MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

"Minotauro" Nogueira: If Frank Mir thinks I was making excuses, then let's go do it again

UFC heavyweight Frank Mir (12-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) doesn't have much good to say about Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) these days.

Mir has taken exception to the numerous "excuses" – such as a severe staph infection that hospitalized the Brazilian, as well as torn meniscus – laid out by UFC president Dana White, UFC announcer Joe Rogan and "Minotauro" himself as to why the Nogueira that lost to Frank Mir in December 2008 was different than the one that defeated Randy Couture in the main event of this past Saturday's UFC 102 in Portland, Ore.

Nogueira's been listening to Mir's complaints, and now he's ready to reply.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today spoke with Ed Soares, Nogueira's manager, and the Brazilian had a message to deliver through his representative.

"Rodrigo just got off the phone with me, and we were talking about it," Soares said. "Rodrigo's been watching a lot of these interviews with Mir saying that Nogueira is just making excuses, and what Nogueira feels is he's not making excuses. If he was making excuses, he would have been saying that immediately after the fight with Mir.

"He wanted to come out and put on a good performance against Mir, and he's not making excuses now. He's giving the reason he performed the way he did back in December."

In an interview with RawVegas.tv, Mir criticized the on-air performance of Rogan during the UFC 102 broadcast for repeatedly referring to Nogueira's injuries prior to the UFC 92 contest.

"I heard that Rogan is making a lot of excuses for certain fighters for why they performed badly," Mir said. "That's always disheartening to me just for the reason being that every fighter has reasons why we don't perform at 100 percent. I think as fans we don't want to hear heroes or warriors ever sitting and complaining that they almost died from staph or anything else. I think that's pretty sad and pathetic."

Nogueira said little after the UFC 92 loss to Mir, and he only addressed the injuries prior to that bout when pressed by reporters at UFC 102's post-fight press conference.

"I had a staph infection," Nogueira said after UFC 102. "I was in the hospital for seven days just like 20 days before the fight. The day I came out of the hospital I tore my meniscus in my left [knee]."

Soares today said those comments were never meant as excuses for the loss.

"There's a big difference between making excuses and giving the reason why," Soares said. "And just to prove that Nogueira is not making excuses, he wants his next fight to be against Mir, and he wants to fight him in December."

Mir is currently rumored to be facing Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 on Dec. 12 in Memphis, Tenn. But as witnessed by the recent scrapping of a previously announced rematch between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin, the UFC has been known to shuffle matchups when the situation dictates the change.

Soares and Nogueira hope the bad blood building between their camp and Mir can prove to be one of those situations.

"Nogueira didn't want the information about his injuries to come out, and that's proof that he wasn't making excuses," Soares said. "If Mir really thinks he was making excuses, then let's get in there and go in the octagon in December.

"We want it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

VARNER NOT WORRIED OVER CERRONE/HENDERSON

World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholder Jamie Varner will be watching the WEC 43 main event between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Ben Henderson closely, but doesn't think he'll have any problems defeating the eventual winner. Varner will likely face the winner early next year.

If Henderson defeats Cerrone on Oct. 10, Varner will likely have to utilize his wrestling ability, but believes he's the better all-around fighter. "I wrestled Division I. I was an All-American. I took second in nationals. I was a good wrestler. I'm a better wrestler than Ben Henderson is," he said on a recent edition of Tapout Radio.

If Cerrone's hand is raised in San Antonio, Texas, Varner stated, "The game plan is to do exactly what I did last time, which is to kick his ass, the same as last time.

"My boxing, I was a national champion in boxing. I fought Golden Gloves when I was younger. I was a pretty good boxer, a pretty good wrestler. I'm not really too worried about what Ben Henderson has to bring or the Cowboy," added the Arizona Combat Sports trained lightweight. "I see both of those fights ending the same way with my hand raised and the belt wrapped around my waist."

Varner has been sidelined due to injuries, since defeating Cerrone by Technical Decision in January. The fight was stopped in the final round when Cerrone landed a knee that was determined to be illegal, but incidental, and Varner was unable to continue. A grudge was born and neither has been shy about launching insults at the other.

Cerrone calls out Varner every chance he gets and if he is able to get past Ben Henderson, he'll get his rematch.

"Cowboy's first fight after he fought me was against a guy (James Krause) who it was his debut in the WEC. He beat that guy, which was kind of a garbage fight," said Varner. "His next fight is going to be against Ben Henderson on Oct. 10 in San Antonio. If he wins that fight, then he'll fight me.

"He has to earn it because he lost that fight," he added. "He lost a decision and even though it was an illegal knee, it still went to the judges' scorecards. He lost that fight, so he has to win one more fight if he wants to fight me ever again.

"I would be more than willing to give him a rematch. I would be happily and readily available to give him a rematch if he gets through Ben Henderson. Even if he doesn't get through Ben Henderson, he can come to my gym if we have a problem. We've got a cage there too. It doesn't matter to me."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Upcoming elbow surgery to cost Anderson Silva rest of 2009 fight season

Anderson Silva's next middleweight title defense will have to wait until next year.

The UFC's longtime title-holder and one of MMA's top pound-for-pound fighters will soon undergo elbow surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2009 fight season.

ESPN's "MMA Live" mentioned the injury in a recent Twitter message, though Silva's manager, Ed Soares, didn't go into details when speaking to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Friday.

A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com earlier in the week that UFC officials at least briefly considered the idea of Silva taking the headline spot at UFC 105, an event that takes place Nov. 14 in Manchester, England. The show airs via tape delay on Spike TV, and a Silva main event (whether against Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt or another opponent) would have likely scored huge ratings for the cable station.

Silva, though, will shut down for the rest of 2009, though details of the surgery were not immediately known. He's targeting a likely early 2010 return to the cage.

Silva (25-4 MMA, 10-0 UFC), undefeated with a record 10-fight win streak in the UFC, most recently topped Forrest Griffin in a lopsided UFC 101 co-main-event fight. Silva battered the former light-heavyweight champion in a non-title fight and has now posted stoppage victories in 12 of his past wins.

When he does return to competition, Silva is likely to face either Henderson or Marquardt. While both basically have been promised title shots, a fight between the two top contenders could be a possibility while Silva is sidelined.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wanderlei Silva says recent facial surgery a necessity for "fresh beginning" at 185 pounds

Hoping to end some of the widespread speculation about his recent plastic surgery, Wanderlei Silva on late Friday released a new video blog to discuss the necessity of the procedure.

Silva said a massive amount of scar tissue required his surgeon to rework the area around his eyes and nose.

After the first post-surgery photos hit the online MMA world last month, many fans pointed to a "pulled-back" look to Silva's eyes.

While such a procedure is usually done to make one look younger, Silva said his surgery was all about necessity and wanting a fresh start for a run in the UFC's middleweight division.

"There was a lot of speculation about my surgery," said Silva, who spoke in his native Portuguese and provided English subtitles. "People are noticing my eyes, and this is what happened. [The doctor] scraped the eye's bones. I've had more than 200 stitches ... in the area of the eyes. So the doctor scraped my skull, so that (swelling) will go down.

"The goal is for me not to get cut so easily in my next fight because before I was receiving big cuts only from scratches. I was always having to get seven, 10, 15 stitches, and this was hurting my performance."

Silva said he also had the surgeon rework his nose area, which had been broken during a fight with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in 2006 and continued to bend and warp from additional breaks in training and other fights.

"I fixed my nose, and now I'm breathing better, snoring less," said Silva, who said he suffered from sleep apnea and awoke four or five times per night. "Now I can sleep through the night, and I'm feeling very good."

Silva said the procedures were done because they were required for a "different stage of my career."

Once one of the world's most dangerous fighters and a superstar of PRIDE, Silva is just 1-5 since that loss to Filipovic. He most recently suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 99.

That fight took place at 195 pounds, and the former light heavyweight said he'll make the full drop to 185 pounds for his next bout.

"I want to start a new era with a fresh beginning," said Silva, who isn't sure when he'll return to the octagon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson out of UFC 107 fight against Rashad Evans

For the past few months MMA fans have highly anticipated the showdown between rivals Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans. The two recently completed filming for the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” (which is set to debut on Spike TV on September 16) and were set to face off against one another at UFC 107 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee on December 12. However, those plans have apparently changed.

According to The Vancouver Sun, Jackson has had to delay the fight with Evans due to scheduling conflicts between the UFC 107 card and Jackson’s role as “B.A. Baracus” in the upcoming “A-Team” movie, which is set to begin filming in Vancouver in a few weeks.

Due to the scheduling conflicts, “Rampage” will not be able to put in a full-time training camp in preparation for his bout with Evans and has apparently asked the UFC to move the fight back to early-2010. This could put the UFC’s light heavyweight division at a stand still. With UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida defending his title against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 on October 24, the winner of the Evans/Jackson fight was expected to be named the #1 contender. If the UFC still expects to name the winner of that fight the #1 contender, that could mean the winner of the Machida/Rua fight may face a lay off of up to more than six months.

With the Evans/Jackson fight being postponed, it is now expected that UFC 107 will be headlined by a UFC lightweight title fight featuring BJ Penn defending his title against Diego Sanchez as well as Frank Mir squaring off against Cheick Kongo in a highly anticipated heavyweight battl, although nothing has been made official at this time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Minotauro: “The cowboys helped me”

UFC 102 took place at Randy Couture’s homeland, but Rodrigo “Minotauro” was the only one to smile at the after party. In exclusive interview to TATAME.com after the victory, the Brazilian thanked the “help” that came from the crowd. “Man, the cowboys helped me... They made me pissed and focused (with the boos). I saw that it’d special to win him in his home”, said Nogueira, revaling that he was ready to face it.

“When I entered there and they booed me, it didn’t surprised me at all. I knew it would be like that”, remembers Rodrigo, who was aplaused by the fans after the post fight interview, inside the octagon. “I got the microphone and said that it was an honor to fight Randy Couture, that he always was one of my idols. They liked my performance and I thanked Couture, who’s an idol here in the US”, said the heaavyweight, celebrating his best performance in the UFC.

“It was a great fight, he made my victory bigger, escaped from all of my submissions, went toe to toe... He tried to do his game on the fence, try to hold me, but we only stood in his game for two minutes”, told, surprised with Couture not tapping at the D’Arce choke in the first round. “It was locked, but he’s really good... It was a little slippery, because the UFC puts a little more vaseline in the face and when I passed my arm below the face I couldn’t hold my biceps well”.

Talking about the boxing training for the fight, Nogueira thanks his coach, Luiz Dórea. “It was a litthe hard in the beginning, but I found the distance and hitted him with good punches. I realized that Randy showed what he would do. I’d throw the jab and he’d move his head to the side, but he wouldn’t scape from the whole sequence. He escapes from one punch, scape from another, but he wouldn’t scape from the whole sequence, then I took him down”, said the Brazilian.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Arona: “Well trained, I can beat anyone”

Ready to make his return to the rings at Bitetti Combat 4, Ricardo Arona, who doesn’t fight since 2007, spoke with TATAME Magazine’s subscribers in an exclusive chat about the most remarkable moments int he career and the desire to go to the UFC. About the biggest event in the MMA world, Arona commented how would be a fight against the light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida.

“He’s a guy who’s well prepared, defended Brazil well, a Kacate guy, a fight that I respect a lot, but I always had a chance to beat anyone I fought, I made tough battles and did well. I don’t have any doubt of my performance when I’m well trained, but MMA is always a surprise, it just ends when the referee stops it”, said, guaranteeing he’d do his best to get to the tops. “I wanna be well prepared to, when I get there and had to fight Lyoto, I’d go to win. He’s a great chanpion, but if I’m well trained I can beat anyone”, finished Arona.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hirota Relinquishes Cage Force Title! Xande To Return In November?

SENGOKU Lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota has relinquished his Cage Force Lightweight title. This in turn has caused the September 12th fight between Yoshihiro Koyama and Kuniyoshi Hironaka to become a 5 round title fight.

In other news, Tatame have recently interviewed Xande Ribeiro who is getting ready for this years ADCC in Barcelona. In the interview he reveals that his MMA return might be in November at SENGOKU XI, where big things such as Ishii’s debut and Barnett/Silva might happen.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DONE WITH UFC JITTERS, CARLOS CONDIT PLANS KO

Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit is set to return to the Octagon when he takes on newcomer Jake Ellenberger on Sept. 16 at UFC Fight Night 19, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

He enters this fight on the heels of an exciting split decision loss to Xtreme Couture’s Martin Kampmann this past April (marking his first loss in a near three-year stretch). Condit will look to rectify his position among the best in his class with a win over Ellenberger, who is as tough as they come, sporting a 21-4 record with wins over Jose Landi-Jons, Pat Healy, and Gil Castillo.

None-the-less, the loss to Kampann was still hard on the “Natural Born Killer.”

“It was pretty tough because I really felt that it was so close; it was a razor-edge decision and I feel like if I had done just a little bit more I could have pulled it out,” said Condit to the MMAWeekly radio crew. “So it was a little bit tough to swallow, but it just gives me some motivation for my next fight.”

Though the name recognition isn’t there for Ellenberger, who is a late replacement for respected veteran Chris Lytle, Condit is training just as hard in order to deliver another solid “Mad Max” performance.

“I hadn’t heard of him, but I’m not an MMA genius and I don’t know all the guys, so it doesn’t mean he’s not tough or well known,” said Condit. “I did have to get on the Internet and check him, but from what I’ve seen he’s pretty good.

“We’re all training hard. It’s been like thunder-dome down at the gym, so I think we’re well prepared.”

Prior to the bout with Kampann, Condit had made the conscious decision to move away from his New Mexico surroundings for a chance to train with Arizona Combat Sports, which houses some of the best wrestling affiliated athletes in the sport today, including UFC veterans Ryan Bader, C.B. Dollaway, and Aaron Simpson.

Many credit initial losses of UFC newcomers to the “UFC jitters.”

Having gone through his debut (let alone headlining an event at that), Condit is now geared up and ready to go for his next showing, hoping to expel any memories of the loss.

“It’s a pretty big thing doing your UFC debut and I was pretty nervous going into the fight,” said the 25-year-old. “A couple of days before I was pretty nervous, but as soon as I got out there and got in front of the crowd I just felt the same, just another fight. It felt good to hear the crowd roar and as for my next fight, I don’t feel as nervous. I got that first one out of the way and now I’m just ready to go.”

Though the UFC debut might get the best of most fighters, Condit isn’t anticipating Ellenberger would come out to fight half-heartedly. He’s just looking forward to doing what he and the fans have become accustomed to, another Condit-like performance, which win or lose promises to be exciting.

“I think 80 percent of this game is mental, if not more, and I’m not going to bank on that. I know that Ellenberger is a very, very tough guy and I’m expecting a war.

“I’m sure he intends to knock me out, I got a pretty similar plan as well so he can run his mouth, but we’re going to find out what’s up.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mousasi: UFC Never Made Offer

In terms of long-term potential, few mixed martial artists carry the value of Gegard Mousasi, a multi-lingual 24-year-old with talent to spare. Currently under contract to Strikeforce and Dream, he denies the UFC made a pitch for his services following the collapse of Affliction’s fight promotion wing in July.

“There’s never been an offer to me to fight in the UFC,” Mousasi told Sherdog.com in this exclusive video interview.

In the month since Affliction’s demise, Mousasi has become the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion. He smashed Brazilian veteran Renato “Babalu” Sobral in exactly one minute to capture the belt in August, posting his 13th consecutive victory dating back to 2006.

“Basically, the fight went … it ended too quickly, so there wasn’t much he could offer,” Mousasi said. “It was a good fight for me for my U.S. debut.”

Check out TJ De Santis’ complete interview with Mousasi, as he touches on his marketability in North America, the second round of the Dream Super Hulk tournament on Oct. 6 in Japan and his decision to sign on for the EA Sports mixed martial arts video game.
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/mousasi-ufc-never-made-offer-19506

 

[Shogun Locc]

Randy Couture Opening Training Camp to Calvin Pace, Other NFL Players Suspended for PEDs

Starting Friday, the Jets outside linebacker began serving a four-game suspension, handed down before training camp for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing supplements. Instead of passing the time in New Jersey or at his home in Atlanta, Pace will spend the next two weeks working out with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) guru Randy Couture.

"The reason why I'm doing MMA is it's probably the closest thing you can find to football as far as conditioning, cardiovascular and the physical aspect," Pace said after the Jets' 38-27 win over the Eagles Thursday night in their final preseason game. "I'm not going to be fighting and I'm not going to be getting hit. I'm just going to be training my behind off."

Pace will have company. He will be training with Saints defensive linemen Will Smith and Charles Grant, both of whom are serving league suspensions for similar violations. MMA is a growing sport, if you can call it that, and professional athletes are starting to use the MMA training regimen for conditioning purposes.

 

[lenbiasyayo]

rampage just ruined my day . fuck him and that movie. wtf hype the fight and now go be a actor fuck him hope his wife gits aids

 

[MrPeete]

I wouldn't be surprised if all of this uproar surrounding Rampage and the A-Team movie is just MORE HYPE for TUF 10 and UFC 107.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC vet War Machine tops Mikey Gomez, Pablo Alfonso wins belt at "XFC: Evolution"

Picking up his fifth consecutive victory since he was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, War Machine stopped Mikey Gomez for a third-round TKO victory at this past Saturday's Xtreme Fighting Championships event.

The show took place at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

War Machine, a former cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter 6" previously known as Jon Koppenhaver, was part of the HDNet-televised portion of the event's card.

After a solid two rounds, War Machine ultimately connected with a solid right punch early in the third round. Although he struck with a punch and not an accidental eye poke, Gomez called for a timeout. However, unable to intervene in such a situation, the referee allowed the fight to continue, and the stoppage came seconds later (at the 0:13 mark) after War Machine unloaded additional blows.

With the victory, War Machine (9-2) is now 5-0 since his September 2008 release from the UFC, which came after the fighter's critical comments of the UFC in the wake of Evan Tanner's death. All five of the victories have come via stoppage.

With the loss, Gomez evens his record at 8-8.

In other action, Pablo Alfonso (4-1) delivered the previously undefeated Jason Goodall (5-1) his first career loss and took his XFC bantamweight title with a victory that stretched into championship rounds.

Alfonso ultimately secured the triangle choke at 2:40 of the fourth round. It was his fifth win in five career victories to come via stoppage. The other four all came in the first round.

The full results from "XFC 9: Evolution" included:

* War Machine def. Mikey Gomez via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 0:19
* Pablo Alfonso def. Jason Goodall via submission (triangle choke) - Round 4, 2:40
* Bruce Connors def. Tim Snyder via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:00
* Julien Williams def. Jeremy Thurlow via submission (guillotine) - Round 3, 0:51
* Nate Jolly def. Frank Santore via unanimous decision
* Chris Barnett def. Daniel Perez via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 0:47
* Gerardo Julio Gallegos def. Hayder Hassan via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:57
* Rey Trujillo def. Shah Bobonis via split decision
* Sean Bartlett def. Jesse Benton via submission (rear naked choke) - Round 1, 4:01

 

[Shogun Locc]

"UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" fighter weigh-ins slated for Sept. 18 in Dallas (venue TBD)

The official fighter weigh-in event for "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" takes place Friday, Sept. 18, though the location for the ceremonies has yet to be announced.

American Airlines Center hosts the following day's pay-per-view event, which features a main event of Rich Franklin vs. fellow ex-UFC champion Vitor Belfort. The venue is booked on Friday with a Britney Spears concert, forcing the UFC to look elsewhere for the weigh-ins.

Doors for the event open at 3 p.m. CT local time (4 p.m. ET), and the first fight hits the scale at 4 p.m. CT. As always you can watch a live video stream of the weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

As always the event is free and open to the public.

In addition to Franklin vs. Belfort, UFC 103 also features a co-main-event heavyweight bout between veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and rising prospect Junior Dos Santos. Additionally, Martin Kampmann looks to improve his stock in the UFC's deep 170-pound division when he meets UFC newcomer Paul Daley, a late replacement for injured Texas native Mike Swick.

The full UFC 103 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

* Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
* Paul Daley vs. Martin Kampmann*
* Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg
* Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller
* Tomasz Drwal vs. Drew McFedries

PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)

* Steve Lopez vs. Jim Miller
* Nick Lentz vs. Rafaello Oliveira
* Brian Foster vs. TBA*
* Jason Brilz vs. Eliot Marshall
* Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rob Emerson

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator to host two seasons in 2010, expanding to live shows in English and Spanish

After a successful first season that netted the rookie Bellator Fighting Championships promotion solid coverage, company CEO Bjorn Rebney said a deal is now in place that will greatly expand the organization's television audience in 2010.

Bellator debuted in April with a 12-week season that crowned four tournament champions and featured dozens of notables in non-tournament bouts. The season, though, aired via one-day tape delay and was televised only in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

But while a recent guest on MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com), Rebney said 2010 will feature two seasons of Bellator, both of which will air live in English and Spanish languages with a bigger available TV audience.

"We'll have two seasons of 12 (shows) in 2010," Rebney said. "Two seasons are locked down now. The first one will start at the beginning of 2010, and the second one will be running what's basically next summer. What we wanted to do was schedule it strategically so there wouldn't be that lapse of time (between the two seasons)."

Bellator earned a solid following this year, but most of the attention came from a series of highlight-reel KOs and submissions that were cleverly promoted online. Although the shows earned solid audiences on ESPN's Spanish-language station, Rebney knows many U.S. fans grew impatient. The shows aired on Friday, but the ESPN Deportes broadcasts didn't air until the following day (and an English-language version didn't appear on bellator.com until five days later).

"The reality is that you're going to lose 30 to 40 percent of your audience just based on the fact that they can go to MMAjunkie.com and look online and see who won a fight and how," Rebney said. "It takes some of the edge off in terms of their willingness to tune in and make that channel a destination to go and watch the fight."

So where exactly will seasons two and three of Bellator air?

"That is an answer I would love to give," said Rebney, a former boxing executive who founded Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing and produced nearly 50 televised events. "There's nothing I would like more than to just be able to blurt out exactly where it's going to be.

"I can tell you that we've got a deal, and the deal is done. And you will be able to watch Bellator Fighting Championships in both English and Spanish moving forward this season."

It's not known if the fight promotion will remain on the ESPN family of stations, with which Rebney has a longtime relationship, or other outlets. But he said the audience will increase significantly and that an official announcement will come soon.

The first season of Bellator featured eight-man tournaments in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. Joe Soto, Eddie Alvarez, Lyman Good and Hector Lombard were the respective winners and crowned Bellator champions.

This season, Rebney said the popular tournament format will return. But this time, they'll look for worthy opponents for the title-holders.

"It'll be the same tournament format that we had last season except we'll be establishing the challengers for Joe, for Lyman, for Eddie and Hector," he said. "We are working hard to put together a women's tournament as well with some world-class ladies from across the globe."

However, don't expect the champions merely to sit on the sidelines. Rebney hopes to find suitable non-tournament fights, possibly outside the champs' respective weight classes (and even in outside organizations, with Bellator's approval), to keep them active while the challengers are determined.

Additionally, though Bellator hosted non-tournament bouts in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, tournaments won't be held in those weight classes right away. However, he said such tournaments, which could include previous Bellator heavyweight competitors such as Dave "Pee Wee" Herman and Eddie Sanchez, could be launched for season three.

Rebney also said fans will get much more notice about event locations. While the shows, which were held throughout the U.S. (in places such as Florida, Ohio and Texas) were sometimes announced only a couple weeks in advance for season one, Rebney said ticket buyers will get an "awfully lot of forewarning" about when and where the promotion is going in future seasons.

 

[Shogun Locc]

KOSCHECK GETS BACK TO BASICS TO FACE TRIGG

For one of the most active fighters in the UFC, the last 7 months have been tough on Josh Koscheck not being able to fight, but he'll get his wish on Sept 19 when he welcomes former top welterweight contender, Frank Trigg, back to the Octagon when the two square off at UFC 103 in Dallas.

Following a tough loss to Paulo Thiago in February, Koscheck was slated to get back in action in May, but a broken bone in his foot forced him out of his scheduled fight. The time off did give the former NCAA champion a chance to open his new gym, American Kickboxing Academy of Fresno, and get back to the core training that made him the athlete that impressed everyone during the first season of the "Ultimate Fighter."

Koscheck brought in a strength and conditioning coach for the first time, while also focusing back on wrestling and the basics to ready himself for the challenge ahead.

"I haven't touched a weight in over five years, I've never done any type of strength or weight training in five years since jumping to mixed martial arts," Koscheck told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I just used mostly body on body, and what it did I think it recovered my muscles, recovered my body, and brought back the strength that I used to have when I was wrestling and first got into the sport."

Following the loss to Thiago, the call was immediately made to UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, to get back in the cage as quickly as possible, and despite the injury that sidelined him for several months, Koscheck was happy with the end result.

"I told Joe Silva, I was like Joe I don't give a (expletive) when I fight, I don't care who I fight, just get me somebody," said Koscheck. "I was excited about fighting Frank Trigg because he's a pretty big name, he's done his commentary and things like that, he's fought in the UFC, so it's definitely got me excited about training and motivated to really go out there and train my ass off for this fight."

During his tenure in the UFC, Koscheck has been known as a rapidly developing fighter, working on his stand-up constantly to help compliment his tremendous wrestling game. For this fight though, Koscheck says it was time to get back to the basics and remember what made him a champion.

"It's what I've been doing my whole life, competing in wrestling, and getting back to the grind of hardcore training," stated Koscheck. "I just feel I need to rebuild that, maybe it was a mental thing. I'm just in great shape and I'm focused on what I've got to do, and that's dominate every position and win this fight."

Facing another wrestler is always a special challenge, but the former Edinboro stand-out knows what he has to do to beat Trigg, and he'll follow that plan to the end.

"I know I have a good gameplan for this fight, and I'm going to stick to the gameplan," said Koscheck. "If the gameplan doesn't work, I'm going to make it work somehow."

From his early days in the UFC, Koscheck has always had the potential to be one of the best in the sport, and despite a couple of bumps in the road, he still has the skills to compete against any top welterweight. Regardless of what's in the future for Koscheck, he's only focused on one thing, and the rest, well he'll deal with that later.

"My goal right now is to win against Frank Trigg and I'll deal and express my goals after Frank Trigg," Koscheck said. "I'm real focused on him, and I know he's going to come to fight and I can't expect anything less than that."

 

[Shogun Locc]

PYLE INTENDS BETTER SHOWING IN UFC RETURN

When asked if he was underprepared for his Ultimate Fighting Championships debut at UFC 98 this past may, Mike “Quicksand” Pyle responded in his usual direct approach, “A week’s notice and 23 pounds overweight, you tell me.”

Indeed, stepping in for an injured Chris Wilson just days from the show to face the always tough Brock Larson proved to Pyle’s undoing, as he was submitted half way through round one.

Pyle explains, while he would have liked more time to prepare for such a big fight, the opportunity to join the UFC was just too important to his career to pass up.

“It’s not every day the UFC calls you up – when you’re not under contract with them – asking you to come in and take a last minute fight with them,” he stated. “I’m definitely not going to say no.”

Never one to dwell on the past however, Pyle is eager to return to the octagon this coming September 16 as part of UFC Fight Night 19.

“A lot better than it was last time going into the UFC, that’s for damn sure,” said Pyle of his condition heading into his promotional return. “I’m a lot more prepared and ready to go.”

In an interesting twist, Pyle will square off against the man he originally replaced in the Larson fight, Chris Wilson.

“He’s got two losses in the UFC, I’m coming off one, so we’ve both got to go in there and make a stand and hold our positions in the UFC,” said Pyle of his match-up with Wilson. “I’m looking for a good knock down, drag out fight.

“Chris is tough. (Jon) Fitch wasn’t able to put him away, and he (Wilson) came into that fight on short notice. We’ll see if I can’t get in there and put the kid away.”

As Pyle alluded to, both fighters are on the wrong side of the .500 mark in the UFC.

When asked if he feels this fight is a must win in order to stay in the company, Pyle replied, “I don’t know if it’s a must win for staying in the organization, but for me, personally, I’ve got to win this fight.

“I can’t speak for the UFC or what they’re plans are for me, being at a loss, but I damn know for sure that I want to win – I want it – I want to stay in the UFC.”

Regardless of the outcome, this may be the last chance to see Pyle fight this year, as his fight career will take a back seat to his private life.

“I’ll probably have to concentrate on next year, because I’m getting married,” announced Pyle. “I’ve got a lot of things to take care of, it’s a big responsibility and I have to focus a lot of my time on my (personal) life right now.

“Once I get through that, possibly early next year I could be back in there. We’ll see.”

After waiting his entire career to get into the UFC, you can bet that Pyle wants to remain in the promotion for more than just a cup of coffee. And he’s more than willing to go through anyone in order to do it.

“To the fans: last time was kind of bogus,” he said. “I stepped in last minute and wasn’t prepared to fight a top ranked guy. This time – no excuses – and quicksand will sink another guy this time for sure.

“I’m coming to win. Before the loss I had four (wins) in a row, before that, I had nine in a row, and five in a row – I can do it again and I will.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Home Sweet Home for Mike Brown

QUINCY, Mass. -- Mike Thomas Brown came home for a wedding.

He left with mixed martial arts approved in his home state, a drained autograph pen, and wide-eyed adulation from the scores who attended a two-hour seminar the featherweight king held Monday at a new American Top Team affiliate south of Boston. The faux-hawked Maine native, who started fighting locally in 2001 after winning a state title in wrestling at Bonny Eagle High School in the town of Standish, happily obliged all photo and signature requests from locals.

His affinity for Dunkin Donuts coffee -- iced, black, no sugar -- might hint at his local roots, but Brown’s heritage doesn’t hit you over the head like fellow Mainer Tim Sylvia’s does whenever he speaks, without a single trace of an “R” sound. Brown has almost entirely dropped his New England accent.

“I lost it somewhere in translation,” Brown, 33, said of the local dialect. “If I get around my old buddies or I’m drinking, it gets worse.”

The part-time Portland resident was back home for his best friend’s wedding, which took place last weekend. Monday, he got a call from state representative Matthew Peterson, who hosts an MMA podcast when he’s not legislating. Peterson was pumped because the bill he introduced to legalize MMA in the state was coming before the governor for a final signature.

“I met with the governor, and it’s signed, sealed and delivered,” Brown said. “It’s time to put the WEC in Maine. They’re so hungry for fights, it’s a couple of hours from Boston. The place would be mobbed.”

It would seem too fast a turnaround to stage Brown’s Nov. 11 title defense against Nova Uniao virtuoso Jose Aldo on his home turf, though a venue for the fight has yet to be announced. Brown said he’s been furiously texting WEC matchmakers trying to get the fight somewhere on the east coast.

In addition to where he’ll fight him, Brown has also been thinking about how Aldo stacks up. He sees parallels with the striking speed of Mark Hominick, whom he submitted by heel hook in 2003, and took note of Aldo needed three rounds to put away Jonathan Brookins, a former Oregon State wrestling champion with whom Brown has trained.

“(Brookins) took him down once, then stopped trying to take him down and he tried to box,” Brown said. “Brookins is a tall southpaw, so his striking is much different. I’m a short, right-handed fighter. It’s hard to figure things out, because (Aldo’s) going to punch and kick differently, he’s going to do different things, move in different ways.”

The WEC titlist isn’t crafting a hyper-specific game plan for Aldo, but is following a credo: “Go out there and try to hit him hard, and, if it goes to the ground, somehow try to be on top. Basic. I always win the decision if it goes the distance with that game plan.”

Brown’s ready for anything, even the remote chance that he’ll be fighting in the UFC sometime soon. Dana White said at a press conference last week that he’s considering moving some of the WEC’s ace fighters onto UFC cards, where they’d enjoy greater exposure and share in greater pay-per-view revenue. WEC headliners Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres have been vocal about the compensation conundrum.

“I’d love to go,” Brown said of the UFC, a platform he had a brush with at UFC 47 in 2004, when he was submitted by Genki Sudo. “If they’re looking to do it, I’d rather do it sooner rather than later . . . I need to make money now, or I’m going to have to go back to Home Depot after this is all over.”

Brown said the prevailing mood among WEC’s top earners is that, if they were just 10 to 20 pounds heavier, they would be making a much richer living. The Zuffa brass doesn’t deny that; performance bonuses alone in the UFC are several times higher than in the WEC.

Brown took home $36,000 -- $10K “best fight” bonus included -- in disclosed pay for his thrilling win over Faber in June, a main event that broke the all-time WEC attendance record. By contrast, former WEC fighter Jake Rosholt made nearly double that in bonus money alone at UFC 102, simply because he locked in an arm triangle in a UFC cage instead of a WEC one.

“Those are big differences, and it’s not like we’re less skilled,” Brown said. “We are just as good and work equally as hard as guys getting paid quadruple what we’re getting. But I am grateful, because when I started, I was doing this for free, and I would do it for free. But more money and more name recognition? Why wouldn’t you want that?”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shogun Excited for UFC Title Shot

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua sat down with Sherdog.com to discuss his title shot against light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

Check out this exclusive interview -- one of Shogun’s first in English -- and hear the former Pride Grand Prix champion talk about the increasing presence of MMA in Brazil and the importance of his fight with Machida and how his preparations for the bout have differed from previous UFC bouts.

videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Shogun-Excited-for-UFC-Title-Shot-2052