MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Jon Fitch's AKA teammate Cain Velasquez doesn't believe the guard is dead

Count out UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez as a non-believer in the closed guard.

The 27-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product on Wednesday broke from welterweight teammate John Fitch's recently stated position that the fundamental jiu-jitsu position has no place in modern MMA.

"I wouldn't say that because everybody has that chance to submit people, and this game has grown so big that (you have to be) good in every area of MMA," Velasquez told reporters during a media teleconference promoting his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 on Feb. 21 in Sydney, Australia.

After he watched Chael Sonnen beat up Nate Marquardt from the guard this past Saturday at UFC 109, Fitch, a former NCAA Division I wrestler at Purdue University, told FOX Fight Game that the position was only reserved for decorated submission grapplers.

"I think the closed guard is dead in MMA right now; unless you are Demian Maia or Shinya Aoki, forget about it," Fitch said. "You are either getting up or getting on top. Forget pulling off submissions from your back nowadays. Strong wrestlers like Sonnen will just pound you out all day long."

Velasquez wasn't even aware Fitch had made the comment when asked for a response.

"Where did that come from, that the bottom game is dead?" Velasquez asked.

When informed it was Fitch, he needed little time to think about a response.

"I don't believe that," Velasquez said. "I believe everyone's dangerous, especially Nogueira on the ground."

Indeed, the Brazilian Nogueira is one of MMA's most respected submission grapplers and holds a laundry list of victories netted from the guard position.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Bob Sapp and Mark Coleman are just a few fighters who can testify to that.

Velasquez, a former All-American wrestler at Arizona State University, said Nogueira's mat prowess won't prevent him from using his wrestling, but dismissing the former PRIDE and UFC champion's submission skills would be at his own peril.

"For me, it's the same game plan as I've always been doing," Velasquez said. "I just have to fight a smart fight."

Velasquez (7-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has seen a meteoric rise in the UFC heavyweight division since his debut at UFC 83. In his most recent appearance, he stopped longtime veteran Ben Rothwell in the second round of a co-main event fight at UFC 104 this past October.

And in case anyone wonders, Nogueira agrees the guard is not dead.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Two-time UFC vet Ryan Thomas joins Bellator's season-two welterweight tourney

Two-time UFC veteran Ryan Thomas (10-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is the latest addition to Bellator Fighting Championships' welterweight roster.

A source close to the tournament on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Thomas has signed an exclusive deal to compete in the promotion's season-two tournament.

The organization soon hosts eight-man tourneys in four weight classes to determine No. 1 contenders for its season-one champions.

The second season, which commences in April, airs live on FOX Sports Net affiliates on Thursday nights, and highlights packages air on NBC and Telemundo over the weekend. Both the second and third seasons take place in 2010 and run for 12 weeks each.

Thomas is the first UFC veteran inked for the second-season tournaments.

The 25-year-old Illinois native rebounded from an unsuccessful UFC run with a submission victory over Ryan Stout at "War in the Yard" in Indiana this past August.

After earning a ticket to the octagon with four consecutive victories, Thomas suffered back-to-back armbar-submission losses to Ben Saunders and Matt Brown at UFC 87 and UFC 91, respectively.

Aside from a January 2008 submission loss to Jesse Lennox, who now fights in the UFC, Thomas has never lost a fight outside the UFC, and all of his wins have come via stoppage (nine of the 10 in the first round).

Thomas undoubtedly looks to rebuild his name amongst Bellator's already-deep welterweight field, which includes Jim Wallhead, Dan Hornbuckle, Jacob McClintock and Ben Askren.

Bellator's lucrative tournaments can earn each division's winner nearly $200,000 over three fights and three months. Thomas looks to win the welterweight tournament to earn the right to fight season-one champ Lyman Good.

For more on the upcoming tournament, check out our previous reports on the signings of Wallhead, Hornbuckle, McClintock and Askren.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With stomach-churning ear infections under control, UFC vet David Terrell eying a return

After a 14-month layoff, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace and once-fast-rising middleweight David Terrell again suffered an injury and was forced out of a November 2007 UFC 78 bout with Ed Herman.

Now, it's been nearly four years since the 32-year-old "Soul Assassin" has stepped foot inside a cage.

But on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Terrell said he's considering a comeback. He also detailed the gruesome (yet little-known) ailment that led to the quick descent of one of the sport's most promising careers.

"I trained really hard for my fights, but I was getting these sinus infections and a lot of ear problems," said Terrell, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie who's now the NorCal Fighting Alliance head trainer. "It finally got to the point that these infections weren't going away, so I had to get a surgery on my ear where they kind of carved out the infection. It was just a pain in the butt. They stapled the ear back on after they pealed it off. They like filleted the back of the ear.

"I thought then I was good, but I kept having to drain puss and nasty stuff (from the ear), so [the doctor] put me on every antibiotic you can imagine for about a year. I finally said, 'This isn't right.' So I got a second opinion and another MRI, and the guy said there was still a pretty bad infection in my head."

Terrell had a second surgery about a year ago. He was told he was good to go, but soon, the leaking started up again. He just couldn't shake the ailment.

After getting a referral, though, Terrell finally hooked up with a doctor at the University of California-San Francisco who really tackled the problem.

"The guy's been doing a good job fixing it," Terrell said. "He's actually been cauterizing it. He puts this powder in my ear that burns. He explained it the first time. He said, 'This is going to feel like an icepick.'"

Terrell still gets cauterization procedures once a month, and the process should be finalized by the spring. In the meantime, he's been back to training and helping his students – such as Nate Loughran, Emily Thompson, Kyle Pimentel and Bellator champ Joe Soto – get ready for their fights.

However, Terrell said he definitely wants to get one of his own.

In fact, he hates to picture his life without getting one more shot on MMA's big stage, especially since he feels like he's a better fight now than he was while defeating the likes of Matt Lindland, Joey Villasenor and Yuki Sasaki from 2003 to 2004.

"I want to fight," said Terrell, who hasn't fought professionally since a submission victory over Scott Smith at UFC 59. "I still feel like I have so much unfinished business that I wasn't able to ever do. It's like I was never able to really push my career because of injuries. I just want to give it one more shot.

"If it were to end like this, I'd probably end up being an alcoholic the rest of my life filled with a lot of regret. Not that I drink, but I can see how it weighs on me, and it's something I think about every day. When you lose that momentum and go through something like that, it definitely messes up your confidence and kind of takes away a lot of the opportunities I had three years ago."

Terrell (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), whose only career UFC loss came in a title fight with Evan Tanner, would like to return to the octagon since he's always had a special fondness for the UFC.

"I owe them a lot," said Terrell, who's also dealt with elbow and arm injuries during his career. "They got me out of my Pancrase contract. They've always done a lot for me, and I feel like I really let them down. I'm sure they hate me because they'd done so much, and I've just let them down so much (by) getting hurt.

"I would like just to apologize and thank them for everything they did do while I was in the sport. They were real patient, and it just got the point where they had to drop me."

Terrell, though, is open to any outlet so long as the offer is a good one.

"I just want a good opportunity," he said. "I don't want to come back out and have to fight for pennies or anything. ... Like I said, though, if I had to stop today and never fought again, it would haunt me for a very long time."

 

[007SYBORG]

WANDERLEI GIVES SOME DATING ADVICE

 

[BROWN GUERRERO]

rofl! War Wand!! I don't even speak portugese, but if you listen closely it's like spanish.


sounds like he told him to say "i'm very ugly, your very pretty. i'm a virgin."

 

[007SYBORG]

^^^YEAH IT DID SOUND LIKE THAT

 

[drunkaholic707]

Reminder: "Countdown to UFC 110" preview show debuts Feb. 18 on Spike TV

The next installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's traditional pre-event preview show debuts Feb. 18 at 11 p.m. ET/PT with "Countdown to UFC 110."

The Spike TV special spotlights "UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez," which takes place Feb. 21 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Former champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira meets top contender Cain Velasquez in the heavyweight headliner, and Michael Bisping takes on Wanderlei Silva in the middleweight co-headliner.

Spike TV airs replays later in the week.

The re-airings are set for Feb. 19 at 1 a.m. ET/PT and Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. ET/PT, both of which air on Spike TV.

UFC 110 marks the UFC's debut in Australia. Because of the time difference, the event takes place live in Australia on a Sunday afternoon and airs live on pay-per-view in the U.S. in its normal 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) timeslot on Saturday (Feb. 20).

A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Spike TV is unlikely to host a "UFC Prelim" special in conjunction with UFC 110, though the one-hour preliminary-card special is expected to return for UFC 111 in March.

The full UFC 110 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
* Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson
* Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Chris Haseman vs. Elvis Sinosic
* Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
* Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
* C.B. Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
* Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te Huna

 

[drunkaholic707]

After leaving family to study jiu-jitsu, WEC's Jose Aldo returned home a champion

ose Aldo (16-1 MMA, 6-0 WEC) is a mix of tradition and rebellion.

The WEC featherweight champion's parents did not want him to move to Rio de Janeiro to learn fighting. They thought he was crazy; he should get a regular job and blend in. But at 16 years old, Aldo had already made up his mind. He wanted to be a world champion in jiu-jitsu.

Aldo's love of Capoeira, which started at the age of 14, had transformed into a desire to learn jiu-jitsu when he visited a local dojo in his hometown of Manaus, Brazil. Capoeira was beautiful, but it was soft. And though he was a nice guy and made good grades by Brazilian school's standards, Aldo could hardly be considered soft.

On the soccer field – his first love in sports – Aldo was the enforcer among his friends. Neighborhoods played each other in semi-professional games and instant rivalries were born. When an opposing team made trouble, Aldo was called to fight the offending player. He fought so much that he missed every other game from being benched so much. There was no future in that.

"At some point, I said I've got to stop this," Aldo recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) through an interpreter.

It's Tuesday, and the Blackhouse gym that Aldo trains at while in the U.S. is empty. It's pouring rain outside and cold inside. He's slow to shadowbox for pictures but obliges for a short series. It's the beginning of his day before he heads to wrestling practice and he's happy to sit on the couch and take it easy.

In person, Aldo is a young man of stark contrast. He's youthful and shy and polite. Then there's the other side: the cold-eyed competitor who walks opponents down and punishes them – the man that featherweights are afraid to fight.

On April 24, he passes another milestone in his career at age 23 when he headlines the WEC's first pay-per-view effort at WEC 48 against promotion mainstay and former champion Urijah Faber.

The first move he learned in jiu-jitsu class in Rio was an armbar. He didn't train for a month when he first got there; he just wanted to watch and make sure he knew what he was doing. He started to follow the sport and knew that jiu-jitsu could afford him a chance to be the best at something and maybe even make a living.

He became friends and training partners with Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, who was then fighting in Shooto and making a name in the mixed martial arts world. He lived at the Nova Uniao gym and got a job as a part-time busboy to pay for food between classes. At night, he was alone.

"On one hand, I was always early for practice," he said. "But on the other hand, at night, it was very lonely and hard to get through."

While on a training trip to England, some of Aldo's teammates told him about a girl that trained Muay-Thai at a Chute Boxe affiliate in Curitiba, Brazil, that was working at Nova Uniao. When he got back, he offered to help her with her training. They became friends, started dating, and later married.

Former UFC fighter Andre Pederneiras – the patriarch of Nova Uniao – was the first person to believe in Aldo. In practice, he groomed Aldo to be aggressive in the cage and act like a world champion.

When he joined Nova Uniao, Aldo made a resolution to make his stand-up the centerpiece of his game. The gym's other fighters were mostly known for their ground game (Aldo said they are celebrities in Japan's grappling-friendly MMA scene) and he wanted to be different. He knew a stand-up fight was a pleasing fight.

Pederneiras' teaching is reflected in Aldo's style. Aldo cedes little ground and makes his opponents pay for any incursion into range. His kicks and knees end fights.

"I feel like maybe we didn't get the recognition we deserved because of some of the other teams that have heavier weights, and people seem to forget the lighter weights," Aldo said of his gym. "But now a lot of our guys are going up in the rankings."

In his most recent fight, Aldo destroyed Mike Brown to win the featherweight title, his sixth-straight TKO victory since his WEC debut in June 2008.

After Aldo stopped Cub Swanson with a flying double-knee at WEC 41 this past June, guest commentator and two-time UFC lightweight title contender Kenny Florian said, "this is why everybody at 145 (pounds) wants to avoid this guy."

Aldo's teammates threw him a surprise party at Nova Uniao when he returned to Brazil after winning the title.

The sisters who gave him a telltale scar across his face when they threw him in a barbecue pit at a young age are split on his MMA celebrity. One buys everything that has his picture on it, while the other is aloof about the sport.

And while Aldo likes the attention his success has brought him, he's at odds with some of the bigger clichés known to champions.

Aldo is Catholic but attends church every Sunday at a Baptist church when he's at home in Rio. He hates the club scene inherent to the fight game and thinks a night out is a night that could have been spent sleeping.

During a recent trip to San Diego, Calif., Aldo and small group walked past a dance club where people were being kicked out for drunken brawling. He shook his head disapprovingly and walked on.

At home, he hardly watches any fights; mostly, it's soccer.

Aldo's wife has a purple belt in jiu-jitsu and has fought twice professionally in Muay-Thai. When they started dating, though, he said she had to stop fighting.

"If she's going to be my kid's mom, she's got to take care of the kids and take care of the house," Aldo said. "That's pretty chauvinist, but I have nothing against females fighting, but just not her."

Likewise, his mom won't watch him fight. She didn't see him win the title against Brown; the idea he could get hurt was too much.

His sisters saw his dad cry for the first time when he watched his son win the title on television.

Aldo's upcoming fight against Faber has predictably been labeled the "biggest fight in WEC history," mainly because of Aldo's status as a world-beater in the featherweight division and Faber's potential Cinderella story as the promotion's former champion and posterboy getting another crack a title gory.

The two sat across from each other at a media gathering this past Saturday and were as cordial as two fighters who are about to fight can be.

Aldo believes he is faster than Faber and will win if he avoids the former champion's takedown and aggressive standup.

"I'm going to be watching for every move that Urijah does and I'm going to be throwing some shots to see how he responds," Aldo said. "I feel that when Urijah exposes himself, I'm going to be able to take that to my advantage."

Stateside, he's worked with Kenny Johnson, Rob Emerson, and Jason Parillo, but will undergo the bulk of his camp back at Nova Uniao.

He recently picked up tennis with a training partner and arrived Saturday to a group of reporters wanting to be called "Jose Nadal Aldo," after tennis star Rafael Nadal.

But after all he's been through on the road to a championship, Aldo is fiercely protective of his belt.

"Urijah wants to take away my dream and wants to take away my belt, and I'm not going to let that happen," he said.

Aldo smiles a bright, youthful smile as the interview comes to an end. Though it's raining outside, it's still the calm before the storm.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Spike TV offers 12-hour UFC marathon today

With many fight fans home due to the Presidents Day holiday and continued snowstorms, Spike TV today offers some television relief.

Beginning at 9 a.m. PT/ET, the UFC's longtime cable home offers 12 hours of Ultimate Fighting Championship-related content.

Featured programs include three episodes of "UFC Unleashed," four hours of the UFC's "Ultimate Knockouts" specials, and a four-hour countdown of "UFC's Ultimate 100: Great Fights" special.

The marathon kicks off with a "UFC Unleashed" episode that features a July 2008 title fight between then-champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and top contender Forrest Griffin. The UFC 86 matchup features the long-awaited meeting between the two coaches of "The Ultimate Fighter 7" in a five-round matchup. The bout would prove so competitive that both competitors earned $60,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

While most of the content previously aired on the cable station, the marathon-ending "UFC Unleashed" episode is a new one.

The full schedule includes:

* 9 a.m. ET/PT - "UFC Unleashed: Griffin vs. Jackson"
* 10 a.m. - "UFC Unleashed: Huerta vs. Garcia"
* 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - "Ultimate Knockouts"
* 3 to 7 p.m. - "UFC's Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights"
* 8 p.m. - "UFC Unleashed" new episode

 

[drunkaholic707]

UFC newcomer Daniel Roberts replaces injured Anthony Johnson at UFC on Versus 1

Undefeated Ultimate Fighting Champion newcomer Daniel Roberts (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed a four-fight deal with the organization and replaces an injured Anthony Johnson (8-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at next month's on UFC on Versus 1 event.

Daniel takes on Johnson's original opponent, John Howard (13-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

The Boston Herald confirmed the booking with Howard's management team, and MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed the change with sources close to the event.

However, UFC officials have not yet confirmed the new matchup, and the bout has not been added to the event's online fight card.

UFC on Versus 1 takes place March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield (near Denver), and the main card, including a headliner of Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera, airs on Versus.

MMAjunkie.com passed along news of Johnson's injury on Sunday.

Reports of a potential Howard-Johnson matchup first surfaced in early 2009, but Howard's camp reportedly turned down the fight in favor of getting the fighter more time to develop before facing top-level opposition. Johnson has publicly bashed Howard ever since because of the decision.

Instead of Johnson, Howard now faces Roberts, a two-and-a-half-year pro who's competed for organizations such as the Extreme Fighting League and Freestyle Cage Fighting. Most recently he defeated Anthony Macias (25-12) at a Jan. 10 5150 Combat League/XFL event. He's also defeated the likes of Strikeforce vet Levi Avera (13-6) and Mike Jackson (8-3).

Of Roberts' nine career wins, seven have come via submission and two via decision.

Howard, a one-time IFL fighter who also competed for the New Jersey-based Ring of Combat promotion, owns a six-fight win streak, and he's a perfect 3-0 in the UFC. In addition to split-decision wins over Chris Wilson and Tamdan McCrory, Howard also recently scored a come-from-behind third-round knockout of Dennis Hallman at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. Howard secured the win with just five seconds remaining in the final round.

 

[drunkaholic707]

UFC strikes licensing deal with Fathead, lifesize UFC posters to be released

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has struck a deal with Fathead and will produce a series of lifesize posters of UFC fighters, the companies today announced.

Fathead, founded in 2005, produces more than 600 officially licensed life-size wall graphics of athletes and logos from a variety of sports leagues and teams.

Aside from a "Fathead Jr." poster that features UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, Fathead has never offered MMA- or UFC-related products.

"Fathead makes the best wall graphics in the business," UFC president Dana White said. "This is another cool way for our fans to show support for their favorite UFC fighters."

The initial line of UFC posters, which will be released in the next few months, include UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, middleweight champ Anderson Silva, welterweight title-holder Georges St-Pierre and other top fighters. Most Fatheads sell for between $30 and $100, depending on the size and other options.

They'll be available at fathead.com, ufcstore.com and other major retailers.

"This partnership with UFC is another step in continuing to align ourselves with the hottest brands out there," Fathead CEO Patrick McInnis stated. "They are on track to be one of most dominant sports in the world, and we are thrilled to be in the octagon with them."

Fathead also has licensing agreements with the NFL, NHL, MBA, MLB, NCAA, NASCAR, WWE and other sports organizations.

 

[drunkaholic707]

After learning from others' mistakes, UFC 112's Frankie Edgar prepping for champ B.J. Penn

UFC lightweight contender Frankie Edgar doesn't think he's better than any of the fighters who've gone up against champion B.J. Penn; he's just different.

Edgar (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), a Toms River, N.J. native who faces Penn (15-5-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) at UFC 112 in April, has added an extra month to his usual eight-week camp to prepare for the challenge of a lifetime.

"The fighter that I am will present a challenge for B.J.," Edgar recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm just a little bit different with the way I approach my stand-up and my wrestling ability."

He won't say why he's different (that's top secret). But he believes he has the skill set to win the title where others have failed.

The UFC's search for a suitable 155-pound contender lead the organization to Edgar's door in January after Gray Maynard eeked out a split-decision victory over Nate Diaz at UFC Fight Night 20. Although Maynard had an April 2008 win over Edgar, UFC president Dana White felt Edgar is most ready for the title shot.

Edgar's title prospects accelerated quickly after he took a risk this past December when he faced untested prospect Matt Veach and won soundly in the second round.

It might be a little self-serving, but Edgar thinks Diaz won the Jan. 11 fight. In this case, he agrees with Diaz's post-fight rant that the guy who looks worse afterward is the winner.

"If you look at both of their faces afterward, Gray definitely took a little bit more punishment," Edgar said. "But it was real close. It could have went either way. I'm a little biased, obviously. I thought Nate pulled it off, but I could see how it went Gray's way as well."

Still, the humble Edgar is simply grateful the UFC has taken a chance on him.

"It's not my job to make those decisions," he said. "They tell me to fight; I'm going to fight. Obviously, I wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to fight for the title."

And after Penn's recent performances, "most ready" seemed as good as it was going to get when the promotion weighed the two contenders' chances.

Penn routed Kenny Florian this past August at UFC 101 and put a brutal beating on Diego Sanchez four months later at UFC 107. Sanchez was never quite the same after Penn rattled his brain with a punch combination in the first round of the December bout. A skull-exposing cut to Sanchez from Penn's leg brought an end to the punishment with the final-round TKO stoppage.

Edgar said Florian had a bad game plan in facing Penn and that Sanchez couldn't implement his after taking that early shot.

"Florian tried to implement GSP's game plan a little bit, and [the lightweights] are not GSP," Edgar said. "Nobody is. Diego was going too forward on him, and when he got rocked in the first flurry in the first round, his game plan was tough to get back to."

Edgar is rightfully protective of any specifics that might reveal his game plan for the revered champion. Jiu-jitsu mentors Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida train alongside him at Almeida's academy in nearby Hamilton, N.J., and the three are putting together a strategy. Gracie is, of course, facing welterweight Matt Hughes on the same UFC 112 card and fought Penn in July 2005 (he lost by unanimous decision).

Edgar said Gracie's presence is invaluable in solving Penn's puzzle.

"I don't think you can say, 'I'm going to be able to beat [Penn] standing' because if I say I have the advantage standing, for sure he's going to look to take it to the ground," Edgar said. "If he has the advantage standing, I'll be looking to take it to the ground. B.J. can do it all. I just have to be well versed in everything."

During a recent PR trip for the UFC, Edgar stayed close to Gracie and worked his prized pupil — Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the son of former United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the new owner of a 10-percent stake in the UFC.

"It was cool to be around someone of that stature," Edgar said. "He's a very nice guy, very down to earth. It was a great experience."

Edgar said politely that Abu Dhabi's culture is "a little bit more conservative" than American culture, but the city is surprisingly Westernized.

Still, for a guy who lives five minutes from his childhood home, it's a sign of how far he's come in the sport.

To Edgar, a win over Penn would be equal to the joy of winning the title, mainly because of the aura he carries.

"I think beating B.J. would be the icing on the cake," Edgar said. "Obviously, the title is the goal. B.J.'s known as the best lightweight ever. To dethrone him would be amazing."

Other than that, he thinks life won't change much if he wins the title. He'll still be the same guy from the Jersey Shore.

"I'm just trying to take it in stride," Edgar said of the title shot. "There are a lot more implications being added because of the title, but I'm not trying to get caught up in the hype. I'm just trying to prepare myself."

This Wednesday, Edgar and Almeida hold a seminar at Thomas Clifford's Mixed Martial Arts Center to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

 

[drunkaholic707]

UFC fighters Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeida host Feb. 17 fundraising seminar

In an effort to raise funds to help victims of last month's devastating earthquake in Haiti, UFC fighters Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeida this week host a training seminar in New York.

The event takes place this Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at Thomas Clifford's Martial Arts (8 Orangetown Shopping Center) in Orangeburg, N.Y.

A minimum donation of $25 is required to attend the session, and a $50 donation allows you to participate in the hands-on seminar.

All of the donations go to the American Red Cross' efforts in Haiti, where nearly a quarter-million residents died from a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12 and a series of aftershocks. Millions more have been left homeless and in need of essentials such as food, shelter and medical care.

"What happened in Haiti was very sad and tragic," stated Edgar, who recently spoke to MMAjunkie.com about the seminar and an upcoming title fight. "I'm privileged to be able to participate in this seminar to help the people of this torn country."

Attendees can also win tickets to next month's UFC 111 event in Newark, N.J., as part of a raffle.

Edgar and Almeida, who both live and train in the area, both soon return to action. Edgar fights champion B.J. Penn for the UFC lightweight title in April at UFC 112, and Almeida makes his welterweight debut against Matt Brown at UFC 111.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Phil Davis makes quick return, meets Alexander Gustafsson on UFC 112 prelims

Despite some concerns about his availability due to a possible shoulder injury, Phil Davis (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) apparently received encouraging MRI results and has agreed to fight fellow light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in April at UFC 112.

Sources close to the event confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the bout is in the process of being finalized for the night's preliminary card.

Gustafsson mentioned the fight in an official blog posting earlier today.

The bout was first reported as a possibility by MMAFrenzy.com over the weekend.

UFC 112 takes place April 10 at Concert Arena (at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card, including a headliner between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Demian Maia, airs on pay-per-view.

Davis, a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion at Penn State, made his UFC debut earlier this month at UFC 109 and easily defeated former WEC champ Brian Stann via unanimous decision. Davis dominated the fight so thoroughly that he earned winning scores of 30-26 on two judges' cards.

Despite his obvious satisfaction in picking up a win on MMA's biggest stage, Davis found some faults with his performance.

"I'm hard on myself," Davis recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "Overall, I thought I did OK, but fighting like that is not going to win me a title fight. Obviously, that's what I'm training for.

"I thought I did OK, but so many times I could have done more. You guys notice when I'm hesitant on the feet, but to me, it's so apparent when I'm hesitant on the ground. There was a lot of time when I could have gone for submissions."

Davis meets a fellow undefeated fighter when he takes on Gustafsson, a Swedish competitor who recently signed a four-fight deal with the UFC and made his promotional debut against Jared Hamman at UFC 105 in November. Gustafsson posted a 41-second knockout; in fact, among his nine career wins, seven have now come via KO or TKO (six in the first round).

At 6-foot-5, Gustafsson is one of the UFC's tallest 205-pound fighters, but he won't have a significant height or reach advantage over the 6-foot-2 Davis.

The latest UFC 112 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia (for middleweight title)
* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar (for lightweight title)
* Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie
* Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz*
* Nick Osipczak vs. Rick Story*

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Rafael dos Anjos vs. Terry Etim*
* John Gunderson vs. Paul Taylor
* Mostapha Al Turk vs. Jon Madsen*
* Brad Blackburn vs. DaMarques Johnson*
* Phil Davis vs. Alexander Gustafsson*
* Paul Kelly vs. Matt Veach*

* - Not officially announced

 

[drunkaholic707]

Thiago Alves done with drama, ready to knock out Jon Fitch at UFC 111

If Thiago Alves knocks out Jon Fitch, thank his mom.

Alves (16-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who attempts to avenge a 2006 loss to Fitch (21-3 MMA, 11-1 UFC) next month at UFC 111, had a good chat with mom in Fortaleza, Brazil, after welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre beat him this past July at UFC 100 and internal strife at American Top Team pulled him in two directions.

When he came back, he had a simple goal to cut out the drama in his life.

"GSP taught me a great lesson, and I'm really thankful for that," Alves told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently. "I want to show the world what I've learned."

Alves admits he was in a rut long before he fell short against St-Pierre. After a two-year string of impressive wins and the hype that followed, he was resting on his heels.

"It was like two years without losing, (and) you get comfortable," Alves said. "You think nobody is ever going to beat you again. Even if you're winning a lot, that's not good. You've got to always challenge yourself."

When Alves beat Josh Koscheck at UFC 90 and Fitch fell to St-Pierre at UFC 87, it looked like the stars had finally aligned.

It was hard for Alves to be challenged, though, when his life was disordered in and outside the cage. There were power struggles as his home gym, Coconut Creek, Fla.'s American Top Team, shot to notoriety as a powerhouse of MMA talent. Trainers battled with each other over the fighters' direction.

"The Pitbull" was caught in the middle – and at the worst possible time.

"People kind of pulled me to one side and pulled me to the other side," Alves said. "I was in between to try to make everybody happy. It doesn't work like that."

He lost his Muay Thai and strength and conditioning coach in the fray and arrived at the July 11 fight less than 100 percent confident.

Concurrently, St-Pierre had done his homework and turned the contest into a takedown clinic. Although he injured himself midway through the fight, the deficit in momentum was too great for Alves to overcome. "The Pitbull" lost a unanimous decision.

Toward the end of 2009, the strife at ATT died down, and Alves took a hard look at his career.

"One day, it hit me," he said. "I was like, 'You know what, man? I'm just going to live my life and do what I know best.'"

And there was one person that knew that.

"I got rid of the bad energy, all the bad stuff that was going on in my life," he said. "It was holding me back. Once you get fame, it comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of bad stuff, too. You have to through those things, though, so you can train through all the bad stuff. Because (you have to) keep the good time in your life."

Alves said the gym beefs are over and his camps are more focused than ever.

"Besides being a fighter, you've got a regular life going on and (we're) normal people with drama and [expletive], so I just cut all the drama in my life," he said. "No more drama. I'm committed 100 percent to my career now."

From a glance, Alves and Fitch live parallel lives in the welterweight division. They're both innately talented fighters who have risen fast and hit a French Canadian roadblock. They're young, though, and have wisdom to gain (which, unfortunately for them, St-Pierre has as well). The winner of the March 27 fight will hover around title contention status.

In fact, it was Fitch's victory over Alves in June 2006 that set them both on a tear to the division's top spots. Alves, however, thinks that his path has been harder.

"I think I fought tougher guys than he fought," he said.

Now, Alves said, he's got the wisdom to back his toughness.

Begrudgingly, he gives Fitch props for the well-placed upkicks that knocked him out in their first fight and said the American Kickboxing Academy-trained fighter has improved since then.

"He's more comfortable being there in high-level competition," Alves said. "That's pretty dangerous. Another thing is he used to fight up-and-coming guys, guys that never fought before, and he was the veteran. So that puts a lot of pressure on the guy that's the veteran."

Nevertheless, Alves believes he's in the right place to do what he set out to do almost four years ago: stop Jon Fitch.

"I think it's going to be a great fight," Alves said. "All I've got on my mind is to knock Jon Fitch the [expletive] out."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox in the works for UFC 115 in Vancouver

A welterweight matchup between Mike Pyle (19-6-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Jesse Lennox (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will take place in June at UFC 115.

A source close to the competitors today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that verbal agreements are in place for the fight and that bout agreements should be finalized this week.

Although not officially announced by the organization, UFC 115 takes place June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, though Pyle vs. Lennox is likely to be part of the un-televised preliminary card.

Pyle looks for some security in the world's top promotion after stints with EliteXC, Strikeforce, the IFL, World Victory Road, Affliction Entertainment and others. However, since signing with the UFC in 2009, Pyle has found inconsistency.

He suffered a submission loss to Brock Larson as a late replacement at UFC 98 but then submitted Chris Wilson at UFC Fight Night 19. Most recently, though, Pyle dropped a second-round TKO loss to Jake Ellenberger at UFC 108 in January.

Pyle could be fighting for his life in the organization when he meets Lennox, a one-time IFL and WEC fighter who could be in jeopardy of losing his UFC contract. Since joining the UFC in 2009, the Miletich fighter scored a third-round TKO win over submission ace Danillo Villefort at UFC 101, but last month at UFC Fight Night 20, Lennox dropped a unanimous decision to fast-rising Ricky Story.

Lennox, who's posted stoppage in all 11 of his career wins, snapped a four-fight win streak with the loss.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Although focused on 135-pound title, Strikeforce's Sarah Kaufman open to 145 pounds

Sarah Kaufman's focus remains on next week's Strikeforce title fight with Takayo Hashi.

In a perfect world, Kaufman will defeat the Japanese fighter at the organization's sixth Challengers event, extend her perfect record to 11-0, claim Strikeforce's first-ever women's bantamweight title, and then successfully defend her title a few times.

But the Canadian fighter wouldn't then be opposed to an eventual move to 145 pounds, where Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos reigns supreme.

"Right now my focus is at 135 pounds," Kaufman today told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "I've been waiting a very long time for this fight, so right now my focus is on the (Feb. 26) fight."

Kaufman (11-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) and Smackgirl veteran Hashi (12-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) meet at the San Jose Civic Auditorium in San Jose, Calif., and their five-round title fight is part of the night's Showtime broadcast.

Although initially booked for November, the fight was postponed, and Kaufman has now been preparing for her opponent for nearly a half year. And though Hashi has fought just once in the past two years, Kaufman isn't all that concerned.

"A lot can change from then," she said. "But a lot can stay the same. But with my game plan, it's not really going to depend a whole lot on what she comes out with. ... I've improved in all areas (including) my stand-up wrestling and the technical aspects of my striking."

Kaufman really wants to post a knockout win; after beginning her career with eight straight KO victories, she settled for decision wins over fellow Strikeforce fighters Miesha Tate and Shayna Baszler in her two most recent bouts.

"I really to make it an exciting fight," she said.

Kaufman, in fact, is all about crowd-pleasing performances. As a fan of the sport and an ambassador for women's MMA, she knows "super fights" can help make the sometimes-lagging segment of the sport catch up with its male counterpart.

That's why Kaufman isn't opposed to a potential move to 145 pounds, where a meeting with the dominant "Cyborg" Santos would seem inevitable.

"If I had done well at 135 pounds, won the title, defended it a couple times – and it was something the fans and Strikeforce wanted - I'd [do it]," she said. "But it really depends on a bunch of things.

"Right now, though, I'm really happy at 135. It's the right weight for me."

Ever respectful and professional, Kaufman has slowly but surely garnered a strong fan base over the past couple years. In fact, while media outlets almost unanimously chose Santos as 2009's female fighter of the year, fans often pointed to Kaufman as just as – if not more – deserving of the honor.

And knowing a win over Hashi and a major title could propel her stardom like never before, Kaufman is preparing for the spotlight.

"I'm really trying to get more comfortable in front of the camera," she said. "I'm a shy and private person for the most part, but I'm around people all the time at ZUMA (her fight team), and I'm happy with that too.

"Really, I'm honored people feel like they can look up to me, and I take that seriously and try to give them the best version of myself. That's the most I can ask of myself."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Daley vs. Koscheck, Credeur vs. Lawlor official for UFC 113 in Montreal

"UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II" continues to take shape, and two more bouts were today made official for the UFC's third trip to Montreal in three years.

Paul Daley (23-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Josh Koscheck (14-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) and Tim Credeur (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. Tom Lawlor (6-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) were officially added to the UFC 113 schedule.

Both fights were previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Featuring a light heavyweight rematch between UFC champ Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, UFC 113 takes place May 8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The main card airs live on pay-per-view.

Daley, who trains alongside UFC fighters Dan Hardy, Ross Pearson, Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak, has had a lightning-fast rise to the upper echelon of the welterweight division with back-to-back impressive victories over Martin Kampmann and Hazelett.

Koscheck, a former NCAA Divison I wrestling champion, needs no primer on the ground game, and his stand-up skills have developed a reputation of their own. He has stopped five of his 16 UFC opponents with strikes, which included recent highlight-reel finishes of Frank Trigg, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Hazelett. Most recently, Koscheck eluded Anthony Johnson's dangerous striking to win a rear-naked choke victory at UFC 106, a bout marred by repeated stoppages due to inadvertent eye pokes.

A staple at recent UFC Fight Night events, the 32-year-old Credeur won "Fight of the Night" honors in his most recent appearance against Nate Quarry at UFC Fight Night 19 this past September. However, he suffered multiple injuries during the barnburner that forced an extended layoff from training for much of late 2009.

The loss was Credeur's first setback since appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter 7," where he defeated Erik Charles, Matt Riddle, and Dan Cramer before would-be finalist Jesse Taylor stopped him in the show's semi-final round.

Lawlor, 27, also won "Fight of the Night" honors for his most recent fight, a three-round slugfest with Aaron Simpson that many fans believe "The Filthy Mauler" won despite running out of gas in the final round.

Lawlor was a cast member of the "TUF" season following Credeur's, "The Ultimate Fighter 8," where he defeated Ryan Lopez in the elimination round before being knocked out by the show's eventual tournament winner, Ryan Bader. Lawlor's loss to Simpson was his first post-"TUF" setback after victories over Kyle Kingsbury and C.B. Dollaway.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Grove vs. Munoz, Osipczak vs. Story added to UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi

With Demian Maia stepping in to save the main event of the UFC's first foray into the Middle East, the promotion can now focus on filling the remainder of the card.

Today, the UFC added two more bouts to the "UFC 112: Invincible" card, as Kendall Grove (11-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on Mark Munoz (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), while Nick Osipczak (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) meets Rick Story (9-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

Both bouts were previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Featuring two title fights on the main card, UFC 112 takes place April 10 in Abu Dhabi. The featured bouts air live on pay-per-view.

Grove, a Maui, Hawaii, native, most recently defeated Jake Rosholt at UFC 108 in a come-from-behind submission victory that put him back on the winning track. According to one source, Grove plans to use B.J. Penn's corner team in the upcoming fight.

Munoz, a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion who recently received his purple belt in jiu-jitsu from Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for potential injuries to his right hand, wrist and elbow during a submission win via strikes over Ryan Jensen at UFC 108. However, Munoz was cleared by an orthopedic doctor for the injuries in January and received the green-light to begin camp.

Osipczak, who entered the UFC after making the semifinals of "The Ultimate Fighter 9," submitted fellow cast member Frank Lester at the show's live finale. Then, at UFC 105 this past November, the British fighter scored a TKO win and delivered Matt Riddle his first career loss. Osipczak is a perfect 5-0 in his career with five stoppages (four in the first round).

Story, a Washington-based Braveheart Gym Fight Club fighter, made his UFC debut in 2009 and dropped a decision to John Hathaway at the overseas UFC 99 event. The loss snapped a six-fight win streak, which included wins over notables such as Brandon Melendez, Jake Ellenberger and Ryan Healy.

But at UFC 103 this past September, the 25-year-old fighter made headlines for banking two bonuses in his fight with Brian Foster – a "Submission of the Night" award for choking Foster from the guard with an arm triangle, and a "Fight of the Night" bonus for the barnburner they put on leading to the second-round stoppage. The two awards resulted in $130,000 in extra pay for Story. He then defeated Jesse Lennox via decision last month at UFC Fight Night 20.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Yoshihiro Akiyama wants Wanderlei Silva in Japan but may be Vancouver-bound

Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is in limbo for at least another week.

The Japanese star was due to take on Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 on Feb. 21 before the promotion replaced him with Michael Bisping with assurances he would eventually face the winner of the Australian card's co-main event.

In an email interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Akiyama said through an interpreter that he was disappointed by the shake-up and still wants to face Silva (and get the middleweight title while he's at it). According to sources within his camp, he may instead face either Silva or Bisping at UFC 115 in Vancouver if this weekend's winner remains healthy.

Akiyama has fought only once in the octagon – a controversial split-decision victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 – since the UFC announced his signing in February 2009.

Back in his home country, Akiyama is a popular figure with crossover appeal in the entertainment industry despite his role in a high-profile fight scandal which involved MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba, and later, a controversial no-contest decision against PRIDE and Sengoku veteran Kazuo Misaki.

Appearances aside, Akiyama said he was a victim of the "UFC jitters" in the July 11 fight with Belcher. He admits it wasn't his sexiest performance.

"I was too nervous since it was the first fight for me at the UFC and there were many accidents," Akiyama said. "Since I didn't have much experience (in the UFC), I took to the octagon with only a purpose to win at that time. As a result, I couldn't fight my way."

Akiyama felt Silva was his ticket to redemption when he got word of the fight this past October. He began training immediately and said he had mapped out a game plan for "The Axe MUrderer." Every day, according to Akiyama, he simulated the fight in practice.

But a month later, UFC officials changed their mind and felt the polarizing middleweight Bisping would draw better for the promotion's first show in Australia.

"I was really disappointed since I focused on it strongly," Akiyama said.

Akiyama took a brief break from the gym after hearing the news about Silva but has since returned to his daily grind.

"I've been focused on recovering from my injuries and I also have been training really hard at my dojo," Akiyama said. "Everything's ready for the next fight as I've been training aggressively every day."

Disappointment has segued to anticipation for his next fight.

"I had looked on a fight with (Silva) as only a passing point, so maybe my dejection was not so much as others imagined," Akiyama said. "But I'd really like to fight against him if given the chance some day."

But as popular as a fight between Akiyama and Silva might be in Japan, a source from Akiyama's camp said the UFC's current television deal with satellite provider WOWOW will not support an event there. The source said the UFC is available in fewer than a quarter-million Japanese homes and is heavily edited.

It's been almost ten years since the Las Vegas-based promotion touched down on Japanese soil for "UFC 29: Defense of the Belts," and The UFC is instead targeting the Pacific Northwest for Akiyama's return when UFC 115 touches down in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 12.

There's a big caveat on the date, though: If the winner of Silva vs. Bisping is hurt following UFC 110, Akiyama might need to wait a little longer for an opponent.

Technically, Akiyama has not lost a fight since March 2005 when the 262-pound Jerome Lebanner knocked him out in the now-defunct K-1 Hero's promotion.

Despite the delays, Akiyama said he's happy to be fighting in the octagon and hopes to one day also face another Silva: UFC middleweight champ Anderson.

"He is a great champion," Akiyama said. "I aim for a [UFC title]. I'd like to fight as long as possible until I reach the very top. I'd like to keep fighting for the UFC as far as possible."