MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 127's B.J. Penn has considered retirement before

B.J. Penn has been in this position before.

Following a failed attempt to reclaim his belt and a second loss to Frankie Edgar in 2010, Penn considered calling it quits.

Following a UFC 127 majority draw with Jon Fitch on Saturday, Penn again was noncommittal on his future. But if his post-event flight plays out like it did after UFC 118, the view from 30,000 feet could provide some clarity.

In the headliner of a pay-per-view event at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, Penn (16-7-2 MMA, 12-6-2 UFC) won the first round, and Fitch (23-3-1 MMA, 13-1-1 UFC) dominated the third round with a sustained ground-and-pound assault. The second round and the score of the third ultimately proved the deciding factors in the bout, which was scored 29-28 (for Fitch), 28-28 and 28-28. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) scored it 29-28 for Fitch.

It was an obvious letdown for both fighters, who were promised a title shot with a victory. After the fight, though, Penn, wasn't thinking about belts or a potential rematch as much as he was his immediate future.

Did his post-fight comments really include hints at retirement?

"I don't know what was really running through my head," the two-division former champ said at the post-event press conference. "As soon as the fight was done, a million different things were running through my head. A couple people asked me that. Did I say before the fight this was my last fight? I don't know. I'm still just up in the air and still kind of disappointed I gave away the third round like that."

Penn, though, likely will have nearly a full day of flights to get back home to Hawaii. And as he told MMAjunkie.com after UFC 118, that flight time can be a time for reflection.

"I was flying home (after UFC 118), and I was kind of like, 'Maybe I don't want to do this anymore; I don't know what's wrong. If I'm going to go out there and perform like that, maybe this isn't something worth doing,'" he said. "But when I got to Hawaii and jumped on a little island-hopper to go to my island, something told me, 'B.J., stick to your game plan.' So I'm sticking to it."

Following UFC 118, Penn moved up a weight class and returned to the welterweight division. The offer to fight former rival Matt Hughes proved the catalyst for the move, and Penn responded with a 21-second knockout victory. Within an hour of the win, officials announced they had booked Penn for the UFC 127 headliner with Fitch.

Of course, there's no shame in fighting the world's No. 2 welterweight to a draw. But the 32-year-old said he has interests outside of his professional-fighting career, such as a family and young daughter. And without the financial need to compete, Penn's decision whether or not to retire will be influenced by little else but his own desire.

While recent history may suggest that fire could be stoked again, Penn said he just isn't certain.

"I really don't know," he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 127: A Loss Means It’s Back to the Drawing Board for George Sotiropoulos

Going into UFC 127, George Sotiropoulos was poised as possibly being the No. 1 contender in the lightweight division, with a chance to solidify the spot by winning in his home country of Australia.

Dennis Siver had other ideas.

The German kickboxer put on a brilliant display of striking mixed with a rapidly improved takedown defense that Sotiropoulos simply didn’t have an answer for much of the fight.

In the end, Siver got the nod by unanimous decision notching probably the biggest win of his career, and putting Sotiropoulos’ title hopes on hold.

Sotiropoulos made no excuses for what happened, and gave credit to his opponent for fighting a smart strategy with precise execution.

“Look, Dennis is a kickboxer. That’s how he fights; that’s his style. I was wanting to go down to the ground, which is probably worse for him and best for me. But his takedown defense was pretty good,” Sotiropoulos commented. “He was maintaining good distance. He was able to stick to his plan. It wasn’t my night tonight.”

In a division where it truly is dog eat dog, one loss can be quite a set back. Add to that a growing list of contenders with names like Anthony Pettis, Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller all chomping at the bit to get in line for the title, Sotiropoulos will have to find a way to climb that ladder again.

The Australian while obviously disappointed with how things turned out, will pick himself up, dust off, and get back on track to hopefully ride towards title contention again.

“When things go wrong for people, it’s easy to get back up on the horse. When things don’t go your way, you just gotta do the same thing,” said Sotiropoulos. “It’s the same for me. For me it’ll be business as usual. I’ll get back to work, I’ll (review) the footage and where I went wrong and make some adjustments.”

There are still plenty of challenges for Sotiropoulos in the lightweight division, and any number of match-ups could be awaiting him when he returns. In a very competitive division, one loss does knock a fighter back, but with so many high level fighters, a couple of wins can put him right back in the title hunt as well.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Blaze FC Beginning happened last Saturday at UDL in Curitiba - Brazil (Shogun's gym). At the show 8 professional fights and only KO's and subs in the first round. Shogun, Deminan Maia and Glaube Feitosa were present.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Cub Swanson sidelined by tooth infection, hoping for quick return

Former WEC competitor Cub Swanson's UFC debut was put on ice this past week.

The veteran fighter was forced out of a scheduled UFC on Versus 3 bout with Erik Koch, who now meets fellow featherweight Raphael Assuncao next month UFC 128.

Swanson today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) about the reason for his scratch from the card, and it was a mouthful.

"It's sad to say, but my tooth got infected," said Swanson, a three-time "Fight of the Night" bonus winner in the WEC. "Between that and the weight cut with the infection, I could barely get out of bed in the morning."

MMAjunkie.com first reported Swanson's withdrawal this past week, though the reason for it wasn't immediately known. Initially, Swanson said he tried to fight through the excruciating pain and planned to go through with the fight. (Remember, he's a tough guy's tough guy and once finished a fight with two broken hands.) But as his mouth swelled up from the infection and he saw his stamina crashing, he knew he was in trouble.

"We couldn't ... get into the dentist right away," he said. "The timing was getting worse and worse, and my condition was getting worse and worse. ... I was having a hard time doing anything.

"I couldn't hit a bag I was so exhausted. I've finished a fight with two broken hands. So with the tooth, I was like, 'Come on. Really?'"

Part of the problem was that his body was struggling to fight off the infection. When he added antibiotics to the mix, he was as good as done.

Swanson, who has a resting heart rate of 40, still found himself utterly exhausted by workouts. He dealt with such issues in the past, and he learned from those situations.

"Generally you can't take antibiotics right before a fight because it pretty much kills your cardio," he said. "If I get sick within four weeks of a fight, I won't take antibiotics. You just can't do it."

Swanson (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) ultimately got in to see the dentist. In addition to his infected tooth, he learned his wisdom teeth had to go too. So he went under the knife this past week and now is healing from the procedure.

"They told me I'd be out a couple weeks with my jaws being so swollen and the incisions," he said. "But once I'm healed, I'm going to call the UFC. They told me they'd be working on me getting another fight quickly."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC on Versus 3's snakebitten Brian Bowles happy to be healthy

Forget the usual proclamations of greatness that precede a fighter's first trip to the octagon.

Brian Bowles will be happy just to fight and emerge unscathed.

It seems it's been a while since the former WEC bantamweight champion did that. So for now, his goals remain modest, he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

Bowles (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets Damacio Page (12-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on Versus 3, which takes place Thursday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., and the main card airs live on Versus. Onetime lightweight title challenger Diego Sanchez meets welterweight Martin Kampmann in the evening's headliner.

Title shots would be nice for Bowles, of course. But try three fights a year for starters. Bowles hasn't accomplished that feat just one year out of the five he's been a professional. Injuries to his back, both hands and feet have seen to that.

He once held a top spot in the bantamweight rankings with an impressive five-fight streak that culminated with the WEC belt. He was the guy who broke Miguel Torres' dominant reign. Now, he's the Rip Van Winkle of the 135-pound class.

Bowles said it's not that he's been reckless inside the gym. On the contrary, he's felt he's done everything right. But for some reason, the injury bug has taken a liking to him, and he hasn't logged any time under the lights in the past year.

First, he broke his left hand in a title-winning performance against Torres at WEC 42. Six months later, he broke his right hand in his first title defense, which came against Dominick Cruz, and could not answer the bell for the third round. Seven months after that, he broke his foot while preparing for a bout with Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 52.

It was the last one that made him throw up his hands and ask if somebody up there didn't like him.

"It's hard to be a fighter and sit on the couch," Bowles said. "It's a little depressing. I can't train as much as I normally would. It keeps you down."

Not to mention, it's put his career on hold. With the recent WEC/UFC merger, territory quickly is being carved out in the bantamweight division.

Bowles is itching to put his name in the hat, and that's probably why he didn't care much when UFC officials presented him with an opponent whom he'd already beat. Page was his third victim in the WEC, and he won decisively; a guillotine choke brought a tap-out from Page in three-and-a-half minutes of the first round at WEC 35.

It's not exactly a rematch that fans clamored for.

But it's a gig, and that's what's important to Bowles right now.

"It could help, and it could hurt," he said of his previous experience with Page. "I'm confident now that I've beat him, and I've seen more of him ... to know what to expect from him. But then again, he's seen me. He knows what to expect from me. He's got it out for me."

So he'll run it back in his octagon debut and hopes that he can put away Page as quickly as possible. If he's going to get three fights this year, he needs to put away opponents swiftly and impressively. Thank heavens he doesn't believe in ring rust.

"I feel great in the gym," he said. "I've been training when I can, and almost all of my fights I've kind of come off a little bit of rest. So one thing that doesn't really bother me is taking a little break."

It's probably wise for him to stay away from the word "break," though. Who knows who's listening.

He has a lot of lost time to recover, and he doesn't even want to think about spoiling it.

"I've been looking forward to this fight to bring me back up," Bowles said. "Get me back around the crowd, back in the UFC and back in the mix."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Weekend winners include Sexton, McVeigh, Lopez, Franca, Campbell and others

In one of the early year's biggest female fights, Rosi Sexton (12-2) narrowly edged recent Strikeforce fighter Roxanne Modafferi (15-7) at Friday's Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 40 event in England.

Sexton survived her 125-pound opponent's many submission attempts but failed to put together any sustained offensive attacks.

The bout proved hard to score and resulted in a handful of 10-10 rounds, which were reflected in the final scores (30-27, 30-28 and 30-29).

Sexton, who was upset and replaced by eventual winner Zoila Frausto in Bellator's season-three women's tourney, now is 2-0 since that loss. The Brit also has won seven of her past eights, which included a second-round TKO of Sally Krumdiack (8-4) at CWFC's previous show.

Also on the CWFC 40 card, top prospect and recent MMAjunkie.com "Fight Path" subject Paul McVeigh (18-6) defended his bantamweight title with a second-round TKO of Andreas Bernhard (7-2).

McVeigh, who's helped put Scottish MMA on the map, forced the stoppage with a barrage of punches from the mount position.

Additionally, "The Ultimate Fighter 12" fighter Joseph Duffy (8-0) kept his perfect record intact with a first-round submission victory over lightweight Tom Maguire (5-5).

In other weekend action:

* Gerald Harris, who surprisingly was cut from the UFC in 2010 after a 3-1 record, suffered a loss in his first post-octagon appearance. Harris (17-4) dropped a close but unanimous-decision loss to fellow middleweight James Head (7-1) in the headliner of Friday's Xtreme Fight Night 2 event in Oklahoma.
* Also on the XFN 2 card, former X-Games gold medalist and WEC veteran Mike Budnik (11-4) picked up his third consecutive win with a third-round submission victory over onetime Strikeforce fighter Jonny Carson (8-4).
* Ryan Jimmo (14-1) picked up his 14th straight win and a vacant light-heavyweight belt with a third-round TKO victory over Dwayne Lewis (13-7) at Friday's HDNet-televised MFC 28 event in Canada. Also on the card, Drew Fickett (41-13) needed just 36 seconds to submit fellow UFC vet Matt Veach (15-3) via armbar.
* Former KOTC champ Tony Lopez (23-5) picked up his fourth consecutive win with a first-round submission victory over "The Ultimate Fighter 10" cast member Darrill Schoonover (10-3) in the headliner of Saturday's G-Force Fights event in Michigan.
* Also at the G-Force Fights event, former WEC champ and UFC vet Hermes Franca (20-11) picked up just his second win in nine fights with a first-round submission victory over unheralded Jorge Sarat (0-3). Additionally, Bellator vet Luis Palomino (15-6) picked up his fifth win in six fights with a first-round knockout of Daron Cruickshank (6-2).
* WEC vet and Northeast notable Mike Campbell (9-3) scored a first-round TKO of Mike Medrano (8-8) at Friday's Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES MMA) event in Rhode Island. Also on the card, Todd Chattelle (7-6) scored a first-round TKO win over fellow M-1 vet Woody Weatherby (8-5).
* Jared Rosholt, the brother of UFC vet Jake Rosholt and an NCAA Division I national wrestling runner-up at Oklahoma State University, made a successful pro MMA debut. Rosholt (1-0) used punches to submit fellow heavyweight Dee Burchfield (0-0) at Friday's Art of War event in Oklahoma.
* In signing news, MFC inked longtime UFC fighter Marcus Davis (17-8) to a new deal. He debuts April 8 against Kajan Johnson (18-11-1)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vitor Belfort campaigns for fight with UFC 127 winner Michael Bisping

With a controversial victory over Jorge Rivera at this past weekend's UFC 127 event, co-headliner Michael Bisping owns three consecutive wins and a 4-1 record over his past five fights.

Contenders such as Chael Sonnen, Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher seem logical next opponents for the Brit, but another notable has throw his hat into the ring.

And it's recent title challenger Vitor Belfort.

In a recent Twitter update, Belfort said he hopes for a May fight with "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner.

"I need to fight soon," Belfort (19-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC) wrote. "I want to get busy."

After a heated buildup (due largely to a series of videos in which Rivera spoofed Bisping) ahead of their pay-per-view bout at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, Bisping (21-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) stopped Rivera (19-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) with a second-round TKO. The win was a dubious one, though; Bisping connected on an illegal to the head in the first round, and Rivera never was the same afterward.

After the fight, cameras caught Bisping yelling at Rivera's corner men – and then spitting at them. The irritated fighter then went after Rivera.

"Never talk about my family," Bisping yelled as officials separated the fighters. "Go home, loser."

Bisping ultimately apologized in his post-fight interview and said he's "a sensitive guy" who lost "my nerve a little bit there."

However, officials from Rivera's management team at Alchemist MMA immediately released a statement in which they condemned Bisping's actions, allege the illegal knee was intentional, and campaign for a fine and suspension due to his "spitting and taunting" at coach Matt Phinney.

It's "conduct of a schoolyard bully," the statement reads. "Like all bullies, Mr. Bisping needs to be punished. In this instance it would be appropriate if Bisping is fined and suspended by the athletic commission and/or the UFC."

In the aftermath of the show, UFC officials have hinted at no pending punishment. Additionally, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) couldn't reach UFC president Dana White for comment because of his travel back to the U.S.

Still, with the heavily publicized fight and fallout generating massive interest in Bisping, Belfort is looking to capitalize.

The Brazilian failed to take the middleweight title from champ Anderson Silva earlier this month at UFC 126, and a win over Bisping would keep Belfort's title hopes alive. Additionally, a fight against someone of Belfort's stature could help Bisping silence critics who say his contender status is the result of favorable matchmaking and a lack of top-10 opponents.

If booked, there are a host of suitable host sites (though May's UFC 130 main card already is full). Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development, said the UFC is likely to return to the U.K. in June, which could serve as a homecoming for Bisping. A trip to Belfort's home country of Brazil also is slated for August in Rio De Janeiro.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce's Masvidal on Evangelista: "I'm going to kick his ass, man"

Jorge Masvidal has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of late.

The 26-year-old Miami native is an even 3-3 in his past six contests.

The good news for Masvidal (20-6 MMA, 2-0 SF) is he will soon get a fresh start in his second career stint with the Strikeforce promotion.

"I had some inconsistency, so I just want to clear that up and get on the right track, get in the winning circle," Masvidal recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

Masvidal agrees, to a certain extent, that a lack of focus has attributed to his recent ups and downs.

"I've always been focused," he said. "I just focus sometimes on the wrong things like my weight cutting and stuff, taking fights on short notice, things like that. I'm ready this year to do my thing."

His first test in 2011 comes in the form of the undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) on the main card of "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" this Saturday, March 5. Showtime broadcasts the event from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

To prepare for the fight, Masvidal has been in familiar territory in southern Florida at American Top Team and South Miami Sports Performance.

One notable item he feels has not warranted any significant attention is tape study of his opponent.

"My coaches and the people around me have told me he (Evangelista) likes to strike," Masvidal said. "He's a fighter that comes to strike, and so do I. As long as I have an opponent, I'm always excited. Whether the guy likes to dry hump or not, I'm always going to make it a fight.

"I've just never really got the chance to see Billy fight before since they don't really televise his fights so much. My coaches watch the film. They just tell me what to do at the gym. I just prepare with what they tell me to look for. I'm going to kick his ass, man. That's the main thing you've got to know."

Confidence has never been an issue for "Gamebred."

In fact, it will come in handy as he is being thrown immediately into a highly competitive lightweight division currently ruled by champion Gilbert Melendez.

"I want to fight him (Melendez)," said Masvidal. "I want to get rid of Billy before I call anybody out, but I think I'd do real well style-wise. I'm would not go in there and just try to dry hump him. I'd go in there and knock his head off. I don't think he'd take me down. That's just the way I feel. I think I'd do real good against him."

Besides Melendez, other future opponents could include the likes of Josh Thomson, K.J. Noons, Justin Wilcox and maybe even his teammate, Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante.

Never one to back down from a fight, Masvidal would consider fighting him if the circumstances were right.

"Me and him (Cavalcante) are pretty close," Masvidal said. "If it was for a title and we were going to get paid an [expletive] load of money we don't care. We're still going to be boys at the end of the day. We beat up each other in the gym each day. It's a fight. It wouldn't be like our friendship was in jeopardy or nothing. We're not going to do it unless we're going to get paid, like big bucks."

Not only would he be willing to fight a teammate, but Masvidal also would continue to welcome challenges outside his ideal weight class if asked. Fighting heavier than 155 pounds is something he's done on numerous occasions in the past.

"I'd do it again as long as the money was right," he said. "If you pay, I play. It don't matter to me. They still bleed blood and breath air."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Martin Kampmann: “I Want To Get Back to Knocking People Out”

Through 11 fights in the UFC, Martin Kampmann has picked up a lot of victories a lot of different ways, but now he’s ready to try out a new one.

As he trained for his fight against Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on Versus 3 in Louisville, Ky., this week, Kampmann learned a valuable lesson from his last fight that he wants to carry into this one.

Kampmann lost a razor close decision to current top contender Jake Shields last year. He blames himself for the outcome, and promises it will never happen again.

“I did a lot of mistakes in that fight. I think I could of won it, and it was basically giving it away, through my mistakes. I was trying to hard to submit him and I should have just stuck to punching him in the face instead,” Kampmann told MMAWeekly Radio recently.

He comes from a diverse background learning both kickboxing and grappling. In his early days with the UFC, he was pegged primarily as a striker, but with four submission victories out of his eight wins in the UFC, he’s ready to knock someone out.

“I want to go in there and dictate the pace. I want to punch him in the face every time he tries to get in there, and I want to get back to my old days,” Kampmann said. “I want to get back to knocking people out. I started in boxing and Thai boxing, and I think it’s time to get back to my roots and start beating people up and standing again.”

While he continuously works in all areas of the game, Kampmann loves wrestling and jiu-jitsu, but he believes it’s high time to put his fist in someone’s face and watch them crash to the canvas.

Still, coming into a match-up with a fighter of Diego Sanchez’s abilities, and knowing that he has a diverse wrestling and submission background, Kampmann tells him not to sleep on his own ground game.

“I’ve trained submission wrestling for a long time as well, but I kind of got labeled as a striker when I first got into the UFC, even though I spent a lot of time in submission wrestling as well. For some reason people are underestimating my ground game always, but I think I have a pretty decent ground game,” Kampmann commented.

When the fight is over, he doesn’t seem to care much how he gets his hand raised, as long as it’s his hand being raised. He does admit however that putting someone away on the feet would feel really good right about now.

“I like to win, period,” Kampmann stated. “If Diego’s going to give me submissions, of course I’m going to take it, cause I’m in there to get the win, but I think the fans definitely appreciate knockouts more than submissions, and I don’t have any knockouts in the UFC yet, so I think it’s about time.”

If Kampmann’s strategy comes to fruition, he believes he’ll walk out of Kentucky with a win on his record. One thing he won’t do however is celebrate the way his opponent does.

“I think I’m going to leave the cartwheels to Diego.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

K.J. Noons Returning to Lightweight, Expects to Fight on April 9 Strikeforce Card

With a broken hand now recovered, K.J. Noons is ready to get back to business, and he expects it to be on the upcoming April 9 card in Strikeforce.

Noons confirmed the news with MMAWeekly.com on Monday, stating that while nothing is set in stone, he expects to end up on the show in April which will also mark his return to the lightweight division.

Noons went up to 170lbs for his last fight, a decision loss to current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, where he broke his hand during the bout and had to take an extended time away to recover.

Now that he’s healthy, Noons will make the move back down to his natural weight class at 155lbs, where he hopes to challenge Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight belt at some point in 2011.

The California based fighter says he has not received an opponent yet for the April card, but there are plenty of options for his return bout.

Strikeforce has yet to reveal any solid details for the April card, but all signs are pointing towards two title fights headlining the show with Nick Diaz facing Paul Daley and Gilbert Melendez squaring off against Tatsuya Kawajiri.

MMAWeekly.com also first reported a proposed bout between Roger Gracie and Gegard Mousasi for the April card as well.

Adding Noons to the mix almost locks the fact that the April 9 show will not be a featured card for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. There has been much speculation about when the next round of the Grand Prix will take place, but for now it appears April 9 will not be the date.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Diego Nunes on Kenny Florian: “He doesn’t know what it’s to come”

Coming from a great win on his debut on UFC, when he beat up a former champion of WEC, Mike Brown, the Brazilian Diego Nunes will have to face a hard one next. Finalist of TUF as a middleweight and former challenger for the lightweight belt, the American Kenny Florian will change for a lighter division for the third time, and Diego will host him among the featherweights. “Kenny Florian’s hunger for the belt made him to make a tough decision, it’ll be a great battle for him to lose that weight, but I loved to hear from it, because that’s a good thing for the division, especially when it’s me that will host him here”, said Diego, on an interview with TATAME, sending his message for his next opponent. “He doesn’t know what it’s to come on his way”. On the exclusive chat, which you can check by clicking here, the athlete of Nova Uniao evaluated the game of his opponent, affirmed he wouldn’t accept fighting his friend Jose Aldo and a lot more.

What do you think about Kenny Florian and what do you expect of this fight?
It’ll be a pleasure for me to fight him, it was a gift, and as a fighter I think Florian is a great athlete, with a great baggage. I’m very excited to fight him, I couldn’t have a better chance than this one.

He’s tough on the floor. Do you believe he’ll try to take you down?
I’m always gonna say this: each fight is unique. I have to be prepared for all aspects, striking or on the ground game. On the beginning of the fight I’m sure he’ll try to stand, because that’s how it starts, and as it develops he’ll look for the ground if he needs to, because I believe he’ll be confident to trade punches with me.

How is your ground game going?
It’s the same, I develop on the fight what I judge to be necessary for me to do to beat up my opponent. We train everything at the gym, we study a lot, but I’m sure I’ll intensify my grappling trainings for this fight.

He’s fought as a middleweight on TUF, and went to the final rounds of the show. How do you see this divisions changing, now for the third time?
I remember it, I used to watch the show back then, and I followed his evolution since then, which was splendid, but let’s see how he’ll feel on this new weight division. His hunger for the belt made him to make a tough decision, it’ll be a great battle for him to lose that weight, but I loved to hear from it, because that’s a good thing for the division, especially when it’s me that will host him here. He doesn’t know what it’s to come on his way.

The winner of this bout might have a title shot… How are your thoughts about it?
I didn’t know it, it’s news for me, but I’m glad to know they feel this way, because I’ve been working for this for a long time. I’ve had good and bad moments in my life, but I still want this. I’m just glad to be close to a thing that big. Just knowing my work’s been pleasing the guys from UFC, that’s enough for me now.

Jose Aldo is your teammate, and you’ve said you wouldn’t fight him. Would you deny a title shot, in case you win and Aldo beats up Mark Hominick?
Of course, there’s nothing more worthy than being faithful to someone, whether it’s a family person, a friend, a friend from work… You have to honor the ones who honored you. I try to be faithful to God and to everything he’s given me, like my family, my wife, my teammates. Me and my team are together on this one. While one is on the top, the others around him are there to help him to remain there while God allow it, because that’s how honorable men should think. When it’s your time to shine, you will do so, and I know my chances will come, like they already are.

Do you consider changing divisions to have a title shot?
No, I don’t… Being pretty honest, I don’t exactly need it, because things always happen when they supposed to happen, and God will give the chance for all of us to shine and make our dreams come true. If I wanted a belt that hard, I’d be fighting K-1 for a long time now, or defending a world title of Muay Thai in some organization, because I grew up dreaming about it. I still want to fight like they do at K-s, against someone known in that area, or to dispute a world title of Muay Thai. That’s a part of my dreams. As for UFC, I know I’ll reach greatest moments of my career there, and I’m only starting.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thiago Alves wants a fast win against Rick Story at UFC 130

The Brazilian Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will return to the octagon on UFC 130, on a show scheduled for May 28th, and promises a great show for the fans. Coming from a win over John Howard, the Brazilian trains hard for facing Rick Soty, and warns: the win won’t be decided by points.

“Let’s mix it all, strike, take him down, and mess up with his head. The guy is pretty tough, but I see many flaws on his game, and we’ll work to use these flaws to knock him out or submit him”, guarantees Thiago, who talked about the new preparation on the weight loss matter, revealed the desire of fighting on UFC Rio and commented the fight between Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields, besides betting on Anderson Silva on a possible confrontation with GSP.

How is your preparation for your next bout on UFC?

Now I have to keep the training rhythm slow so I won’t be ready much time before the fight, so I won’t miss it. I’m training a lot, training my Jiu-Jitsu, much Wrestling to try to improve my game working on my conditioning… Now it’s just wait for the right time.

How do you see your opponent’s game, since he comes from Wrestling? Are you doing an specific preparation?

As for my game plan, on my last fight I realized I had to change my strategy. Rick Story is good at Wrestling, but I think his striking is weak. Let’s mix it all, strike, take him down, and mess up with his head. The guy is pretty tough, but I see many flaws on his game, and we’ll work to use these flaws to knock him out or submit him.

On your last fight, you were more comfortable, took the guy down, and punished him with elbows... How was this change after you came from losses to St. Pierre and Jon Fitch?

It was too much work. Me and my coaches gathered and talked a lot, we worked a lot with Dolce, who helped me with the weighting thing… I’ve lost much weight, and that was essential for my preparation. I’m motivated again, I now do my entire work. Before that, about four weeks before the fight I had to lose some weight and I didn’t know how to do it, I really was amateur on that matter, I didn’t know my body, using the right diet to lose weight. Everything I knew was wrong. You learn eventually… When you’re younger, you lose weight easily. As you start to fight more and more, you can’t lose three or four pounds easily, what makes much difference on that level of competition. We’ve worked along with all coaches, and they were all connected and thank God everything worked out.

How are you dealing with this weight thing?

I’ve started working with Dolce after I was defeated by Jon Fitch, then I started to use his diet and now I’m feeling great, everything’s changed in my life, I’m healthier now, I got more stamina now than I used to have and I’m happy. I used to be impulsive, but I was weak to finish the training, go to the gym… I didn’t have enough stamina, I only trained once a day. Now everything’s changed, my mood completely changed, I’m having fun again, I’m happy to go to the gym. It’s all because I learned how to feed myself better.

UFC will return to Brazil in August. Do you consider applying to a vacancy on the show?

We’re training exactly for that now. I’m prepared, training hard since now, because on my last fight I was heisting because I was coming from two losses and it was the first time I was following this diet and working with the guys I’m working now, so I doubted it a little… next fight I won’t be afraid, I’ll be at ease, I’ll go for the quick knockout or submission. This fight won’t last long. I want to knockout or submit him quickly, to get the microphone and ask Dana White to fight on UFC Rio, because the dream of every Brazilian is to fight in Brazil. I’ll work hard to be there, if God helps me, in August.

There’ll be a title fight now between Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields. How do you think it’ll develop? Do you believe Jake Shields might put GSP in any danger?

Man, I do believe. Jake Shields is pretty tough, but I think he’s not on the same level as St. Pierre because he’s good at Wrestling, grappling, but he doesn’t really know how to strike. St. Pierre is better than him both physically and technically, especially on Wrestling and striking. I don’t know about their Jiu-Jitsu skills… I suppose Jake Shields is better, or they’re equal, but I don’t think it’ll matter anyway. I think St. Pierre will win this one.

People are speculating about a possible bout between St. Pierre and Anderson Silva, in case St. Pierre changed for the heavier division. How do you think it’d be like between the two of them?

I don’t believe it’s a good thing for St. Pierre. Anderson’s proven he doesn’t have much Wrestling game and that he has many flaws on his Wrestling and, when you talk about takedowns, St. Pierre is the best, so it’ll be an interesting fight. But I think that, to face St. Pierre, Anderson will have to work harder on his preparation and I’m pretty sure Anderson Silva will win.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Road FC 02. Alive Shaping Up! Couple Of SRC Participants Enter

The April 16th “Road FC 02. Alive” event is shaping up really well.

As previously reported, Denis Kang will take on Eun Soo Lee in the main event in a -93kg/-205lbs fight (not Middleweight).

Added to the card were three other fights.

Kyung Ho Kang, who you might remember giving Shigeki Osawa a tough fight in SRC, will return to take on Bae Yong Kwon who has done good in Shooto thus far in his career.

In a Team Force vs. Team Posse (easily two of the best Korean gyms right now) fight, undefeated 19 year old prospect Soo Chul Kim will take on SRC Bantamweight Asia Tournament quarterfinalist Jae Hyun So, who has really started to turn his career around since moving down to Bantamweight.

Pancrase veteran Hoon Kim, who lost a Legend FC title fight in his last fight, will take on Spirit MC veteran Sang Il Ahn in a -84kg fight.

Road FC 02. Alive
Date: April 16th, 2011
Place: Seoul Grand Hilton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea

-93kg: Denis Kang vs. Eun Soo Lee
FW: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Bae Yong Kwon
BW: Soo Chul Kim vs. Jae Hyun So
-84kg: Hoon Kim vs. Sang Il Ahn

 

[Shogun Locc]

Keeping Active! The Second Fight Of The Wrestling Ubermensch

7-time All-Japan Wrestling champion and SRC training player, “Wrestling Ubermensch” Akihito Tanaka, will enter the ring for the second time in under two months on April 3rd when he takes on Yusuke Masuda in a Light Heavyweight fight in Pancrase.

Tanaka and Masuda are both 1-0 in Pancrase and both defeated the same fighter, Yuhei Fukuda, in their Pancrase debuts (their last fights).

This card isn’t that heavy with names thus far but looks fun. Looking forward to Tanaka, Abe v2, Bancho, and Ichikawa.
Pancrase 2011 Impressive Tour
Date: April 3rd, 2011
Place: Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan

LHW: Akihito Tanaka vs. Yusuke Masuda
FlyW: Hiroyuki Abe Version 2.0 vs. Takuma Ishii
FW: Takumi vs. Yusuke “Bancho” Kawanago
LW: Juntaro Ami vs. Kota Okazawa
WW: Shingo Suzuki vs. Seiki Ryo
BW: Ryota Sasaki vs. Tatsuya So
FW: Masakazu Takafuji vs. Randleman Ichikawa

 

[Shogun Locc]

"The Ultimate Fighter 13" cast unveiled with 14 welterweight fighters

Spike TV officials today unveiled the official 14-person welterweight cast for "The Ultimate Fighter 13."

The long-running competition-reality series debuts March 30 on Spike TV with heavyweight contenders Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos as coaches.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported earlier this month, UFC officials eliminated the "elimination round" from this season of the show, so the fighters won't have to win an opening-round matchup to secure their spot on the cast.

The cast includes notables such as Nordin Asrih, Shamar Bailey, Myles Jury and Charlie Rader, who all have at least nine professional fights. The fighters come from the U.S., England, Germany, Mexico and Canada. (See the full list and biographical information below.)

"TUF 13" production began this past month. The 14 fighters will be split into two teams and compete in a tournament format. Producers again will use "wild card" picks to give a pair of eliminated cast members a second shot in the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

The seventh, eighth and ninth seasons of the show saw the use of the elimination round, and "TUF 11" then saw the implementation of second-chance wild-card entries. Beginning with 32 fighters instead of 28, the show allowed two cast members who lost in the round of 16 to be handpicked by UFC president Dana White to fight for the final spot in the quarterfinals. The wild-card format, which eventually allowed Kris McCray to post a runner-up finish on "TUF 11," returns this season despite the loss of the elimination round.

Although initially expected to feature both welterweight and middleweight fighters, producers recently chose to go with a cast of all 170-pounders this season.

The cast includes:

Name: Nordin Asrih
Age: 32
Trains: Dusseldorf, Germany (Pride Gym)
MMA record: 16-5-1

Name: Shamar Bailey
Age: 28
Trains: Indianapolis, Ind. (Integrated Fighting Systems)
MMA record: 10-3

Name: Len Bentley
Age: 27
Trains: Olympia, Wash. (Victory Athletics)
MMA record: 9-4

Name: Michael "Mick" Bowman
Age: 26
Trains: Liverpool, England (Wolfslair)
MMA record: 7-2

Name: Keon Caldwell
Age: 26
Trains: Moultrie, Ga. (Team Reality)
MMA record: 8-1

Name: Chris Cope
Age: 28
Trains: San Diego, Calif. (Arena MMA)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Zachary Davis
Age: 26
Trains: Rockville, Md. (Evolve/Team Lloyd Irvin)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Anthony Ferguson
Age: 26
Trains: Ventura, Calif. (Knuckleheadz Boxing)
MMA record: 10-2

Name: Clay Harvison
Age: 30
Trains: Marietta, Ga. (X3 Sports)
MMA record: 6-1

Name: Myles Jury
Age: 22
Trains: San Diego, Calif. (Victory)
MMA record: 9-0

Name: Ryan McGillivray
Age: 24
Trains: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Legends Training Centre)
MMA record: 11-4-1

Name: Ramsey Nijem
Age: 22
Trains: Orem, Utah (River Academy/The Pit)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Charlie Rader
Age: 29
Trains: New Orleans, La. (Power MMA)
MMA record: 16-5

Name: Javier Torres
Age: 25
Trains: Las Vegas, Nev. (Team Tompkins)
MMA record: 3-0

 

[Shogun Locc]

Danny Castillo finds identity ahead of UFC on Versus 3 bout with Joe Stevenson

Had producers not decided to "go another way" casting "The Ultimate Fighter 8," Danny Castillo might have been a more famous fighter.

But he certainly wouldn't have been a more humble fighter, and he might not be as far ahead in his career.

With a tough stretch of two losses behind him, Castillo is ready to make his mark in the UFC in a fight against the most decorated opponent he's yet faced: Joe Stevenson.

Castillo (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets "The Ultimate Fighter 2" winner Stevenson (31-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) on Thursday at UFC on Versus 3, which takes place at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. The main card airs live on Versus, though Castillo vs. Stevenson is slated for the prelims.

Stevenson, of course, earned his wings as the welterweight winner of the seminal reality show after five years of toil in the minor leagues. He's now in his sixth year as a UFC fighter and has seen a long arc of ups and downs, including an unsuccessful shot at the 155-pound title, inside the octagon.

Castillo made it through auditions for "TUF 8" and was flown to Las Vegas by Spike TV producers for medical examinations. The day before he was scheduled to fly in, the producers called and said they weren't going to use him for the show.

Castillo had used all the money he'd made from a handful of small-circuit fights to get to the auditions.

"It was really frustrating to me," he told MMAjunkie Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

Instead of bunking with 15 guys and 30 cameras, Castillo joined the ranks of the WEC and met future two-time title challenger Donald Cerrone in his promotional debut. He had seven months of MMA training under his belt and fell prey to an armbar in 90 seconds at WEC 34.

Like most who experience their first loss, he went back to the gym, figured out what he did wrong, and got back to in the cage. Things eventually started to click. He picked up a win, then another, and then another. He became a prospect and began to get noticed online.

Then he dropped two straight fights to Shane Roller and Anthony Pettis, and forums turned against him. He wasn't good after all, fans said. He should hang it up.

This is where more small-circuit seasoning would have come in handy.

"I couldn't understand what was going on," Castillo said. "I understand why I lost after watching the tape. But it wasn't a lack of focus or a lack of me training hard because I train hard all the time. I don't need a big fight or a TV fight to train hard. I have this crazy work ethic instilled by my mom to work hard, and if all you have to do is work hard to win fights, I should be undefeated.

"But MMA is a crazy sport. That's why everyone loves MMA. Because anything can happen when you wear those small gloves. People fall down all the time, and it's not necessarily because they're better than you. It's the sport."

After years of hard work in wrestling rooms and later with Urijah Faber's team of young standouts at Team Alpha Male, hanging it up didn't jive with Castillo. So he went back to the gym, figured out what he did wrong, and got back to in the cage.

"With the last four fights, I've been able to deal with that a little bit better, and I believe I've found my identity, and my identity is a great wrestler and a great boxer with a ton of power," he said.

He now enjoys a two-fight win streak and is coming to terms with the fickle nature of fight fans.

"It sucks, but I know the game, and I'm here to play it," Castillo said. "I'm not too much of a spiritual guy, but I believe God had me go this route so I enjoy it more."

Stevenson is likely facing his last chance to save his UFC career after going 3-4 in the octagon since an unsuccessful bid for the lightweight title. He's facing a tremendous amount of pressure to win, and he looks to put Castillo away as quickly as possible.

As someone who got thrown into the deep end of the pool early in his career, Castillo knows about the weight of expectations. But he's convinced that his rough patch has prepared him to deal with an opportunity of this magnitude. If he hadn't been humbled by losses, he might not feel the same way.

Had the closeup of "TUF" focused on him, he might not value the chance he has to right past wrongs on another soundstage: the octagon.

"When I beat Joe Stevenson, it's going to be all me," he said. "It's going to be the greatest feeling ever. I just keep reliving that feeling in my head. I know I'm going to win this fight because my celebrations have already been done in my bed ... in my shower, in the workout room, or when I'm doing roadwork.

"At the end of this fight, I see my hand being raised, and I see me moving on and making some headway in the lightweight division."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Officials match UFC 127 fighter James Te Huna's fight-purse donation

Despite his loss at this past weekend's UFC 127 event, light heavyweight James Te Huna donated his entire fight purse to victims of Australia and New Zealand's recent flooding.

Following the show, Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development, announced that the organization is matching the Kiwi's donation.

Additional thousands will be raised by a UFC 127 memorabilia auction, which runs through Wednesday.

"Jamie Te Huna donated his fight purse," Zelaznik said after the show, which took place at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. "The UFC is actually matching that for the relief in New Zealand. We're also still taking bids for UFC 127 memorabilia. We expect to approach $30,000 as part of a donation for the Queensland flood relief."

Auction items include the UFC 127 octagon canvas, Jon Fitch's event shorts, Michael Bisping's gloves and walk-out shirt, Jorge Rivera's full walk-out gear, and Kyle Noke's shorts and shirt. Bids as of Monday afternoon ranged from $500 to $1,550.

A UFC 127 VIP experience brought in $10,000, according to the auction site, ufc.thegivingbridge.com.

Tropical Cyclone Yasi ravaged large parts of Australia and New Zealand in late January and early February. The storm and subsequent flooding caused more than $800 million in damages. Thousands were left homeless, and hundreds of thousands were left without power for extended periods of time.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chael Sonnen Wants To Face Michael Bisping Next in the UFC

Michael Bisping’s actions at UFC 127 earned him a victory, but it also may have prodded a hornet’s nest. The one looking to sting the Brit next is a returning Chael Sonnen.

Still considered the top middleweight contender in the UFC, MMAWeekly.com was able obtain an email sent from Sonnen to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva requesting a fight against Bisping in the near future.

To: Joe Silva, Matchmaker Extraordinaire, Ultimate Fighting Championship
Re: Spitsbing & his tainted victory

Joe:

If you get a chance to talk with him, please mention to your idiot-in-residence Michael Spitsbing it’ll be a little tougher to knee ME in the head when I’m charging at him like a runaway train and mincing him through the fence like a boiled potato, should we ever have the pleasure of each other’s company for a few (VERY few) moments in the Octagon.

Oh; and I’d suggest to him being a little careful about spitting on any of MY cornermen, since any one of them can beat him up as badly as I can. Thanks ever so much.
Hope all is well.

-Chael Sonnen

When UFC 127 ended, many fans immediately started asking about a potential fight between Sonnen and Bisping, who have exchanged words in the past.

Sonnen’s manager, Mike Roberts of MMA Inc., echoed the sentiments of his client, and his desire to face Bisping when he returns to action.

“I’ve had the chance to talk to Chael and he absolutely has Michael Bisping in his crosshairs and wants to fight him,” Roberts told MMAWeekly.com “Chael welcomes the chance to face him in the UFC and give the fans what they want.”

Sonnen is awaiting a return to action after a hiatus from fighting due to personal issues, but now it appears he’s ready to start stirring things up, and the first person on his hit list is Michael Bisping.

The brash Brit ruffled more than a few feathers with his post fight antics when he spit in the corner of opponent Jorge Rivera after their fight ended in Australia. Bisping has also come under heavy criticism for an illegal knee strike that he landed on Rivera in the first round, although he’s stated several times it was purely accidental.

Vitor Belfort also hit Twitter recently to state his desire to face Bisping.

There has been no date for when Sonnen might return to action, but a fight against Bisping might just be the fight the UFC would want for him.

 

[Chuy Savedra]

Much better fight than vs. Belfort.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Henderson, Lindland Battle Over Team Quest Trademark Rights

Former training partners Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland are now in a lawsuit over the rights to use the Team Quest name and logo.

Henderson filed a lawsuit in California federal district court against Lindland and his company, Team Quest Fight Club, LLC, alleging trademark infringement, copyright infringement and unfair competition. Put simply, the lawsuit boils down to the issue of who has the right to use the Team Quest trademarks.

First, a brief crash course in trademarks: A trademark, often called a “mark,” is a term often used to refer to brand names and logos, which are like property that can be owned, transferred, or loaned out (“licensed&#8221. Trademark owners ordinarily register their marks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) soon after they begin using them to legally protect their rights to the marks. Trademark owners usually first search the USPTO’s trademark database before applying for registration to find out if another mark already exists that looks or reads like theirs. Also, anyone applying for trademark registration must disclose both the owners of the trademark and any conflicting rights to the trademark that could interfere with their registration. Although the USPTO registration is not mandatory, it has several advantages. Usually, once someone registers their trademark, they are presumed to be the “senior user” and can defend against anyone else (“junior users&#8221 who use a similar trademark that is “likely to cause confusion” among consumers.

According to the complaint, Henderson and Randy Couture formed Team Quest in 1999, and the two commissioned an artist to make the “fist” logo that continues to be stamped on Team Quest merchandise today and copyrighted that artwork with the U.S. Copyright Office. Henderson alleges that Lindland then joined the team in 2001, after which he and Couture opened their gym in Portland, Ore. Although Henderson claims he and Couture were already actively using the Team Quest name and logo when Lindland came into the picture, the trademarks had not yet been registered with the USPTO. The complaint further alleges that in 2006, Lindland registered trademarks with the USPTO to himself, Team Quest Fight Club, LLC, Couture and trainer Robert Follis, but neither these trademark registration applications nor any of the later applications for Team Quest between 2006 and 2009 mention Henderson as an owner of the mark, including the trademark application for Team Quest MMA Fitness, one of Henderson’s own companies. Henderson claims that this omission was intentional on Lindland’s part.

According to the complaint, trouble started brewing when Lindland asked Henderson for reimbursement on fees and other expenses related to the trademark applications. Henderson refused, allegedly telling Lindland that he was withdrawing his consent for Lindland to use the marks and demanding that Lindland turn the marks over to him. The situation devolved from there. Lindland allegedly sent Henderson a “cease and desist” letter, claiming he owned the marks and insisting that Henderson stop using them. According to one of Henderson’s attorneys, negotiations were ongoing for quite some time in an effort to resolve the dispute. But the parties have been unable to work things out thus far. As a result, Henderson resorted to litigation. Now, he seeks to void Lindland’s trademark registrations and obtain a permanent injunction -- in other words, a complete prohibition -- on Lindland’s further use of the Team Quest or Team Quest MMA Fitness trademarks. Henderson also wants a full accounting for all profits that Lindland earned from using the trademarks after Henderson allegedly withdrew his consent for their use, in addition to other damages and attorneys’ fees.

This lawsuit is certainly not cut and dry. Even though Lindland and his company are technically the registered “owners” of the trademarks, according to the USPTO records, registration is usually not the only factor the court takes into consideration in a trademark infringement case. In trying to identify the “senior user” of the trademark, the USPTO registration is only one piece of evidence that the court ordinarily takes into account. Registration can, however, be a very strong piece of evidence in most cases. But the fact that the registration is in Lindland and his company’s name will not automatically preclude Henderson from getting a shot at proving he was, indeed, the “senior user” before Lindland ever registered the trademarks. In fact, Henderson claims he has continuously used the Team Quest marks since 1999, two years before Lindland joined the team, and, in that time, has “amassed an enormous amount of good will” on behalf of the Team Quest name through his MMA accomplishments. According to the complaint, Henderson also owns the copyright on the artwork that is used in the Team Quest logos, which the court may also choose to take into account in determining whose rights take priority.

Lindland and his company have not yet filed an answer to Henderson’s complaint, but we can probably expect to see one sometime in the next month, unless the parties decide to resolve the matter informally outside of the courtroom before then.