MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Antoine Jaoude Interview

After winning the silver medal at Pan-American at Colorado Springs, , Antoine Jaoude is focused at the 2008 Olympics, at . With the birth of his new daughter and energies renew, Antoine told at exclusive interview to TATAME that he’s teaching some Wrestling training at Brazilian Top Team and about the possibility to fight at HCF, same event of the Brazilian fighter Rogério Minotouro, and Sengoku. Check below the complete interview with Antoine Jaoude.


How was your participation at Pan-American at Colorado Springs ?

It was good. I managed to go to the big final and got the second place and Artilheiro got the third place. Actually, it was a great result for me, because I was injured and got an excellent collocation, I only had the expectation to finish between the first four. We fought equally and I felt the gas a little, but it was a good fight.

And the other Brazilians, how did they go?

Artilheiro was really well, fought with the fifth of the world and with the world champion from , he was really well.

Will you fight at the Olympics? How is your preparation?

It’s not right yet. I still need to guarantee my spot. The preparations is very good, I’m dedicating 100% and will arrive there well trained.

Which are the biggest difficulties that you’ll face at ?

Surelly the biggest difficulty is to get to the competition with rhythm, arrive there strongly to do your best.

From 2004’s Olympics to today, what do you believe had changes at the sport?

It changed a lot. We now have the sponsor of Caixa Econômica Federal, have support and money to pay teachers, tournaments and national competitions.

How was your fight at IFL?

I was overloaded, I had too many competitions and went there weared down and fought with a tough guy, Roy Nelson, and shouldn’t go there this way. I had participated four days before at a competition and it prejudiced me.

How was Marco Ruas’ Team’s left from IFL?

This year they had a lot of changing at IFL and Marco Ruas judged better get away a little, because they had changed a little the concept of the competition, cut too much the earnings and it was going to waste too much time.

And the financial part at IFL? Did that influenced your decision?

Actually, that was two contracts, one would continue the same, receiving the payment, and the other we would receive more, but for fight and it would depend on the victory. We had the fix one more double for any victory, in three or four fights we would had received much more, but it would depend on the victory.

Are you the new Wrestling coach of BTT? How are the trainings? What’s the expectation?

I’m with a big expectation. I received the invitation from Murilo Bustamante, a big friend of mine and invited me to teach there. People from BTT are receptive and have too much talent, it’s been excellent. It’s easier because people had already had a good base.

Is Murilo Bustamante your new manager?

Yes. It’s not official yet, but some proposals came. If we get a good contract to fight at , , , we surely will be together at this work.

Do you have any fight or any contract already made?

I was called to fight at HCF at , same event that (Rogerio) Minotouro fight, but I still don’t know. There is Sengoku too, but nothing right yet. I spoke with IFL and they said that would send me an official email, but I haven’t received nothing yet, so I’m with open way.

Your little daughter had born recently… What’s her name and what did that change in your life?

Victória. She’s 12 days now and continues at the hospital UTI, but may leave now. She got a victory for herself and helped me a lot to train more and bring new titles to . I’m waiting her to leave the hospital to continue normally my life. When she leave the hospital the things will be better.

 

[Shogun Locc]

What's Next for Affliction/Golden Boy?

According to Sam Caplan, a run at the heavyweights and some attempt at promotional consolidation. Notable quote:


Unlike some writers, I'm not going to wax poetic and tell you how big of an impact Affliction/Golden Boy will have because didn't we just learn our lesson with M-1 Global? However, according to people I've spoken with, they are making big-time offers to the top unsigned fighters and I'd be shocked if the first show from the new promotion didn't air on HBO. While HBO has not signed a deal with Affliction/Golden Boy, talks have been going on for a long time and I'm willing to guarantee you that HBO will be getting into the MMA business. It's not a question of if, only when and who and I'm betting the house on Golden Boy/Affliction in June.
In addition to having already signed Matt Lindland and being a leading contender to ink Fedor, I've also have heard from multiple reliable sources that the promotion is pursuing Aleksander Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, and Ben Rothwell. With the way the company will be structured, it is also very possible that Randy Couture and Mark Cuban's HDNet will also be involved.

Based on the names mentioned above, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where things are headed; Golden Boy/Affliction is going to focus on the heavyweight division. With HBO's potential involvement, that makes a lot of sense considering that the premium cable channel's roots are in boxing with the heavyweight division having long been been the marquee mainstream attraction.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce and ShoXC Odds

ShoXC - March 21
Malaipet Sitprapom -130
Thomas Denny EVEN
Strikeforce 8 - March 29
Cung Le +180 (+160)
Frank Shamrock -192 (-230)

Drew Fickett +370
Jake Shields -450

Jae Suk Lim +320
Nick Diaz -400

Evangelista Santos +200
Joey Villasenor -250

Gabe Lemley +450
Gilbert Melendez -600

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paul Daley’s next fight scheduled for May 10

Cage Rage welterweight champion Paul Daley has been pulled from a scheduled fight on March 29 on the undercard of the EliteXC and Strikeforce co-promoted show that will feature Frank Shamrock defending his Strikeforce middleweight title against Cung Le in the main event.

Daley’s next fight is now scheduled for May 10 at Cage Rage 26 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England where he will defend his Cage Rage welterweight title against an unnamed opponent. The news comes according to a report by Stash Capar of The Fight Network.

Unless Daley recants previous statements made on a message forum, the bout could be his last as a mixed martial artist.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frye Bows Out of Yamma; Taktarov to Face Pat Smith


Don Frye (Pictures) has pulled out of a scheduled April 11 main event against Oleg Taktarov for the debuting Yamma Pit Fighting promotion, Sherdog.com learned Wednesday.

Taktarov will instead face UFC 1 tournament entrant Patrick Smith, according to Smith's co-managers Francois Nguyen and Tommy Rojas. A contract is expected to be signed and returned this week.

Smith, 2-1 in 2007, trains out of Arlington MMA in Arlington, Texas. According to Rojas, the 45-year-old athlete was invited to participate in a June Yamma event, but Frye's cancellation created an opportunity to compete sooner.

Smith and Taktarov were originally slated to meet in a July 1995 UFC event. Smith, who had won his first-round match against Rudyard Moncayo, complained of stomach pains and declined to continue in the tournament. Taktarov eventually defeated David "Tank" Abbott to claim the championship.

The Russian recently ended a nearly 10-year hiatus with a kneebar victory over John Marsh (Pictures) in November 2007.

Smith-Taktarov will be part of Yamma's "Masters Superfights" series for veteran combatants and will consist of two five-minute rounds. An eight-man heavyweight tournament and a bout between Eric "Butterbean" Esch and Gary Goodridge (Pictures) rounds out the card, which will be broadcast live on pay-per-view from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BRAD PICKETT VS. PAUL REED AT CAGE RAGE 26

Following impressive performances at this past weekend’s FX3 fight card in Reading, England, two of the main card protagonists will be meeting each other at Cage Rage 26. MMAWeekly.com can confirm that Paul Reed and Brad Pickett will be facing each other on the promotion’s Birmingham debut at the NEC Arena.

For Pickett this fight mark’s his return to the promotion’s main stage following his successful win via guillotine choke over Frederic Fernandez and still leaves the path clear for him to fight for the FX3 world featherweight title against his previous opponent’s brother, Emmanuel Fernandez.

Paul Reed, by contrast, comes off a loss against the aforementioned Emmanuel Fernandez, but was impressive in his showing against the champion. His appearance against Pickett at Cage Rage will be an introduction for him into a division that is stacked full of potential future match-ups.

Cage Rage 26 Bouts (confirmed):
-Ian Freeman vs. Paul Cahoon
-Ross Pointon vs. Ross Mason
-Mark Epstein vs. Matt Ewin
-James Zikic vs. Rodney Faverus
-Henrique Nogueria vs. Marc Goddard
-Kev Sims vs. Popek Rak
-Harvey Harra vs. Gary Kelly
-Brad Pickett vs. Paul Reed

Cage Rage 26 Bouts (unconfirmed):
-Paul Daley vs. Aaron Wetherspoon

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ben Saunders Likely to Return at UFC 86

The Ultimate Fighter 6" cast member Ben Saunders (5-0-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who last competed in December at the show's live finale, will likely return at UFC 86.

Sources close to the fighter tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Saunders has agreed to fight at the event. However, a phone call to the fighter wasn't immediately returned today, and the UFC has made no official announcement regarding the event.

UFC 86 takes place July 5 in Las Vegas -- most likely at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson meets Forrest Griffin in the night's main event.

There's no word on a possible opponent for Saunders.

The Florida-based fighter, a "TUF" quarterfinalist best remembered for a laid-back style and dry sense of humor, was eventually knocked out of the competition by show runner-up Tommy Speer. He defeated Dan Barrera via split decision in the show's opening round, and the two fighters met again at the live finale in December. There, Saunders earned a unanimous-decision victory.

Saunders, who trains with MMA powerhouse American Top Team, is undefeated in his professional career. After fighting to draws in his first two pro bouts, he's since won five straight fights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rooney Gets the Most Out of Fighters

Just holding a black belt in jiu-jitsu will no longer cut it in mixed martial arts. A solid amateur wrestler background won't get the job done, either.


MMA has evolved into a more complex sport. Physical skills and technical know-how might get a fighter into the game, but it won't take him to the top.


That's where Martin Rooney comes in.

The Sayreville, N.J., native often goes unnoticed by fight fans. When members of Team Renzo Gracie head toward the ring for an International Fight League showdown, Rooney is among them.

"I know my role and it is definitely below Renzo and everybody else," the 36-year-old Rooney said. "When it is game time … my job is to make sure that the guy is better able to recover between rounds. Renzo and the other guys are there to give immediate technical and strategic changes."

He is usually the guy carrying a bucket of water with a towel draped over his shoulder. Between rounds he can be seen rubbing a shoulder or offering words of encouragement. But don't be fooled, Rooney is an indispensable part of the team.

Rooney is a physical therapist, but in MMA circles he is best known as a trainer/strength and conditioning guru. Any fighter -- from IFL light heavyweight contender Jamal Patterson to UFC middleweight Ricardo Almeida -- who has Rooney in his corner is fully prepared for battle.

As head of the Fairlawn, N.J.-based Parisi Speed School, which has 35 locations throughout the United States, Rooney doesn't allow his fighters any shortcuts. He wants every one of his athletes ready to give their very best.

"The training aspect of MMA is becoming more and more important," said Rooney, the author of "Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout." "You can't just be a technical guy anymore. You've got to be a physical specimen and a technical guy who has an incredible awareness of strategy and who you're fighting.

"Physical preparation, I believe, is as important if not more important than technical training. You can be the most technical guy in the world, but if you are dead tired, you're in big trouble."

But Rooney doesn't stop at physical conditioning. What separates him from other top-flight trainers is his strict emphasis on being mentally prepared.

"Even if you're the most technical guy, if you aren't mentally prepared for the fight, you're doomed," Rooney said. "These are the areas … that I use to help the fighters."

It is this approach that has Patterson extremely confident heading into his title fight April 4 against IFL light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko. There is no doubt in Patterson's mind that he will be victorious, and he gives a lot of credit to Rooney.

"Besides the strength, besides the conditioning, Martin does a very good job with the mind stuff," said Patterson, who has an IFL mark of 4-1. "He gets you mentally prepared for fights -- what to prepare for, what to look out for, what you should be focused on, and what kind of goals you should be working to get to.

"That is what his book is more about, not about overtraining, not about lifting 50 million pounds, but finding the right exercise -- physically and mentally -- that will make you better."

Rooney has been involved with MMA for more than 12 years, 10 with the Renzo Gracie Jiu-jitsu School in New York. But physical fitness has been an important part of his life much longer.
While at Furman University, where he was a track and field star, Rooney received a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology. Afterward, Rooney attended Medical University in Charleston, S.C., where he earned a master's degree in exercise physiology and a degree in physical therapy.

Shortly upon graduating, a couple of Rooney's friends invited him to participate in an open tryout held by the United States bobsled team. Skeptical at first, Rooney decided to go along. He made the team and was a member from 1995 through 1997.

Little did he know, one of his bobsled teammates would be Todd Hays, who appeared in the mixed martial arts documentary "Rickson Gracie: Choke." It was Hays who introduced Rooney to mixed martial arts.

"Hays taught me a lot," Rooney said. "He was the U.S. heavyweight Muay Thai champion."

When his days on the U.S. bobsled team ended, Rooney returned to New Jersey interested in the fledgling sport of mixed martial arts. Then he got the break of a lifetime: His close friend, John Derent, introduced him to Renzo Gracie.

"I went to Renzo Gracie's gym and met many of the guys. They were always remarking about how fit I am," Rooney said. "My fitness was saving me in certain situations where I was not as technical as the other guys. Because of the physical strength I had, they wanted to know more about it.

"Jiu-jitsu is designed for a weaker guy to beat a stronger guy, but man, when the guy is so much stronger, we have to look at things differently. That's when they started training with me. They became not just people I trained, but training partners."

What every Rooney-trained fighter learns immediately is the importance of a strong mind-set. If one of his fighters isn't mentally ready to do battle on fight night, Rooney feels he's failed.

"I believe that is the most important piece of the whole deal," Rooney said. "To have a guy technical and strong, but not mentally and emotionally ready or controlled … I've seen guys lose a fight from the locker room to the ring.

"Training doesn't stop until that first bell rings. That is really my goal every day: keeping guys relaxed and pumping the guys up who need to be pumped up, calming down the guys who need to be calmed down."

Rooney put his philosophy to the test Feb. 2 at UFC 81. He was assisting Gracie in the corner of Almeida, who was taking on Rob Yundt.

Almeida had not fought in four years, and cage rust was a concern due to the long layoff. But Gracie had an airtight fight plan. Rooney's responsibility was to make sure Almeida (9-2) was mentally ready to implement it. Almeida won by submission at 1:08 of the first round.

"I believe now, more than ever, that when you go to the higher level, the physical element has to be there, but oftentimes the physical element just gets you in the game," Almeida said. "But what separates the great athletes is their mind-set. This is what Martin is working on all the time."

 

[heyzel]

ELITE XC MAY BEGIN ON CBS ON MAY 31

The CBS Television Network and ProElite, Inc. on Feb. 28 announced a multi-year agreement that would bring mixed martial arts to a major broadcast television network for the first time in the sport’s history.

As part of the agreement, CBS will air four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite’s EliteXC live events division, as two-hour live primetime specials on Saturday nights.

During a conference call on Tuesday, EliteXC president of live events Gary Shaw indicated that a press release announcing the first fight card on CBS would be forthcoming on Wednesday. That press release still had not been released at the time of publication and one representative stated that it might not be released until Thursday.

“There will be a CBS press release going out … announcing when the first fight card is and announcing who some of the fighters on that card are. So I don't want to preempt it,” said Shaw. “We think we have a great card put together, and we're very, very excited to be on CBS.

“I think that the announcement will surprise some people,” he continued. “It's just exciting. This is the single biggest thing that I think will ever happen to any fighter or to MMA to have the ability to be seen by over 100 million eyeballs.”

Although the press release announcing the event and some of the fighters had not yet been released, ProElite.com – ProElite, Inc.’s social networking website – posted a teaser on its home page saying, “Keep an eye out for the first airing of advertisements for CBS and EliteXC's ‘Saturday Night Fights’ during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The rumored event date is May 31st.”

The announcement was accompanied by the logo for the “Saturday Night Fights” specials.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament opening round begins on CBS on Thursday at 12:20 ET.

 

[heyzel]

Babalu" to HCF for May 10 Event

UFC cast-off Renato "Babalu" Sobral (29-7) will return to action on May 10 for a Hardcore Championship Fighting show to be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. There, 32-year-old will take on fellow Brazilian Mauricio Alonso (4-1).

Sobral's manager -- and MMAjunkie.com columnist -- Ken Pavia broke news of the bout on today's edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Sobral will be in Quebec on March 29 for the HCF's "Crow's Nest" event, featuring UFC veterans David Loiseau, Hector "Sick Dog" Ramirez and Gideon Ray, where a formal announcement of the fight card will be made.

Sobral, once regarded among the world's elite in the light heavyweight division, dropped out of the top 10 in most rankings after back-to-back UFC losses to Chuck Liddell and Jason Lambert. The Gracie Barra black belt then returned to winning ways with a hard fought, bloody victory over David Heath at UFC 74. A controversial ending, in which Sobral admitted to holding an anaconda choke on Heath longer than necessary, cost "Babalu" both a $25,000 fine as well as his UFC contract.

The HCF fight will be Sobral's second outside the UFC since the incident.

During the interview, Pavia was unable to confirm, but did little to deny, a rumored match-up between Sobral and UFC veteran Mike Whitehead. It is believed the bout will be contested at the debut event of the new Affliction/Golden Boy co-promotion.

In other interview highlights:

Pavia also mentioned a forthcoming "big announcement" by the UFC regarding welterweight Chris "Lights Out" Lytle. The UFC is expected to soon release information regarding Lytle facing a "very big name" at UFC 86 in July. Pavia felt confident that the match-up would be the co-main event of the card.

According to Pavia, "Razor" Rob McCullough will return to action in the WEC on the as-yet-unannounced June 1 WEC event in Sacramento, Calif. Although McCullough's opponent has not yet been determined, that card is believed to be headlined by Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver. Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia is also expected at the event, and Jeff Curran will also likely compete.
Lastly, Pavia said Joe "Diesel" Riggs was recovering quickly from back surgery after suffering an injury in his latest fight, and should return to action with Strikeforce in late May, when the organization looks to return to Tacoma, Wash.
To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio Network archives.

 

[Shogun Locc]

The CBS Television Network and ProElite, Inc. on Feb. 28 announced a multi-year agreement that would bring mixed martial arts to a major broadcast television network for the first time in the sport’s history.

As part of the agreement, CBS will air four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite’s EliteXC live events division, as two-hour live primetime specials on Saturday nights.

During a conference call on Tuesday, EliteXC president of live events Gary Shaw indicated that a press release announcing the first fight card on CBS would be forthcoming on Wednesday. That press release still had not been released at the time of publication and one representative stated that it might not be released until Thursday.

“There will be a CBS press release going out … announcing when the first fight card is and announcing who some of the fighters on that card are. So I don't want to preempt it,” said Shaw. “We think we have a great card put together, and we're very, very excited to be on CBS.

“I think that the announcement will surprise some people,” he continued. “It's just exciting. This is the single biggest thing that I think will ever happen to any fighter or to MMA to have the ability to be seen by over 100 million eyeballs.”

Although the press release announcing the event and some of the fighters had not yet been released, ProElite.com – ProElite, Inc.’s social networking website – posted a teaser on its home page saying, “Keep an eye out for the first airing of advertisements for CBS and EliteXC's ‘Saturday Night Fights’ during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The rumored event date is May 31st.”

The announcement was accompanied by the logo for the “Saturday Night Fights” specials.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament opening round begins on CBS on Thursday at 12:20 ET.

already post man look throught the threads before posting something that has already been posted
http://www.siccness.net/vb/showthread.php?t=258963&page=109

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hardy joins EliteXC - Exclusive

Dan Hardy is to sign a three fight deal with EliteXC, Fighters Only can exclusively reveal.

The welterweight standout, who is one of the brightest prospects in UK MMA, will be on a 12 month contract, with a possible two month extension.

His first fight in EliteXC will be in June, as he has several obligations to fulfil to other promotions first.

These include appearing on the US debut of British MMA promotion Cage Warriors and then fighting Marios Zaromski in May when US promotion Combat FC puts on its first UK show, which will be held at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena.

Hardy recently returned from Japan, where he put in several strong performances fighting in the Cage Force welter weight tournament.

He has also been training in America with the likes of Eddie Bravo in a bid to further enhance his skills.

EliteXC is home to former streetfighter Kimbo Slice, who made his name by engaging in bare knuckle prize fights that were filmed and distributed via the internet.

 

[heyzel]

already post man look throught the threads before posting something that has already been posted
http://www.siccness.net/vb/showthread.php?t=258963&page=109

shawty u done the same thing and I'm not even trippin

 

[Shogun Locc]

shawty u done the same thing and I'm not even trippin

I rarely do it and try not to but you do it alot of times.

 

[heyzel]

Has there been a great MMA rivalry?

By Iain Liddle



If you’ll allow me to be self-indulgent then I’ll use this week’s entry to throw out a question that has been niggling away at me of late.

March has already produced another installment in two great boxing rivalries. On March 1st Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez stepped into the ring together for the third time. They were tied at 1-1 in their rivalry having fought twice before in the previous thirteen months and both had been nominated for ‘Fight of the year’ for 2007. In fact, most boxing writers who I respect are unanimous in the view that the second encounter was the best to have taken place last year, despite Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor eventually taking the official boxing writer’s award.

As they prepared to lace up the gloves one more time, fan and promoter expectations were high. Gary Shaw had been proclaiming this fight as the antidote to February’s Klitschko-Ibraghimov snoozefest before it had even taken place. Showtime placed both of the preceding bouts on their website to justify the hype and show fans just how good the sport can be and will be again. It never seemed to cross anyone’s mind that the two Mexicans may disappoint us.

Which is just as well as the third was arguably the best of the bunch. An unadulterated modern-day classic between two great combatants. Boxing Standard columnist Frank Lotierzo said that the trilogy was “everything boxing should be.”

Then, this past Saturday, Rafael’s brother Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao rematched their classic from 2004 which resulted in a controversial split draw. It was four years later and as many pounds heavier but again it was eagerly anticipated in fight circles. Not only was this a fight between boxers but also between two nations with the pride of the Philippines taking on a Mexican hero. Thousands of fans came out in support of each man creating the kind back-and-forth atmosphere one might associate with a soccer match between the two countries.

Even watching on television it was possible to gauge just how electric the building was in anticipation of what was to come. The passion with which the national anthems were sung was mesmerising and showed that this was not just ’somewhere to go’ on a Saturday night for these fans. They truly cared about the fight and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This is not an abstract sporting contest, this fucking matters.

Once more the two men delivered a memorable contest, over twelve hard-fought rounds that ended in another close and arguable decision. Richard O’Brien remarked that it was “humbling to see that level of skill and commitment and courage—of true professionalism. Humbling, and immensely entertaining.”

Those are just two fights to have taken place so far this month and whilst not to say we are constantly inundated with fights of this quality, because it takes sitting through a Ruiz-McCline fight to truly appreciate greatness when it arrives, but there are other examples in boxing history.

The sport has produced series of fights such as the aforementioned Vazquez-Marquez, Benn-Eubank, Barrera-Morales, Duran-Leonard, Ali-Frazier and many more besides.

The word ‘great’ encompasses a lot. To achieve this status then the fights have to be between two people not only at the pinnacle of their own career, but also the sport as a whole at that time. The fights have to mean something beyond that of a title belt. A truly great rivalry is two men battling it out for the right to be the best in the world that night, rather than the best in that particular ring.

Also, the key component in all of this, the fights themselves have to be memorable. We’ve all bought into the hype of an upcoming bout before but if combat itself is dull an unmemorable then it will not be being talked about in future weeks let alone years.

In addition to be being merely entertaining the fights need to be competitive too. The key component in drama is being unsure of the final outcome and in fighting terms you need to have genuine belief that either man is capable of pulling out the victory on any given night.

So we’ve determined the ingredients for a classic. A close fight between two evenly skilled combatants that has meaning and relevance on a world level and has also captured the imagination of it’s audience as a whole. It is with this criteria in mind that I ask, even allowing for the relatively short history of mixed martial arts, where are our sport’s great rivalries?

A few immediately spring to mind.

Wanderlei Silva vs Kazushi Sakuraba. Definitely a contender but ultimately too one-sided. Saku was not victorious in any of the bouts and though valiant efforts, was simply overwhelmed.

Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz. This has a claim in the sense that they were between two athletes at the top of their weight class, with a legitimate rivalry and the second bout resulted in the biggest selling pay per view in history. When looked back upon in terms of the sport’s growth - this will definitely be remembered as important.. but does that equal great? Liddell won both fights with relative ease and neither were an outstanding example of how exciting an all-encompassing battle can be. The jury is out.

Olaf Alfonso vs John Polakowski. With the best will in the world, not a chance. Three entertaining scraps but of no relevance and with a distinct lack of technique. Not to be snobby but if this gets nominated with a straight face then maybe we’re in trouble.

Matt Hughes vs Georges St Pierre. If it wasn’t for the fact that the last two fights were so one-sided I would say this has a chance. They are definitely relevant in the sense that the series established a new king in the welterweight division, dethroning one of the true legends in the process. The fights were of good quality too but my issue is that GSP showed too much quality and dealt with Hughes in relatively routine fashion in the last bout especially. If all three contests had been like the second then we’d have a hands down winner but as it stands we have an outsider at best.

Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn. I actually think this has a case. The first fight caused one of the biggest upsets in history when a seemingly unstoppable champion was stopped by a fighter moving up from the weight class below in the first round. The second fight was also incredibly exciting and presented back-and-forth action that distinguishes great bouts. It seemed as though Penn has Hughes’ number only for the farm boy to dig deep and, admittedly with a little help from a rib injury sustained by his opponent, become the first man to ever stop the Hawaiian. They’re tied at one apiece and it seems unlikely that we’ll ever get to see the rubber match unfortunately. Like all great rivalries it will be forever argued between respective fans as to who was the better man. What can’t be argued is that we had fun watching them try to prove it.

Matt Hughes vs Frank Trigg. Apparently I’m a big Matt Hughes fan. This is probably the weakest of the three rivalries mentioned but boasts the best fight to have taken place in any of them. One of the few things that Dana White and I have in common, along with our want to ask people if they want to fucking fighters (for the record, neither my bank manager nor my grandmother are keen), is that we both rate the second Hughes-Trigg fight as maybe our favourite ever example of MMA. That alone should get it nominated, on a personal level at least. Let’s not forget that there was genuine debate at the time of the first bout as to who the better welterweight was. Frank Trigg (WFA champion) was being talked up as the superior wrestler with striking to match. Fans wanted to see the fight and although hindsight shows that Hughes won in comfortable fashion, it certainly wasn’t a foregone conclusion going in.

Dan Henderson vs Murilo Bustamante. I didn’t find any of their fights particularly interesting but historically they are relevant in determining who the world’s best middleweight was at the time. Maybe someone can make a case for this?

Heath Herring vs. Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera. A dark horse. The first fight is possibly one of the best ever heavyweight encounters with both men competing for the recently-established Pride title which at the time was the most meaningful in the weight class. The second fight is also very strong in terms of entertainment and drama. What helps single this example out is that it is the only rivalry to span across both major promotions in the sport’s history (Pride and then UFC) and the third stanza, now in the cage, provided interest when Herring nearly became the only man to KO the Brazilian. Alas he was too tentative and Noguiera went on to win a decision. Which is the reason that I think this falls just short of what’s required for greatness. ‘Minotauro’ has three wins to the Texan’s nil. If you can look past the statistics then maybe this can be considered?

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera. Two hall of fame fighters. Too one-sided. Despite entering every bout with different gameplan, Noguiera could not find a way to even get close to beating Fedor. The first fight is essential viewing, much like Hughes-St Pierre II, in that we see the dethroning of a champion and the crowning of a new king but the series as a whole is not strong enough in my mind.

Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort. This is a rivalry that spans two generations of UFC ownership. Their highly-regarded first encounter took place in SEG’s cage and the other two in Zuffa’s octagon. The first is a classic without doubt. The second is almost a non-event and I’m not sure the third was of sufficient quality. A good rivalry, but not the sort to turn a boxing diehard into a mixed martial arts fan overnight.

Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell. Is this the best example to have been produced thus far? Two fighters at the top of their weight class worldwide? Yes. Drama / Unpredictability? For sure. Historical significance? Definitely. Fan interest? Without doubt. Entertaining fights? The only possible way to disqualify the series. Is it possible that the second and third fights finished before they and the series as a whole had the chance to be qualified as classical?

Has there been a great MMA rivalry

 

[heyzel]

Travis Lutter’s Fresh Start

By Thomas Gerbasi


It’s been said that time heals all wounds. Travis Lutter isn’t so sure about that.

In fact, even though over a year has passed since his challenge of UFC middleweight Related News
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UFC 83: St-Pierre learning from his mistakes
UFC 84 Card taking shape as Three Light Heavyweight Bouts are finalized

champion Anderson Silva turned from a dream to a nightmare after he didn’t make weight for the UFC 67 bout, the Texas contender thinks that fans may still hold a grudge against him when he returns to the Octagon on April 19th to take on Rich Franklin.

“I guess I’m gonna get booed pretty good again,” said Lutter, who still put up a spirited effort against Silva before being submitted in the second round. “I’m gonna have to make weight, fight again, and have a good showing before I’m gonna be forgiven. But until that happens, I think people are bitter.”

Lutter understands how people feel regarding the events leading up to the February 2007 bout, but no one took it as hard as the fighter himself, who earned his shot at the crown by winning season four of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. His fellow winner on the show, Matt Serra, parlayed his shot into a championship; Lutter’s ended in disaster.

“That was a bad day,” Lutter recalled when asked about the weigh-in for Silva by UFC.com shortly before what was supposed to be his comeback fight against Ryan Jensen, a fight scrapped when Lutter injured his neck. “I told (UFC President) Dana (White) before that I wasn’t gonna make weight and it was terrible. You go out there, you train, you do everything, you’ve got your hopes and your dreams, and before you even get into the ring, your hopes and your dreams are crushed.”

When he got on the scale, Lutter looked like a shell of a fighter. He missed the 185-pound limit, came back and tried again but there was nothing more he could do. Yet when he got into the Octagon against Silva, Lutter showed the skills that got him there as he was able to take the champion down and even transition into the full mount position in a strong first round. By round two though, Silva had gotten his bearings, and even though Lutter took him to the mat again, the Brazilian’s strong work off his back allowed him to sink in a triangle choke and fire away with elbows until Lutter tapped out.

In normal circumstances, Lutter would have been celebrated for his gallant showing in defeat. Instead, his effort was overshadowed by his failure to make weight. But as the months have gone by and Silva has looked more and more unbeatable with his wins over Nate Marquardt, Franklin in their rematch, and Dan Henderson, Lutter’s ability to give Silva trouble is making the Texan look better and better without him even having to throw a punch.

“You would think that’s the way it work,” he laughed, “but the whole thing is that Anderson has lost before. The thing that people have forgotten is that Anderson lost four fights, and he was winning those fights when he lost. The only difference with me is that he was losing that fight and he pulled something out of his ass to win. (Laughs) He has looked inhuman and stuff like that except from when he was going with me, and I think I can do that to him again.”

And seeing a Lutter not physically and emotionally drained from trying to make weight against Silva again is an intriguing possibility. But what if Silva decides to move up in weight to tackle the big boys at 205 pounds?

“He better not do that,” said Lutter with a chuckle. “I wouldn’t be happy if he did that. I hope he stays at 185 pounds and lets me fight him before he decides that he’s cleaned everybody out.”

Of course, nothing happens for Lutter if he doesn’t get by the former champion, Franklin, on April 19th.

“I think it all depends on how the fight with me and Rich goes,” said Lutter when asked about a rematch with ‘The Spider’. “I think if I go out there and take Rich apart, I think there’s a good chance that he (Silva) and I will meet shortly. If Rich and I go out there and Rich beats me, then I go away probably, but if I go out there and win a decision, I don’t know if I’d get a shot. I think it all depends on how the fight goes.”

On paper, it’s a great matchup and has the potential to be one of the best fights on the UFC 83 card at Montreal’s Bell Centre. It’s also a fight Lutter was excited about from the moment it was proposed to him.

“When they offered me Rich I was really, really excited,” said Lutter. “And then when he pulled out (from a proposed March bout with Lutter due to injury), I was really disappointed and I asked if I could still fight Rich. He’s a challenge, he was a UFC champ, and I’m not here for an easy win – I want to be challenged to the utmost. I want to get back and fight Silva, and I think Franklin’s the shortest road to that.”

Yet while Lutter needs the win, especially if he wants another title shot, Franklin – who is coming off his second stoppage loss to Silva – may need it even more to reclaim his place in the upper reaches of the pecking order at 185 pounds. Lutter expects Franklin to come out hard, and he’s sure that he will be seeing the best of the former champion when the bell rings.

“I think he’s definitely better than what he showed in those two fights against Silva,” said Lutter. “You’re just going up against somebody where everything that Rich does really well,
Anderson just happens to do a little bit better. Rich is just fighting the wrong guy for him, whereas I think Rich is gonna be tough for me – it’s definitely not one you’re gonna phone in. Rich is a tough guy for 99 percent of the guys out there; Anderson just has the unique ability to make people look really, really bad. But with that being said, since I’m such a different fighter from Anderson or Rich, I feel like I match up with both of them really, really well, and I think I can take Rich down. The gameplan’s the same as it always is – take him down and beat him up.”

That plan has worked for Lutter in 12 of his 16 pro fights, and though he has shown knockout power in his victory over Marvin Eastman at UFC 50 in 2004, he is known mainly for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. To remedy this, he has been working with renowned Muay Thai coach Mark DellaGrotte.

“I worked with him a little bit on the show, and I think he has a unique ability to fill in the gaps, which is the hardest part to do with MMA,” said Lutter. “I think he’s gonna be a huge help for me.”

Lutter travels to the New England area on weekends to work with DellaGrotte, but for the rest of his camp he stays in Fort Worth, eschewing the traditional thinking that fighters need to get away from the friendly confines of home to prepare for a bout.

“I still feel that I get the majority of my training best if I just keep it here,” he said. “I’m better when I’m at my house. It’s a lot easier for me to train hard when I’m training out of my own camp with guys that I know. When you’re isolated, it just causes a lot of boredom. A guy’s got to be halfway entertained in order to relax and me, I’m probably worse than most in that my ADD will kick in and I’ve got to go do something. (Laughs) I can’t just train every day – I’ve got other interests and stuff like that and I’m focused for the fight, but I don’t just want to sit in a camp doing nothing for 12 weeks. I’d rather stay here, train, when I’m out on the mat I’m training, and when I’m done, it’s time to go do something else.”

Right now though, it’s all about fighting for Travis Lutter, and despite what happened in 2007, he’s ready for a fresh start, and hopes the fans will give him one as well.

“Everybody falls down, but not everybody gets up,” he said. “I fell down in my last fight, I missed weight, everything that could have gone wrong in that fight did, and not everybody gets back up. So I’m gonna get back up, get on the horse, and see where it takes me.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ricco Rodriguez vs. Jeff Monson in Newcastle, England

CFC HITS NEWCASTLE

Combat Fighting Championships is proud to announce its first ever UK event on Saturday May 17th at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle.

Mixed Martial Arts pits fighters of all disciplines into one-on-one combat and is a sport of technique, professionalism and discipline. These men are tough, this game is tough and the results are often spectacular and always compelling.

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and in May, the CFC will bring the best the world has to offer on an action-packed night of race-pulsing entertainment to one of the top venues in the north of England.



Top of the bill will be a tantalising heavyweight clash between two of the biggest names in the sport with Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez taking on Jeff "The Snowman" Monson.

Rodriguez - a 6ft 4in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist - has beaten some of the legendary names of the Heavyweight division including Andrei Arlovski, Paul Buenetello and MMA legend and current Heavyweight number one, Randy "the Natural" Couture.

In Monson, he faces one of the most experienced Heavyweights in world MMA, a 5ft 9in pit-bull who is a master of submission wrestling and has tested his skills against some of the most dangerous proponents of MMA in history, men like Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Tim Sylvia.



Combat FC's COO M. Preston Clarke said: "To be bringing CFC to the UK is a pleasure in itself and we are excited to showcase our event in Newcastle on Saturday May 17th at the Metro Radio Arena. Combat FC is all about quality Mixed Martial Arts and is dedicated to providing the sporting world with quality MMA events. MMA is still an emerging sport in the UK and we aim to bring the best of it to new fans all over the country - we will bring the best athletes with the greatest mix of skills together and give the UK an exciting night of Mixed Martial Arts."

Karl Woolley, Combat FC's CEO, said "Our match makers are dedicated to bringing the fans the fights they want to see and we know they won't be disappointed with this card. We have athletes, like Ricco Rodriquez, who have beaten some of the top names in MMA including Randy Couture and Andrei Arlovsk. We will continue to support the development of top athletes and competitions and are willing to work with and support companies that are dedicated to quality Mixed Martial Arts."

It will be a night of drama, action and heart; of winners, losers and world class Mixed Martial Arts - the only question you need to ask is: can you afford to miss it?

Tickets costing £25, £35, £50, £100 and £150 will go on sale 9am Wednesday 19th March 08

For further current information including full fight card details and full event listings please visit www.metroradioarena.co.uk

 

[Shogun Locc]

Genki Sudo turns 30 years old!

Genki Sudo updated his blog.



I had my birthday on Mar 9 and decided to buy something for me. The item I choose is a rolex watch. I went to see my parents and told them about buying it. My dad said, you did great in your 20's and I will pay for it. I thought he is generous because of getting an influence of the metabolic syndrome. I thanked him and he asked me to tell everybody he bought my rolex.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM: Sasahara talks about Mirko

DREAM had a press conference in Tokyo on Mar 16. Winners of Lightweight tournament 1st round showed up and talked about their ambitions for the next round. In this conference, Sasahara answered questions from reporters.


Keiichi Sasahara:
- Any update about Calvan vs Aoki?
At first, I want Aoki to go hospital and see a doctor. I understand that Aoki is at a loss for words now, because after the fight on NYE was cancelled, he finally got an opportunity to fight Calvan and trained hard, but the result turned out to be the no contest. We will wait until he is ready to talk. I hope we can talk to him within a week and decide what to do.
- Did you take questionnaire from fans who came to the event on Mar 15?
Yes. I think it was hard for fans to think what fight they want to see in 2nd round of the light weight tournament. Although, they gave me some suggestions and I will work to arrange fights our fans want to see. I'm going to announce the result of Aoki vs Calvan and all 8 fighters at the same time, hopefully within a week.
- Any thought about the first event?
I'm disappointed to see the result of the main event, however, I'm going to make use of this experience for our next event. Based on my experience, the debut event of PRIDE had a bad energy. We worked hard to create better events time after time, and at the end PRIDE brought a big MMA boom in Japan. I am satisfied with the way we broadcasted last night though.
- Does Uno fight in the tournament in the 2nd round? Other fighters are against it though?
I understand the feeling of fighters who won in the 1st round why Uno is treated special. I haven't decided yet, but Uno may participate in the 2nd round as a recommended fighter by DREAM. Then, I hope other fighters show their anger in their fighting spirit and show us exciting fights.
- Does Tamura fight in the middleweight GP?
I want him to fight in the tournament, although he hasn't taken an offer yet. I'm going to have more great fighters like our fans are surprised.
- What do you think about Mirko's next fight?
I have to have a scenario for Dynamite. He wants to get a belt . Before arranging a championship fight, we got to arrange fights with some strong fighters and see if he is still good or not. I'm excited to see him fight Mighty Mo and Choi Hong Man, who he has never fought before.
- Does he have chance to fight Fedor for a belt?
I want Mirko to fight Fedor for a heavy weight championship belt in Dynamite. I have talked to M-1 Global about Fedor.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Winners of the DREAM lightweight tournament talk

DREAM had a press conference in Tokyo on Mar 16. Winners of Lightweight tournament 1st round showed up and talked about their ambitions for the next round.

Joachim Hansen:
I think the debut event succeeded last night though I am disappointed to see the main event.

Mitsuhiro Ishida:
I feel terrible about my performance. I couldn't sleep well last night by thinking about it. I will change my mind and will work hard to have an exciting fight in the 2nd round.

Tatsuya Kawajiri:
I had a tough fight as I expected. I had a very good experience fighting Black Mamba in the 1st round. I think I can improve myself for the 2nd round based on this experience. I hope I can win in 2nd round and move on to the final round in Osaka.

Katsuhiko Nagata:
It was close fight yesterday. I want to win by KO or submission in the 2nd round. I will start training soon because I didn't get injured, fortunately.

Eddie Alvarez:
I want to thank my opponent, Andre Dida. I couldn't have such an exciting fight without a very aggressive fighter like him. We created an amazing fight and I am appreciative of his good fighting spirit. It was my first time fighting in a big event and I had a great experience yesterday.

Luis Buscape:
My opponent was very strong. I trained hard to prepare for this fight. I think our fans enjoy our fight which was at a high pace. Fortunately I could defeat him by submission. I will train hard for the 2nd round and the final.