MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Gary "Smiler" Turner dropping to Light Heavyweight

Over the last few years, Gary always fought opponents both in K-1 and in MMA like Björn Bregy or David Abbot who are way more heavy than himself and in many cases also way taller and we decided that it has been enough.

Gary is training very hard and has dropped weight from 105Kg (231Lbs) to 93Kg. which is absolute the best for him as he is a natural light heavyweight.

Results are recognizable immediately at training when we see the way Gary moves; swift and with great power, like a leopard.

Even at age 37, Gary’s fitness is easily comparable with a ten year younger athlete and where other fighters reach the top of their strength at 30 to 33 years, Gary feels stronger than ever!

A new era is about to begin as ‘SMILER' is knocking at the door of the ‘Light Heavyweight Division’!

Management Team Gary Turner

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rhino Ready to Take a Stand against Stann

Winning a world championship usually shuts up your critics. Sometimes not.

Doug Marshall can attest to the latter. The WEC light heavyweight champ has steamrolled three straight opponents. But other WEC champions like Miguel Torres, Urijah Faber and Carlos Condit still dwarf him in popularity and grab way more media headlines.

“I think I have a lot of haters out there, a lot of people that don’t think I’m the real deal,” Marshall acknowledged. “That’s fine with me. Their hating just fuels me and makes me train harder.

“I feel like I should get more respect from the fans. You know what? I’ll earn it. I’ve never had anything handed to me in my entire life. Anything I have gotten I have worked hard for and taken. So my time will come.”

Marshall’s “time” could come on March 26, when he clashes with fast-rising phenom Brian Stann. The decorated U.S. Marine Corps captain and Iraqi war veteran is unbeaten in five fights and has finished each opponent. Stann, clearly the fan favorite and media magnet, shares with the champion a propensity for standing and slugging in the cage.

Given Marshall’s own track record – none of his nine fights has ever gone the distance – he predicted that trend will continue.

“This fight will not go the distance,” Marshall declared. “When me and Brian step in there, there will be some big bombs thrown. One way or the other, there’s going to be fireworks.”

“I see us touching ‘em up, just getting right after it and doing what we both do best: Drop bombs. And the best man wins. I don’t think it will be too much of a technical fight.”

And yet, as if to add an asterisk to that statement, “The Rhino” implied what might happen if Stann gets the better of him during those stand-up exchanges.

“The Rhino has evolved from the street brawler that he was,” Marshall said, referring to himself. “And if I have to take this fight to the ground, then I’ll take it to the ground. I’ll swallow my pride if I have to and take it down to the ground.”

Marshall (7-2) has submitted three of his foes. He trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu of course, but rarely practices with a gi.
But he has defeated brown belts in training, he said, and estimates his ground game is at least purple belt level. Nevertheless, Marshall’s bread and butter remains fisticuffs, and he credits much of his success to Mike Popp, his Muay Thai and conditioning coach. Under Popp’s strict, no-nonsense tutelage, Marshall is 3-0. Marshall said that just before a fight, his coaches often tell him to “wake up, this isn’t a dream.’ Because sometimes it feels like a dream with the crowd, the cameras, the spotlight. It’s kind of surreal.”

Marshall said he fights best when he empties his mind of any thoughts and relies on his instincts. In preparation for the Stann fight, Marshall has changed very little, other than the fact that he’s painted over several racy tattoos on his back. The tattoos had depicted two topless women. Marshall, who has many other tattoos, is becoming more conscientious of his image.

“I have a 7-year-old son and when we go to the water park and stuff I don’t like having inappropriate stuff on my back,” he explained. “I don’t like people judging me off that. Plus being on TV I think that will make me a little bit more marketable.

“I’m not a jailhouse guy, you know what I mean? I just like tattoos. The women were topless, it was in poor taste. I was a very young man, I was 19 when I got them. I’m still rough around the edges. But there are certain things I like to clean up. And the WEC light heavyweight division is one of them.”

Marshall is 31 years old now, and still fighting for respect in his profession. Yet he insists he’s not the least bit bothered that other fighters like Stann have received more acclaim than him.

“I don’t hate on them,” Marshall said. “They’ve all worked real hard to get where they’re at.

“As far as (Stann’s) military background ... He definitely deserves it. I have all the respect in the world for the Armed Forces of the United States of America and what they do. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do – none of us would be able to do what we do.

“Now when we get on a fighting level...I’m the champion. I’m not hating on him at all. He’s earned it. I’ve also earned where I am at – holding that big gold strap. And I plan on keeping it.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Quick Q & A With Heath Herring

Suture Magazine: First off: Congratulations on a huge win over Cheick Kongo! After the fight you seemed to be less than pleased with your showing. Now that you've had the chance to go back and watch that fight, are you still so critical of your performance?

Heath Herring: I'm always my biggest critic. Any fight where I don't finish and put it in the judges hands I always have a problem with.

SM: With Kongo coming off that big win over Crocop, it seemed another solid win and Kongo could be in line for a title shot. I know a lot of people felt you were being brought in to take an L to Cheick. Did you feel you were brought into that fight to lose?

HH: Honestly, not at all.

SM: What I saw at UFC 82 was the best Heath Herring since your prime Pride days. What happened to light that fire and inspire such a great performance?

HH: A lot of soul searching and rededication.

SM: As I understand you've done some restructuring in terms of your training, tell me a bit about that.

HH: Actually, I pretty much just cleaned house and refocused.

SM: The win over Kongo moves you up the heavy weight rankings in a big way, where do you personally feel you fit after that fight?

HH: Right up there at the top. Hopefully, to get a title shot.

SM: Earlier in your career you had a tough fight which you lost to Mirko Crocop. Lately you two have appeared to be in two different places, Mirko's skills and focus apparantly declining, while you seem to be heating up again. Now, I know Mirko is now fighting for DREAM for the time being, but what do you think of a rematch inside the cage?

HH: Everything as always, is a possibility I guess.

SM: There's now been a lot of talk about a Herring/Sylvia fight. Logically the winner of that fight will be right back in the mix for a title shot. Is that a fight you want?

HH: If that’s offered we'll take it.

SM: Anything you'd like to say to your fans or sponsors?

HH: Just like to thank the fans that make this the greatest sport in the world.

SM: Thanks Heath!

 

[naner12]

The latest card for the April 5 event includes:

Jared Hamman (9-0) vs. Poai Suganuma (8-1)

I'm really looking forward to this fight. Two real good up and comers and both have looked good when I've seen them fight. Hamman seems to be one of those guys who gets in pretty big trouble and finds a way to win .. shit like that eventually catches up to you as you move you the ladder though.

 

[Shogun Locc]

CHAEL SONNEN TO FACE BRYAN BAKER FOR WEC

World Extreme Cagefighting on Monday announced that Chael Sonnen, originally scheduled to challenge Paulo Filho for his middleweight title, will now face Bryan Baker in a non-title bout on March 26 in Las Vegas.

The Sonnen vs. Filho title bout fell apart last week when Filho withdrew from the bout and checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in Brazil to treat a substance problem.

Baker was originally scheduled to face Logan Clark on March 26.

In an interview with MMAWeekly on Friday, Sonnen was rather forthright about his thoughts on whether he gets a shot at Filho or not. “I’ve got a goal to beat Paulo in the ring, but that’s it. I don’t have a goal to beat him in life or for him to have a bad life. Sounds like he’s maybe got a couple of things that he’s working on outside of the ring and I really hope that goes well for him.

“If the title shot comes, great. If he’s not ready to compete by then, and I’m purely speculating, what I would think is that at some point, (the WEC is) going to have to take that title away if he’s not ever going to get in the ring.”

Sonnen is returning from a controversial loss to Filho in December, looking to get back on the winning track. He had put together a five-fight streak of victories before the loss to Filho.

Currently training at American Kickboxing Academy for his fight, Baker is undefeated in professional competition, putting together a record of 6-0. Sonnen, however, will likely be his toughest test to date.

 

[Shogun Locc]

I'm really looking forward to this fight. Two real good up and comers and both have looked good when I've seen them fight. Hamman seems to be one of those guys who gets in pretty big trouble and finds a way to win .. shit like that eventually catches up to you as you move you the ladder though.

I agree I am sure both of these light heavyweight will put on a exciting fight at the next ShoXC event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Injury Knocks Fisher Out of Aurelio Bout

Spencer Fisher (Pictures) has been forced to withdraw from his April 2 UFC Fight Night bout against Marcus Aurelio, Sherdog.com learned Monday afternoon.

The popular lightweight known for his exciting style withdrew following a shoulder injury.

"Spencer is the kind of fighter who has fought plenty of fights with injuries and Marcus Aurelio is not the kind of fighter you want to fight at 80 percent," said the native North Carolinian's manager, Monte Cox. "He was willing to fight but we decided it just was not a smart decision."

The 31-year-old Fisher (20-4-0) was looking to rebound from a loss to Frank Edgar (Pictures) at UFC 78.

Aurelio (15-5-0) had hoped to continue the momentum he had built in his dominant stoppage win over Luke Caudillo at UFC 78 against Fisher.

He will now likely face Jim Miller, whose only loss came at the hands of Edgar. Miller (10-1-0) is riding a five-fight winning streak into his UFC debut.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Acacio Wins, Vainikainen Dominates in Finland

HELSINKI, Finland, March 15 -- After a slow start to the year, mixed martial arts came back Saturday with a boom to Finland.

It was a full day in Helsinki, with the afternoon dedicated to a large amateur event that proved the future of MMA in Finland is in good hands. In the evening, the professionals competed in the 23rd edition of the classic FightFestival event, combining both standup and MMA action.

The main event was slated to be a bout between Mikko Rupponen (Pictures) and Edwin Dewees (Pictures), but Dewees dropped out and Rupponen suffered a knee injury. As a result, the headlining matchup was a middleweight bout between Daniel Acacio (Pictures) and Tor Troeng.

A former Pride fighter, Acacio hails from Brazil as a member of Chute Boxe. Troeng, a clear underdog, is a rising talent from Sweden. Although Troeng gave a surprisingly good showing, he still lost on points after three rounds.

The famous Chute Boxe aggression was apparent in the opening moments when Acacio backed up Troeng with strikes. The Swede seemed prepared for the fast-paced start by quickly tying Acacio up and driving him to the ropes. From the clinch Troeng delivered some short knees and attempted to throw the Brazilian, who had great balance in thwarting those attempts.

Troeng finally committed for a shot attempt, but his opponent wound up on top thanks to a great sprawl. With Troeng showing an active guard, Acacio delivered little damage from the top for the rest of the round.

Come round two the Swede took the role of the aggressor. He connected with a high kick and quickly clinched the Brazilian again to avoid the lethal striking game. With more knees being delivered by Troeng, Acacio attempted a throw of his own to no avail.

Troeng made some distance for a shot, only to once again have it stuffed. This time the end of the round saw Acacio do some more damage by standing up inside the guard multiple times and coming down with big swinging punches.

With the damage apparent on Troeng's face at the start of the last round, the Swede seemed calm, composed and more committed to a striking exchange. Acacio soon displayed his experience, however, cleanly connecting and hurting Troeng.

Following his game plan, Troeng attempted to clinch, but this time Acacio was prepared and successfully shot in himself. Troeng once more showed his active guard in many attempts to sub Acacio or stand up, but the Brazilian kept his base and opted to deliver sporadic ground and pound from inside the guard for the rest of the fight.

On the undercard Espoon Kehähait lightweight Juha-Pekka Vainikainen put on a decisive beatdown of Mikko Broman from MMA Lappeenranta. In the first round, Broman had some success in taking Vainikainen down and quickly reversing an armbar attempt to pass to side mount. Vainikainen calmly handled the situation by turning on all fours and impressively standing up by using Broman's attempt to get the back.

Vainikainen then put on a two-round standup clinic. He handled the distance by walking Broman down with clean and composed striking, but the real damage was made in the many clinch situations. There, Vainikainen consistently made just enough distance to connect with hard elbows and punches while maintaining the clinch with some knees to the body mixed in.

At the end of round two, Vainikainen clearly took over by connecting with knees to the face. Once the bell rang, Broman fell down on the ground next to his stool and his corner wisely threw in the towel, giving Vainikainen the TKO. This was the third time in a row the man from Espoo has decisively stopped an opponent in an exciting fight. Hopefully he'll get a step-up in competition after this domination.

At heavyweight, Vainikainen's teammate Toni Valtonen outpointed Lithuanian MMA champion Valdas Pocevicius. For the first two rounds, the attempts of Pocevicius to get some striking going were quickly awarded by the talented wrestler taking him down with ease. Still, the Lithuanian handled fighting from his back well, trying some armbars and locking Valtonen in a deep guillotine.

Although it looked as if the fight was over, the experience from Valtonen was apparent in the Finn keeping his head not only cool but eventually popping it out too. Any attempts to improve position were made futile by Pocevicius' talented guard work, and Valtonen settled for some patchy striking from the guard.

The Lithuanian had his biggest moments at the start of round three. Valtonen, the more tired of the two, seemed hesitant to engage, and Pocevicius made full use of this by delivering consistent punishment to his legs with low kicks. The tide turned when Pocevicius attempted a takedown of his own, only to be thrown off and nearly decapitated with a flying knee. The rest of the round was the same old story of control by Valtonen, with the decision going his way after the bell.

In another decision, this time a two-rounder, welterweight Janne Tulirinta (Pictures) out-worked Christos Petroutsos of the Netherlands.

After scoring an early takedown, Mihail Zabaev of Latvia dropped for a leg lock against Finland's Mathias Klockars in a featherweight fight. Klockars quickly got loose and pounced on his opponent for the TKO early in the first.

Middleweight Timo Suhonen (Pictures) gave Roald Hartog from the Netherlands the traditional Espoon Kehähait treatment with repeated slams and a ground-and-pound finish. Heavyweight Lukasz Porêbski made equally dominant work of Nick Struve, a countryman of Petroutsos, with a beautiful ankle lock.

Also at the event, Petteri Maunu, the godfather of FightFestival, announced Finland's participation in M-1 Challenge. The M-1 Challenge is a competition between eight different teams comprised of five MMA veterans. Every team represents a different country, and Team Finland will face Team Korea on April 3 in St. Petersburg.

The fighters for Team Finland will be Niko Puhakka (Pictures) (lightweight), Janne Tulirinta (Pictures) (welterweight), Lucio Linhares (Pictures) (middleweight), Toni Valtonen (light heavyweight) and Jarno Nurminen (heavyweight).

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM Producers Planning Fedor vs Crocop 2 for NYE 2008

This is a story that comes from the mmanews.com forums, I don't really know who to give credit too except the guy that posted it because he didn't give any links. Here's the news, defenitely a fight I would want to see again.

The producers of DREAM, the new Japanese MMA promotion borne out of the ashes of PRIDE and K-1 HERO'S, have set forth their "dream" match for the annual end-of-year fight festival known as Dynamite: a rematch between former PRIDE aces Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic.

CroCop fought most recently at the inaugural DREAM event, easily dispatching Pancrase veteran Tatsuya Mizuno via TKO in a mere 56 seconds. Emelianenko's last fight occurred at the Yarennoka New Year's Eve show, where he submitted 7'2" K-1 giant Hong Man Choi via arm bar in the opening round. Both matches were held at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, the former "home court" of PRIDE FC.

While the DREAM producers are excited at the opportunity to stage a rematch of one of the biggest PRIDE fights ever, the bout would be contingent on the success of each fighter during the interim. A source indicates that both Emelianenko and Filipovic are expected to compete at least once more for DREAM in the meantime.

Their original contest, staged at PRIDE - Final Conflict in August of 2005, became one of the most talked about MMA fights in history, as Emelianenko was able to back down the K-1 veteran with impressive striking, and apply his superior ground game en route to a unanimous decision victory.

After CroCop bounced back to capture the 2006 PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix Championship, many expected he would be granted a rematch with Fedor in PRIDE. But the Croatian Sensation would surprise the MMA world by being one of the first top PRIDE fighters to cross over to the UFC.

On a Japanese TV special previewing the DREAM.1 event, Emelianenko was touted as one of the elite stars of the new promotion. CroCop appeared in a brief interview segment where he expressed his desire to reclaim his place among the top MMA heavyweights in the world and earn a second shot at Fedor, after his disappointing 1-2 run in the UFC.

 

[heyzel]

UFC Sues TFA (About Octagon) & Wins Another Court Case

ZUFFA, LLC PRESS RELEASE

ZUFFA, LLC GRANTED MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AGAINST TOTAL FIGHTING ALLIANCE (“TFA”) AND TODD MEACHAM PROMOTIONS

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization, announced today that the United States District Court for the Central District of California issued an Order granting Zuffa’s Motion for Summary Judgment regarding Federal claims of Trademark Infringement and Unfair Competition against Total Fighting Alliance (“TFA”) and Todd Meacham Promotions.

The Court also issued a permanent injunction against TFA prohibiting TFA from any use of the Octagon™ competition mat, the Octagon™ cage and/or the Octagon™ logo in promoting mixed martial arts events, its website or merchandise. The Court found as a matter of law that the octagonal-shaped competition mat and fighting enclosure are distinctive trademarks and trade dress, have acquired secondary meaning and are inextricably linked with Zuffa and the UFC brand in the marketplace. The Court further determined that it was indisputable as a matter of law that TFA and Todd Meacham’s unauthorized and unlicensed use of an octagon-shaped cage and logo constituted Federal trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of Zuffa’s rights.

Dana White, UFC President, stated he is pleased with the court’s decision. “Everyone in this business knows that we vigorously defend our intellectual property rights,” said White. “We gave the TFA organization every opportunity to resolve this matter outside of Federal court, but Todd Meacham chose to invite high-cost litigation and burden our Federal courts with baseless defenses that were quickly disregarded by the District Court.” White added, “This strong and decisive victory for Zuffa sends a message that anyone attempting to illegally pass themselves off as being associated with the UFC, or that improperly uses our intellectual property, will be sued.”

In May 2006, Zuffa brought federal and state claims against TFA for trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition. On August 14, 2006, Zuffa also sought and received a preliminary injunction enjoining TFA from using an octagonal chain linked fence, an octagonal competition mat and from using an octagonal logo in the promotion of its events and merchandising. On July 2, 2007, Zuffa filed the instant Motions for Summary Judgment and for a Permanent Injunction against TFA, both of which were granted. It should be noted that Summary Judgment is not granted lightly by the courts. In this instance, the District Court decided that, as a matter of law, the defendants’ use of the octagonal mat and logo created a likelihood of confusion among MMA consumers that TFA events were somehow affiliated with, sponsored by or licensed by Zuffa or otherwise related to the UFC brand.

The octagonal competition mat and cage ad design are registered trademarks and/or trade dress of Zuffa, LLC and are symbolic of the highest quality mixed martial arts events presented under the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand name. In 1993, UFC events were the first to feature an eight-sided competition configuration which has become known worldwide as “the UFC Octagon” trademark.

The UFC Octagon trademark has become inherently associated with Zuffa and the UFC brand name among mixed martial arts consumers, other mixed martial arts organizations and the national media. The UFC Octagon is regularly featured on UFC Pay-per-view events, UFC® Fight Night™ and The Ultimate Fighter® reality TV series. The UFC Octagon configuration creates a neutral arena to showcase the skills of UFC mixed martial arts athletes. The UFC® organization has established a reputation for providing the maximum safety to the fighters with state athletic commission-approved ring structures, canvas, and all safety padding and fences. Zuffa makes major investments to ensure the safety of competitors in the UFC Octagon ring – as a result, when people see “the Octagon” they associate it with the reputation and quality delivered only by Zuffa at UFC events.

 

[heyzel]

Shamrock vs. Shamrock on the rocks?

That might be the case, according to Dave Meltzer at Yahoo! Sports:

But the financial backers for a proposed early 2009 fight have gotten very concerned in recent days after Ken lost on March 8 night to the unheralded Robert “Buzz” Berry in London.

Frank noted they would have paid Ken not to fight, but Ken was confident going in that he was at little risk in taking the fight. In doing so, he has put the value of the much bigger fight at risk. Frank feels the type of casual sports fan that would be intrigued by the “Blood Brothers” promotion due to the story isn’t likely to have seen Ken’s most recent fight.

Shamrock also talked with Ortiz, whose UFC contract ends after his May 24 fight, about having a rematch in late 2009 as the ten year anniversary of their original match.

Frank is probably right about the casual fan not having seen Ken’s latest fight against Robert “Buzz” Berry, but the hardcore fans know better than that. Judging from Ken’s last fight, a fight against Frank would probably not be very competitive at all. The fight that makes a lot more sense is the fight against Tito Ortiz, a rematch of a classic UFC bout from Shamrock’s heyday with the organization. Frank and Tito might be the two biggest trash talkers in mixed martial arts today and would be able to put some serious hype behind the fight. That fact coupled with the right promotion, and the fact that it has the potential to be a very good fight, could mean big bucks for an organization that’s not named UFC

 

[Shogun Locc]

***CroCop to fight Sergei Kharitonov in June***

http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/cro...se/378537.aspx

Article states that CC was supposed to fight Sergei at Dream 1 but CC declined the fight stating that would be too tough of a match for him after a six month break. Now they moved the fight to Dream 4 which will take place in mid-june and it will apparantly be made official in about a month possibly on April 29th which is Dream 2. That is when Dream is supposed to announce the fight. In one of Mirko's quotes he said " I am not approaching these fights in Dream as practice for UFC comeback instead I am treating every fight seriously." I think CC vs. Sergei would be a great fight. Sergei is without a doubt one of the top heavyweights in the world.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MARCUS HICKS PREDICTS VICTORY OVER RATCLIFF

Marcus "The Wrecking Ball" Hicks takes on Ed "9mm" Ratcliff in a World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight bout March 26 from The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in a battle of undefeated fighters.

"I'm looking forward to it and hopefully all the hard work is going to pay off," Hicks told MMAWeekly.com.

The bout with Ratcliff will be Hicks' third fight in the WEC with wins over Sergio Gomez and Scott McAfee. He is a Golden Gloves boxer with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Asked if he prefers striking or grappling, Hicks said, "I really don't have a favorite. I mean, whatever is going to get me the win."

It will also be Ed Ratcliff's third appearance in the WEC, coming off an impressive TKO victory over Alex Karalexis. Ratcliff is predominately a striker and Hicks admits to not knowing much about his opponent.

"I've just seen one of his fights," he said. "He's unorthodox. I think he likes to throw spinning back kicks."

Discussing the fight, Hicks commented, "I'm pretty much going to do what I do and hopefully my technique is going to be better than his."

He predicted a victory by "whatever he gives me."

Hicks is a man of few words and likes to do his talking inside the cage. March 26, someone will be leaving without an undefeated record and the winner will be poised for a title shot.

Asked what a title bout would mean to him, Hicks said, "That would be a dream come true."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brandon Vera Loses Arbitration Case

For interview requests, contact:
Mark Dion
310.877.8209
[email protected]
“When someone lies to you... it becomes a fu*ked up thing. Then they start talking sh*t about your cuz thier wrong? It becomes something else. It is what it is... I've left City and am in process with the CSAC for my managerial contract. I WILL be fighting soon, and it WILL be a good one. Hope everyone the best. Yeah.......... I'm training.”


Brandon Vera
Sherdog Forum, 3/27/2007
http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=538072

SAN DIEGO – On March 21, 2007, UFC Heavyweight contender Brandon Vera, through an attorney, served Mark Dion a letter indicating that he would be terminating his management contract with Dion for alleged sponsorship violations, in addition to Dion allegedly failing to communicate information concerning contract offers from the UFC. Unfortunately, Vera and Dion were unable to work out their differences on their own, causing both parties to seek arbitration from the California State Athletic Commission to settle their dispute.

It did not take long for Vera to get on his soap-box and smear Dion’s name and reputation in the media, even calling Dion “a piece of sh*t” in an interview with Luis Cruz, HACNews.com. Quotes of Vera’s unsubstantiated accusations against Dion can be found in numerous interviews that Vera’s given on Sherdog.com, HACNews.com, Yahoo! Sports, The Mikey Show on Rock 105.3, The Fight Network, among many other media outlets.

For over a year now, Dion has been patiently waiting to clear his name and tell his side of the story.

The wait is now over. On March 7, 2008, the California State Athletic Commission delivered their decision in the Arbitration between Brandon Vera, Mixed Martial Artist, and Mark Dion, Manager.

The Decision

The following are excerpts from the Decision of the Arbitrator. (the complete Decision of the Arbitrator can be viewed at http://cityboxing.com/arbitration.aspx)

Vera has not met his burden of proving that Dion engaged in illegal conduct in violation of the laws and regulations of the Commission which would establish legal cause for issuance of an order terminating the contract or that Dion failed to act in a reasonable manner in discharging his obligations as a manger as provided for in the contract.


DETERMINATION OF ISSUES - Page 10, Lines 6-10
Decision of the Arbitrator
California State Athletic Commission

There was no evidence presented that Manager [Dion] would in any way have benefitted from the rejection of a bona fide promotional or endorsement opportunity.


DISCUSSION – Page 7, Lines 25-27
Decision of the Arbitrator
California State Athletic Commission
Legal documents and exhibits relating to the Arbitration between Mark Dion and Brandon Vera are available to the public on http://cityboxing.com/arbitration.aspx.

Did Dion fail to disclose a $100K signing bonus offer to Vera?

At the center of Vera’s dispute with Dion have been unsubstantiated allegations that Dion turned down a signing bonus and contract offers from the UFC without Vera’s knowledge.

The UFC was offering a $100,000 signing bonus to Vera, IF and only IF Vera became a UFC Champion. Brandon was unwilling to settle for these terms given that he received a $100,000 signing bonus on his previous contract. After all, why would Vera want to settle for the same signing bonus he received from his second contract with the UFC, when his stock had skyrocketed after two big wins over Assuerio Silva and Frank Mir and remaining undefeated in the UFC? That would be like A-Rod re-signing with the Yankees under the same terms as his rookie contract with the Seattle Mariners.

The evidence shows that Vera was not interested in a $100,000 signing bonus that was contingent on him becoming the UFC Champion. Vera wanted a $1.5 Million signing bonus upfront.

But for everyone who thinks this is all hearsay, let’s take a look at the facts.

On December 4, 2006, Dana White meets with Dion and makes two offers on a Post-It note (Exhibit 39):

Option 1: Three fight deal worth $90K/$90K, $100K/$100K, $115K/$115K, and then $150K/$150K, $170/$170, $185/$185 if Vera were to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Option 2: $7 Million over 4 years

With a $100,000 signing bonus IF Vera were to become champion. (verbally communicated from White to Dion)
Vera was not satisfied with White’s offer, so Dion and Vera put together a counter offer (Exhibit 41), which Joe Silva acknowledges (Arbitration Transcript Page 102, Lines 24-25 & Page 103 Lines 1-3) as an offer Brandon Vera authorized Mark Dion to communicate to Dana White/UFC.

UFC Negotiating Tactics

In a letter dated December 26, 2006 from Dana White to Brandon Vera/co Mark Dion (Exhibit 9), presented during the Arbitration hearing between Vera and Dion, White informs Vera that his contract would be extended by three months due to Vera’s allegedly giving notice to the UFC that he was unable to compete for a period of time following his May 27, 2006 fight at UFC 60.

White’s letter was sent via email to Dion approximately 2.5 hours after Dion sent Dana White an email indicating that Vera would be declining the UFC’s latest contract renewal offer (Exhibit 9).

Dion disagreed with the extension imposed on Vera, and responded with a letter on February 9, 2007, through attorney Stephen T. Cummings, requesting that the UFC schedule an opponent for Vera to fulfill the final fight on his contract that was set to expire on May 26, 2007.

In this case, it’s obvious that on December 26, 2006 the UFC imposed an extensions on Vera’s contract as a negotiating tactic in response to Dion and Vera declining the UFC contract renewal offer.

Randy Couture, if you’re reading this, you must be having déjà vu.

Did Dion prevent Vera from fighting Sylvia for the UFC Title?

“Vera says it was Dion who prevented him from fighting Sylvia in March amidst contract talks with Zuffa LLC, owners of the UFC”


8/21/2007 Interview with Brandon Vera
Reported by Loretta Hunt, The Fight Network
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4617


There is no evidence or documentation that the UFC ever offered Vera a title fight with Tim Sylvia, while Dion was managing Vera. Joe Silva’s (UFC, VP of Talent Relations) testimony during the arbitration hearing also supports this point

The Truth Revealed

In his dealings with Brandon Vera, Mark Dion was guilty of providing Vera with a job at City Boxing that paid him $6000/month, spending over $100,000 in marketing and promoting Vera, providing Vera with World-Class Trainers like Rob Kaman, and negotiating tooth-and-nail to get Vera the best possible contracts with the UFC and potential sponsors -- everything that a good manager should be doing for a fighter.

Even as late as March 6, 2007, 3 days after Randy Couture defeated Tim Sylvia at UFC 68, Vera was going out to dinner with Dion and KJ Noons, with no signs of discontent. Then very abruptly, Vera sent Dion a letter through an attorney indicating that he wanted out of his management contract with Dion.

Not once during Dion’s negotiations with the UFC, did Brandon Vera send any correspondence to Dion, email or otherwise, that expressed discontent with Dion’s services.

Someone got into Brandon Vera’s head. Was it the UFC’s direct clandestine contact with Vera on March 24, 2007 at Pride 33 in Las Vegas? Was it the rumored overtures from Gary Shaw/EliteXC?

It cannot be disputed that Dion has invested more money (>$100K) in developing Vera’s career, than the amount of money he has earned from his percentage of Vera’s fight purses and sponsorship/endorsements.

It cannot be disputed that Dion took Vera under his wing in 2004, and built him into the #1 contender in the UFC Heavyweight division, and one of the most popular fighters in MMA prior to their split.

It cannot be disputed that Brandon “The Truth” Vera has been untruthful in his interviews with the media surrounding the reasons for his split with Dion and City Boxing.

Final Thoughts

Contract disputes between managers and fighters are a reality that will continue to exist as long as there is money to be made in prize fighting. Unfortunately, in these disputes managers are most often assumed by the public and the media as predators that victimize naïve fighters.

This is NOT the case in the dispute between Dion and Vera. Dion has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the California State Athletic Commission that he acted in the best interests of representing Vera. As a result, Vera has been ordered to honor the contract he signed with Dion, and pay Dion 1/3 of the purse from the fight with Tim Sylvia on November 2007, as well as $100,000 from future purses.

Sadly, it appears as though the face of greed has reared its ugly head as the motivatingfactor behind Vera’s decision to split with Dion in an attempt to avoid paying Dion his just due.

Brandon Vera is right. It is a “fu*ked up thing” when someone lies to you, and then starts “talking sh*t about your cuz thier wrong.” It now appears that Vera has a lot of explaining to do to all of his fans, friends, and family…..as well as considering a nickname change from “The Truth,” to “The Liar.”

http://www.cityboxing.com/arbitration.aspx

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Nine Fighters (Sort Of) Announced for DREAM.2 Middleweight GP

The repurposed Japan MMA website Nightmare of Battle posted the names of nine fighters announced (or hinted) at the DREAM.1 event that will compete in the first round of the middleweight grand prix scheduled for April 29 at DREAM.2:

Seven fighters were present and announced for the GP during DREAM.1, they were: Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoon Dong Sik, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Minowaman, Kiyoshi Tamura, Kin Taiei and Masakatsu Funaki. Also, Kiyoshi Tamura and Denis Kang are on the event poster, so expect them to participate.

Some pretty big hitters, but the MW roster doesn’t pack the more relevant punch of the lightweight tournament. Sakuraba and Funaki are surefire seat-fillers in Japan; in the US however, they lack the same drawing power. The two legends are also past their prime, but that matters less in their home country than it does to the top-10 crazed crowd in the US. Another bit of senior intrigue is the inclusion of RINGS veteran Kiyoshi Tamura in the tourney. A long-awaited bout between Tamura and Sakuraba might finally come to fruition. The two former pro-wrestling mates have long talked about hashing out their differences in the ring during the PRIDE days but for one reason or another the fight never happened. Here’s hoping DREAM doesn’t out think themselves and pairs these two up in the opening round and proves once and for all that in fact, professional wrestling is strong.

The early favorites are Akiyama and Kang, which in itself would make for a pretty good rematch. The two fought last September at a K-1 event. The fight ended in one of the more spectacular knockouts of the year that left Kang, glassy-eyed and sans mouthpiece, heaped against the turnbuckle corner from an Akiyama uppercut. Depending on the pairings, a rematch between Akiyama and Sakuraba holds less implications but more intrigue. They last fought on NYE ‘06, also at a K-1 event, in a bout that was later ruled a No Contest due to Akiyama saying no to dry skin and lotioning between rounds. The already marginally disliked ethnic Korean was further vilified for being caught “cheating” against a Japanese legend. This would prove to be a recurring theme in Akiyama’s relatively young career.

The most recent controversy regarding Akiyama however will not get a chance at closure. Top middleweight Kazuo Misaki, who Akiyama fought on NYE ‘07 at the Yarrenoka! event, is not likely to participate due to his recent signing with the US-based promotion Strikeforce. Yet another No Contest on Akiyama’s dance card, the bout’s ruling was overturned when video revealed Misaki ended the fight with an illegal soccer kick.

The other seven slots are yet unfilled but the rumor mill is churning. In a Sherdog report, mid-level names like Karl Amoussou and former PRIDE up-and-comer Gegard Mousasi are being thrown out there as possible contenders. Also mentioned as a possibility is fading prospect Zelg Galesic, the knockout artist once labeled as a smaller but just as kicky version of Mirko Crocop. The pickings for US fighters remains slim; chances are Kang will be the only fighter unofficially representing North America through his birth in Baby France, St. Pierre and Miquelon, hanging off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The lightweight tournament held last weekend had the potential to be a barn-burner but didn’t live up to the hype, culminating in the disappointing No Contest in the much-anticipated Calvancante vs. Aoki fight. The middleweight tournament may turn out to be the opposite: middling names and matchups that hopefully produce exciting fights. DREAM is off to a rocky but still promising start and DREAM.2 is slated to be the first “near live” event aired on HDNet. A good show for the US crowd will be just what the doctor ordered for Japan’s MMA promotion reincarnate to take hold with North American fans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WVR SENGOKU II - Four Fighters Announced

Four names have been announced for SENGOKU II on May 18th. They are Roger Gracie, Satoru Kitaoka, Yoshihiro Nakao and UFC veteran Yuki Sasaki.

Kitaoka has fought mostly in Pancrase throughout his career and was on a great five fight winning streak where he defeated fighters such as Paul Daley and Fabricio Monteiro, but, in January his streak ended as he lost to Katsuya Inoue by split decision for the vacant King Of Pancrase Welterweight title.

Yoshihiro Nakao was one of the rumored opponents for Mirko Cro Cop on March 15th, but that didn’t happen and he will now fight in SENGOKU. He last fought at Pride’s final event in April of 2007 where he submitted Edson Drago.

Yuki Sasaki has fought in most big promotions around the world. You might remember him best for his good effort against Dean Lister at UFC Fight Night 6 in 2006. He was supposed to fight in a 4-man Strikeforce tournament last year but was pulled out of it because he didn’t get medically cleared by the CSAC.

SENGOKU II
Date: May 18th, 2008
Place: Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan

Participants:
Roger Gracie
Satoru Kitaoka
Yoshihiro Nakao
Yuki Sasaki
Kevin Randleman

 

[heyzel]

Jim Miller to Replace Injured Spencer Fisher at UFN13

UFC newcomer Jim Miller (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the Cage Fury Fighting Championships lightweight champion and former Reality Fighting featherweight title-holder, will fill in for an injured Spencer Fisher and fight Marcus Aurelio (15-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at next month's UFC Fight Night 13 event.

The fight will take place on the night's un-televised preliminary card. The event, broadcast by Spike TV, is set for April 2 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colo.

A source from Miller's AMA Fight Club alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the New Jersey-based fighter had accepted the fight and that an official announcement will come later today.

The Miller-Aurelio fight was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

Late last night UFC.com confirmed that Fisher had suffered a shoulder injury while training and was forced to pull out of the bout. The UFC pulled the fight completely from its Events section before posting a bulletin that a replacement would be named shortly.

With an amateur wrestling background, Miller has finished eight of his 10 victories via submission. The 24-year-old, whose only loss was to highly touted UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar, most recently defeated Chris Liguori at a March 7 Ring of Combat show.

UFC Fight Night 13, a 12-fight card, features Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon in the night's main event.

 

[heyzel]

Couture Unwilling to Fight Emelianenko in UFC

Estranged UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is still determined to fight former PRIDE heavy title-holder Fedor Emelianenko. Just don't expect to see the fight take place in the UFC, Couture says.

The 44-year-old UFC hall-of-famer made the comments in a recent video interview with the m1mixfight.com website.

Even after he resigned from the organization back in October (citing a lack of respect from UFC executives, issues over his pay, and the UFC's inability to sign then-free agent Emelianenko), Couture said he would return to the organization if UFC president Dana White could arrange a fight with the famed Russian.

However, the UFC recently took Couture to court to bar his involvement with outside fight promotions. The litigation has apparently ruined any shot of a Couture-Emelianenko fight taking place in the UFC.

Couture made that perfectly clear when he was asked if he cares where the fight with Emelianenko takes place.

"I care at this point that it's not in the UFC," Couture said with a dejected laugh. "But outside of that, I don't care where it happens so long as it happens."

The Dallas-based HDNet Fights appears to be the frontrunner to get the heavyweight fight. In fact, HDNet Fights owner Mark Cuban recently joined the legal fight to get a declaratory judgment on Couture's contract status.

"By fall... we'll hopefully have the fight going," Couture said.

And while he would prefer to fight close to home, it's not mandatory.

"I prefer to fight here in the U.S.," Couture said. "It's where I'm confortable. For all the marketing reasons, this is the strongest market for the sport probably outside of Tokyo... but wherever it happens, it happens."

With Couture now unwilling to fight in the UFC, a rumor that Emelianenko was close to signing a one-fight deal with the UFC -- to fight Couture -- appears unlikely

 

[heyzel]

Koppenhaver vs. Yoshida Added to UFC 84

The Ultimate Fighter 6" cast member John Koppenhaver (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will face UFC newcomer and Shooto vet Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 84, the organization today announced.

Koppenhaver will return to the octagon for the first time since his stunning third-round TKO of Jared Rollins at The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale in December. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported that he'd compete at UFC 84 earlier this month.

UFC 84 takes place May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nev. UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn meets former champ Sean Sherk in the night's main event.

Koppenhaver joined "The Ultimate Fighter 6" as a replacement for an injured Roman Mitichyan. In a bloody bout that appeared to have eventual show runner-up Tommy Speer on the verge of tapping, Koppenhaver suffered a unanimous-decision loss in the show's opening round and was knocked out of the competition.

Just prior to the bout, Koppenhaver said it might be his last fight ever in MMA. However, in an interview with MMAjunkie.com just after the episode aired, the fighter said it was just his usual pre-fighter jitters.

He had a triumphant return at the show's live finale and earned Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night bonuses with his victory.

Koppenhaver was recently sentenced to three years probation, was been forced to pay $2,300 restitution, and had to serve 30 days of community service stemming from a September arrest. In December Koppenhaver pleaded guilty to felony assault for choking and punching a man outside his San Diego training center, but the judge decided to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor -- partially at the urging of the case's victim, who said he didn't want to ruin Koppenhaver's UFC career.

With a fresh start, he'll now take on Yoshida, who signed with the UFC back in January.

Yoshida has competed primarily for Cage Force and Shooto, and now owns an eight-fight win streak (with six of the victories coming by way of knockout). The ground-and-pound fighter was the first-ever welterweight tournament winner for the Japanese-based Cage Force organization.

In addition to Koppenhaver vs. Yoshida, UFC.com today confirmed our previously reported UFC 84 fight between Jason Tan and Dong Hyun Kim.

 

[heyzel]

IRON RING REVIEW: IT'S NOT TUF, BUT IT'S WORTH A VIEW

IRON RING REVIEW: IT'S NOT TUF, BUT IT'S WORTH A VIEW
By Ben Thompson | March 18, 2008

Over the weekend, I had an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the first two episodes of BET's new mixed martial arts series Iron Ring. Like most of you, I was somewhat skeptical. The idea of mixing celebrities and fighters on reality TV...well...for some reason, I just can't seem to shake the image of Screech going toe-to-toe with Horshack on Fox's Celebrity Boxing. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Iron Ring was nothing like that short-lived reality show and, dare I say, it was actually pretty good. * SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN *

Here's the full review

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2232.html