MMA News Thread

[heyzel]

Jon Jones goes to Firas Zahabi's gym (GSP's trainer) to train

"He is probably the most lethal human being pound-for-pound on the face of the earth. He's a phenom and he's proving that he is the Michael Jordan of MMA. He's incredible. If Georges was to fight him, all of the coaches would have to sit down together with his manager Shari Spencer and his reps and put our brains together and talk about what are the terms that we would do this fight on...if he has to get ready for Anderson Silva, he's got a great partner in Jon Bones. He's got the tall, lanky body type, he has incredible Muay Thai; a tricky style of Muay Thai as well and he has the reach like Anderson Silva. I think he would be a very good training partner for Georges if that fight ever happens," stated Firas Zahabi, head trainer of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, as he talked about the future plans of GSP. Check out what he head to say about a potential clash with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, the addition of light heavyweight Jon


http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5387.html



I like this move by jon jones the sky is the limit for him

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce picks up undefeated middleweight Zak Cummings with multi-fight deal

Strikeforce's roster continues to expand, this time with undefeated middleweight Zak Cummings (10-0).

Multiple sources close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Cummings has agreed to a multi-fight, mutli-year deal that will be signed this week.

Cummings is slated to make his promotional debut on Sept. 25 at an event likely to take place in Fresno, Calif., possibly against fellow Strikeforce newcomer and "The Ultimate Fighter 7" competitor Paul Bradley (11-1).

Strikeforce officials were not immediately available for comment.

Cummings turned professional in 2007 and fought nine times in his first 15 months on the Midwest pro circuit, including the Midwest Cage Championship, where he is the organization's middleweight champion.

However, the Springfield Fight Club-trained fighter is perhaps best known for his February victory over Terry Martin. Cummings picked up a split-decision win over the longtime UFC fighter at the "XCF: Rumble in Racetown" event.

Cummings joins a Strikeforce middleweight division currently ruled by champion Cung Le. However, the popular stand-up fighter has launched an acting career over the past 17 months while putting his fight career on hold. However, with Le on the sidelines, an interim title could be contested in the next couple months, likely with recent Strikeforce signee and top-10 welterweight Jake Shields, who would move up a weight class.

Cummings, meanwhile, could face Bradley, a former high school state wrestling champion (and two-time state runner-up) and two-time All-American at the University of Iowa. Bout agreements haven't been signed, though.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EYEING COLEMAN, TITO WANTS TO TRAIN WITH GSP

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is in his second week of hard training following a back surgery that required nearly nine months of rehab. MMAWeekly.com caught up with “The Hungtington Beach Bad Boy” at Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, where he’s working with Freddie Roach for the next nine weeks before moving to his facility in Big Bear, Calif.

Afterwards, he wants to make a stop in Montreal to train with welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre.

Not completely out of shape, but not in fight shape, the 34-year-old Ortiz faces the hardest phase of rebuilding. But for once, he says, his back isn’t killing him.

“It feels nice to train with no soreness,” Ortiz said outside the gym. “For the first month now I’ll be doing two-a-days.”

Roach is encouraged by what he saw Wednesday after nine rounds with the mitts.

“He’s a hard worker,” said the famed trainer of boxer Manny Pacquiao. “The first time I did that 30-minute drill with Oscar De La Hoya, he only made it two. Tito finished, so I was happy about that.”

At the bell, Ortiz leaned over the ropes and heaved. Baby steps.

Last week, he re-signed with the UFC, ending a seemingly endless feud with president Dana White. In an on-again, off-again saga of epic proportions, Ortiz first tried to work out a deal with the promotion (particularly co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta), then swore them off completely.

After appearing within arm's length of a deal with Strikeforce, he did another about face, making nice with White during a conference call announcing his return last Friday. There, he told reporters he would end his career in the Octagon.

Ortiz says he should be ready to fight in November, and expects to face former heavyweight champion Mark Coleman next.

White said the fight was under consideration, making UFC 106 a likely choice given Ortiz’s cut of pay-per-view profits. UFC 106 is scheduled for Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, one week after UFC 105 touches down in Manchester, England.

Despite the glaring age gap between the two, Ortiz does not anticipate an easy fight.

“I respect him a lot,” Ortiz said with a knowing grin. “I think this fight will have a lot more personal vendetta behind it the closer the fight comes, I think.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

DAN MILLER VS. AARON SIMPSON ON SEPT. 19

A middleweight bout has been confirmed for UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City on Sept. 19, as New Jersey native Dan Miller returns to action to face former All-American wrestler Aaron Simpson.

The news was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Thursday.

There were rumors circling a few weeks ago that Miller and Simpson would fight, but after much speculation, Team Quest fighter Ed Herman was picked to face Simpson instead.

Now, Herman has been pulled out to step in for an injured James Irvin on the upcoming Aug. 29 UFC 102 fight card to face Wilson Gouveia. Miller will take his slot on the Oklahoma City card.

Miller was on the fast track to success in the UFC, winning his first three fights in the Octagon, before being derailed in his last bout by Chael Sonnen via unanimous decision.

Now the AMA Fight Club team member faces another strong wrestler in Simpson, who currently stands at 1-0 in the UFC after a TKO win over former teammate Tim McKenzie in April.

Simpson, a former coach at Arizona State, is a top prospect who trains out of Arizona Combat Sports along with former students Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway.

A former "American Gladiators" contestant, Simpson has tremendous wrestling, but has also shown great power with his punches. In his only WEC fight, he knocked out David Avellan in 18 seconds.

There is no word at this time if the bout between Simpson and Miller will make the main card or undercard for the event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: M-1 and Strikeforce's Shamar Bailey learned self reliance through homeschooling

When Shamar Bailey was entering his senior year of high school, he was looking for a better test.

All his life, the son of a pastor and chemical engineer father and college professor mother had been homeschooled. He, his brother and his sister were taught by their parents as they moved several times so their father could continue climbing the corporate ladder.

But by 2000, the family had settled in Indianapolis, and Bailey was anxious to see just how good of an athlete he really was.

"I told my parents, 'I appreciate everything you've done, but I have to see where I can go,'" Bailey told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Combining the lessons of a youth spent independently working with the competitiveness gained when finally facing others, Bailey has morphed the wrestling skill that earned him a stellar college career at a Christian college in Wisconsin into a mixed-martial-arts career that is gaining steam.

The welterweight, who carries an 11-1 record fighting mostly in the Midwest, will be featured as part of an Aug. 15 M-1 Challenge event in Holland. There, Bailey, 26, is scheduled to fight Raymond Jarman (10-9).

The event will be Bailey's first with the M-1 organization, and Strikeforce has thought enough of Indianapolis firefighter-by-day to sign him to a contract.

Like many fighters in the Midwest, Bailey has struggled for attention. But, with a charm that earned him the honor of prom king is his one year of organized high school, a work ethic gained in the small-college wrestling room and the perspective of a degree in ministry, many feel Bailey is a no-doubter to soon participate in one of MMA's major organizations.

He just hopes he takes to it as quickly as he did his first stab at organized wrestling.

More than a fighter
After deciding to attend the local high school for his senior year to participate in wrestling, Bailey met and worked out with a few members of the team in the preseason. He had already been working for years on his own personal strength training, which he credits as a benefit of his homeschooling.

"It was huge for learning how to do things individually without having people push you," Bailey said of the experience. "We had assignments, and at the end of the day those assignments had better be done. I was always trying to get stronger and faster on my own, and it helped with work ethic."

That work ethic helped Bailey earn a 32-0 regular season record in his only year of high school wrestling. He thirsted for more, and some scholarship offers surfaced.

His father, though, wanted a Christian college experience for his son. The two compromised when they discovered Maranatha College in Wisconsin, a Christian school with a wrestling team coached by Ben Peterson, a former Olympic freestyle wrestler.

During his junior year, Bailey earned a spot in the NCAA Division III national tournament and became the first athlete from his school to ever reach that level in any sport.

"Most people think you can walk all over the Christians," he said with a laugh.

When his career ended and he earned his ministry degree, Bailey returned to Indianapolis and took work with a nonprofit organization that worked toward community outreach, but some financial troubles led Bailey to leave after only seven months on the job.

Still desiring that competitive outlet, Bailey searched a way to stay involved in athletics. Not long after, he wandered into a local gym.

"Funny thing," he said, "but I never really liked MMA before that."

Talked into a fight, then a career
Bailey had about five months' worth of MMA training in June of 2006 when he entered a fight night at a local bar. The friends at the gym talked him into it, figuring he might be able to hold his own in the amateur event.

"I couldn't sleep for three days beforehand," Bailey said.

He proved the friends right rather quickly. Although his opponent was a veteran of about six amateur fights, Bailey won by unanimous decision. However, the victory didn't satisfy him as much as it angered him.

He didn't want to win by decision, but by knockout.

With a greater commitment to training, Bailey won his first five professional fights to earn a slot at a Revolution Fight League event against a Las Vegas-based fighter named Waachiim Spiritwolf in Louisville, Ky. Not only was the fight for a title, but it was the first time Bailey traveled for a bout and the first time he would appear on television.

Again, he didn't disappoint. The December 2007 event was Bailey's sixth consecutive win to start his career.

There's just one fight that sticks with Bailey, and it was his only loss. In April 2008, he agreed to defend his RFL title against Roger Bowling, who at the time was a firmly built, 2-0 rather unknown fighter from the Cincinnati area.

Bailey still is rubbed raw by the result.

"He never touched me while I was on my feet," Bailey said. "He came at me, I backed up, and I slipped. He did what he had to do, he hit me a few times, and the ref stopped it.

"My grandma could hit me a couple times if I slipped."

Bailey has held out hope for a rematch with Bowling, who has since started his own career 5-0. For his part, Bailey has won the rest of his fights since, including a King of the Cage victory against Rodney Sleepers in June.

In a whirlwind few months, Bailey has formed relationships with M-1 and Strikeforce and has made strides in his struggle for attention.

His main proponent, now living on the east coast, is his father, the man who taught him religion, self-reliance. And, perhaps not expected for a pastor, a love of martial arts, as he himself studied tae kwon do.

"He," Bailey said, "is a warrior, and I try to be like him."

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Global's Jerry Millen: Fedor Emelianenko is not dodging Brock Lesnar

Business negotiations are always a complex matter.

Business negotiations between the UFC and M-1 Global have at times bordered on bizarre.

But while the two companies recently failed once again to come together and bring Fedor Emelianenko, the world's top heavyweight, to the UFC, the world's top MMA promotion, M-1 Global exec Jerry Millen wants to make one thing perfectly clear: Emelianenko is not dodging UFC champ Brock Lesnar.

"I've been reading a lot of this with people saying, 'Fedor's dodging Brock Lesnar,' that kind of stuff," Millen told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) late Wednesday night. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. At the end of the day, Fedor will fight anybody. The terms just have to be fair."

The terms, or rather term – co-promotion between the UFC and M-1 Global – has, at least for now, made this fantasy matchup just that. But Millen is appalled by some of the recent suggestions that Emelianenko and M-1 Global turned down the deal simply because they were afraid of the hulking former professional wrestler.

"Does anybody honestly think that Fedor Emelianenko would dodge Brock Lesnar?" Millen asked. "What does he have – is it five MMA fights now? He's got five MMA fights. At the end of the day, he's more of a pro wrestler than he is an MMA fighter.

"Not to take anything away from [Lesnar], but you've got to remember the UFC manufactured his rise to the top. They gave him a title shot so far ahead of other guys that might have deserved a title shot that if I was some of the heavyweights in the UFC, I'd be upset."

Millen said he does respect Lesnar's abilities; he simply doesn't feel they're on Emelianenko's level.

"Did Brock Lesnar really deserve a title shot?" Millen asked. "Is he a great fighter? Sure. I think he's doing great. But he's got a lot of room for improvement. At the end of the day, Fedor's not ducking anybody."

Money vs. Respect
So if M-1 Global isn't concerned about Emelianenko's chances for success in the UFC, why were company officials unwilling to accept what they concede was a generous offer from UFC president Dana White for "The Last Emperor's" services?

"It boils down to respect," Millen said. "(M-1 Global president) Vadim (Finkelchtein) has been doing MMA for a long time, and he wants the M-1 brand to grow, for profit or for loss. We're in a co-promotion for Strikeforce as a co-promotion. If it makes a profit, great, we all make a profit. If it makes a loss, we share in that loss.

"It's not about the money. If it's about the money, then you take the sure money, and you take it and say, 'This money is a payday that we're going to get, guaranteed, and let's take this payday. There may even be some bonus structures, and it's going to make it a bigger payday.' Or do we take this risk on a co-promotion? Then we can build something."

Millen admits M-1 Global officials have been put off by White's derogatory comments toward them and Emelianenko, as well as the UFC exec's flip-flopping position on the Russian heavyweight's fighting abilities.

"At the end of the day, it's not about money if you really think about it," Millen said. "You can take a guaranteed figure that's probably pretty good. You're going to know at the end of the day what you're going to get. But if you want to grow your company and get the respect that you deserve?

"One minute Dana's saying, 'Fedor is irrelevant; [expletive] him,' and then the next day he's like, 'Oh, he's the greatest fighter in the world, I want him,'" Millen said. "Now he's back to, 'This guy sucks.' So he can't make his mind up. You see what I'm saying? If he doesn't get his way, it's either his way or no way. That's what it boils down to. [M-1 Global] just wants to work somewhere where it's fair."

Who's calling the shots?
Much has been made regarding Emelinanko's relative silence throughout the negotiations. Several observers have drawn the conclusion that Emelianenko is either blissfully unaware of the tension between the two parties or simply a pawn in Finkelchtein's master plan for M-1 Global.

Millen insists that neither scenario could be further from the truth.

"Fedor is part owner in M-1, and Fedor has complete faith in Vadim," Millen said. "Fedor was there in negotiations with the UFC, and he knows exactly what was offered, what was going on.

"Fedor has a big say in what happens to Fedor. Make no mistake, he wants what is best for Fedor, the people around him, his family at M-1, and his personal family. Fedor understands everything that's going on, and he's completely down with it."

Understanding is one thing. But does the heavyweight wield the same power outside of the ring that he does between the ropes? Could Emelianenko make the call on his own to fight in the UFC?

"I believe he could," Millen said. "Vadim and Fedor have a great relationship. It's not manager-fighter. They have a very close, personal relationship.

"I think I'm a pretty good judge of character, and Vadim truly cares about Fedor. I feel like he's really looked out for him, and Fedor respects Vadim. Vadim doesn't manage 100 fighters. Vadim takes care of M-1, has the Red Devil Sport Club, tries to get some younger fighters going, and he has Fedor. I think he has Fedor's best interests at heart. I really do."

Emelianenko and those around him have repeatedly claimed that the one motivating factor that governs all of their decisions is the desire for competition. So does Emelianenko not believe the sport's best competition resides in the octagon?

"Is the best competition in the UFC?" Millen asked. "I don't know. Any given day, anyone can be the best competition. Do I think Brock Lesnar is the best competition for Fedor right now? I don't know. Is he? He's only had five MMA fights.

"There might be another guy out there that deserves to fight Fedor – maybe a guy that's been fighting 10 years that has 20 fights, 30 fights under his belt. Maybe he deserves a shot. Why does Brock Lesnar deserve that shot just because he's champion of the UFC?"

And what about Emelianenko's legacy as potentially the greatest fighter in the history of the modern game?

"I guess that's something that you have to ask Fedor," Millen said. "I can't speak for Fedor, but I can tell you what I think. I think Fedor's already proven his legacy. I was at all of his fights in PRIDE, and I no-doubt saw the best fighter in the world perform."

Door open for UFC, but Strikeforce – and broadcast television – just fine
While it may have seemed the UFC and M-1 Global were within inches of finally bridging the gap between the two companies, in the end it seems the two parties are no closer to reaching an agreement than before.

And while the world may still hold out hope for a compromise, Millen said M-1 Global executives are pleased with their decision to work with Strikeforce.

"I think that teaming up with Strikeforce is a great opportunity for M-1 Global, for Strikeforce, and I think it's a great opportunity for MMA fans," Millen said. "Broadcast television, Showtime, CBS – it's just going to open up to a huge platform.

"I keep saying this: Look what CBS did for 'Kimbo Slice.' Imagine what this platform could do for a true MMA fighter like Fedor. It will blow the sport up even more. I'm excited. I think it's great for the fans."

And if mixed martial arts (and UFC) fans hope to see Emelianenko in the world's biggest MMA promotion, Millen suggests they use a bit of the same tactics that motivated White to substitute Vitor Belfort for Dan Henderson in the main event for September's UFC 103.

"If the fans want to see a Brock Lesnar fight, hey, all they have to do is keep pressure on Dana," Millen said. "Do a co-promotion. They do it in boxing every day.

"We feel we have the best fighter in the world. You feel you have the best fighter in the world. Let's throw them in the cage, and let's see who the best fighter is."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC, Strikeforce, and the Law of Fellowship

Selected quotations from Chapter 11, The Law of Fellowship in The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries:

* In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands.
* Greed often gets in the way of common sense.
* Not only should the dominant brand tolerate competitors, it should welcome them. The best thing that happened to Coca-Cola was Pepsi-Cola.
* Choice stimulates demand. The competition between Coke and Pepsi makes customers more cola conscious. Per capita cola consumption goes up.
* Customers respond to competition because choice is seen as a major benefit. If there is no choice, customers are suspicious. Maybe the category has some flaws? Maybe the price is too high? Who wants to buy a brand if you don’t have another brand to compare it with?
* Your brand should welcome healthy competition. It often brings more customers into the category.
* And remember; no brand can ever own the entire market (unless of course it is a government-sanctioned monopoly) [emphasis added].

 

[Shogun Locc]

Belfort: “Franklin is a very tough fighter”

Four years later, Vitor Belfort returns to the UFC octagon, place where he shone for the world and became the "Phenom". With six more victories in the record, Belfort already has an opponent in his return, and will be another former champion, Rich Franklin. "I'm damn happy, can’t wait to go in there", he said, excited, praising the opponent. "He’s a very tough fighter, strong... He developed a lot”.

Scheduled to the UFC 103, which happens on September 19, Vitor explains the decision of fighting against the American in an catchweight. "The decision was of the UFC itself. Rich said that he can’t go to middleweight anymore and needed to fight at 195lbs, which he can hit", says. And it was in this weight that Rich made his last two fights, when he lost to Dan Henderson and defeated Wanderlei Silva.

Former heavyweight champion, Belfort doesn’t think about titles yet, despite Dana White has already expressed the interest in a fight between him and the middleweight champion Anderson Silva. "I'm getting here now, I’m not in a hurry. I don’t choose fight, is the Ultimate that sets, they are the promoters. I’ll work hard and we’ll take fight by fight", finished the fighter, who plans on training at Xtreme Couture for the bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC's long-awaited 125-pound weight class likely to come in early 2010

World Extreme Cagefighting's long-awaited 125-pound division will likely be implemented and stocked for an early 2010 debut.

That's the word from WEC co-founder and general manager Reed Harris, who discussed the new flyweight division on Thursday's special "Primetime" edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

The WEC confirmed earlier this year that a 125-pound weight class will be added now that the organization has completely eliminated its light heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight divisions.

Those divisions were recently folded into the UFC, which is also owned by Zuffa LLC.

"A guy named Sean Shelby is our matchmaker," Harris said. "He is always looking and talking to guys for the [flyweight] division."

The WEC plans to host eight shows this year, and to make room for the flyweights and additional talent in the WEC's other weight classes (bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight), the organization expects to hold 10 to 12 events in 2010, Harris said.

"Later this year but probably the beginning of next year, we'll probably bring in that division," Harris said.

Most major organizations, especially in the U.S., have few (if any) 125-pound fighters of any notoriety. However, a fairly deep pool of flyweight fighters can be found in Japanese-based organizations such as Shooto and Pancrase, and WEC officials are actively pursuing the top talent available both domestically and abroad, Harris said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tim Kennedy vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos to main event Strikeforce card in Oklahoma

Strikeforce will make its first trip to Oklahoma in September, as middleweights Tim Kennedy (10-2) and Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (16-13) will main event a Challengers Series event.

Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed the recently rumored event with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The Sept. 25 event, which was originally rumored for Fresno, Calif., will instead take place at the 4,500-seat SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby, Okla., just outside of Tulsa.

Kennedy is currently riding a two-fight win streak, including a submission-by-punches win over Nick Thompson in his June debut for Strikeforce. The IFL and WEC veteran has earned stoppage wins in nine of his 10 career victories.

The hard-hitting Santos will be looking to bounce back from a loss in his Strikeforce debut, dropping a razor-thin split decision to Joey Villasenor on the same June Strikeforce Challengers event that saw Kennedy defeat Thompson. A Sengoku, PRIDE and Cage Rage veteran, Santos has struggled as of late, earning just one win in his past five contests.

As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, Paul Bradley and Zak Cummings are also expected to meet at the event.

Tickets for the event, which start at just $25, go on sale Monday at Ticketmaster.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Back injury forces Wilson Gouveia off of "UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira" preliminary card

American Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia (12-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered a back injury that has forced him to withdraw from the preliminary card of the Aug. 29 event "UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira."

MMANews.com first reported Gouveia's withdrawal, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the injury with sources close to the event.

Gouveia's injury comes on the heels of the Brazilian's original opponent, James Irvin, also withdrawing from the event due to injury.

Ed Herman had been tapped as a replacement for Irvin, leaving Dan Miller to fill in for "Short Fuse" against Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16.

It is currently unknown how Gouveia's injury will affect the recently shuffled matchups.

Headlined by a bout between heavyweight legends Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC 102 takes place at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

The full card, as it currently stands, includes:

MAIN CARD

* Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
* Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
* Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
* Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
* Ed Herman vs. TBA
* Justin McCully vs. Mike Russow
* Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague
* Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
* Evan Dunham vs. Matt Veach

 

[Shogun Locc]

John Howard going for broke against Tamdan McCrory at UFC 101

“It was amazing … Dreams come true. I still can’t believe it. Every day I wake up and I thank God, because for that to happen — for someone to go to the UFC for the first time and get that [”Fight of the Night”] bonus — is unbelievable…. It was a blessing from God because I was struggling. I was poor. I’m still poor. I made some money but I came from a poor background. I had to work hard for everything I have…. Back then [UFC 94], that type of money was life-changing. It helped me a lot to train harder and be more focused on my fights. I just thank Dana White and (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva for that. It really helped me and my kids out so much…. I can give them something more than I had myself. It’s an opportunity to give them something better…. I’m trying to go for it again. I’m going for the win, but I’d like to go all-out for the bonus. I’m just going to try to go out there and do my thing.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White: "Best of PRIDE" highlights show coming to Spike TV in January

PHILADELPHIA – Despite the purchase not "working out the way we planned," according to Dana White, the organization isn't going to throw in the towel on PRIDE Fighting Championships altogether.

The UFC purchased the troubled Japanese-based organization, which for years was its biggest rival, with the intent of keeping PRIDE alive, though the organization was shut down completely soon after the 2007 purchase.

But now the UFC will make use of the video library it acquired in the deal and roll out a "Best of PRIDE" series on Spike TV.

The series debuts in January, White said during a UFC Fight Club Q&A session at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center on Friday.

"It'll kind of be like 'UFC Unleashed,'" White said. "All the great PRIDE fights that happened with all the stars who are UFC guys now will be on it."

The UFC planned to operate PRIDE Fighting Championships as a separate entity after the purchase (similar to how the UFC and WEC operate independently now under the Zuffa LLC banner) but with the promise of "mega-fights" between each organization's stars. Fans were promised Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson and Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. However, those fights only happened after PRIDE was shut down and most of the organization's fighters were folded into the UFC.

White has long blamed the organization's previous owners for duping the UFC about PRIDE's financial stability, TV relationships and overall health of the organization.

The UFC never held a show under the PRIDE banner but has resurrected the organization with autograph signings at UFC 100, continued DVD releases and PRIDE-branded clothing.

No dates or times were given for the "Best of PRIDE" series.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA pioneer Don Frye out of Aug. 28 "M-1 Breakthrough," event moved to Kansas City

M-1 Global's Aug. 28 event, "Breakthrough," has suffered another setback as Don Frye has backed out of the evening's main event.

Frye's opponent, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, released the information in a recent video blog posted on YouTube.

"Don Frye, I guess, pulled out because he didn't like the location of the fight," Lawal says in the video. "It was originally supposed to be in Los Angeles, but I guess they moved it to Kansas City or something. I'm trying to still get that payday, so they're going to find a replacement to take his spot."

Sources close to the event have since confirmed Frye's withdrawal from the card with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), as well as the relocation of the event to Kansas City.

SI.com first broke the news that "M-1 Breakthrough" would not be happening in Los Angeles in conjunction with IMMAE, an international MMA trade show. Much was made of M-1 Global's lack of a promoter's license in California, but sources close to the event point to a financial backer withdrawing its commitment as the real culprit.

While M-1 Global has yet to make an official announcement regarding a venue in Kansas City, the organization would most likely look to Memorial Hall, the same venue that hosted a June event from the company's "M-1 Challenge" team-vs.-team event series.

Sources close to the event said a replacement for Frye is likely to be announced as soon as Monday, and the show – which will be broadcast on HDNet – will go on despite the changes.

 

[Shogun Locc]

NELSON AT A NEW LEVEL FOR REMATCH WITH RILEY

“Immediately, once I saw the crowd's reaction on the big screen and I saw the replay and I said it right there in the Octagon, 'we can do it again if you want' and we're going to go at it and do it again.”

Ah, the prophetic words of Shane Nelson.

A season eight standout of the Ultimate Fighter series, “Sugar” is returning to the Octagon Saturday night at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, gracing the preliminary portion of the card to face tested veteran Aaron Riley in a rematch from their original tainted meeting this past March.

What had all the makings for a good scrap between the B.J. Penn protégé and Riley, who had just earned his first victory inside the Octagon, a “Fight of the Night” performance against Jorge Gurgel, would ultimately prove to be a major letdown.

Though Yves Lavigne got the blunt end of it throughout the night, provoking jeers from the fans in attendance every time his face graced the big screen due to the controversial stoppage, Nelson can vaguely remember the bout that took all of 44 seconds to conclude. He only hopes to make things right this time around.

“I just remember the ref diving in between us and I got up, I was stoked that the fight was over,” said Nelson while speaking with MMAWeekly.com.

“At that moment, all I remember was hitting him with a good shot, him going down, and throwing a couple more punches and the ref diving in. At the time, I thought it was a cool stoppage. Afterwards, I looked at the tape and saw that it was an early stoppage and no one wants to win like that. No one wants to lose like that either. So we're going to go at it and do it again.”

With no hesitation in accepting the rematch to put a definitive end to a once promising lightweight clash, the only thing lurking in the back of the Hilo boy's mind is for a more suitable, veteran referee to take command of the in-cage happenings.

“When you see someone that you've been watching for years ref fights, especially someone like Herb Dean or Big John (McCarthy), then you know you don't have to worry about they're calls. They've been reffing fights probably longer than I've been fighting, so that definitely makes it a lot easier if you have someone like that in there.”

Only five months removed from their initial meeting, Nelson isn't expecting much of a change from Riley, who has made a reputation of being a head forward ask questions later kind of fighter. Nelson, however, feels he is in a better place both mentally and physically since their last go-around.

“I pretty much expect the same out of him, he's pretty much a straight forward guy. He's gonna come in and get me to try to brawl with him,” said Nelson.

“I had a way better camp for this fight than I did the last fight, actually. So I feel that I'm in better shape for this fight and more mentally prepared.”

Secluded in parts unknown (well, California), here in the States, away from the sometimes distracting Hawaiian lifestyle, Nelson is ready to prove his mettle once again.

“The guys in Hawaii, I've been sparring them and training with them for the past five, six years. This is the first time I actually, besides being on The Ultimate Fighter, got out to the mainland and got to train with all these different type of fighters.

“I feel like this is what I needed to take my game to the next level.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 103: “kill or die” for Thiago Tavares

Confirmed at UFC 103 against Jim Miller, Thiago Tavares spoke with TATAME.com about his next challenge in the octagon, going after another victory in the event. “I’m already studying the strategy, setting the spaces to beat him”, says the lightweight, without guaranteeing the victory, but promising a great show. As usual.

“I can’t guarantee the victory, because nobody can, but you’re gonna see a very hungry Thiago there. To beat me, just killing”, guarantees the fighter, wanting the victory to get a chance to rematch Tyson Griffin, who defeated four Brazilians in his past five fights. “Beating him (Miller), who knows I can get a rematch with Tyson Griffin”, finished Tavares.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Feijão eyes Strikeforce return in October

After a bad debut at Strikeforce, being knocked out by Mike Kyle, Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante keep the head up and train hard to step up again in the cage. Expected to fight for the title in the first moment, the Brazilian will have to work hard to earn the chance one more time. “I had problems to make weight for this fight, but that’s not an excuse, I faced a very tough opponent”, says Feijão. “But this loss only makes me stronger, now I have to work more on my mistakes and get back to the tops”.

About the return, the light heavyweight fighter reveals that he might get back in there in October. “I’ll fight in October, I’m just waiting for the confirmation of when and against who”, said, remembering that the opponent changing in the first fight were also a problem. “I had my opponent changed four times before the fight and I couldn’t do my preparation right… I saw many mistakes in that fight, but I decided to do it so I was my mistake”, finished the fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White isn't ruling out Frank Shamrock returning to the UFC

One of the UFC's early superstars could return to the organization.

During a UFC Fight Club Q&A session at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center on Thursday, UFC president Dana White didn't rule out the possibility of Frank Shamrock returning to the promotion, as reported by MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp in the DaytonDailyNews.com MMA blog.

The first-ever champion of the UFC middleweight division (which would later become the light-heavyweight division) hasn't fought in the UFC since announcing a "retirement" nearly a decade ago.

White, who recently mended fences with once-sworn enemy Tito Ortiz, said the goodwill tour could continue.

"I made up with Tito," White said. "Maybe I could make up with Frank."

Shamrock made his fourth title defense and defeated Tito Ortiz at UFC 22 in one of the sport's most prolific fights. However, with the UFC unable to meet Shamrock's contract demands (following the loss of pay-per-view outlets and the subsequent revenue), the UFC allowed Shamrock to leave the organization with no interference if he announced his retirement at the September 1999 event.

Shamrock won via fourth-round submission (due to strikes), announced a retirement, but obviously didn't quit fighting. He became the WEC's first light-heavyweight champion in 2003, fought Renzo Gracie under the EliteXC banner in 2007 and later won the Strikeforce middleweight title. However, despite his 23-10-2 record, he's just 1-3 in his past four fights, which included a title loss to Cung Le and a recent TKO loss to Nick Diaz.

In the past years, Shamrock has vowed never to fight for the UFC so long as White is at the helm of the promotion. But, Ortiz said the same thing, and he's now back in the UFC fold.

Time will tell if the 36-year-old Shamrock follows suit.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kazunori Yokota vs. Ryan Schultz lightweight bout announced for Sengoku 10th Battle

Two previously announced participants for World Victory Road's upcoming Sengoku 10th Battle event have been slated for a lightweight bout that could earn the winner serious title consideration.

Kazunori Yokota (9-2-3) meets former IFL champion Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) at the event, which takes place Sept. 23 at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs on HDNet in North America.

WVR today announced the bout.

Schultz was announced as an event participant last month and Yokota earlier this week.

Now pitted against each other, the bout features two fighters looking for a shot at the lightweight shot. The belt is currently held by current champ Mizuto Hirota, who defeated then-title-holder Satoru Kitaoka earlier this week.

Prior to becoming champ, Hirota suffered a decision loss to Yokota in November 2008. However, he defeated Schultz via knockout in August 2008.

Most recently, Yokota defeated Leonardo Santos at a May Sengoku event for his third win in four fights. Schultz, meanwhile, entered the Japanese-based organization in 2008 with a six-fight win streak, but he's since suffered back-to-back losses to Hirota and most recently Jorge Masvidal.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 101 bonuses: B.J. Penn and Forrest Griffin take $60K, Anderson Silva earns $120K

PHILADELPHIA – B.J. Penn and Forrest Griffin each earned $60,000 in "fight night" bonuses – while Anderson Silva took home $120,000 as a dual winner – for their performances at "UFC 101: Declaration."

UFC 101 took place Saturday at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and aired live on pay-per-view. The bonus amounts were down significantly from the record $100,000 awards issued at UFC 100, but were on par with the $60,000 awards issued at May's UFC 98, the UFC's most recent U.S.-based card prior to the historic UFC 100.

The UFC announced the bonuses at the UFC 101 post-fight press conference and were confirmed by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

While Silva may have stolen the show with his dominating win, the UFC didn't let his opponent leave empty handed, awarding both Griffin and "The Spider" the evening's "Fight of the Night" for their one-round co-feature.

If there was one post-fight award that was easiest to pick, it was certainly the evening's "Knockout of the Night." Despite having already been awarded half of the evening's "Fight of the Night," Silva earned a second award for his destruction of a former light heavyweight champion.

While Penn's fourth-round finish of Florian was certainly a worthy candidate for "Fight of the Night" as well, the UFC instead awarded the lightweight champion the evening's "Submission of the Night." Surprisingly, the bonus was the jiu-jitsu ace's first "Submission of the Night" award.