MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Zoila Gurgel Kicks Off 2011 With a Victory, a New Name, and a Broken Hand

Following up a breakout year is never an easy thing, as current Bellator women’s 115-pound champion Zoila Gurgel (formerly Zoila Frausto) is finding out.

In her first bout since winning the title this past October, Gurgel suffered an injury in her unanimous decision victory over Karina Hallinan that will keep her sidelined for the time being.

“I broke my hand and I’ll be out at least six weeks,” Gurgel told MMAWeekly.com. “(I injured it) at the beginning of the second round. I threw an overhand right and I hit her, but when I hit her it felt like a bunch of knives chopping up my hand. It hurt pretty damn bad.”

As for what enabled to her to finish the fight, Gurgel stated simply, “Adrenaline.

“I felt like there was something wrong with my hand – I didn’t know if it was broken or not – but I knew I had to keep going. I wasn’t going to stop, that’s for sure.”

Not only did Gurgel face adversity during the fight itself, she also had to make personnel adjustments with her normal coaches being in Ohio to corner husband Jorge’s bout at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson.

“The people I work with were actually with him, so I had to take a few different people (such as Mark Dellagrotte and Paul Bowers) with me,” she said.

“I’m used to hearing those voices in the corner, especially Jorge’s, that it kind of made things a little confusing for me not to hear my normal corner, so it was a little bit different.”

Having defeated Hallinan in her MMA debut three years ago, Gurgel felt she could do it again, although she’s not completely pleased in doing so.

“I kind of knew it was going to go this way,” stated Gurgel. “We actually kind of started at the same time, but I feel I picked up a lot more than I figure she did, so it went as well as I thought it was going to.

“I didn’t win the way I wanted to, but a win’s a win, so I’ll take it. I always feel like I could do better. Especially with this fight, with the corner and breaking my hand, things got mixed up, and I wasn’t able to finish. I’ll just have to go back and improve.”

After her hand heals, Gurgel is hoping to add yet another tournament title to her resume.

“Bellator has been talking about a 125-pound tournament, so we’re hoping to start that,” she said. “I’m not sure about anything else, but if they do have that tournament, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be in, especially that it will be closer to my (ideal) weight.

“It will be a lot easier than making 115 pounds and fighting at 78 percent. At least at 125 I’ll be fighting at 100 percent that time around, so it will be a lot better.”

While following up her most successful year in MMA so far has not started out exactly as she anticipated, Gurgel is intent on building off of the foundation she laid in 2010 and achieving even greater highs this year.

“I want to thank JG MMA, my husband Jorge, John Stutzman, Powerstation, Fifth Round Clothing, Mackenzie White, and a bunch of my sponsors that I forgot,” she concluded.

“Thanks (to the fans) for watching and for supporting me. I try my best every single time I go out there and I’ll continue to do that.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

So Far, Jorge Gurgel Living Up To New Year’s Resolution

After a couple years of inconsistency, Strikeforce lightweight Jorge Gurgel may have finally turned the corner with his 44-second submission victory over Billy Vaughn this past Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

“I was pretty much just so shocked,” Gurgel told MMAWeekly.com. “I haven’t had a quick finish in a long time.

“I felt a little unsatisfied feeling, which is wrong of me for training so hard and it ending so quickly, but actually I learned a good lesson – that’s how a fight actually should be.”

Gurgel had gotten away from his superior grappling skills in favor of slugfests over his past few fights and it has cost him. He feels he has learned from those mistakes and that people will see the type of fighter he should be.

“My perspective completely changed after my last August fight (against K.J. Noons),” admitted Gurgel. “I learned I have to go in there and take it from my opponent. I train harder this way, I’m more focused this way, and I want to go out there and finish people.

“The whole entire (strategy now is to) get in, get out, and win with taking no damage.”

Gurgel was able to apply his newfound strategy perfectly against the usually punch-happy Vaughn this past Saturday.

“Before I could give him a chance to throw a punch I guess I missed the right hand and we tied up,” said Gurgel. “He stayed on me and he wouldn’t let me off whatsoever, so I did just a little lift check into a guillotine and that’s all she wrote.”

So far, a promise Gurgel made to himself at the beginning of the year is holding true.

“My wife and I made New Year’s resolutions and one of mine was to become a smart fighter and to win fights however I had to,” he commented. “I want to put a (winning) streak together.

“I’m following everything to the T. I’m prepared, I’m healthy, and I’m doing circuit training to become more explosive. I’m going to keep pushing (myself), keep myself in shape, and wait for Strikeforce to call.”

Speaking of Gurgel’s wife, Bellator women’s 115-pound champion Zoila Frausto (now Zoila Gurgel), she won her first fight of the year on the same night he did by earning a unanimous decision over Karina Hallinan in Lemoore, Calif.

“She is the true champion of this family,” exclaimed Gurgel. “She’s an amazing athlete, and she was the one who had to break camp and leave all of us and get a brand new cornerman the day of the fight. Not many people do that, especially being a world champion.

“She had to get used to Mark Dellagrotte and Paul Bowers, who had never worked with her before this camp. But she went out there, and from what I heard, it was a one-sided beating.”

Having gotten back on the winning track and made the changes needed to be consistently successful; Gurgel’s best years may just be ahead of him.

“I want to thank my school, students, and my wife for all their love and support,” he said in closing. “Thanks (as well) to Billy at Ayash Inc., UltimateWrestler.com, Mark Briscoe, and Mike Ferguson at Powerstation.

“My fans follow my every step and so I don’t have to tell them to keep their eyes open. I just have to tell them thank you and I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart and they mean the world to me with their support.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fabio Maldonado anxious to return to the UFC

Fabio Maldonado earned his first chance in the UFC octagon after a 10-win streak (seven by TKO) in the Brazilian rings, and his UFC debut couldn’t be better. After a third-round TKO victory after TUF veteran James McSweeney, the boxer told TATAME he expected to return in May, at UFC 130, by he still don’t know exactly when he’ll fight, and who’s gonna be his opponent.

“I’m crazy to fight, it’s almost five months without fighting… If they offer me a fight in three weeks, I think I’ll take it (laughs)”, Maldonado told TATAME. Fabio is used to fight at least 5 times a year, in MMA or Boxing rules. “I’m heading to Sorocaba, I was nominated the best martial arts fighter of the city, and then I’ll travel to Rio de Janeiro to work on my striking and takedown defense at Team Nogueira”.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Eddie Alvarez: 'Any Night, I Have the Ability to Beat Anyone in the World'

No matter which publication you favor, you don't have to look too far down the lightweight rankings before you find the name of Eddie Alvarez. With a record of 21-2, and wins in 11 of his last 12 fights, he is by far the most highly ranked fighter in any division on the Bellator roster.

The across-the-board respect for his impressive resume is a long overdue development for the 27-year-old Philadelphian, whose quest for widespread acclaim -- done completely outside the UFC machine -- has been a slow burn.

Alvarez has done it with an in-cage work ethic worthy of his city's blue-collar roots. Philly has always been a notorious fight town, home to boxing greats like Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and Bernard Hopkins, but with no new pugilists coming to the forefront, Alvarez has essentially filled the void, watching his popularity grow over the last few years. Now, with the promotion's arrival on MTV2, Alvarez may see his profile and reputation expand even further.

Ask Alvarez about it though, and he'll tell you that he simply can't be bothered contemplating things like fame and public interest.

"In my mind, with the things going on around me, I ask myself the same question: What can I control in my life right now?" he told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. "What am I able to do as far as making improvements in my career? The answer is to continually improve my training, be diligent and work hard. All those other things will fall into place. What's in front of me right now is one practice at a time, getting better, improvement. Everything else falls into place. That's been my formula from the beginning. It wasn't to be No. 1 in the world or to remain the champion for so long. It was to fight for a living. That was my only goal. I got to that goal by staying focused on what was in front of me and improving every day."

By now, he's evolved into a very complete fighter, capable of trading strikes, going takedown-for-takedown, or going to the ground with anyone in the division. And we mean anyone.

Among the fighters with whom Alvarez regularly trains is UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Alvarez and Edgar -- who lives in Toms River, New Jersey -- are separated by just about 70 miles, and the two usually meet up once or twice a week. On Tuesdays, they often meet at Ricardo Almeida's gym in Hamilton, New Jersey, while on Saturdays, Alvarez's Philadelphia Fight Factory home base gym is the spot.

"We trade secrets, push each other, go after each other," he said. "It's like iron sharpens iron. We push each other, make each other better. It makes for a good relationship as we make each other better."

Though many MMA fans and viewers rank Edgar as the world's No. 1 lightweight, Alvarez says there is nothing more than a friendly rivalry among the two.

"We say that me & Frankie are both No. 1 in the world," Alvarez said. "There's no conflict of interest. We have different goals. Frankie wants to be No. 1 in his promotion, the UFC. I want to be No. 1 in the world outside of the UFC. No. 1 out of all the other promotions. So we have no conflicting goals. We're taking ourselves and separating ourselves from the pack. You're going to have a whole lot of 155-pounders at one level, and we're pushing each other to separate ourselves from the rest of them. As long as I'm not in UFC and going for the gold, and he's not outside of the UFC, there's no conflict of interest at all."

Ask Alvarez if the two friends would fight for the title of No. 1, though, and he smiles as the thought. It's almost like he's thinking, "We're both fighters, aren't we?"

"I wouldn't have a problem fighting Frankie, and I don't think Frankie would have a problem fighting me," he said. "We fight each other every week, make each other better every week. If it came down to it and Dana [White] said, 'Frankie we need you to fight this guy', do I think Frankie would do it? I think Frankie would be for it and I'd be for it as long as the money was there. But I'm never going to say, 'Frankie, I want your spot, I want your job.' And I hope he never says that to me. There's a ton of other guys out there for me to prove myself against."

Next up for Alvarez though, is a young fighter who doesn't find himself anywhere close to a top 10 ranking. Pat Curran won a shot at Alvarez's Bellator championship after winning the 2010 lightweight tournament. The two will face off at Bellator 39 on April 2.

Curran is a scrappy 23-year-old who earned headlines after upsetting Roger Huerta in a unanimous decision last May. But even with his 12-3 record, some question whether he's ready for a fighter of Alvarez's caliber. Alvarez is not one of the doubters. He says that he's more nervous to fight a lesser known fighter than one with worldwide renown.

"Pat poses a lot of threats," he said. "He's young, he's hungry. This is going to be the best condition he's ever been. It better be. He hasn't got the respect of the fans yet, so that fire is still burning. You've got to watch for guys like that. He's talented. He has good fighting instincts. He has the ability to become a champion. Do I think he's ready? I don't think he's ready for what we're about to get into. I don't think there's enough time for him to get ready for what's about to happen on April 2. I'm more prepared than I'm ever going to be for the opponent I'm going to go after. If anything, I train harder for guys like this who aren't well known than I do for other guys."

You can tell it's not lip service, as Alvarez continues on, explaining how obsessed he becomes with preparing to vanquish someone who's coming to steal something more valuable than just his title.

"When I think about it, the anxiety in me increases, and when that happens, I can't stand still, I can't get out of the gym," he said. "I'm up early, I'm home late. My anxiety increases because I can't have a guy that is not well known take my name, take my spot. It sounds weird. People think you don't have to be worried about this guy. No, on the contrary, you better be f------ worried for this guy because this is the guy who can completely erase you from the rankings and take your name in the blink of an eye and in one fight. That fire's there. That fear is there like it's never been against guys like this."

Alvarez does it all hoping, knowing, that something bigger awaits him. Before he had his date with Curran set, he spent time lobbying for a fight with Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. It was a fight that he wanted, Melendez wanted, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney wanted. But Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was less than enthused, and it never evolved into anything more than just chatter.

Now that Bellator has a larger platform in MTV2, it seems like the idea could be revisited, and that's something that would still interest Alvarez.

"To be honest with you, I think in my heart, Gilbert wanted that fight to happen," he said. "I mess around and say, 'He knew his promoter wasn't going to let him fight me.' But the God's honest truth is Gilbert has more belief in himself than his promoter does. That's my take on it. Gilbert has all the belief in the world in himself. Does he think he can beat me? I don't know. I think he has ifs, but his promoter has more doubts or he would've made the fight a long time ago, like my promoter wanted to.

Regardless of what opponents the future holds, Alvarez will continue to work at his craft and live up to his reputation as one of the division's best finishers (he's stopped opponents in 19 of his 21 wins). Rankings are for the fans and media, he says. Fighters figure things out in a more practical, decisive manner. Alvarez is objective enough to say that he can't rank himself at No. 1 (he says that somewhere in the top four is about right), but he's also brash enough to insist that those questioning whether he can get there are a bit misguided.

"Rankings are based off your last couple opponents in the last couple years, so there's no way I can say I'm the No. 1 in the world because my opposition hasn't shown so," he said. "But, do I think I can beat anyone in the world on any given day? Absolutely. Given the right opponent, any night, I have the ability to beat anyone in the world. Believe that. Don't second guess that."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Performance-Enhancing Surgery Comes to MMA


In the video here, Las Vegas plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Stiles takes us inside the surgery he performed on former UFC fighter Phil Baroni. But as Stiles explains, operating on Baroni's nose really wasn't plastic surgery -- he wasn't just trying to make Baroni more handsome.

Instead, Stiles was fixing what he called "a functional deformity," and he said the surgery "will result in better breathing for Phil" and "enhance his ability to train."

In other words, this isn't cosmetic surgery. This is performance-enhancing surgery. And it may become commonplace for mixed martial artists.

Jake Rossen has an interesting piece at Wired.com about how common "cosmetic" surgeries are becoming for MMA fighters who are getting the surgeries to help their ability to fight, not to make themselves look better. Nick Diaz had scar tissue removed from his face and replaced with tissue from a cadaver to make him less likely to have a fight stopped because of a cut. Marcus Davis and Wanderlei Silva have had similar procedures.

But Rossen wonders where we'll draw the line: Could a fighter have surgical enhancements to his elbow to make him less susceptible to an arm bar? Implants in his neck to make him less susceptible to a choke? Silicone around his jaw to act as cushioning?

That sounds a little outlandish, but athletes will always search for new ways to enhance their performance. Who knows what kinds of performance-enhancing surgeries the future might hold?

 

[Shogun Locc]

Down Side to WEC's Downfall: Joseph Benavidez Gets Buried

When the UFC announced that it was absorbing its little brother promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, most mixed martial arts fans saw that as a good thing: The WEC had great fighters, and moving them into the UFC would mean increased exposure for those fighters.

It isn't working out that way for Joseph Benavidez.

Benavidez, who's recognized by most MMA observers as the second- or third-best bantamweight in the world, won't have his UFC debut shown on television. The fight between Benavidez and Ian Loveland at UFC 128 next week won't be on the pay-per-view broadcast, won't be on the Spike TV broadcast, and won't even be on the live Facebook stream prior to the broadcast. And that stinks.

Benavidez is one of the best fighters in the world (I have him in my Top 10 pound-for-pound rankings, although I admit that most people think I overrate him), and MMA fans should get to see him fight. But we won't, because on a stacked card like UFC 128, there's just not space on the TV broadcast for him. If you want to see Benavidez fight live, you'd better buy a ticket to the Prudential Center.

Back when Benavidez was fighting in the WEC, he always got on TV: Every one of his seven WEC fights was shown live on Versus. If you're a Benavidez fan, it's hard to see why you should be happy about the WEC-UFC merger.

Benavidez is trying to keep a positive attitude about it, writing on Twitter that he'd take his status on the un-aired preliminary card as motivation to finish Loveland in the first round, as quick fights with exciting finishes usually end up on the pay-per-view broadcast. For a fighter, that's the right attitude to have.

But fans who will have to cross their fingers and hope the UFC can find space on the TV broadcast for Benavidez vs. Loveland may feel some WEC nostalgia next Saturday night.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Victor Conte, Kyle Kingsbury and the Making of the Modern Fighter

It started small, the way these things often do. Kyle Kingsbury knew a guy who knew a guy. A training partner of his at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. was hooking him up with some pre-workout supplements that he really liked, and eventually it occurred to him to seek out the source.

One thing led to another and pretty soon Kingsbury, who had just come off a decision loss in his UFC debut, was sitting down for a meeting with none other than Victor Conte – the man whose name had become synonymous with steroids in the sporting world. It's the kind of thing that might have made UFC president Dana White pop a forehead vein, had he known about it at the time.

"I had my reservations at first," said the 28-year-old Kingsbury (10-2-1). "That first meeting I had with Victor, we sat down and we must have talked for two and a half hours. I think what allowed me to have trust in him was him telling me about everything that had gone on with him going to jail, how his wife had passed away, and it was just all on him to take care of his four daughters, and there was no way he could ever take a chance on going back to jail. He just had a lot of regret."

In case you've somehow made it this far in life without ever hearing the name before, Conte founded BALCO – the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative – which created and distributed designer steroids to everyone from pro baseball players to Olympic medalists in the biggest doping scandal in American sports history. Conte was the man behind it all, and after pleading guilty to steroid distribution in July of 2005, he served four months in a minimum-security prison followed by four months of home confinement.

These days he's back in the gym with a few select pro athletes, which has raised eyebrows in the offices of Major League Baseball and recently prompted a visit from HBO's 'Real Sports,' which chronicled his work with Chicago Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd and boxer Nonito Donaire.

Since early 2009, UFC light heavyweight Kingsbury has been among that small group of pro athletes to work closely with Conte and his preferred strength and conditioning coach, Remi Korchemny. Also since early 2009, Kingsbury is undefeated in the Octagon, racking up three straight victories, the most recent of which was a 21-second TKO of Ricardo Romero at UFC 126.

"I wouldn't give him all the credit for my three-fight win streak, but we've been on board together since that started," Kingsbury said. "In the two years I've been working with him, it's worked wonders. I've put on about five pounds of lean muscle, which doesn't seem like a lot on paper, but I feel the difference. I'm stronger in the gym, I recover faster, and my cardio's gone up tremendously."

But Kingsbury's under no illusions. He knows exactly what's going through the minds of most fans when they hear the name Victor Conte paired with stories of sudden athletic success. He had the same concerns himself when he realized that he'd been getting supplements from the most notorious steroid cheat in modern sports history. If no one believes a fighter who claims to be the victim of a tainted over-the-counter supplement from GNC (and they don't), who would have any sympathy for him if one of Conte's products showed up in a post-fight drug test?

"I did worry about it at first, but all his stuff gets tested more than anybody else's products, for obvious reasons," said Kingsbury. "There's a lot of people who want to see him fail and want to see him be the bad guy. The way he explained it to me was, he got a slap on the wrist. He called [prison] Club Fed, kind of making a joke out of it and saying it wasn't so bad. But if he got in trouble again, then they'd throw the gauntlet at him. He'd be in jail for years."

Despite what some of the more cynical fans might suspect, Conte wasn't exactly eager to get involved with an MMA fighter. He thought the sport was too violent, too brutal, and not fit for civilized athletes. Then he got to know Kingsbury, a physically imposing but gregarious former Arizona State defensive lineman, and he slowly came around on the fighters themselves. As people, they were okay. It was just their training methods that were woefully misguided.

"A lot of what I hear about their training, it's just not scientific," Conte said. "I believe for the most part, they're overtrained."

The all-out sparring days, the two-a-day training sessions during fight camps, these are things that could very well be hurting fighters more than they're helping, Conte said. It's the same with some of the habits that are borrowed from boxing's training regimen.

"These old ideas where these guys will get up at four or five in the morning and run six or seven miles, that makes no sense at all," said Conte. "Why would you do that? That develops slow-twitch muscle fiber. What they need is sprint work, explosive work. What, are you going to run six miles and then go chop wood after that?"

What really began driving Conte crazy, however, was fighters' love affair with altitude during their fight camps. From boxers like Oscar de la Hoya to former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, many fighters have adopted high-altitude training camps as a pre-fight staple. While actually training at a higher altitude does have its benefits, Conte said, sleeping and recovering at that same altitude is ultimately counter-productive, since the thinner air accelerates an athlete's heart rate and puts his body in a catabolic state.

"To sleep at a higher elevation, because there's less oxygen, it actually causes you to lose power and muscle mass and speed. That's what the science shows. If you're a marathoner or some kind of endurance athlete and you don't really need explosive power, it makes sense, but boxers need speed and power," he explained.

Instead of hiding out in the mountains for weeks, Conte puts athletes like Kingsbury on a regimen with a hypoxic altitude simulator mask, which allows them to get the benefits of high-altitude training without being stuck at elevation when it's time to rest and recover.

"The numbers don't lie: I've lowered my resting heart rate fifteen beats a minute in the course of a two-week span from doing altitude training, and doing it the specific way Victor asked me to do it," said Kingsbury.

But it's not just the simulated altitude training that makes Kingsbury's work with Conte different, he said. It's also things like unconventional sprint and hurdle work, or regular blood testing to examine vitamin deficiencies and the effects of training on his immune system, he said. While the results have made Kingsbury into a full-fledged convert, there are those around him who aren't convinced.

"There's a debate even within my gym at AKA," he said. "You've got guys like [Josh] Koscheck who will say, why am I going to lift weights when that hour spent lifting weights could be spent doing an extra couple rounds of sparring or working on my jiu-jitsu? Even my coaches are split down the middle on altitude training. It's funny because I'll tell them, you've seen how far I've come in the cardio department. The non-believers will credit that to something else, like just being in the gym more, but I know that the difference is night and day."

AKA trainer Javier Mendez, for instance, won't deny that Kingsbury has made some rapid gains, but he's not sure how much is a direct result of the work with Conte and how much is due to a sort of placebo effect.

"To me, personally, a lot of the benefits of the things those guys work on are more mental than physical, in my opinion," said Mendez. "Maybe aesthetically they look better, but to me, if they do the work in their MMA training and do whatever type of cardio they want to do, to me it's the same thing. Their body's going to perform as long as they're doing the right things."

It's not the first time Conte's training philosophies have run up against the standard operating procedure in a martial arts gym. He had the same experience when he worked with the U.S. Olympic judo squad before the 1988 games, he said. Coach Willy Cahill had his team doing two-a-days in the gym, but Conte's blood tests showed that some of the athletes needed to be limited to one practice and then spend the rest of the day recovering while their teammates headed back in for more training.

This caused, as Conte put it, "a little conflict among the team," but in the end it was the right approach, he said, and the medal count that summer showed why.

"It's the opposite of a one-size-fits-all approach," said Conte. "Every program I'm involved with for an athlete is based on their bio-chemical individuality and how their adaptive mechanisms hold up to the training load. We're watching the gauges, we're measuring, so like with Kyle, all of the decisions he makes with his training is based off scientific data that we're collecting."

Some trainers might not like it when their fighter tells them that his blood work suggests he stay in bed this morning, Conte admitted, but at least it's a decision that's grounded in actual research.

"I know, because Kyle has told me, that he personally takes heat from other trainers and other MMA athletes that he works with because they don't get it," Conte said. "But ask these trainers if they're measuring all these parameters. What are they doing to measure whether it's the right training or the right recovery interval for each individual fighter? Ask that question. What tools are they using? What information are they basing their decisions on? Probably none. What, they've got a good eye, is that what it is?"

AKA's Mendez, who comes from an old school kickboxing background himself, said he's come around on Conte's methods precisely because they are rooted in cold, hard data.

"What Victor does is he verifies when taking the rest is going to be better, and he gets proof. I'm just going on instinct as a coach, so his way is more sound. Those that can afford it and get that kind of advantage, it's great."

And there, it would seem, is the rub. Regular blood tests, training sessions with a former Olympic sprinting coach, a steady diet of supplements – all that can't be cheap, right?

Kingsbury wouldn't know, since he doesn't pay for any of it. Conte foots the bill for all that in his role as a sponsor, Kingsbury explained, which is why you'll see Conte's SNAC (Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning) logo on Kingsbury's shorts every fight night.

To hear Conte tell it, the goal is not to spread the word about his company, which is already highly profitable. And it's certainly not to attract more fighters as clients, since Conte insists he "couldn't care less about picking up more MMA athletes."

"This is not about money at all," Conte explained. "My business makes enough money that I don't have to worry about that. It's about fun. It's about excitement. It's like a guy who has enough money and his business runs itself. If he chooses to play golf every day or go fishing every day, that's what he does. My mantra has now become, if it's not fun I don't do it. So I'm not looking for more guys to train."

The 60-year-old Conte knows that no matter how clean his practices might be now, it will never be enough to placate some of his critics. He also knows there will be those MMA fans who react with horror to his involvement with a UFC fighter, and he knows it's likely too late to change many people's minds on that score.

"My response to that is that I'm grateful for Kyle and Marlon Byrd and Nonito Donaire and other athletes who have found forgiveness in their hearts to take on that type of stigma," said Conte. "The reason it's so difficult is that it's virtually impossible to prove a negative. Let's face it, the testing's not foolproof."

In fact, Conte maintains that professional and elite amateur athletic associations are not completely serious about stamping out performance-enhancing drug use altogether. There are too many existing loopholes, he said. Too many ways to cut corners.

"People are going to have to realize that there will always be this doubt, whether it's someone new or someone already in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And it's a mess, and I agree and I contributed to the entire problem, and I feel very badly about that. It was wrong when I made that decision to go down the slippery slope, and I will have to live with that bad decision. I don't think I'll ever be able to gain back the respect of a certain segment of fan or athlete, and I understand that. I just have to do the best that I can do, but it doesn't mean that I should stop doing what I love to do, which is be in the trenches with athletes."

That's good news for Kingsbury, who said he has no intention of working with anyone else as long as Conte is still around. If that makes some fans suspicious, so be it. As long as Kingsbury's improving and winning -- and passing the drug tests with flying colors -- no one can tell him he's not on the right path.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Injury, Impending Fatherhood Sideline Matt Serra

Matt Serra hasn't competed since his September loss to Chris Lytle at UFC 119, and chances are he won't be returning to action in the immediate future.

Serra's long-time coach, Ray Longo, said on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour, that with Serra's wife expecting the couple's second child in April and a lingering hand injury still bothering the former UFC welterweight champion, the 36-year-old Serra will most probably remain on the sidelines for a good portion of 2011.

"His wife is pregnant. He's got a bit of a hand issue too, so once he gets that squared away, he'll be ready to go," Longo said.

"But listen, he's a family guy; the family's coming first."

There was some speculation that Serra might consider hanging his MMA gloves up for good after losing to Lytle. The loss marked Serra's third in four fights and he had become more involved in developing his MMA schools on Long Island. But Longo guaranteed that "The Terror" still has some fight left in him.

"Definitely not done," Longo said of Serra. "One hundred percent not done. But I think his wife's due in April so I don't think ... Even with the injury, I really need to get an update on the hand, but he banged his hand up pretty bad [in training]. I think he took a shot but I don't think he has to go for an operation."

Serra (11-7) cornered UFC newcomer Chris Weidman last week in Weidman's fight against Alessio Sakara at UFC on Versus 3.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Preparing To Bring Down Melendez! The Crusher And Yuya Yamamoto Team Up

Tatsuya Kawajiri, who is preparing for his fight with Gilbert Melendez on Strikeforce on April 9th, went to Seishun Juku to sparing with K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 4 Yuya Yamamoto in the evening of March 9th.

It’s a cool new combination and it seems like it was instructive for Kawajiri. He wrote that his legs hurt a lot after the spar. Yamamoto has a fight coming up as well, he will take on Akihiro Gono in a Kickboxing rules fight on Krush on the 19th.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With title shot nearing, UFC 128's Jon Jones done discussing Rashad Evans

Jon Jones (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) does not want to talk about Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) anymore.

On a Wednesday media call to promote Jones' upcoming title fight with current champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (19-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC), the UFC light-heavyweight contender made it crystal clear he's done discussing a potential bout with his friend and training partner.

"With all due respect to you as a reporter and everything, I want to make it clear to other reporters that I absolutely hate when people mention Rashad Evans, especially throughout this training camp," Jones told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He's a friend of mine, but I'm fighting Mauricio 'Shogun,' one of the best fighters that's been around for a long time. For people to even be mentioning Rashad Evans right now is ludicrous."

Jones has been answering a constant stream of questions regarding a potential Evans matchup for nearly six months. At a fan-driven Q&A session at this past October's UFC Fan Expo London 2010, Jones said he would never fight his fellow Greg Jackson-trained teammate, regardless of the stakes.

One week later, and under a heavy barrage of fan backlash, Jones stood firm in his position.

"To me, being able to call Rashad when we're 40 years old and say, 'Let's go fishing,' that's more important than a paycheck that we would get today," Jones said in October. "I train with the guy. We've had conversations about personal things.

"Rashad's a unique character to me. There's not many guys that I can relate to like Rashad, and preparing to do physical damage to him just doesn't add up to me. Fighting Rashad is the last thing I'd ever want to do."

Of course, UFC president Dana White takes a different stance when it comes to teammates squaring off in the cage. The fiery boss has stated on countless occasions that training partners must be willing to fight if the organization believes it's the right time for the matchup.

And with Jones and Evans, that time might be coming sooner rather than later.

It was Evans who was initially expected to Rua at UFC 128, but a freak training injury opened the door for Jones to earn a crack at the belt. So if "Bones" can claim UFC gold on March 19, could Evans be his first challenger?

Recently, Jones and Evans have each stated they might be willing to step in the cage if left with no other option.

"I respect Dana a lot, and if that's what he absolutely wanted to happen, then I guess that's what would have to happen," Jones admitted in a recent Versus-broadcast interview. "Me and Rashad would not want to get fired over the situation."

"This is a sport and Jones has a pretty good chance of winning this fight, and you know, I got him to win it," Evans said on ESPN's "MMA Live." "So if he wins the fight, then I've got to sit down with the team and decide what we do from there."

It's a sticky situation, to say the least, but one that Jones has no desire to discuss until after his clash with Rua.

"Rashad is not in my mind," Jones said. "He's not in my being. He has absolutely zero to do with my heart and who I am right now. Right now, it's me vs. Jon Jones, and right now I'm beating all the weakness out of myself. I'm beating all the give-up out of myself. The lack of cardio, the lack of confidence – any sign of weakness that's within my heart right now, I'm getting rid of it.

"The fact that people are bringing up Rashad, it almost angers me. Rashad has nothing to do with 'Shogun.' I think from here on out, I won't even answer a question about Rashad."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lyle Beerbohm vs. Shinya Aoki official for "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley"

The fancy-pants showdown is now official.

Lightweight contender Lyle Beerbohm (16-1 MMA, 5-1 SF) vs. DREAM champion Shinya Aoki (26-5 MMA, 0-1 SF) is now official for "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," which takes place April 9.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) passed along news of the bout earlier this week, and Showtime and Strikeforce executives today made it official.

The event takes place at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the event's main card, including a title fight between welterweight champ Nick Diaz and challenger Paul Daley, airs on Showtime.

Aoki and Beerbohm have two things in common: a love of colorful shorts, and a need for redemption in Strikeforce.

Aoki, whose belt won't be on the line, made his promotional debut this past April at the CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville" event and faced champion Gilbert Melendez. In a one-sided and largely dull affair, Aoki was controlled by the Cesar Gracie protege en route to a unanimous-decision loss. The fighter now known as "The Baka Survivor" rebounded with overseas wins over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Marcus Aurelio and Yokthai Sithoar (all were non-title bouts). But he was knocked out cold in his most recent appearance, a mixed-rules bout against kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."

Meanwhile, Beerbohm is looking to erase the memory of his most recent fight, a unanimous-decision loss to Pat Healy this past month that signified his first professional setback in 17 fights. In his previous Strikeforce appearances, Beerbohm posted notable victories over Rafaello Oliveira, Duane Ludwig and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro.

The latest "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" card now includes:

* Champ Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (for welterweight title)
* Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (for lightweight title)
* Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi
* Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm
* K.J. Noons vs. TBA*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128's Brendan Schaub to offer "Cro Cop" respect – with his right hand

UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) can relate to fellow contender Pat Barry.

Just like Barry, Schaub grew up as a huge fan of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (27-8-2 MMA, 4-4 UFC). Just like Barry, Schaub will now face his former idol in the cage.

But it's there the similarities stop, said Schaub. Don't expect any hugging and high-fiving when he and Filipovic clash at next week's UFC 128 event in New Jersey. Instead, look for Schaub to press the action early.

"There's a difference between me and, I think, the last number of opponents 'Cro Cop' has had in that I respect the guy so much I'm going to go in there and give him the best that I've got," Schaub told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "My respect is by throwing a right hand in his face.

"These other guys, they're clapping and hugging and high-fiving. There's a reason I got that fight. (UFC president) Dana White knows I'm a pretty intense guy in the octagon."

Prior to his 2008 debut as a professional mixed martial artist, Schaub was just a fan of the sport. An aspiring professional footballer, Schaub remembers sporting Filipovic's gear to workouts and convincing his friends to chip in for PRIDE pay-per-views featuring the Croatian striker.

"In college, I was a big fan of Mirko 'Cro Cop,'" Schaub said. "I even wore his shirt to workouts all the time. When he fought Fedor (Emelianenko), I talked all of my buddies – who weren't that into mixed martial arts – into ordering the pay-per-view. I was a broke college student, so I talked six or seven of my buddies into watching the fights.

"It's just crazy. I got calls and texts from those guys when they found out about the fight, remembering that night when we all watched him fight Fedor. I was definitely a fan of him, and I'm looking forward to the challenge."

But where Barry openly gushed about his chance to step in the cage with a fighter whose poster once adorned his walls, Schaub is all business. There will be no back-and-forth banter come fight week, no talk of autographs and pictures.

"After (the fight), hopefully me and 'Cro Cop' are buddies," Schaub said. "But I couldn't care less about that. I'm just trying to get the win and get a convincing knockout."

Schaub carries a three-fight win streak into the matchup, and an impressive decision win over Gabriel Gonzaga in his most recent outing proved "The Hybrid" deserves to be considered among the division's top contenders. A victory over Filipovic would further that reputation, and Schaub cares more about his ranking than any potential friendship.

"That's the whole goal, and that's the objective here," Schaub said. "Wins over guys like Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko 'Cro Cop' put you in that title contention.

"For me, I just put my head down, and I don't worry about the matchups or anything. I'll get there through hard work. I just have to do my job and win."

With current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez healing up from shoulder surgery, top contenders Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos reside at the top of the heavyweight division. Ditto for Shane Carwin, Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

But Schaub currently resides in just one tier below those elite heavyweights alongside fighters such as Filipovic, Cheick Kongo, Roy Nelson, Ben Rothwell and others.

At UFC 128, Schaub hopes to take a step up to the top level.

"I think the only knock on me would be experience," Schaub said. "That being said, I feel like, and I think my coaches and my camp would agree, that I can compete with any heavyweight in the UFC."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Flyweights McCall, Ortiz Headline Tachi Palace Fights 9 on May 6

The main event of Tachi Palace Fights 9 will feature World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Ian McCall squaring off against undefeated prospect Dustin Ortiz in a 125-pound showdown.

Sherdog.com learned of the bout from a source close to the event on Wednesday. With the addition of the flyweight headliner, seven bouts have now been confirmed for the May 6 show, which takes place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

McCall was last seen upsetting top-ranked flyweight Jussier de Silva at TPF 8 on Feb. 18, earning a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian in McCall’s TPF debut. Prior to that win, the Team Oyama product was released by WEC after going 1-2 in the promotion as a bantamweight. Though “Uncle Creepy” stopped Coty Wheeler in his first fight inside the blue cage, McCall would subsequently fall to both Charlie Valencia and current UFC 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz before receiving his walking papers in 2009.

Unbeaten in seven pro outings, Ortiz has earned a 2-0 record in Strikeforce competition, besting Justin Pennington in April 2010 and Matt Horning in January. The Nashville MMA product has fought the remainder of his career for Gameness Fighting Championship, notching a perfect 5-0 record in the local Tennessee promotion. Ortiz began his professional career in February 2010 and has never been to a decision.

TPF 9 will also feature another pivotal flyweight affair, as Greg Jackson product John Dodson squares off with former two-division Shooto champion Mamoru Yamaguchi. Onetime UFC talents Gerald Harris and Efrain Escudero will also compete on the bill, as they lock horns with Anthony Ruiz and Fabricio Camoes, respectively.

 

[Shogun Locc]

GSP: "I Think Anderson Silva Has to Fight Yushin Okami"

"That's not what I said. What I said is it's a complete re-orientation of my career. People are saying crazy stuff, like "Oh, you just have to gain 30 pounds and take the fight and fight him in three months." I can't (gain) 30 pounds in three months. It would take a lot more than that. If I want to go up in weight class."

"Plus, (Anderson) Silva fights at light heavyweight as well. So he walks around at … he's probably 40 pounds heavier than I am (off season). So if I fight this fight, it might be at a catch weight. If it happens."

"It's something I'm not thinking about right now because it's not my number one priority. I've had a lot of success at 170. If I move to 185, I need to talk to my sponsors, my trainers. It's a complete change of life. Do I want to take the risk, maybe yes. Maybe It's going to be a great challenge. Maybe, no. But I have to talk with my trainers. ... I have to fight Jake Shields, I think Anderson Silva has to fight Yushin Okami."

"I'm not afraid of nobody in the world. I'm a martial artist. If it happens [with] the right timing and everything, if it is how I want it, and how he wants it. I fight whoever they want. I can fight everyone in the world. I don't mind."

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 rep: No discussions about possible Emelianenko vs. Henderson superfight

If Strikeforce has been talking about putting together Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko, it's been a one-sided conversation, according to a representative for the Russian fighter.

M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the topic hasn't even been broached to Emelianenko or M-1 Global.

"There have been no discussions with us," he said. "Any discussions have been solely on the other side of the Atlantic."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on Tuesday said there have been "preliminary discussions only" on the potential superfight and said the bout would not take place at an event planned for June 18 that will host the remaining quarterfinal bouts of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. He did not say where, when, or with whom the discussions took place.

During an appearance the same day on MMAjunkie.com Radio, newly minted light heavyweight champion Henderson said he'd like to fight again in June or July before taking the summer off and returning at the end of the year. Although he said a meeting with the winner of an upcoming fight between light heavyweights Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle makes sense for his next engagement, he expressed interest in fighting Emelianenko at heavyweight.

"Obviously, he's still one of the top guys out there in the world, and it would be a huge challenge," Henderson said. "It would interest me to go up."

A report from "Fighters Only" also stated that Emelianeko is considering a drop to light heavyweight for a shot at Henderson belt.

But Kogan said the frontrunner for Emelianenko's next fight is the loser of a non-title bout between Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum that takes place in the quarterfinals of the grand prix.

Emelianenko vs. Overeem or Werdum would ideally take place in late summer.

"There is nothing definite yet," Kogan said. "It's a little bit too far out to nail down a date. What Fedor wanted to do was get back on the horse, so he felt fine and he wanted to maintain his training schedule, and, of course, with him not competing at the combat sambo championships that didn't happen. But rules are rules, and they have to obey them."

Emelianenko this past month suffered a second consecutive loss when doctors ruled him unable to continue a bout with Antonio Silva following the second round of their fight in the quarterfinals of the heavyweight grand prix. This past June, he was submitted in 69 seconds by Werdum in what was the first true loss in a virtually undefeated professional career spanning more than 10 years. He hinted at retirement following the loss to Silva but has since reconsidered.

That's led to heated speculation on what lies next for Emelianenko. Two weeks prior, Kogan said the fighter would participate in a national sambo competition in Russia. But that idea was shot down by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, who suspended Emelianenko for a minimum of 90 days following his loss to Silva.

Many MMA observers believe there are few opportunities left to capitalize on Emelianenko's legacy. They talk about a superfight between Emelianenko and Henderson as one of the most marketable fights Strikeforce can make at the moment. The fight's logic in the scheme of the promotion's matchmaking future, not to mention the pair's respective career positions, is secondary.

Kogan, for one, is not a fan of the idea, but said Emelianenko will ultimately make the decision on whether it happens.

Until then, it's just an interesting idea.

"The way that things work with us is that Fedor always makes the decisions," he said. "I can't speak on his behalf. I can say that there's been no discussions with us about this, and so we've not been involved with discussions on a potential fight with Dan Henderson. To me personally, that's not a fight that makes any sense."

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]