Mexico, Canada vs. Mexico, whatever," White said. "I don't know. We'll do something."

With the UFC's recent penetration of the European market, the UFC featured a team of British fighters on its recently concluded season of "TUF." The move secured talent, including "TUF 9" welterweight winner James Wilks and lightweight winner Ross Pearson, for future British cards who could complement the country's most popular UFC fighter, Michael Bisping.

Such a format could also assure an influx of Mexican fighters to the UFC. A few fighters, such as heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez, Roger Huerta (assuming a new deal is reached) and Diego Sanchez, already have ties to Mexico and could be immediate stars in the country.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 43 continues taking shape with Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis signing

Youngstown, Ohio's quickly filling Sept. 2 fight card, which takes place at the Covelli Center and airs on Versus has a new addition: a lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis (7-0 MMA, 1-0 WEC) and Alex Karalexis (10-4 MMA, 4-2 WEC).

WEC officials could not immediately confirm the bout, which was first reported by MMAMadness.com, but a source close to the negotiations confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that bout agreements have been signed.

The bout is expected to take place on the night's unaired preliminary card.

Pettis, a two-year vet, goes for his eighth consecutive win and his second victory in the WEC. The Gladiators Fighting Series veteran made his WEC debut in June with a submission victory over Mike Campbell at WEC 41. In seven career victories, Pettis has gone to a decision only once.

The hard-hitting Karalexis, meanwhile, makes his seventh WEC appearance. The former UFC fighter and cast member from the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" left the organization after a 1-2 stint in the octagon. He immediately earned his way into WEC title contention with victories over Thomas Denny, Olaf Alfonso and Josh Smith but then suffered back-to-back-TKO losses to Ed Ratcliff and Bart Palaszewski.

Karalexis, though, rebounded with a first-round TKO over Greg McIntyre during his most recent bout, at WEC 39 in March.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dan Henderson on controversy: "I think I showed good sportsmanship" by stopping when I did

The controversy surrounding Dan Henderson's heavily debated final knockout shot of Michael Bisping at this past weekend's UFC 100 event was just a simple case of a joke gone wrong.

That's according to Henderson, who discussed the fight on Tuesday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

Henderson said that not only were his post-fight comments about knowingly hitting an unconscious opponent a joke but that he feels he showed "good sportsmanship" by stopping the assault when he did.

Henderson and Bipsing fought in one of the three featured bouts at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on July 11. The rival coaches from the recent ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" built a very public rivalry prior to the bout, and fans, too, were caught up in the emotions.

Most fans, especially those in the U.S., were clearly and vocally on Henderson's side in the grudge match.

Henderson delighted the the majority of the soldout crowd and the night's pay-per-view audience when he knocked Bisping out cold with a big overhand right three minutes into the second round. A diving blow from the standing position followed to Henderson's unsconcious opponent.

In a post-fight interview with broadcaster Joe Rogan, however, Henderson said he knew Bisping was out when he delivered the shot and that he normally wouldn't have thrown it.

"I believe I [shut him up] for a little while," Henderson said. "I don't know if I can ever shut his mouth completely, though. Normally, I'm not that way in fights. I know if a guy is out, and I tend to stop. I knew I [knocked] him out. I think that last one was just to shut him up a little bit."

The comments lost him some fans and drew scorn from many of the record 240 credentialed media members who attended the event. The blow was perfectly legal – despite a valiant effort, veteran referee Mario Yamasaki couldn't stop Henderson before the second shot was administered – but the thought of a fighter knowingly hitting an sleeping opponent with such a power punch didn't sit well with many.

A joke gone bad

"It wasn't the right thing to say, obviously," Henderson said on Tuesday. "It wasn't what I wanted to say. It was more of a joke that I was trying to intend. I do have a good sense of humor, and that probably didn't come out quite as funny as it should have."

Henderson said he didn't, in fact, know Bisping was knocked out cold. (In a post-event press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Henderson told him the same thing and had apologized for his comments.)

"It wasn't intentional," Henderson said. "I didn't know he was completely knocked out or done until after that second punch, and that's exactly when I stopped. And I've hit guys just as hard almost right on the button like that (first shot), and they fall down, and the fight continues because maybe I didn't land the second shot right or the ref feels like that [my opponent] is still able to defend himself and he squeaks past and holds on. But I didn't want that to happen. That's why I was on him so quick with the second punch."

During a 12-year career spent mostly with the UFC and PRIDE, Henderson said he's learned to finish opponents once they're in a vulnerable state. Besides, he said, in that split second between the time the first punch landed and he reared up for the second, he didn't have to assess Bisping's state.

"It's instinct," he said. "Obviously, I knew I had him hurt bad, but you never know if the fight is going to be finished right then and there until the ref steps in. ... I wanted to shut him up completely and good and wanted to make sure the ref stopped the fight.

"If I'm standing up not making him vulnerable for shots and not striking, he doesn't have to defend himself. The ref might not stop it. With me adding one more punch to it, he has to step in and stop the fight no matter what. So I didn't know he was completely out until the second punch landed. There wasn't time to really think about the pros and cons of whether I should hit him again or not. It's too close. I did what I was supposed to do in that fight and at the end as well to finish it. That's what every fighter is trained to do, is finish the fight. I felt like I showed good sportsmanship by stopping right then and there. I didn't try to continue after the ref stopped it like a lot of fighters have done. That's just what I tried to joke about afterward and that's what people have a problem with."

Not the first time

Henderson's beef with Bisping was well-documented. And Henderson knows some people might think it prompted the second blow.

However, he said an almost exact same situation happened in February 2007 with a victory over fan favorite Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE 33.

No criticism came from the fight, and Henderson knows it's because he didn't make a joke that failed so miserably.

"It could have been anybody," he said. "It just happened to be Bisping. Maybe I enjoyed it more. I had the exact same finish against Wanderlei Silva. I knocked him out and landed one more punch on the ground. It happened almost the same type of way. ... And I like and respect Wanderlei a lot more than I like Bisping, and it didn't make a difference. It could have been anyone out there, and I was still going to do my job and finish the fight.

"I don't think anyone would have had a problem or said a word about it if I wouldn't have made that comment. Obviously I regret saying that, and it might have been in bad taste, but I was a little bit maybe emotional at the time, and it felt good to knock out Bisping like that."

Despite the pleasure of knocking out his rival, Henderson said he swapped text messages with White later that night to assure Bisping was OK.

Henderson vs. Silva II

Prior to UFC 100, White hinted that the Henderson vs. Bisping fight could have title implications. As the fight grew closer, White all but guaranteed that Bisping would earn a title shot with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva should he claim a victory at UFC 100.

However, even with the win, Henderson hasn't been promised anything. Not yet, anyway.

Henderson first fought Silva in March 2008 at UFC 82. The bout was slightly notable in the fact that Henderson appeared to become the first UFC fighter to win a round over Silva. However, "The Spider" shut down Henderson and choked him out in the final seconds of the following round.

Although he's bounced between the light-heavyweight and middleweight divisions, Henderson wants another shot at the belt – and he thinks he deserves it.

"I think I've earned it more than anyone," said Henderson, who owns a three-fight win streak with additional wins over Rousimar Palhares and most recently Rich Franklin. "Dana knows that's what should happen and that's what I want, so we'll see what happens."

"I told Dana in the (post-fight) press conference that it better be me. If not, I'm going to kick his ass."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Despite recent reports, heavyweight Roger Gracie will not compete for Strikeforce on Aug. 15

Heavyweight prospect Roger Gracie's (2-0) much-anticipated U.S. debut will have to wait, as the Brazilian has bowed out of "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."

A post on GracieMag's Twitter account stated the 27-year-old has been busy caring for his three-week-old son and unable to rest and train.

"Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg," featuring four Strikeforce title fights, takes place Aug. 15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs live on Showtime.

In June, GracieMag.com was the first to issue a report that Gracie would be fighting on the card.

Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the organization had hoped to feature the heavyweight on the card, but a bout agreement was never in place. A potential opponent for Gracie had not been named.

Gracie last fought in a May 2008 submission win over 13-year veteran Yuki Kondo. Gracie also earned a submission victory over Ron Waterman in December 2006.

Strikeforce's Aug. 15 event now includes:

* Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (for Strikeforce women's 145-pound title)
* Champ Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez (for Strikeforce world lightweight title)
* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (for Strikeforce world heavyweight title)
* Nick Diaz vs. Joe Riggs (for vacant Strikeforce world welterweight title)
* Billy Evangelista vs. TBA*
* Poppies Martinez vs. TBA*
* Erin Toughill vs. TBA

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

ROYCE GRACIE NOT FIGHTING... FOR NOW

Royce Gracie, the first dominant UFC champion in its 16-year history, is far past any of the traditional motivators for fighting.

He doesn’t need the money, or the fame, or the students. There is nothing for him to prove. Life is pretty good outside the cage.

He’s sitting on the fence, though, about whether he wants to get back in.

The 42-year-old gets hounded regularly about when he’s going to fight next. Call it Gracie nostalgia: fans want to see the man who, at 170 frail pounds, tapped out a field of brutes a decade ago.

For most of the requests, he smiles and leaves it in the air – anything’s possible.

Gracie has had several stops and starts since leaving the Octagon in 1995. He returned to action in Japan, with an all-out battle with Kazushi Sakuraba in 2000 – one he lost – marking the apex of his post-UFC career.

In May 2006, he finally returned to the Octagon, looking suddenly very old against a younger, stronger, faster champion in Matt Hughes. Hughes, the next dominant welterweight in the company’s history, resorted to pounding the side of Gracie’s head after he realized the legend wouldn’t tap to an armlock that dislocated his elbow.

There was his appearance at Dynamite! USA in June 2007, where he defeated old nemesis and fellow legend Kazushi Sakuraba in a dull re-match and afterwards tested positive for steroids. A regulator later told MMAWeekly.com that the levels of drug found in his system were indicative Gracie didn’t know he was taking performance enhancers, or didn’t believe he’d be tested.

Since then, he has remained off the map, content to be out of the spotlight.

Fans and media mobbed him as he walked the corridors of the Mandalay Bay Event Center on the weekend of UFC 100. He felt ambiguous about being there; on one hand, the promotion had made it past the dark days of half-empty arenas and political scorn (well, mostly), and on the other, he wasn’t a part of it.

“One hundred is good, but it makes me feel so old,” he told MMAWeekly.com.

Unlike half-brother Rorion, Royce embraced the changes he says needed to happen for the sport to grow. Rorion, who along with Art Davies incubated the 1993 version of the UFC based on father Helio’s combat skirmishes in Brazil, once said he didn’t watch the event anymore.

Royce says that’s not true, though he shared Rorion’s wish to return to the days of no time limit bouts.

“I understand the changes that happen,” he said. “With the changes, it makes it legal all over the world. It’s sanctioned. You have to have the time limit; you have to have the weight division. As a fighter, you just have to adapt to that, but he likes the old idea. I prefer no time limit, too; don’t take me wrong. It’s just you can’t do it. Okay, let’s adapt to it.”

Most believe Gracie failed to adapt in his many returns. MMA had evolved into a hybrid sport, and he hadn’t put in the time to become well rounded in all of its dimensions. He could avoid being finished, but he couldn’t finish a fight.

Still, the public wants to see him. Nostalgia is reliable in a time of here today, gone tomorrow fighters.

But perhaps the biggest adaptation he needs to make is a lack of edge needed to fight. He doesn’t have the fire. He wants to compete, and says he’s physically fine. Something else is missing.

“(I) don’t feel the urge to fight,” he said. “I’ve never had a fight on the street, never hurt my opponents. But I don’t feel that edge, that urge to fight. Before, four, five, six months after the fight, I would call my manager and say, ‘get me in the ring, I want to train.’ I want to go into that concentration camp mode and just train for the fight. Now… eh, I don’t feel that.”

And he isn’t too concerned about whether he’ll get the fire back. Realistically, he knows he has a few years to decide. There’s no rush.

Gracie’s legacy was all over the action on Saturday night. Fighters took each other down, fought for position, and some got choked out. Royce watched from outside the cage, taking it all in.

Will he ever step back inside? Probably not. But anything’s possible.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ronnys Torres unable to fight, Justin Buchholz to face Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 19

After suffering an injury in training, Brazilian Ronnys Torres (14-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was once again forced to reschedule his UFC debut, and Justin Buchholz (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has stepped in to meet Jeremy Stephens (15-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 19.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was informed of the change late Wednesday night, and sources close to the event have since confirmed the switch.

Featuring a main event between lightweights Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard, UFC Fight Night 19 takes place Sept. 16 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. The main card airs live on Spike TV.

Buchholz will be looking to rebound from a submission loss to Terry Etim at June's UFC 99. The 25-year-old entered the UFC with a 7-1 record, though he has gone just 1-2 in his three bouts in the octagon.

Stephens finds himself in a must-win situation after back-to-back losses to Gleison Tibau and Joe Lauzon. After opening his career with 14 wins in his first 16 contests, Stephens has endured a 1-3 stretch in his past four bouts.

Torres' injury continues a recent string of bad luck for the Brazilian. The Nova Uniao fighter was forced out of UFC Fight Night 18 with a knee injury and hasn't fought since September 2008. Torres wasn't immediately available for comment, and a timeframe for his return is currently unknown.

With the change, UFC Fight Night 19 now includes:

* Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard
* Roger Huerta vs. Gray Maynard
* Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle*
* Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson*
* Tim Credeur vs. Nate Quarry*
* Justin Buchholz vs. Jeremy Stephens*
* Mike Pyle vs. Chris Wilson*
* Kyle Bradley vs. Sam Stout*
* Ryan Jensen vs. Steven Steinbeiss*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC HEADED BACK TO U.K. ON NOVEMBER 14

British mixed martial arts fans can rejoice; the UFC is set to return to U.K. soil this fall. UFC U.K. president Marshall Zelaznik confirmed the news to Ariel Helwani of Versus recently.

"Yeah, let's make it official. We're looking at November to be in Manchester. It's been too long, we need to get back there," he stated. "Nov. 14 is when we will be back there."

In fact – although the UFC was in London earlier this year – it has been more than two years since the MMA juggernaught re-launched its assault on the U.K. scene at the MEN Arena, where Gabriel Gonzaga surprisingly knocked out Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

The promotion's U.K. television options have been narrowed down to two likely proposals, but are still in negotiations. As of right now, Zelaznik said all indications are leaning towards the Manchester event being made available for free in the U.S. on Spike TV, although that has not been solidified either.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is likely brainstorming the fight card (could rising U.K. star Dan Hardy possibly be in the mix for a headlining position?), but Zelaznik had no news on that front, "Right now I have no idea who is fighting."

For now, just look for the UFC to return to Manchester, England on Nov. 14.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: From football to fighting, Chris Wells balancing MMA and teaching over 12-year career

Shortly after finishing a college football career that wound from Division I to small college in Kentucky, Chris Wells was sitting in an Applebee's on some random day.

It was the mid-1990s, when the people interested in mixed-martial arts still were like those who drive Jeeps – that is, they waved at each other with a special understanding. Wells was part of that group with a respect for Royce Gracie as a former hard-nosed, somewhat undersized former linebacker.

So Wells, who grew up with a view of a steel mill in his southwestern-Ohio backyard, was sitting in the Applebee's on the verge of a career that would eventually lead him to teach special education and coach football at one of Ohio's largest high schools.

Then he spotted a black eye, and he took interest.

"The guy had a Gracie sweatshirt on," Wells said by phone on the drive from Jorge Gurgel's JG MMA gym to his home in Middletown, Ohio, this week. "And he had this huge shiner."

They became friends immediately. Quickly learning that the marked stranger practiced the still-mysterious Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a gym in the Cincinnati area and, frankly, in his garage, Wells signed on.

And so, for the next dozen years or so, Wells has been part of the southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana MMA world without making a big deal out of it. While continuing his passion for football that helped him deal with his hardscrabble neighborhood growing up, Wells has scheduled his 10 professional fights over 12 years to satisfy that competitive itch that goes beyond racquetball or the golf course.

That fighting career will continue on July 25 when the man who knew Gurgel and Rich Franklin when they were up-and-comers appears in the main event at the Indiana-based MMA Big Show's event "Unstoppable." Wells will face Johnny Rees (10-2), whose most recent two fights have come in the UFC, at 177 pounds.

But for the 36-year-old Wells, the fight isn't a step to a greater, loftier MMA dream. It's a personal test for his competitiveness and commitment, a chance to face another person in a cage in front of a crowd.

This time, he's also fighting for the memory of best friend Derrick Terrell, who died tragically earlier this month.

"I just don't want to look back and know that I let fear stop me," Wells said of his motivation. "I just want to push myself to overcome obstacles. For me it's not money-oriented, I'm not really looking ahead. It's just a personal thing."

Tough-minded linebacker

Wells grew up in the shadow of a southwestern-Ohio steel mill in a family of blue-collar workers. He was an only child until age 15, when his parents provided him with a baby sister.

From a very young age, Wells was addicted to football. Even as a youth, Wells could understand the benefits of hard work in the sport and its place as an outlet for frustrations he felt in his sometimes-difficult home life.
He was committed enough that in one instance, around age 10, he played in a game shortly after receiving 33 stitches in his knee and saw the evidence of blood seeping through his uniform pants.

By high school, Wells realized he was an undersized linebacker (he would eventually grow to 5-foot-8), but his continual work in the weight room allowed him to enter the starting lineup by his sophomore year.

His best friend, Terrell, was also a member of the team. The two shared a special bond from growing up in the same neighborhood, even though Terrell was a year older. They would both eventually earn scholarships to Division I football programs, Terrell to Indiana University and Wells to Kent State.

"What we decided to do, even if it was unsaid, was to be us against the world," Wells said. "When we were on the football field, we wanted to be the two meanest guys out there. We wanted people to know we weren't just trying to tackle you. It was our thing to be good at."

Wells sighed through the sounds of passing traffic on the phone.

"It was a real special thing, man."

But Wells's temper, formed from that sometimes-uncomfortable home life, was able to cause some problems. He was removed by coaches from two football all-star games following his senior season because of fights with teammates, which were both heated and both somewhat overblown, Wells says now. When he arrived at Kent State, he didn't get along with the coaches, so he briefly left college football.

Soon after, Wells met a coach from Thomas More College in northern Kentucky who invited him into the close-bond program with coaches who more closely associated with and cared for the players. In that environment, Wells excelled. He became an NCAA Division III third-team All-American and remains second on the school's list of all-time tacklers, at 413 tackles in just three seasons from 1993-95.

After leaving Thomas More, Wells went looking for his next challenge. He didn't know what that would be, but he knew he always loved watching the UFC and Royce Gracie.

Teacher first, fighter for pride

Wells was settling into his career as a social studies and special education teacher and football coach when he met his black-eyed MMA future at Applebee's. Soon, Wells was a stable part of the growing local MMA community with a group of guys who trained in garages and took small amateur fights when they could.

"I met Jorge after a couple years," Wells said before laughing. "He'll kill me for saying this, but I met him he was a little chubby and soft, not strong in the least bit. He had great technique, but he wasn't cut at all, not like he is now."

The pair became friends, and soon Wells was traveling with Gurgel to his native Brazil for several weeks of training and staying with Gurgel's family. Wells later traveled back to Brazil on his own and continued to stay with the Gurgels.

"The people there were so nice, and it really taught me a lot about fighting but also just being a person," Wells said. "They were more thankful to be alive, they weren't part of the rat race. The guys were tough, but they didn't have to act like they were the baddest dudes ever to walk."

While continuing his training, Wells advanced in his teaching and coaching career. He landed a job with his former high school coach in Hamilton, Ohio, one of the state's largest districts, which hindered his training during the season and parts of the school year.

But when he trained, he was good. He regularly rolled with Gurgel and Franklin at a gym near the house in which he was raised and took his first professional fight about 10 years ago, when such fights were still somewhat mysterious.

In his start-and-stop career, Wells estimates he has an 8-2 pro record, and part of the reason for his uncertainty is his non-obsession with the sport. He has earned his jiu-jitsu brown belt, and his skills are well known to those in his community, but Wells isn't out to prove he can fight.

For guys like Wells, MMA is another challenge, not the only one. They aren't trying to make their living in the cage, but they like the training and they like the fighting.

The upcoming Saturday show at Belterra casino in Indiana will give him another chance. While its not a rung on a ladder, exactly, the fight is as important as it could be to Wells, who continues to train in memory of Terrell, his recently deceased best friend.

And, on a lighter note, he also wants to impress his football players, who regularly attend his fights.

"I'm not the greatest technician, but I'm strong for my size, and I'm a competitor," Wells said. "There have been a whole lot of people around here who have meant a lot to me and helped me, so I'm thankful to them. I also want to show them I can fight when the pressure's on."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson ready to get 'TUF' as "The Ultimate Fighter 10" debut nears

LAS VEGAS – LeBron James stormed off the court and didn't fulfill his responsibility to meet with the media after his Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals, a game in which James had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Imagine what James might have done had he performed as badly in his big moment as Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson did in his.

Slice, the heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter, was knocked out in just 14 seconds by a jab thrown by middling light heavyweight Seth Petruzelli during a main event fight on CBS on Oct. 4, 2008.

But it's a tribute to the much-maligned man's character that he reacted the way he did to the adversity and, as some who don't know better would say, the humiliation. The promotion behind the CBS card, Elite XC, went bankrupt not long after that fight, and Slice was exposed as not the brute he was portrayed to be but as a highly inexperienced fighter.

Slice, who had made his, ahem, reputation in bare-knuckle street fights that were posted on YouTube, never wavered in his desire to become a full-time – and legitimate – mixed martial artist.

And so he did the thing that stunned nearly everyone in the MMA community, including UFC president Dana White, and accepted an opportunity to be on the cast of season 10 of the UFC's reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV. The show, which begins its run in September, recently finished filming.

Slice's appearance on the program means a significant reduction in pay and some potentially humiliating situations for a guy who clearly had become a star in 2008, but Slice never once thought of anything but the opportunity the show would bring him.

"I'm the only guy going in the house with a bull's-eye on my back," Slice said on the day top-secret filming began in June. "That's cool. I'm always going to be the underdog, no matter who I fight. These guys have been doing it over 10 years, some of them all their lives. And in me, you got a guy coming right off the streets."

It was that very reason that White mocked Slice unmercifully throughout last year. Slice headlined two of three cards EliteXC promoted on CBS and drew exceptional numbers of viewers.

It angered White that Slice, who had little MMA training, was put in the main event on the first card ever televised on a legacy broadcast network. White had spent years selling the notion that MMA fighters were great athletes who were highly trained in their disciplines. He feared that Slice could tear much of that down in one night fighting on CBS.

And so, he began an anti-Kimbo campaign in 2008 in which "Kimbo sucks" was about the kindest thing White said about him.

Slice was well aware of White's stance, even though he didn't respond. It wasn't his choice to put himself into the main event. He didn't ask to be made the face of the company.

He wasn't trying to be a sideshow, though that's what he became. He was trying to learn the sport from the ground up, but a combination of circumstances thrust him into the unlikely position as the public face of the company.

Hearing White's taunts weren't easy for him to accept.

"You had a guy from right off the streets and, yeah, it [expletive] with me a little bit, I ain't going to lie," Slice said. "It [expletive] with my head a little bit. But I'm here to prove myself, make him swallow those words."

Slice tried to parlay his YouTube fame – his videos had more than 10 million views – into a career as a fighter. He was willing, though, to start from the bottom and enlisted the aid of former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten as a trainer.

But EliteXC, which was founded in 2007, had a dearth of talent, particularly network TV-caliber talent. Slice resonated because of his intimidating visage and his YouTube fame.

He was quickly pushed into situations he wasn't ready for and wound up paying the price.

After EliteXC's demise, Slice could have gone to Japan and fought carnival-type fights for big money, but he remained steadfast in his desire to become a complete, and legitimate, mixed martial artist. And so he accepted White's offer to appear on "TUF," saying all he wanted was a chance.

Whether he gets knocked out with the first punch in the first fight or whether he manages to win the show and earn a UFC contract, Slice has earned great respect for doing things the right way.

He is a straight-talking man who makes no excuses. If he can pull it off – and it's a big if – he's going to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world with the UFC's marketing muscle pushing him.

This is a guy who didn't have to take the fight with Petruzelli, who was a last minute replacement for veteran Ken Shamrock. Slice likely would have blown Shamrock away in a fight that wouldn't prove anything.

But Shamrock had to pull out hours before the fight because of a cut he suffered when he was warming up and rolling on the ground with a training partner. Slice accepted Petruzelli because he understood he was the man everyone was tuning into CBS to see, even though he wasn't nearly ready for anyone of Petruzelli's skill.

Petruzelli himself is a former cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter." And while he is never going to be a world champion, he's a solid, professional fighter, exactly the opposite of the opponent a fledgling fighter needed to face on short notice.

"I have no idea what happened, but [switching opponents at the last minute] definitely [expletive] with me a little bit," Slice said. "I kind of mentally beat myself, because I had just, well, let's just say that [expletive] wasn't right with me mentally. It was like being in a house with green and blue rooms and brown ceilings and skeletons all over the walls.

"It's a mind thing. You have to be pretty much 100 percent mental and 70 to 80 percent physical to fight, and I [wasn't]."

But he was clearly 100 percent mentally when he made the choice to appear on the reality show. The worst thing that can happen is that he loses his first fight, but he'll be a much bigger name for having been on the show and will be able to get plenty of experience fighting and learning the nuances of the business.

The best case scenario is that he wins the season and earns what White said is a much larger than normal contract for a TUF winner.

"Every fighter wants to fight in the UFC," said Slice. "Not everyone gets this opportunity to be on this show like I did. What happens from this point is up to me. I don't see how I could have passed it up. There might have been a little more money elsewhere in the short run, but I'm looking at the big picture, and this is the right move for me at the right time."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tom Lawlor says UFC 100 performance – in and out of the octagon – a sign of things to come

UFC middleweight Tom Lawlor (6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had a good night this past Saturday.

And while the Nevada State Athletic Commission reported Lawlor made $16,000 for his 55-second submission win over C.B. Dollaway at UFC 100 – not to mention the $100,000 he received for the evening's "Submission of the Night" – Lawlor recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) it was a third payment that had him truly excited.

"I even made a $100 off of Joe Lauzon," Lawlor said. "We made a bet that I was going to shoot. He told me I was going to shoot. I told him, 'No way in hell.' Thankfully, I didn't have to."

It was Dollaway who shot in early on the evening's preliminary card, and Lawlor locked in a textbook guillotine choke to put "The Doberman" to sleep.

The win had people talking, but then showing up the event's weight-ins with "Just Bleed" emblazoned on his chest and walking out to "Who Let the Dogs Out?" with Seth Petruzelli on a leash had already accomplished that.

"I was watching the last WEC card, and I was thinking, 'What could I possibly do at the weigh-ins?'" Lawlor said. "'I need to go ahead and do something to differentiate myself.' Being on the undercard, really you only get so much attention.

"In this sport, some of it is about marketing yourself. I figured that the odds that my fight are going to get shown are probably slim to none. I need to make sure people are going to at least see my face out there so I can set myself up for the future."

As it turned out, Lawlor was right. Despite the quick win, only a brief clip of the fight was shown on the evening's pay-per-view broadcast.

"They showed the ending of the fight, and really the fight was only 55 seconds," Lawlor said. "If somebody stuck around until the very end, they got to see pretty much all the action that went on in that fight, anyway.

"I'm pretty happy that at least people got to at least see my face and the haircut that I paid to get last week."

"The Filthy Mauler" said his colorful behavior was an accurate reflection of his life and attitude outside the octagon.

"Life is somewhat short," Lawlor said. "I've been around for 26 years now. I'm probably seven-eighths of the way through my life. I'd like to continue to have fun the rest of the time.

"I'm not going out there doing these things necessarily as a show. It is showmanship, but I'd probably be doing this stuff at home even if I wasn't fighting."

And after the impressive win and equally pleasing weigh-in came and fight-night ring entrance, Lawlor knows people will be watching intently the next time he makes his way to the cage. He just doesn't know what else he can bring to the table.

"I'm not sure what else I can do," Lawlor said. "Maybe the Techno Viking dance. But I'm white as hell and have no rhythm. That might be kind of rough."

 

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Bitetti Combat: Jeff Monson vs Pedro Rizzo in the works for Sept. 12

A heavyweight battle between stocky grappling guru Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (30-8) and former WVC heavyweight champion Pedro Rizzo (16-9) is in the works for “Bitetti Combat” from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 12, according to Super Lutas.

The titanic tilt is actually a rematch from their September 2007 fight at “Art of War 3″ from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Rizzo dropped Monson midway through the third with a series of punches for what has turned out to be his only victory in his last three fights.

The heavy-handed Brazilian is coming off two devastating back-to-back knockout losses. Josh Barnett stopped him at Affliction “Banned” in July of 2008 before he went stiff against Gilbert Yvel at “Ultimate Chaos” just last month.

It was only his third fight in as many years and he likely suffers from the gaps of inactivity. Hopefully the once-feared striker can get back to his winning ways against Monson this September.

The self-described anarchist has won seven of his last eight fights following the Rizzo loss.

After stealing a controversial unanimous decision victory against Roy “Big Country” Nelson at “March Badness,” Monson made short work of Russian gladiator Sergei Kharitonov at DREAM 8, forcing the Russian to tap with a north-south choke early into round one.

“The Snowman” has momentum on his side, but you can never count Rizzo out so long as he continues to hit like a cement truck.

Bitetti Combat will feature a light heavyweight showdown between Marvin Eastman and Ricardo Arona. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Alex Stiebling are also expected to hook ‘em up.

 

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UFC Quick Quote: Shane Carwin ready for Cain Velasquez at UFC 104

“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. Cain is a legitimate contender and I hope that winner gets a shot. 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.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Robinson: UFC 100 Antics Deserve Consequences

Let me begin by saying that I am oddly enough more in the dark about the aftermath of UFC 100 than I have been about any other recent event, and obviously a little late to the party. I was in Vegas for the event, but after I had limited Internet access and I was traveling.

First, Dan Henderson’s final shot on Michael Bisping is regrettably part of the sport. The game is fast and the referee doesn’t always have time to dive in and save a downed fighter before he takes an unnecessary blow. The fighters can’t be faulted, they are in a high-intensity moment and trying to end it in victory, so I had no problem with Henderson’s final punch until he said it was intentional immediately afterward.

Second, Brock Lesnar’s actions were over the top. He didn’t need to go WWE on everybody after he pummeled Frank Mir, but he did.

Now here’s the kicker. I understand why these two reacted as they did after the fight. In those few moments they are wired up like we can only imagine. Weeks and weeks of training, all the anticipation, the stress leading up to the fight, and then just like that it is over and their hands are raised. It is hard to fault them for sometimes saying or doing inappropriate things. Even so, they need to be held accountable.

I recognize that both men changed their tunes a bit after the fights. That’s good, but still there needs to be repercussions. The UFC, while not a league, is now routinely being compared to other sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, or MLB. Even Dana White has recently compared the promotion to other leagues when discussing the sponsorship issue. Any of the other leagues would fine or suspend their athletes for actions that compare to Henderson’s or Lesnar’s. The same should hold true with the UFC.

Maybe the fact that they have since dialed down their words or actions should help lessen the consequence, but each man, Henderson and Lesnar, should be fined or receive some kind of suspension from the UFC. I say UFC, not the Nevada State Athletic Commission, because the promotion is now looked upon as a league similar to the leagues of other sports.

Now in saying all that, the fine or suspension should not be made to truly hurt the fighters. A suspension of six weeks or three months would not damage either man’s career. A $5,000 fine would certainly not send them to the poorhouse, but what it would do is tell the mainstream media and everyone else that the UFC is not going to tolerate dangerous or outrageous actions.

Dana White and the UFC are once again in an unenviable position. The Henderson KO of Bisping and Brock Lesnar’s domination of Frank Mir and his subsequent antics sell a boatload of tickets and pay-per-views. But at the same time the UFC is still teetering on the brink of total acceptance so any misstep or unwillingness to squash uncalled for behaviors might damage the promotion’s hard-fought efforts.

Hopefully the UFC will get it right.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Intellectual Property Rights Under the Zuffa Standard Contract

Guest columnist David Nelmark (attorney and author of MixedMartialArtsLawBlog.com) offers his thoughts on the UFC® Exclusive Promotional and Ancillary Rights Agreement as it pertains to intellectual property rights.

If you spend much time with MMA fighters, sooner or later you will hear one say that he’d sell his soul for a chance to compete in the UFC. While that is not yet required, the standard UFC Exclusive Promotional and Ancillary Rights Agreement does require a fighter to sign over his eternal rights to his “name, sobriquet, voice, persona, signature, likeness and/or biography.”

It is hard to fully capture how broadly this grant of rights extends. It covers basically every aspect of a fighter’s identity, it lets the UFC do anything it wants with the rights—including sublicensing the rights to others—and it provides the UFC with exclusivity throughout the world, and it lasts forever.

So, why would a fighter ever sign this? Ask Jon Fitch. He refused to sign over lifetime rights to use his image in video games and he was immediately cut by the UFC. (Fitch had just lost to Georges St. Pierre so the UFC could legally terminate him pursuant to the terms of his contract.) Fitch eventually relented, which was the financially sound move, at least in the short term. He just made $90,000 for his win over Paulo Thiago at UFC 100.

But what if you’re making your UFC debut on the untelevised undercard? One loss could put you out of the promotion. If that occurred, you’ve essentially sold your lifetime merchandising rights for somewhere in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $5,000. It’s a safe bet that your 0-1 UFC record won’t put you in the next edition of UFC: Undisputed, but your contract says that you can’t appear in EA’s upcoming video game either. Further, no matter how much success you might go on to have in another promotion, the UFC can (at least in theory) prevent you from being in a movie, making an action figure, doing a sports drink commercial, or even creating a website with a URL that uses your name.

On the other hand, at least you can always say that you were a former UFC fighter… or can you? A new provision in the Agreement prohibits fighters from referring to themselves as “UFC fighters” or even using the term “UFC” without written permission. This clause gives the UFC more rights than it would have under federal trademark laws. For example, despite Playboy’s® objections, former Playmate of the Year® Terri Welles was allowed to use the terms “Playboy” and “Playmate” on her website because the terms accurately described her résumé. Playboy Enter., Inc. v. Welles, 279 F.3d 796 (9th Cir. 2002). But, just because the “fair use” doctrine ordinarily allows references to someone’s brand name, one can still sign away that right in a contract.

It is important to note that the broad language in the Agreement does not necessarily mean the UFC will use all the rights granted to it or that it will successfully prevent a fighter from exercising those rights elsewhere. First and foremost, the UFC might choose to willingly release a fighter from the deal if it no longer wants to exercise the rights. Second, if the UFC attempted to enforce the Agreement, a court could find that certain portions of the agreement are unconscionable and therefore strike them from the Agreement. Third, a fighter and his attorneys might be able to exploit some loopholes in the deal. (In my opinion, it’s very well drafted, but not airtight.) All that said, if the UFC does not want to play nice, it would take an expensive legal battle for a fighter to reclaim his publicity rights, and there would be no guarantee of success.

How can the UFC get away with this? The short answer is that they are not doing anything illegal. It’s a private company and they can choose which athletes they want to work with, and on what terms. The longer answer is that the UFC has no real competition. And, unlike the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, its athletes have no union and thus no collective bargaining power. Unless the landscape changes in one of those areas, the UFC has all the leverage and no need to negotiate.

As Dana White famously asked: “Do you want to be a [expletive] fighter?” If the answer is yes, and you want to fight in the UFC, the bottom line is that you sign the deal. If you don’t, there’s likely a thousand guys in line who will.

This article does not (and is in no way meant to) provide business or legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. If you need individual guidance, contact a licensed professional. If you want to read more of my general thoughts on the intersection of MMA and the law, please visit me at www.MixedMartialArtsLawBlog.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Unscripted: Lashley on Lesnar

There is no corner of the Earth Bobby Lashley could escape to in the week following Brock Lesnar’s win over Frank Mir that would protect him from comparison. Like Lesnar, he’s a granite slab of genetic good fortune; like Lesnar, he won national titles in wrestling; and like Lesnar, he earned a name and base of marketability on the WWE circuit.

Ray Carsillo at 1050 AM ESPN Radio in New York invited Lashley to appear on his program Wednesday, and the conversation did not last more than a few turns before Lashley was asked to offer an opinion on a potential match with Lesnar.

“I’m not going to say anything bad on Brock, because Brock is doing all the right things,” Lashley said. “[But] my sights are set on Brock. I’m not saying I want to fight him because he’s ‘the wrestling guy.’ I’m saying it because I am a heavyweight fighter and he’s the champ.”

Watching two NCAA-accredited animals butt heads is a perfectly fine premise for a UFC title bout, but Lashley has to be getting the vibe that his past may come back to haunt him. Dana White has been queried often about bringing Lashley in: The responses have been noncommittal at best, insulting (“Who?&#8221 at worst. The idea that two former WWE headliners would be occupying the same real estate is perhaps too gratifying a concept for Vince McMahon -- and too horrifying for White -- to bear.

There is also the plain issue that Lashley is not necessarily Lesnar’s equal. Against underwhelming opposition Jason Guida, he had to be satisfied with a decision win. Lashley is bullish and compact -- even at 6’2” -- where Lesnar can use some abnormally long arms to punch like a drill press without getting tied up. Twenty years on, I suspect it will be Lesnar who will have had the more accomplished career.

Lashley also confirmed he‘s signed a deal with TNA Wrestling to work four dates a month. To my knowledge, it’s the first time an active, high-profile prizefighter has taken on a recurring role in wrestling in the states while still pursuing a fight career. We’ll see if that’s in anyone’s best interests.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jesse "JT Money" Taylor announces DREAM.10 bout with Dong Sik Yoon on July 20

"The Ultimate Fighter 7" cast member Jesse Taylor (12-2) recently announced he will make his Japanese debut in a DREAM.10 bout with Korean veteran Dong Sik Yoon (4-6).

Taylor made the announcement on his website, though DREAM has yet to officially add the bout to its fight card.

Featuring the organization's welterweight grand prix finals, DREAM.10 takes place July 20 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs live on HDNet.

Following a July 2008 loss to C.B. Dollaway, Taylor has earned six-straight victories in five different organizations. Taylor's most recent contest was a submission win in over Ruben Dario on July 11 for the middleweight title of the Total Combat organization.

Yoon will be competing for the first time since a September 2008 loss to Andrews Nakahara at DREAM.6. Yoon, whose sub-par record is deceiving when analyzing his abilities, has also fought for PRIDE and K-1.

With the addition to the card, DREAM.10 now includes:

Tarec Saffiedine vs. Ikemoto Seichi
Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro
Andre "Dida" Amade vs. Katsunori Kikuno
Paulo Filho vs. Melvin Manhoef
Jesse Taylor vs. Dong Sik Yoon*

WELTERWEIGHT GRAND PRIX SECOND ROUND

Andre Galvao vs. Jason High
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Marius Zaromskis
Winner of Galvao/High vs. winner of Sakurai/Zaromskis

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

COTE INJURY UPDATE; WELCOMES HENDERSON FIGHT

MMAWeekly on Thursday caught up with former middleweight contender Patrick Cote to get an update on his injured knee and get his thoughts about last Saturday’s UFC 100. Prior to the centennial show, the 29 year-old Montreal resident wanted to fight Michael Bisping if he emerged victorious against Dan Henderson. Obviously, that’s changed.

MMAWeekly: How’s the knee?

Cote: The knee’s doing well. I’m going to see my doctor next week, just to check if everything’s okay and to have the okay to push more. Next week I’ll be fixed for sure.

MMAWeekly: What are you doing right now in terms of training?

Cote: Right now I’m just doing conditioning under supervision. I don’t do any fight training yet. I have to be careful of my knee. Next week I’m going to have another MRI and we’ll see if everything is okay for hard training.

MMAWeekly: Has it been difficult for you to take this much time off of fight training?

Cote: For sure. That’s my life. It’s my job. It’s hard to see everybody in the gym sparring and training hard for a fight and I can’t. It sucks.

MMAWeekly: A lot of video games in your spare time?

Cote: Yeah, video games and I play a lot of golf. I don’t do a lot because I want my knee to be 100 percent.

MMAWeekly: You did say prior to UFC 100 that you’d like to face Michael Bisping if he defeated Dan Henderson. That didn’t happen—what did you think about Bisping’s performance?

Cote: I think he had a stupid game plan. I was there; I did the French pay per view so I was cageside. He was always turning into his right hand, and Dan Henderson made his career with his overhand right. So it was just a question of time until Bisping got caught. I found that a little bit strange. And Bisping looked very nervous; he looked tight. So I wasn’t surprised at all. After the first round, I said in the second round it will be done.

MMAWeekly: Do you still want to face him?

Cote: Yeah, I want everybody. I don’t care. But I don’t think Bisping needs a fighter like me to fight right now. Right now, I want a big fight that’s going to put me on top of the middleweight division.

MMAWeekly: You initially said you wanted to return in October. Do you think that’s a realistic assessment right now?

Cote: That’s the plan, but it’s out of my hands now. I did everything the doctor told me to do, so next week, I’ll be more able to say when I’ll be able to come back. My goal for two months now, I tell everybody I want to be back in November for UFC 104 in Los Angeles, but if I’m not ready, I’ll be back later than that.

MMAWeekly: You said you wanted to get back to the top of the middleweight division, and it would seem Dan Henderson would be great fight to put you there, given that Anderson Silva is fighting at light heavyweight in August and probably won’t be ready by early next year. How would you feel about facing Dan?

Cote: For sure. I respect Dan Henderson very much. I like his style; he’s a legend to me. If they gave me this fight, it would be a big honor for me. I think that could be a very, very good fight. We’ll be standing in front of each other and banging.

MMAWeekly: How would you approach that fight differently than Bisping? Henderson does have a great overhand right, but he also has top-notch wrestling, which you’ve struggled with in the past.

Cote: Maybe in the past, that was my weakness, but I think I showed in my fight with Ricardo Almeida that I’ve improved my wrestling. For sure, if I were to face Dan, I would do a lot of wrestling, but Dan Henderson’s a gamer, so I think he would want to fight with me on the feet and try to knock me out. I think he would want to be the first one to try and knock me out.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cope says "sex tape" comments just a joke, remains steadfast in evaluation of Tompkins

While UFC 100 was certainly the focus of the MMA world in recent weeks, Kit Cope managed to generate quite a bit of controversy during a July 8 appearance on MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

After a few less-than-complimentary remarks about Xtreme Couture trainer Shawn Tompkins – including dubbing the camp "Xtreme Fashion" – and the suggestion that a sex tape may exist with him and ex-girlfriend Gina Carano, Cope has found himself in hot water with many in the MMA community.

Today, Cope called in to MMAjunkie.com Radio to clarify that his comments – at least those regarding Carano – were meant as a joke.

"It was a joke," Cope said. "We were joking. The whole media thing, which got turned into a tape thing, it was a joke. We were [expletive] around."

In the original MMAjunkie.com Radio appearance, Cope was asked by guest co-host and his good friend Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal if there was "a tape" of him with Carano.

"There is media that is in a very safe place," Cope responded.

Cope later suggested Carano was going to be in trouble in her Aug. 15 Strikeforce women's title bout with Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is she continued to train with Xtreme Couture.

Today, Cope insisted the entire "sex tape" issue was simply a joke, and the comments on "Conviction's" training were simply his opinion.

"Dude, it was a joke," Cope said. "We were joking around about the Gina Carano thing. And it was only my opinion about her training thing. I don't train with Gina. And I didn't even say anything."

While Cope's comments were widely reported on various MMA blogs, he insisted his words were misconstrued by those media outlets. Cope said he has since reached out to Carano and addressed the situation.

"[Carano] was a little upset because all she got was other people's write-ups on the whole interview," Cope said. "That's the other thing. There's a couple little pieces of the interview that people have pieced together and put on the internet, which makes it sound a whole lot worse than it does, and it makes it sound like that's all we talked about. We were there for like a half-hour. But that's the only part that people are listening to."

While it would be difficult to argue that Cope's opinions were misconstrued, several outlets' recaps of the interview included a few paraphrased quotes that omitted some of his qualifying statements.

"[Carano and I] kind of texted back and forth yesterday," Cope said. "She was a little upset, of course, because like I said, she's just getting the twisted version. But come on. It was a joke."

Cope said he's also been surprised by many people's reactions to his comments, especially when considering additional comments regarding the alleged sex tape.

"I kind of figured that people weren't [expletive] stupid enough to run with it," Cope said. "That's another thing. All these douchebags that are calling me a douchebag are the guys that are on the internet going, 'That Kit Cope, he's such a douchebag. He's got no class. But I'd push a one-legged retarded bitch down the stairs if I could see that tape.'"

While Cope may have cleared the air with Carano, he refuses to back down from claims he made regarding Tompkins. While Tompkins has since fired back with a few choice words of his own, Cope insists his evaluation of the trainer as a non-technical teacher was an honest assessment and not meant to start a rivalry.

"I don't have any problems," Cope said. "If you'll remember in the [expletive] interview, I said that [Xtreme Couture fighters] were all badasses. I said that they were all gnarly dudes. I complimented them. I said that they were badasses before they went there. That was all. Badasses training with badasses is going to increase the badassness."

Cope went on to explain that he based much of his evaluation on the kickboxing talent of several Xtreme Couture fighters, as well as first-hand observations of Tompkins' training sessions with Wanderlei Silva.

"The only beef that I have now is that Shawn's being a douchebag," Cope said. "Shawn's being a [expletive] about all of this. All I said was that I didn't believe in your skills. Neither did Wanderlei. It's OK.

"I'm kind of proven in the whole Muay-Thai thing. (But) there's a lot of people out there who think I'm a crappy MMA fighter. OK. That's cool. Let me build it up. Let me show you what I got. I've got time. I'm pretty brand-new in this sport. If he's got those Muay-Thai skills, let me see a fighter of his that comes out and does any kind of kickboxing. I haven't seen any. They're all gnarly wrestler dudes, and a couple of them have decent boxing skills."

While a significant size difference between Cope and Tompkins would leave fisticuffs (sanctioned, anyway) out of the mix for a possible solution to the current tiff, Cope said he would be happy to take on Tompkins' protege Chris Horodecki.

In fact, in contrast to Tompkins' claims, Cope said he's already previously agreed to the bout.

"We were trying to have that as the fight I did on MTV for that last 'True Life,'" Cope said. "And then I guess the IFL kept pushing the date, and so it didn't happen for that one. But I did accept the fight, and then the IFL decided to go lights out. That fight didn't happen because of that.

"That would be great. I'd love to push [Horodecki] around. It would be great. He's wily enough to stand up with me, and that would be a great time. So far I haven't found anybody that's willing to do that."

While many MMA observers who have heard Cope's original comments insist it was simply a ploy to gain exposure, Cope claims it was simply some information taken out of context. And with the situation apparently resolved with Carano, Cope hopes he can reach a resolution with Tompkins as well – kind of.

"Hopefully I can work them out with Shawn, too," Cope said. "Not in a gentlemanly way."

 

[Shogun Locc]

André Galvão ready for Dream’s WW belt

With only three MMA fights in the career, André Galvão will have his biggest challenge of his career this weekend, when he enters Dream’s ring to dispute the finals of the welterweight tournament. Prepared for the fights, the black belt is training in San Diego for the challenge, and flyes today to Japan. Before that, Galvão spoke with TATAME.com and give us his thoughts about the upcoming fight against Jason High, his opponent at the semifinal.

"Everything is alright, I only have to lose weight. I’m very confident and happy, now I just have to wait the time of the fight and do my job, win the belt", said André, who submitted the three fights that he made until today. Beyond the Jiu-Jitsu as a main weapon, Galvão is getting the striking sharpen with André “Dida” Amade in America. "I trained well with (Fabrício Camões) Morango in the last month, and before I was a month and a half with Anderson (Silva) and (Rafael Cavalcante) Feijão. Now Dida and his brother, (Maurício) Véio, are helping me in striking, the part of Muay Thai. I'm feeling well", says the fighter.

CONFIDENCE IN BRAZILIANS VICTORIES

With three other Brazilians in action at the same day, Galvão is excited. "I believe a lot in their work, they’re great fighters", praises André, speaking of Vitor Shaolin and Paulo Filho, who will face Shinya Aoki and Melvin Manhoef. "Shaolin is very technical, dedicated, a very good athlete and knows how to impose his game, has everything to win", bets Galvão, confident in Filho’s return. "He’s a very experienced guy. Japan is his home and he feels very well fighting there. I think he will burst".

Beyond them, another Brazilian who enters the ring is André Dida, who helped Galvão in the trainings. "He has a lot of experience at the striking part, already fought GP and everything, and talked a lot with me about it. I think he will do great, because he’s a guy who goes inside and has a heavy hand... I think he’ll knockout", bets the black belt.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CSAC To Review Evangelista/Aina Fight In August

The controversial ending to the inaugural May edition of Strikeforce "Challenger Series" is getting a second look.

Bill Douglas, Assistant Executive Officer to the California State Athletic Commission, says the headlining bout between Billy Evangelista and Mike Aina will be reviewed at an upcoming commission meeting on Aug. 26 in Los Angeles.

The fight came to an abrupt halt when it appeared that Evangelista threw an illegal knee to a downed Aina in the second round. Referee Herb Dean ruled Aina the winner by disqualification when he was unable to continue, per CSAC rules, prompting a chorus of boos inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

The boos only intensified when instant replays revealed the blow had not struck Aina in the head, but rather under the armpit.

In an interview with MMAWeekly following the stoppage, Aina said he had no memory of the blow and was unable to continue due to pain that shot from his jaw to his ear.

Douglas said the commission will discuss the issues involved in the stoppage, but declined to say whether the disqualification could be overturned and changed to a no contest.