MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
Camacho Signs Two-Year Deal With EliteXC
MMA on Tap has learned that longtime veteran Joe Camacho has signed a two-year contract with Elite Xtreme Combat. The deal includes the possibility of eight fights inside the confines of the promotion.
“I recently signed a two-year deal (eight fights) with EliteXC,” Camacho said when contacted for comment. “My first fight will be in a ShoXC show and the rest will be under the EliteXC banner. It’s some guaranteed airtime for me, provided that I keep winning of course.”
He will make his debut with the organization on April 5th against fellow lightweight Fabricio Camoes. A light heavyweight bout between prospects Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma will serve as the card’s main event. UFC veteran Doug Evans will also make his EliteXC debut against Wilson Reis.
Camacho is currently riding a six-fight undefeated streak and hasn’t lost since the summer of 2006, defeating two of the world’s top-rated international fighters along the way. His last win was a knockout of Thomas Denny at a King of the Cage event in January, earning Camacho the organization’s lightweight title.
Just like his counterpart, Camoes has also found a good amount of success as of late, winning his last four fights. However he hasn’t fought since winning a lightweight tournament in October 2006. Camoes submitted Cage Rage veteran Jean Silva in the finals.
MMA on Tap has learned that longtime veteran Joe Camacho has signed a two-year contract with Elite Xtreme Combat. The deal includes the possibility of eight fights inside the confines of the promotion.
“I recently signed a two-year deal (eight fights) with EliteXC,” Camacho said when contacted for comment. “My first fight will be in a ShoXC show and the rest will be under the EliteXC banner. It’s some guaranteed airtime for me, provided that I keep winning of course.”
He will make his debut with the organization on April 5th against fellow lightweight Fabricio Camoes. A light heavyweight bout between prospects Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma will serve as the card’s main event. UFC veteran Doug Evans will also make his EliteXC debut against Wilson Reis.
Camacho is currently riding a six-fight undefeated streak and hasn’t lost since the summer of 2006, defeating two of the world’s top-rated international fighters along the way. His last win was a knockout of Thomas Denny at a King of the Cage event in January, earning Camacho the organization’s lightweight title.
Just like his counterpart, Camoes has also found a good amount of success as of late, winning his last four fights. However he hasn’t fought since winning a lightweight tournament in October 2006. Camoes submitted Cage Rage veteran Jean Silva in the finals.
TKO Preparing for April’s “Battle in Paradise”
TKO Championship Fighting will hold an event outside of Canada for the first time in over five years when the organization travels to Oranjestad, Aruba for TKO 33: Battle in Paradise on April 11th. The promotion last put on a show in Honolulu, Hawaii in September 2002 while they were known as the Universal Combat Challenge.
The organization revealed the current fight card for the event on their official website over the weekend.
Aruba native and featherweight prospect Johan Croes will headline the card in the main event against an opponent yet to be announced. Croes stopped veteran Mark Fraser with strikes in his TKO debut in February. TKO Xtreme suggests that Danny Martinez will likely be Croes’ counterpart in the fight.
Popular hockey enforcer turned mixed martial artist Steve Bosse has recovered from a lingering hand injury and will return to action at the event against Carlo Guido, who will be making his professional debut.
Bosse suffered the first loss of his career in December when he was stopped by former TKO heavyweight champion Icho Larenas in controversial fashion.
Undefeated welterweight Derek Gauthier will go up against newcomer Richard Williams. Yannick Galipeau and Jonrick Flanigan will also clash in a welterweight affair as well.
Additional undercard bouts include Ben Gallant attempting to stay undefeated against Greghoulos Oehlers, Christopher Hulme challenging Jamiel Werleman, and Adrian Wooley going up against an opponent yet to be determined.
TKO Championship Fighting will hold an event outside of Canada for the first time in over five years when the organization travels to Oranjestad, Aruba for TKO 33: Battle in Paradise on April 11th. The promotion last put on a show in Honolulu, Hawaii in September 2002 while they were known as the Universal Combat Challenge.
The organization revealed the current fight card for the event on their official website over the weekend.
Aruba native and featherweight prospect Johan Croes will headline the card in the main event against an opponent yet to be announced. Croes stopped veteran Mark Fraser with strikes in his TKO debut in February. TKO Xtreme suggests that Danny Martinez will likely be Croes’ counterpart in the fight.
Popular hockey enforcer turned mixed martial artist Steve Bosse has recovered from a lingering hand injury and will return to action at the event against Carlo Guido, who will be making his professional debut.
Bosse suffered the first loss of his career in December when he was stopped by former TKO heavyweight champion Icho Larenas in controversial fashion.
Undefeated welterweight Derek Gauthier will go up against newcomer Richard Williams. Yannick Galipeau and Jonrick Flanigan will also clash in a welterweight affair as well.
Additional undercard bouts include Ben Gallant attempting to stay undefeated against Greghoulos Oehlers, Christopher Hulme challenging Jamiel Werleman, and Adrian Wooley going up against an opponent yet to be determined.
De La Hoya’s MMA Entry Is Nothing to Dismiss
Golden Boy Promotions wants to be involved in mixed martial arts. Oscar De La Hoya’s group, which has experienced a surprising amount of success in boxing, is teaming up with Affliction, a leading industry clothing line, to create a new MMA organization that hopes to compete with the big boys.
“Maybe Affliction knows something we don’t,” wrote one internet columnist.
Well, as a matter of fact, it does.
First, any association with Golden Boy automatically opens up doors with HBO. You have to understand that no one at the network could care less about MMA. They were talking to the UFC only because Chris Albrecht, the chairman and CEO, was a big fan of it. But Albrecht has departed the scene, and with him went any hopes to have MMA at the Time Warner-controlled premium service.
Until now.
You see, if De La Hoya asks them to be involved, they are going to strongly consider it. Such is his value to the network. And as long as he continues to fight, he is going to have that kind of leverage. In fact, in the opinion of many boxing insiders, that is one of the principal reasons he remains an active fighter - because HBO has literally helped him launch his promotional company. Because HBO wanted to show Oscar’s fights, they had to take a lot of the very ordinary fights he was promoting as part of series for the HBO Latino channel. And it is the observation of many that, for HBO’s World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark franchises. he gets greater rights fees for the fights he promotes (those that do not involve him) than comparable fights from other promoters.
With a fight with Steve Forbes coming, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather to follow, and God knows what after that, De La Hoya still holds the hammer.
And HBO, whether you want to believe it or not, is real estate that is more valuable than CBS or NBC for purposes of this discussion as it concerns MMA. Sure the broadcast networks are accessible by more homes, but HBO’s subscribers are PAID subscribers. Therefore, the company can pay more money, if it chooses to, for the right events, which can mean more money for fighters. Let’s put it this way - the main event fighters on HBO’s World Championship Boxing series make more money than almost any main event contestant on any UFC pay-per-view.
So when this writer asked “How can Golden Boy compete?,” my first question to myself was “Is that a joke?” Believe me, when fighters find out they can make more money somewhere, they are on their way over. As far as how this makes it feasible for the promoters themselves (i.e., Golden Boy), I trust that they’re not making stupid moves. They know exactly how to back a show into a model; in other words, they know how to add a network rights fee to a casino site fee and structure a show so that it turns a profit.
One of the executives at Golden Boy, the CEO, Richard Schaefer, also realizes that there is a bit of a trend that is moving toward the fighters establishing themselves as the entity, rather than the brand doing so. And he fully understands, as I do but many people in this sport do not, that ultimately people pay to see the fighter, and that the star has leverage. In fact, that is the basis upon which Golden Boy was established in the first place. De La Hoya, who had been under promotional arrangement with Top Rank, wanted a bigger piece of the pie, and knew that if he was the attraction, he had leverage in dealing with the networks and the venues. And so he does just that.
In an industry like boxing, which had been dominated by the likes of Don King and Bob Arum (Top Rank) for over 30 years, Golden Boy is fast becoming the biggest player. That, in this reporter’s humble opinion, was a tougher nut to crack than what is out there in the MMA landscape.
So when I hear people questioning whether anyone else can make it work and stating that “History tells us a resounding ‘No’,” I have to laugh. Son, this sport isn’t old enough to have any real “history.” As far as that stuff is concerned, we’re just getting started.
Golden Boy Promotions wants to be involved in mixed martial arts. Oscar De La Hoya’s group, which has experienced a surprising amount of success in boxing, is teaming up with Affliction, a leading industry clothing line, to create a new MMA organization that hopes to compete with the big boys.
“Maybe Affliction knows something we don’t,” wrote one internet columnist.
Well, as a matter of fact, it does.
First, any association with Golden Boy automatically opens up doors with HBO. You have to understand that no one at the network could care less about MMA. They were talking to the UFC only because Chris Albrecht, the chairman and CEO, was a big fan of it. But Albrecht has departed the scene, and with him went any hopes to have MMA at the Time Warner-controlled premium service.
Until now.
You see, if De La Hoya asks them to be involved, they are going to strongly consider it. Such is his value to the network. And as long as he continues to fight, he is going to have that kind of leverage. In fact, in the opinion of many boxing insiders, that is one of the principal reasons he remains an active fighter - because HBO has literally helped him launch his promotional company. Because HBO wanted to show Oscar’s fights, they had to take a lot of the very ordinary fights he was promoting as part of series for the HBO Latino channel. And it is the observation of many that, for HBO’s World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark franchises. he gets greater rights fees for the fights he promotes (those that do not involve him) than comparable fights from other promoters.
With a fight with Steve Forbes coming, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather to follow, and God knows what after that, De La Hoya still holds the hammer.
And HBO, whether you want to believe it or not, is real estate that is more valuable than CBS or NBC for purposes of this discussion as it concerns MMA. Sure the broadcast networks are accessible by more homes, but HBO’s subscribers are PAID subscribers. Therefore, the company can pay more money, if it chooses to, for the right events, which can mean more money for fighters. Let’s put it this way - the main event fighters on HBO’s World Championship Boxing series make more money than almost any main event contestant on any UFC pay-per-view.
So when this writer asked “How can Golden Boy compete?,” my first question to myself was “Is that a joke?” Believe me, when fighters find out they can make more money somewhere, they are on their way over. As far as how this makes it feasible for the promoters themselves (i.e., Golden Boy), I trust that they’re not making stupid moves. They know exactly how to back a show into a model; in other words, they know how to add a network rights fee to a casino site fee and structure a show so that it turns a profit.
One of the executives at Golden Boy, the CEO, Richard Schaefer, also realizes that there is a bit of a trend that is moving toward the fighters establishing themselves as the entity, rather than the brand doing so. And he fully understands, as I do but many people in this sport do not, that ultimately people pay to see the fighter, and that the star has leverage. In fact, that is the basis upon which Golden Boy was established in the first place. De La Hoya, who had been under promotional arrangement with Top Rank, wanted a bigger piece of the pie, and knew that if he was the attraction, he had leverage in dealing with the networks and the venues. And so he does just that.
In an industry like boxing, which had been dominated by the likes of Don King and Bob Arum (Top Rank) for over 30 years, Golden Boy is fast becoming the biggest player. That, in this reporter’s humble opinion, was a tougher nut to crack than what is out there in the MMA landscape.
So when I hear people questioning whether anyone else can make it work and stating that “History tells us a resounding ‘No’,” I have to laugh. Son, this sport isn’t old enough to have any real “history.” As far as that stuff is concerned, we’re just getting started.
Kalib fights for himself
Don't expect Vancouver scrapper Kalib Starnes to well up at all the Maple Leaf flags at UFC 83 next month in Montreal.
The Ultimate Fighter 3 alumnus couldn't care less if the fight was in Canada.
"I believe nationalism is a big cause of violence and war and conflict in the world and I don't fall for any of it myself," says the 6-foot-3 middleweight, sounding more like a college activist than a man who makes a living with his fists.
"I'll be happy fighting in front of all those French-Canadians, but at the same time I really don't care."
The straight-talking Starnes is coming off a TKO loss to Alan Belcher, who will also be fighting at UFC 83 against Alberta's Jason "Dooms" Day.
A knee to the noggin split Starnes' forehead above his right eye at UFC 77 last October. Referee Yves Lavigne halted the fight and asked the doctor to check the cut.
"The doctor said he wanted to stop the fight because he could see my skull and he was worried about infection. I didn't care at the time because I just wanted to fight," remembers Starnes, who despite his protests saw the fight end in a doctor stoppage.
"I had 20 or 30 stitches. Two layers of them. One dissolvable layer in the meat and one layer in the skin over top. Two or three weeks later, it got infected pretty bad and it took a good month and a half to heal. For close to three months, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't sweat. I couldn't run the risk of it getting infected again because it was close to my eye and that's a very sensitive area."
Fighting is something Starnes says he's been doing since he came out of the womb.
"I came from a violent childhood and grew up with a lot of alcoholism and violence in my family," he says. "I never had a father. My mother never really raised me."
Starnes said his grandmother helped raise him for a few years, but the free-spirited youngster soon moved on.
"I went from place to place and I was on my own at a very young age -- about 14."
But the battles he endured growing up have only made him a stronger fighter, he says.
With his cuts healed, Starnes is well into training with his new crew at American Top Team in Florida.
His opponent at UFC 83 is former title contender Nate "Rock" Quarry.
Like Starnes, Quarry also came into the UFC through the reality TV show -- something Starnes seems ready to distance himself from.
"I'd be in the same place if I wasn't on that show," he says of his professional career.
"All that show gave me was a little bit of exposure. I get recognized at the video store and at the mall."
Don't expect Vancouver scrapper Kalib Starnes to well up at all the Maple Leaf flags at UFC 83 next month in Montreal.
The Ultimate Fighter 3 alumnus couldn't care less if the fight was in Canada.
"I believe nationalism is a big cause of violence and war and conflict in the world and I don't fall for any of it myself," says the 6-foot-3 middleweight, sounding more like a college activist than a man who makes a living with his fists.
"I'll be happy fighting in front of all those French-Canadians, but at the same time I really don't care."
The straight-talking Starnes is coming off a TKO loss to Alan Belcher, who will also be fighting at UFC 83 against Alberta's Jason "Dooms" Day.
A knee to the noggin split Starnes' forehead above his right eye at UFC 77 last October. Referee Yves Lavigne halted the fight and asked the doctor to check the cut.
"The doctor said he wanted to stop the fight because he could see my skull and he was worried about infection. I didn't care at the time because I just wanted to fight," remembers Starnes, who despite his protests saw the fight end in a doctor stoppage.
"I had 20 or 30 stitches. Two layers of them. One dissolvable layer in the meat and one layer in the skin over top. Two or three weeks later, it got infected pretty bad and it took a good month and a half to heal. For close to three months, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't sweat. I couldn't run the risk of it getting infected again because it was close to my eye and that's a very sensitive area."
Fighting is something Starnes says he's been doing since he came out of the womb.
"I came from a violent childhood and grew up with a lot of alcoholism and violence in my family," he says. "I never had a father. My mother never really raised me."
Starnes said his grandmother helped raise him for a few years, but the free-spirited youngster soon moved on.
"I went from place to place and I was on my own at a very young age -- about 14."
But the battles he endured growing up have only made him a stronger fighter, he says.
With his cuts healed, Starnes is well into training with his new crew at American Top Team in Florida.
His opponent at UFC 83 is former title contender Nate "Rock" Quarry.
Like Starnes, Quarry also came into the UFC through the reality TV show -- something Starnes seems ready to distance himself from.
"I'd be in the same place if I wasn't on that show," he says of his professional career.
"All that show gave me was a little bit of exposure. I get recognized at the video store and at the mall."
HAMMAN TO HEADLINE APRIL 5 SHOXC
Unbeaten light heavyweight Jared Hamman will headline a Saturday, April 5 card on the ShoXC “Elite Challenger Series” against Poai Suganuma at the Table Mountain Casino in Fresno, Calif.
Hamman (9-0) last fought in October, when he submitted the previously undefeated Aaron Rosa at a ShoXC show. He has delivered all nine of his victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. A knockout win over Pride and UFC veteran Travis Wiuff highlights his resume.
Suganuma (8-1), a 26-year-old Hawaiian, will enter the match on a three-fight winning streak. He has not competed since he submitted Bernard Ackah with a first-round armbar at K-1 “Olympia Hero’s 2007” in October. A veteran of the Pancrase and Icon Sport circuits, Suganuma suffered his only career loss in 2006, when Lithuanian Kestutis Arbocius stopped him on a cut.
Unbeaten light heavyweight Jared Hamman will headline a Saturday, April 5 card on the ShoXC “Elite Challenger Series” against Poai Suganuma at the Table Mountain Casino in Fresno, Calif.
Hamman (9-0) last fought in October, when he submitted the previously undefeated Aaron Rosa at a ShoXC show. He has delivered all nine of his victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. A knockout win over Pride and UFC veteran Travis Wiuff highlights his resume.
Suganuma (8-1), a 26-year-old Hawaiian, will enter the match on a three-fight winning streak. He has not competed since he submitted Bernard Ackah with a first-round armbar at K-1 “Olympia Hero’s 2007” in October. A veteran of the Pancrase and Icon Sport circuits, Suganuma suffered his only career loss in 2006, when Lithuanian Kestutis Arbocius stopped him on a cut.
Iron Ring Review
Iron Ring premiers on BET this Tuesday night at 11PM EST. The format is basically The Ultimate Fighter meets the IFL with a twist, hip hop celebrity owners. The vehicle appears to be designed as something of an introduction to MMA for BET's primarily African-American audience. The lack of diversity in the MMA demographic has been a topic of concern for some in and out of the industry.
The one hour premier episode (two thirty minute episodes combined) focuses largely on the celebrity owners and their coaches. The show has a gritty feel provided by low key production and locations as well as a strong hip hop influence. The opening scenes looks more like the rawness of fight club than the spectacle of major MMA. Whether this will be the case once the actual competition begins remains to be seen, but the product definitely has a distinctive feel, unlike any other MMA production. Street Certified may be a more appropriate title for the series than it was for EliteXC's previous offering.
The competition features six teams and takes place in three weight classes, Lightweight (170lbs for purposes of the show), Middleweight , and Heavyweight. There was no sign of a cage in week one with all the action taking place in a ring. Rashon Kahn plays the Dana White role as "arbitrator" of the competition and motivational speaker, although I seriously doubt Kahn can live up to Dana's "do you want to be a fighter" speech.
The first thirty minutes offer no fights or fighters, focusing exclusively on the owners and coaches of the teams. The only two coaches familiar to MMA fans are Krazy Horse Bennett and Shonie Carter. The second half of the premier episode focuses on the tryout process, one TUF style workout followed by a win and you're in type exhibition tryout.
Team Luda and Dipset are announced on the show with the tease for the following week built around a cut fighter trying to fight his way back onto the show. The complete team rosters are:
MONEY MAYWEATHER BOYS
Owner - Floyd Mayweather
Coach - Roberto Traven
LW - Andy Roberts
MW - Dymond Jones
HW - Abdelaziz Essafoul
TEAM LUDA
Owner - Ludacris
Coach - Abdul Mutakabbir
LW - Joe Comacho
MW - John Fields
MW - Franz Mendez
HW - Joe McCall
TEAM NELLY
Owner - Nelly
Coach - Jermaine Andre
LW - Eric Marriott
MW - Darryl Cobb
HW - Mike Cook
TEAM GRAND HUSTLE
Owner - T.I.
Coach - Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
LW - Josh Gaskins
MW - Primus Moore
MW - Jamie Yager
HW - Joe Thomas
TEAM DIPSET
Owner - Dipset (Julez Santana & Jim Jones)
Coach - Novell G. Bell
LW - Josh Key
MW - Daniel Akinyemi
HW - Carlos Moreno
HEAD BUSTERS
Owner - Lil John
Coach - Shonie Carter
LW - Macrus Brimmage
MW - Brian Rodgers
HW - Abongo Humphrey
Ultimately, Iron Ring is likely more interesting for what it might inspire rather than what it actually is. Expanding MMA's demographic reach is an important component in the sport's continued growth and mainstream acceptance. Instead of just another MMA series, it may ultimately be remembered as the industry's first inroad into the African-American demographic.
Iron Ring premiers on BET this Tuesday night at 11PM EST. The format is basically The Ultimate Fighter meets the IFL with a twist, hip hop celebrity owners. The vehicle appears to be designed as something of an introduction to MMA for BET's primarily African-American audience. The lack of diversity in the MMA demographic has been a topic of concern for some in and out of the industry.
The one hour premier episode (two thirty minute episodes combined) focuses largely on the celebrity owners and their coaches. The show has a gritty feel provided by low key production and locations as well as a strong hip hop influence. The opening scenes looks more like the rawness of fight club than the spectacle of major MMA. Whether this will be the case once the actual competition begins remains to be seen, but the product definitely has a distinctive feel, unlike any other MMA production. Street Certified may be a more appropriate title for the series than it was for EliteXC's previous offering.
The competition features six teams and takes place in three weight classes, Lightweight (170lbs for purposes of the show), Middleweight , and Heavyweight. There was no sign of a cage in week one with all the action taking place in a ring. Rashon Kahn plays the Dana White role as "arbitrator" of the competition and motivational speaker, although I seriously doubt Kahn can live up to Dana's "do you want to be a fighter" speech.
The first thirty minutes offer no fights or fighters, focusing exclusively on the owners and coaches of the teams. The only two coaches familiar to MMA fans are Krazy Horse Bennett and Shonie Carter. The second half of the premier episode focuses on the tryout process, one TUF style workout followed by a win and you're in type exhibition tryout.
Team Luda and Dipset are announced on the show with the tease for the following week built around a cut fighter trying to fight his way back onto the show. The complete team rosters are:
MONEY MAYWEATHER BOYS
Owner - Floyd Mayweather
Coach - Roberto Traven
LW - Andy Roberts
MW - Dymond Jones
HW - Abdelaziz Essafoul
TEAM LUDA
Owner - Ludacris
Coach - Abdul Mutakabbir
LW - Joe Comacho
MW - John Fields
MW - Franz Mendez
HW - Joe McCall
TEAM NELLY
Owner - Nelly
Coach - Jermaine Andre
LW - Eric Marriott
MW - Darryl Cobb
HW - Mike Cook
TEAM GRAND HUSTLE
Owner - T.I.
Coach - Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
LW - Josh Gaskins
MW - Primus Moore
MW - Jamie Yager
HW - Joe Thomas
TEAM DIPSET
Owner - Dipset (Julez Santana & Jim Jones)
Coach - Novell G. Bell
LW - Josh Key
MW - Daniel Akinyemi
HW - Carlos Moreno
HEAD BUSTERS
Owner - Lil John
Coach - Shonie Carter
LW - Macrus Brimmage
MW - Brian Rodgers
HW - Abongo Humphrey
Ultimately, Iron Ring is likely more interesting for what it might inspire rather than what it actually is. Expanding MMA's demographic reach is an important component in the sport's continued growth and mainstream acceptance. Instead of just another MMA series, it may ultimately be remembered as the industry's first inroad into the African-American demographic.
UFC Fight Night 13 odds released - Lauzon and Florian highlight the night
UFC Fight Night 13 takes place on Wednesday April 2nd at 7PM on Spike TV. This card is loaded for a Fight Night card and looks like it will have some good odds for us to take advantage of. Be on the lookout for our picks closer to April 2nd. Here are the odds posted for Fight Night 13.
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon odds
Florian (-220)
Lauzon (+180)
Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves odds
Parisyan (-180)
Alves (+150)
Spencer Fisher vs. Marcus Aurelio odds
Fisher (-125)
Aurelio (-105)
UFC Fight Night 13 takes place on Wednesday April 2nd at 7PM on Spike TV. This card is loaded for a Fight Night card and looks like it will have some good odds for us to take advantage of. Be on the lookout for our picks closer to April 2nd. Here are the odds posted for Fight Night 13.
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon odds
Florian (-220)
Lauzon (+180)
Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves odds
Parisyan (-180)
Alves (+150)
Spencer Fisher vs. Marcus Aurelio odds
Fisher (-125)
Aurelio (-105)
Silva Boxes Himself In
Plenty of feelings get stirred up inside the Octagon -- anger, frustration, elation, nausea. Boredom isn't usually one of them.
Yet Anderson Silva appears to be nodding off.
Having left behind a who's who of carcasses in his weight division, the Brazilian precision striker is quickly running out of victims. Rich Franklin (Pictures) was dispatched twice (once in his hometown, no less); durable Travis Lutter (Pictures) and Nate Marquardt were beat at their own games; Dan Henderson (Pictures), asphyxiated.
Discouraged from calling out finishes in mid-bout or tying one hand behind his back, the UFC's reigning middleweight champion is facing one of the more dangerous opponents in his rapidly expanding legacy: athletic apathy.
With Matt Lindland (Pictures) denied entry to the promotion and 16-0 WEC standout Paulo Filho (Pictures) disinclined to fight his friend and teammate, there are few reasonable bouts left for Silva on the table. Most expect him to rematch Yushin Okami (Pictures), a resilient Japanese contender. (Their 2006 fight ended with Silva launching an illegal kick that hurt Okami, inviting a disqualification. It was his last loss.)
But with fans and fighters alike meeting Okami with indifference, reports have surfaced that Silva is making early, brazen attempts to assemble a fight with boxing great Roy Jones, Jr. And unlike earlier grandstanding challenges -- few remember Ralph Gracie (Pictures) crashing a Jones press conference in the mid-1990s -- he proposes to do it under the Florida native's Queensbury rules set.
It's understood that, nearing 40, Jones is aging leather. He hasn't won a relevant fight in years. Hasn't, in fact, knocked out anyone in nearly six. The dizzying speed that flummoxed journeymen (and the occasional future champion) has evaporated. Sporting a chin twice cracked, he has to be careful when boxing his shadow.
But Jones, at 52-4, has 54 more professional boxing matches than Silva, who, according to boxrec.com, has only two bouts to his credit -- one of which resulted in a TKO loss. And where Silva has spent years fracturing his attention between jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, wrestling and pugilism, Jones has only had to concern himself with the delicate art of dislocating molars.
Should Silva choose to step in between the ropes with Jones, it would be a technical mismatch unseen since Roy Scheider dipped a tepid toe into the shark-infested waters of Amity Island.
But like all promotional oddities, it should be expected that a Silva-Jones fight would do appreciable business, thanks in large part to the athletes representing more than just their own egos.
Silva would enter as this industry's answer to criticism that mixed-style athletes aren't as technically proficient as their boxing counterparts, that there's no true rhythm to the visceral chaos of MMA. Jones would be empowered by beliefs that boxing is the fight sport of tradition, and that no ugly upstart has any rightful claim to suppressing it. It's exactly the kind of broad story, easily explained and understood, that makes for compelling sports entertainment.
Tell it in six, eight or 10 rounds: Silva hasn't logged enough time to out-finesse Jones under any duration. A victory can come only by surviving, by hanging tough with a boxing legend and enjoying fleeting moments of accuracy before Jones rights the ship and continues his barrage. They won't hurt, but they'll sting -- both Silva's face and his personal pride.
Not that Silva should ever dare hang his head, even if Jones manages to rattle his cage enough to score a finish. By even agreeing to such a lopsided contest, Silva does nothing but offer further proof of what the Bukowski-bred laureates have dubbed "gameness," the primal urge to scrap until your limbs cease cooperating. It would embellish, not diminish, his profile.
But even if Silva and Jones agree to circle each other and fans start waving wallets, third parties could find ample reason to squash plans.
The man with the most to lose standing off-canvas is Dana White, who has seen his UFC property climb out of its early grave and regularly trump both boxing and pro wrestling on pay-per-view. Would White really embrace the idea of his most-buzzed-about champ looking worse for the wear in a rival format? There's certainly money in it, but White has never (wisely) taken the quick buck over long-term profiteering. Having a UFC champion look subservient to an older boxer isn't exactly smart box office.
There's also the not-insignificant matter of having a 1-1 Silva fight a former multi-division champion with dozens of fights. Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, a possible host for the hypothetical bout, says that sanctioning the fight is "possible," but expresses concern over taking away a majority of Silva's artillery.
"Anderson is obviously well known for his striking ability," Kizer says, "[but] a lot of that is kicks, knees and elbows, which don't do any good in a boxing match. It's a tough thing. You have to give him some credit, but whether or not that's approvable as a boxing match, it's hard to know."
But, Kizer adds, "the fact that he's good at other things, not just striking, shouldn't be held against him."
Neither should his ambition.
Plenty of feelings get stirred up inside the Octagon -- anger, frustration, elation, nausea. Boredom isn't usually one of them.
Yet Anderson Silva appears to be nodding off.
Having left behind a who's who of carcasses in his weight division, the Brazilian precision striker is quickly running out of victims. Rich Franklin (Pictures) was dispatched twice (once in his hometown, no less); durable Travis Lutter (Pictures) and Nate Marquardt were beat at their own games; Dan Henderson (Pictures), asphyxiated.
Discouraged from calling out finishes in mid-bout or tying one hand behind his back, the UFC's reigning middleweight champion is facing one of the more dangerous opponents in his rapidly expanding legacy: athletic apathy.
With Matt Lindland (Pictures) denied entry to the promotion and 16-0 WEC standout Paulo Filho (Pictures) disinclined to fight his friend and teammate, there are few reasonable bouts left for Silva on the table. Most expect him to rematch Yushin Okami (Pictures), a resilient Japanese contender. (Their 2006 fight ended with Silva launching an illegal kick that hurt Okami, inviting a disqualification. It was his last loss.)
But with fans and fighters alike meeting Okami with indifference, reports have surfaced that Silva is making early, brazen attempts to assemble a fight with boxing great Roy Jones, Jr. And unlike earlier grandstanding challenges -- few remember Ralph Gracie (Pictures) crashing a Jones press conference in the mid-1990s -- he proposes to do it under the Florida native's Queensbury rules set.
It's understood that, nearing 40, Jones is aging leather. He hasn't won a relevant fight in years. Hasn't, in fact, knocked out anyone in nearly six. The dizzying speed that flummoxed journeymen (and the occasional future champion) has evaporated. Sporting a chin twice cracked, he has to be careful when boxing his shadow.
But Jones, at 52-4, has 54 more professional boxing matches than Silva, who, according to boxrec.com, has only two bouts to his credit -- one of which resulted in a TKO loss. And where Silva has spent years fracturing his attention between jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, wrestling and pugilism, Jones has only had to concern himself with the delicate art of dislocating molars.
Should Silva choose to step in between the ropes with Jones, it would be a technical mismatch unseen since Roy Scheider dipped a tepid toe into the shark-infested waters of Amity Island.
But like all promotional oddities, it should be expected that a Silva-Jones fight would do appreciable business, thanks in large part to the athletes representing more than just their own egos.
Silva would enter as this industry's answer to criticism that mixed-style athletes aren't as technically proficient as their boxing counterparts, that there's no true rhythm to the visceral chaos of MMA. Jones would be empowered by beliefs that boxing is the fight sport of tradition, and that no ugly upstart has any rightful claim to suppressing it. It's exactly the kind of broad story, easily explained and understood, that makes for compelling sports entertainment.
Tell it in six, eight or 10 rounds: Silva hasn't logged enough time to out-finesse Jones under any duration. A victory can come only by surviving, by hanging tough with a boxing legend and enjoying fleeting moments of accuracy before Jones rights the ship and continues his barrage. They won't hurt, but they'll sting -- both Silva's face and his personal pride.
Not that Silva should ever dare hang his head, even if Jones manages to rattle his cage enough to score a finish. By even agreeing to such a lopsided contest, Silva does nothing but offer further proof of what the Bukowski-bred laureates have dubbed "gameness," the primal urge to scrap until your limbs cease cooperating. It would embellish, not diminish, his profile.
But even if Silva and Jones agree to circle each other and fans start waving wallets, third parties could find ample reason to squash plans.
The man with the most to lose standing off-canvas is Dana White, who has seen his UFC property climb out of its early grave and regularly trump both boxing and pro wrestling on pay-per-view. Would White really embrace the idea of his most-buzzed-about champ looking worse for the wear in a rival format? There's certainly money in it, but White has never (wisely) taken the quick buck over long-term profiteering. Having a UFC champion look subservient to an older boxer isn't exactly smart box office.
There's also the not-insignificant matter of having a 1-1 Silva fight a former multi-division champion with dozens of fights. Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, a possible host for the hypothetical bout, says that sanctioning the fight is "possible," but expresses concern over taking away a majority of Silva's artillery.
"Anderson is obviously well known for his striking ability," Kizer says, "[but] a lot of that is kicks, knees and elbows, which don't do any good in a boxing match. It's a tough thing. You have to give him some credit, but whether or not that's approvable as a boxing match, it's hard to know."
But, Kizer adds, "the fact that he's good at other things, not just striking, shouldn't be held against him."
Neither should his ambition.
Hose on Stoppage of Baroni
video link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1492
Sherdog.com's James Meinhardt spoke with Kala Kolohe Hose (Pictures) after his brutal stoppage of UFC and Pride veteran Phil Baroni (Pictures) in Honolulu Saturday evening.
What are the new Icon Sport middleweight champion's thoughts on the big victory? Did the contest unfold as he had planned?
video link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1492
Sherdog.com's James Meinhardt spoke with Kala Kolohe Hose (Pictures) after his brutal stoppage of UFC and Pride veteran Phil Baroni (Pictures) in Honolulu Saturday evening.
What are the new Icon Sport middleweight champion's thoughts on the big victory? Did the contest unfold as he had planned?
ALEXANDER READY FOR IRVIN AND UFC FIGHT NIGHT
Houston Alexander returns to the Ultimate Fighting Championship after suffering his first defeat in the Octagon, to Thiago Silva, when he takes on “The Sandman” James Irvin on April 2 in Broomfield, Colo. He had entered the UFC with a bang, destroying MMAWeekly.com's No. 5 ranked light heavyweight Keith Jardine in a stunningly fast knockout.
The UFC put Alexander up against Alessio Sakara in his second bout and he once again knocked out his opposition, proving that he is indeed for real. It seemed that the promotion had a budding new contender in its 205-pound division. Unfortunately, “The Assassin” ran into Thiago Silva at UFC 78, where succumbed to strikes.
Alexander looks to put himself back on the winning track in a few weeks and claims he is more than ready to go. “I'm ready to get back in the ring,” he commented to MMAWeekly Radio. “I'm excited for this next card because they stacked it up.”
He hasn't fought since November and believes that extra time has helped him prepare better for the fight against Irvin. “I'm more ready than I ever have been in any MMA fight. I'm a lot stronger. I'm a lot faster. It might be scary.”
Believing that the extra time will only help him, Alexander had fought four times in just eight months and his last two fights were only two months apart. “I probably needed the rest, because I've been going non-stop training since last March. I feel good about just now coming back,” he said.
Irvin is a tough opponent and he has one of the UFC's best highlight-reel knockouts when he took out Terry Martin with a flying knee. Alexander recognizes the danger that his opponent possesses. “James looks very athletic. He looks like a brawler. He's one of those guys who are real dangerous. He's a pretty good wrestler too, so he's an all-around good fighter. These guys in the UFC are on the national scale for a reason. They aren't pushovers.”
Even though Irvin is known primarily for his striking, that doesn't mean that Alexander believes that this may be a “striking only” bout. “I just have to be ready for anything,” he explained. “You might get a guy who loves to stand up; his coach might tell him to wrestle you. You have to be ready for anything in a fight.”
He makes a very good point, considering what Georges St. Pierre did to Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes or how we saw Chuck Liddell shoot a double-leg takedown on Wanderlei Silva.
The question most fighters get asked after a loss is how they've recovered mentally. Alexander believes that he is fully focused and ready to go for this fight. “I was mentally prepared for the last fight. You make a mistake with any of these guys and you're going to lose. My mentality right now is the same mentality I carry into every fight. I think I'm more sharpened this time around because I've had more time to prepare for this one.”
The April 2 UFC Fight Night card is probably the most stacked televised card ever on Spike TV. In fact, the network decided to make this card a three-hour telecast instead of the standard two hours.
Alexander and Irvin is scheduled to be the leadoff fight for the televised card and that idea has the Omaha, Neb.-based fighter extremely excited to go out and put on an exciting performance. “It's gonna be wonderful because I'll be the first one on television. I talked to Joe Silva and he said, ‘You're gonna be the first fight out.’ And I said, ‘No problem. We'll start off your fight night!’ We'll definitely get it going for those guys. We'll get it pumped up,” exclaimed Alexander.
Although he isn't one to predict the majority of his fights, Alexander did have this to say, “It's going to be really interesting. Again, I've got a lot faster and a lot stronger if that can be possible. I'm going to go after the guy. If that guy's not ready for me to come out fast against him, he's gonna get hurt.”
Houston Alexander returns to the Ultimate Fighting Championship after suffering his first defeat in the Octagon, to Thiago Silva, when he takes on “The Sandman” James Irvin on April 2 in Broomfield, Colo. He had entered the UFC with a bang, destroying MMAWeekly.com's No. 5 ranked light heavyweight Keith Jardine in a stunningly fast knockout.
The UFC put Alexander up against Alessio Sakara in his second bout and he once again knocked out his opposition, proving that he is indeed for real. It seemed that the promotion had a budding new contender in its 205-pound division. Unfortunately, “The Assassin” ran into Thiago Silva at UFC 78, where succumbed to strikes.
Alexander looks to put himself back on the winning track in a few weeks and claims he is more than ready to go. “I'm ready to get back in the ring,” he commented to MMAWeekly Radio. “I'm excited for this next card because they stacked it up.”
He hasn't fought since November and believes that extra time has helped him prepare better for the fight against Irvin. “I'm more ready than I ever have been in any MMA fight. I'm a lot stronger. I'm a lot faster. It might be scary.”
Believing that the extra time will only help him, Alexander had fought four times in just eight months and his last two fights were only two months apart. “I probably needed the rest, because I've been going non-stop training since last March. I feel good about just now coming back,” he said.
Irvin is a tough opponent and he has one of the UFC's best highlight-reel knockouts when he took out Terry Martin with a flying knee. Alexander recognizes the danger that his opponent possesses. “James looks very athletic. He looks like a brawler. He's one of those guys who are real dangerous. He's a pretty good wrestler too, so he's an all-around good fighter. These guys in the UFC are on the national scale for a reason. They aren't pushovers.”
Even though Irvin is known primarily for his striking, that doesn't mean that Alexander believes that this may be a “striking only” bout. “I just have to be ready for anything,” he explained. “You might get a guy who loves to stand up; his coach might tell him to wrestle you. You have to be ready for anything in a fight.”
He makes a very good point, considering what Georges St. Pierre did to Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes or how we saw Chuck Liddell shoot a double-leg takedown on Wanderlei Silva.
The question most fighters get asked after a loss is how they've recovered mentally. Alexander believes that he is fully focused and ready to go for this fight. “I was mentally prepared for the last fight. You make a mistake with any of these guys and you're going to lose. My mentality right now is the same mentality I carry into every fight. I think I'm more sharpened this time around because I've had more time to prepare for this one.”
The April 2 UFC Fight Night card is probably the most stacked televised card ever on Spike TV. In fact, the network decided to make this card a three-hour telecast instead of the standard two hours.
Alexander and Irvin is scheduled to be the leadoff fight for the televised card and that idea has the Omaha, Neb.-based fighter extremely excited to go out and put on an exciting performance. “It's gonna be wonderful because I'll be the first one on television. I talked to Joe Silva and he said, ‘You're gonna be the first fight out.’ And I said, ‘No problem. We'll start off your fight night!’ We'll definitely get it going for those guys. We'll get it pumped up,” exclaimed Alexander.
Although he isn't one to predict the majority of his fights, Alexander did have this to say, “It's going to be really interesting. Again, I've got a lot faster and a lot stronger if that can be possible. I'm going to go after the guy. If that guy's not ready for me to come out fast against him, he's gonna get hurt.”
CHUTE BOXE'S MARLIN MATHIAS IN HIS OWN WORDS
I started to train in 1997 with coach Pica Pau at Rafael Cordeiro’s Chute Boxe GYM, it was on my way home from school and every time I passed there I used to see Jose Pele Landi, Wanderlei Silva, and Master Rafael, so that made me want to train there.
One year after I began to train I did my first professional Muay Thai fight, which I won by decision. It was a great lesson for me because I used to think in that time that only my talent was enough to win a fight. I won the first two rounds, but in the last I was completely tired, but in the end I won. Now I have nine professional Muay Thai fights and no losses.
My first MMA fight was in 2003 at Storm Samurai. I had recently gotten the Muay Thai black belt and I was training jiu-jitsu for only two months. I faced a BJJ black belt and I won by knockout in the third round in a very hard fight.
I think that in 2008 things are very professional. We have all kinds of training inside Chute Boxe, from Muay Thai to BJJ to wrestling, which I think is very important because I need the positive energy from my colleagues inside the gym.
About my opponent, Conor Huen, I know that he is a BJJ fighter and he has some MMA fights, but as every Chute Boxe fighter, I am going into this fight ready for everything. I want to please the audience with an exciting presentation and I want to start to build my name in America. I don't want to sound rude and say that I will never lose, but I can say that I will always do my best to make a good show.
To me EliteXC is one of the best events in the U.S, even here in Brazil we can see that EliteXC is growing a lot and we also see that EliteXC has the concern about his athletes. And now with the CBS deal EliteXC will be the number one event soon. They believed in my work and now its time for me to pay back and make a huge presentation.
I started to train in 1997 with coach Pica Pau at Rafael Cordeiro’s Chute Boxe GYM, it was on my way home from school and every time I passed there I used to see Jose Pele Landi, Wanderlei Silva, and Master Rafael, so that made me want to train there.
One year after I began to train I did my first professional Muay Thai fight, which I won by decision. It was a great lesson for me because I used to think in that time that only my talent was enough to win a fight. I won the first two rounds, but in the last I was completely tired, but in the end I won. Now I have nine professional Muay Thai fights and no losses.
My first MMA fight was in 2003 at Storm Samurai. I had recently gotten the Muay Thai black belt and I was training jiu-jitsu for only two months. I faced a BJJ black belt and I won by knockout in the third round in a very hard fight.
I think that in 2008 things are very professional. We have all kinds of training inside Chute Boxe, from Muay Thai to BJJ to wrestling, which I think is very important because I need the positive energy from my colleagues inside the gym.
About my opponent, Conor Huen, I know that he is a BJJ fighter and he has some MMA fights, but as every Chute Boxe fighter, I am going into this fight ready for everything. I want to please the audience with an exciting presentation and I want to start to build my name in America. I don't want to sound rude and say that I will never lose, but I can say that I will always do my best to make a good show.
To me EliteXC is one of the best events in the U.S, even here in Brazil we can see that EliteXC is growing a lot and we also see that EliteXC has the concern about his athletes. And now with the CBS deal EliteXC will be the number one event soon. They believed in my work and now its time for me to pay back and make a huge presentation.
KEVIN ENGLISH DOMINATES COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT
ST. CHARLES, Illinois – Combat Entertainment Group had the fists flying in the small town of St. Charles on March 15. Within the modest wall of the Arcada Theatre, 18 fighters, including Kevin English, prepared to do battle in one of the most entertaining mixed martial arts events the area has ever seen. The card was compromised of nine total bouts (originally 10, but due to commission complications, Dustin Neace was unable to fight), which included four professional and five amateur bouts.
Will Coto showed an impressive chin in his bout against Kris Zadorozny, eating punches left and right, but he eventually claimed victory with a knockout of his own. The fight was stopped at only 1:32 in the first round, by way of technical knock out, declaring Coto the winner.
Greg Lofink displayed an outstanding ground game against Brandon Munson. All three rounds of the match, Lofink dominated Munson on the ground, using impressive wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills to secure the win against Munson via unanimous decision.
The second half of the show proved to be just as exciting as the first half. Brandon Fink scored an incredibly skilled win against Nathaniel Bernal. Fink dominated the bulk of the fight, and finished it early in the first round with a rear naked choke.
The main event of the evening, between Kevin English and Jay Little, went to the ground early with English scoring a huge takedown. It didn’t last very long on the mat, however, as English ended the fight toward the end of the first round via armbar, securing his domination of Little.
Overall, the Combat Entertainment Group put on an exciting, well-rounded show with plenty of fighting to go around. Even the intermissions were entertaining, as they had a local cover band, 7th Heaven, play throughout. It was an extremely organized event, packed with non-stop action, and skilled fighters who showed nothing but heart throughout the entire night.
-Kevin English def. Jay Little by Submission (Armbar), R1
-Joe Melendez def. Dan Borke KO at 0:51, R2
-Cody Griffin def. Peter Becker by KO at 0:45, R1
-Brandon Fink def. Nathaniel Bernal by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:28, R1
-Greg Lofink def. Brandon Munson by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Tom Fitzpatrick def. Tim Mirando by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:25, R3
-Will Coto def. Kris Zadorozny via TKO (Strikes) at 1:32, R1
-Bill Gaydo def. Dan Fierro via TKO (Strikes) at 2:38, R1
-Josh Flowers def. Omar Perez by Split Decision, R3
ST. CHARLES, Illinois – Combat Entertainment Group had the fists flying in the small town of St. Charles on March 15. Within the modest wall of the Arcada Theatre, 18 fighters, including Kevin English, prepared to do battle in one of the most entertaining mixed martial arts events the area has ever seen. The card was compromised of nine total bouts (originally 10, but due to commission complications, Dustin Neace was unable to fight), which included four professional and five amateur bouts.
Will Coto showed an impressive chin in his bout against Kris Zadorozny, eating punches left and right, but he eventually claimed victory with a knockout of his own. The fight was stopped at only 1:32 in the first round, by way of technical knock out, declaring Coto the winner.
Greg Lofink displayed an outstanding ground game against Brandon Munson. All three rounds of the match, Lofink dominated Munson on the ground, using impressive wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills to secure the win against Munson via unanimous decision.
The second half of the show proved to be just as exciting as the first half. Brandon Fink scored an incredibly skilled win against Nathaniel Bernal. Fink dominated the bulk of the fight, and finished it early in the first round with a rear naked choke.
The main event of the evening, between Kevin English and Jay Little, went to the ground early with English scoring a huge takedown. It didn’t last very long on the mat, however, as English ended the fight toward the end of the first round via armbar, securing his domination of Little.
Overall, the Combat Entertainment Group put on an exciting, well-rounded show with plenty of fighting to go around. Even the intermissions were entertaining, as they had a local cover band, 7th Heaven, play throughout. It was an extremely organized event, packed with non-stop action, and skilled fighters who showed nothing but heart throughout the entire night.
-Kevin English def. Jay Little by Submission (Armbar), R1
-Joe Melendez def. Dan Borke KO at 0:51, R2
-Cody Griffin def. Peter Becker by KO at 0:45, R1
-Brandon Fink def. Nathaniel Bernal by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:28, R1
-Greg Lofink def. Brandon Munson by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Tom Fitzpatrick def. Tim Mirando by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:25, R3
-Will Coto def. Kris Zadorozny via TKO (Strikes) at 1:32, R1
-Bill Gaydo def. Dan Fierro via TKO (Strikes) at 2:38, R1
-Josh Flowers def. Omar Perez by Split Decision, R3
DREAM #1: A total failure in terms of TV rating
TBS: 8.9%
Rating of DREAM #1 was even lower than that of a quiz show on ASAHI TV.
"TOTAL FAILURE" is the exact word they are using in Japan.
This is a serious problem for Dream. I mean DREAM #1 was loaded with famous Japanese fighters like Kawajiri, Ishida, Minowaman, Hayato and even had Crocop on it. And the rating didn't even make it to 10%.
DREAM still has some chance to redeem itself(by featuring super popular Sakuraba, KID, maybe even Gomi???), but if low ratings continue... well you know what can happen
SOURCE: http://sadironman.seesaa.net/article/89884664.html
Here it is translated.
http://www.google.com/translate?u=h...le/89884664.html&langpair=ja|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8
TBS: 8.9%
Rating of DREAM #1 was even lower than that of a quiz show on ASAHI TV.
"TOTAL FAILURE" is the exact word they are using in Japan.
This is a serious problem for Dream. I mean DREAM #1 was loaded with famous Japanese fighters like Kawajiri, Ishida, Minowaman, Hayato and even had Crocop on it. And the rating didn't even make it to 10%.
DREAM still has some chance to redeem itself(by featuring super popular Sakuraba, KID, maybe even Gomi???), but if low ratings continue... well you know what can happen
SOURCE: http://sadironman.seesaa.net/article/89884664.html
Here it is translated.
http://www.google.com/translate?u=h...le/89884664.html&langpair=ja|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8
Evan Tanner: “Looks like I’ll be back in the Octagon this summer”
In his most recent post on his website, former UFC middleweight champion, Evan Tanner has stated that UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva has given him both an opponent and date for his next fight.
From EvanTanner.net:
Just talked with Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. He gave me a date and an opponent. Looks like I’ll be back in the Octagon this summer.
It’s good to have a fight scheduled. The last two weeks have been really rough. I’ll tell the story on that in the next few days.
Tanner recently made a comeback to fighting after nearly a two year layoff at this month’s UFC 82. It proved to be unsuccessful as Tanner suffered a second round knockout to top UFC middleweight Yushin Okami.
In his most recent post on his website, former UFC middleweight champion, Evan Tanner has stated that UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva has given him both an opponent and date for his next fight.
From EvanTanner.net:
Just talked with Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. He gave me a date and an opponent. Looks like I’ll be back in the Octagon this summer.
It’s good to have a fight scheduled. The last two weeks have been really rough. I’ll tell the story on that in the next few days.
Tanner recently made a comeback to fighting after nearly a two year layoff at this month’s UFC 82. It proved to be unsuccessful as Tanner suffered a second round knockout to top UFC middleweight Yushin Okami.