MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Meet Anderson Silva’s Muay Thai coach

Half Brazilian, half Japanese, Diógenes Asahida spoke with exclusivity to TATAME.com about his connection with and martial arts. Son of Japanese fighter and Brazilian mother, Anderson Silva’s coach always had who like martial arts in his family. “My father never liked it so much, but all my relatives like. All had contact with martial arts, Judo, Carate”, told Diógenes. His grandfathers coming from , with his grandfather participating of the war seems to give the warrior blood to the grandson, which feels the Japanese spirit and feels happy with this culture. “I feel grateful and believes that this connection brings some spiritual thing to my work, on the work I do with Anderson , this warrior spirit thing”, said Diógenes.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Part II of Frank Triggs interview with PunchDrunkGamer

PDG: Is that PRIDE fighting show that you did for Fox Sports ever going to be released on DVD?
Frank: I don’t know because Fox Sports owns that show and they can pretty much do whatever they want with it. When the UFC bought PRIDE it pretty much killed that show and so we stopped taping it last July. I would definitely like to get another show going with Jay though, we have a lot of fun working together. We have a few things in the works and so we’ll just have to see what happens.

PDG: It doesn’t seem like the UFC has much interest in releasing the PRIDE videos.
Frank: No, they just want to use it for their own stuff like highlight reels and for promos.

PDG: You would think that they would have wanted to release the OWGP from 2006.
Frank: Yeah, you would think so but who knows. I don’t ever try to figure out the rhyme or reason behind anything the UFC does......on one hand you just want to say that is “fucking stupid” but then on the other hand you have to say “look they just made another $10 million dollars”. Its retarded and I just don’t understand.

PDG: Do you think Dana and the UFC are sweating a little bit with the TV deals that the other organizations are getting?
Frank: I am sure they are and they have to be panicking a little bit. Their big announcement before UFC 82 was the Budweiser sponsorship. Everyone in Vegas has known for months that was going to happen. THAT’S YOUR BIG NEWS? EliteXC gets a CBS TV deal and your reply is that Budweiser is now a sponsor of the UFC. That really doesn’t compare. The problem is that every time there is an event Dana always has this BIG news. At the beginning when Dana and the UFC were the new kid on the block you could understand why they always wanted to hold press conferences and announce news. When he announced that Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock were going to be on free TV...........I stayed after the weigh-ins to hear that news because they announced there was BIG news coming out. After that, any of these other announcements have no point. They are still acting like the new kid on the block even though they are the senior statesman. These are the guys that are at the top of the heap. Do think every time Major League Baseball gets a new sponsor they hold a fucking press conference? The UFC gets blue collar sponsors, that is what they do. They don’t need to tell us about it. They have the best fighters, best match-maker, best everything.......THAT IS WHAT THEY DO!!

PDG: Last month it was Harley Davidson.
Frank: Exactly, why are they telling me that. Now when they have a BIG announcement, who gives a shit?

PDG: A lot of people knew that Mark Coleman was going to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Why didn’t they have an announcement about that?
Frank: That’s what I am saying. Its kind of strange.

PDG: So what are your thoughts on Coleman getting inducted?
Frank: I like it and I am surprised it didn’t happen before. I don’t know why Coleman wasn’t inducted when they inducted everyone the first time around. Why wasn’t he a part of that group? I just don’t understand unless they wanted to wait for a second group of fighters to induct. It didn’t make any fucking sense to hold a guy like Coleman out.

PDG: He also has a huge fan base in Ohio, so you would think that they would have wanted to take advantage of that.
Frank: I know and that makes it worse. I said earlier though that when you question what the UFC does, all they do is turn around and makes millions more.

PDG: Thanks for your time.
Frank: Thank you.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jung Expects to Engage in Power and Cardio Battle Against Ishida in DREAM

2000 Sydney Olympic judo silver medalist Bu-Kyung Jung is set to participate in the opening round of the DREAM 1 Lightweight Grand Prix scheduled to take place at Japan's Saitama Super Arena on March 15. His opponent will be Mitsuhiro Ishida who boasts superb wrestling skills.

"Everyone in the Grand Prix is more experienced than I am and are all great fighters. I just want to do my best whoever I fight." said Jung, expressing his thoughts on his upcoming bout against Ishida, in a recent interview with MFight.

On Ishida, Jung commented "I paid close attention to his fight in Yarennoka. He had good cardio and his ability to push the pace and pressure his opponent was impressive.", and expressed his awareness of his opponent's aggressive wrestling.

Jung is currently working hard on his conditioning and striking under Dong-Sik Yoon and trainer Hong Park, and stated that he is "devoting 70% of [his] training to striking and 30% to grappling." He also said that he has worked particularly hard on his conditioning, and hinted that he might go head-to-head with Ishida in a battle of stamina.

Jung faced Shinya Aoki on last year's New Year's Eve Yarennoka show, and cites inexperience as the reason for his defeat. He also noted, "the loss was a good experience for me. I will be able to put on a better showing as I had more time to prepare than last time." and asked for his fans' support. He also cautiously revealed that his goal was to reach the semifinals of the Grand Prix.

Dong-Sik Yoon had much praise for Jung, saying "Bu-Kyung is a fighter that's always prepared. He's also as strong as an ox. He may be the strongest in the world in the 70kg division.", and predicted that Jung will be able to win the power battle against Ishida.

Jung plans to up the tempo of his training until March 12, when he is scheduled to fly to Japan.

DREAM is a new Japanese mixed martial arts organization that is the product of a collaboration between K-1 HERO'S and members of the now defunct PRIDE organization. Its first event will be held on March 15, and will feature a superfight between Mirko Crocop and Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao along with the opening round of the 70kg Lightweight Grand Prix.

 

[heyzel]

NEW RULES & REGS FOR COMBAT SPORTS IN CALIFORNIA

The California State Athletic Commission is looking to institute some new rules and procedures that will effect mixed martial arts fighters. There are two major changes to California's policies that will possibly have a profound impact on some of the sport’s athletes.

The first major change will be that any fighter that applies for or currently wants to renew their license in California will be required to submit a urine sample. Also, the fighter may be required to provide a urine sample before and after a bout, as directed by the commission's representative.

A positive test for any of the following will be a violation:
–Stimulants
–Narcotics
–Cannabinoids (marijuana)
–Anabolic agents (exogenous and endogenous)
–Peptide hormones
–Masking agents
–Diuretics
–Glucocorticosteroids
–Anti-estrogenic agents
–Alcohol

The second change, which could be the most important of the rules changes, is that the outcome of a bout would be able to be overturned by the Commission. If the winner of a bout tested positive for a banned substance immediately following the bout, the fight could then be ruled a no contest.

As if stands now, California does not have the authority to overturn decisions for positive testing. The most popular case recently has been former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and his positive test for Nandrolone. If these new rules would have been in place prior to his positive test, his fight with Hermes Franca would likely have been ruled a no decision.

Another new procedure that will be put in place will be an adjustment to the appeals process. Under the new rules, the commission must set a hearing within 30 days of receipt of the request for an appeal. The hearing may not be longer than one hour and the time shall be split evenly between the commission and the fighter.

The new hearing procedure would be in accordance with the following guidelines:

(1) First—the staff representative and/or deputy attorney general , who shall be limited to twenty minutes.

(2) Second—the requester and/or his or her legal counsel, who shall be limited to twenty minutes.

(3) Third—the rebuttal of the staff representative and/or deputy attorney general, which shall be limited to ten minutes.

(4) Fourth—the rebuttal of the requester and/or his or her legal counsel, which shall be limited to ten minutes.

(d) The commission staff bears the burden of proving his or her case by a preponderance of the evidence.

(e) The commission shall serve the written decision on the parties not later than forty-five (45) calendar days after the matter has been submitted. The decision shall contain factual findings, legal conclusions, and an order describing the action taken by the commission at a duly noticed meeting.

(f) Unless good cause is shown, a request for hearing shall be deemed abandoned and the request dismissed if the party who appealed and requested a hearing fails to appear at a duly noticed meeting, unless the party demonstrates good cause for that failure to appear.

These and other miscellaneous changes to the current rules and regulations governing professional combat sports in California are currently undergoing a 45-day public comment period. The Commission will consider any comments or concerns received by or at a scheduled April 22 hearing, at which point the rules and regulations are eligible for adoption.

 

[heyzel]

BRIAN GASSAWAY ON PELE'S INJURY AT TKO & MORE

the latest TKO event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, one of the most gruesome injuries in recent memory occurred when mixed martial arts veterans Brian Gassaway and Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons met up in the 170-pound main event.

Shortly into the second round Landi-Jons attempted a leg kick, which was checked by Gassaway, however, due to the impact of his kick to Gassaway’s leg, Pele’s shin snapped, causing the bone to extrude from the flesh.

Upon returning home to the suburbs of Chicago, Gassaway spoke to MMAWeekly.com about the fight, his new training home, and where he hopes to take his career in 2008.

MMAWeekly: First off Brian, tell us how the injury to Pele occurred.

Brian Gassaway: Well, throughout the fight he was throwing extremely hard leg kicks. The kicks he was throwing were actually the hardest kicks I’ve ever felt. I’ve fought in the Shidokan, bare-knuckle Karate, kickboxing – and those (kicks from Pele) are the hardest kicks I’ve ever felt.

In the second round he threw a kick, and I had a nice check, I shifted my weight on my left leg and I angled out and his kick hit my knee. And like even with my weight planted on my lead leg, my knee bent to hell, it still torqued my knee, and I had a great angle too – that shows how hard he was kicking – and I heard a snap.

And apparently everyone heard the snap, the whole arena basically heard it, but I really didn’t realize what happened. So I followed up with a combination, he fell, and I followed up with more punches, and the ref actually stopped us, and I looked down and saw the damage to his leg.

MMAWeekly: Having been a veteran of nearly 50 MMA fights, as well as various other events, had you ever seen anything like that before in a fight?

Brian Gassaway: That’s actually the first time that I’ve actually seen that. I’ve damaged somebody’s leg, but it was visible. When I saw his leg, the thought that occurred to me was, “This could end his career.” I don’t wish that on anybody. I want to win, but I can hang out and have a beer with my opponent afterwards, but I don’t want anyone’s career to end, and hopefully it won’t.

MMAWeekly: Did you get a chance to speak to him or his teammates?

Brian Gassaway: No, I sure didn’t. They had me leave the ring. In fact, when I was in the ring and they were attending to him, I tried several times to go up to him, just to see how he is, but the athletic commission stopped me both times. They took him away, I didn’t see his corner men or anybody, but my understanding is though that he’s doing okay.

In fact, I want to point out, that guy’s a warrior, because I didn’t hear one peep out of him out of him the whole time. His leg is dangling by skin and muscle basically and I didn’t hear one peep out of him. It wasn’t like he was in shock, he was conscious the whole time; the guy’s a warrior.

MMAWeekly: Okay, getting away from the fight, let’s talk about your career now. I understand you recently started training some place different than before?

Brian Gassaway: I’ve been training with Shonie (Carter), Rolondo (Higueros) and Terry Martin, they’re like a core group of maybe like four guys that we’ve been training with for years, and we’ve definitely progressed and pushed each other as far as we could, but we knew each other too well. We could train together hard, but it was hard to learn something new.

Our skills are limited just training with each other, so everybody just kind of branched out and went on their own, training at different facilities. I’ve always been apt to do that, having been in martial arts for years, bouncing around from gym to gym. I’m training at the Midwest Training Center and there is a lot of talent. We all kind of push each other and bring each other’s games up.

There’s well-known guys (such as the Guida brothers, Mark Miller and occasionally Bart Palaszewski) there and some that you might not hear of outside the Midwest, but they’re definitely going to make their mark on the stage worldwide shortly for sure. I just wanted to kick start my learning curve again, because I plateaued for the longest time, and I’m starting to learn again. The moment I stop learning is the moment I retire.

MMAWeekly: What sort of goals do you have for yourself for the remainder of this year?

Brian Gassaway: I’m not slowing down. When my body starts to slow down, then I will start to contemplate teaching and this and that, but I’m feeling really good, really strong. I might not be quite as fast as I was before, but I think comparably to a lot of fighters out there, I’m still pretty quick. I’m going to try to get in as many fights as I can.

I’ve still got a contract with the World Extreme Cagefighting. I haven’t pursued a fight with that because I was disappointed with my performance in the last WEC fight (against John Alessio in January 2007). So, you kind of got to go back to the drawing boards. I don’t want to fight just because I’m so and so and I deserve to fight on this show, no, I don’t look at it like that at all. I think everyone should earn their spot and everybody should keep their spot.

So it’s an honor to fight for a big organization like that, but there are things I knew I had to work on. I had to work on the basics, and the new gym that I’m training at, I’ve been doing that, and performing as far as fights come. I’m fighting with a different conviction I think.

MMAWeekly: Thanks for your time Brian; is there anything you want to say in conclusion?

Brian Gassaway: As far as Pele goes, I wish him the best. My heart goes out to him. People do say a win is a win, but nobody wants to win under those circumstances, and so hopefully he’ll get back on his horse and can pull things through. I think myself as well as the rest of the MMA world is rooting for him.

I just want to thank my teammates at the Midwest Training Center for helping me push myself to the next level. The sky’s the limit right now and I’ll just keep training and doing what I’m doing. I appreciate everybody that has helped me along the way through the years.

At this point I want to just keep on fighting. It doesn’t matter what show, I just enjoy doing what I’m doing. No matter what comes up, I’m down for it.

 

[heyzel]

Dong-Sik Yoon - "winning the tournament as my goal"

Dong-Sik Yoon was first offered the fight late last February. DREAM asked Yoon to fight Mirko Crocop in the 'DREAM 1 Lightweight Grand Prix' held in March 15.

Yoon was put in a dilemma. The terms of the contract was good, but what he was attracted to the most was the chance to go against a world class fighter. Dong-Sik Yoon has always faced tough fighters and developed as a fighter through his fights.

He thought about this offer very hard, so much that it was in his head even during trips to the bathroom. His family begged him "not to accept the fight even for $1 million," but DREAM kept asking him to accept the bout.

After much thought, Yoon decided not to accept. Lack of time for preparation, and the fact that DREAM's Middleweight Grand Prix will be held in April were what led him to the decision. In an interview with MFight on March 7, he expressed how hard it was not to accept the fight, saying "If they had given me a month to prepare, I would have taken that fight without hesitation."

"I wanted to see how much pressure he'd put on me in the ring.", said Yoon. Afterall, he has never fought a heavyweight southpaw with some of the best striking in MMA. A fight with such a fighter would have been a good experience to develop his skills.

But coming in unprepared was the problem. "If I was going to fight him, I wanted to be perfectly prepared. I think that's what the fans would want too."

Yoon hasn't completely given up on the idea of fighting Crocop, however. He said that he was told by DREAM that he would get another opportunity, and said "If I get another cahnce, I'd like to get my weight up to the upper 90's(kilograms) and come in with an appropriate gameplan".

After sharing his thoughts about the opportunity to fight Crocop, Yoon moved on to the DREAM 2 Middleweight Grand Prix scheduled for April 29, to which he said would devote all his attention. "I cautiously set winning the tournament as my goal. All the participants are great fighters so I'll keep myself in top shape regardless of who I'll get to fight."

Yoon is currently focused on training Bu-Kyung Jung for the opening round of the DREAM 1 Lightweight Grand Prix. Jung will face Japanese wrestler Mitsuhiro Ishida.

"Jung crossed over from judo without any layoff, so he's been in shape from the very start. He's as strong as an ox. He might be the strongest fighter in the 70kg division." said Yoon, and predicted that Jung won't lose in a battle of strength against Ishida. Yoon will join Dae-Won Kim and trainer Hong Park as Jung's cornerman and fly to Japan on March 12.

Meanwhile, Yoon told MFight that Dae-Won Kim is likely to participate in the first round of the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix on April 29. Kim defeated Marcelo Garcia in HERO'S Seoul last October.

http://mfight.co.kr/news/viewbody_ex.php?code=mfight_board_news&number=7902

 

[heyzel]

Josh Koschecks response to Diego Sanchez's comments

Koscheck may not care whom he fights, but Diego Sanchez has made it known that he'd like a rematch with the American Kickboxing Academy-trained fighter. Asked about Sanchez, Koscheck said, "I think when you lose a fight, you want it really bad. It took me two years to get a rematch with Diego, so what makes him think he wins one fight and he can step right up and get a rematch?


"I think I'm in his head,” he continued. “He's only been thinking and focusing about me for the last year. It's actually kind of nice. He's in the same shoes I was after The Ultimate Fighter. For two straight years I woke up every morning hating Diego Sanchez.


"If it makes sense and the UFC wants it and the fans want it, I'll do it, but he's going to be pissed off after the fight again because he's going to have another two years to set back and pout and cry because I'm going to kick his ass."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"ShoXC" Returns with Malaipet vs. Denny on March 21

The next installment of "ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series," EliteXC's event series for up-and-coming fighters, will return Friday, March 21 with a main event between Malaipet MTA (3-1) and Thomas Denny (25-16).

The announcement was made during Saturday's Showtime broadcast of Cage Rage 25.

The March 21 ShoXC event takes place at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif. The televised portion of the fight card airs on Showtime beginning at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Malaipet, 26, will return for his second straight ShoXC event. Back in October he defeated Kaleo Kwan via unanimous decision on the televised portion of a ShoXC event in California. The 17-year Muay Thai fighter (who's only 26 years old) and Team Diamond instructor faces his biggest MMA test to date.

Denny, better known as "Wildman," is a longtime veteran of the King of the Cage organization. The 36-year-old signed a three-fight deal with EliteXC this past November after the organization purchased KOTC. After a three-fight win streak, he most recently suffered a second-round knockout to Joe Camacho at a January KOTC event.

EliteXC has yet to announce any additional bouts for the March 21 card.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rich Franklin: "Another fight with Anderson wouldn't be that interesting for fans."

Rich Franklin has been on the opposite ends of two devastation knockouts at the hands of Anderson Silva. Franklin is currently trying to climb back up the ladder in the UFC's 185lbs. middleweight division after signing a new six fight contract with the UFC and accepting a fight with Travis Lutter set to take place on April 19 at UFC 83 in Montreal, Canada.
Franklin recently took time out with The Enquirer to give his thoughts on where he stands in the middleweight division and shed some light on his fight with Anderson Silva.

Franklin On Another Fight With Anderson Silva:

Realistically, another fight with Anderson wouldn't be that interesting for fans. But (fighting) is how I make money. Whenever I'm at the end of my rope and I take a week away from the gym, I'm anxious to get back. I'm just a competitor.

Franklin On How His Last Fight With Silva Went Down:

When I watched the tape (of the rematch), I thought I was doing well the first round. I was working my jab. I might have won that round until he hit me with that right hook. I didn't know where I was the rest of the fight. It sucks to lose in front of your hometown.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gary Turner Speaks About Cage Rage 25

Hi,

Well, I messed up last night!

Here's how I saw it happen, without benefit of watching footage where it can all change lol, but its my perception from within.

I was expecting Mus to come forward with his jabs, and had every answer for it. But he didn't, and kept away from my kick, and was waiting for me to come forward. So I obliged, and fearful of his big curved right, I started my attack with a teep style front kick, to keep distance and see what options opened.

Mistake no.1. Wrong selection of kick. The extra push on the hips meant it had further to withdraw, and Mus was ready with a collection and we went to the floor.

I remember I had him in guard, or he had mount, but I managed to reverse it, before he reversed it too? Whatever, we were tussling nicely on the ground, mixing skills, both looking for the advantage. I wasn't worried about his submission attempts, but was worried about his controls. He's 10kg heavier and far stronger, and supporting that with technique meant I should be wary!

I think I reversed again, and he ended up on his knees, and I saw an opportunity, and wammed on a guillotine...it was on...then it slipped onto his jaw as I went deeper.

Mistake no.2. I should have regained my feet at this time, but pursued the guillotine. Oops! It wasn't on, he moved forward and collected hooks on my legs, and we started rolling again. I remember he made my back, and as part of the rolling, we both ended up on our backs and he had the rear naked choke in position. I countered with chin position head posture and grab to achieve comfortable air and blood flow, and Mus worked it a little, but was happy just to maintain position.

As I effected an escape from the choke, thats when Mus achieved the hooks, and the start of the end. He had my back, his hooks are like iron, and he was working effective strikes to just behind my ears. He caught me four times on the back of the head, and I agree with Grant that only one appeared deliberate (heat of the moment), the other three I moved into (tw*t!) as I was defending. So my mistake, not Mus's.

I think I escaped from the position about three times, yet in Groundhog style ended up in the same position each time! This had gone on (perception) for some time, and the blows were accurate and I know they were starting to get concussive. I had tried to escape with different set ups, Mus had regained after each one, and I started to try some more, but Mus had the control.

Therefore, with well over a minute to go, I had a choice. Take continued damage and potentially get seriously hurt, or tap out of a situation I had no escape from.

I'm tough, really tough, NEVER been stopped before, and had total wars. But I'm also not stupid. Tapping out was an incredibly painful thing for me to do, and NOT taken lightly. It was the right choice.

So hats of to Mus. 100% first class win, and on the night, he was the better fighter. (Unlike Alexis, lol!) he was incredibly humble in his win when we spoke post fight, he really is a top lad and I really like and respect him as a person and a fighter. I still had the fight buzz, and wanted to go over everything and discuss things with Mus on a move by move basis, to give him the 100% full credit for achieving an incredibly well effected win. I haven't seen the footage, but know it was a very well rounded win for Mus, and although only lasted (not quite!) 1 round, he had to work to it, change his game plan, show alot of skills, vary his skills, keep calm - no excuses, Mus was the better fighter on the night. On the ground, we both worked for advantage, and as the ground game progressed, it was me that more and more had to defend against Mus rather than the other way, until in the end the flow was 100% in his favour.

Mus was 100% cool and I feel didn't make a single mistake. I feel I made two very, very costly mistakes, although small and Mus had the perfect answer to take full advantage.

So I'm back into training this week, and being 95kg last Tuesday, may even consider dropping to 93kg for light heavyweight? After all, Roman Webber was heavier than me the day before the weigh in!!

It was a great show last night, and I only managed to watch selected fights, and Broughton v Grove was incredibly good in my opinion, and 100% hats tipped to my mate Buzz for a very, very good win.

Don't eat too many chocolates Mus, they were for your missus not you! But you deserve to smile today!

Smiler
http://www.cagewarriors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21992

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fact Fiction and Fedor

By now we’ve all read the ESPN.com article that claimed Fedor Emelianenko is on the verge of severing ties with M-1 Global.

After talking to numerous people this past week, I’ve learned that is indeed the case.

I was somewhat skeptical when I first read the article because it was for ESPN the Magazine, and having written for various print publications over the years, I can tell you that there is sometimes as much as a 2-3 month lag time when it comes to the time in which an article is finished and is actually published.

The rumors pertaining to Fedor’s potential departure have been swirling for several months and I had even spoken to several promotions that had claimed Emelianenko’s management team was soliciting proposals from them. However, in light of my recent CBSSports.com interview with M-1 Global CEO Monte Cox in which Cox said progress had been made between the two sides, I wasn’t sure if the ESPN article was using old quotes from when times were bad or if there had been a setback in talks.

Furthermore, in knowing that some in M-1 Global have blamed Apy Echteld as the primary reason for communication problems between the promotion and Fedor’s management, I was even more skeptical since he was quoted for the story.

However, after talking to sources connected to both sides, it’s pretty clear that there are still many issues that need to be worked out. One unnamed source even told me that they wouldn’t be surprised if Vadim Finkelstein, Fedor’s manager, even ended up trying to re-acquire the M-1 brand from Sibling Sports.

It’s still essential not to jump to conclusions. I’m reading a lot of sites that are already referring to Fedor as a free agent. He is not. In fact, a source also indicated that while unlikely, it’s still not impossible that an agreement is worked out and M-1 Global still ends up holding a show in the States this coming June that features Fedor.

So while a lot of people think they know what’s going to happen, nothing is for certain. One thing that I do believe is certain — and I don’t care how many people say it’s not out of the question — is that you will not see Fedor’s management suddenly come to an agreement with the UFC should Fedor become available again. If Fedor becomes available the real players for his services will be DREAM, Mark Cuban, and Golden Boy Promotions.
http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/03/09/fact-fiction-and-fedor/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Does Dana white need a vacation

There’s no doubt that Dana White has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s the most prominent power broker in one of the world’s fastest growing sports. White is under constant pressure because every five minutes some new company is popping up trying to knock the UFC off its lofty perch that is located high above its peers.

So yeah, I get it, being the president of the UFC is a high-pressure job that carries a lot of stress. However, Dana himself talks about how in the last eight years a bunch of promotions have started up and failed in their quest to take out number one. You’d think by now he’d take a lot of the startups with a grain of salt?

After all, the UFC is not only number one in the industry, it is number one with a bullet. The UFC is the only MMA promotion ever to be a legitimate success on PPV and it clearly has the deepest talent roster in all of MMA. Yet Dana White can’t seem to relax.

Instead of just brushing off questions about Fedor and the EliteXC and CBS deal, it seems like he just explodes at the mere mention of them. Instead of just responding by saying, “Yeah, that’s great for EliteXC, but we just got Anheuser-Busch” and focusing on the UFC, he’s been launching into angst-filled tirades. First, there was the post-UFC 82 press conference. Then, there was the recent interview with Carlos Arias in the Orange County Register. And now, there’s a new interview in the Boston Herald in which Dana sounds off.

The expletives were in full effect when Dana started discussing the competition:

“The next company that was going to take me out has been coming for the last eight years,” White told the Herald last week. “Every time somebody puts something new together, it’s been ’Oh, these guys are gonna kick Dana’s (expletive) and put his ego in check.’ There ain’t anybody kicking our (expletive). It isn’t going to happen this year with CBS and Elite XC or any year.”

But when Dana was asked to address some recent comments from a Yahoo! interview in which EliteXC President Gary Shaw claimed White’s ego got in the way of a possible deal with CBS, Dana really let it rip:

“We’ll see who’s around in five years, me or Gary Shaw. There’s some ego for you,” White said. “The reality is I know what the (expletive) I’m doing and Gary Shaw doesn’t. If you go and search Gary Shaw and mixed martial arts (on the Internet), this guy was saying five years ago that mixed martial arts was a joke. (He said) it’s not a real sport, these guys are barroom brawlers. Now that fat, bloated (expletive) is running around acting like he loves mixed martial arts.”

In reading Dana’s comments in recent interviews, it just seems like he’s a little stressed out. I don’t know; does Dana need a vacation or a hug? The UFC has achieved so much success under his guidance but I just wonder if the guy has the ability to enjoy any of it? Sometimes I wonder if there might be a point where White gets on the verge of burning out?

I hope it never gets to that point because the sport has grown so much with Dana at the forefront but I wonder if anything is being accomplished when he goes off on these angry tirades?

http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2008/03/09/does-dana-white-need-a-vacation/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Josh Thomson: Looking for a Playboy Return

PDG: Let's start with your recovery from your shoulder surgery; how is it feeling now?
Josh: Last Wednesday was seven weeks since the procedure and it is doing well. I am a little bit ahead of schedule but I really won't know for sure until I can test it in about another month. I just got cleared to swim, jump rope and lift weights. I am working on the strengthening and conditioning part of the rehab now.

PDG: Can you describe exactly what the injury was and what the doctors had to do to repair it?
Josh: I tore the labrum on the back side of my shoulder. Basically the cartilage between the muscle and the bone tore. So the doctors put two anchors through on the back side through the cartilage and into the bone to pull them back together. Since I had been training with the injury I also developed some problems on the front end of the shoulder. So the doctors had to put two more anchors in from the front side of my shoulder.

PDG: You said it has been seven weeks since the procedure, what is the usual timeframe for a full recovery from this injury?
Josh: The doctors originally told me about three months. They told me it would be at least eight weeks until I could start hitting again. I've been doing a little bit of punching but it has been more like the "Mayweather" workout..........Tap, tap, tap, tap. In the meantime I've been working on a lot of lower body strengthening. Riding the bike, working a lot of kicks and running stairs. About any training I can do to keep my mind off the fact that I can't fight yet.

PDG: How many hours daily are you working out now?
Josh: I do about an hour and a half in the morning and then about three hours at night. My morning workout is more about conditioning, you know running sprints and that kind of stuff. In the evening I do my lifting and the revolving stairs. So all in all I put in about five hours each day.

PDG: So fans should expect to see you back in action again this summer?
Josh: Yes, I am scheduled right now to fight again in June. We'll just see how the rehab and training goes. I will be going to Hawaii this week for [Phil] Baroni's fight and so I will be getting some work in at the local gym there. After that I will be home for a couple of weeks and then I am traveling to France to train with some guys there. Hopefully when I get back from there I will be ready to start my fight camp to prepare for June.

PDG: Do you have an idea of who your opponent is going to be yet?
Josh: Everyone wants to see me fight Gilbert [Melendez] and so we have had talks about that fight. To be honest, he is coming off of his first loss and he probably wants a tune-up fight before the two of us square off. As a friend and fellow fighter I can relate to that because he probably wants to get his head clear before we fight. I want to make sure that I am fighting Gilbert at his best. He is a top five fighter and that is the Gilbert that I want to fight.

PDG: He is fighting on the March 29th card for Strikeforce; wouldn't that be considered his tune-up fight for a match with you?
Josh: Yes, he is fighting that Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Cristiano Marcello. Hopefully that will be the tune-up fight and don't get me wrong, it goes both ways because of my shoulder injury. Gilbert also wants to wait until I am at 100% before he fights me. We will both definitely be on that card in June but I don't know yet if we will be fighting each other. I mean, if I feel good and all my training goes really well, then I don't mind fighting him in June. Since both of us are basically local to the San Jose area, I would prefer to fight him here and that the event in June is not in San Jose. I am a San Jose boy and he is from San Francisco, so I think the fight would be better for both of us if it was held in San Jose. Either way the two of us are going to meet in the cage eventually.

PDG: If not San Jose, where is the June event going to take place?
Josh: From what I have heard we will be back at the Playboy Mansion. I definitely wouldn't mind headlining that card [laughs].

PDG: Yeah, you told me you had a pretty good time at the last event there.
Josh: I had a great time. The only thing is that my fight and Gilbert's fight were the last two on the card that night, so we didn't end up fighting until like 12:45 at night. This time it is supposed to be a day event with the fights starting at three o'clock and the main event somewhere around seven o'clock. The two of us are generally looked at as the guys who like to party and by the time we got done fighting at the last one, we only had about a half hour to slam down some drinks. So a day party/fight in June at the Playboy Mansion is definitely going to be something you don't want to miss.

PDG: Your good buddy Frank Shamrock is fighting Cung Le in about three weeks. How do you think this fight will go?
Josh: Frank is a mystery to a lot of people, no one thought he was going to come out and stand with Baroni but that is exactly what he did. I think that threw Baroni's game off a little bit. I know Frank pretty well as I used to do some sparring and training with him. I kind of know how his brain operates and I think he will come out and try to stand with Cung. He thinks his boxing is good and so he will try to use that to get into Cung’s face. I'm sure Frank thinks his boxing is that of a pro-level fighter but I can assure you that it is not. Frank is a legend in his own mind and so he will try to impose that on Cung in this fight. He will constantly try to push the pace of the fight while he looks to get a takedown or catch Cung in the clinch. I am sure that Frank thinks he is safer the closer he is to Cung. I also think deep down in his mind he remembers sparring with Cung years ago and so I'm sure he also remembers how many times he was dropped in those sparring sessions. If he goes into the clinch with Cung, that will be a mistake and he will get thrown to the ground. The bottom line is that the fight always starts on the feet and Cung is better than Frank in the standup game. I have to favor Frank for this fight as far as experience is concerned but I am going to have to take Cung to win this fight.

PDG: Some people have said that maybe Cung may have bitten off more than he can chew by taking this fight so early in his MMA career.
Josh: Those people are wrong and they should stop sitting around talking about what opponents he has beaten and who he should fight. He has fought UFC veteran's, I just don't understand what the hell these people are talking about. Sam Morgan knocked out Duane Ludwig, fought in the UFC and was on that reality show. Tony Frykland has also fought in the UFC. He may have only had four or five fights so far in MMA but the competition level has been very high. If the guy goes out there against Frank in goes the full five rounds and still loses. Give the guy some fucking credit............obviously he is still in the transition a little bit, learning the ground game and working on submissions. He is an athlete with a God-given talent for fighting. When he used to spar with Frank back in the day, a lot of people will remember that he used to throw Frank around like a rag doll, like his little sister. It was almost a joke how bad he worked Frank over back then. I am sure Frank remembers that. Cung is a good wrestler, has great throws and he kicks like a mule. The longer the fight goes the more pressure that will be on Frank to score points.

PDG: Other than that fight, what upcoming matches are you looking forward to seeing and what other fighters would you like to step in the cage with?
Josh: [Jorge] Mazvidal for sure, I'm a big fan of his and I like watching him fight. Everyone knows that our paths are going to cross someday soon. Ryan Healy is also a guy that I like to watch fight and I also anticipate fighting him somewhere down the road. I'm a big fan of all these guys at 155 pounds and I enjoy watching all of them fight. Without a doubt, Mazvidal is a great fighter but even he knows I am going to kick his ass. Same thing with Healy. Gilbert and myself are at the top of the food chain in Strikeforce and when those guys come over to fight us they are going to find that out. The same thing goes for Gilbert, when we fight I am going to beat him. I have that mentality now and I know where my game is at now. I don't see anywhere that Gilbert can beat me. These are the three guys in Strikeforce and Bodog that I am looking forward to fighting. I respect all three of them a lot but I should not lose any one of these fights. They are coming here to fight me and I will be ready. I want to fight the best guys regardless of where they are from, whether it be the UFC, from Japan, I don't care where they come from.

PDG: If you didn't have that mentality than you probably wouldn't be a fighter for very long.
Josh: You know what though?, there are a lot of guys out there that don't want to fight the best. They are just looking for a paycheck regardless of who the opponent is. Don't get me wrong I am definitely fighting to get paid but my love for the sport has always been there. My first few fights, I fought for absolutely nothing, zero money. After that my next couple of fights only paid me $150 each. I was fighting bigger guys with more experience and making next to nothing. I may be making a lot more money nowadays but the passion to fight the best fighters out there still hasn't changed.

PDG: Now that you have been with Strikeforce for awhile; how would you say your experience has been working for them?
Josh: Working for the UFC you can be a superstar, working for Strikeforce you get paid very well and you get to fight a lot of top competition that some MMA fans have not heard of yet. As long as Strikeforce and Scott Coker continue to bring in top fighters in my weight class, I will have no reason to look elsewhere. I want to fight the top guys and right now they are bringing them to Strikeforce. It is a great organization and I don't have any complaints.

PDG: I appreciate your time Josh, is there anything else that you would like to add?
Josh: You always have to thank the fans and the sponsors; Tapout, Knoxx, AKA, of course and Dave Camarillo. His jui-jitsui programs keep me going, Javier Mendez and “Crazy” Bob Cook and I have to thank you for the great interviews.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EVANS JUMPED AT CHANCE TO FACE LIDDELL

Fresh off the announcement that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua had to drop out of his fight with Chuck Liddell at UFC 85 due to a recurring knee injury, Rashad Evans got the call to step in as a replacement. There was no hesitation in his mind about accepting the fight.

“With Shogun being out, Dana White gave me a call and he asked me if I wanted the opportunity to fight Chuck,” recounted Evans in an interview with MMAWeekly.com, “And I’m like, ‘yeah!’”

Coming off of a tough three-round fight with Michael Bisping in November, Evans is ready to head into his training camp. With the fight not happening until June, he will have ample time to get ready for Liddell.

“It’s definitely going to give me enough time to prepare for it,” he stated about the timing of the fight.

Since winning the heavyweight division of second season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, Evans has stayed busy, and undefeated, pulling off victories over fighters such as Jason Lambert, Stephan Bonnar and Bisping.

Now he will face possibly his greatest challenge to date and a legend in the sport in former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Evans. “Chuck Liddell’s been a dominant force in the weight class for the last several years. He’s a huge icon in the sport, and a really good fighter. It’s going to be fun and a great challenge.”

Over the last few years, Liddell has garnered a reputation for pummeling wrestlers who step into the Octagon with him. The list includes Renato “Babalu” Sobral twice, Tito Ortiz twice, and Randy Couture twice.

But Evans feels he can learn from those fighters’ past mistakes and come out on top.

“I think my style is different than what he’s faced before, but they will give you those little pointers where you can look back and see what they did wrong,” he said about reviewing Liddell’s past fights.

Coach Greg Jackson and a slew of top fighters, including Keith Jardine, who along with Jackson came up with the perfect game plan to chop Liddell down during their fight in September 2007, will head Evans’ training camp.

“I have a great team, they’ll put together a great game plan with what they see in Chuck’s weak points,” he commented. “I’m sure I’m going to have a great game plan going into fight night.”

Now Evans will ready himself to head back to New Mexico and work alongside his teammates at Jackson’s gym and prepare for the June showdown at the O2 Arena in London.

 

[naner12]

Jean Silvas retarded capoeria kick in an attempt to pass guard against someone like Imanari who's main fucking skill is leg locks was the dumbest thing I've ever seen since Jorge Gurgel attempted a flying knee against him and suffered the same fate.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shinya Aoki Prepares Using Fedor's Favorite Secret Weapon
"I am confident. I will certainly win by Ippon"

Shinya Aoki, who will be facing HERO'S middleweight champion J.Z. Cavalcante in the "DREAM.1 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008" event, held a public workout at a Tokyo gym on the 9th. Aoki, who finished his intense training last week, didn't do any sparring at the public workout, but rather went through some routines that have been made famous by Fedor Emelianenko.

Working up a light sweat using the secret weapon, Aoki expressed his fighting spirit, "I definitely feel I will win. I'm confident and want to move on to the next stage after beating J.Z."
Final preparations with the secret weapon "kettle bell" - Fedor's favorite
There's less than 6 days until the event. With less than a week until the fight, Aoki completed the intense training phase last week and is now finalizing his physical conditioning. Accordingly, Aoki didn't do any sparring at the public workout, instead going through a light workout using a special tool. That special tool is made from iron like any typical dumbbell, but is of a round shape with a handle, looking much like a kettle - a "kettle bell". Fedor also uses this tool.

Aoki stated, "I've been using this since last summer. There's been those who've said I'm not strong enough, so I want to prove them wrong. As compared to a regular dumbbell, the kettle bell is more applicable to building MMA strength. Each kettle bell weighs 20kg (44lbs).
"I definitely want to end the match with an Ippon"
Aoki is set to battle of the best fighters in J.Z. Cavalcante. These two were supposed to fight last New Year's Eve, but J.Z. had to pull out due to injury. Aoki has been waiting for this and commented, "This time there are no injuries (laughter). I am also injury-free and I'm also at my proper weight. All that is left is to keep myself in peak physical condition. I've done everything that needs to be done. I feel I'm better than I was heading into New Years."

"It's not a matter of 'I don't want to lose' or 'Can I win?' because I absolutely feel I will win. If I don't win it means nothing, so I am going out there to win. Clearly put, I am confident. It depends on the flow of the fight so I don't have a specific finishing move in mind, but I will definitely want to win by Ippon"
The J.Z. fight is a stepping board and becoming the ace of DREAM!
Aoki is totally focused on the fight with J.Z. "This is a do-or-die for me. I'm not thinking at all of what's next. On what would be next after the fight, Aoki commented, "In any case, I want to break through. I want to beat J.Z. and go on to the next stage. I want to get better."

Aoki is facing his toughest test to date, HERO'S top dog. Will Aoki rise to the challenge and become the ace of the new MMA organization, the ace of the Japanese MMA world?

 

[Shogun Locc]

LOYALTY TO B.J. PENN HAS JOE LAUZON PREPARED

On April 2, two Ultimate Fighter contestants will go face-to-face when season five star Joe Lauzon takes on season one runner-up Kenny Florian. The two will be competing in the main event of a stacked UFC Fight Night card when the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Colorado.



For Lauzon, it’s just another fight, but a fight that he knows he needs to be ready for come April 2.



“I'm not going to get caught up in it all. To me, it’s just another fight,” he said. “It’s nice that they are using my fight with Kenny as the headline fight, but that doesn't change the fact that I need to train hard and do my job.”



Both fighters are coming off wins. Lauzon defeated Jason Reinhardt at UFC 78 in November. He has a 16-3 MMA record and has won his last six fights. His biggest win to date in the UFC was when he spoiled the return of Jens Pulver at UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn by knocking out “Little Evil” in the first round.



Florian's last fight was in September when he defeated Din Thomas at a UFC Fight Night event. He's won three straight fights since his decision loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 in a bout for the lightweight championship.



Lauzon knows that Florian is good on the ground and standing. However, he believes that Florian is a good match up stylistically.



“Kenny is very good. He is great on the ground and has submitted a bunch of guys, but he has great striking too,” he said. “I think we match up pretty well style-wise and I think you are going to see a dog fight from start to finish.”



Lauzon knows that Florian is one of the bigger names in the UFC lightweight division. “J-Lau” believes he needs to pressure Florian in order to come out on top.



“It's all about pressure,” he stated. “Kenny and I are both going to bring the pressure and whoever weathers it from the other better is going to come away with a win.”



To prepare for the fight, Lauzon has been working with his Ultimate Fighter coach, current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, with whom Lauzon continues to adjust his fight game.



“Working with B.J. has been amazing. Every day I get to go out and work out with the lightweight champ of the UFC,” he said with exuberance. “I have learned everything from small training habits to ideas on fighting and technique.”



A win for Lauzon would definitely help his continual climb up the lightweight ladder, but he intends on keeping his focus on the fight.



“A win over Kenny is huge for me, but I am not even gonna think past April 2 until the time has come,” he stated. “First things first, I'm gonna deal with Kenny before I look any further.”



There is a plethora of choices for Lauzon to face if he wins this fight. He will fight anybody the UFC sends his way, but his loyalty to Penn is much more important than a title shot against his mentor.



“I would much rather be part of the team here than go off and fight B.J.,” Lauzon said. “I am looking long term and I don't think B.J. wants to hang around 155 for very long anyways.”



The UFC Fight Night card is stacked with great fights. The card features such fighters as Karo Parisyan, Matt Hamill, Clay Guida, Spencer Fisher and many more. Lauzon is personally, as a fan, looking forward to April 2.



“I think it’s an amazing card from start to finish,” he said. “Karo, Nate (Diaz), Manny (Gamburyan), (Tim) Boetsch, Spencer (Fisher), Gray (Maynard), Clay (Guida) and (Frankie) Edgar. This card is packed with fights I am dying to see.”



The time is now for Lauzon to shine even brighter than before. On April 2, we'll know if that's the case.

 

[Shogun Locc]

JORGE GURGEL: TIME FOR A CHANGE

Jorge Gurgel returned to his winning form at Ultimate Fighting Championship 82 defeating John Halverson by unanimous decision. Gurgel has had his ups and downs in the UFC, especially in his last performance against Alvin Robinson at UFC 77, where Gurgel was controlled throughout the majority of the fight. However, Gurgel who is widely known for his relentless work ethic, turned the tide and had a very decisive win over Halverson, proving that he belongs in the UFC's stacked lightweight division.

Gurgel controlled the majority of the fight with effective striking and grappling. At one point in the second round, Gurgel was close to a stoppage, however his tough opponent held strong.

Even though Gurgel won the fight, he believes that there is always room for improvement and that he didn't perform up to his ability. "My game plan is to go in there and beat your ass.," commented Gurgel. "I know that I made mistakes on the ground. The thing that makes me the most upset about the whole fight was not the performance, not the decision, but I missed the armbar. He escaped. I don't know how."

Most fighters after a fight take some time off to recuperate and relax. However, Jorge Gurgel is not most fighters. "I got in the gym as soon as I got back. Right now I feel like I wanna fight again as soon as possible." Gurgel's work ethic and vast knowledge of jiu-jitsu is perhaps what makes him one of the most respected trainers and fighters in mixed martial arts.

As much as Gurgel prepares and as much success as he may have, he insists that it's time for a change. He will not neglect his current team, but he does want to try to improve on some of his skills with world renowned trainer Mark DellaGrotte at Sityodtong. "I think I need a change," explained Gurgel. "I'm not performing to my ability. I don't know what I need to fix, but I need to fix it. I'm going to go away and fix different things. I should have finished the fight. Period."

One disappointing part of Jorge Gurgel's night was that one of his star pupils, Dustin Hazelett, suffered a loss to Ultimate Fighter 1 alumni, Josh Koscheck. "It does not complete the night for me. My night was definitely not complete. Dustin lost. I train him every day and he's a good listener. I tell him always my opinion. You fought like a man. People get down on themselves. In a week or a few days, he'll be back on his horse." said the Cincinnati native.

Anderson Silva, the only man to defeat Rich Franklin twice, took out Dan Henderson to solidify his spot as the number one middleweight in the world. Gurgel was impressed and said as much. "The guy is a great fighter. Anderson Silva, right now is his time... He sees everything... He definitely is dominating everybody in his weight class extremely easy... he is the most impressive fighter at this time."

Speaking of Rich Franklin, he will be making his return the Octagon on April 19 th against another Anderson Silva victim- Travis Lutter. Gurgel provided some insight on Rich Franklin's training. "Rich is and always will be 110% ready. Physically he got the eye of the tiger look in his face again. He's got a good game plan for Travis Lutter. I'm a Rich Franklin fan. He's gonna come blazing."

With his training and fighting career, one thing is sure about Jorge Gurgel. He will continue to be one the busiest men in mixed martial arts.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Carneiro, Chonan Sign for UFC Bout

Roan Carneiro (Pictures) and Ryo Chonan (Pictures) have signed to fight at UFC 85 on June 7 in London, sources close to both camps have told Sherdog.com.

The bout will be a rematch of a Feb. 12, 2005, meeting in Deep. Chonan (14-8) stopped the Brazilian on a cut in that first fight after landing a knee as Carneiro (12-6) tried for a takedown.

Both fighters have since dropped from the middleweight division to 170 pounds.

 

[heyzel]

Red and Green: The Fedor Fiasco

March 10, 2008
by Jake Rossen ([email protected])

Stop me if you've heard this one. Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) is once again -- allegedly, presumably, unofficially, categorically, depressingly -- the most valuable free agent in mixed martial arts.

Emelianenko's cryostasis was supposed to have thawed with his M-1 Global affiliation last fall. Instead, we got one vapid fight against Marvel Comics mutant Hong Man Choi (Pictures), months of thumb twiddling courtesy of the front office and fatiguing speculation over a theoretical bout with Randy Couture (Pictures). (It's now a fight that can't possibly live up to the unending, insufferable hype.)

M-1 -- led by respected athlete manager Monte Cox -- seemed optimistic that it could circumvent the obvious problems in trying to build a promotional foundation spread across two continents. (Perhaps Cox should've consulted with Ed Fishman, Dana White or anyone who's tried to negotiate foreign combat policy with obstinate peers from overseas.) Now comes word that M-1 is about to implode thanks to warring ideals and what some smart person once dubbed "paralysis by analysis," the act of overthinking everything and therefore doing nothing.

And so the Emelianenko sweepstakes have been resurrected, with the countless freshman organizations all coveting the cache that comes from hosting the presumed world's best fighter.

But as Emelianenko and his agents may soon discover, the adhesive on that label is beginning to peel.

The Russian's last important fight was against Mark Hunt (Pictures) in December 2006 -- and Hunt, barely on the fringe of the heavyweight scene, made Emelianenko work for it. Since then, Emelianenko has fought only twice, the spectacle against Choi and a pointless bout with middleweight Matt Lindland (Pictures).

At what point does the hype expire on the hyperbole?

While the Red Devil figurehead has been busy in the boardroom, athletes like Anderson Silva, Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) have been busy challenging the best in their respective divisions. Even mainstream media, which was all too quick to buy into the concept of Emelianenko as a mystical, mythical figure, has now slotted Silva as the pound-for-pound great. (Imagine the outcry if Silva proceeded to spend the next three years fighting medical oddities and lightweights.)

At a certain point, one has to wonder whether the myriad of financial and contractual impositions that Emelianenko promises are still worth it. If you're paying for the sport's best, shouldn't he have to offer contemporary proof of that? If you're doing due diligence on your investment, wouldn't you question your athlete's diluted career?

Emelianenko, as this space has often charged, possesses his image in part because the heavyweight division is the flimsiest in the game. Aside from highly impressive wins against Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), he's yet to dominate a majority slice of the top 10. And under the right (or wrong, depending on your perspective) rule set, a good wrestler stands an excellent chance of grounding him and using elbows to turn his scar-stricken forehead into tenderloin.

That's a pretty anticlimactic end to what would be a massive investment.

That said, the UFC -- surely a reluctant contestant in the drawing -- could do worse than to make an effort to see the Emelianenko-Couture bout happen, which would snatch away one of the more significant fights from the competition and sway media attention back to the premier MMA brand in North America.

White and his crew may not feel that heat, however. Despite the incessant fan and press chatter every time the heavyweight passes gas, the bulk of the UFC's customers have little idea what the match truly represents. The blanket story that there's some kind of Pride invasion has been quashed with the mediocre results offered by Wanderlei Silva (Pictures), Dan Henderson (Pictures) and others.

What's really for sale, then? A nearly anonymous foreign fighter who speaks little English, sports a dumpy physique and hasn't been pushed in a fight in years. Call it sacrilege, but Kimbo Slice is poised to sell more pay-per-views than Emelianenko -- at a fraction of his price.

It's ironic that Emelianenko's value revolves solely around a shaky claim to being the sport's best, yet he continues to do nothing to substantiate it.

At least he is re-entering the free market with a fresh line of suitors. EliteXC's deal with CBS might encourage the promotion to open its wallets and send the Russian on a tour of fighting B- and C-list heavyweights with the occasional meaningful fight (Josh Barnett (Pictures), possibly Andrei Arlovski (Pictures)) thrown in. Rumors of the Affliction clothing company and Oscar De La Hoya entering the business could drive up his price further.

But as Emelianenko's middling recent results and contractual foot-stomping have indicated, any and all potential business partners should pay heed to the appropriate Latin cliché: Drago's caveat emptor.

Let Fedor's buyer beware.