MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Psychiatrist attending to Ryan Gracie responsible for fighters death

G1 News reports that Sabino de Farias Neto, the psychiatrist responsible for medicating Ryan Gracie on the night of his death, is being blamed by Sao Paulo investigators for the fighter’s untimely demise.

Investigator Roberto Calaca Vieira has even gone as far as to say that Neto should be indicted for manslaughter.

Gracie, the former PRIDE standout and member of the famed Gracie jiu-jitsu family, was found dead in his prison cell on December 15th after being arrested for attempted theft of a car and motorcycle.

After initial processing, Gracie was taken for toxicology testing and upon completion was returned to his holding cell where he remained until discovered by police around 7am.

The recently released toxicology report has indicated the presence of multiple drugs in Gracie’s system including marijuana, cocaine and the following prescription medicines administered by Neto: Midazolam, Alprazolan, Prometazina, Clozapine, and Haloperidol.

According to investigators, the combination of drugs - not the dosage, was the cause of Gracie’s heart and respiratory failure.

Neto vehemently denies any wrongdoing and considers Gracie’s treatment “routine”, pointing to the fighter’s history of cocaine abuse as a more likely cause.

While Neto and investigators continue to point fingers, many questions still remain for the Gracie family.

Flavia Gracie, Ryan’s sister, wants to know why her brother was not transferred to a local hospital after his initial medical exam on the night of his death.

This case is sure to reveal more as time goes on. Neto’s attorney has referred to the Gracie report as inconclusive.

As it stands, I think that’s a pretty fitting word for most of this tragedy.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 84 tickets on sale soon

Tickets for UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, May 24 will be available to purchase during an exclusive presale that begins this upcoming Thursday (February 28).

The 155-pound title fight between reigning champion, BJ Penn, and former division kingpin, Sean Sherk, highlights the stacked pay-per-view (PPV) event.

Here are all the particulars:

UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, February 28

UFC Newsletter presale: TBD

General ticket sale: Sunday, March 2

UFC 84 tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com or StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out.&#8221

Former light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz, is also expected to take on undefeated sensation, Lyoto Machida, on this fight card. It’s the last fight on the contract for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” and possibly his last in the Octagon if he and the Zuffa brass can’t come to terms on an extension.

In addition, fellow light heavyweights, Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine are rumored to be mixing it up this same evening, as well as Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva.

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic night of mixed martial arts (MMA) action … definitely try and get your hands on these tickets before they are all gobbled up.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MFC 15: Ryan Ford Submits Pete Spratt; Jesse Forbes Rebounds for Victory

At Saturday’s Maximum Fighting Championship’s “Rags to Riches” card, the Alberta crowd really did make an impact, helping local fighter Ryan Ford (5-0) to a win over UFC veteran Pete Spratt (17-11).

How much of an impact the crowd played in the victory is up for debate.

The controversial ending capped off “MFC 15: Rags to Riches,” which took place at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta. Most of the card aired live on HDNet.

The 25-year-old Ford and 37-year-old Spratt headlined the night’s 10-fight event. After a fast-paced, back-and-forth first round, a boisterous crowd drowned out the sound of the round-ending bell. Referee Herb Dean didn’t hear it. Ford didn’t hear it. But Spratt did hear it — and when it sounded, he quit defending himself. Ford, though, continued working from inside his guard and tagged Spratt with two elbows to the face.

Dean would restore order, but Spratt was dazed. No point was deducted from Ford, though, and Spratt was given extra time to recover.

He wouldn’t be the same, though, and after taking Spratt’s back in the second round, Ford secured a standing rear-naked choke.

The tap-out came at 4:01 of the round.

With the victory, Ford pushed his perfect record to 5-0. Spratt falls to 17-11.

Meanwhile, in the night’s co-main event, Jesse Forbes (6-2), perhaps best known for a short and uneventful stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 3,” continued his post-reality show hot streak. However, while victorious in his bout with formerly undefeated Chris Camozzi (5-1), Forbes was the first to admit that he took a beating in the process.

Just minutes into the first round, Forbes suffered a cut on the bridge of his nose, which was followed by a deep gash on his forehead. Camozzi continued trying to dice his opponent, but illegal elbow strikes went unchallenged by the referee. Regardless, though, Forbes would continually escape trouble. When he would try to stand and trade, he’d escape when Camozzi landed combinations that were punctuated by knees to the face. When he’d score takedowns only to be battered from inside his opponent’s guard, Forbes would escape again.

By the third round, Forbes was gassed, his face sliced and swollen, and his eyes stained blood red. But one final escape would let him steal the victory. Put on the mat for the final time, Forbes slipped free, took Camozzi’s back and secured the armbar in the matter of seconds.

The tap-out came at 1:45 of the third round.

“Dude, he was kicking my f**cking ass,” Forbes bluntly said after the fight.

Forbes was victorious for the fifth in six fights since appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter,” pushing his record to a very respectable 6-2.

FULL RESULTS:

Ryan Ford def. Pete Spratt via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2, 4:01
Jesse Forbes def. Chris Camozzi via submission (arm-bar) — Round 3, 1:45
Mike Maestas def. Ryan Heck via unanimous decision
Ryan Jimmo def. Craig Zellner via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 3:20
Ryan McGillivray def. Jason Zorthian via submission (armbar) — Round 1, 4:10
Jason Kuchera def. Allan Hope – TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 1:11
Gavin Neil def. Josh Groves via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2, 1:05
Dave Nippard def. Carlos Espinosa via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:08
Keto Allen def. Doug Page via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 0:41
Mike Tubbs def. Alec Peletsov via unanimous decision

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bob Sapp’s Life Story too Good for Reality TV (Story from Yahoo! Sports)

In the days before his fight on Saturday night in Tacoma, Wash., Japanese cultural icon Bob Sapp is in a completely different frame of mind than your average fighter.

Before a fight, most fighters get rid of all distractions and clear their schedule for nothing but training. Or as Sapp puts it, “Yeah, they stop doing all the things they will have to do to make them money once they can no longer fight.“

When the former University of Washington football standout and K-1 kickboxing and MMA star fights in Japan, his routine is different. He does the media rounds. He does variety shows. If he’s lucky, he gets in some training. He rushes through meals and attends business meetings.

In between, he gets mobbed on the street. Some nights he does pro wrestling, and some nights he fights.

Sapp has appeared in six movies, including “Electra” and “The Longest Yard.” Spike TV was recently in negotiations with him to do a Bob Sapp reality show, filmed in Japan.

So how did the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Sapp go from just another ex-college football player to full-fledged Japanese cultural phenomenon?

Sapp was a good enough college football player to win the 1996 Morris Trophy as the Pac-10 lineman of the year. He had size and speed, and was a third-round draft choice of the Chicago Bears. But he never made it in the NFL, playing only one regular season game, bouncing from team to team. Most of his fame came from failing a steroid test. By 2000, he was done in football.

He tried American pro wrestling, but failed there, too. Then K-1 promoter Kazuyoshi Ishii called in 2002. K-1 was a growing spectacle of fighting and production values that was a huge prime time television hit in Japan. It was basically kickboxing, but to the Japanese public it was promoted as style vs. style similar to the early days of UFC, pitting fighters billed as being from various martial arts and fighting disciplines. Sapp’s “discipline” was the NFL, and his character, Bob “The Beast” Sapp, was born. Clips of his big plays at Washington would run on television for his ring entrances of his early fights.

Sapp was a comedy cartoon version of The Incredible Hulk come to life. He’d come out wearing the fancy robe to music stolen directly from wrestler Ric Flair, then he’d throw off the robe and sprint down the aisle into the ring. With little in the way of skill, he’d throw wild arm punches and hope they connected before his size worked against him and he’d gas out. A few times he was disqualified, which only served to make him a bigger star because “The Beast” was supposed to be uncontrollable.

At the time, the K-1 and PRIDE Fighting Championship organizations worked together and Sapp did both kickboxing and MMA matches. From the start, he became a huge attraction and both groups wanted him on every major show.

Then came three of the most improbable matches ever. On Aug. 28, 2002, at Tokyo National Stadium before 71,000 fans, Sapp faced then-PRIDE world heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. In a moment that is burned in the brain of every Japanese fight fan, Nogueira came charging at Sapp who picked up his much smaller foe and drove him to the canvas with a power bomb, nearly knocking him out.

But Nogueira, the current UFC interim heavyweight champion, is a warrior, and after nearly 15 minutes of fighting, Sapp’s cardio was gone and Nogueira finished him with an armbar.

He also scored two first-round knockout wins in kickboxing over legend Ernesto Hoost, the second being the most famous. With more than 30 million Japanese fans watching, Sapp had Hoost in the corner and was throwing haymakers while Hoost was trying to defend. It was pretty clear Hoost was one or two punches from being finished – but Sapp was heaving and about to collapse. The fight was stopped and Sapp’s hand was raised.

Sapp “the phenomenon” soon became bigger than Sapp the fighter. He did game shows, talk shows, television commercials, almost never sleeping and barely training. There were Bob Sapp-licensed products everywhere, from arcade games to food products to sex toys. He had a novelty record, “Sapp Time,” that made the pop charts and was a popular music video. There was even a Bob Sapp store in Tokyo.

When Sapp returned home to Seattle at the peak of his fame, Japanese tourists would rummage through his garbage, taking items back home to sell.

His fighting suffered. People learned how to beat him. After he suffered a fractured orbital bone in a quick knockout loss to Mirko Cro Cop in kickboxing, they started booking him as much as possible against gimmicks like himself, but with even less experience in fighting.

There were the big pro wrestlers, including a 6-7, 345-pound German billed as “The White Bob Sapp,” that was the older brother of Japan’s most famous sumo, as well as a huge Russian arm wrestling champion. On Dec. 31, 2003, he had his most famous match ever, knocking out 6-8, 485-pound Akebono, an early ’90s sumo legend in the culture, in a match viewed by 54 million people – nearly half the country.

Sapp’s big ride in Japan ended when had a falling out with K-1, to the point he feared for his life after he walked out of a sold-out arena in Amsterdam, Holland, for the long-awaited rematch with Hoost on May 13, 2006. The sides settled out of court and Sapp got out of his K-1 contract.

He’s had plenty of suitors in recent months, from different MMA groups in the U.S., pro wrestling groups and even American Gladiators. He filmed a segment of “Pros vs. Joes” for Spike TV, at which time they started opening talks of doing the reality TV show.

Sapp headlines the Saturday night Strikeforce mixed martial arts show at the Tacoma Dome in a battle of the giants against even larger Jan “The Giant” Nortje. The show, which also features an MMA battle of early-‘90s kickboxing legends in Rick “The Jet” Roufas and 46-year-old one-time UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith, airs live on HDNet.

Sapp brings a 9-2-1 MMA record into his fight with Nortje. Nortje, a South African who now lives in Las Vegas, is a kind of jack-of-all trades and master of none. He’s done pro boxing and pro wrestling, but is best known as the first of the slew of giant kickboxers imported by the K-1 organization. Sapp came later and became its biggest drawing card ever.

Nortje has knockout power in his short punch standing. But he has shown nothing on the ground. Nortje also hasn’t shown in his MMA career an ability to keep from being taken down, even by men who he outweighs by more than 100 pounds. His MMA record is 1-5, with all but two matches being against Japanese pro wrestlers. He’s also only had one match in the last four years.

The match may serve as a one-time homecoming for the former Husky. He’s got a multi-year deal on the table to return to K-1. He’s expected to go to Japan next week and fight again on the debut of the new Dream promotion (the MMA group backed by K-1) on March 15, with no idea who he’s facing.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Karo Parisyan: “Who the hell is John Fitch?”

Karo “The Heat” Parisyan was the guest on the most recent edition of PWB's Official Podcast Hotline with Lex and Ian http://www.pwbpodcastlive.com. In a candid interview, Parisyan addressed several topics:
On rumors that he “ducked” a fight with Jon Fitch:

“That is bullcrap, that is like, absurd, I have never been offered to fight Jon Fitch in my life. Joe Silva has never called me and said ‘Karo, would you fight Jon Fitch?’ Jon Fitch is starting to get on my nerves with his camp. I’d like to say right now is, who in the hell is Jon Fitch? All of a sudden he’s beaten Diego Sanchez that I lost to and that makes him mister tough guy, like he can challenge me and if I don’t take the challenge that means I’m afraid? These guys were in there mom’s stomach when Karo Parisyan was fighting in MMA…I’d like to clear this up with everybody, there is no way in my life I’ve ever ducked or dodged any opponent…”

On his fight with Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 13:

“I think that it’s a pretty good match against him because it’s a classic match up of a grappler against a striker and I’ve always had a lot of success with strikers. Thiago is more of a…he knows how to grapple, he’s got decent takedown defense but I think his big game is Muay Thai and a lot of leg kicks so just cut the distance and take him down, and ground and pound him and catch a submission on him.”

His thoughts on a possible welterweight title shot:

“I definitely deserve a title shot, it’s a chance that I might get it but at the same time I think I deserve it because, I mean, I got injured two years ago when I was supposed to fight Matt Hughes and I tore my hamstring. I came back, and I had to work my way up again, I couldn’t just come back and fight for the title like a lot of these guys are doing, like Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre and all these guys. So I think I deserve a title shot if everything goes well, you know?”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Exclusive Interview: Cheik Kongo

Cheick Kongo is on the fast track to heavyweight stardom after his upset victory against highly regarded Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Kongo is now set to face Heath Herring at UFC 82 and took time out to speak with our exclusive content parters, Planet Tatami.
Planet Tatami: What will be your strategy to beat Herring?

Cheick Kongo: To do the things that I usually do and don't ask for
more, I won't tell you anything! Just be there on March, 1 at UFC 82
and you will see what I plan.

Planet Tatami: If you win that fight, do you think you deserve a
chance for the championship?

Cheick Kongo: I will have earned a chance for the title, I've trained hard for so many
years and I succeed so ... I deserve it, don't I?

Planet Tatami: What do you think about Brock Lesnar?

Cheick Kongo: He's a tough guy.

Planet Tatami: Do you think he can be a problem in the heavyweight division?

Cheick Kongo: Yes he can, he's huge and his wrestling is good.

Planet Tatami: A lot of people say that the UFC's heavyweight division
is the 'easiest' division in the UFC. What do you think about that?

Cheick Kongo: Until you've fought and defeated just one of the UFC
heavyweight top ten contenders, only until then, you don't even know
nothing about that. Nothing. Let them all talk...

Planet Tatami: After your fight against Cro Cop, most of the MMA
rankings put you in the Top 10. What do you think about that?

Cheick Kongo: I was so surprised, I never thought it would, but it
happened to me. It looks good on the paper (laughs).

Planet Tatami: Who do you train with and what's your team?

Cheick Kongo: Right now, I'm training with Coach Juanito Ibarra at
Rampage's camp.

Planet Tatami: What do you think about Sylvia vs. Nogueira?

Cheick Kongo: It was an exciting fight. Nogueira was better this time
and he won.

Planet Tatami: What are the holes in your game? Are you training to correct it?

Cheick Kongo: I train hard as usual, my preparation is really
effective. I improve my skills and train on my techniques to develop
and strengthen them as much as I train to correct my weaknesses in
each discipline.

Planet Tatami: Do want to face one fighter specially?

Cheick Kongo: No preference. I never choose my opponents. I have to
fight and show that I can win the UFC belt, no matter against whom.

Planet Tatami: Tell us what's your routine of training.
Cheick Kongo: I work out 5 to 6 days a week, 3 to 4 times a day. I do
running, lift weights, technics, boxing, sparring ...

Planet Tatami: Feel free to send your messages for your fans...

Cheick Kongo: Thank you! Many thanks to my family, friends, our
training partners and French training partners from the US Metro,
Peruba Team &, Quoniam Gym, to my coach Juanito, to my sponsors Groove
Drink & Strange and all my fans out there for their unbelievable
support from day one. I truly appreciate all the love & unconditional
support you give me! And If you want to find out more about me, just
check out my website at : www.myspace.com/cheickkongo

 

[UCDgreek]

Karo Parisyan: “Who the hell is John Fitch?”

Karo “The Heat” Parisyan was the guest on the most recent edition of PWB's Official Podcast Hotline with Lex and Ian http://www.pwbpodcastlive.com. In a candid interview, Parisyan addressed several topics:
On rumors that he “ducked” a fight with Jon Fitch:

“That is bullcrap, that is like, absurd, I have never been offered to fight Jon Fitch in my life. Joe Silva has never called me and said ‘Karo, would you fight Jon Fitch?’ Jon Fitch is starting to get on my nerves with his camp. I’d like to say right now is, who in the hell is Jon Fitch? All of a sudden he’s beaten Diego Sanchez that I lost to and that makes him mister tough guy, like he can challenge me and if I don’t take the challenge that means I’m afraid? These guys were in there mom’s stomach when Karo Parisyan was fighting in MMA…I’d like to clear this up with everybody, there is no way in my life I’ve ever ducked or dodged any opponent…”

On his fight with Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 13:

“I think that it’s a pretty good match against him because it’s a classic match up of a grappler against a striker and I’ve always had a lot of success with strikers. Thiago is more of a…he knows how to grapple, he’s got decent takedown defense but I think his big game is Muay Thai and a lot of leg kicks so just cut the distance and take him down, and ground and pound him and catch a submission on him.”

His thoughts on a possible welterweight title shot:

“I definitely deserve a title shot, it’s a chance that I might get it but at the same time I think I deserve it because, I mean, I got injured two years ago when I was supposed to fight Matt Hughes and I tore my hamstring. I came back, and I had to work my way up again, I couldn’t just come back and fight for the title like a lot of these guys are doing, like Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre and all these guys. So I think I deserve a title shot if everything goes well, you know?”

Karo has to be one of my most hated fighters. He sounds like an arrogant douchbag. He acted like a douchebag when he made an appearance on TUF. In this interview it looks like hes saying hes better than GSP when nothing could be further from the truth. his lackluster record speaks for itself. He is 9-2 in the UFC with 9 of his fights going to decision. Maybe if he beats some better people decisively he can get a title shot and quit whining. But i would love to see GSP destroy him at any time.

 

[PsyDaL]

^^^lol Dude is one cocky sonofabitch but hes paid his dues. I dont agree with his persona but he is a solid fighter. He dont wanna get schooled by John Fitch. I think that fight will show which fighter is a gatekeeper and which fighter is a future contender at welterweight. Hed make a better light heavyweight and let manny drop to 145lb and compete in the WEC.

 

[UCDgreek]

^^man he would get fucked up at light heavyweight. you imagine him fighting chuck, jardine, shogun, wandy, even rampage.
and to me hes still not that good cuz he doesnt finish any fights. he might as well lay on people like his cousin manny. It would be awesome if manny just dropped out of fighting completely.
Call me a hater cuz i do hate these guys more than anyone. And i have nothing against armenians, just against douchebags

 

[smigg cant rap]

Karo has to be one of my most hated fighters. He sounds like an arrogant douchbag.

& he definitely is one, too. he's got talent, but he acts like a real bitch..i'd love to see him lose more. & there is nooooooo way he's better than GSP.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Serra's Not A Fan Of Kimbo vs. Tank Abbott, Also Talks About Lesnar

Matt Serra was a recent guest of our friends over at Tagg Radio's The Lights Out Show. He spoke about a variety of issues including Kimbo and Brock Lesnar. Below are a couple of interesting exerpts from their conversation.

Here are some quotes from Matt Serra from our interview with him in our latest show:

MATT SERRA NOT A FAN OF THE Kimbo Slice/TANK ABBOTT FIGHT
"...it (the Slice/Abbott fight) was a spectacle...I mean, it's brawling! What the hell is that?! I don't like the whole 'street fighting thing'. Now you're going to have all these idiots going out there with a camcorder beating each other up trying to make it in the big shows."

MATT SERRA ON THE LESNAR/MIR FIGHT

"I'm glad it went down the way it went down. (referring to Mir's victory over Lesnar) "Sure, Lesnar's ten times the athlete Mir is, but when you go up against a good jiu jitsu guy, it doesn't matter how big or strong you are, that's what's going to happen."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Karo has to be one of my most hated fighters. He sounds like an arrogant douchbag. He acted like a douchebag when he made an appearance on TUF. In this interview it looks like hes saying hes better than GSP when nothing could be further from the truth. his lackluster record speaks for itself. He is 9-2 in the UFC with 9 of his fights going to decision. Maybe if he beats some better people decisively he can get a title shot and quit whining. But i would love to see GSP destroy him at any time.

I lost respect for karo after he declined to take the fight with jon fitch claiming dana promised him a title shot soon and he would rather fight some one easier instead of fitch.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brandon Vera will return at UFC 85 against Fabricio Werdum

Brandon Vera just confirmed via his MySpace page that he will be returning after a lackluster loss against former champion Tim Sylvia. Vera suffered a broken hand during the first round of the fight, but it seems as though its all healed up now. Here’s what Vera had to say, “It’ll be with Fabricio Werdum UFC 85 in England. Shout out to all my fans over there on Base!!! Hope everyone the best and see ya’ll soon.”
With Werdum’s last victory at UFC 81 over Gabriel Gonzaga, this could be a #1 contender match-up between Vera and Werdum with the winner going on to face Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera.

Vera was undefeated before a contract dispute with the UFC had him out of the Octagon for almost a year, when he returned he was matched-up against Tim Sylvia who took down Vera via a unanimous decision. Vera’s first loss had people wondering if he should step down to Light Heavyweight because of Sylvia’s clear size advantage.

His goals were made clear, Vera wants to hold the UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight titles at the same time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

'UFC 82: Pride Of A Champion' Final Card, Live Coverage this Saturday!

UFC 82: PRIDE Of A Champion takes place this Saturday, March 1 in Columbus, Ohio. Below is the final card for this Saturday's PPV. As always, we will be providing live free coverage of the PPV, as well as the latest breaking news and spoilers leading to the PPV.

MAIN CARD:

World Middleweight Championship
- Anderson Silva (20-4) vs. Dan Henderson (22-6)

Cheick Kongo (11-3-1) vs. Heath Herring (27-13)

Alessio Sakara (12-6) vs. Chris Leben (17-4)

Evan Tanner (32-6) vs. Yushin Okami (21-4)

Jon Fitch (15-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-3)

UNDER CARD:

Andrei Arlovski (11-5) vs. Jake O’Brien (10-0)

Luke Cummo (6-4) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (11-3)

Josh Koscheck (9-2) vs. Dustin Hazelett (10-3)

Diego Sanchez (17-2) vs. David Bielkheden (12-5)

Jorge Gurgel (11-3) vs. John Halverson (16-5)

 

[Shogun Locc]

CAGE RAGE 25 PART OF SHOWTIME DOUBLE-HEADER

Showtime this week announced that on Saturday, March 8, it will present a combat sports double-header as part of its coverage of Cage Rage 25.

The evening begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT with live world championship boxing followed by Cage Rage, which is owned by Showtime partner EliteXC. Both events will take place in London and air back-to-back on Showtime.

The first event will air from the O2 Arena in London and will feature a World Boxing Organization cruiserweight championship fight between British boxers Enzo Maccarinelli and David Hayes.

The second show of the night will feature the return of Ken Shamrock to competitive mixed martial arts, as he faces Robert “Buzz” Berry in a heavyweight showdown as a part of the EliteXC owned Cage Rage event at Wembley Arena.

“I’m totally committed to getting back into the cage injury free and anxious about fighting in England and on Showtime for the first time,” Shamrock said. “Fight fans in England are a special breed and they are going to be treated to a very special show. Give me a fight or two and I will be ready to fight anybody.”

The Cage Rage event on Showtime will also feature bouts between featherweights Jean Silva and Masakazu Imanari, heavyweights Gary Turner versus Mustapha Al-Turk, and a middleweight bout between Pierre Guillet and Tom Watson.

Shamrock’s son Ryan will also be featured on a non-televised fight on the same Cage Rage card.

“It is very exciting for both Ryan and me,” the older Shamrock said. “We will be making MMA history by being the first father and son to ever fight on the same card. This is a great opportunity we are getting with EliteXC and Showtime.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

HAZELETT READY FOR WAR WITH KOSCHECK AT UFC 82

Dustin Hazelett will step into the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon for the fifth time when he faces Josh Koscheck at UFC 82. He is the underdog going into the bout, but it’s a role the Kentucky native relishes, as all the pressure is on Koscheck.

"I don't mind being the underdog. I think it kind of alleviates some pressure because nobody is really expecting you to win," Hazelett told MMAWeekly. " I think that it's one thing that might give me an advantage in this fight, as I think he might take me lightly also."

Hazelett is 3-1 in the UFC riding a three-fight win streak heading into the bout. Koscheck is coming off of a loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74 and Hazelett feels like all the pressure is on Koscheck.

"I never really feel the pressure. I would say, for him, he should be feeling some pressure going against someone like me who's a relative unknown in the grand scheme of things. A loss like that on top of being his second loss in a row would kind of be detrimental to his career," commented Hazelett.

When presented with the opportunity to face Koscheck, Hazelett liked the stylistic match-up and didn't hesitate accepting the fight. "I was very excited because this is a chance to really showcase my skills and test myself against a really tough opponent," said the 21-year-old fighter.

"One reason I was really excited about his fight is because I'm fighting a wrestler, who in order for him to play into his strong suit, he has to also play into my strength."

He continued, "I'm real good about catching submissions on the way down from takedowns, so that's something I always look to implement. Anytime anyone takes someone down, no matter how good of a wrestler that they are, there's always a split second where they're over-extended or posting on the mat, and that's something that if you're quick you can take advantage of."

Hazelett's training was tailored specifically for Koscheck and he feels he's ready whether it stays standing or goes to the ground. "I've been working a lot of striking because I watched the Diego (Sanchez) fight and I realized that was a very real possibility in that if I couldn't out-strike him that I would be in trouble. That's been one of my top priorities is being able to out-strike him and outwork him off my back. Those are the main two things I've been focusing on."

He added, "I don't' really care if I get taken down, so it really frees up my striking because I don't have to worry about throwing big shots or kicks or anything like that against a wrestler because if they take me down I'm in my guard, which is my strongest place. It really liberates your stand up when you don't have to worry about getting taken down."

When he steps into the Octagon with Koscheck, Hazelett is expecting and looking forward to a "war," and he "can't wait for it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nortje Stuns Sapp with First-Round Onslaught

TACOMA, Wash., Feb. 23 -- Emerging from four jets of flames and bursting fireworks in a glittering white cloak to the theme song from "2001: A Space Odyssey," Bob "The Beast" Sapp (Pictures) wanted to show that he was more than just a physical specimen Saturday in his first cage match in the United States.

It was a long way to go for a very big man. And for those 7,089 in attendance at the Tacoma Dome who remember when Sapp was a promising lineman climbing the ranks of the draft boards at the University of Washington, it was a homecoming of sorts.

Sapp -- who was born in Seattle, played all of one game in the NFL and has recently lived in Japan -- weighed in Friday at a monstrous 356 pounds. To the Japanese, he is an icon, the star of not just K-1 fighting but also movies, books and countless interviews on Japanese television. Outside professional wrestling fans, however, he is little known in the United States.

Tonight, several of his former Husky teammates -- including former NFL safety Tony Parrish -- came to the fight to cheer him on.

Parrish predicted a Sapp victory. "I know he's going to win, but the first round is going to be tough," Parrish said. "I'll take Bob in the second, with a knockout."

But Jan Nortje (Pictures) (2-5) had something to say about that. Fifty-five seconds into the first round, Nortje, who is undefeated in 10 fights as a professional boxer, spun Sapp around and then stopped him cold with a punch. The referee stopped the fight on blows, awarding Nortje a technical knockout.

After the fight Sapp was apologetic, saying he would train harder for his next fight and blaming his hamstring for the loss.

"Now I've got to get ready for the next fight," he said. "My hamstring just buckled under me, and I wasn't able to get back up."

The MMA world is going to have a hard time ignoring Cory Devela (Pictures) after his victory over Lodune Sincaid (Pictures) in December and tonight's massive first-round takedown of Joe Riggs (Pictures).

Just two minutes into the fight, Devela (8-1) swept Riggs' (27-10) legs out from under him and threw him forward onto the mat with a five-point judo throw. Devela jumped right on top of him and landed two huge right hands.

Riggs was slow to get up, and a stretcher was called to remove him from the cage. Fitted around the neck with a cervical collar -- Riggs had movement in his legs and could wiggle his toes - the 185-pound veteran was given morphine for the ride to St. Joseph Medical Center.

The middleweight endured a well-documented battle with pain medication following a lower back injury that required surgery on several discs. Saturday marked the third time Riggs has fought since returning to action in the second half of 2007.

Reaching down to catch a Devela kick, Riggs felt a shooting pain down his leg, said his manager Ken Pavia.

"Fighting for underhooks he had a warming sensation in his legs and the throw exacerbated the sensation," Pavia said.

Backstage, Riggs told his manager the pain was so bad that he tapped before hitting the canvas.

Riggs' trainer Billy Rush accompanied him to the hospital. Early Sunday morning Rush informed Sherdog.com that Riggs' pain was "much better" and x-rays showed nothing was broken. Riggs was cleared to return home to Phoenix, Ariz., where he will see his orthopedic surgeon.

In a rematch battle of kickboxing legends, Maurice Smith (Pictures) exploited Rick Roufus (Pictures) early, gaining an armlock submission 1:53 into the fight.

Roufus was completely helpless on the ground in his MMA debut and never had a chance to use his considerable kickboxing skills. The high-flying, high-kicking fight that the crowd expected never came to pass either.

After the bout, Smith (12-10) said he had never felt so relaxed before a fight, which he attributed to his veteran status and lengthy break from MMA.

"I knew sooner or later I'd get him on the ground," he said, "and when I did, I knew the fight would be over."

Smith is now 2-0 in his current comeback attempt at the age of 46.

Despite being a recent replacement for Duane Ludwig (Pictures), Eddy Ellis (Pictures), who hails from Yelm, Wash., came out strongly against Steve Berger (Pictures) and got the crowd behind him, then didn't disappoint.

After a back-and-forth first two rounds with each fighter trading blows toe-to-toe, Berger (18-18-2) earned a slight edge due to his arm and leg locks on the ground. But it all changed in the third round, when Ellis (14-14-1) gained a strong position behind Berger and came within centimeters of a rear-naked choke.

The wily Berger avoided the upset for nearly five full minutes and escaped to the scorecards. Unfortunately for him, the judges saw it unanimously for Ellis: 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

With both fighters predicting quick victories, it was the 2004 NCAA boxing champion Ryan Healy (Pictures) (9-3-1) who landed the first strike on Jorge Masvidal (Pictures) (13-2).

But Masvidal would not be denied, coming close on an armbar in the first round. The Miami-born fighter hung on for a unanimous decision.

"I don't want to make excuses," Masvidal said after the victory. "But my back has been sore and I couldn't run like I normally do, so I got a little bit gassed. … If there's a rematch, I'm going to beat his ass."

Strikeforce used talented local fighters to fill out the card. Twelve out of the 18 fighters hailed from Washington State, with three more from the greater Northwest.

But Mychal "Bolo" Clark (5-3) was the lone true hometown boy, and he didn't let Tacoma down, showing immensely superior speed and athleticism as soon as his fight against Josh Bennett (Pictures) (6-4) began.

Clark landed elbows, knees to the face and straight kicks to the stomach after juking and faking out Bennett. His signature move was a swift leg sweep, quickly followed by a fake with the same leg. His eyes would drop to Bennett's left leg, but then instead of going for another right sweep, he would land a right cross.

Near the end of the first round, the fight swung Bennett's way, with the larger fighter using his superior weight advantage on the ground. But Clark's cardio came through for him. He escaped Bennett's hold quickly and righted himself, then landed several elbows with Bennett against the cage, opening up a cut on Bennett's left eye.

In the second, Bennett had more opportunities to use his weight advantage to gain points. Yet by the end of the round, the cut above his eye had grown into a massive knot, and the fight was stopped.

There were no distractions from Lyle Beerbohm (Pictures)'s fancy pants. It was clear from the start of the fight that he had a plan to defeat Ray Perales (Pictures) (9-14) and was ready to see it through.

In a fight that mostly took place on the ground, the one highlight came early in the second round when Beerbohm (4-0) -- in a crouched position -- lifted Perales from the edge of the cage and threw him to the ground. Beerbohm's striped Day-Glo flecked shorts could be seen on top of Perales for almost the whole fight. In the end, Beerbohm was able to clinch Perales into a guillotine choke 1:19 into the third round.

Beerbohm had one thing to say after the fight: "I want to thank my mom for making my shorts."

Matt Kovacs (1-1) and Mike Hayes (1-0), both pankration fighters, came out looking for a standup fight, throwing punches left and right. At first, it seemed like none of their wild swings would hit. Midway through the second round, though, Hayes landed a ferocious combination and took Kovacs to the mat. He then landed several punches to the head from a mounted position.

Hayes tried to end it all right out of the gates in the third round with a flying punch, but Kovacs blocked it and quickly came back with some strong strikes of his own. With his nose bleeding, Hayes finally landed a solid right that left Kovacs reeling. However, the fight was stopped after Kovacs hit his opponent below the belt and was penalized a point.

Hayes came close to a guillotine after the restart, but Kovacs escaped before the bell. Overall, Hayes had landed the majority of the punches and won a unanimous decision, 29-28 and 30-27 twice.

What Zach Skinner gave up in kickboxing ability he made up for on the ground against Scott Shaffer. Schaffer (0-1) wouldn't give up, however, and Skinner (3-2) earned a unanimous decision in the closest fight of the night.

In the opening bout, Nathan Coy (Pictures) (3-0) knocked out Dave Courchaine (0-1) at 1:46 in the first round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hermes Franca Released from UFC Contract

Former UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca has been released from his contract with the UFC, the 33-year-old confirmed in a recent message-board posting.

Franca expects to return to competition in July when his current one-year suspension ends.

Franca earned a title shot with then-lightweight champ Sean Sherk at UFC 73 in July 2007. After losing five times in six fights, Franca strung together a seven-fight win streak in a seven-month period (all were stoppages) to earn a shot at the lightweight belt. Franca suffered a unanimous-decision loss, and both he and Sherk tested positive for anabolic steroids in event drug tests.

Franca admitted his guilt, and the California State Athletic Commission issued the maximum 12-month suspension. Sherk, meanwhile, appealed the failed test, saying he never knowingly ingested any banned substances, and had his suspension reduced to six months. (The UFC stripped him of the title in December.)

In his posting on The Underground Forum, Franca stated that he asked UFC vice president of talent relations Joe Silva to release him from his UFC contract so he could compete outside the organization to help makes ends meet. Silva obliged. However, according to Franca, CSAC executive Armando Garcia told Franca that if he competed outside the country during his suspension period that he would never be able to compete in the U.S. again.

Franca now plans to sit out of competition until the July and earn a salary by hosting training seminars. He hasn’t ruled out a return to the UFC.

Franca (18-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) debuted professionally in 2001 and is a former WEC champion. He is a veteran of organizations such as HOOKnSHOOT and K-1, and he made his UFC debut in 2003. He recently left The Armory to start his own fight team.

With the influx of new fight organizations and his popularity, Franca could likely earn top dollar on the free-agent mark.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Karo ‘The Heat’ Parisyan gets heated (Audio)

Props: http://www.pwbpodcastlive.com/hotline/pwbkaroparisyan022208.mp3

Karo Parisyan talks about his upcoming fight with Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 13 on April 2, as well as statements that he is ducking Jon Fitch. The latter point is what really draws his ire.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Knocking on the door: MMAmania.com exclusive sit-down with UFC fighter Jon Fitch

Next Saturday night at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” Jon Fitch will continue his climb up the welterweight mountain when he takes on Chris Wilson, who will be making his debut inside the Octagon.

Fitch goes into this fight with 14 straight wins, seven of those in the UFC. And he acknowledges that going through Wilson — who is on a hot streak of his own — will be no easy task.

“He’s pretty lanky, long and has a pretty good one-two combination, good stand-up, he’s pretty dangerous in that regard,” Fitch told MMAmania.com. “His ground is okay, it’s not great, but he’s dangerous on the ground because he is long and a lot of times the long guys are pretty tricky with their positioning and can do things most guys can’t, so it’s important to keep your game tight with guys like that.”

Fitch is well-aware that Wilson is confident going into this fight and views this as a good thing.

“I only want to fight the toughest guys out there and if you’re afraid to fight somebody or are not really confident going into a fight, then I don’t want to fight you,” Fitch said.

Originally, Fitch was slated to take on former Pride FC fighter, Akihiro Gono. However, a Gono injury forced him out and brought in Wilson.

Both Gono and Wilson are two different fighting styles and Fitch has had to prepare differently for Wilson than he would have for Gono.

“Akihiro is kind of in-and-out, picks his spots to fight, while Chris tends to move a little bit more, also the size makes a difference, a shorter Gono compared to a longer Wilson makes it a big difference,” Fitch said. “I’ve been changing things up with different grappling partners and sparring partners, to match up size and striking ability.”

Fitch knows what he must do to walk out of UFC 82 in Columbus with his 15th straight victory.

“I need to keep my game really tight, don’t get loose, because that’s when he tends to catch people,” Fitch said. “I have to keep it tight and keep the pressure and try to break him with my pressure.”

With Fitch now being among the elite, it’s only a matter of time until he gets a shot at the welterweight title.

Fitch has UFC wins over Brock Larson, Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves and most recently, Diego Sanchez. Fitch believes that he has been in the UFC long enough and has won enough to earn a title shot.

“I think that I’ve put in the work to deserve a title shot. I’ve never heard of anybody with the record in the UFC that I have not getting some kind of title shot. I don’t understand why I wouldn’t or what the deal would be for me not to get it,” Fitch said.

“I don’t get a control say unfortunately. Otherwise, I would have had all marquee match-ups against named fighters instead of against guys who people haven’t heard about who are just as tough as those marquee guys.”

It’s going to be hard to deny Fitch a chance at the title if he wins at the Nationwide Arena this Saturday night. His long win streak is unheard of in this division and in the sport itself. He gives credit to hard work and having fun.

“It’s hard work, just keeping your eyes on the work in front of you and getting done and having fun along the way. I really enjoy the workouts,” Fitch said. “I enjoy learning new techniques and I don’t let any of that other stuff get to me. I’m not here to be famous. I’m not here to be a rock star.”

That might be inevitable, however, if everything goes according to plan for Fitch in 2008.