MMA News Thread

[B-Buzz]

Anyone heard anything about Gono? I can't find shit on if he's ok or not.

I ended up watching the whole thing since Misaki-Nakamura was after the Blagoi fight and I wanted to see that. Misaki was great, then I got pissed watching Kanehara-Omigawa and wanted to stay up to see Kitaoka grapplepwn Hirota, and that didn't end up too great for me either lol

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gono is in the hospital. He has a concussion and damage in his neck, but he's awake and is doing well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With UFC 103 changes, Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca demoted to un-aired preliminary card

Despite five wins in his past six fights and a total of five Fight of the Night awards during his eight-fight UFC career, Tyson Griffin (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has been demoted to the un-aired preliminary card of UFC 103.

The Xtreme Couture fighter, who's slated to fight former top UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at the Sept. 19 event, lost his main-card status with the recent additions of Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic to the lineup.

UFC 103 takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Last month the UFC officially announced four bouts, including Griffin vs. Franca, for the UFC 103 main card. However, even after announcing a since-scrapped Franklin vs. Dan Henderson main event, the bout was never added to the official fight card on UFC.com. (Neither was a heavyweight bout between Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Junior Dos Santos.)

However, late last week, UFC president Dana White confirmed in a media call that, due to unpopular demand, Franklin would instead fight new middleweight signee (and former UFC light-heavyweight champion) Belfort. When that fight and Filipovic vs. Dos Santos were added to the card, Griffin vs. Franca was bumped to the preliminary card.

Possibly at fault for the demotion is Griffin's knack for taking fights to a decision. Among eight career UFC fights, Griffin has gone to decision in his past seven. Likewise, opponent Franca has gone to a decision in his past three fights.

The full UFC 103 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
* Martin Kampmann vs. Mike Swick
* Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller
* Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin
* Sean Sherk vs. Gleison Tibau*
* Tomasz Drwal vs. Drew McFedries
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rob Emerson*
* Jason Brilz vs. Eliot Marshall*
* Dan Lauzon vs. Rafaello Oliveira*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Werdum's status for Aug. 15 Strikeforce event uncertain (Updated)

After losing his title shot when current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem recently pulled out of the fight with a hand injury, former PRIDE and UFC fighter Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) is currently without an opponent for the Aug. 15 card.

AOL FanHouse first reported that Werdum has been pulled from the card altogether, and Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz confirmed the removal when contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) earlier today.

However, Afromowitz has since clarified that Werdum could still be part of the card and that the door hasn't been completely shut on the possibility.

The upcoming event, "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg," takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and Werdum was expected to compete on the Showtime-televised portion of the event.

The event features four title fights, including a main event of Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos for Strikeforce's first-ever 145-pound women's title.

Werdum's currently uncertain status coincides with Strikeforce's announcement that the organization today signed another notable heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko. Werdum could be a possible future opponent for the fellow PRIDE veteran.

A four-time UFC veteran, Werdum last fought in a first-round TKO loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October 2008. Werdum had figured to factor into the UFC's heavyweight title picture after back-to-back wins over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga, but the organization elected to release the Brazilian following the loss to dos Santos.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 43 fight card, including televised main card, set for Youngstown, Ohio

The full fight card, including a four-bout Versus-televised main card, is now set for "WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson," which takes place Sept. 2 at the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

The WEC today announced a full lineup for the event, and WEC officials have confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the four fights that have been selected for the televised main card.

The event, which marks the WEC's Ohio debut, features an interim lightweight title fight between top contenders Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson.

The Cerrone vs. Henderson interim title fight was booked when current champ Jamie Varner was recently again sidelined because of lingering injuries. Varner hasn't competed since his technical split-decision win over Cerrone in January.

In addition to Cerrone vs. Henderson, the WEC 43 televised main card includes Dave Jansen vs. Richard Crunkilton Jr., Damacio Page and Akitoshi Tamura and Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis.

The full lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

* Donald Cerrone vs. Benson Henderson (for WEC interim lightweight title)
* Dave Jansen vs. Richard Crunkilton Jr.
* Damacio Page and Akitoshi Tamura
* Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Rafael Assuncao vs. Yves Jabouin
* Scott Jorgensen vs. Rafael Rebello
* Wagnney Fabiano vs. Erik Koch
* Manny Tapia vs. Eddie Wineland
* Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Anthony Njokuani
* Charlie Valencia vs. Coty Wheeler
* Mark Hominick vs. Deividas Taurosevicius*

* - Not officially announced

"This card features some of the fastest-rising stars in the sport," WEC General Manager Reed Harris stated. "WEC continually delivers fight cards that are among the year's best. This one will absolutely deliver."

A bout between Homick and Taurosevicius, originally slated for the now-canceled Aug. 1 "Affliction: Trilogy" card, was not officially revealed during today's announcement. A source close to the negotiations told MMAjunkie.com that the fight is still expected to be part of WEC 43 but that bout agreements have not been signed.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WHERE HE WANTS TO BE, BENAVIDEZ READY FOR CRUZ

No longer in the shadow of his mentor and friend, Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez has risen through the ranks to stake claim as the next big thing in the 135-pound division.

Set to face Dominick Cruz on Aug. 9 as the co-main event under current champ Miguel Torres at WEC 42, the supporting slot has become a comfortable trend for the New Mexico native. His fight with Cruz will mark the third time in three WEC appearances that Benavidez will be on the same card with Torres headlining. Needless to say, he has taken notice.

“I want to fight Miguel,” said Benavidez. “He’s the champ, he’s the best guy; he’s one of the best guys, pound-for-pound. He has the name right now so I’d like to be the guy to beat him.”

With no shortage of quality opponents in the WEC, the Team Alpha Male product is in the midst of a crucial point in his young, three-year career. Having already defeated the likes of Danny Martinez and perennial contender Jeff Curran in his only two fights within the organization thus far, Benavidez understands the importance of his next bout and the ramifications of another successful performance.

“I expect myself to win every fight,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “I went in there expecting to beat Curran. I’m going in there expecting to beat Cruz.

“Of course I want to go out there and look impressive that way people’s interest will peak, going in there into the next fight.

“I’m looking to go out there and win. I’ve built a little fan base and in this next one, I want to just keep building it and people are going to be excited to hopefully see me fight in the championship.”

With all signs pointing towards a title shot should he get past Cruz, Benavidez is steadfast in his approach. Exuding the kind of confidence that a young, undefeated fighter should, the 25-year-old is by no means overlooking his next challenge.

Pegged as an early favorite, he has another type of confidence going in, knowing that Faber has already done the homework in defeating Cruz, though two years ago. Benavidez knows Cruz has put his lone loss on the back burner to rack up three consecutive wins in his new home at 135, making him a formidable opponent and one that is not to be underestimated.

Though still looking ahead towards an imminent title shot, Benavidez realizes the dangers that Cruz presents and uses his opponent as a new type of motivation. The standout wrestler has had things change dramatically within the past year or so, making a name for himself in a popular promotion, moving up the ranks quick, and is finally making a comfortable living. He won’t allow a budding contender to dictate a change in pace for his new lifestyle.

“It’s almost a little motivating to know that this guy – I worked really hard to get to this point,” said Benavidez.

“I moved from New Mexico a few years ago. I basically had nothing. Now my life’s going just like I wanted it, just like I planned it. It’s kind of motivating. I came this far and my life’s perfect and basically Dominick Cruz is going to ruin that.

“[Expletive], if this guy beats me my life, my dream is going to come to a little halt. He’s trying to ruin this great life that I’ve built for myself.”

And if anyone questioned where Benavidez’s head was at, in the midst of this tangent…

“Dominick is Cruz-ing for a bruising”.

Corny, but effective.

 

[Shogun Locc]

TORRES READY TO PUSH BOWLES TO NEW LIMITS

Known as one of the hardest workers both in training and in the fight, WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres has once again gone through the rigors of preparing to defend his title, this time against possibly his toughest test to date in No. 2 ranked Brian Bowles.

Still, Torres isn't fazed by the level of skill his opponent possesses. Not that he doesn't respect Bowles, but he knows that every fighter that steps into the cage with him is gunning to take away all that he's earned in his career.

"Every next fight that I have is my Super Bowl. I'm only as good as my last fight," Torres said in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. "I go out there with that mindset knowing that if I lose this fight, if I don't perform well or even if I win and don't perform well, that everyone's only going to remember that last performance. So I go out there every training camp knowing that I have to perform, I have to go out there and show what I'm made of, and not only show what I'm made of, but what the 135-pound weight class is."

The training camp that the champion puts in for every fight is the stuff of MMA legend. Torres feels that it's that kind of camp that puts him over the top, and leads him to victory each and every time.

"I think what separates my camp from anyone else’s is that I spar every day, twice a day," Torres stated. "So not only will I do a workout, but I'm also pushing myself to where I'm in a sparring situation. I'm fighting everybody twice a day, so just because I only have 37 fights or however many fights I have, I fight twice a day every day."

His last fight out, Torres battled a tough opponent in Takeya Mizugaki, who stepped in on just four weeks notice, and took the champion to the full five rounds before dropping a unanimous decision. It's that kind of fight that the 135-pound king believes brings the best out of him.

"The better my opponent is, the more I rise to the occasion. When my opponents come and they have a great game, it makes me better, makes me fight harder," said Torres. "I don't go out there to win fights, I go out there to break the spirit of my opponents. If my opponent has a strong spirit and a strong heart, it makes the fight better and more entertaining, but it makes me fight harder. I only hope Brian Bowles can come with that kind of a game."

As for Bowles, Torres knows he trains with a good team in Georgia while also supplementing his time working with the American Top Team in Florida. Bowles, however, has been out of action since last December, which the champion believes could play a factor in this bout.

"I think Brian's real tough. He brings in a lot of danger. He's a heavy hitter. He can grapple well. His jiu-jitsu's strong. Out of everybody in the WEC right now, he's the most dangerous opponent I could face," Torres commented. "At the same time, I think that layoff is going to hurt him a little bit."

The layoff combined with the possibility of a 25-minute fight are two things that Torres points to when separating himself from Bowles, and he believes the fourth and fifth rounds, if it goes that far, will be a crucial breaking point for his opponent.

"The championship rounds are what make champions, champions. Brian's trained to be in those rounds, but he's never been in the situation in a regular fight," said Torres. "Before I was fighting for the WEC world bantamweight title or defending it, I was fighting in fights where I fight four times in one night, tournament style fights. Or I was fighting for over one hour in one night. I knew I could go the distance. I knew I've always been tested since the early days in my career, and Brian hasn't done that to my knowledge."

Those key moments and championship fights are what Torres believes will bring him the win on Aug. 9, and his fourth successful title defense.

"He doesn't have the experience that I have. I've been tested and proven and I know that plays into my confidence. I know I can go places that Brian Bowles has not been yet," he stated.

Miguel Torres will get the chance to prove his point on Aug. 9 when he faces Brian Bowles in the main event of WEC 42 in Las Vegas.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Amir Sadollah: ‘It was time for me to grow and learn’

“One thing I learned is how important rest is. You think more is better but that’s not usually the case … knowing to say when enough is enough and when to say this is not enough, keep going. It was a time for me to grow and learn. I definitely stayed perpetually active the last year, aside from a few weeks I had to sit out. There was nothing to do but keep doing what I’m doing. (Welterweight’s) a new territory for me but actually in a strange way it’s forced me to eat so clean that I actually feel better training for this fight. That’ll be the test on August 8. I’m anxious to see myself.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wagnney: “Mike Brown has to be careful”

Team partner of José Aldo, the next challenger to Mike Brown’s belt in WEC, Wagnney Fabiano is confident in the performance of his friend in combat, which happens in November. "Wow, man... Mike Brown has to be careful", warns, betting all the chips in Aldo, who knockout the five opponents he faced in the event. "The kid is a machine, I'm sure that he wins".

Beyond partners in the Nova União, Wagnney and José Aldo fight in the same category at the event. And if Aldo wins the title, Wagnney can change category. "I'm in the expectation... If he wins, the way is to go down to try to face Miguel Torres. With him winning, what will I do until 66kg? I have to go down to see if I can make my thing down there too", says the fighter, who is already scheduled to face Erik Kock, at WEC 43, until 66kg. "I can’t think in the future, I have this obstacle to be passed. Its positive thought, train hard to get there well and win”, commented Wagnney.

With the possibility of going down in category, the champion of the defunct IFL already thinks in duels that he would have to do with the balance. "I don’t even remember when I had that weight... I hit 66kg easily, don’t even do a diet. The right at the beginning was Junior (Aldo) decline, but the guy is making a noise so big that ended changing the whole project", jokes. "It's ok... Since he wins and I win, everything is at home", he said, already thinking about the diet that he would have to do. "First I will make an experience at the academy to see how the reaction will be. Put the weight I can, I’m not worried about that, but I worry about my reaction, with the gas that will be, such things", finalized Wagnney.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ninja: “Shogun will win the belt”

Murilo "Ninja" is excited for the next fight of his brother, Maurício "Shogun" Rua. Helping in the trainings of the fighter to the belt dispute against Lyoto Machida, Ninja talked with TATAME about the preparation for the combat, showing full confidence in victory. "I was training with him just now", says Ninja. "We are training all the time and I'm sure he’ll win the belt, and I’m not saying this because he is my brother... I’m confident”, said the Brazilian.

When the fighters haven’t even thought about facing each other, Shogun and Lyoto trained together in Chute Boxe, and Ninja remembers the episode. "I didn’t train with Lyoto, because he was traveling, but I spoke with him", says the fighter, analyzing the possible directions that the fight can take. "The expectation is the best. Lyoto is considered the best in the world, but I believe a lot in my brother and I’m sure he will win. Shogun will go prepared to fight on the ground or standing, but his strong is the standing part", concluded the confident Ninja.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabricio Werdum remains on card, fights Mike Kyle at Aug. 15 Strikeforce event

Although initially thought to be off the Aug. 15 card after opponent Alistair Overeem, Strikeforce's current heavyweight champion, was a late scratch, Fabricio Werdum will, in fact, fight at the upcoming event.

The UFC veteran will make his Strikeforce debut when he meets Mike Kyle in a heavyweight bout at next week's show.

Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Werdum (11-4-1) was off the card but later clarified there was still a chance he could fight. Now, Werdum's manager, Richard Wilner, said the Brazilian fighter has agreed to fight Kyle (12-6-1).

The Aug. 15 event, "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg," takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and airs on Showtime with four title fights, including the main event of Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos for Strikeforce's first-ever 145-pound women's title.

Afromowitz said the Werdum vs. Kyle fight probably won't get TV time because of the four title fights.

Werdum, a four-time UFC veteran, last fought in a first-round TKO loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October 2008. Werdum had figured to factor into the UFC's heavyweight title picture after he rebounded from a loss to Andrei Arlovski in his octagon debut with back-to-back wins over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga. However, the organization surprisingly elected to release the Brazilian following the loss to dos Santos.

Kyle, meanwhile, recently returned from a near-year-long layoff at Strikeforce's June show. There, the WEC and UFC veteran stunned the St. Louis crowd with a second-round TKO over highly touted prospect Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, a former EliteXC fighter expected to contend for Strikeforce's light-heavyweight title.

Kyle will move back up a weight class for the fight with Werdum, and a victory could put him in title contention in a weight class that recently expanded with the signing of Fedor Emelianenko.

The latest Aug. 15 Strikeforce card now includes:

•Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (for Strikeforce women's 145-pound title)
•Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (for Strikeforce interim lightweight title)
•Champ Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Gegard Mousasi (for Strikeforce light heavyweight title)
•Nick Diaz vs. Jay Hieron (for first-ever Strikforce welterweight title)
•Mike Kyle vs. Fabricio Werdum*
•Isaiah Hill vs. Poppies Martinez
•Ricardo Barros vs. Scott Lighty
•James Terry vs. Jason Von Flue*
* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher targeted for UFC 104 in October

A bout between perennial contenders Joe Stevenson (30-10 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Spencer Fisher (23-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who both make their 12th appearance in the octagon, is slated for October's UFC 104 event.

A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the lightweight fight is not official but that bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.

UFC 104 takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

The Stevenson vs. Fisher bout is expected to be part of the night's pay-per-view main card.

Stevenson returns to the cage following a dominating performance over "The Ultimate Fighter 5" winner Nate Diaz at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June. Despite a massive height and reach disadvantage, Stevenson shut down and controlled Diaz throughout the three-round affair. He ultimately picked up a unanimous decision win and a co-Fight of the Night bonus for the effort.

The victory was a much-needed one for Stevenson, who had suffered back-to-back losses to Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez in his two bouts before the win.

The "TUF 2" winner now faces Fisher, who recently defeated UFC veteran Caol Uno for his third consecutive win in the UFC. During the streak, which has put Fisher back into lightweight title contention, he's also defeated Shannon Gugerty and Jeremy Stephens.

Fisher had now won four of his past five fights and six of his past eight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jim Miller vs. Thiago Tavares and Paul Daley vs. Brian Foster set for UFC 103

A lightweight bout between Jim Miller (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Thiago Tavares (14-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and a welterweight fight between UFC newcomers Paul Daley (21-8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Brian Foster (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) are set for UFC 103.

Both contests will take place on the un-aired preliminary card of the event, which features a main event of Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort at a catch-weight of 195 pounds.

UFC 103 takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and airs on pay-per-view.

Miller returns to the cage after a unanimous-decision win over MacDanzig at UFC 100. The one-time IFL fighter is now 3-1 in the UFC; his lone loss came to rising contender Gray Maynard in March at UFC 96. Tavares, meanwhile, looks for his first back-to-back UFC victories since his first two fights in the UFC in 2007. The American Top Team Top fighter recently rebounded from losses to Matt Wiman and Kurt Pellegrino with a unanimous-decision win over Manny Gamburyan at UFC 94 in January.

In a bout between octagon newcomers, Daley, a veteran of organizations such as Cage Rage and EliteXC, goes for his third straight win and his 10th victory in his past 12 bouts. The six-year pro now takes on Foster, a member of Matt Hughes' H.I.T. Squad who owns a three-fight win streak. While fighting in organizations throughout the Midwest, the fighter has posted 10 stoppages (six knockouts and four submissions) in 10 career wins.

The UFC also today made official a bout previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com): Jason Brilz (17-1-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member Eliot Marshall (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Griffin vs. Franca back on UFC 103 main card, Escudero vs. Miller demoted to prelims

A day after the Ultimate Fighting Championship bumped a Tyson Griffin (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. Hermes Franca (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) bout to the preliminary card, the organization has returned the lightweight matchup to the UFC 103 main card.

On the official fight card on UFC.com, Griffin vs. Franca has been promoted, and a lightweight contest between "The Ultimate Fighter 8" winner Efrain Escudero (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and veteran Cole Miller (15-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has been demoted to the prelims.

UFC 103 takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

On Monday we passed along the latest card change, which included Griffin vs. Franca going to the prelims. The decision wasn't popular with fans, who wanted to see the two lightweight contenders on the televised portion of the card.

Griffin, who's won five Fight of the Night awards and a Submission of the Night bonus during his eight-fight UFC career, and Franca, a former top 155-pound contender, have been saved, though.

They'll take the spot that previously belonged to the Escudero vs. Miller fight, which was the first rumored match-up for the UFC 103 card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brock Larson vs. Mike Pierce set for UFC Fight Night 19 prelimary card in September

A welterweight bout between fast-rising Brock Larson (26-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and UFC newcomer Mike Pierce (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set for UFC Fight Night 19.

The event, which serves as a lead-in for the upcoming 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," takes place Sept. 16 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

The Larson vs. Pierce fight is part of the un-aired preliminary card; the night's main card airs on Spike TV.

Larson, who first joined the UFC and went 1-1 in 2006, returned to the organization after a stint in the WEC. He recently posted first-round UFC submissions wins over Jesse Sanders and Mike Pyle to push his overall win streak to five. Larson has also won 14 of his past 15 fights, 13 of which have come via stoppage.

He'll put his stellar record on the line against Pierce, a one-time WEC fighter who, like Larson, left the organization after the WEC eliminated its welterweight division earlier this year. Aside from a decision loss to Nathan Coy (4-0 at the time) at a SportFight event in June 2008, Pierce is undefeated in his two-year career.

Pierce, who defeated Justin Haskins in his lone WEC bout, most recently defeated highly touted collegiate wrestler Paul Bradley, who entered the contest with a perfect 10-0 record.

The full UFC Fight Night 19 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD

•Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard
•Roger Huerta vs. Gray Maynard
•Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle
•Tim Credeur vs. Nate Quarry
PRELIMINARY CARD
•Steve Cantwell vs. Brian Stann
•Mike Pyle vs. Chris Wilson
•Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson
•Kyle Bradley vs. Sam Stout
•Justin Buchholz vs. Jeremy Stephens
•Brock Larson vs. Mike Pierce
•Ryan Jensen vs. Steven Steinbeiss

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hiroshi Izumi, Makoto Takimoto and Kazunori Yokota added to Sengoku 10th Battle

Following the conclusion of its recent Aug. 2 event, World Victory Road announced a handful of participants for its Sengoku 10th Battle show.

The event takes place Sept. 23 at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs on HDNet in North America.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, final EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva (12-1), final IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) and former UFC fighter Joe Doerksen (42-12) were announced for the event last month.

Joining the list and recently announced are Judo champion and MMA newcomer Hiroshi Izumi (0-0), former PRIDE fighter and Sengoku veteran Makoto Takimoto (5-5) and 2008 Sengoku lightweight grand prix runner-up Kazunori Yokota (9-2-3).

No opponents have been determined for any of the participants.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sean Sherk vs. Gleison Tibau shifted from UFC 103 to UFC 104 in October

A lightweight bout between Sean Sherk (33-4-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Gleison Tibau (12-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC), first targeted for UFC 103 in September, will instead take place in October at UFC 104.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the change of plans, though the UFC has made no formal announcement.

UFC 104 takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and features a main of UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida vs. challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

It's not been determined if the Sherk vs. Tibau bout will be part of the night's pay-per-view main card or un-aired preliminary card.

Sherk fights for the first time since his disappointing unanimous-decision loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 98. Sherk, an accomplished wrestler and ground fighter, opted to keep the fight standing, but Edgar displayed a rarely seen stand-up game that had improved drastically over the past couple years. Sherk, who went 15-1 from 2003 to 2007, has now lost two of his past three fights.

Sherk, a former UFC champion, vowed never to fight in California after he was stripped of the belt in 2007 due to a failed drug test (anabolic steroid). Sherk denied taking the drug and fought vehemently in an attempt to prove his innoncence. His case shed some light on the California State Athletic Commission's testing procedures, which had been critized by many within the industry. The CSAC, though, has undergone many changes, including the replacement of former head Armando Garcia, since Sherk's ordeal.

Tibau, meanwhile, returns for the first time since a split-decision loss to Melvin Guillard at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June. Many felt the American Top Team fighter was robbed of a decision, which came after impressive back-to-back victories over Rich Clementi (UFC Fight Night 17) and Jeremy Stephens (UFC Fight Night 18) in his previous two fights.

The latest UFC 104 card now includes:

•Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light-heavyweight title)*
•Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez*
•Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
•Sean Sherk vs. Gleison Tibau*
•Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson*
•Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida*
•Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer*
•Chase Gormley vs. Ben Rothwell*
•Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera*
•Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk*
•Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury*
* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

IN THE SHADOW; WEC GROWTH DEMANDS EXPANSION

While most of the attention over the past couple of weeks has been on Affliction’s downfall, Fedor’s dealings with the UFC and subsequent signing with Strikeforce, and the UFC’s first foray into Philadelphia, World Extreme Cagefighting has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit.

But come Sunday night, when the No. 1 bantamweight fighter in the world, Miguel Torres, defends his belt against the No. 2 bantamweight fighter in the world, Brian Bowles, everyone will likely remember why much of the talk around the WEC lately isn’t just on the show immediately ahead, but it’s expansion plans for this year and beyond.

“As a promoter, you’re lucky to be able to do that No. 1 vs. No. 2 fight one time, but here we are doing it again,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris recently commented to MMAWeekly.com about the Torres vs. Bowles fight at WEC 42 this weekend. The promotion recently had the top two featherweights in the world, Mike Brown and Urijah Faber, battle it out in June.

Its fights like these which have grabbed the attention of MMA fans, and that’s what drives Harris and his cohorts at WEC to planning for even greater heights in the future.

Due to an amazing performance by short-notice replacement Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 40 in April, the promotion makes a pseudo-start to its planned international expansion with WEC 42, on which Mizugaki will face Jeff Curran.

“Mizugaki coming over from Japan and doing that five-round war with Torres just opened up that entire (Japanese) market for us. We’re now doing video-on-demand (internationally) for this next show and the reason was for the demand (from Japanese fans),” stated Harris.

WEC 42 will be available live on both WEC.tv and UFC.com outside of North America for $9.99, according to company vice president Peter Dropick. It is telecast live in the United States on the Versus network.

But that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the company’s international plans.

“After this show on Aug. 9, Miguel and I and a couple of the other people from the WEC are going down to Mexico City,” said Harris. “We are doing a promotional tour with Miguel, but we’re also talking to other guys down in Mexico City and we’d love to do a show down there. We have great ratings in Mexico for the WEC.

“We’re definitely looking at that and we’re also looking at going to Canada next year.”

Having already branched out to various new markets across the United States – the promotion heads to Youngstown, Ohio, in September – the WEC’s plan for 2010 not only supports an international move, it almost necessitates it.

“We’re going to do at least 10 shows, maybe 12, maybe one a month or so,” stated Harris.

“The growth of the WEC has been exponential and it’s grown at a faster rate than I ever could have hoped for when we started with Zuffa,” he added.

Harris and former partner Scott Adams had built the promotion from the ground up in Lemoore, Calif., having run more than a score of successful events when the UFC’s parent company came calling with an offer they couldn’t refuse.

“We had done a lot of shows, but obviously we weren’t at the level we’re at now. Television has helped us a lot, the Versus network has been a great partner and they’ve given us a lot of exposure,” he commented.

“I think in the next two or three years, we could be as big as UFC is now.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jake Shields to Fight for Strikeforce Interim Middleweight Championship in October

With Cung Le missing in action for more than a year to focus on a career in the movies, Jake Shields has been tabbed to fight for an interim championship made in his absence against an opponent yet to be announced.

Strikeforce President Scott Coker recently confirmed the news Monday evening during an interview with TapouT Radio, explaining that the current Strikeforce 185 pound champion is a man of many obligations at the moment.

“With Cung, he has a couple of obligations,” Coker began to explain. “He has fight obligations for us, and then he has obligations for some movie deals that he has signed on to.”

However, luckily for us, the fans of the sport, Coker and Strikeforce are stepping up to do the right thing in this situation.

“What we will do for Cung is, in October, we’re going to let somebody fight for the interim belt,” said Coker.

“We’re going to offer it to Jake [Shields], and give Jake a chance at the interim belt. Then we’ll try to put Cung together with the winner of that before the end of the year.”

Sporting an impressive record of 23-4-1 and compiling wins over the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit and Paul Daley, Shields rapidly earned a reputation as one of the most feared competitors at 170 pounds before recently jumping up to middleweight where he submitted “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in the first round at “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” in June. The Cesar Gracie trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has not suffered a defeat in his last dozen outings.

With Jake Shields now expected to face an undetermined opponent for the Strikeforce interim middleweight crown, and Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem both expected to make separate appearances on the same card, the October Strikeforce event is quickly shaping up to be the best in the promotion’s history.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mighty Mouse: Miguel Torres WEC 42 interview exclusive with MMAmania.com

If you walk past the unassuming 5’10,” 135-pound Miguel Torres on the street you would never know he is one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world.

Just watch him fight in the cage and you’ll quickly learn that he is as dangerous as they come. He’s a technical master who overwhelms his opponents with a rare combination of power, speed, and skill.

Torres is currently sporting an impressive record (37–1) after coming off a five round unanimous decision victory over Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 40 back in April 2009.

He will once again put his WEC championship on the line when he takes on undefeated number one contender, Brian Bowles, on Aug 9. This match up will headline the WEC 42 event that is set to take place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Torres took some time out of his busy training schedule to discuss Mizugaki, his hometown near Chicago, Ill., a possible up in weight for higher profile fights, and his next opponent Bowles.

Check it out:


Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You’re coming off a victory over Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 40. You went the full five rounds for the first time ever. Was that the most difficult fight you’ve ever had in your career? Did Mizugaki earn your respect?

Miguel Torres: Up to that point in my career, yes. It was pretty rough. I was hitting him with some good shots and he was showing no effects of it. I tried cutting him with elbows. I tried knocking him out with punches and knees and kicks. He took everything I gave him and gave back. As far as respect goes, he had a lot of respect before the fight, but for sure he had a ton more after.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Talk a little bit about fighting in Chicago, Ill., near your hometown of East Chicago, Indians, for the first time ever as the WEC champion. What was that whole experience like for you?

Miguel Torres: It was crazy. All the attention was centered around me. I knew it was going to be kind of crazy. People wanting tickets and friends wanting to get hooked up with this and that. People wanting to get into the after parties. People coming to the gym to watch me train and doing promos in English and Spanish.

I was getting bombarded from all areas but it was a good experience. I would totally do it again. I live for pressure like that. To be able to do that in my hometown and come back a world champion and defend my title like that was pretty cool.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Moving forward, you’re set to put your title on the line once again against Brian Bowles at WEC 42. When did training camp start and where did it take place?

Miguel Torres: I started training months ago. I’ll went to Vegas for two weeks prior to UFC 100 and then came back to train boxing in my hometown in Chicago.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Who did you train with in Vegas?

Miguel Torres: I trained with Mark Dellagrotte. He was out training Frank Mir for a couple weeks (prior to UFC 100). I’ll trained with Dellagrotte and Robert Drysdale.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): With regards to Bowles, what is his biggest weakness? How do you plan to attack him?

Miguel Torres: I don’t think he has too many weaknesses. His biggest weakness would be his inexperience. If we put the rounds that we’ve fought on paper I probably have four or five times more rounds than he does. I think the biggest difference in this fight will be experience.

I think my last fight showed I can as hard in the fifth round as the first round. I’m never going to get tired. He’s going to have to overcome a lot of things, which a lot of men haven’t been able to do. His grappling is solid. His striking is solid too, but I don’t think it’s at a level where it can compete with mine.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you like to make an official prediction on the fight?

Miguel Torres: First round submission or second round knockout.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): If you are fortunate to come away with a victory over Bowles who else at 135 would you like to challenge yourself against?

Miguel Torres: I’ll fight whoever the next person in line is. I tell the WEC and all my fans I’ll fight anybody that is out there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I interviewed Mike Brown prior to his last fight with Faber and he expressed interest in fighting you in the future. Are you interested in fighting the best at 145 pounds?

Miguel Torres: For sure man. I’ll fight with Brown. I’ll fight with Faber. That’s a superfight that the fans are going to want to see. It’s a fight that I would want to do. I just want to do a fight we could do on PPV or something like that. Something big.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you ever consider a move up to 155 and a trip over to the UFC? Is that too much weight for you to put on? Is that a realistic possibility or not?

Miguel Torres: I wouldn’t really put on weight for that fight. I would just focus on my training and my skills and coming in with a strong game plan. Going up in weight that will probably never happen.

The WEC has expressed much concern. They want to keep me at 135. I am the man at that weight class. They have big plans in the future. In the next year I think you’ll see guys coming down from 55 to 45 and 45 to 35 but they want to keep me there (at 135). They have expressed their concern and they’re taking care of me.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): So if you ever did face a 145 pounder like Brown or Faber or someone like that would it have to be at some sort of catch-weight then?

Miguel Torres: They haven’t talked about it yet. I mentioned it a couple of times. They haven’t brought it up yet. I’m thinking it would have to be a catch-weight though.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you feel like you’re the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? If not, who is?

Miguel Torres: I don’t really believe in that term pound-for-pound. There are just so many criteria to take into consideration. I think there are a group of fighters that are the elite crowd, the elite upper echelon of fighters. To call someone the best fighter in the world it is so hard because it can change so much.

Machida’s last performance, that was really being pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world at that time. St. Pierre when he fights too. In the top five fighters I do believe I should be in there because I have dominated my weight class for so long and I’m doing a good job of it now. So much so that the world hasn’t seen everything I can do yet. In time I am going to be up there higher than what I am now.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): As a fan, who is a fighter out there who you admire from a distance, have a lot of respect for, and love to watch fight?

Miguel Torres: I love Fedor. I love his style. I love his mystique. St. Pierre is one of those guys. He’s a great athlete. He always comes in shape and is always ready to do something big. Anderson (Silva), even though his last couple fights have not been what they’ve been in the past. I still think he’s up there. B.J. Penn. There are so many fighters I look up to that I try to emulate.

In Japan, you have (Tatsuya) Kawajiri. You have (Shinya) Aoki. You have a couple different fighters that are always trying to finish their fights and they have different styles of doing so. There are a lot of fighters I look up to. Even though they don’t have big names or big names in the States or on the top of the pound-for-pound list I look up to them.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): That’s all I had for you Miguel. Is there anything you would like to pass along to your fans out there or any sponsors you would like to thank?

Miguel Torres: Thank all my sponsors — Ecko, MMA Warehouse, Metropolix, Val-Tex Labs. Those guys help me out a lot. They keep me going throughout the year. I try to do the best I can. And to the fans, their support keeps me going.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thanks again for the time. We’ll do it again soon. Best of luck to you in the future.

Miguel Torres: Cool, thank you.