MMA News Thread

[heyzel]

YAMMA Pit Fighting Debuts April 11 with Frye vs. Taktarov, Eight-Man Heavyweight Tour

YAMMA Pit Fighting, an upstart MMA promotion founded by UFC creator Bob Meyrowitz, has unveiled part of its debut fight card, which features a main event between Don Frye (19-6-1) and Oleg Taktarov (15-5-2), as well as an eight-man heavyweight tournament.

The event takes place April 11 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. The event airs on pay-per-view.

Frye and Taktarov will fight meet in what YAMMA executives call a “Masters Superfight.” The organization plans to feature “MMA’s most illustrious and legendary fighters” in these types of fights.

In addition to that one-on-one bout, YAMMA will host a heavyweight tournament that will include one-time UFC fighter Sherman Pendergarst (10-8), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and world champion grappler Marcelo Pereira (5-0), Strikeforce veteran and former Indianapolis Colts lineman Rex Richards (4-1), FightFest up-and-comer Tony Sylvester (10-1), and UFC/PRIDE/IFL veteran Travis Wiuff (47-11).

The organization today stated that three additional tournament fighters will be announced in the next few weeks. However, the organization’s website lists undefeated Ohio prospect George Bush (5-0), undefeated Dakota Fighting Championships champ Chris Tuchscherer (10-0), and former BodogFIGHT competitor Alexey Oleynik (6-3).

A fight between super heavyweights Gary Goodridge (23-15-1) and Eric “Butterbean” Esch (10-5-1) is also listed on the site but was not announced in today’s release.

The tournament will require fighters to compete in up to three bouts in one night. However, the fights will use modified rules. Preliminary and semifinal fights last just one round of five minutes, and the tournament finale lasts three rounds of three minutes each. Advancing fighters must pass physical exams between each round of the tournament.

Frye competed in some of the earliest UFC events. He was the tournament winner at UFC 8 and at an Ultimate Ultimate 96 (“UFC 11.5”) event that took place in 1996. The former Arizona State University wrestler has competed in the UFC, PRIDE, K-1, King of the Cage and other top organizations. The 42-year-old last defeated Bryan Pardoe at a No Limit Fighting event in Dallas.

Taktarov made his MMA debut at UFC 5 and won the UFC 6 tournament, thanks to his background in Sambo and Judo. The 40-year-old Russian quit competing in 1998 for 10 years before returning this past November for a BodogFIGHT victory over John Marsh.

“Don Frye needs to do only two things: fly to Russia and stay there for 10 years to study Sambo,” Taktarov stated in today’s release. “Then, maybe he’ll be ready.“

Tickets for the show go on sale March 8 at all Ticketmaster locations

 

[heyzel]

Get to Know ‘Em: Dustin Hazelett Readies for UFC 82 Clash with Josh Koscheck

By Sean Salmon/MMAjunkie.com

To the casual MMA fan, Dustin Hazelett, who is Josh Koscheck’s opponent for this weekend’s UFC 82 event, is merely the UFC’s way to get Kos back in the win column. To the more hardcore MMA fan, this is a great match-up that could potentially push Hazelett into the welterweight division’s elite, a concept that is not lost on the the fighter.

“This proves that the UFC is taking me seriously,” Hazelett said in our recent conversation. “I believe they (UFC) know that I can compete with the top guys.“

I agree with him as I’ve trained with Hazelett several times at his home base of Jorge Gurgel’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy near Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact, I have driven home from there several times, telling whomever was with me that I believed Hazelett would one day be the UFC’s welterweight champion.

Hazelett, who’s just 22 years old, is a two-stripe brown belt under Jorge Gurgel, which means that he can submit just about anyone in the world given the opportunity. However, he is not relying just on his jiu-jitsu skills in this fight.

“I have been working very hard on my striking and outworking him on the ground,” he said. “With his wrestling being so good, he has the ability to control where the fight is going, but if I’m getting the better of him standing and he takes me down, that also puts me in my strength.“

Additionally, based on my experience training with Hazelett, I can say that his striking is greatly underrated, and he has the ability to win this fight on his feet just as much as the ground. Hazelett suggested that he is going to be able to let his hands go because he can fight off his back as well as anybody.

However, Hazelett hasn’t overlooked his opponent’s world-class wrestling skills.

“He is strong enough to lie on me and hold me down, but I am very good at minimizing the amount of damage I take from being on my back,” he said.

If Koscheck does score the takedown, that could just be the beginning of his trouble. Hazelett will hustle and work to create angles for a submission, a reversal, or a simple escape, and he has the ability to do all three very well. Of his 10 professional wins, Hazelett has ended seven via submission.

So, if victorious this weekend, where would Hazelett rank in the UFC’s welterweight division?

“In the top 10 of the UFC,” he calmly but confidently said.

Hazelett has earned a reputation as a very likable and very humble kid — traits that endear him to fans and fellow fighters. A former Marshall University student, he decided to put school on hold to pursue his dream of fighting and a shot at the title. It’s hard to argue that a win this weekend (which would push his UFC record to 4-1) should and would put him firmly in the title picture in a very, very tough 170-lb. division.

Despite being a fighter myself, I asked him the question that I hate answering the most: “How do you see this fight going?“

“I am prepared for a 15-minute war, but I don’t see this going 15 minutes,” he said. “I believe that I will be able to finish the fight.“

That type of confidence going into such a tough fight is very refreshing. A lot of times when you’re facing such a tough challenge, your state of mind can play a huge role in the outcome. I believe his confidence is the result of his intense preparation for the fight. And while the oddsmakers have tagged him an underdog, I consider him very capable of winning this fight and really putting himself on the map of MMA’s big names.

As someone who’s fought in front of local crowds, I was curious to hear his take on fighting so close to home — and whether it was an advantage of disadvantage.

“I don’t think it is either,” he said. “I am excited to fight in front of my family and friends, but it’s not like I’m Rich Franklin and the whole crowd is there to see me.“

I suppose he is right — for now. A win over Koscheck will certainly convert the casual MMA fan into a believer. And who knows? Perhaps next year on Arnold weekend, he will be the hometown hero — just like Franklin — fighting for the title like I first predicted eight months ago

 

[heyzel]

Paul Daley announces his retirement

From www.cagewarriors.com

Uk Mma News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is for the fighters, fans, promoters and trolls alike.

As of now i will be stepping down as Cage Rage Champion (British and world), FX-3 Champion and KOTR champion. I vacate all these titles. Futher more i consider my self retired (from all MMA/Thai boxing) as of March 29th. March 29th i will fullfill my contracted commitment for Pro Elite, against a yet un named opponent.

No speculation, No futher annonucments, once i've found the path i originally set out on in the Martial Arts, i may return to this SPORT, Maybe 6months-Maybe 6 years, who knows.



Thanks
http://www.cagewarriors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21575

 

[heyzel]

Ray Sefo Turns Down Fight with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

-1 fighter Ray Sefo (1-0) turned down an offer to fight former UFC heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2) at next month’s DREAM show in Japan.

The news was posted on the Xtreme Couture blog.

The report also confirmed that Sefo, as well as super-heavyweight Jan Nortje (who defeated Bob Sapp in the main event of this past weekend’s “Strikeforce at the Dome” show), have both joined Xtreme Couture’s fight team.

Sefo turned downed the fight because he would have had just weeks to prepare for it.

DREAM will replace K-1’s former MMA division (K-1 HERO’S) and includes former executives from the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships. The organization will hold its first show on March 15 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Although Sefo turned down the fight, the organization still wants to have Filipovic on the card, which will also include the first round of a star-studded lightweight grand prix.

Sefo, 37, owns a mere 1-0 professional MMA record after defeating Min Soo Kim with a second-round KO at a 2005 K-1 HERO’S show. However, the New Zealand native is most noted as a kickboxer (53-17-1 record) and a five-time Muay Thai world champ.

Filipovic, a former PRIDE stand-out, recently left the UFC with three fights remaining on his contract. The split was amicable, according to both Filipovic and UFC president Dana White. Filipovic recently stated that he plans to return to the UFC after competing three times in Japan.

The 2006 PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix winner scored a win over Eddie Sanchez in his much-hyped UFC debut last year, but he then suffered back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo.

Posted by MMA Junkie on February 26, 2008 at 10:08 am ET

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream Releases Schedule For Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament

DREAM 1

What: Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round

When: March 15, 2008

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan


DREAM 2


What: Middleweight Grand Prix Opening Round

When: April 29, 2008

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Saitama


DREAM 3


What: Lightweight Grand Prix 2nd Round

When: May 11, 2008

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Saitama


DREAM 4


What: Middleweight Grand Prix 2nd Round

When: Mid-June, 2008

Where:TBA (Yokohama Arena or
anywhere in South Korea) Yokohama, Kanagawa or
South Korea


DREAM 5


What: Lightweight Grand Prix Finals

When: July 21, 2008

Where: Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan


DREAM 6

What: Middleweight Grand Prix Finals

When: End of September, 2008

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Diego Sanchez gets strong for David Bielkheden UFC 82 fight

“… I had to make a decision and my decision was either to go down to 155 and be an enormous 155-pounder or stay at 170 and get stronger, hit the weights … I had to go back to the basics, start powerlifting again. I started doing some kettlebell training … it was obvious I needed to get stronger. [Jon] Fitch was able to hold me down and outposition me with his strength and leverage and that’s something that will never happen again. Because I’m much stronger and I’m ready for this…. It’s going to be a very, very game Diego Sanchez on March 1.”

– Diego Sanchez talks about his decision to remain a welterweight and what he’s doing to remain competitive there in a recent Canadian Press article prior to his fight with Octagon newcomer David Bielkheden at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion’ this Saturday (March 1) at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio .

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura rumored for UFC 84

Light heavyweights Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) and Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-7) will look for their first wins inside the Octagon when the two Pride FC veterans lock horns at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, according to MMAWeekly.com.

Both fighters lost to Lyoto Machida in their respective debuts under the UFC banner. In fact, Sokoudjou lost via submission (arm triangle choke) in round two of his bout with Machida at UFC 79: “Nemesis” back in December 2007.

It was a hard trip back to reality for the “African Assassin” after two impressive back-to- back knockout wins against top 205-pound fighters, Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira while competing for Pride FC.

The Team Quest fighter— a decorated Judo practitioner—is up against a tough opponent who shares a similar fighting background.

Nakamura trains under Hidehiko Yoshida — a 1992 Judo Olympic gold medalist who is also a Pride FC veteran. He (Nakamura) lost to Machida via unanimous decision and after the bout was suspended for three months because of a positive test for marijuana.

The Japanese fighter has been tested against some of the top talent in the sport throughout his career, competing against standouts such as Murilo Bustamante (win), Kevin Randleman (win), Igor Vovchanchyn (win), Dan Henderson (loss), Wanderlei Silva (loss), Josh Barnett (loss) and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua (loss).

This is an important fight for Sokoudjou and Nakamura because a loss could send one of them packing and looking for a new employer.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Heath Herring on UFC 82 Cheick Kongo fight and more (Video)
videolink: http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=ed00128b3c8955f2b26a0f3898de20

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafael Cordeiro Interviews

"We'll take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to USA and bring American Boxing and Wrestling inside the gym"
Considered by many one of the best MMA coaches of the world, Rafael Cordeiro, main teacher of Chute Boxe’s team, is getting ready to run Chute Boxe’s new branch at United States. But who believes its definitive is wrong. As Rafael told in the interview below, the changing will work as an exchange between the headquarter and the branch. The Muay Thai black-belt speaks about the leaving of idols of Chute Boxe and promises new champions soon. Check below the complete interview of master Rafael Cordeiro to TATAME;

Where will be your gym at USA?

We have two partners that wants to open the gym with us, probably one in Huntington and another at Los Angeles and I’m going with master Rudimar to define it. It’ll be, probably, two big training centers, where we could prepare our athletes at USA near the competitions. That’s a project that we have for a long time and won’t be for yesterday neither for tomorrow, while that we train here. This gym will be for the guys from here to train at United States and always have an open door there to continue fighting there.

When will you travel?

I’m going with master Rudimar to Japan now in March and then we’ll go to United States to check the structures and who is gonna be the teachers that we’ll leave there for exchange, because will always be one here and one there, switching. The Brazilians will teach there and when we’re out, always three or four.

It’ll be a Chute Boxe’s branch or a personal project?

It’s going to be Chute Boxe at United Stated, we’ll be with doors open to everyone that wants to know the technical part of Chute Boxe, will train with Chute Boxe’s athletes, actually it’s going to be a big office that we’re creating, and not only a expansion of the work that began 30 years ago, a continuity of that strong work at United Stated.

What do you expect of this new gym?

The same of this gym, that is a big success, had formed a lot of champions and will continue forming another champions, because there’s a lot of new talents coming. This will always be our worry, not forming a champion and staying focused on him, but forming always more champions, and I believe this goal will continue.

How the leaving of Shogun, Dida and Wanderlei did motivate you to make this decision?

Well, this is a project that we spoke for years and at 1999 I went to United Stated do teach, while Wanderlei fought and UFC 20. I went to stay, but I felt that it wouldn’t be good, where I went wasn’t organized enough so I decided to come back. I spoke to Rudimar and he said to leave it for later, so I came back with him after his trip. And now, almost ten years later, the idea had continued and I believe it’s time to the gym, it’s a great moment for Chute Boxe, master Rudimar has a big contact with Dana White and we believe that Chute Boxe at United Stated will be a good thing for the team and for the athletes. We’ll take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to USA and bring American Boxing and Wrestling inside the gym.

Rudimar always said that you are the soul of the team. Shogun said that can’t see Chute Boxe without you. How will be the team with your leaving?

Actually, I’ll be going and coming back all the time. For an example, this year I became at Curitiba only for a week since the final of last year. I went to Japan, Canada, England and went to United Stated. So, the athletes are habituated with master Nilson Castro’s training, Daniel Acacio’s and all this people. Actually, this left will work like this: I’ll go, stay two months there, come back, stay two months here, and that the way it goes. I believe that it’ll be good for the team, if it arrange it. We only need to accomplish it to see what we need, because besides preparing some people here to do to America, we’ll be in the future training come guys there. That’s what we tough, the best for the athletes.

You’re tenant of the Japan square’s headquarters. When you travel, the HQ of the team will pass to be Hauer’s HQ?

Actually, the training will continue at Japan square and Hauer. In the morning, the athletes train here with me and in the afternoon they train Wrestling at mestrão’s gym, and will continue like this. Both gyms will continue training together and there’s Nilson Castro’s gym to train Muay Thai. We’re well assisted it’s going to be a great progress, besides more structure to the athletes that stood on the team. For those who left I with the best, for athletes like Shogun and Dida, boys that I have an consideration for forming them, I with the best on this new adventure. I believe that the most we wish for the others, he most come to us and I wish they have the best with their choice and that we could go on with the same essence.

How did you see Shogun and Wanderlei’s first fight without Chute Boxe?

Shogun unfortunately was coming with a lot of problems, knee injury, was fitting up his house at Curitiba and what complicated more him was the knee injury, the injury complicated the training. Walderlei is adapting to his new coaches, a new fight style. Wanderlei has that quality of going trough and he should never lose it, because he has this spirit to really knock out. Wanderlei’s best quality is that, or it’s him or it’s the opponent that became champion all over these years and he needs to continue with it. Shogun, continuing with good trainings, who knows he can be champion of an event. I believe that Shogun and Wanderlei have possibilities to be UFC champions.

Would you accept them back or would train them if they ask for your help?

Chute Boxe never closed doors for any athlete that left, no one. Everybody that left, it was because of their decision to move his life. We never said that they had no place inside here anymore.

Do you agree with Rudimar when he said that a fighter without a flag quits faster?

I believe that a fighter needs in his corner a person that knows him, knows his look, what to say. There are moments on the fights that you need to be quiet and there are moments on the fight that you need to speak, stimulate the fighter and only after years that I believe that you could do this partnership, this communion, because the fighter that has it on his side will get to the winning moment faster. The most important is the fighter trust on who’s giving the instructions from outside the team. He needs to be surrounded by persons that know the right time to calm down and know the right time to incite. The fighter needs to be surrounded by persons who knows what to say on the right time.

How do you analyze this new training centers from Minotauro Team and Universidade da Luta?

Actually, we need to see to believe. I hope a good luck for them and that they have a good orientation, right people to guide them like they always had. A good orientation will always lead you to a positive thing, if you’re badly guided you lose yourself a little, and if you’re not well oriented, you’re lost. I hope the best for them, but it’s not in two days that you start a gym, and Chute Boxe has 30 years and only on the last 10 years that we saw the consequence of our work.

Who would you bet as Chute Boxe’s new talent at 2008?

Sorriso already is a reality, he’ll do his first international fight now. Rafael Monteiro, we believe, will do great this year. Eduardo Rolha, Nilson Castro’s black belt, is a though kid and will be great this year, and Junior Santos, 18, has blood on his eyes, coldness and fights great stand or on the ground. Internationally, Michael Costa and Marlon Mathias, when put their feet on USA won’t come back, because of the quality and for giving a show. They give what the crowd wants, go to the fight and like this, it’s their style. Márcio Gracinha too, master Cristiano Marcello’s black belt. These are the names that will do great this year.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Minotauro: “Anderson is flying”

UFC heavyweight champion, Rodrigo Minotauro told to TATAME that he is cheering for his friend Anderson Silva, also holder of a UFC belt. “I believe that Anderson has more fight rhythm, Henderson is expert, will try to hold positions, but I can’t see him holding Anderson for such a time on the ground, he developed a lot, as stand. He is flying. When I was with some pain in my arms I haven’t trained hard, but I watched his training and he did all five Vale-Tudo training flying. He started well on the first and finished even better, he grows on the fight”, said Minotauro, that commented the back of Japanese fight market and a possible back to Japan.

“If Ultimate, that pretends doing a event at Japan, promotes something there with me with fight on contract, I’d fight, but breaking a contract to fight there I wouldn’t do. That’s obvious that I wanna go back to Japan and have contact with the Japanese crowd again”, told the Brazilian, saying that he wouldn’t do like Mirko Cro Cop, that recently broke contract with UFC to fight at Japan. “I think that Cro Cop didn’t habituate with the octagon rules, the crowd yelling, is more pressure”, said.

 

[heyzel]

UFC 84 & 85 ANNOUNCED FOR VEGAS & LONDON

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday announced its next two numbered events following its previously announced April 19 debut in Canada, dubbed UFC 83.

UFC 84 is now officially slated to take place on Saturday, May 24 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. UFC 85 is set for the O2 Arena in London on June 7.

It is interesting to note that while UFC 84 is listed as a “Pay-Per-View Live” event, UFC 85 is listed only as an “International Event” with a start time of Noon PT / 3 p.m. ET. With intense talk over the past few months of a possible broadcast television deal in the works, it is unclear if UFC 85 will be a pay-per-view event or if the promotion may have some other avenue to broadcast the event in the U.S.

The UFC currently has a television deal with Setanta Sports in the U.K. Although the original announcement of the deal called for the airing of four live UFC events in 2008 in the U.K. to begin in July, it has not been confirmed that the June 7 event is included.

Though no bouts were formally announced along with the dates, several bouts have already been speculated for both events.

UFC president Dana White has already talked publicly about the main event of UFC 84, B.J. Penn’s first lightweight title defense. Penn will face former champion Sean Sherk, who was stripped of his title following a suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for steroids.

Tito Ortiz is expected to fulfill the final fight of his current contract with the UFC at the MGM Grand when he faces undefeated light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida.

Both Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Chuck Liddell have confirmed that they will face each other at UFC 85. Sources indicate that the bout will likely be the main event in London. Brock Lesnar is also expected to make his second appearance in the Octagon at the O2 Arena. Justin McCully has been talked about as a possible opponent.

Rumored UFC 84 bouts:
-B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
-Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
-Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
-Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
-Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
-Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
-Dong-hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
-Terry Etim vs. Jeremy Stephens
-Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch

Rumored UFC 85 bouts:
-Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Chuck Liddell
-Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera
-Marcus Davis vs. TBA
-Brock Lesnar vs. TBA

 

[Shogun Locc]

‘Cacareco' Ready for IFL
link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1459
Sherdog.com's Martins Denis recently spoke with former Brazilian Top Team light heavyweight Alexandre Ferreira, who makes his International Fight League debut this weekend in Las Vegas.

Why did "Cacareco" leave BTT? Is he confident that his momentum will continue this weekend in the IFL?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Inside the Mind of Heavyweight Champ Nelson

For all his virtues, IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson freely admits to at least one fault: he’s a procrastinator.

It seeps into all areas of his life, even his preparation for a fight. It’s not that he waits until the last minute to train, and he certainly doesn’t make the mistake of not giving enough thought to his opponents. But through his experiences in MMA he’s learned a way to make his chronic procrastination pay off.

“I don’t get nervous until the day of the fight,” says the Las Vegas-native. “I’ve kind of taught myself that it’s stupid to be nervous before then and lose sleep over it when you’re still three weeks out. I can just wait and lose sleep over it one night. There’s plenty of time to be nervous the day of the fight.”

You have to admit, there’s a certain kind of genius at work in that strategy. The only problem is that, for most people, nervousness isn’t something they can turn off and on so easily. But “Big Country” isn’t most people.

He’s analytical. He’s calm, even under extreme duress, such as in his epic war with Ben Rothwell last spring. Most of all, he’s prepared when the bell finally does ring on fight night. That’s what’s helped him outwork and out-game plan opponents en route to winning the heavyweight strap.

On Feb. 29 Nelson defends his belt for the first time, and in his hometown no less. He says he’s feeling the pressure to perform for the people who have known him most of his life, but he says it in such a way as to make it difficult to believe that he feels any pressure at all. It takes a lot to get him worked up. Even winning a title doesn’t quite do it.

It seems that after becoming the IFL heavyweight champ Nelson came home to some ribbing from his friends and training partners. Would he change now that he was the man on top, they asked him. Would he suddenly develop an out of control ego?

“I told them no, it’s just like another regular belt, only bigger,” he says. “It’s special, but it’s not special. It’s not going to make you a different person.”

Next Friday Nelson will take on Team Quest’s Fabiano Scherner with that belt on the line. Scherner, a new addition to the IFL, is known for his excellent jiu-jitsu. While Nelson began his career in submission grappling, he doesn’t necessarily see this ending up as a ground battle.

“The only way a jiu-jitsu guy can be dangerous is if he takes you down or if you take him down. That’s the only time. The standup game is where they tend to be a little lost. But not necessarily with Fabiano. He’s a big guy and he can hit hard.”

The first time Nelson saw Scherner in action was at a K-1 tryout. Scherner was the only one of the participants to knock his opponent out. The image stuck with Nelson, who never could have imagined that he’d be facing the Brazilian with a heavyweight championship on the line years later.

Now he finds himself in a wholly new position – defending his title in his hometown, with all the expectations riding on his shoulders. It might be enough to rattle a normal man, but Nelson is as calm as ever.

“I just keep going through the scenarios in my head, thinking about what can happen, and I concentrate on pushing the pace. It’s a mental thing, where I feel like as long as I can go in there and do everything I can possibly do, it will be fine.

“One thing I love about this sport is I never get tired of it. Any scenario I can think of, I want to try and find an answer for it. That’s just the nature of the beast.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

No Strangers in Friday's IFL Title Fights

This Friday night when the lights go down and the HDNet cameras start rolling in Las Vegas, the men who step into the ring to fight for three separate IFL titles will have a very good idea about the man standing across from them.

One is a rematch from a little over a year ago. One is a meeting of two men who once stood shoulder to shoulder at a tryout. The other is a much-anticipated meeting between two regional rivals.

Add to that equation the championship belts that are on the line, and you better believe there’ll be no shortage of fireworks.

In the middleweight match-up, Matt Horwich and Ryan McGivern face off for the second time, though a lot has changed since their first meeting. Back in December of 2006, both were fairly one-dimensional fighters, both still developing their overall games.

That night, McGivern’s suffocating attack was enough to keep Horwich on the defensive, earning a unanimous decision victory for the Miletich camp fighter. But in 2007 Horwich became a different fighter. Once just a submissions specialist, suddenly he was knocking people out with head kicks and left hooks, claiming the middleweight belt with just such a TKO victory at year’s end.

McGivern too has made his standup game, garnering a TKO victory over Fabio Leopoldo in his last match that surprised many onlookers who expected him to take it to the mat early on.

What makes this match intriguing, however, is that while both fighters have improved their striking attacks, they know the same is true of their opponent. What they don’t know for sure is just how far the other man has come since their first fight. That’s something they won’t know until fight time, when they’ll both find out along with the rest of us.

In the heavyweight contest, “Big Country” Roy Nelson defends his belt against Team Quest’s Fabiano Scherner. Though Scherner is new to the IFL, this won’t be the first time Nelson has seen him in action.

The two once attended the same K-1 tryout before Nelson joined the IFL. The experience left an indelible impression on “Big Country”, as he witnessed the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt become the only man at the tryouts to knock out an opponent. It improved that not only did he have skills on the ground, he wasn’t afraid to stand and bang.

Anyone who’s seen in Nelson in action knows that won’t be a problem for him. Despite his background as a submissions specialist, his road to the IFL title was paved with TKO victories thanks to his heavy hands. The question is whether he’ll choose to stand and duke it out with Scherner, whose abilities in that department he’s already been a witness to.

Finally, the lightweight title fight brings together two of the Pacific Northwest’s best 155-pounders, Ryan Schultz and John Gunderson. It’s a fight that both men say they’ve wanted for a long time, and now that they’re getting it the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Schultz, the lightweight champion, says he offered Gunderson the fight several times in the past, when both were up-and-comers in the Northwest MMA scene. While the fight never took place back then, Gunderson has had his eye on a potential showdown with Schultz since he joined the league.

This is a difficult fight to call, since both men are well-rounded and experienced. Schultz’s strength has been his wrestling, while Gunderson prides himself on his submissions game and technical striking attack.

If it goes the way Schultz wants it to, it could turn into an old-fashioned brawl, possibly ending up on the mat where he’ll look to unleash his vicious ground-and-pound. But if Gunderson has his way, he’ll likely try and keep Schultz at a distance and pick him apart. It may simply come down to who can assert their will on their opponent, and who can do so when it matters most.

With this many titles on the line in Las Vegas, we could be looking at a major upheaval in the championship ranks. Then again, no one gets to be a champion by folding under the pressure.

 

[Shogun Locc]

IFL Las Vegas Preview, Part One

This Friday night marks the IFL’s first event of 2008, and its second event to be aired live on HDNet. In addition to the three championship fights, the undercard offers an exciting meeting between athletes from Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center and Las Vegas’ own Xtreme Couture. Without further adieu, let’s breakdown the non-title matchups for Friday night’s event.

145 lbs: Dennis Davis (Xtreme Couture) vs. Ian Loveland (Team Quest)

This should be a very intriguing contest, if for no other reason than the fact that it’s a teacher taking on his former student. Loveland began his MMA training under the tutelage of the elder Davis, and has stated unequivocally that he thinks he’s surpassed his former coach’s abilities.

Davis, as you might expect, has a different take. He claims that Loveland is basing his assessment off one particularly bad training session, and thus will be in for an unpleasant surprise when the bell rings. Davis has rededicated himself to the sport and is on a three-fight win streak since moving down to featherweight full-time.

You have to love the Darth Vader-versus-Obi-Wan Kenobi aspect of the student rising to challenge his former teacher, though perhaps without George Lucas’ broad strokes of good and evil. This one should be a real battle from start to finish. It’s just a question of who’ll be teaching and who’ll be learning on Friday night.

205 lbs: Alexandre Ferreira (WCFC) vs. Lew Polley (Xtreme Couture)

Ferreira is a tough, old school Brazilian fighter who’s been in the sport for just over ten years, which means he’s battle tested if nothing else. Expect his ground game to be superb, but he’s going to have to get creative in order to find a way to put the ex-wrestler across the ring from him down on the mat.

Polley has made a successful transition from college wrestling to MMA, even if he went through his first few pro bouts without an ounce of training in jiu-jitsu or boxing. That means the guy has raw talent, and the training he’s received at places like American Top Team in Florida should have helped to polish this diamond in the rough.

This will come down to who can exert their will. Ferreira may look to test Polley’s standup game, though in twenty pro fights “Cacareco” has never knocked anyone out. If Polley can make the fight happen on his terms, he could be a very dangerous man.

185 lbs: Leopoldo Serao (WCFC) vs. Josh Haynes (Team Quest)

Serao is another Sperry-trained fighter who has built a career off his submissions game. He’s coming off a knockout loss to make his debut in the IFL, and with Benji Radach out due to injury he’s drawn another tough brawler who will look to win with his heavy hands.

Haynes transitioned from Team Quest to Xtreme Couture after a losing skid made him reevaluate the training he was getting. Now he’s looking to make a fresh start in the IFL and hopes that a win over Serao will be just the thing.

Everyone knows Haynes likes to stand and trade leather, but if Serao’s smart he won’t get sucked into a street fight. He should look to slow this down and get the fight to the mat. Trouble is, Haynes has a way of making people want to brawl with him, even when they shouldn’t.

145 lbs: Rafael Dias (WCFC) vs. Santino DeFranco (Xtreme Couture)

Dias and DeFranco are both IFL newcomers and are both looking to make a big impression with their first fight. Coming from Sperry’s gym, you can naturally expect Dias to have a sharp ground game, but DeFranco would be wise not to sleep on his striking ability.

DeFranco is also no slouch on the ground. He owns a submission victory over Melvin Guillard and his proved that there are no glaring weaknesses in his game.

Expect this to be a hard-fought match, with both guys trying to garner attention in their first IFL outing.

170 lbs: Pat Healy (Lions Den) vs. Jake Ellenberger (Team Quest)

Though these two have never fought before, they might very well feel like they’ve been here before. Both are twins, and both share the same line of work with their twin brother. In fact, Healy’s brother Ryan trains full-time alongside Ellenberger at Team Quest. Truly, it boggles the mind.

Both Healy and Ellenberger are excellent wrestlers, and both think they are just a little but better of a wrestler than their opponent. That makes it seem as though this one might end up on the ground early on, though it may not necessarily be decided there.

Don’t be surprised if these two cancel each other out on the mat and decide to settle it on the feet. If they do, it’s a toss-up. Healy is as scrappy as anyone, but he has to be careful not to get reckless. Ellenberger showed a lot of heart in his loss to Heleno, and he proved that he had a great takedown defense as well.

If these two get to slugging it out, it could easily be fight of the night.

That’s all for this preview. Check out the title fight preview later in the week, and don’t forget to watch the IFL live on HDNet this Friday night at 7:30 PST/10:30 EST.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ken Shamrock interview
link: http://kenshamrock.proelite.com/97080

 

[heyzel]

Dan Henderson Ready for Anderson Silva’s Challenge (Story from Yahoo! Sports)

By Dave Meltzer/Yahoo! Sports
(Reprinted from Yahoo! Sports on MMAjunkie.com with permission)

So far the most discussed fights of 2008 have been about selling the sizzle. Promoting huge but unranked fighters like Bob Sapp, Brock Lesnar and Kimbo Slice, who appeal to the fantasy of what people think a badass fighter is supposed to be, has done huge business.

But Saturday night’s Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva matchup is the genuine prime rib steak.

The main event at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena, pits Yahoo! Sports No. 1-ranked, pound-for-pound fighter in UFC middleweight champion Silva against PRIDE champion Henderson, who is ranked No. 7 in the poll.

Since the PRIDE Fighting Championship no longer exists, it will be the last time any PRIDE championship will be contested, and most insiders agree it will determine the true world champion in the weight class.

Neither the pound-for-pound top ranking, nor the PRIDE vs. UFC arguments don’t seem much of a concern to Henderson

“I don’t know (about the pound-for-pound top spot), there’s a lot of top fighters that you can argue could have that title,” said Henderson. “I’ve got no pressure on me mentally as far as that (PRIDE vs. UFC) goes, because I came from PRIDE. I plan on doing well for me, my family and my team.“

Silva earned the top ranking because for the past three years, he’s been a devastating finisher. In his past nine fights, aside from one DQ loss to Yushin Okami, he’s scored seven knockouts or TKOs and one submission.

Henderson, on the other hand, has only been stopped twice (by submissions to each of the Nogueira twins) in a 28-fight career that has been filled with matches against physically bigger men and a high percentage of top-level fighters.

So you’ve got one man used to dominating and knocking people out early against a survivor who has never been knocked out. Henderson is experienced in long fights, and there is potential of five rounds here – something Silva has never experienced in his MMA career.

“Anderson Silva’s a little bit smaller than Quinton Jackson, but naturally, he’s a little bit bigger than I am,” said Henderson, who left his familiar Team Quest training camp in Murietta, Calif., for high altitude training in Big Bear. “I don’t mind fighting guys at 205 at all, but 185 isn’t bad. I’m comfortable in both weight classes. I don’t make an issue of how strong guys are at 205. Being at 185, most of the time I still don’t feel like I’m way stronger than the guys.“

Henderson concedes Silva is the more skilled stand-up fighter. Silva is as good as anyone in MMA today when it comes to the ability to use all-around stand-up skill. He’s got a full Muay Thai style of attack that includes strong punches and kicks from a distance and knees in the clinch.

It’s that same clinch that Henderson, as a Greco-Roman wrestling specialist, is comfortable in. They’ll have different strategies when they get there. Henderson uses the clinch to control his opponent, wear him out physically and use dirty boxing. Silva, who destroyed Franklin in that position by shocking the former UFC champion with his ability to overpower him, uses it to control and bring down the head of his opponent, trying to devastate his foe with lethal knees.

Although Henderson comes from an Olympic wrestling background, his striking is feared in MMA. Again, it’s very different from Silva. Henderson is like the old-school boxing warrior who relies on his chin, a devastating right hand and a willingness to take several shots for the ability to retaliate with knockout power.

“He’s definitely a more refined striker and has a little bit of a reach advantage on me,” he said. “His strength is getting into the clinch and beating up guys from there, but that’s my strength. I think my style matches up pretty great with him. I’m pretty comfortable in the clinch with anyone. I have a lot of power. I can still knock him out even though he’s a better striker.

Henderson’s clear edge is in wrestling. He’s among the more decorated wrestlers in the sport, with several national championships to his credit dating back to winning two junior nationals titles at 17. He represented the U.S. in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and was the 1990 teenage world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling at 163 pounds.

“I don’t think it (wrestling)is his strong point, but I’m not expecting to take him down at will,” said Henderson. “But I’ve fought better wrestlers than him.“

Henderson’s entree to MMA in 1997 was through then-training partner Randy Couture. With little going for him but his wrestling background, he won a tournament in Brazil, the first of four he’s won during his career, attesting to his durability. At the time, he had no aspirations for world championships, and MMA was just a way to fund his quest for an Olympic medal. While most think of him as a PRIDE fighter, he actually won a UFC under-200-pound tournament in 1998 to earn a shot at then-middleweight champion Frank Shamrock. The match never happened though, as Henderson’s goal was his wrestling career.

MMA didn’t become his prime sport until two things happened.

The first was winning a Japanese open weight RINGS King of Kings tournament, where he won decisions over three much larger heavyweights – feared striker Gilbert Yvel and Brazilian submission specialists Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Renato Sobral – all on the same night in early 2000. Then, he failed to make the 2000 Olympic team.

The PRIDE promotion was starting to take off as the Japanese MMA boom period started in 2000, and they lured the RINGS champion to an even bigger stage.

When PRIDE created the 183-pound division in 2005, Henderson scored devastating knockouts of Ryo Chonan and Akihiro Gono, then won a split decision over Murilo Bustamante on Dec. 31, 2005, to become PRIDE’s first champion.

He’s lost only once in that weight – a non-title match with Kazuo Misaki on Aug. 26, 2006, where he said he simply came in flat and spent the fight looking for a knockout standing and getting outpointed in the process.

Henderson won his second PRIDE title Feb. 24, 2007, knocking out Wanderlei Silva in Las Vegas.

When PRIDE was purchased by the owners of the UFC last April, UFC management pegged Henderson vs. Anderson Silva as the direction it wanted to go, but Henderson said he wanted to fight as a light heavyweight. As someone unconcerned with the size of his opponent, he saw light heavyweight as UFC’s deepest division, which meant more challenges and more money. He fought champion Quinton Jackson close in their unification match on Sept. 8 in London, England, but lost a unanimous decision after five rounds. Although he first resisted, he agreed to UFC president Dana White’s request to drop to 185.

“Typically, I get up for the challenges,” said Henderson. “At the time, the bigger challenge was at 205. I was a little bit stubborn at first when Dana asked me to cut to 185. But when he asked me to fight Anderson Silva, that was a big challenge, and the more I thought about it, the more excited I got about it. So it was a no-brainer to go down.“

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMANews.com Early Look At Shamrock VS Le

On March 29th MMA fans will finally get to see Cung Le fight Frank Shamrock after several months of anticipation as both fighters have been going back and forth about why the match up has not happened yet. Le has yet to face a fighter ranked in the top 10 or even top 20 within his small MMA career of only five fights, and now Shamrock will be his first. Besides the fact that both fighter’s training facilities are less then 15 miles away from each other in San Jose, CA, this is an interesting match up because it is one of those fights where we get to answer the question of: What works better? Being very talented in several disciplines or experienced at combining them all?

Le is a Sanshou and kick boxing world champ, he was a national champion in Greco wrestling, a two time California Junior College State Champion, and now he trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Garth Taylor who took second at the Mundial World Championships several years back. Le’s striking is stellar with great defense and sharp accurate kicks that snap on his opponent more like a whip then a kick. His Greco throws are highly effective; as soon as he gets an opponent in a Wizard it is only seconds before they are on the ground and on their backs.

Shamrock on the other hand was one of the first fighters to use the refined hybrid style of fighting that was known as Pankration in what is now become MMA. Pankration is the ancient Greek fighting art where striking and grappling are interchangeable throughout all phases of a fight. Where grappling sets up striking and where striking sets up grappling and Shamrock excelled with this as his background for MMA and in Pankration as well.

Regardless of both fighters past accomplishments they have both been criticized recently for not fighting competition that could actually beat them. Shamrock’s most recent fight was a dismantling of Phil Baroni who has never had a consistent record in his MMA career. Shamrock’s last true test of where he stands with ranked competition was when he beat Tito Ortiz eight years ago. And Le has been what some fans call “exposed” with his win over Sam Morgan by failing to knock out Morgan although he did submit Morgan with a kick to the liver in the second round, which apparently caused Morgan to vomit violently before being taken to the hospital.

After the fight, when the winner’s arm is held in the air it will still be a bittersweet victory for who ever wins. If Le wins then Shamrock will be blamed for dodging tough competition up until now, and if Shamrock wins then it could be excused because Le is so inexperienced in MMA. On the other hand the winner will surely move up in the rankings and further instill EliteXC and Strikeforce's legitimacy as a competitive organizations as well as strengthening MMA cross promoting in general.

Jake Shields will also fight Drew Fickett for the pro-Elite Welter Weight Title on the same card. Shields who is a top ranked Welter Weight and recently signed an extension with Stikeforce is finally fighting for an MMA championship even if it is out side of the UFC, which has the abundance of top ranked Welter Weight fighters in MMA. Shields recently defeated up and comer Mike Pyle from Extreme Couture’s camp by a rear-naked choke last November and Fickett defeated Mark Weir last December in Cage Rage. At first glance this title fight has the appearance of a “give me” Title for Shields who is currently on a nine fight win streak, but as Fickett has proved by upsetting fighters like Josh Koscheck, he certainly has the ability of upsetting any top ranked Welter Weight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dreamstage Hustles Zuffa

It seemed like it was the end for Dreamstage and the Pride show. With the loss of their national television contract and unable to financially compete with an invigorated UFC, they were forced to sell to the Zuffa corporation. However the sale now looks less like a capitulation and more like the introduction of a Trojan horse.

Shortly after the sale it became painfully clear to Zuffa that their takeover would not go as smoothly as planned. Any hopes that they would be able to continue with a Pride label in Japan were dashed. Japan was not receptive to an American organization successfuly engineering a hostile takeover to what was previously a very Japanese product.

Then there were the fighter contracts. Yes those very creative fighter contracts that Pride held. Unfortunately for Zuffa not one of the contracts was written in a way as to make them legally transferable to Zuffa after Pride was desolved. Zuffa was then forced to negotiate with all of Pride's fighters individually and that proved expensive. To the chagrin of Dana White, Fedor and others went elsewhere, further diminishing their new purchase.

Zuffa now decided to employ a scorched earth policy. Pride was forever disbanded. Zuffa could at least take comfort in the knowledge that they had forever defeated their only true competition. But did they really?

Dreamstage came out of the deal with millions of dollars and after waiting a year, they then resurrected their operation with a new moniker; Dream. Zuffa on the other hand ended up with the Pride name, some old fight videos and the unsavory knowledge that they had funded their new competition. As the knowledge that they had been duped slowly settled, Zuffa dispatched their lawyers to draw up lawsuits against the old cast of Dreamstage Entertainment.

However in Japan that might just be as elusive as re-signing Fedor and Randy Couture.
http://www.graciefighter.com/?page=news

 

[Shogun Locc]

Congratulations to Jake Shields! New Jiu-jitsu Blackbelt!

Tuesday afternoon, Cesar Gracie awarded Jake Shields his Gracie Jiu-jitsu Blackbelt. ProElite.com spoke to him shortly after achieving this major accomplishment.

Check out the exclusive interview below.

Jake, first off, congratulations on this major achievement.
Thanks

How many years have you been training in BJJ? How long have you been with Cesar?
I started submission grappling with Chuck Liddell and Scott Adams in 1999 and spent about 2 year with them. Then 6.5yrs of BJJ under Cesar Gracie.

Prior to that I’d been wrestling for about 10yrs, so I’ve been involved in grappling for close to 20yrs.

How did the ceremony go down & who was there?
Cesar showed up to Fairtex [where Shields teaches BJJ & MMA] and awarded me my belt. Of course I got my whipping, but we train no-gi so there were no belts around. Instead of whipping with belts, I got belly slaps. Right now I have a lot of red welts on my stomach. But hey, it’s my last belt, so I’ll take the pain. [laughing]

Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Gil Melendez, most of my students, Brandon Vera and most of his students were there, so there were a lot of people there.

What inspired you to do jiu-jitsu?
Being a wrestler, I watched the old UFCs and saw Royce Gracie. He’d be tapping out everybody including all the wrestlers. So I’d have to credit Royce Gracie. As soon as I saw that, I wanted to do it.

I saw that Chuck’s gym [SLO Kickboxing] taught submissions so I started learning it. It wasn’t pure BJJ over there, but it was good. Then I moved to San Francisco and saw Ceasar’s guys, like Dave Terrell, tearing up the competition at tournaments, and Ceasr’s system is pure BJJ so I went there.

How has jiu-jitsu made a positive impact on your life?
In so many ways… I love training. I love the discipline and the focus. It’s helped me get my life together.

In my career, BJJ is my base of fighting. I’m cross trained in Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, etc. But BJJ is the base of my fighting style. So it’s helped my life in countless ways.

What's favorite grappling memory (outside of today)?
There are so many, but probably the Abu Dhabi Combat Championships. The whole tourney was a great experience. Hopefully next year there will be no conflict with my schedule and I will be able to compete in it again and win.

What BJJ victory meant the most to you?
I’ve had wins over a bunch of top guys, so there isn’t a specific BJJ victory that stands out to me.


In just a straight jiu-jitsu match, who is the most talent guy you've ever faced in BJJ?
In competition, it is a tie between Saulo Ribeiro and Marcelo Garcia. Overall, including training and all that, the guy that really stands out as the most talented is David Terrell.


Would you like a rematch with Marcelo Garcia in grappling? Or if he continues transitioning to MMA would you like to fight him under those rules?
I’d love to fight him in grappling. I have ton of respect for him, but at 0-1 in his MMA career, I have no reason to fight him in MMA.

Marcelo is the best pound-for-pound grapplers in the world, and I would love to have another grappling fight with him


So you plan to continue competitive grappling?
Yes. There is more money in MMA fighting, so lots of my focus is there. But I love grappling and so I will definitely continue to compete. When I am done with my MMA career, I will still be grappling competitively.


Talk about wrestling and BJJ and how that influences your style.
For me, I mix the strengths of both. Lots of wrestlers come into BJJ stubborn and don’t work on integrating the two, rather, relying on their wrestling too much.

Wrestling has a lot of explosive force and an approach to make things happen. BJJ, on the other hand, is more paced and has a lot more waiting. I mix them up so that I’m relaxing and not tense, but I explode into submissions and sweeps. It’s the best of both worlds that I like to blend into “American Jiu-Jitsu.”


You don’t train in the Gi much at all. What are your thoughts on the whole "Gi vs. No-Gi" thing?
I think it depends on where you’re training more than if you train Gi or not.

I’m not against the Gi. Some people make a big deal about it. I think the differences are small. But it really depends on what school you are at, who you train with, and how hard you train.

If you have the opportunity to do both Gi and No-Gi that’s the best. If you are focused on MMA, you should focus on No-Gi training, but it won’t hurt you to do Gi.


What do you think about the BJJ belt system & the varying speeds with which instructors promote their students?
That’s a tricky issue. I don’t like people awarding Blackbelts way too easily—it waters down the sport. I don’t want to see it become like karate and tae kwon do where you have 12 year old blackbelts. It disrespects the sport of BJJ.

However, there are times when you have to look at things like someone's athletic ability when awarding belts. For example, it is a lot harder for older people to get belts, and that’s not really fair either.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
I’d like to thank Cesar and the rest of the team. Also thank you to all of my friends, family, and fans for the support.