MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 36 results: Freire, Imada, Woodard, Chandler advance in lightweight tourney

Just days after the untimely death of his manager, Patricky Freire scored a stunning third-round knockout victory over "Razor" Rob McCullough in the headliner of Saturday's 36 event.

Freire and fellow lightweights Toby Imada, Lloyd Woodard and Michael Chandler all advanced to the tournament's semifinal round with stoppage victories.

Bellator 36 took place at Louisiana's Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, and the night's main card aired live on MTV2.

All eight competitors took a step forward in the eight-man tourney, which awards the winner $100,000 in total pay and a lightweight title shot.

Freire, a submission specialist, jumped out to an early lead with surprisingly effective striking and a dominant ground game, which forced McCullough to defend against rear-naked and triangle chokes. McCullough ultimately escaped and rained down some solid punches, but he lost the round and suffered a badly bloodied nose in the process.

McCullough, a Muay Thia specialist, found his range in the second round. Punch-kick combinations proved especially effective. Freire, though, got a late-round takedown and again took his opponent's back, but McCullough reversed the position and closed out the round with ground and pound to tie up the fight, one round each.

In the third and deciding round, McCullough again took control of the stand-up with vicious leg kicks and a solid overhand right. Freire, though, remained in the pocket and landed some solid punches of his own. With two minutes remaining in the fight, he connected on an inside leg kick and dropped McCullough with a beautifully timed right hand. The one-punch knockdown was followed with a few ground shots and the referee's intervention.

The TKO end came at the 3:11 mark of the final round.

Freire admittedly entered the bout with a heavy heart following the sudden death of manager Ivan Canello earlier this week.

"I was very sad at Canello's death, but I know with my victory, he is very proud," Freire said through a translator.

Freire (8-1 MMA, 1-0 BFC), the brother of Bellator featherweight-tourney fighter Patricio Freire, now has won four straight fights. McCullough (19-7 MMA, 0-1 BFC) snaps a two-fight win streak.

Shockley's arm injury nets Imada quick win

Imada had come up a victory short in both of Bellator's first two lightweight tournaments, and things didn't start off well as he entered his third tourney. But a freak accident caused by a dominant submission hold on late replacement Josh Shockley's arm ultimately resulted in a quick and efficient win.

Imada took some early blows before Shockley shot and scored the takedown. But once on the mat, Imada locked in an armbar submission. Shockley picked up his opponent and tried to slam his way free, but his arm appeared to break or dislocate once they hit the mat. Shockley yelled out in pain, which the referee declared a verbal submission.

The end came 79 seconds into the fight.

Shockley replaced Judo specialist Ferrid Kheder, who refused to weigh in for the fight and was expected to miss weight, on the eve of the show. But he jumped at the opportunity to enter the tournament field.

Imada admitted he was disappointed he didn't get to fight Kheder.

"I prepared for him specifically," he said. "Last minute, the game plan was obviously out of the window, but I had to do what I had to do, and it worked out OK."

Imada (29-15 MMA, 5-2 BFC) now has won 13 of his past 15 fights, and the only losses came in Bellator tournament finales. Shockley (6-1 MMA, 0-1 BFC), who was schedule to compete on the night's preliminary card before his tourney substitution, suffers his first career loss.

Woodard scores TKO win over Vanier

Quick hands and some pinpoint-accurate strikes led undefeated "Cupcake" Woodard to his most high-profile victory to date, which came over season-two tourney semifinalist Carey Vanier.

Vanier, a Greg Jackson-trained fighter, found success with early takedowns. But Woodard continually got back to his feet and countered him with punches on subsequent attempts. An overhand right late in the first round landed especially flush and clearly bothered Vanier.

The blows kept coming in the second round, and Woodard quickly connected on a short left hook that dropped his opponent. Vanier swiftly got to his feet but was dropped again with knees from the clinch. With Vanier forced to cover up from the subsequent blows, Woodard pounded away until the referee awarded the TKO stoppage just 46 seconds into the round.

"This is the greatest moment of my life," Woodard said. "Once he went down to the ground, I knew I just had to keep hitting him hard and he wouldn't want to continue."

Woodard (11-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC), a Montana native who primarily has competed in the Northwest, now has posted five consecutive victories via stoppage. Vanier (10-4 MMA, 2-2 BFC) falls to 1-2 over his past three fights.

Chandler tops Held in submission-heavy affair

In the night's first tourney bout and the MTV2 opener, Chandler survived opponent Marcin Held's early submission attempts, including a deep leg lock, and ultimately pulled off a submission of his own.

Chandler, a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, attempted a takedown early in the fight, but the 19-year-old Polish prodigy locked in his leg and took the fight to the mat. Held extended and torqued the leg while transitioning from a kneebar to a heel hook. Chandler, though, used punches to held escape, and after some ground and pound, locked in a fight-ending arm-triangle choke.

Held appeared to lose consciousness just as the fight was halted at the 3:56 mark due to the technical submission.

So how's Chandler's leg?

"It's great," he said. "I don't get hurt. I'm going to win this thing. I don't care if it's broken, separated. Hey, it's good. I'm going to win this thing.

"I am that young, hungry dark horse. I'm here to stay. I promise you I'm going to win this tournament. No one trains harder than me, and no one wants this tournament title more than I do."

Chandler (6-0 MMA, 3-0 BFC) picks up his sixth straight win and third under the Bellator banner. Held (10-2 MMA, 0-1 BFC), who was making his U.S. debut, suffers just the second loss of his near-three-year pro career.

MAIN CARD

* Patricky Freire def. Rob McCullough via TKO (strikes) - Round 3. 3:11
* Toby Imada def. Josh Shockley via submission (injury) - Round 1, 1:19
* Lloyd Woodard def. Carey Vanier via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 0:46
* Michael Chandler def. Marcin Held via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 1, 3:56

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Chad Leonhardt def. Kelly Leo via TKO (corner stoppage) - Round 2, 5:00
* Kevin Aguilar def. Matt Hunt via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:02
* Booker Arthur def. Javon Duhon via submission (elbows) - Round 2, 2:31

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dan Henderson: One Fight Left on Current Deal, but Open to Working with Zuffa Again

The announcement on Saturday that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce sent shockwaves throughout the MMA industry. None maybe more than with the fighters currently under contract to Strikeforce who found out that now they have a new owner starting now.

Dan Henderson, who just won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title last Saturday night, was admittedly thrown back when he heard that news that his old bosses at the UFC were now taking over the company he currently fights for.

“It’s a little shocking. I had no idea,” Henderson told MMAWeekly.com on Saturday. “I know there were rumors 6 months ago, but I was pretty shocked. I don’t know what to feel about it, I don’t necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport. But then again you’re going to start being able to see all these match-ups that everyone wants to see. Who knows.”

Henderson left the UFC after fighting for the promotion for a total of five fights. Following his knockout of Michael Bisping in 2009, Henderson entered free agency and opted to sign with Strikeforce.

Following a hiccup in his first fight with the San Jose based promotion, Henderson bounced back with two wins in a row, knocking out Renato “Babalu” Sobral before finishing Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante to win the Strikeforce light heavyweight belt.

Henderson sounded optimistic about his future following his last win, but he currently sits with only one fight left on his current Strikeforce deal.

“I had no plans of leaving, but I don’t know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we’ll see what happens,” Henderson stated.

UFC president Dana White stressed during Saturday’s announcement that Strikeforce would remain running “business as usual” and that CEO Scott Coker would remain in charge, and able to make decisions about fighter contracts.

Regardless of any past dealings, Henderson is open to working with Zuffa again if they want to keep him around.
“Of course,” Henderson answered when prompted about fighting for White and the UFC again. “I’ve never said anything bad about them. I always appreciated everything they’ve done for me and for the sport. It’s just I was paid more money to go elsewhere, and that’s what I did. Dana’s the type that needs to talk a little smack if he doesn’t get his way, but I’ve got no hard feelings about anything.”

Simply put though, Dan Henderson isn’t done fighting regardless of the single fight left on his current deal. When asked if he planned on fighting beyond one more fight, no matter what company it’s for, Henderson said “right”.

The current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion is currently enjoying some down time following his win last weekend, and will likely work towards his next fight in the coming few months.

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Global States Fedor’s Contract is With Showtime, Zuffa Purchase Has No Effect on Them

If the MMA world is wondering what happens with M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko now that Strikeforce has been purchased by Zuffa, wonder no more.

While UFC president Dana White specifically pointed out in his interview with MMAFighting.com that he would honor all contracts currently in place with Strikeforce, including Fedor Emelianenko, his management team at M-1 Global has their own take on things.

Speaking to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday, M-1 Global’s Evgeni Kogan stated that Fedor is under contract, with Showtime, and they look forward to fulfilling that deal.

‘Fedor’s contract is with Showtime Networks Inc and we’re excited to be working with such a premium North American outlet,” Kogan said.

M-1 Global recently signed a new TV deal with Showtime as well, debuting on the network for their March 25 show.

Kogan pointed out that the new deal between Zuffa and Strikeforce effects nothing in their own deal with Showtime.

“The purchase of Strikeforce doesn’t affect M-1 at all,” Kogan stated. “Our TV deal is with Showtime and we’re happy. It’s business as usual for M-1 Global as we close into our March 25th event.”

White stated on Saturday that he believes Strikeforce’s current deal with Showtime runs for approximately 2 more years. Regardless of any other contracts in place, Zuffa remains committed to running Strikeforce as a complete separate entity.

Strikeforce has yet to comment about the deal to sell to Zuffa. MMAWeekly.com was able to reach Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz on Saturday, but he stated that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is currently unavailable for comment.

 

[B-Buzz]

Saw one of my buddies from HS tonight who fought for a local title 2 weeks ago and thought he might have a decent chunk of wisdom for anyone here that might be thinking about fighting.

he got spinning backfisted in the carotid artery (the neck!)

"It was like when you play Fight Night or one of those games on Xbox. You're covering your head while trying to make a ring post or the ref, whatever you can focus on, there's two of them, and you're trying to turn it into one. But while you're controlling both joysticks someone is punching you in the face... It's really fucking hard."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bjorn Rebney: Bellator isn't for sale, "we control our own destiny"

Bellator Fighting Championships is not for sale. And that's unlikely to change anytime soon.

Following Saturday's news that the UFC has purchased rival Strikeforce, Bellator arguably takes No. 2 status on the promotional ladder.

But as Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebeny told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he often reminds fighters they control their own destiny in the tournament-based organization. He said he and his fellow Bellator owners share the same philosophy when it comes to the company's future.

That means any future UFC shopping sprees will not involve Bellator.

So there's no scenario in which he could see the UFC or another big spender buying out Bellator?

"No," Rebney told MMAjunkie.com prior to Saturday's Bellator 36 event on MTV2. "My answer to that is based on our entire philosophy. It's one where fighters control their own destiny. The organization that puts the cage down and puts up the lights, and puts all the cameras together and puts on the show on MTV, has the same exact philosophy of the fighters who step into the cage.

"I am a big fan of controlling one's own destiny. It's what got me to this point. ... It's that type of control of controlling your destiny that is everything our organization is about. It's our very, very core."

With a series of 12-week, eight-slot tournaments in various weight classes, Bellator has carved out a niche in the MMA space. Previously airing on ESPN Deportes and then FOX Sports Net, the organization now airs each Saturday night on MTV2.

Strikeforce castoffs to Bellator?

With Zuffa LLC, the UFC's parent company, now in charge of Strikeforce, options for fighters are even more limited. UFC president Dana White said "business as usual" will mean the promotions will continue to operate independently. However, Strikeforce fighters such as Paul Daley and Dan Henderson – who had previous falling-outs with the UFC – face uncertain futures.

Could those castoffs make their way to Bellator?

Rebney said it's a possibility, but it doesn't exactly fit with the company's M.O.

"Our team has done an amazing job securing immensely talented fighters, so we'll see," he said. "The great thing about Bellator is that a fighter's performance really and honestly dictates things. I don't want to be repetitive, but that's what really controls it.

"If there's a great fighter, and he's available, and it makes sense, and he'd like to be in Bellator and on MTV2, and we'd like him to participate for us ... absolutely we'd be interested."

However, he said fighters won't receive special treatment. The only way to win or contender for a title is by winning a tournament first.

In other words, unlike his debut in Strikeforce, a fighter such as Henderson wouldn't contend for a title in his first outing.

That understandably may turn off some fighters from signing with Bellator.

"There's no potential way for someone ... to come over here, no matter how good they are, and get a title shot," Rebney said. "You'd never see a situation in Bellator like with what happened with Dan Henderson, where he was brought over (to Strikeforce) and through a matchmaking formula be given a title shot.

"Under no circumstance would we make that exception. Paul Daley or anyone else from Strikeforce or anyone else's roster, they'd have to go through the same exact process Eddie Alvarez and other fighter have gone through."

UFC-Strikeforce purchase good for MMA?

So will the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce ultimately be good or bad for MMA?

Rebney said it's too soon to tell.

"I think time will tell whether it's good or bad overall for the industry," he said. "Competition is good for the industry. ... Competition ultimately breeds the best. ... It's always good to have alternatives and competition, especially in a space growing as quickly as the mixed-martial-arts space is.

"Ultimately, only time will tell if it was a good thing for the industry."

However, he thinks Bellator's unique situation provides insulation from such ripples in the MMA space. By securing a multi-year TV deal, building and developing its own talent, largely ignoring the big-name free-agency market, and working with a solid ownership group, Rebney said Bellator doesn't need to spend much time looking over its shoulder.

"When you have the kind of TV alliance we have ... and the fighters we have, the things that happen around you – industry-specific things – become less and less important," he said.

 

[B-Buzz]

Middleeasy's Sunday Morning Rumor Mill

- So you're probably wondering why Dana White announced the Strikeforce buyout on a Saturday morning. It's rumored that Dana White wanted to ensure that the NFL player's lockout was official before announcing the UFC purchasing Strikeforce. Dana's plan is to literally undercut the NFL fanbase by providing UFC/Strikeforce in a time slot that would be endemic to NFL fans. Now that the 2011 NFL season is essentially displaced, it's heavily rumored that Dana will work with CBS to host weekly fights that will air on Sunday morning/evening.
- Once the Showtime contract with Strikeforce is up, ZUFFA will let the Strikeforce brand die and select which fighters they would like to accept into the UFC. There is simply no room for brand confusion in such a young sport.
- However, another rumor states that Dana White will keep Strikeforce around, but the organization will be used as a 'lower-tier' promotion and the 'top' guys will be absorbed into the UFC. In this scenario, ZUFFA would own UFC and Strikeforce and each organization would use the other as competition, sort of like how Starbucks owns Seattle's Best Coffee.
- The ZUFFA bumper will be shown at the beginning of Strikeforce broadcasts, starting with the April 1st Strikeforce Challengers show.
- Don't expect to see anymore Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix fan-made promos or any highlight reels for that matter. Much like how ZUFFA has already snuffed out all YouTube videos that use content from the UFC, they will also seek to expunge any copyright infringing videos that use intellectual property of Strikeforce.
- Elbows will still not be allowed on the ground in Strikeforce.
- As of right now, Sumner Redstone is the most powerful man in MMA. He's the majority owner of CBS Corporation, Viacom, and MTV Networks -- essentially the guy owns MMA. It will be interesting to see what, if any, plans he has for mixed martial arts.
- Apparently the UFC/Strikeforce deal was discussed in Abu Dhabi.
- If ZUFFA lets Strikeforce die and handpicks fighters from their roster, women's MMA is essentially finished. Dana White has no intention on accepting women into the UFC.
- Apy Echteld and Dana White had a phone call yesterday. Not sure what they were discussing, but one can only assume Dana is going through Apy instead of Vadim Finkelstein to see what's actually going down with Fedor's contract.
- As mentioned before on the Sunday Morning Rumor Mill, Fedor's contract is with Showtime, not Strikeforce. In about nine months, Showtime's contract will be finished which also denotes that Fedor's contract will be terminated. Should be interesting to see what happens with The Last Emperor.
- Showtime still plans to go full-force with M-1 Global in 2011.
- It's rumored that Scott Coker made an estimated $15,000,000 - $20,000,000 on the Strikeforce buyout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Noons, Masvidal may fill earthquake-related vacancies at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley"

The devastation left by this past Friday's earthquake in Japan has called into question the participation of two Japanese fighters scheduled to compete at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley."

As a precautionary measure, two stateside replacements are on standby, according to multiple sources close to the event.

Lightweights Jorge Masvidal and K.J. Noons originally were targeted to fight each other at the April 9 event. Now, though, they could step in for Tatsuya Kawajiri and Shinya Aoki, respectively.

San Diego's Valley View Casino Center hosts "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," and the event's main card airs live on Showtime.

On Saturday, Noons, a San Diego resident, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he has been told to be ready to fight.

"A couple of days ago the card was full," he said. "There was no TV room left. But now because of all the bad news that happened in Japan, I don't know the status of Kawajiri and Aoki. So I'm just training. I might be back on the card. I'm not on it officially yet."

As of now, Kawajiri is scheduled to meet Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, and Aoki is on the books for a fight with Lyle Beerbohm.

Noons said his fight with Masvidal had been planned as a No. 1 contender's fight before a lightweight bout between Aoki and Beerbohm got promoted to the April 9 event's main card.

But with Japan still reeling from the massive natural disaster, it's unclear whether the Japanese fighters are in a position to prepare properly for the event. On Saturday UFC middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama withdrew from a scheduled fight with Nate Marquardt at Saturday's UFC 128 event while citing the fallout from the earthquake. Additionally, Japanese fight promotions have canceled a slate of shows in the wake of the disaster.

And with the dust still settling on the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce, Noons said he's just waiting to get the green light.

"I'm looking to stay busy, and if not, I'll get a boxing fight or something," he said.

Masvidal's possible participation at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" was thrown into question by an indefinite medical suspension issued by the Ohio Athletic Commission following his decision victory over Billy Evangelista at "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" this past week.

But a source close to the fighter said the possible hand injury that prompted the suspension is not as bad as originally thought, and Masvidal should be able to gain clearance if he's needed to fight on April 9.

It's now a question of whether Strikeforce utilizes the American lightweights. Officials were unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128's Mike Pyle: "I've turned over a new leaf in my fighting career"

Mike Pyle was supposed to be brought in to give John Hathaway a mild test at UFC 120 but ultimately wither to the undefeated prospect.

He never got the memo.

Pyle, who next returns Saturday at UFC 128, won a lopsided unanimous decision after he took the young Englishman to the woodshed for the better part of 15 minutes.

His performance left many wondering about the genesis behind his late-career metamorphosis and whether or not it will continue into the near future.

It was clearly evident he had made gainful improvements in his game over the past few months. At the not-so-ripe age of 35, and after a long career full of peaks and valleys, he appears finally to have put together all the pieces.

He looks to continue his evolution and extend his winning streak when he competes again this Saturday night.

Pyle (20-7-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) meets fellow veteran Ricardo Almeida (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC 128, which takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The bout streams live on Facebook in advance of the event's pay-per-view main card.

While he continues to hone his skills, his physical tools alone have not led to his recent success.

"I've turned over a new leaf in my fighting career," Pyle recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I believe that has shown in my last two fights. I'm just eager to get in there and compete. I'm even more eager this time because of my shape and conditioning is probably 20 percent better than when I fought Hathaway.

"I have a new diet. I have (fighter and nutritionist) Mike Dolce behind me giving me all the right nutrition at the right times I need it during the day. It's turning me into a machine, along with a lot of good conditioning. You're going to see an even better, even more improved 'Quicksand' in this fight – 100 percent."

Not only has he revamped his body, but he's gone out of his way to address his mental fitness as well. Many, including Pyle, would argue the latter is significantly more important than the former.

"The mental part of this game is huge," he said. "It outweighs your physical (game). That's just the way it is. You could be a physical specimen, but (if) you go in and brain fart, and that's it. The other guy is going to get the better of you. You can't let them do that. You can't let them get one up on you. The hell with that. Stay ahead and win."

Pyle also has started incorporating more extensive visualization techniques into his preparations for fights and is taking the time to consult with a sports psychologist.

The focus of his sessions has been related to the various forms and levels of stress that come along with fighting for a living.

"It's things I never thought of before – how to deal with the stress, how to turn that negative energy that you are receiving off of what your body is telling you," he said. "It's just telling you to be more alert. It's not bringing you down. It's just telling you to wake up and be alert and you feed off that energy of the nerves. That is what keeps you sharp. It's just a different way to look at why you feel the way you do."

With a strong body and peaceful mind, it's easy to understand why Pyle is itching to get back into the cage.

"It has all come together even more so in this camp," he said. "I'm ready to make weight right now and fight. Enough of this training [expletive]. I'm ready to fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Mirrors NBA and NFL Rise to Mainstream With Strikeforce Purchase

Zuffa, LLC has put themselves in a position to run the table.

Strikeforce, the widely considered number-two MMA promotion on the planet, was recently bought out by the UFC’s parent company. News broke of the purchase on Saturday morning.

What has began is a debate on whether or not Zuffa owning the majority of the talent-heavy fight leagues is a good thing. Some look at it as a monopoly in the making – which it is well on its way to being – and some critics tend to frown upon there being a big fish in a small pond.

But what is so wrong with that?

What most people who follow mixed martial arts can agree on is the hunger to see the sport become as accepted by the mainstream as the premier leagues of other sports, such as the NBA and NFL. Zuffa’s acquisition of Strikeforce is another step towards that direction.

By purchasing their only remaining form of high caliber competition, Zuffa has widened the gap between the UFC and any other promotion that promotes themselves as being considered a professional league. The only other fight company that comes close to the UFC now is Bellator, and before the purchase of Strikeforce was announced, they were a distant third place.

By having two brands competing for the top spot in in mixed martial arts, it made it difficult for the casual fan to identify MMA since they were being pulled in more than one direction.

“Let’s face the facts, Strikeforce is a brand that fans have come to like,” UFC president Dana White told MMAFighting.com. “People enjoy the fights that they are putting on.”

Now, the UFC has all the selling power that Strikeforce’s brand was carrying in 2011, and Zuffa will reap all the benefits from the people enjoying those fights.

The UFC president has made it clear that Strikeforce will continue to operate as a completely separate entity, but if history has taught us anything, the San Jose, Calif. based promotion will not operate independently for long. Intentions to merge the WEC with the UFC were denied for years, but that all changed in late October when that merger became official.

Pride was also intended to run as its own entity after Zuffa purchased it in 2007. Obviously, that did not happen.

The UFC’s parent company executed a move similar to what the other major sports leagues did as they were growing and becoming the main attractions they are today. The NBA, for example, had major competition in the late 60s to mid 70s in the form of the ABA or American Basketball Association. In August of 1976, the NBA – which was considered the more prominent of the two leagues – bought out and dismantled three of the seven ABA teams and absorbed the Nets, Pacers, Spurs, and Nuggets. Since then, the NBA continued to expand and ultimately became the top destination for professional basketball to be played world wide. Players like Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and George Gervin were now part of the National Basketball Association, and would move on to become Hall of Fame inductees.

By eliminating their competition, the UFC has the potential to strengthen its marketability with an even deeper talent pool headlined by names like Emelianenko, Overeem, and Mousasi. This move mirrors what the NBA did in the Summer of ’76, capitalizing on its competition’s biggest assets.

The NFL also dabbled in the absorption game when they consumed the AFL in 1970. In doing so, the NFL kept its moniker and expanded to 24 teams, becoming the elite professional football league in United States. The USFL tried to give the NFL a run for its money in the 80s, but they ultimately folded, opening up the door for players such as Herschel Walker to move on to the NFL and have stellar careers with more exposure.

Like Walker’s move from the USFL to the NFL, talents like “Jacare” Souza could move into a position where they get more publicity and deeper divisions to show how dangerous they can be.

Another perk stemming from Zuffa’s purchase is the addition of Strikeforce’s video library. The UFC now has nearly all the footage of almost all relevant fighters in mixed martial arts today. The growth of their video vault gives the UFC all the more reason to, one day, do what the NFL and NBA have done and launch a league dedicated cable and/or internet channel. The NFL Network and NBA TV have become jewels to their their leagues. The UFC has strengthened their chance to have the same jewel and bring exposure on a 24-hour basis.

The UFC is following the same footsteps the NFL and NBA made when they were working to become accepted by the mainstream. Now, the NBA is garnering more top-ten highlight reels than it has ever had, and the NFL has arguably surpassed Major League Baseball as the most popular sport in North America. In climbing to these positions of mainstream acceptance, both leagues have faced competition and absorbed the opposition to the fullest extent of the word, ultimately securing themselves as the premier organizations.

The sport of MMA is young. It will continue to grow and likely get to the point where “UFC” will be the letters you see on the tab you click at your favorite sports website. You do, after all, click on “NBA” and “NFL,” not “basketball” and “football.”

These leagues have dealt with their criticisms. The UFC is no different and it will have its naysayers. It seems pretty clear that Zuffa’s lucrative MMA promotion is on its way to being the NBA’s and NFL’s equivalent. With the UFC heading towards monopoly status, some begin to worry about the promotion having too much power. When the other sports leagues grew large enough, athlete unions formed to bring balance. As imminent as the UFC’s hold on the MMA world is, perhaps the forming of a fighter union is equally as imminent. And maybe, just maybe, necessary.

The game has, indeed, changed. Is it for the better or for the worse?

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafael Rebello “two steps away” from the UFC

Rafael Rebello was one of the Brazilians who fought on WEC, but two losses in three fights cost him his contract with the organization, which months later would merged with the UFC. After a time off to heal his broken hand, the American Top Team fighter returned with all his power to the trainings, and the goal is simple: join the UFC. “UFC’s asked me two wins outside the event so that I can sign with them, and I’m cool to start it all over again”, said the bantamweight to TATAME, wanting to start a new journey to the success as fast as he can. “I have a fight scheduled for May 13th, but I can fight in April too”, finished the Brazilian.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jorge Santiago “falling in love with the sport again” on his return to the UFC

On UFC’s cage, Jorge Santiago won one out off three bouts. Since he left the event there were 11 wins and three belts earned. And that’s the “reborn” Jorge we’ll see in action on UFC 130, event that happens on May 28th, in Las Vegas, United States. “I’m feeling young. I’m starting it all over again, falling in love with the sport again, I’m happier to train, reminding how I began… You’ll see Jorge Santiago moving forwards, more aggressiveness, wanting to play the game harder. I’ll play my game as I do on the gym” guarantees the fighter, who gave an interview to TATAME to comment on his expectations for the duel with the striker Brian Stann, to analyze his weight class on UFC and to comment his left of American Top Team.

How does it feel to return to UFC being respected, since you were a champion on Sengoku?

It was pretty cool, I’m thrilled. I have to show my skills here. I’m coming back, but I have my feet on the ground, I’m training hard to make a good impression. I’m aware of my position now, I’ll fight again like I was doing back in Japan so I can be on a main card. I know it’s all worth it when you go there and win a fight, so I’m training hard. On May 28th I’ll go there and move a step forwards until I reach the top.

What do you think of Brian Stann, your immediate opponent?

What he can bring me is an athletic fighter, his soldier mind, his power. His striking game is good. He hasn’t proven he can play anywhere. His fights are finished quickly, always standing, so I believe I’ll bring a new game for him, because I can fight anywhere. He’ll have to do it all with me. But, besides that, he’s a great athlete, he’s strong and he has a good mind. I also have it, and I can handle the fight anywhere it goes.

Do you believe the ground game is your best alternative on this bout?

The ground game clearly is what I have of more dangerous to bring him, but I believe I’ll have to mix it all up. I still haven’t seen him doing that, I have only seen him fighting standing up, hitting his opponents hard. I believe I’ll mix everything up and see what happens. I’ll have the chances, one way or another.

What do you think of your weight class? What challenges do you see on your way?

There’re great names coming up. They’re taking the best guys on MMA and adding them to UFC’s cast. I’m thrilled. They’ve put me to fight a guy who’s considered a guy who can be one of the top contenders of the division. There’s no easy fight there, there’s no other way.

Conan Silveira confirmed yesterday to TATAME that you, Gesias and the Villefort brothers left ATT. What made you mind?

I don’t have much to say about it, I’m not feeling like talking about it, but that’s truth, we left to prepare our own trainings. We believe it’s best for our careers. Everybody has a way to handle a gym, and we thought it was best for us to leave the gym and train with each other that things will be best for us.

Who will you train with? Will you keep training with Bigfoot, who’s already left?

I’ve always trained with Bigfoot. After he left ATT, I went to his camps, we did sparrings and I keep training with him. Now we’ll train with each other more often. There’s Gesias, who’s training with us, Danilo and Yuri… There’re people that will keep training with us, and I can’t point out all of their names now. The only sure thing is that our training is good and that I’m focused. There won’t be a lack of trainings, you can be sure of that…

What the fans can expect of this “new” Jorge Santiago on UFC?

I’m feeling young. I’m starting it all over again, falling in love with the sport again, I’m happier to train, reminding how I began… You’ll see Jorge Santiago moving forwards, more aggressiveness, wanting to play the game harder. I’ll play my game as I do on the gym.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Vitale Crushes Clay, Teenage Holloway Impresses at X-1 'Champions 3'

HONOLULU -- Falaniko Vitale retained his X-1 World Events middleweight title Saturday night at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena, knocking out X-1 welterweight champion Dylan Clay with a brutal uppercut in the opening round in the headliner of "Champions 3."

The two champions took to the center of the cage, where the younger, lighter Clay was expected to have the speed advantage. Clay fired away from the outside to the legs of Vitale, connecting with solid strikes that forced the Hawaiian to switch up his stance and close the distance.

"My goal was to get inside and stay inside. I wanted to pressure and lead with my hands," Vitale said after the bout. "I was able to push him up against the fence, and then he squared up on me and I was able to throw that uppercut, the right uppercut, and it landed and knocked him out. It was part of the game plan we had, and I was fortunate enough to get it."

The devastating uppercut came at just 2:04 of the first round and needed no follow-up strikes, as referee Chris West immediately stepped in to save the unconscious Clay.

After the bout, Vitale, who has not lost a fight in the islands since February 2006, relinquished his X-1 middleweight belt in anticipation of his move to Bellator Fighting Championships, with which he recently signed a multi-fight contract. The Hawaiian will next square off against Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard in a non-title affair set to take place at Bellator 44 in Atlantic City, N.J., on May 14.

“I just want to fight the best guys in the world, and Hector Lombard is one of those guys,” Vitale said.

“I feel like I’m competent enough to compete with Hector, and I’ll just be ready, you know.”

Teenage Holloway Dethrones Sarmiento, Wallace Digs Deep For Win

Up-and-coming local lightweight Max Holloway outpointed former champ and veteran of more than 50 fights Harris Sarmiento over five rounds to become the new X-1 World Events lightweight champion.

At just 19 years old, Holloway impressed many in attendance by not only going the distance with the champion but besting him in the later rounds to secure victory in a close split decision win.

"It was one pretty tough fight, but I felt my second wind coming in the fourth round," Holloway said post-fight. "People were doubting [me], telling me that he was going to be dominant if we went into the later rounds, but I guess I proved them wrong."

The young Holloway showed no fear, stopping most of Sarmiento’s takedown attempts and landing a wide array of strikes, including jumping knees and elbows over the course of the fight. In the fifth round, Holloway dropped Sarmiento with a well-placed knee to the midsection but was unable to stop the savvy veteran.

In the "Fight of the Night," Ricky Wallace battled back from an early deficit to defeat Eben Kaneshiro and retain his featherweight title.

In the opening frame, Kaneshiro went to work early with his submission game, taking Wallace’s back and immediately working on a rear-naked choke, then a triangle, then an armbar. Wallace escaped, but Kaneshiro unleashed with a flurry of strikes that cut Wallace above his left eye and then dropped him with a spinning back fist just before the round ended.

Bloodied but not beaten, "Hoku", a longtime student of UFC veteran Chris Leben, came out in the second round and put on a performance his coach would be proud of. The determined Wallace went blow-for-blow with his opponent, eating as many punches as he dished out before landing a digging right hook to the body of the physically spent Kaneshiro; the blow sent him crashing to the mat, where “Hoku” followed up with punches until referee Chris West finally halted the bout at 2:01 of the second round.

Kona’s Van Oscar Penovaroff impressed again, though this time not with his knockout power but his submission prowess, submitting Thomas Matias via rear-naked choke at 3:04 of the opening frame.

Molokai’s "Sale" Sproat also impressed, connecting on Collin Mansanas with a right hook which left him slumping to the mat, back against the cage. Sproat unleashed with a barrage of hooks until West jumped in to save the downed fighter at just 1:28 of the first round.

Gracie Technics’ Dustin Kimura survived an early onslaught from Kurrent Cockett before eventually catching the Maui fighter in a slick armbar from the guard. The tap-inducing lock came at 2:58 of the first round. Zane Kamaka also took to wrenching on his opponent’s arm, tapping Jordan Kekino with a kimura from his back at 3:21 of round one.

Raquel Pa’aluhi got back on the winning track, scoring a technical knockout over California’s Nikohl Johnson. Pa’aluhi controlled most of the fight after escaping an early guillotine attempt, mounted Johnson in the final round and pounded away until referee Steve Miyamoto showed mercy and halted the contest at 2:06 of the third round.

Strikeforce veteran Lolohea Mahe also rebounded, scoring a technical knockout over the debuting Henry "Pula" Bell, of Hilo. Mahe clobbered the outmatched Bell with heavy leather until referee Kolo Koka called the contest at just 1:49. Bell never hit the canvas, but the stoppage seemed more than justified.

Iowa journeyman Will Shutt earned a split decision victory, outwrestling Steven Saito. Shutt improved his record to 16-16.

In the evening’s opening match, Paea Paogo earned a technical knockout when opponent Kala Koa could not answer the bell at the beginning of the third round in the amateur heavyweight bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

For now, Melendez vs. Kawajiri title fight a go for "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley"

Although the past week's earthquake in Japan initially cast doubt on the fight, a championship bout between lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF) and Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) is a go.

On Saturday MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported that fellow lightweights K.J. Noons and Jorge Masvidal were told to remain on standby in case their Japanese counterparts were unable to make it to the U.S.

However, sources close to the organization told MMAjunkie.com the past 24 hours have brought word that Melendez vs. Kawajiri should remain part of the April 9 card.

San Diego's Valley View Casino Center hosts "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," and the event's main card airs live on Showtime.

Melendez, who recently signed a new multi-year deal with Strikeforce, looks for his fifth straight win under the promotional banner. After losing his title to Josh Thomson in 2008, he defeated Rodrigo Damm for an interim title, defended the belt with a victory over Mitsuhiro Ishida, unified the championships with a lopsided decision victory over Thomson, and then defended his belt this past April with a decision win over Shinya Aoki on CBS.

Kawajiri, a former Shooto champion and longtime PRIDE fighter, makes his Strikeforce debut in the title fight. Long ranked among the world's top lightweight fighters, Kawajiri has won four of his past five fights. He recently rebounded from a DREAM.15 loss to champ Aoki with a decision victory over Thomson at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010."

 

[Shogun Locc]

DaMarques Johnson Replaces James Wilks at UFC Fight Night 24, Faces Amir Sadollah

Instead of “Ultimate Fighter” winner vs. “Ultimate Fighter” winner, how about a TUF finalist stepping in as an alternate as DaMarques Johnson has accepted a short notice fight against Amir Sadollah at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle.

Johnson takes the fight just a week after James Wilks was plugged in the spot when original opponent Duane “Bang” Ludwig was knocked out with a sternum injury. Wilks is now out as well, but the nature of his injury is unknown at this time.

Johnson’s placement in the fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the match-up on Sunday. Johnson first announced the bout via his personal website on Sunday.

Since his time as a finalist on the 9th season of the “Ultimate Fighter”, Johnson has gone 2-2 with his most recent fight ending up in a victory over Mike Guymon in January.

The bout between Johnson and Sadollah is expected to remain on the televised portion of the UFC Fight Night 24 broadcast.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Man in the Mirror: Shogun Sees His Own History In Jon Jones

At 22 years of age, he made his debut in a major fighting promotion and ran roughshod over all the competition. He was devastating in his delivery, finishing several opponents with shear brutality and precision.

Despite his impressive record, no one could avoid asking him about fighting his good friend and training partner, who was seemingly ahead of him in the division.

While many people probably think this conversation is about Jon Jones, it’s actually about his opponent, UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who shares an equally interesting past with his UFC 128 opponent.

The path that Jon Jones currently walks, is a stage of his career that Rua has already experienced. The young Brazilian destroyed his opponents when he started in Pride Fighting Championships in 2002 at only 22 years of age. He made it look easy and effortless as he blasted through fighters like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

When Rua looks at Jones as their UFC 128 showdown nears, he sees the parallels and knows what Jones is going through, because he went through it.

“I think obviously he’s 23 years old, which was my age when I was (rising up) and I became world champion at (Pride),” Rua said recently. “I think surely we have a lot of things in common, obviously the youth, the age, and he is beating through people soundly like I was back then. I just think our games are a little different as his strongest point is his wrestling and mine was my striking.”

The entire time Rua was blowing through the competition, his good friend and training partner Wanderlei Silva ruled at the top of the division as champion. The teammates couldn’t go far without being asked if they would one day fight each other.

Jones faces a similar situation with his good friend Rashad Evans, who was actually supposed to be in this fight, but a knee injury forced him out. Jones stepped into the spot and now can’t escape questions about fighting his friend and teammate.

Rua used his time with Silva as more of a mentorship, and never looked to fight him, but he did learn from him.

“I was truly very young back then and I always looked up, I had Wanderlei as a teammate who was already ahead of me, so I always looked up at Wanderlei and had him as inspiration and I wanted to reach his level to get to his status,” Rua stated.

Looking back on his time in Pride, Rua remembers those moments as the building blocks to the career he’s now built in the UFC, which culminated with him winning the UFC light heavyweight title in his last fight.

“I have some very good memories from those days because back then we had a great team with a bunch of friends and we had a great time together like we do nowadays with my team,” said Rua. “It’s even funny because my team (now) is actually pretty funny, so we have a great time. But I truly cherish those memories and I look back at them with great fondness.”

Career wise, Jones seems to be on the same road that Rua once traveled, but there is one major difference now that the Brazilian champion holds over his younger competitor.

Experience.

Rua admits that after his incredible run in Pride, capped off with a Grand Prix drubbing of Ricardo Arona and several subsequent victories in a row, he got complacent. When he came to the UFC, Rua felt the brunt of losing his desire to fight for anything in particular.

And while it took him a few bouts to figure it out, now with that gold belt wrapped securely around his waist, Rua has found a new reason to fight and win.

“Yes, surely I already went through a lot and conquered my biggest dreams in the fight game. When I warmed up for the UFC belt some years ago, I went through some hard times to motivate myself,” Shogun admitted.

“But that changed. I learned a lot. And right now, since I already went through that, I face every fight as the fight of my life, as my dream that I need to conquer. And obviously, at this point, I don’t fight for money anymore, because thank God, financially I’m already stable. So I fight for my family. I fight for my team and for my fans. This is my big source of motivation and where I get my fuel from.”

Shogun will try to once again exert that energy when he faces the younger version of himself at UFC 128 this weekend in New Jersey.

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Peinado talks trainings on TUF 13 and Dos Santos’ Jiu-Jitsu

Black belt from Alliance, Antonio Peinado was chosen to participare of the thirteenth edition of TUF, leading the Jiu-Jitsu trainings of Junior “Cigano” dos Santos’ team. Peinado was happy with the invitation and told exclusively to TATAME how the experience on the reality show of UFC was. Check below the exclusive chat with the tough guy, affirming the TUF 13 will be the best season ever, evaluated Cigano’s Jiu-Jitsu and betted on a KO of the Brazilian over Brock Lesnar.

How were the shootings of TUF 13? How was this experience for you?

Man, the experience was pretty cool, the shootings were great and I’m glad to have helped the Jiu-Jitsu trainings of his team... I can tell you it was very useful.

How do you evaluate the ground game of the team you leaded?

I thought their ground game’s pretty cool, some already have trained Jiu-Jitsu and others haven’t. and that’s all I can tell you about it, otherwise I’ll have to pay a huge fine (laughs).

Is there a contract on which, in case you reveal something, you’ll be charge?

Everybody will have to pay, and I don’t want to pay their caches (laughs). I don’t want anybody to help me pay it, I don’t want to pay one bit (laughs)… It was awesome, the guys there are good. You’re gonna love the reality show, it was perfect, it’ll be the best season ever. You can hope for a great show.

How do you think it can help you to get more recognition in America?

Man, I think it comes naturally. My recognition is enlarging because of my trainings with Demian (Maia), helping dos Santos on his Jiu-Jitsu trainings… When they call me up, I go there and help them. I’m always competing, but this reality show is much bigger than that, it’s not only good for Jiu-Jitsu fans to know me, but the whole world is watching. To be a part of a show like this is an opportunity only few have. The recognition you get is big and thanks’ God I tried to take advantage of everything I could. It’ll be great. Let’s wait to find it all out.

How do you think this fight between Junior and Brock Lesnar will be like? What do you think it’s the way for Cigano to beat him?

I think Cigano knows the way, I think you all know it too. Cigano will knock him out, I’m sure of it. Cigano’s a monster, he’s a string guy, he’s well trained and he has no addictions. He does not play the athlete type only during the competitions, he’s a full-time athlete. That’s what makes him different.

How’s Cigano’s Jiu-Jitsu?

Many people questioned it, people came to me and asked what I thought about his Jiu-Jitsu skills, because they believed he couldn’t play it good, something like it, but everybody’s mistaken. He didn’t have the time to show his Jiu-Jitsu because nobody has taken him down, the bouts are finished before that, with knockout. If he’s taken down, he’ll show a good ground game, he’ll use his Jiu-Jitsu to move forwards, evolving… I’m not saying that because he trains with me, it’s because he has a good training back in Bahia with Yuri, who’s his coach. He also trains with Rodrigo, Rogerio, Demian, he’s surrounded by high level athletes on this modality, champions of the fig art. I’m sure that, if the fight takes place on the floor, he’ll be fine. He can beat up a guy on the floor, but I believe he’ll win with a knockout, because his hand is too dangerous. That’s the worst there is out there, it’s too heavy.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marshall Not Afraid to Pester UFC for Return

Eliot Marshall didn’t get the call from the UFC to fill in as a replacement at UFC 128. He called them.

Marshall, who had been cut from the promotion following a March 2010 loss to Vladimir Matyushenko, noticed that several UFC light heavyweights were dropping off cards due to injuries.

“I was like, ‘Man, they’re going to need some help.’ I had my management contact them, and there we go,” Marshall said recently on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show.

It didn’t hurt that Marshall has gone 3-0 since exiting the UFC. Most recently he submitted Chris McNally with an armbar on Dec. 11. He wasn’t going to wait on the UFC to rediscover him, though.

“Maybe part of the reason I got back was because [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva was tired of me pestering him every time someone got hurt,” Marshall said. “I stayed in his ear. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets some oil.”

Marshall will fight Luis Artur Cane Jr. on March 19. The Brazilian has lost back-to-back fights to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Cyrille Diabate.

“I don’t really look too much at those fights because he was fighting southpaws, and he probably wasn’t used to fighting southpaws,” Marshall said. “Each fight’s different stylistically. I’m just going to go in there and fight my fight.”

He expects Cane to stick to his usual game plan as well.

“I expect what he’s done in every other fight,” Marshall said. “He comes forward and he goes to throw. I doubt it’s going to be any different.”

Before losing to Nogueira and Diabate, Cane was a top 10-ranked light heavyweight with three impressive UFC wins. Now he’s likely in danger of getting cut if he loses to Marshall.

“He can’t take three losses and be in there,” Marshall said. “I’m sure he needs to win. He needs to win, and I’m going to win. That’s just how it is.”

While Cane’s back is probably against the wall, Marshall isn’t worried about taking another loss.

“I just had, in my opinion, the worst possible thing that can happen to you … you lose and you get cut. I’ve already had that happen,” Marshall said. “I’m not afraid of it. I’m not scared of it. It just is what it is. If I lose and they cut me again, OK, it’s not like it’s something I haven’t experienced before.”