MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

MOUSASI OUT OF DREAM "SUPER HULK" TOURNAMENT

Gegard Mousasi has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Rameau Thierry Sokodjou in the semifinals of the Super Hulk Tournament at Dream 11, MMAWeekly.com has been told by multiple sources close to the situation. The Japanese promotion is currently trying to find a replacement opponent for the Oct. 6 event, which also features the promotion’s Featherweight Grand Prix Finals.

According to one source, Mousasi may have injured his shoulder during a grappling exhibition with Fedor Emelianenko at M-1: Breakthrough last month in Kansas City.

Less than two weeks prior to the exhibition, Mousasi dazzled in his American MMA debut at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, stopping Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a minute to win the promotion’s light heavyweight title. The 24-year-old Dutch Armenian picked up his first major belt last year when he defeated an impressive field of contenders to take the Dream middleweight belt in September 2008. He vacated the belt shortly after to take fights in the light heavyweight class and beyond.

Mousasi’s manager, Apy Echteld, declined comment on the situation.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dan Hardy plans to make UFC welterweights uncomfortable on Nov. 14

“Kim will want to take me down with his judo and bash me up on the ground, but every time he gets close he will eat an elbow or knee in the face. I don’t want a decision, I guarantee a knockout in this one. I plan to put a beating on this guy that is so nasty and so one-sided it will be uncomfortable viewing for all the other welterweights in the UFC. I am going to beat him up for a while and then I will catch him with something that really hurts him — then he’ll go to sleep.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hendo vs. Lil Nog & Hughes vs. Swick possibilities to headline UFC 105?

As the Ultimate Fighting Championship today made UFC 105 official, confirming bouts between Michael Bisping and Denis Kang, and Dan Hardy vs. Dong Hyun Kim, speculation has already began to intensify in regards to potential main event possibilities for the card.

Two possibilities making the rounds on the rumor mill currently include a welterweight showdown/possible title eliminator bout between Mike Swick and Matt Hughes, and a light-heavyweight tussle between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Dan Henderson.

Previously expected to face off with Martin Kampmann at UFC 103 in a title elimination bout at 170 pounds, Swick was recently forced from the card due to a injury suffered during training. In a recent Twitter post Swick dropped Hughes’ name, stating,”No next opponent has been offered, but yes I would love to fight Hughes. I will be ready by UFC 104 so just waiting for the UFC to call.”

In a follow up tweet, Swick made sure to clarify that just because he said he would be ready by UFC 104, in no way had he implied that it would be the next event he would be fighting at, explaining,”I have no set return yet. I just said I will be ready by UFC 104. So 104, 105, 106, 107… I will fight as soon as I get an opportunity!”

Of course Hughes recently announced that he had just re-inked with the UFC and has already began discussions with the UFC in regards to his next opponent. Coming off of a win over Matt Serra it seems highly unlikely that a former champion of Hughes caliber will want to waste any time before making a charge for the title again. A fight against a well-positioned challenger like Swick would make a lot of sense from his standpoint.

Throwing a minuscule amount of fuel to the fire, recently had this to say in a blog on his official website,”Nothing is decided yet. However, one name the UFC did bring up is a person I’ve never fought before.”

Obviously that list of fighters includes well more than half of the welterweights currently competing in the UFC, but Swick definitely falls into that category.

In other news, thesun.cok.uk is reporting that a light-heavyweight bout between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Dan Henderson is being entertained as a headliner for UFC 105.

This bout would make a good amount of sense due to the fact that Nogueira is widely expected to debut in the Octagon sometime soon and Henderson recently stated that he would rather move up to light-heavyweight if Anderson Silva isn’t his next bout. With Silva on the sidelines until early 2010 due to elbow surgery, that doesn’t seem very likely.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Nogueira bets on Dos Santos and Belfort

Two days after beating Randy Couture (at UFC 102), Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira could go back to Brazil and relax, but he decided to stay in the US to help Junior dos Santos in his training to fight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, at UFC 103. In exclusive interview to TATAME.com, Nogueira shows a lot of confidence.

“He’s training well… He’s like monster, like a horse... He has a very heavy hand, he’s ready to do two fights in the same night. It’s unbelievable, he’s with a good ground game and wrestling too”, praises Rodrigo, joking about his return to the octagon.

“I wanna fight this year again… If someone gets hurt in UFC 103, I wanna fight there too (laughs)”, said Minotauro, revealing that he trained with Dos Santos on Monday, two days after his last fight. “I trained with Cigano after the fight, but i cut my stitches so I realized that I really have to stop for a while (laughs). Now I’m gonna rest”.

Besides Junior, Vitor Belfort will also fight in the card, and Minotauro is confident in another Brazilian victory. “Rich is a tough guy, very resistant, but Vitor has more punch, is better on wrestling, has more ground game… He has everything to win”, finished Rodrigo Nogueira.

 

[B-Buzz]

MOUSASI OUT OF DREAM "SUPER HULK" TOURNAMENT

fuuuuuuck

Dan Hardy plans to make UFC welterweights uncomfortable on Nov. 14

lol stun gun's gonna kick his ass

Hendo vs. Lil Nog & Hughes vs. Swick possibilities to headline UFC 105?

this can be a pretty sick card if they get those along with Kang-Bisping, Hardy-Stun Gun, Wilks-Brown, Pearson-Riley and Etim-Gugerty. Especially if it's gonna be free like people have been saying.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CRO COP CLEARS THE SMOKE ON PAST UFC DEALINGS

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is a company man. At least, he comes off that way.

“I made my career in Japan. I liked Pride more than anything, but those days are gone and UFC is the main on the MMA market today. I think my place is to fight in the UFC and that is it.”

That’s a far cry from the tornado of uncertainty that swirled following his win over Mustapha Al-Turk at UFC 99 in June.

That fight was the only time UFC president Dana White did a one-fight deal over the phone. As soon as it was over, it appeared that White got played for a mark.

A report by Yahoo! Sports reporter Kevin Iole noted that Cro Cop opted not to live up to a verbal agreement with White and instead would bolt back to Japan, returning to the Dream organization he left behind six months prior.

White even responded in the report, saying, “Isn’t that a dirty (expletive) thing to do? The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal and he (expletived) me.”

Cro Cop is now back in the fold, the ink dry on a new three-bout deal – courtesy of a personal visit from UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta in the fighter’s home country of Croatia – and fighting Junior Dos Santos on Sept. 19 in Dallas.

During a media conference call for UFC 103 on Tuesday, the one time Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion talked of his decision to sign with the UFC, hoping to lock down talk of the controversial dealings squarely in the past.

“We make the deal for the Germany event. It was a single fight, but I told Dana that I want to keep fighting and that everything was pretty much clear,” recounted the Croatian.

“Then so many kinds of rumors came from Internet, this that, this that, but there is no truth to any of this. I was able to choose. I was free on the market and I wanted to go in the hardest and the only global organization today, it's UFC. I think that every true fighter should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely the only worldwide organization today.”

There was interest from Dream, but Cro Cop insists he was nothing but fair to all parties involved.

“Dream was interested in me to keep fighting there,” he said. “I was fair with Dana White, talking with UFC. I was fair with Dream and I told Dream I would accept better deal, better challenge for me, and UFC is definitely for fighters (a) better chance and that's all. There is no mystery in that. And of course, I decided to take UFC offer.”

And with that, the smoke clears. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is a UFC fight once again.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Franklin Non-Committal on Move Back to Middleweight

Persistent rumblings that middleweight champion Anderson Silva could make the 205-pound division his permanent home have many wondering how such a move could affect the career path of Rich Franklin.

Franklin -- who will square off with Vitor Belfort at a 195-pound catchweight in the UFC 103 main event on Sept. 19 -- moved to light heavyweight, in part, to escape the considerable shadow Silva has cast over the 185-pound division. Might he consider a trip back to middleweight if Silva rises?

“I don’t know,” Franklin said during a conference call for UFC 103 on Tuesday. “I haven’t really thought about that. I’ll entertain that kind of thinking when I cross that path.”

Franklin, who turns 35 in October, believes such a move could be construed has him “trying to dodge a bullet.” The former high school mathematics teacher twice lost to Silva, having surrendered the middleweight crown at UFC 64 after the Brazilian launched a nuclear attack on his head and body with some wicked knees. He lost the rematch in similar fashion a year later.

An undersized 205-pounder Franklin admits competing against the modern breed of light heavyweight has become a difficult proposition.

“I’m not a big 205-pounder,” he said. “I’m going to be dealing with weight issues and probably strength issues. A lot of these guys are taller and wide than me, but I’m willing to try and tackle it.”

Other highlights from the conference call included:

• Franklin said the decision to contest the Belfort fight at 195 pounds was the Brazilian’s. “This is something Vitor requested. If the UFC has exciting fights at 195, I’m willing to drop to do what I need to do,” said Franklin, who defeated Wanderlei Silva at a 195-pound catchweight in June;

• Belfort still trains at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas and plans to return to the middleweight division, win or lose against Franklin. “I’m fighting at 185. That’s my weight division,” the former UFC light heavyweight king said;

• Franklin welcomes the role of ambassador for the UFC and believes the promotion uses other fighters in a similar fashion. “All my fights recently have been in new places. I do feel like I’m being put in an ambassador’s position, and I’m not the only athlete they’re doing it with,” he said;

• Belfort views Franklin as a well-rounded foe. “Rich is a very tough opponent,” he said. “He’s good at everything. I respect Rich in every situation. I have to make sure I don’t play his game.” The 32-year-old Brazilian will carry a four-fight winning streak into the match;

• In light of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s decision to chase a role in the upcoming “A-Team” movie, Franklin said he had no current interest in pursuing acting any further. He appeared in “Cyborg Soldier,” alongside Tiffani Thiessen, in 2008. “My focus right now is with fighting. You’re not going to see me as Face or something in the A-Team movie,” Franklin said;

• As he prepares for his first appearance inside the Octagon since a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51, Belfort admits the emotions associated with the bout are heightened. “Now, it’s so huge,” he said. “There are so many opportunities for everybody. I’m excited to fight against the best fighters in the world. That’s my goal.” Belfort has not won a match inside the UFC since 2004;

• Franklin reiterated his interest in “exciting fights” and called the idea of another title run “a great Cinderella story before I retire.” He also addressed the change in opponent from Dan Henderson, a man who defeated him by split decision at UFC 93, to Belfort in wake of substantial fan backlash. “I’m primarily interested in putting on fights fans want to see. The fan reaction to [the announced Henderson rematch] was less than excited. Even if I want that fight again, if the fans don’t want to see it, I’m not going to push for it,” Franklin said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Overeem Talks US Return

Absent from the states since summer 2007, Alistair Overeem seems to always find a way to muck plans for re-entry: a club bathroom brawl led to a hand infection in the spring, which led to a re-infection over the summer and a canceled check for a fight with Fabricio Werdum. Now Overeem tells MiddleEasy.com that his hand is healed and he’s ready to be stationed -- not that he was never officially obligated to return any sooner.

“My contract with Strikeforce was only made about three months before the [street fighting] incident, I think they let me fight against [Vitor] Belfort and Paul [Buentello] to lose, but I won,” Overeem said. “Normally in a contract it says you have to defend your title within a certain period. But my contract just ended there. As I had a long term contract with FEG, I kept fighting for Dream and K-1. It's ironic that we finally got an offer from Strikeforce and reached an agreement, and I get in some stupid brawl and cut my hand. In jail it got infected and it took longer than expected.”

Overeem went on to say he’ll be ready for either Brett Rogers or Fedor Emelianenko. Toilet or no toilet.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sanchez Signs 8-Fight Deal

Diego Sanchez signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC on Tuesday, clearing the path for a lightweight title bid against B.J. Penn at UFC 107 in Dec. 12 in Memphis, Tenn.

Sanchez’s representation, Jeff Clark of NCFC Management, confirmed the fighter’s re-signing with the promotion.

Once bout agreements are signed, Sanchez vs. Penn is expected to co-headline the December pay-per-view event. A main event pairing Rashad Evans against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to conclude their turns as rival coaches on Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” has been postponed. A replacement bout has not been announced.

The winner of season one of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Sanchez is on a four-fight winning streak with the promotion. The 27-year-old fighter dispatched Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 last February and Clay Guida, via a close split decision, at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale in June.

Sanchez has only two losses on his docket to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, both by decision in 2007. In his 23 career bouts, Sanchez has never been stopped.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Welterweights Marcus Davis and Ben Saunders agree to UFC 106 contest in Las Vegas

Two welterweight contenders looking to rebound from disappointing losses will square off at UFC 106 as Marcus Davis (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Ben Saunders (7-1-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet at the event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today learned from sources close to the organization that both fighters have verbally agreed to the deal and at least one fighter has already signed a bout agreement.

Though not yet officially announced, UFC 106 is expected to take place Nov. 21 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title bout between current champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Shane Carwin.

Davis looks to bounce back from a hotly contested split decision loss to Dan Hardy at June's UFC 99 in Germany. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak for "The Irish Hand Grenade."

Meanwhile, Saunders looks to rebound from a disappointing TKO loss to Mike Swick at the same UFC 99 card in June. The second-round defeat was the first loss of "Killa B's" career. The American Top Team product had secured seven-straight victories after opening his career with back-to-back draws.

With the additions to the card, UFC 106 now includes:

* Champ Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (for UFC heavyweight title)*
* Mark Coleman vs. Tito Ortiz*
* Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida*
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Jon Fitch*
* Dustin Hazelett vs. Karo Parisyan*
* Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders*
* Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

Guida vs. Horn headlines "Arena Rumble" in Spokane, Wash.; Prangley, Beerbohm fill card

"The Ultimate Fighter" castoff Jason Guida (17-20) will take on MMA super-veteran Jeremy Horn (81-19-5) in the debut event for the Spokane, Wash.-based "Arena Rumble" organization.

Guida and Horn will cap-off a seven-fight main card at the Sept. 12 event at Spokane Arena.

UFC vets Trevor Prangley (20-5), Terry Martin (18-7) and Brad Imes (12-6) will also fight on the card, as well as fast-rising undefeated Strikeforce prospect Lyle Beerbohm (12-0).

Guida, who is probably best known for his brief appearance on the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," is currently mired in a four-fight losing streak. The older brother of UFC lightweight Clay Guida, Jason's most recent win came in a March 2007 submission victory over Cristiano Machado.

Horn was released by the UFC earlier this year following a three-fight losing streak in the organization. The 13-year veteran has since bounced back with a win over Chris Davis at June's Adrenaline MMA III – the same event in which Tim Sylvia was knocked out by Ray Mercer.

Event promoters are planning for a full card of 15 professional contests. There are currently no broadcast plans for the event.

The main card includes:

* Jason Guida (17-20) vs. Jeremy Horn (81-19-5)
* Trevor Prangley (20-5) vs. Dennis Reed (43-44-1)
* Lyle Beerbohm (12-0) vs. Josh Martin (6-3-1)
* Brad Imes (12-6) vs. Josh Queen (2-1)
* Mike Hanks (2-0) vs. Sidney Silva (7-2)
* Justin Grizzard (0-2) vs. Ben McCombs (0-0)
* Terry Martin (18-7) vs. Julio Paulino (14-2)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA finalizes full card for Sept. 13 event in Iowa

Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA organization returns for its fourth show on Sept. 18, and the promotion today revealed the full 13-fight event card.

In addition to the previously announced co-main event bouts of Tim Sylvia (24-6) vs. Jason Riley (6-1) and Houston Alexander (8-4) vs. Sherman Pendergarst (11-14), UFC vets Forrest Petz (15-7) and Chad Reiner (19-8) will also meet on the evening's main card.

Adrenaline MMA IV takes place at Mid American Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The main card airs live on HDNet.

Sylvia looks to break out of a slump that has seen "The Maine-iac" earn just one win in his past five trips to the cage. Sylvia most recently fought in June when the former UFC champion was stopped in just nine seconds by former boxing champ Ray Mercer.

Meanwhile, Riley looks for the biggest win of his young career. After turning pro in 2007, Riley has earned five of his six career wins by stoppage, a run that includes four wins in the first round.

Co-main event fighter Alexander also looks to break a recent slide. Granted permission by the UFC to fight outside of the organization, Alexander has suffered three-straight defeats.

Facing Alexander is Pendergardt, who after a respectable 8-3 start to his career has gone just 3-11 in his past 14 contests.

Outside of the co-main events, Reiner and Petz meet in a contest of two fighters who struggled a bit on the national stage.

Reiner appeared in the UFC twice in 2007, though he dropped both contests. Reiner suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Josh Burkman before falling victim to an Anthony-Johnson-highlight-reel finish in just 13 seconds.

Petz garnered a longer stay in the UFC, compiling a 2-3 record in five trips to the octagon in 2006 and 2007. Petz's run includes decision wins over Luigi Fioravanti and Sam Morgan.

The full Adrenaline MMA IV card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Jason Riley vs. Tim Sylvia
* Houston Alexander vs. Sherman Pendergarst
* Forrest Petz vs. Chad Reiner
* Alonzo Martinez vs. Ryan Williams
* Jeremy Lang vs. Matt Delanoit
* Webster Farris vs. Joe Vedepo
* Jimmy Seipel vs. Bob Tuttle

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Corey McDonald vs. Todd Meneely
* Marcos Marquez vs. Dustin Smith
* Matt Bentley vs. Danny Black
* John Hansen vs. Gregg Van der Creek
* Dakota Cochrane vs. Bill Holcombe
* Robert Rojas vs. Ryan Shell

 

[Shogun Locc]

DOS SANTOS PLANS TO OUTBOX CRO COP AT UFC 103

It’s been a quick trip up the ladder for UFC heavyweight Junior Dos Santos. He was a virtual unknown in America when he took on ground wizard Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90. One right uppercut later, Dos Santos was on the map, flooring Werdum in 81 seconds.

UFC president Dana White said betting lines changed days before the fight when people caught a glimpse of Dos Santos hitting pads.

The 25-year-old native of Salvador, Brazil, breezed through Stefan Struve in 54 seconds at UFC 95, and was scheduled for further seasoning against Justin McCully at UFC 102. Then, in July, one call changed everything.

“I got a call from the UFC offering me Cro Cop (at UFC 103), which blew my mind,” Dos Santos told MMAWeekly.com. “It took us a few days to sort out everything, and the UFC kept pushing, and we decided that we should take the fight.”

Regardless of the pressure that would rest on his shoulders, Dos Santos couldn’t turn down the opportunity to face the feared striker.

The fight takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, second billed to Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort.

“I like the challenge and I like the fact that it’s such a big idol in the sport,” he said.

And when you have the Nogueira brothers and Anderson Silva in your corner, it helps to keep nerves at bay.

Dos Santos believes a victory will put him in line for a title shot, though he’s in “no hurry” to get one.

At Blackhouse gym one balmy day in Gardena, Calif., Dos Santos ran a gauntlet of conditioning and striking exercises, culminating in an ice bath he wasn’t too happy about. On the mitts, he practiced rapid-fire combinations as his trainer walked him down. He expects those combinations to come in handy against Cro Cop.

“I’m gonna go in there confident that my boxing is going to win the fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

CHRIS WILSON EXPECTING THE BEST MIKE PYLE

When is the book coming out?

From the U.S. to Brazil, a man finds solace in a place he once called home. Away from the distractions of mainstream America, a family man looks to begin anew until tragedy strikes. A robbery followed by broken promises leave him questioning the very fabric of existence.

The harrowing tale of Chris Wilson.

To say the last eight-some odd months for “The Professor” has been shaky is a vast understatement.

Originally scheduled to face Brock Larson this past May at UFC 98 in Las Vegas, the IFL veteran ran into a strange set of events that lead him to where he is today, a little confused, but in good spirits, looking forward to his upcoming bout with Mike Pyle at UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

First, it started with a change of scenery.

“The decision to move back to Brazil was more of a personal decision,” stated the Portland, Ore., native while a guest on the MMAWeekly radio program.

“I’m married to a Brazilian lady. A fine young lady and her family all live down here and we’ve been living in the United States for the last six and a half, seven years and we felt that we wanted to come back and be around the rest of her family.”

With the change of scenery came a change in camps as well. Originally calling Team Quest home, Wilson now finds himself amongst one of the premier teams in Brazil.

“We’ve had to find a team to train with and I decided that if we’re going to live in Brazil, I want to get connected to a team that I feel can help me train for fights at this level and I feel that Nogueira’s team is really a team that can provide that kind of training and that kind of atmosphere for me,” said Wilson.

“We do have stable people who are always at the gym to train with. When (Anderson Silva and the Nogueira brothers] are here, it’s great to train with them. The Nogueiras especially, they’re real patient, they’re real helpful, and when they see you do something they come over to you, they talk to you and are like ‘No, let me show you this, let me show you that. Here, let’s work on this.’ They really want to help you.”

So now it’s smooth sailing, new team, new home, at ease amongst friends and family, great place to be mentally.

Not so fast.

“It was definitely a pretty turbulent few months,” said Wilson.

“Starting out with the home invasion, the robbery and the stress that it generated and the interruption in training. It was kind of an ordeal, a little bit traumatic, especially for my wife and kids. Obviously I disliked it greatly as well, but it’s even harder I think for them, my children, because they don’t know how to deal with it and my wife because she’s freaking out.

“We took a pretty good financial hit on that as well. They took my laptop. They robbed the house. They took the TV. They took a bunch of stuff,” he added.

In the midst of the invasion, Wilson was preparing for the fight with Brock in May, however, a miscommunication in paperwork between the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Wilson, concerning required medical procedures, would eventually result in the fight being put off altogether.

In steps Mike Pyle to save the day, sort of.

Pyle would eventually lose the fight against Larson, while stepping up on a just a few days notice. He will have his second chance at a win inside the Octagon when the near 10-year veteran takes on Wilson, who in turn believes it’s just not meant to be.

“I’m happy to take the fight. If they want me to fight Mike, I’ll go in there and hand him his second loss.”

After a rough go around in 2009, Wilson looks to rebound from a loss of his own, a razor-thin split decision to John Howard this past January at UFC 94.

With the financial hit, the loss of sponsorship money from his previously scheduled bout, Wilson has a new sort of motivation going into this matchup and looks to use Pyle as his launching pad to bigger and better things. Whether it is Pyle or anybody else, it doesn’t matter to Wilson as he continues to make some noise in the always-crowded 170-pound division.

“Honestly, it doesn’t make a huge difference who they throw at me. I feel like I’m at a point where I can do well. Just give me a fight and I’ll go in there and I’ll fight. I’ll develop a strategy, a game plan for it, and I’ll train hard for it and I’ll fight to win,” said Wilson.

“I think he’s going to come in hungry, for sure. I expect the best Mike Pyle to come in ready.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Middleweight Nate Quarry relying on "old-man strength" for win at UFC Fight Night 19

When middleweight slugger Nate Quarry (11-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) steps into the cage against Tim Credeur (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on the main card of "UFC Fight Night 19: Diaz vs. Guillard" on Sept. 16, there will be a bit of an old-school feel to the contest.

But despite an apparent striking advantage on the feet and a potential jiu-jitsu deficiency, Quarry said he won't be relying on any particular gameplan to earn a victory.

As the 37-year-old recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), "The Rock" will be relying on something completely different: old-man strength.

"As boxers age, they noticeably get slower, but we can develop old-man strength," Quarry said. "That's what I like to rely upon. We got those stringy, older muscles that just get stronger and stronger.

"You know when you used to try and shake your dad's hand, and he would just crush it no matter what? That's the kind of strength I'm working on now – that old-man strength."

Credeur will enter the bout with a six-fight win streak, including a perfect 3-0 in the UFC. And while eight of Credeur's career wins have come by submission, Quarry said he doesn't believe his opponent will rely solely on taking him to the floor.

"[Credeur] has been so successful with everything he's been doing, it wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to stand up for a little bit," Quarry said. "He's been getting some knockouts. He's been wearing guys down using his length. I think he's really doing all the things he needs to do to be successful in the UFC.

"He's not just sticking with jiu-jitsu. He's working on his stand-up. He's got a great camp around him, so I'm looking forward to this being a great fight, and I'm one person that's not saying he's [one-dimensional]. I think he's going to come out swinging hard and coming hard."

For Quarry, five of his six wins have come by knockout or TKO. Now facing his third-straight submission specialist, Quarry said he feels comfortable in all aspects of the game.

"It really doesn't matter to me," Quarry said. "I'm just going to go in there and fight no matter what. That's always been my best gameplan – just to go in there and fight. It used to be back in the day I didn't know who I was fighting until I saw them across the ring, so I don't get into that over-analyzing what this guy's going to do and what his gameplan is.

"I'll watch some tapes, and I'll get a little feeling of what his tendencies are, but I know that especially seeing the guys coming from 'The Ultimate Fighter,' their game changes so much just over the next couple months. Now they've got a career in it; they don't have to work outside tending bar or bouncing or anything. Now they can just be a professional fighter, and you see their games just go through the roof."

But don't count Quarry among those fighters who feels it's necessary to match skills with Creduer on the mat simply to prove a point.

"Oh, man, I got nothing to prove," Quarry said. "I used to say that to people all the time. I don't have anything to prove; I fight in a cage for a living. What else do I have to prove? I go in there, and it's not a matter of, 'I'm going to show the world what I can do.' I'm here to win this fight, and I'll win in any way possible.

"It's funny, because when I first started fighting I won most of my fights with submissions. Then it just turned out as I made it into the UFC, all my wins other than my decision to Kalib Starnes have all been by knockout. You're pretty much just what people thought of you last time."

Instead, Quarry will rely on instincts and old-man strength to put an end to Credeur's successful run. And with the middleweight picture a bit murky once you look past Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, a few wins could put anyone into contention.

But "The Rock" is taking it just one day at a time.

"I'll just have to wait and see," Quarry said. "I try not to look past what's right in front of me."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida bout rebooked for UFC 107 slot in Memphis

With the loss of a previously rumored UFC 107 main event between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans, the UFC is apparently working hard to bolster the Dec. 12 card.

A message was posted on the Twitter account of ESPN.com's "MMA Live" that the Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida bout originally scheduled for UFC 106 in Las Vegas will now take place at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn.

Florian serves as a co-host of "MMA Live."

UFC president Dana White confirmed the matchup between Florian and Guida at a UFC 102 pre-fight press conference in August, though he stopped short of confirming the date. Today, it appears that fight will now take place in December.

With White recently confirming that lightweight champ B.J. Penn would also fight at UFC 107, it would appear that Florian and Guida could fit nicely into a co-main event slot.

With the reported lineup change, UFC 107 now includes:

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez (for lightweight title)*
* Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida*
* Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir*
* Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM NAMES JZ OPPONENT, CONFIRMS MOUSASI OUT

Dream on Wednesday announced the opponent for Top 10 ranked lightweight Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, and confirmed the withdrawal of Gegard Mousasi from its “Super Hulk” tournament.

Cavalcante (14-3-1) is currently on a two-fight skid. He lost to No. 2 ranked Shinya Aoki in April of 2008 before sitting out for more than a year and then losing to Tatsuya Kawajiri at Dream 9 in May of this year. He returns at Dream 11 on Oct. 6 to face Daisuke Nakamura.

Currently sporting a 20-10 record, Nakamura got back on the winning track with a unanimous decision over Ferrid Kheder at M-1: Breakthrough in August following a loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida earlier this year.

MMAWeekly.com first reported the withdrawal of Mousasi on Tuesday. One source indicated that the Armenian might have injured his shoulder in an exhibition match with teammate Fedor Emelianenko at M-1: Breakthrough.

Dream officials did not disclose the nature of Mousasi’s withdrawal.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Urijah Faber joins ‘Cyborg’ Santos at ADCC September event

Perhaps the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world — the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) — recently rounded out its Submission Wrestling World Championships 65.9 kg weight class by adding former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, according to GracieMag.com.

“The California Kid” joins Strikeforce women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (+60kg), Luanna Alzuguir (-60kg) and Gregor Gracie (-77kg) as newly-announced participants for the September event.

The ADCC championships are hosted every two years in different locations, with the 2009 tournaments taking place in Barcelona, Spain from September 25-27 at the Pavelló Municipal Esports de Badalona. The competition is designed to crown the top grappling and submissions fighters in the world.

The rules are pretty simple. The object is to submit your opponent with either a choke, an arm lock (shoulder, wrist, arm, etc.) or a leg lock (knee, ankle, etc.)

Each qualifying match is 10 minutes long with the championship in each division being 20 minutes. If at the end of that time there is not a finish by submission, the match will be judged on a point system. If the score is tied there will be a 5 minute overtime period. If the score is still tied after that, the winner will be decided by a judge’s decision.

The point system is similar to any other grappling tournament. Takedowns are worth either 2 or 4 points, 4 if the fighter scoring the takedown lands past the guard. When on the ground, obtaining the full mount position is worth 2 points. Taking your opponents back with hooks will get you 3 points. Passing your opponents guard scores 3 points. A knee on your opponents stomach gets you 2 points, and clean sweeps equal 4 points.

This will be Faber’s first time competing in the ADCC championships. He’ll be looking at some pretty stiff competition in his debut as well. The other fifteen competitors in the 66 kg and under division will include reigning champion and WEC veteran Rani Yahya, Jeff Curran, Kouhei Yasumi, Rafael Mendes, Nicolas Renier, Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas, Ryan Hall, David Marinakis, Jayson Patino, Leo Viera, Rubens Charles, Baret Yoshida, Jeff Glover, Hiroshi Nakamura and Justin Rader.

The list of winners coming out of the other divisions in the 2007 championships, which were held in New Jersey, include Robert Drysdale, Fabricio Werdum, Alexandre Ribeiro, Demian Maia, and Marcelo Gracie. Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi and other top mixed martial artists have long been rumored to be participating in this event as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antwain Britt inks deal with Strikeforce

Light-heavyweight up and comer Antwain Britt has recently signed on to compete with Strikeforce.

The news of Britt’s signing was first reported by curtisandkyle.com, and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the agreement through sources close to the fighter.

Known as a crowd-pleasing knockout artist, Britt has put together an impressive record of 7-2 during his time in mixed martial arts, with all seven of his victories coming by either KO or TKO. Most recently Antwain knocked out former UFC fighter Antonio “Samuray” Mendes in the very first round.

No news is currently available as to when Britt will make his Strikeforce debut.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal Confirmed For “EA Sports MMA”

Add Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal to the list of names that have been confirmed for the upcoming video game titled “EA Sports MMA“.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was recently able to confirm Lawal’s involvement in the game through sources close to the fighter.

What is currently unknown is what weight class Mo will be featured in, as he is more than willing to compete in the 185, 205 and heavyweight divisions. If there are going to be multiple weight class fighters involved in the game, Lawal will surely be one of them.

The title is slated for release in 2010 and is currently being developed by EA Tiburon, who have been responsible for the widely successful Madden NFL series.

Fighters currently confirmed for the game include Fedor Emelianenko, Bas Rutten, Randy Couture, and Gegard Mousasi among others.