MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Phil Collins out, Jorge Lopez faces Waachiim Spiritwolf at Tachi Palace Fights 9

"Against All Odds," Phil Collins has decided a pending matchup with Waachiim Spiritwolf (8-7-1) just isn't "In the Air Tonight."

Obligatory Collins jokes aside, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that the California-based fighter has withdrawn from May's Tachi Palace Fights 9 event, citing personal reasons.

In his place steps Wand Fight Team product Jorge Lopez (8-1), who makes his Tachi Palace Fights debut.

Featuring a flyweight matchup between John Dodson and Mamoru Yamaguchi, Tachi Palace Fights 9 takes place May 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Spiritwolf fights for the first time following a two-fight stint under the Strikeforce banner that included a decision loss to Billy Evangelista and a no contest result after suffering an accidental eyepoke just six seconds into a matchup with Marius Zaromskis. A five-year professional, Spiritwolf's pedestrian record belies his reputation as an always-game opponent.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Lopez carries an eight-fight win streak into the matchup. "Lil' Monster" suffered a split-decision loss in his professional debut but has since bounced back with eight consecutive victories, including three via stoppage.

 

[Shogun Locc]

St-Pierre: "It would be foolish for me to look past Shields" at UFC 129

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is not yet convinced that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is in his future.

Ask him on May 1 – after he's fought Jake Shields.

There are many, of course, who feel the UFC 129 headliner is a formality and think the clash between pound-for-pound greats is inevitable. For one, Las Vegas oddsmakers, who set the line on the potential fight at 6-to-1 odds in favor of St-Pierre, according to UFC president Dana White.

Just as Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC) was bombarded with questions about the superfight this past Saturday following his explosive knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126, so was St-Pierre (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) when he sat down to talk about his headlining bout against Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), which takes place April 30 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

"I don't even think about this right now," St-Pierre said at a press conference in support of the spring event. "I never thought about it. I always live in the present moment, and my biggest problem is Jake Shields.

"It would be foolish for me to look past Shields. He poses the biggest threat to my title. He's a very well-rounded fighter. The UFC brought him in, and I'm glad they did because he's the No. 1 guy for the welterweight title.

"As the champion, I'm a proud champion, and I want to fight the best guy. I'm going to fight Jake Shields, and I'm happy to do so."

Although White conceded this past Saturday that St-Pierre vs. Silva will happen if the welterweight champ defends his title a sixth consecutive time, he was again forced to pump the brakes on the expectations of fans and media.

"This guy is so stealth," White said of Shields. "But that's how he's been his entire career.

"People have been counting this kid out forever. He just fought Dan Henderson at 185 pounds, and anybody who's ever covered mixed martial arts in this room – probably even his training camp didn't think he was going to win that. Not only did he win that fight – he dominated Henderson.

"He hasn't lost a fight since 2005. That's tough to do in this sport. So this is a tough fight for St-Pierre. I don't care what Las Vegas says or anybody else says."

St-Pierre sees more depth in the fight than most observers, who say the welterweight title matchup is an easy one to envision: The champ stuffs the takedown and pounds the challenger into oblivion.

The champion said he sees a threat in Shields' striking skills, and obviously his black-belt level jiu-jitsu. Most dangerous, though, is the weapon between the challenger's ears.

"He's very well-rounded, plus, he's a very clever fighter," St-Pierre said. "That's what makes him most dangerous – he's a clever guy. We have a lot of guys that are dangerous in the sport, but they are not clever. They go in there and they try to rumble. He's not that kind of guy."

For his part, Shields is a little perturbed that he's been left on the sidelines of his own fight, though he understands why there's so much attention on Silva vs. St-Pierre. The champions have dominated in their respective weight classes so long that it's natural to want to put them together. But there's one easy way to turn people's heads, and that's by winning the welterweight title.

"It's a big mistake to overlook me," he said. "Because I plan on coming out there and spoiling that fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Featherweight Contender Chad Mendes Inks New Four Fight Deal with Promotion

Coming off a dominant win over Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 126, Team Alpha Male fighter Chad Mendes has been rewarded with a new four fight deal with the UFC.

Mendes’ manager Mike Roberts of MMA Inc. confirmed the new contract with MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday.

“Chad’s excited to continue his career with the UFC, and he’s looking forward to fighting for the title in 2011,” Roberts told MMAWeekly.

At 10-0, Mendes has become one of the top featherweights in the world and recently vaulted to the No. 2 spot at 145lbs in the MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings.

After defeating Omigawa at UFC 126, Mendes is now widely considered the top contender in the featherweight division, but it’s likely he’ll remain active instead of waiting for the winner of the upcoming title fight between champion Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Decorated Judoka Kheder Joins Bellator Lightweight Tournament

Accomplished judoka and 2000 Sydney Olympian Ferrid Kheder will compete in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming fourth-season lightweight tournament, the promotion announced on Wednesday. The eight-man grand prix will begin in March and air live on MTV2.

The “Hurricane” joins Rob McCullough, Carey Vanier, Michael Chandler and Lloyd Woodard in the tournament field, making five participants now official. Patricky Freire, Marcin Held and Toby Imada are also expected to compete in the tournament, though their participation has not yet been ratified by the promotion.

Currently training at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif., Kheder’s most recent bout was embroiled in controversy. After three rounds of action against Hermes Franca in Costa Rica on Dec. 19, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards. Though most observers believed that Franca had secured a clear victory, Kheder was awarded a decision win. The bout was later overturned to a no-contest. The 35-year-old French Tunisian had won five straight bouts prior to his fight with Franca.

“I’m absolutely determined to win this tournament,” Kheder said in a press release “I think I’m one of the best in the world when I have the proper training and I’m fully prepared. I have three fights to win in this tournament, and then I’ll have the opportunity to fight for the title against one of the best lightweights in the world. I know this is a really huge opportunity for me.”

As with all of Bellator’s tournaments, the winner of the lightweight bracket will be awarded $100,000 in total pay, as well as a shot at Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Kheder was originally slated to compete in Bellator’s second lightweight tournament in spring 2010, but was forced to withdraw due to appendicitis.

 

[drunkaholic707]

St-Pierre: "It would be foolish for me to look past Shields" at UFC 129

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is not yet convinced that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is in his future.

Ask him on May 1 – after he's fought Jake Shields.

There are many, of course, who feel the UFC 129 headliner is a formality and think the clash between pound-for-pound greats is inevitable. For one, Las Vegas oddsmakers, who set the line on the potential fight at 6-to-1 odds in favor of St-Pierre, according to UFC president Dana White.

Just as Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC) was bombarded with questions about the superfight this past Saturday following his explosive knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126, so was St-Pierre (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) when he sat down to talk about his headlining bout against Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), which takes place April 30 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

"I don't even think about this right now," St-Pierre said at a press conference in support of the spring event. "I never thought about it. I always live in the present moment, and my biggest problem is Jake Shields.

"It would be foolish for me to look past Shields. He poses the biggest threat to my title. He's a very well-rounded fighter. The UFC brought him in, and I'm glad they did because he's the No. 1 guy for the welterweight title.

"As the champion, I'm a proud champion, and I want to fight the best guy. I'm going to fight Jake Shields, and I'm happy to do so."

Although White conceded this past Saturday that St-Pierre vs. Silva will happen if the welterweight champ defends his title a sixth consecutive time, he was again forced to pump the brakes on the expectations of fans and media.

"This guy is so stealth," White said of Shields. "But that's how he's been his entire career.

"People have been counting this kid out forever. He just fought Dan Henderson at 185 pounds, and anybody who's ever covered mixed martial arts in this room – probably even his training camp didn't think he was going to win that. Not only did he win that fight – he dominated Henderson.

"He hasn't lost a fight since 2005. That's tough to do in this sport. So this is a tough fight for St-Pierre. I don't care what Las Vegas says or anybody else says."

St-Pierre sees more depth in the fight than most observers, who say the welterweight title matchup is an easy one to envision: The champ stuffs the takedown and pounds the challenger into oblivion.

The champion said he sees a threat in Shields' striking skills, and obviously his black-belt level jiu-jitsu. Most dangerous, though, is the weapon between the challenger's ears.

"He's very well-rounded, plus, he's a very clever fighter," St-Pierre said. "That's what makes him most dangerous – he's a clever guy. We have a lot of guys that are dangerous in the sport, but they are not clever. They go in there and they try to rumble. He's not that kind of guy."

For his part, Shields is a little perturbed that he's been left on the sidelines of his own fight, though he understands why there's so much attention on Silva vs. St-Pierre. The champions have dominated in their respective weight classes so long that it's natural to want to put them together. But there's one easy way to turn people's heads, and that's by winning the welterweight title.

"It's a big mistake to overlook me," he said. "Because I plan on coming out there and spoiling that fight."

 

[drunkaholic707]

Carlos Condit forced to withdraw from UFC 127 with knee injury

A knee injury has dashed Carlos Condit's hopes for a slugfest with Chris Lytle (30-17-5 MMA, 9-9 UFC) at UFC 127.

Sources close to the event today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Condit (26-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will be out of action for a minimum of a month and will be unable to compete. Sportsnet.ca first reported the possibility of the former WEC champ's withdrawal.

UFC 127 takes place Feb. 27 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia and airs live on pay-per-view. Due to the time difference, the event airs live in the U.S. on Feb. 26 in its normal Saturday-night timeslot. A welterweight clash between former champion B.J. Penn and perennial contender Jon Fitch headlines.

It's unknown at this time whether the UFC has found a replacement for Condit. The fighter most recently appeared this past October at UFC 120 and saw his stock rapidly climb with a first-round knockout of one-time contender Dan Hardy. That triumph followed a TKO win over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115and a decision against Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 19

Lytle, meanwhile, quietly has amassed a four-fight win streak with UFC victories over Kevin Burns, Brian Foster, Matt Brown and former champ Matt Serra. "The Ultimate Fighter 4" runner-up said he wants to close out his career with a shot at the belt, though it's unclear now where he stands in the title contention picture.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Robertson Released by UFC Following Loss in Debut

Welterweight Kenny Robertson (Pictured) has been released by the UFC after suffering a loss in his promotional debut to Mike Pierce at UFC 126 last week.

Robertson's release was first reported by Five Ounces of Pain on Thursday morning, and Robertson verified the news on his Facebook page shortly thereafter.

UFC 126 took place Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and was headlined by a middleweight title tilt between longtime champion Anderson Silva and the resurgent Vitor Belfort. Silva knocked his fellow Brazilian out with a jaw-dropping front kick to the face in the first round to retain his title.

Unbeaten heading into his preliminary showdown with Pierce, Robertson was knocked out just 29 seconds into the second round. Prior to that bout, the Central Illinois Combat Club representative had rifled off 10 straight victories, earning seven submission wins along the way. A veteran of the defunct Cage Rage promotion, Robertson's last appearance before entering the Octagon resulted in victory, as the welterweight submitted John Kolosci at Bellator 25 in August.

Robertson was initially supposed to make his Octagon debut in November at UFC 122 against German prospect Pascal Krauss, but the American was forced to withdraw from the bout with an injury. Hard-hitting Brit Mark Scanlon stepped up as his replacement, losing a unanimous decision to Krauss at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ebersole Likely Replacement for Injured Condit at UFC 127

Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit has suffered a knee injury that will force him out of his UFC 127 bout with Chris Lytle, and his late-notice replacement for the event will likely be well-traveled veteran Brian Ebersole.

Sherdog.com learned Wednesday from sources close to the fighter that Condit's participation in the event was in jeopardy as the welterweight underwent an MRI in Las Vegas. On Thursday, Sherdog.com confirmed with a source close to the event that Ebersole would likely step in to face Lytle in Condit's stead. News of the replacement was first reported by Fight News Australia.

UFC 127 will be headlined by a pivotal welterweight clash, as divisional stalwart Jon Fitch squares off with pound-for-pound great B.J. Penn in the main event. Also scheduled for the show is a middleweight tilt between “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Michael Bisping and hard-punching Jorge Rivera, as well as a lightweight scrap featuring hometown favorite George Sotiropoulos taking on German striker Dennis Siver.

Ebersole will make his UFC debut against Lytle. An 11-year veteran of the sport, the American welterweight now resides in Australia. “Bad Boy” rides a seven-fight winning streak heading into the contest, including a victory over pioneer Carlos Newton at Impact FC 1 in July. A veteran of 46 bouts, The 30-year-old holds 19 career victories by submission and has never been knocked out.

Lytle, 36, is another longtime practitioner of the sport. A finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter” season four, the Hoosier has competed in 52 professional MMA bouts and 15 pro boxing contests. Lytle has won four straight fights as of late, notching victories over Kevin Burns, Brian Foster and Matt Brown before avenging his “TUF” finale loss to Matt Serra at UFC 119 in September.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ebersole Likely Replacement for Injured Condit at UFC 127

Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit has suffered a knee injury that will force him out of his UFC 127 bout with Chris Lytle, and his late-notice replacement for the event will likely be well-traveled veteran Brian Ebersole.

Sherdog.com learned Wednesday from sources close to the fighter that Condit's participation in the event was in jeopardy as the welterweight underwent an MRI in Las Vegas. On Thursday, Sherdog.com confirmed with a source close to the event that Ebersole would likely step in to face Lytle in Condit's stead. News of the replacement was first reported by Fight News Australia.

UFC 127 will be headlined by a pivotal welterweight clash, as divisional stalwart Jon Fitch squares off with pound-for-pound great B.J. Penn in the main event. Also scheduled for the show is a middleweight tilt between “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Michael Bisping and hard-punching Jorge Rivera, as well as a lightweight scrap featuring hometown favorite George Sotiropoulos taking on German striker Dennis Siver.

Ebersole will make his UFC debut against Lytle. An 11-year veteran of the sport, the American welterweight now resides in Australia. “Bad Boy” rides a seven-fight winning streak heading into the contest, including a victory over pioneer Carlos Newton at Impact FC 1 in July. A veteran of 46 bouts, The 30-year-old holds 19 career victories by submission and has never been knocked out.

Lytle, 36, is another longtime practitioner of the sport. A finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter” season four, the Hoosier has competed in 52 professional MMA bouts and 15 pro boxing contests. Lytle has won four straight fights as of late, notching victories over Kevin Burns, Brian Foster and Matt Brown before avenging his “TUF” finale loss to Matt Serra at UFC 119 in September.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pedro Rizzo: "I really want to finish my career in the UFC"

Pedro Rizzo (19-9) is a long way removed from his unanimous-decision victory over Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 45 in November 2003.

That was the last time he competed inside the octagon. If Rizzo has anything to say about it, it won't be his final time either.

On a comeback of sorts, a return to the sport's pinnacle has officially become the endgame for Rizzo.

He is actively seeking the proverbial icing on the cake in a professional career that checks in at right around 15 years in length.

The only problem is taking the necessary steps to position himself correctly for a potential return.

While skeptics claim he's no longer UFC-caliber, that he's battered and bruised from years of combat, Rizzo believes Father Time has yet to pass him by.

"I'm not that old," he recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "Everybody thinks I'm 40 because, as I always say, there was the 'middle time.' It was Royce Gracie, Marco Ruas, and after that came the new guys (like me) in the middle.

"I fought with (Mark) Coleman, all these guys, and now they are older than me. I fought with Dan Severn, but I was very, very young then. People don't understand. They think I'm the same age as these guys. I'm still 36."

"The Rock" currently is riding a three-fight win streak with victories over Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock.

His resume has started to snowball to a certain degree. The hope is at some point it will galvanize UFC management.

Currently, Rizzo does not have anything on his plate in the foreseeable future with the UFC nor any other fight promotion.

For now, training occupies his days.

"I go everywhere," said Rizzo, referring to his native country of Brazil. "Wherever I can find good training, I will go there. I am always looking for the best training."

He still considers Nova Uniao's Andre Pederneiras his head trainer despite the fact that he's in constant motion.

He trains in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro in Tijuca. He travels to train with the Nogueira brothers periodically. He will also frequent Anderson Silva's camp in Barra da Tijuca at X-Gym.

If you own a gym in Brazil these days, chances are you likely will cross paths with Rizzo at some point.

"I'm training with good guys," he said. "My main training partner is Glover Teixeira. He used to be a main training partner for Chuck Liddell. He's living in Brazil. He trains with me every day."

The impetus for his nomad-like training is simple: seek out the best trainers and training partners one can find and reap the benefits.

Furthermore, his frequent interaction with quality fighters provides a daily litmus test for him to use as a gauge during periods of self-reflection.

"Maybe I have five, six, seven more fights," Rizzo said. "I want to do my best. I want to step in the ring and have a big battle, a big war, exchange blows. It doesn't matter what happens. I will knock people out, or I will be knocked out. We'll see."

Whether it means he'll take his fighting style back to the UFC or somewhere else next remains to be seen.

"I really want to finish my career in the UFC," Rizzo said. "It is kind of a dream for me. I think I am still able to fight with the top guys.

"It would be a dream to finish my career in the UFC. I don't know if it will be possible, but I'm doing my part. I'm training every day. I am keeping in shape and training hard. That is what I have to do."

With the UFC scheduled to visit HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 27, there is always a small chance he could get his wish.

"When they call me, I'll be ready."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce, M-1 Global add three prelim bouts, complete lineup for "Fedor vs. Rogers"

The full lineup for Strikeforce and M-1 Global's highly anticipated "Fedor vs. Silva" event is now officially complete.

Strikeforce brass announced the addition of three preliminary card contests – including Don Carlo-Clauss vs. Sam Oropeza, Josh LaBerge vs. Anthony Leone and Jason McLean vs. Kevin Roddy – and the schedule is now complete with 10 fights.

Featuring a pair of heavyweight grand prix bouts, including Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva, "Fedor vs. Silva" takes place Feb. 12 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

The main card airs on Showtime, while the preliminary contests broadcast on HDNet.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported the LaBerge vs. Leone and McLean vs. Roddy contests. Carlos-Clauss and Oropeza meet in welterweight action.

Leone (8-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) opened his career with a perfect 8-0 mark and earned a contract with the WEC. But the Team Bombsquad fighter then suffered a submission loss to Renan Barao at WEC 49, and he followed that with a unanimous-decision loss to Georgi Karakhanyan at Bellator 28 this past September.

LaBerge (7-4 MMA, 0-0 SF) opened his career with a pedestrian 2-4 mark, but he since has rebounded for five consecutive victories. The Massachusetts-based fighter picked up a decision win over Chris Simmons at Bellator 2 and a TKO victory over Dan Bonnell at Bellator 17.

McLean (5-3 MMA, 0-0 SF), meanwhile, has won three of his past four fights, and he owns early-career victories over current WEC fighter Ken Stone and recently crowned KOTC bantamweight champ Jimmie Rivera. The prospect has picked up belts in Massachusetts and Ohio, and he now looks for a win in his biggest host promotion yet.

Roddy (9-11-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), a member of Kurt Pellegrino's fight team in New Jersey, opened his career in 2005 with a 6-1 mark, and the lone loss came to current UFC contender Jim Miller. But he's struggled recently with a 2-8-1 record over his past 11 fights.

Carlo-Clauss (6-3 MMA, 0-0 SF), Team Bombsquad fighter, looks to rebound from an October 2010 submission loss to John Benoit. Fighting for the first time under the Strikeforce banner, Carlos-Clauss went 2-1 in three 2010 fights.

Oropeza (4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), meanwhile also looks to rebound from a loss – the first, and to date only, of his career. The Philadelphia Fight Factory product turned pro in 2009 and quickly reeled off four-straight wins, including three victories in a combined time of just 1 minute and 46 seconds, before being submitted by Myles Jury this past September.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lavar Johnson ready, willing to take Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix slot

Strikeforce heavyweight prospect Lavar Johnson (15-3 MMA, 3-0 SF) insists he isn't wishing bad things on any of the promotion's eight heavyweight grand prix entrants.

That said, if bad things happen, the California native has no problem taking on any of the eight brutes enrolled in one of the most talent-laden tournaments in MMA history.

"You don't wish anybody to get hurt, but with these heavyweights, injuries do happen – broken hands and whatnot," Johnson told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I'm training and hoping that I get that shot."

Johnson can take the first step in that direction at this Saturday's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva" event in New Jersey, when he battles fellow heavyweight up-and-comer Shane Del Rosario (10-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) in a tournament reserve fight.

Johnson admits he would have rather faced a proven commodity rather than a fellow prospect, but he admits Del Rosario is capable of delivering performances worthy of tournament consideration, as well.

"I would have liked to have fought a bigger name to get myself out there, but Shane is undefeated," Johnson said. "He's a dangerous opponent, and I'm looking forward to getting in there and mixing it up. I think he's just as talented as any other fighter out there that's on this card."

That's high praise when you consider Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva and Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov are slotted in the evening's two featured spots. With 10 stoppage wins in 10 career fights – nine of which were secured in the opening round – Del Rosario is likely deserving of the recognition. Of course, even with the praise Johnson insists he's not overly concerned.

"He kicks really hard," Johnson said. "He's a Muay Thai champion here in the U.S., and he kicks hard. That's all I'm worried about, really. I don't think he has the power in his punches to knock me out.

"He has good jiu-jitsu and really good hips, but I don't think it's going to the ground. I'm just trying to smother his kicks, get in his face and make him scrap."

And if Johnson wins, then he waits. With two other reserve bouts scheduled for this weekend's card, there's no guarantee he'll be granted a spot in the tourney even if one becomes available. However, that's no deterrent to Johnson, who aims to impress on Saturday night.

"I'm excited to be a part of everything," Johnson said. "It's great. It's amazing to be around all these top-level fighters and to be able to compete with them.

"We're going to be two pitbulls going at it. … I get this win over Del Rosario first, that's my main priority, and then go from there."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: Albert Alvarez stepping out of the shadow of his famed older brother

Albert Alvarez was hesitant to begin a mixed-martial-arts career, given the fame of his brother who is seven years older.

They share many traits and aspects of life, including a tough-as-nails mother who helped the boys grow closer by not letting older Eddie pick on younger Albert. They were also both skilled high school wrestlers in the Philadelphia area.

But Albert was concerned that his brother Eddie, who is 21-2 in MMA, would cast too long of a shadow for Albert to get a fair shake in the sport.

So whom did Albert turn to for advice? Eddie, of course.

"I was worried about what other people were thinking, like, 'What if he doesn't live up to his brother?'" Alvarez told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "So me and my brother sat down and talked. I told him I wanted to do it, and he said he didn't have a problem with it.

"He was on board; he just told me not worry about what other people think."

As he has for his brother's entire life, Eddie Alvarez will be in Albert's corner for his second fight on Friday when he appears in his second Locked in the Cage show in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Alvarez, the 20-year-old younger brother, won his amateur debut via decision at a Locked in the Cage opportunity his brother helped him to get. This time, he hopes to make things more decisive and move on to a professional career.

Meanwhile, he trains with his brother while working an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. machine operating job for Kraft Foods, making his schedule good for training in the afternoon and evening but bad for sleep.

He's just trying to keep winning, make his own name and become a pro fighter.

"I wanna go pro as soon as possible, and whenever I'm ready and the circumstances are right, it's gonna happen," Alvarez said. "I feel like I'm ready now, and I'm trying to show it."

Toughness at home

Albert is the youngest of four Alvarez children, three boys and a girl. Their father owned his own business doing work on homes, and their mother was a surgical tech at Temple University.

They come from big, strong stock, as evidenced by their mother's insistence that the brothers not pick on one another.

"She's very strong," Alvarez said. "She'll shove you and slap you pretty hard. My mother and father both, they're very strong. I never feel overpowered by anybody in the ring or have trouble in avoiding being tossed. I feel like I'm from my parents and their strong gene pool."

That gene pool first produced Eddie, who was a star high school wrestler while younger Albert was often in the crowd watching him. Alvarez would later become a wrestler himself, starting at age 10 and continuing through his own strong high school career.

By his senior year, Alvarez was tiring of cutting weight but went through another successful season at 155 pounds, wrestling in the 150-pound division.

Alvarez was best when he was on his feet, to the point he would sometimes let opponents back up after taking them down so he could get back to a standing position. Alvarez didn't have a desire to go to college after high school, so he went to work immediately.

Soon, Alvarez settled into a job with Kraft that left him plenty of free time in the afternoon and evening before work to train. He always held an interest in MMA, as well.

It was just a matter of getting his confidence strong enough and consulting with his brother.

"He had been doing it for about five years already," Alvarez said. "How could I find a better person to talk to about it than him?"

His own career

Alvarez wasn't long out of high school when he finally had a sit-down talk with his brother and they decided they should start training together.

At about 18, Alvarez wasn't just training with his brother. He was training with one of the world's best in his weight class, and they started a tradition of sparring on Saturdays that continues today.

Eventually, Alvarez even got his brother's help to get his first fight.

"I had been training for about eight months, really hard," he said. "(Eddie) knows the promoter of Locked in the Cage, and he asked him what he thought about me fighting there. He was open to it, and everything went from there."

Alvarez made his amateur debut on Dec. 3, and it went well quickly. Almost too well.

"I was nervous, a little jittery, but I felt relaxed when I was in the ring," he said. "I gave him a real good shot coming right out, and I got a little too happy I think. I still feel like I should've finished him the first round, but I managed to win in a decision."

Eddie Alvarez was in his brother's corner, just as he will be on Friday. He'll be supporting the less-experienced, youngest member of his fighting family who is mostly training or working from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m., splitting time between his third-shift job and his dedication to MMA.

"I just try to fight the best I can, not necessarily be like anybody else," Alvarez said. "If that's what it looks like, it's not intended at all. I'm just trying to do what I learned."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce: Shane Del Rosario Sees Lavar Johnson As The Next Step

After years of being considered an up and coming fighter, Strikeforce heavyweight Shane Del Rosario is finally being given the opportunity to step up and make a name for himself as a legitimate contender.

Standing in Del Rosario’s way is a fellow fighter looking to make his mark on the big stage in Lavar Johnson. The two match up for the first alternate spot in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix starting this Saturday at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

“We both thought after leaving the Challengers Series we thought we’d be fighting big name opponents, but we’re fighting each other and that’s just how it is,” Del Rosario told MMAWeekly.com about this weekend’s fight.

Even if he’s not being given the kind of fight he initially thought he’d get by stepping up into Strikeforce’s main show, Del Rosario is grateful of the situation he finds himself in.

“This is a good thing for me,” he said. “Whether I get in the tournament or not, there’s going to be big names on each card, like Fedor (Emelianenko) on this one, and that means it will be watched worldwide, so people are going to get a chance to see me fight.”

While he’d like to be part of the main tournament draw, Del Rosario knows better than to underestimate Lavar Johnson.

“He’s not someone to look over,” stated Del Rosario. “He’s not an easy fight. He hits hard and finishes fights, so I’ve got to go into this smart, look for the win and hopefully get the first alternate spot in the tournament.”

Like Del Rosario, Johnson has been on a tear, finishing his last seven opponents.

When asked how he compares to other opposition Del Rosario has faced, he said of Johnson, “Every heavyweight hits hard, but I guess he’s got more speed than some of the guys I’ve fought like Lolohea Mahe or Brandon Cash.

“I think it’s very similar when it comes to all heavyweights – one punch can knock you out – so you’ve got to be smart and keep your hands up.”

Should Del Rosario not make it into the tournament, he feels there is one fighter in particular people should keep an eye on.

“I definitely think it’s going to be (Alistair) Overeem, Fedor or (Fabricio) Werdum,” commented Del Rosario. “You can’t overlook Josh Barnett though; he’s a very tough opponent and has fought a lot of really tough guys.

“It’s going to be a really good tournament to watch and it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen at this point, but Alistair is really dominant right now, and I can’t see him not being in the finals.”

Having spent five years training, fighting, and earning the respect needed to make it to the highest level of MMA, Del Rosario intends to shine as bright as possible and have people leaving the arena Saturday night remembering his name above all others.

“I want to thank Team Oyama, Innovative Results, Metal Mulisha, Rockstar, Power Balance, and Full Tilt Poker,” he concluded. “Check out my fight. It’s going to be exciting with Lavar Johnson, and I hope to put on a good show and try to steal Fight of the Night for you guys.”

 

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Cyborg eyes return on March 5th: “I’ll focus on my Jiu-Jitsu trainings”

Evangelista Cyborg had the chance of disputing Strikeforce’s belt against the American Nick Diaz and, despite having done a good presentation and have done a good Exchange for over nine minutes, he end up making a mistake the only time the fight went to the floor and was submitted with an armbar, at ten seconds for the end of the round.

Back home, the athlete of Chute Boxe talked to TATAME and regretted his loss. “That’s it, you make a mistake and the fight’s over. He deserves some credit too, because he did it so he earned the win”, said, explaining why he decided to take the fight to the ground. “I’ve always found a way out on my legs, that was the idea, and in order to guarantee a round in my favor I took him down, but it end up being exactly what he wanted. Now I can’t keep regretting it, I’ll focus more on my Jiu-Jitsu trainings. The fight was good so far, he had a good moment when fit a good punch on my chin, but it was going the right way”.

Sad about the defeat, Cyborg guarantees he’ll comeback in great style, and nothing better than a win to “erase” the bad result with Diaz. “I’ll take a week off so my body rests and then I’ll return to the trainings, and I think I’ll fight sooner than you could imagine. They’ve told me about an event on March 5th, but didn’t say me anything about an opponent yet… But I’ll be ready”, reveals, already thinking about a new title shot. “I believe I can earn another chance if I win one of two fights, and this time I won’t make a mistake. I’ll correct my mistakes of this last fight… I can fight anyone on my weight class”, concluded, confident.

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

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Freddie Roach: St-Pierre vs. Silva is the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather of MMA

Count boxing guru Freddie Roach among those who can't wait to see UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) fight middleweight champion Anderson Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC).

After watching boxing's biggest fight go the way of the dodo bird, the trainer, who's been a fistic consultant for both champs, thinks it's the biggest possible draw for MMA.

"It's Pacquiao-Mayweather in MMA," Roach told UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan on this week's episode of "UFC Ultimate Insider." "It's one guy going up in weight to fight the bigger and better – supposedly better – guy."

Roach, who's trained some of boxing's biggest stars including multi-division champ Manny Pacquiao, knows about the heartache that comes with lost opportunity. After endless months of rumors about a possible megafight between Pacquiao and welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather, he gave an interview this past November in which he said the fight would never happen.

To see a meeting of MMA greats in their prime must be a small consolation.

At this point, the 50-year-old Roach said he has a closer relationship to St-Pierre. The welterweight champ sought him out as he prepared for his sixth title defense at UFC 124 against Josh Koscheck, and later asked Roach to be his cornerman (Roach declined due to prior commitments).

Roach marveled at the discipline St-Pierre brought to the table during their work together and predicted a left hook knockout of Koscheck. (No such luck for St-Pierre, though he broke Koscheck's orbital bone in the first punch of the fight and dominated the standup action en route to a unanimous decision.)

It's been more than a year since Roach worked steadily with Silva, though his time with the middleweight champ certainly left an impression.

"Anderson is a better boxer at this point," Roach said.

But while Roach believes St-Pierre is somewhat of an underdog, he thinks he might be able to change that.

"There's some things I've learned about Anderson that I think I can help Georges with," he said. "Because I've worked with [Anderson] closely, and Anderson is a very clever fighter."

So clever, in fact, that Roach thinks Silva has often mailed it in during his long reign as middleweight champion.

That won't be an issue for this fight, he added.

"That's one fight I don't think you have to worry about Anderson not getting up for," he said. "He will get up for [St-Pierre]. Because he doesn't always get up for fights like talented people do at times. Sometimes it comes so easily and natural to them that they get a bit lazy.

"But for that fight, I expect both guys to be at their best. Georges is stronger physically and can rough him up on the inside. Anderson's more of a technician and knows distance. Distance is the key to that fight."

Now, it's just a matter of St-Pierre getting past Jake Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC 129, which takes place April 30 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Roach will have to cool his jets until then.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Highly touted Canadian prospect Alex Garcia joins field vying for TUF 13 title

The UFC’s crop of TUF 13 talent will feature at least two undefeated up-and-comers with a history of avoiding the judges’ scorecards, as it appears 23-year old Alex Garcia will join 9-0 Myles Jury among the group of individuals competing for an opportunity to become Ultimate Fighter Season 13 champion.

Five Ounces of Pain learned of Garcia’s addition from a source close to the situation.

A training partner of Georges St. Pierre’s in Montreal at the Tristar Gym, Garcia is considered to be one of the hottest prospects north of the border. He is 6-0 thus far since turning pro about eighteen months with a trio of both TKOs and submissions under his belt. His last in-ring appearance resulted in a Rear-Naked Choke of Tyler Jackson at “Ringside MMA – Payback” in November, the fifth first-round finish of Garcia’s young career.

In addition to Jury and Garcia, Five Ounces revealed earlier this week 10-2 Tony Ferguson and 4-1 Zach Davis would also be part of this season’s crew. Fans can find out how the four will fare, and whether they’ll fight for Brock Lesnar’s or Junior dos Santos’ team, when TUF 13 hits the airwaves on March 30.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef official for "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson"

Citing a leg injury, Luke Rockhold has withdrawn from a planned matchup with Tim Kennedy (12-3 MMA, 3-1 SF) at March's "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" event.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, Dutch slugger Melvin Manhoef (24-8-1 MMA, 0-1 SF) will step into the open slot. Strikeforce brass today made the change official.

The bout will be featured on the Showtime-televised main card of "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson," which takes place March 5 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Manhoef actually is the third proposed opponent for Kennedy at Strikeforce's debut show in the Buckeye State. Prior to the Rockhold booking, officials initially targeted a rubber match between Kennedy and Jason "Mayhem" Miller that recently was scrapped.

Kennedy, who recently has struggled to get opponents, fights for the first time since an August decision loss to Ronald "Jacare" Souza for the Strikeforce interim middleweight title. Prior to the defeat, the former IFL fighter won four consecutive fights, which included submission victories over Strikeforce's Nick Thompson, Zak Cummings and Trevor Prangley.

Manhoef, who's also an active K-1 kickboxer, fights for Strikeforce for only the second time. He first appeared in January 2010 and suffered a first-round knockout loss to Robbie Lawler. Combined with that loss, Manhoef now has dropped four of his past six fights. Prior to the skid, the DREAM veteran had posted a 6-1 mark (with six knockout wins) from 2007 to 2008. In fact, 23 of his 24 career MMA wins have come via knockout.

"I come to fight and give my very best," Manhoef stated in an official release. "I am very, very hungry. I need to win this fight. I am looking forward to fighting Tim Kennedy."

 

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Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker appears Friday on "Fox and Friends"

Just 48 hours away from the most significant mixed martial arts tournament in recent history, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker will appear on morning talk show "Fox and Friends" to promote the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

Morning people can catch Coker at 7:15 a.m. ET (4:15 a.m. PT).

"Fox and Friends," which has frequently hosted personalities from the MMA world, airs on the Fox News Channel.

The heavyweight grand prix kicks off Saturday with "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," which takes place at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and features two quarterfinal matchups: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva and Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov.

Additionally, three heavyweight reserve matchups are on tap for the event's main card: Shane Del Rosario vs. Lavar Johnson, Valentijn Overeem vs. Ray Sefo and Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante.

Strikeforce on Tuesday held a fan event at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City to show off the grand prix's heavyweight competitors. The event was attended by hundreds of fans who lined up for autographs and watched open workouts.

On Friday, IZOD Center hosts the weigh-ins for Saturday's event, which airs live on Showtime and HDNet. Doors for the weigh-ins open at 4 p.m. ET, and the first fighter hits the scale at 5 p.m. ET. The weigh-ins are open to the public.

The second leg of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix tentatively is scheduled for April 10. While the promotion has indicated interest in holding the event in Japan, official word has yet to arrive.