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Lappen, Benjamin Featured on 'Inside MMA'
link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1501
On this week's HDNet Inside MMA, featured exclusively on the Internet via Sherdog.com, Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice were joined by EliteXC fight coordinator Jeremy Lappen and combat sports medical specialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin.
Also, Ron Kruck reports all the latest news and highlights from the week's best fights
link: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1501
On this week's HDNet Inside MMA, featured exclusively on the Internet via Sherdog.com, Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice were joined by EliteXC fight coordinator Jeremy Lappen and combat sports medical specialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin.
Also, Ron Kruck reports all the latest news and highlights from the week's best fights
Illegal Elbows End ShoXC Early
SANTA YNEZ, Calif., March 21 -- It wasn't the way he envisioned it, but Thomas Denny (Pictures) came out the victor over Sasiprapa Malaipet (Pictures) Friday night in the main event of Showtime's ShoXC card at the Chumash Casino.
After being on the wrong end of illegal elbows from the muay Thai specialist, Denny won by disqualification. Denny seemed to be well on his way to winning the fight in conventional fashion, as he came out and immediately went after Malaipet, backing him up with a series punches before putting him on his back.
Denny then went to work and managed to take Malaipet's back. With little effort he sunk in a deep rear-naked choke. Malaipet, his face visibly turning red, refused to tap out and miraculously managed escape the submission.
Ending up in full-mount, "The Wildman" took advantage of Malaipet's inexperience on the ground and worked on an arm-triangle choke. Malaipet escaped that choke attempt also, so Denny gave up on submissions and began dropping elbows.
Malaipet received serious damage to his face, but the Thai fighter never stopped working to escape. Back on the feet, Malaipet looked to stand and trade against the Victorville fighter but Denny wasn't having any of that and immediately shot for a takedown.
With his back pinned to the fence as Denny fought for a takedown, Malaipet unleashed three elbow shots that connected perfectly to the back of Denny's head. The veteran Californian immediately crumpled to the canvas in agonizing pain.
After taking a few minutes to recover, Denny told the cage-side doctor that he could not safely continue. The 160-pound contest was called at 4:51 of the first round.
"I'm sorry because I came here to fight, but this is MMA and you have to follow the rules,'' Denny said. "I may have been dazed but I wasn't knocked out. One thing I could not do, however, was move my neck.''
Huen wins decision
In the crowd's eyes Conor Huen lost to Marlon Mathias. However, he won it where it mattered -- with the judges.
It was as close as a unanimous decision could get.
Mathias, who fights under the Chute Boxe banner, represented the gym's flag well. He practically sprinted towards Huen off the opening bell, unleashing an overhand left that caught Huen's attention.
For a moment it seemed like Huen was willing to trade with Mathias. He soon paid the price, however, eating a straight left that covered his nose with blood.
Scrapping that plan, Huen decided to put his jiu-jitsu skills to work. He controlled the second period by securing takedowns and working over Mathias on the floor.
Mathias boxed in the third, at one point landing a straight left that snapped Huen's head backwards.
Huen, who suffered a broken jaw during the bout according to EliteXC, took the fight to the ground again. Mathias scrambled around, got another sweep but almost got caught in an armbar, which he easily escaped.
Huen took Mathias down one more time before the final bell. Mathias looked like the busier fighter of the two, and was clearly the crowd favorite. When the scores were announced the crowd booed mercilessly.
"I am very disappointed in the decision,'' Mathias said. "I inflicted the most damage and landed the most punches. I definitely won two of the three rounds."
Other results
In the third round of their light heavyweight fight, Jamie Fletcher landed an overhand right that sent Aaron Rosa (Pictures) crashing down to the canvas. Fletcher was unable to finish Rosa, but the psychological damage was done and Fletcher applied pressure the rest of the fight. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28.
Shane Del Rosario pounded out Analu Brash (Pictures) at 3:18 of the first round. After exchanging on their feet to start the fight, Del Rosario dropped Brash with a perfectly placed low kick. Del Rosario followed Brash down and began punishing him from inside his guard. Upon a series of punches and elbows, Del Rosario leaned on his right hand and began throwing lefts with all his might to a covered up Brash.
After landing a few shots, Del Rosario briefly looked up to the referee. Realizing the referee had not yet decided to stop the fight, Del Rosario continued his left hand assault before the fight was called.
Hawaiian Mark Oshiro (Pictures) knocked out the undefeated Chris Cariaso (Pictures) with an short right hook that landed flush to his chin. Cariaso landed on his back, where Oshiro pounced on him until the referee jumped in and stopped the fight. Time of the stop was 2:38 of the first round.
Brandon Tarn ruined Jason Williams' debut by choking him out at 1:05 of the second round.
In his professional debut, Devin Howard submitted Mark Kempthorne with a rear-naked choke at 2:53 of the first round.
Lyle ‘Fancy Pants' Beerbohm remained undefeated by submitting Vince Guzman (Pictures) with a rear-naked choke at 3:26 of the second round.
Kenny ‘The Poet' Johnson took home a unanimous decision victory over Michael Penafiel. Johnson used his explosive takedowns and superior wrestling to control Penafiel on the ground.
Steve Gable pounded out Eric Jones at 2:47 of the first round.
SANTA YNEZ, Calif., March 21 -- It wasn't the way he envisioned it, but Thomas Denny (Pictures) came out the victor over Sasiprapa Malaipet (Pictures) Friday night in the main event of Showtime's ShoXC card at the Chumash Casino.
After being on the wrong end of illegal elbows from the muay Thai specialist, Denny won by disqualification. Denny seemed to be well on his way to winning the fight in conventional fashion, as he came out and immediately went after Malaipet, backing him up with a series punches before putting him on his back.
Denny then went to work and managed to take Malaipet's back. With little effort he sunk in a deep rear-naked choke. Malaipet, his face visibly turning red, refused to tap out and miraculously managed escape the submission.
Ending up in full-mount, "The Wildman" took advantage of Malaipet's inexperience on the ground and worked on an arm-triangle choke. Malaipet escaped that choke attempt also, so Denny gave up on submissions and began dropping elbows.
Malaipet received serious damage to his face, but the Thai fighter never stopped working to escape. Back on the feet, Malaipet looked to stand and trade against the Victorville fighter but Denny wasn't having any of that and immediately shot for a takedown.
With his back pinned to the fence as Denny fought for a takedown, Malaipet unleashed three elbow shots that connected perfectly to the back of Denny's head. The veteran Californian immediately crumpled to the canvas in agonizing pain.
After taking a few minutes to recover, Denny told the cage-side doctor that he could not safely continue. The 160-pound contest was called at 4:51 of the first round.
"I'm sorry because I came here to fight, but this is MMA and you have to follow the rules,'' Denny said. "I may have been dazed but I wasn't knocked out. One thing I could not do, however, was move my neck.''
Huen wins decision
In the crowd's eyes Conor Huen lost to Marlon Mathias. However, he won it where it mattered -- with the judges.
It was as close as a unanimous decision could get.
Mathias, who fights under the Chute Boxe banner, represented the gym's flag well. He practically sprinted towards Huen off the opening bell, unleashing an overhand left that caught Huen's attention.
For a moment it seemed like Huen was willing to trade with Mathias. He soon paid the price, however, eating a straight left that covered his nose with blood.
Scrapping that plan, Huen decided to put his jiu-jitsu skills to work. He controlled the second period by securing takedowns and working over Mathias on the floor.
Mathias boxed in the third, at one point landing a straight left that snapped Huen's head backwards.
Huen, who suffered a broken jaw during the bout according to EliteXC, took the fight to the ground again. Mathias scrambled around, got another sweep but almost got caught in an armbar, which he easily escaped.
Huen took Mathias down one more time before the final bell. Mathias looked like the busier fighter of the two, and was clearly the crowd favorite. When the scores were announced the crowd booed mercilessly.
"I am very disappointed in the decision,'' Mathias said. "I inflicted the most damage and landed the most punches. I definitely won two of the three rounds."
Other results
In the third round of their light heavyweight fight, Jamie Fletcher landed an overhand right that sent Aaron Rosa (Pictures) crashing down to the canvas. Fletcher was unable to finish Rosa, but the psychological damage was done and Fletcher applied pressure the rest of the fight. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28.
Shane Del Rosario pounded out Analu Brash (Pictures) at 3:18 of the first round. After exchanging on their feet to start the fight, Del Rosario dropped Brash with a perfectly placed low kick. Del Rosario followed Brash down and began punishing him from inside his guard. Upon a series of punches and elbows, Del Rosario leaned on his right hand and began throwing lefts with all his might to a covered up Brash.
After landing a few shots, Del Rosario briefly looked up to the referee. Realizing the referee had not yet decided to stop the fight, Del Rosario continued his left hand assault before the fight was called.
Hawaiian Mark Oshiro (Pictures) knocked out the undefeated Chris Cariaso (Pictures) with an short right hook that landed flush to his chin. Cariaso landed on his back, where Oshiro pounced on him until the referee jumped in and stopped the fight. Time of the stop was 2:38 of the first round.
Brandon Tarn ruined Jason Williams' debut by choking him out at 1:05 of the second round.
In his professional debut, Devin Howard submitted Mark Kempthorne with a rear-naked choke at 2:53 of the first round.
Lyle ‘Fancy Pants' Beerbohm remained undefeated by submitting Vince Guzman (Pictures) with a rear-naked choke at 3:26 of the second round.
Kenny ‘The Poet' Johnson took home a unanimous decision victory over Michael Penafiel. Johnson used his explosive takedowns and superior wrestling to control Penafiel on the ground.
Steve Gable pounded out Eric Jones at 2:47 of the first round.
9MM AIMS AT HICKS AND WEC GOLD
Stepping into his third fight for World Extreme Cagefighting, Ed “9mm” Ratcliff may also be competing for the chance to face lightweight champion Jamie Varner, but first he faces Marcus Hicks on March 26. The charismatic fighter recently spoke to MMAWeekly Radio about his fight career, his nickname and his upbringing, which helped lead him on the right path.
Growing up in Chicago, Ratcliff faced many challenges, but according him, his mother played a major role helping to guide him throughout his life.
A black belt in karate herself, Ratcliff’s mom was actually the one to show him the devastating spin kick that seems to have become his calling card during fights.
“I grew up doing it. I’ve got a karate background. My Mom taught me that in the comfort of our own living room,” he said about his famous kick. “Bad intentions is written all over that kick. As you saw when I did it with Alex Karalexis I slipped, I threw it so hard that I came off my feet.”
Working in karate, Radcliff also credits his mother with helping him adapt his style to mixed martial arts, a place where many of the traditional martial arts have found trouble grasping onto the new style that seems to have taken over of late.
“I attest that to my Mom, to my upbringing. She always told me, ‘know when to use certain techniques,’” Ratcliff stated. “And a lot of people are going out there trying slappy, little point karate kicks or whatever, and that’s not the right time to do it. These guys are going to hit you in your mouth. There’s a time and a place for everything, you’ve got to know when to bring it out.”
What Ratcliff brings is an unrelenting style that forces many of his opponents into the defensive position as soon as the round starts. Many believed it was this rapid fire stand-up that gave him his nickname “9mm,” but as he says it was just given to him by his coaches.
“I had a different nickname before,” he commented. “I have a little signature move anybody’s yet to see so far. It’s a little front slip axe kick that I do, and I named that the ‘sling blade’ so that was my nickname for a while. My trainer didn’t like it and all of a sudden it became ‘9mm.’”
Going into the fight with Marcus Hicks both fighters have stayed very respectful, but Ratcliff makes no bones that he isn’t afraid to talk or to back up his words.
“I’m from the street so smack talk is second nature to me,” he said with a laugh. “It’s like I said, there’s a time and a place for everything. I met Marcus; he’s a cool dude. It’s just going to come down to business, ain’t nothing personal. I don’t even know the cat like that. But on a professional level, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.”
Hicks’ background includes a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and he is a former Golden Gloves boxing champion. Ratcliff says he isn’t preparing specifically for any one style, he’s just preparing for the fight.
“I really didn’t prepare for him, I prepare for the fight,” he stated. “It’s an MMA fight. It’s not a jiu-jitsu match. It’s not a boxing match. It’s MMA, so we train in everything. Whatever he brings I’ll be ready to deal with it.”
With the potential that this match-up could give the WEC, their new No. 1 contender for the lightweight title, Ratcliff looks forward to a chance to fight for the gold.
“Everybody that’s in this sport wants the gold, to fight for the title, to be a champion. It’s one thing to be a fighter, it’s another thing to say, ‘I’m at the top spot, come get it.’ I want that spot.”
First things first, Ratcliff will return to the cage on March 26 to face Marcus Hicks in Las Vegas.
Stepping into his third fight for World Extreme Cagefighting, Ed “9mm” Ratcliff may also be competing for the chance to face lightweight champion Jamie Varner, but first he faces Marcus Hicks on March 26. The charismatic fighter recently spoke to MMAWeekly Radio about his fight career, his nickname and his upbringing, which helped lead him on the right path.
Growing up in Chicago, Ratcliff faced many challenges, but according him, his mother played a major role helping to guide him throughout his life.
A black belt in karate herself, Ratcliff’s mom was actually the one to show him the devastating spin kick that seems to have become his calling card during fights.
“I grew up doing it. I’ve got a karate background. My Mom taught me that in the comfort of our own living room,” he said about his famous kick. “Bad intentions is written all over that kick. As you saw when I did it with Alex Karalexis I slipped, I threw it so hard that I came off my feet.”
Working in karate, Radcliff also credits his mother with helping him adapt his style to mixed martial arts, a place where many of the traditional martial arts have found trouble grasping onto the new style that seems to have taken over of late.
“I attest that to my Mom, to my upbringing. She always told me, ‘know when to use certain techniques,’” Ratcliff stated. “And a lot of people are going out there trying slappy, little point karate kicks or whatever, and that’s not the right time to do it. These guys are going to hit you in your mouth. There’s a time and a place for everything, you’ve got to know when to bring it out.”
What Ratcliff brings is an unrelenting style that forces many of his opponents into the defensive position as soon as the round starts. Many believed it was this rapid fire stand-up that gave him his nickname “9mm,” but as he says it was just given to him by his coaches.
“I had a different nickname before,” he commented. “I have a little signature move anybody’s yet to see so far. It’s a little front slip axe kick that I do, and I named that the ‘sling blade’ so that was my nickname for a while. My trainer didn’t like it and all of a sudden it became ‘9mm.’”
Going into the fight with Marcus Hicks both fighters have stayed very respectful, but Ratcliff makes no bones that he isn’t afraid to talk or to back up his words.
“I’m from the street so smack talk is second nature to me,” he said with a laugh. “It’s like I said, there’s a time and a place for everything. I met Marcus; he’s a cool dude. It’s just going to come down to business, ain’t nothing personal. I don’t even know the cat like that. But on a professional level, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.”
Hicks’ background includes a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and he is a former Golden Gloves boxing champion. Ratcliff says he isn’t preparing specifically for any one style, he’s just preparing for the fight.
“I really didn’t prepare for him, I prepare for the fight,” he stated. “It’s an MMA fight. It’s not a jiu-jitsu match. It’s not a boxing match. It’s MMA, so we train in everything. Whatever he brings I’ll be ready to deal with it.”
With the potential that this match-up could give the WEC, their new No. 1 contender for the lightweight title, Ratcliff looks forward to a chance to fight for the gold.
“Everybody that’s in this sport wants the gold, to fight for the title, to be a champion. It’s one thing to be a fighter, it’s another thing to say, ‘I’m at the top spot, come get it.’ I want that spot.”
First things first, Ratcliff will return to the cage on March 26 to face Marcus Hicks in Las Vegas.
Under the radar: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with Strikeforces Luke Stewart
After the fight between Luke Stewart and Tiki Ghosn was recently announced I tried to find as much information on Luke Stewart as possible.
He’s relatively unknown (for now) on the east coast and I was very interested in seeing what this guy had since there is talk about Strikeforce gold in his future.
There’s some footage of his fights out there and a few articles about him, but I figured what better way to learn about this guy than to ask him a few questions myself.
And that’s exactly what I did.
Luke was a super nice guy. He was a great interview and I’m definitely a fan of his now. He has a lot of confidence, but a respectful confidence — not cocky at all.
He talked a lot about gaining respect and being a top 10 welterweight in the world (yes, other top 170-pound fighters exists outside the Octagon). Without personally witnessing all his physical ability I’d say he definitely has, at the very least, the right mind set to become great in this sport.
Mark these words: Keep an eye out for Luke Stewart … especially if he can somehow get the fight he wants most with WEC Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit.
Let’s get on with our discussion:
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Hows it going man?
Luke Stewart: I’m doing good, how about you?
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Thanks man, I’m good. What are some of your thoughts on fighting Tiki next Saturday?
Luke Stewart: I think he’s a real tough guy. It looks like he’s had some bad luck recently, but guys coming off losses like that are dangerous. I know he’s going to come right at me and I feel confident wherever the fight goes. I’ve been training really hard and I feel really confident.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have a specific gameplan? I know you’re a blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Ralph Gracie, but are you looking to showcase some of your other talents in this fight or are you going to be looking for the submission?
Luke Stewart: I’m a big believer in having a game plan and sticking to it. I always have a game plan going into a fight. Obviously, I don’t want to tell Tiki what my game plan is, but I feel comfortable on my feet. I’ve been training a lot of Muay Thai and striking so I feel good there. I know I’ll have an edge on the ground with Tiki, and I’d love to finish the fight there, but wherever the fight goes, I’m comfortable.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): This will be your sixth fight with Strikeforce. What’s your contract status with them?
Luke Stewart: I’ve got two fights left. I’m really happy with Strikeforce. They’ve been doing a great job promoting me locally and building me properly. Plus with the NBC deal I have an opportunity for a lot of exposure internationally. I have no plans of leaving.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There currently is not a Strikeforce welterweight champion. Have you heard anything about possibly fighting for that belt, and is that your main motivation right now?
Luke Stewart: Right, there is no champion right now. In a few fights I’m hoping to be the number one contender for that title. Strikeforce is looking to bring in some more welterweights and there will be some good fights here for me. I want to make a name for myself and gain respect in this sport. I want to be champion and be a top 10 welterweight in the world.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’re fighting on the same card as Jake Shields and Drew Fickett who are going after the first EliteXC welterweight title. EliteXC and Strikeforce do a lot of shows together, do you maybe want to fight for that belt too one day?
Luke Stewart: Well, Jake Shields is a good friend of mine. We train together a lot and I would like to avoid fighting him if I could. I think he’s going to run through Fickett though. Fickett is going to have a hard time next Saturday night. Right now I’m really just focusing on the Strikeforce title. I’m not even thinking about EliteXC. I’m looking to stay in Strikeforce and make a name for myself there.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Are there any fighters out there who you would love to fight?
Luke Stewart: Carlos Condit. That’s a fight I’d love to have if it’s possible. Also guys like Josh Koscheck or other local fighters who are making names for themselves.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I read somewhere that you had a controversial loss to Matt Hughes in a grappling match. Thoughts?
Luke Stewart: Yeah that was back in 2004. I was a brown belt at the time. I’m a black belt now and obviously a lot more skilled. I’ve been around the jiu jitsu circuit for years and I’ve fought a lot of tough guys and gained a lot of experience that has prepared me for MMA.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Well that’s the reason I ask about Hughes. You’re making the transition from jiu jitsu to MMA and he’s been really successful in MMA. Do you feel like you would have success with guys like him now in an MMA match?
Luke Stewart: Definitely. I’m looking to bring myself along in the sport properly, but at the same time I want to fight the best guys out there. I feel like the better the competition, the harder I’m going to push myself. I want to get out in the deep end and see if I sink or swim.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There are a lot of people on the east coast who haven’t really heard of you or seen you fight. What should they expect to see when they see you fight?
Luke Stewart: I’m not scared to try stuff. I’m not going to go out there and look to win a decision. I’m always looking to finish, whether is by submission or TKO. I have a really hard style to gameplan for because I work on everything. I am good from a lot of unique positions that other fighters aren’t able to capitalize out of. I just don’t think there are many fighters out there who can help my opponents train for my style.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Where do you see yourself one year from now?
Luke Stewart: I see myself being the Strikeforce champ. And hopefully I have some tough fights a year from now. I’m really looking forward to making a name for myself and gaining respect as a top 10 fighter.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’ve got some pretty sick tattoos man. What’s the story behind all that ink?
Luke Stewart: I’ve been getting tattoos since I was 18. I’ve been tattooing professionally for seven years now and I have a tattoo shop in downtown San Fransisco. I’ve just always been into hardcore music and I’ve always been around it. I love everything about it, the art and all the imagery that goes along with it. It’s kind of always just been something I’ve done and now I’m kind of known as the tattoo guy. It’s cool though, I like it.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have a favorite tattoo on yourself?
Luke Stewart: Well, I just finished my back piece. It was a two-year project and I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. Not to mention money. That’s probably my favorite one right now.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): One last question man and I’ll let you get out of here. Who’s gonna win — Frank Shamrock or Cung Le?
Luke Stewart: Well, I think Frank has a lot of experience on Cung. Cung is a good friend of mine and I’d like to see him do well. I think Cung has the ability to hurt Frank right off the bat. If he can do that I think he’ll be able to control the fight and keep it standing, but Frank has good hands too so we’ll see. But I think the first round is going to dictate how that fight plays out. What do you think?
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I personally hope Cung Le whoops his ass. I’ve developed a bit of a distaste for Frank recently and I’d like to see Cung Le knock him out. I think if he can keep it standing Frank is in trouble. Anyway, I think that’s all I got for you today man. Are there any sponsors you want to thank or shout outs?
Luke Stewart: Scion, On the Mat, Shoyoroll, all the guys I train with, the Gracies, my strength and conditioning coach Dave Alexander and my Muay Thai coach, James Cook.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us here at MMAmania.com and good luck to you next Saturday and in the future.
Luke Stewart: Thanks man.
After the fight between Luke Stewart and Tiki Ghosn was recently announced I tried to find as much information on Luke Stewart as possible.
He’s relatively unknown (for now) on the east coast and I was very interested in seeing what this guy had since there is talk about Strikeforce gold in his future.
There’s some footage of his fights out there and a few articles about him, but I figured what better way to learn about this guy than to ask him a few questions myself.
And that’s exactly what I did.
Luke was a super nice guy. He was a great interview and I’m definitely a fan of his now. He has a lot of confidence, but a respectful confidence — not cocky at all.
He talked a lot about gaining respect and being a top 10 welterweight in the world (yes, other top 170-pound fighters exists outside the Octagon). Without personally witnessing all his physical ability I’d say he definitely has, at the very least, the right mind set to become great in this sport.
Mark these words: Keep an eye out for Luke Stewart … especially if he can somehow get the fight he wants most with WEC Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit.
Let’s get on with our discussion:
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Hows it going man?
Luke Stewart: I’m doing good, how about you?
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Thanks man, I’m good. What are some of your thoughts on fighting Tiki next Saturday?
Luke Stewart: I think he’s a real tough guy. It looks like he’s had some bad luck recently, but guys coming off losses like that are dangerous. I know he’s going to come right at me and I feel confident wherever the fight goes. I’ve been training really hard and I feel really confident.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have a specific gameplan? I know you’re a blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Ralph Gracie, but are you looking to showcase some of your other talents in this fight or are you going to be looking for the submission?
Luke Stewart: I’m a big believer in having a game plan and sticking to it. I always have a game plan going into a fight. Obviously, I don’t want to tell Tiki what my game plan is, but I feel comfortable on my feet. I’ve been training a lot of Muay Thai and striking so I feel good there. I know I’ll have an edge on the ground with Tiki, and I’d love to finish the fight there, but wherever the fight goes, I’m comfortable.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): This will be your sixth fight with Strikeforce. What’s your contract status with them?
Luke Stewart: I’ve got two fights left. I’m really happy with Strikeforce. They’ve been doing a great job promoting me locally and building me properly. Plus with the NBC deal I have an opportunity for a lot of exposure internationally. I have no plans of leaving.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There currently is not a Strikeforce welterweight champion. Have you heard anything about possibly fighting for that belt, and is that your main motivation right now?
Luke Stewart: Right, there is no champion right now. In a few fights I’m hoping to be the number one contender for that title. Strikeforce is looking to bring in some more welterweights and there will be some good fights here for me. I want to make a name for myself and gain respect in this sport. I want to be champion and be a top 10 welterweight in the world.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’re fighting on the same card as Jake Shields and Drew Fickett who are going after the first EliteXC welterweight title. EliteXC and Strikeforce do a lot of shows together, do you maybe want to fight for that belt too one day?
Luke Stewart: Well, Jake Shields is a good friend of mine. We train together a lot and I would like to avoid fighting him if I could. I think he’s going to run through Fickett though. Fickett is going to have a hard time next Saturday night. Right now I’m really just focusing on the Strikeforce title. I’m not even thinking about EliteXC. I’m looking to stay in Strikeforce and make a name for myself there.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Are there any fighters out there who you would love to fight?
Luke Stewart: Carlos Condit. That’s a fight I’d love to have if it’s possible. Also guys like Josh Koscheck or other local fighters who are making names for themselves.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I read somewhere that you had a controversial loss to Matt Hughes in a grappling match. Thoughts?
Luke Stewart: Yeah that was back in 2004. I was a brown belt at the time. I’m a black belt now and obviously a lot more skilled. I’ve been around the jiu jitsu circuit for years and I’ve fought a lot of tough guys and gained a lot of experience that has prepared me for MMA.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Well that’s the reason I ask about Hughes. You’re making the transition from jiu jitsu to MMA and he’s been really successful in MMA. Do you feel like you would have success with guys like him now in an MMA match?
Luke Stewart: Definitely. I’m looking to bring myself along in the sport properly, but at the same time I want to fight the best guys out there. I feel like the better the competition, the harder I’m going to push myself. I want to get out in the deep end and see if I sink or swim.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): There are a lot of people on the east coast who haven’t really heard of you or seen you fight. What should they expect to see when they see you fight?
Luke Stewart: I’m not scared to try stuff. I’m not going to go out there and look to win a decision. I’m always looking to finish, whether is by submission or TKO. I have a really hard style to gameplan for because I work on everything. I am good from a lot of unique positions that other fighters aren’t able to capitalize out of. I just don’t think there are many fighters out there who can help my opponents train for my style.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Where do you see yourself one year from now?
Luke Stewart: I see myself being the Strikeforce champ. And hopefully I have some tough fights a year from now. I’m really looking forward to making a name for myself and gaining respect as a top 10 fighter.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You’ve got some pretty sick tattoos man. What’s the story behind all that ink?
Luke Stewart: I’ve been getting tattoos since I was 18. I’ve been tattooing professionally for seven years now and I have a tattoo shop in downtown San Fransisco. I’ve just always been into hardcore music and I’ve always been around it. I love everything about it, the art and all the imagery that goes along with it. It’s kind of always just been something I’ve done and now I’m kind of known as the tattoo guy. It’s cool though, I like it.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Do you have a favorite tattoo on yourself?
Luke Stewart: Well, I just finished my back piece. It was a two-year project and I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. Not to mention money. That’s probably my favorite one right now.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): One last question man and I’ll let you get out of here. Who’s gonna win — Frank Shamrock or Cung Le?
Luke Stewart: Well, I think Frank has a lot of experience on Cung. Cung is a good friend of mine and I’d like to see him do well. I think Cung has the ability to hurt Frank right off the bat. If he can do that I think he’ll be able to control the fight and keep it standing, but Frank has good hands too so we’ll see. But I think the first round is going to dictate how that fight plays out. What do you think?
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I personally hope Cung Le whoops his ass. I’ve developed a bit of a distaste for Frank recently and I’d like to see Cung Le knock him out. I think if he can keep it standing Frank is in trouble. Anyway, I think that’s all I got for you today man. Are there any sponsors you want to thank or shout outs?
Luke Stewart: Scion, On the Mat, Shoyoroll, all the guys I train with, the Gracies, my strength and conditioning coach Dave Alexander and my Muay Thai coach, James Cook.
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us here at MMAmania.com and good luck to you next Saturday and in the future.
Luke Stewart: Thanks man.
You know who he is: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with Karo Parisyan
When I was offered the opportunity to interview UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, I jumped at the chance.
I mean, what can you say about this guy? Hell, you practically don’t need to say anything because he’ll tell you straight to your face.
Never one to mince words, Karo was extremely candid during our interview, offering his take on the welterweight title picture, his upcoming fight with Thiago Alves, the pressures of taking care of a large family, his judo expertise, his plans for when he one day retires, and of course, the Diaz brothers.
TUF fans will recall the whole “Do you know who I am?” episode. Karo sets the record straight.
Karo Parisyan takes on Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13 on Wednesday, April 2. Until then, enjoy the interview.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I know in the past you have said that you felt you were deserving of the next welterweight title shot. But apparently, that could now going to Jon Fitch. How do you feel about that?
Karo Parisyan: That’s official?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania): Well, no it’s not, but during the UFC 82 post-event press conference, UFC President Dana White referred to Jon Fitch’s record-tying eight-fight win streak* and said that “he is in line, right now, for a title shot once the whole Serra-St. Pierre thing is figured out.”
*Editor’s Note: Fitch is the second fighter in UFC history to win eight straight fights in the Octagon, tying Royce Gracie from back in the day.
Karo Parisyan: Okay. Well … (laughs). It is what it is, bro. I mean, what can I do? I thought I deserved the shot before anybody, but it looks like I gotta prove myself one more time, God willing, with Thiago Alves and then seal the deal with the title shot after that, whether it’s Matt Serra, St. Pierre or Jon Fitch.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you have any preference? Assuming it is for a title shot, do you care if it’s Serra, GSP or Fitch?
Karo Parisyan: No, I don’t care at all, actually. I’d like to avenge my loss to GSP; I already have a very dominating win over Matt Serra, but I’d like to fight him (again); and I’d like to fight Jon Fitch just to get the title shot from him. So for every fight, I got a reason. So I don’t really care, man. Whoever stands in front of me, I just want that title.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With such a stacked welterweight division, you seem to be playing the wait game. First we have Serra/GSP at UFC83 in mid-April; and then, assuming Fitch gets a title shot, that likely won’t happen until sometime around August. That might put the next available title shot happening sometime toward the end of 2008. Do you find this frustrating, waiting, if it unfolds like this?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, kinda. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’d probably have to get a fight in between; I just can’t sit at home and get fat. I don’t know, man. It depends on how this fight goes with Thiago Alves. God willing, if everything goes well and I beat Thiago, and if I have a guaranteed title shot after that, I’m not going to take anymore fights, I’ll just wait for my title shot. But if I have to fight somebody else, I will.
So, I don’t know what the UFC is going to throw my way. First, again, like I said, I’m taking one fight at a time. I’m thinking about Thiago right now, and not Fitch, Serra or GSP.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well with a win over Thiago, I don’t see much of an argument anyone can make for you NOT getting the title shot.
Karo Parisyan: Neither do I.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re now 8-2 in the UFC and on a three-fight win streak, and with a win over Thiago, it would be four. You’re 18-4 overall, with 13 of your fights ending in decision. Do you think that has hurt your chances of getting a title shot?
Karo Parisyan: No, I think I’ve changed the myth. I ended that myth — a fight doesn’t have to finish in the first or second round to be an exciting fight. Almost all my fights have been exciting. A lot of people don’t want to see a one-minute fight that they paid for. I’d like to see a three-round brawl so I can say that it was an awesome fight.
In most of my fights, I’ve shown people that I have heart and that I go, from bell to bell, 100 miles per hour. And like I said, sometimes I’ve done a lot of stuff for the crowd. Sometimes, like my last fight, I didn’t care about anything; I just cared about winning the fight.
You know, I react on the moment, how I feel and what I think is right. I would like to finish the fight with Thiago — that’s my plan — but if it goes to a decision, and, God willing, I get my decision win again, hey a W is still a W, and against a very tough fighter.
If you can beat me, beat me, you know what I mean? But if I beat you in a decision, that means I still have a W over any top fighter.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Thiago is on a four-fight win streak of his own, with his last win over Chris Lytle earning him “Fight of the Night” honors and $55,000 in bonus money. Does that make you any more excited for this fight — knowing that Alves can put on a good show?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, that means Thiago brings it. Fighters get the best out of Karo Parisyan. You push me, man, I’m going to push more. Thank God I don’t really break. I don’t really break during fights, even if I’m losing it, I still come back and make it exciting.
The Diego Sanchez fight — perfect example. I got hit in my eyeball. I thought I lost my sight. What did I do? I still came back, thank God, and turned it into the best fight of the year, with one eye. People have to take that in consideration. It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it, like I’ve always said.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That was a great fight, no question. Well, Alves has KO power, but he usually wins via TKO. How do you feel you match-up with Alves, and how have you been training for him? Have you changed anything up?
Karo Parisyan: No. I’ve done the same training. I worked on a lot of wrestling, ground and pound, my submissions … even my standup. If for some reason I can’t take Thiago down, I’m going to stand with him and bang it out.
I think I have just as good standup as anyone in the division. Thiago is, out of the two of us, the better striker. Pound-for-pound, he’s one of the best strikers in the world in the business today. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t stand in front of him, or even knock him out.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you train at Xtreme Couture in Vegas? How long was your camp?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I did about three weeks at Randy’s gym. It went pretty good. I don’t have to do a month or two months to say I’m good — no, I did a really good training camp back home in L.A. As long as I’m in good condition … I just had a really really good plyometric workout, conditioning, muscle endurance, everything.
Like I’ve always said, man, God willing, if I’m in shape for a fight, I don’t care who I’m fighting, they’re in trouble. They’re in deep crap, man.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I’m assuming you’re in pretty good shape right now, going into this fight?
Karo Parisyan: Yes, I’m 80 percent in shape. With next week … before I leave, I should be in pretty good shape. I should be in shape to go five rounds if I had to. Like when I fought Josh Burkman, I was ready to go five rounds, man, I was in tippy-top shape. I wasn’t tired at all, I was actually having fun. And I looked at myself, and I was like, you know what, when I’m in shape, it’s actually fun, it’s easy to fight. So let’s do that again, I told myself, and now that’s what I’m trying to do.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So when you say that you’re 80 percent, does that mean you’ve been battling some injuries?
Karo Parisyan: I always have injuries, bro. My left leg, my left thigh, the hamstring tear, it’s always been weak. It’s really hard for me to bounce back on the same explosive workouts. But I don’t know what to say.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, all professional fighters battle a lot of injuries, making it near impossible to come into a fight at 100 percent.
Karo Parisyan: Exactly. Also, I don’t live by myself. I don’t have an apartment. It’s not like I only worry about Karo Parisyan, you know, I don’t train in the morning and that’s all I do. Bro, Armenians are different people, culturally. I take care of my whole family, bro. I have five, six people in my family, I have a big house. Everything that I do, I work for my family.
I have more pressure than anything, most of the time. So it’s not as easy as people think it is, you know. When I said that I had a personal issue in the last fight, I was meaning that I was buying a house, I couldn’t get my training in, I would run 20 minutes a day and call it a workout, because I could not get my training going to another level.
People have to understand, going into a fight, you should never make excuses — if you choose to go into the cage and fight, whatever happens, it happens, you chose it and that’s the result. But when you look behind that, there is always all kinds of stuff going on in a fighter’s life.
Fighting is your reward. The hard part is training and cutting weight. With all the bull crap before the fight, by the time you step in that cage, you’re drained.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It’s been said that you are the first UFC fighter to have successfully adapted his judo style to the Octagon. You’re also, what, a four-time International Judo Champion?
Karo Parisyan: Four-time international, seven-time junior national, two-time senior bronze, I’ve won 10 or 15 California states, silver at the Pan-Am Games, I’ve won everything in the country. It’s very hard to adapt Judo to mixed martial arts, when you can’t grip a guy and you can’t throw him. Thank God I am one of those guys that has been able to do that, and I’m blessed, you know? I’m just trying to keep that going, man, that’s what’s made my career.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think that your Judo is the best in the UFC?
Karo Parisyan: (Laughs) What do you think, bro?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) I think it is, I just wanted to hear you say it.
Karo Parisyan: How about this, let me ask you a question: Do you think it’s the best in mixed martial arts, period?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Honestly, yeah, I do.
Karo Parisyan: Thank you. There’s the answer to that.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Some of your fans might not know this, but you’ve also been featured in a few movies, correct?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I’ve done a bunch of stuff. I stopped the acting stuff when I got hard-core into fighting, but yeah, I’ve done movies with Steven Seagal, DMX, I’ve done a bunch of stunts on movies. Shit, I’ve even done some modeling, dude. Just on the side, just to look cute.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Would you like to continue pursuing a film career?
Karo Parisyan: Sure, yeah, when I retire, I would like to. Certain things I can do. I can act, I do stunts, I got a lot of people in the business to hook me up. It’s definitely a road I’m looking at after retiring, as well as having a couple of gyms around the country.
I’d like to open up a franchise with Karo Parisyan-style training, with throwing and all that stuff, because there are 10,000 strikers out there, there’re 10,000 grapplers, but there’s only one … you know, I don’t want to say I’m talking about myself, but I’m pretty much the only one who can throw people in the business. People want to learn that, but it’s hard to learn. But I think I can teach it. And if I can, then I can open up a revolution in mixed martial arts, as far as judo.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have remaining on your current contract?
Karo Parisyan: I got like three more left.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your cousin, TUF5 Runner-Up Manny Gamburyan, is also featured on the Fight Night 13 card vs. Jeff Cox. How do you see this match-up?
Karo Parisyan: I think that’s like a gift for Manny, man. That’s hands down, Manny’s gonna maul him. I mean, seriously, who’s Jeff Cox? Never heard of him? They asked him what his strength is, and he said his training and coaching? Jesus Christ. I mean, I don’t know, but I think that Manny
doesn’t have his hands full at all. I think it’s going to be a first round win for Manny Gamburyan.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With such a talented family, do you have any other family members who we need to have on our radar?
Karo Parisyan: Bro, I got family all around the fricking country and the world, but as far as competing, it’s only Manny at this point.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you guys train together?
Karo Parisyan: I haven’t trained with him for this fight at all.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Fans of The Ultimate Fighter saw your disagreement with Nate Diaz. You also hold a win over his brother Nick. Is there any bad blood between you and the Diaz brothers?
Karo Parisyan: No, listen dude, I never had anything against Nick Diaz. When I fought Nick Diaz, I had nothing against him. Actually, I’m surprised my dad even likes Nick Diaz. He’s a gutsy kid. Even after the fight, I was the only guy that he wasn’t trying to get all rowdy, because I’m sorry, I’m not like the other guys he’s fought — not as far as talent, just that somebody outside of the mixed martial arts world, I look at stuff very different.
If somebody’s gonna try to mess with me, I take care of stuff in a different way. I actually came up, (Nick) looked at me, he said, “Did I do that to your nose?” I was like, “Yeah. Did I do that to your face?” We were just talking. People started taking pictures of us. I never had anything against Nick Diaz.
Even Nate Diaz. But Nate started running his mouth, and he was being disrespectful. I made him understand, yo, we’re on national television, don’t disrespect. I’m telling you.
And everybody made a fuss about me saying, “Do you know who I am?” Listen, man, English is my second language. Sometimes stuff comes out very wrong. When I say, “Do you know who I am?”, that doesn’t mean, “Hey yo, do you know who I am? I’m Karo Parisyan.” Duh. Obviously they know who I am. I never meant, “I’m Karo Parisyan, I’m this and that.” No, bro. God forbid, tomorrow I could be below zero, as far as a fighter. I know the reality.
But when I say, “Do you know who I am?” I mean like, do you know who I am outside of the mixed martial arts circuit? Do you know who I am on the streets, where I come from, what’s my background? You can’t disrespect me just like that. You know what I mean, you don’t know who I am. That’s how I said that. I didn’t mean like, “Oh you know who I am, I’m Karo, I can kick your butt.”
People say I’m trying to bully. Dude, I don’t give a shit who you are. You could be 400 pounds, the baddest mofo on this planet. You do something wrong toward me, I’m going to step up and try to fight you — do anything I can to try to make you understand that you’re wrong and I’m right.
People have to understand, this American shit they have — this bullying — what are we talking about? I wasn’t even going to punch Nate Diaz, I was going to slap him. I wasn’t even going to punch him. You know what, people have to understand that crap, it’s a different culture, it’s a different mentality.
I have no disrespect toward any fighter or anybody. You know, you going to respect me, I’m going to respect you. You put your one arm around me, I’ll put my both arms around you. Simple as that.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The headliner for Fight Night 13 is a lightweight match-up between Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon. Who do you like in that fight?
Karo Parisyan: Well I like Joe, I like Kenny. I’m good buddies with both of them, actually. I think Kenny’s got a little more experience on Joe Lauzon. Joe is one of those kids that can pull off a win from anywhere. He’s a tough kid and he comes out to fight, balls out. I think Kenny might have the upper hand on Joe, just because of his experience and all the guys he’s fought, but at the same time if Joe Lauzon wins, don’t be surprised, because he’s a tough kid.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Karo, I really appreciate your candor during this interview. Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors, and do you have any parting words for your fans?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I’d like to thank AutoMaxLeasing.com. He’s one of my good friends, he’s one of my sponsors, and he’s the best in the business as far as cars go. So thanks to AutoMax.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well thanks again, Karo, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. And good luck in your upcoming fight against Thiago Alves.
Karo Parisyan: No problem, brother. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that.
When I was offered the opportunity to interview UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, I jumped at the chance.
I mean, what can you say about this guy? Hell, you practically don’t need to say anything because he’ll tell you straight to your face.
Never one to mince words, Karo was extremely candid during our interview, offering his take on the welterweight title picture, his upcoming fight with Thiago Alves, the pressures of taking care of a large family, his judo expertise, his plans for when he one day retires, and of course, the Diaz brothers.
TUF fans will recall the whole “Do you know who I am?” episode. Karo sets the record straight.
Karo Parisyan takes on Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13 on Wednesday, April 2. Until then, enjoy the interview.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I know in the past you have said that you felt you were deserving of the next welterweight title shot. But apparently, that could now going to Jon Fitch. How do you feel about that?
Karo Parisyan: That’s official?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania): Well, no it’s not, but during the UFC 82 post-event press conference, UFC President Dana White referred to Jon Fitch’s record-tying eight-fight win streak* and said that “he is in line, right now, for a title shot once the whole Serra-St. Pierre thing is figured out.”
*Editor’s Note: Fitch is the second fighter in UFC history to win eight straight fights in the Octagon, tying Royce Gracie from back in the day.
Karo Parisyan: Okay. Well … (laughs). It is what it is, bro. I mean, what can I do? I thought I deserved the shot before anybody, but it looks like I gotta prove myself one more time, God willing, with Thiago Alves and then seal the deal with the title shot after that, whether it’s Matt Serra, St. Pierre or Jon Fitch.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you have any preference? Assuming it is for a title shot, do you care if it’s Serra, GSP or Fitch?
Karo Parisyan: No, I don’t care at all, actually. I’d like to avenge my loss to GSP; I already have a very dominating win over Matt Serra, but I’d like to fight him (again); and I’d like to fight Jon Fitch just to get the title shot from him. So for every fight, I got a reason. So I don’t really care, man. Whoever stands in front of me, I just want that title.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With such a stacked welterweight division, you seem to be playing the wait game. First we have Serra/GSP at UFC83 in mid-April; and then, assuming Fitch gets a title shot, that likely won’t happen until sometime around August. That might put the next available title shot happening sometime toward the end of 2008. Do you find this frustrating, waiting, if it unfolds like this?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, kinda. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’d probably have to get a fight in between; I just can’t sit at home and get fat. I don’t know, man. It depends on how this fight goes with Thiago Alves. God willing, if everything goes well and I beat Thiago, and if I have a guaranteed title shot after that, I’m not going to take anymore fights, I’ll just wait for my title shot. But if I have to fight somebody else, I will.
So, I don’t know what the UFC is going to throw my way. First, again, like I said, I’m taking one fight at a time. I’m thinking about Thiago right now, and not Fitch, Serra or GSP.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well with a win over Thiago, I don’t see much of an argument anyone can make for you NOT getting the title shot.
Karo Parisyan: Neither do I.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re now 8-2 in the UFC and on a three-fight win streak, and with a win over Thiago, it would be four. You’re 18-4 overall, with 13 of your fights ending in decision. Do you think that has hurt your chances of getting a title shot?
Karo Parisyan: No, I think I’ve changed the myth. I ended that myth — a fight doesn’t have to finish in the first or second round to be an exciting fight. Almost all my fights have been exciting. A lot of people don’t want to see a one-minute fight that they paid for. I’d like to see a three-round brawl so I can say that it was an awesome fight.
In most of my fights, I’ve shown people that I have heart and that I go, from bell to bell, 100 miles per hour. And like I said, sometimes I’ve done a lot of stuff for the crowd. Sometimes, like my last fight, I didn’t care about anything; I just cared about winning the fight.
You know, I react on the moment, how I feel and what I think is right. I would like to finish the fight with Thiago — that’s my plan — but if it goes to a decision, and, God willing, I get my decision win again, hey a W is still a W, and against a very tough fighter.
If you can beat me, beat me, you know what I mean? But if I beat you in a decision, that means I still have a W over any top fighter.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Thiago is on a four-fight win streak of his own, with his last win over Chris Lytle earning him “Fight of the Night” honors and $55,000 in bonus money. Does that make you any more excited for this fight — knowing that Alves can put on a good show?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, that means Thiago brings it. Fighters get the best out of Karo Parisyan. You push me, man, I’m going to push more. Thank God I don’t really break. I don’t really break during fights, even if I’m losing it, I still come back and make it exciting.
The Diego Sanchez fight — perfect example. I got hit in my eyeball. I thought I lost my sight. What did I do? I still came back, thank God, and turned it into the best fight of the year, with one eye. People have to take that in consideration. It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it, like I’ve always said.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That was a great fight, no question. Well, Alves has KO power, but he usually wins via TKO. How do you feel you match-up with Alves, and how have you been training for him? Have you changed anything up?
Karo Parisyan: No. I’ve done the same training. I worked on a lot of wrestling, ground and pound, my submissions … even my standup. If for some reason I can’t take Thiago down, I’m going to stand with him and bang it out.
I think I have just as good standup as anyone in the division. Thiago is, out of the two of us, the better striker. Pound-for-pound, he’s one of the best strikers in the world in the business today. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t stand in front of him, or even knock him out.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you train at Xtreme Couture in Vegas? How long was your camp?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I did about three weeks at Randy’s gym. It went pretty good. I don’t have to do a month or two months to say I’m good — no, I did a really good training camp back home in L.A. As long as I’m in good condition … I just had a really really good plyometric workout, conditioning, muscle endurance, everything.
Like I’ve always said, man, God willing, if I’m in shape for a fight, I don’t care who I’m fighting, they’re in trouble. They’re in deep crap, man.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I’m assuming you’re in pretty good shape right now, going into this fight?
Karo Parisyan: Yes, I’m 80 percent in shape. With next week … before I leave, I should be in pretty good shape. I should be in shape to go five rounds if I had to. Like when I fought Josh Burkman, I was ready to go five rounds, man, I was in tippy-top shape. I wasn’t tired at all, I was actually having fun. And I looked at myself, and I was like, you know what, when I’m in shape, it’s actually fun, it’s easy to fight. So let’s do that again, I told myself, and now that’s what I’m trying to do.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So when you say that you’re 80 percent, does that mean you’ve been battling some injuries?
Karo Parisyan: I always have injuries, bro. My left leg, my left thigh, the hamstring tear, it’s always been weak. It’s really hard for me to bounce back on the same explosive workouts. But I don’t know what to say.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, all professional fighters battle a lot of injuries, making it near impossible to come into a fight at 100 percent.
Karo Parisyan: Exactly. Also, I don’t live by myself. I don’t have an apartment. It’s not like I only worry about Karo Parisyan, you know, I don’t train in the morning and that’s all I do. Bro, Armenians are different people, culturally. I take care of my whole family, bro. I have five, six people in my family, I have a big house. Everything that I do, I work for my family.
I have more pressure than anything, most of the time. So it’s not as easy as people think it is, you know. When I said that I had a personal issue in the last fight, I was meaning that I was buying a house, I couldn’t get my training in, I would run 20 minutes a day and call it a workout, because I could not get my training going to another level.
People have to understand, going into a fight, you should never make excuses — if you choose to go into the cage and fight, whatever happens, it happens, you chose it and that’s the result. But when you look behind that, there is always all kinds of stuff going on in a fighter’s life.
Fighting is your reward. The hard part is training and cutting weight. With all the bull crap before the fight, by the time you step in that cage, you’re drained.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It’s been said that you are the first UFC fighter to have successfully adapted his judo style to the Octagon. You’re also, what, a four-time International Judo Champion?
Karo Parisyan: Four-time international, seven-time junior national, two-time senior bronze, I’ve won 10 or 15 California states, silver at the Pan-Am Games, I’ve won everything in the country. It’s very hard to adapt Judo to mixed martial arts, when you can’t grip a guy and you can’t throw him. Thank God I am one of those guys that has been able to do that, and I’m blessed, you know? I’m just trying to keep that going, man, that’s what’s made my career.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think that your Judo is the best in the UFC?
Karo Parisyan: (Laughs) What do you think, bro?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) I think it is, I just wanted to hear you say it.
Karo Parisyan: How about this, let me ask you a question: Do you think it’s the best in mixed martial arts, period?
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Honestly, yeah, I do.
Karo Parisyan: Thank you. There’s the answer to that.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Some of your fans might not know this, but you’ve also been featured in a few movies, correct?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I’ve done a bunch of stuff. I stopped the acting stuff when I got hard-core into fighting, but yeah, I’ve done movies with Steven Seagal, DMX, I’ve done a bunch of stunts on movies. Shit, I’ve even done some modeling, dude. Just on the side, just to look cute.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Would you like to continue pursuing a film career?
Karo Parisyan: Sure, yeah, when I retire, I would like to. Certain things I can do. I can act, I do stunts, I got a lot of people in the business to hook me up. It’s definitely a road I’m looking at after retiring, as well as having a couple of gyms around the country.
I’d like to open up a franchise with Karo Parisyan-style training, with throwing and all that stuff, because there are 10,000 strikers out there, there’re 10,000 grapplers, but there’s only one … you know, I don’t want to say I’m talking about myself, but I’m pretty much the only one who can throw people in the business. People want to learn that, but it’s hard to learn. But I think I can teach it. And if I can, then I can open up a revolution in mixed martial arts, as far as judo.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have remaining on your current contract?
Karo Parisyan: I got like three more left.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your cousin, TUF5 Runner-Up Manny Gamburyan, is also featured on the Fight Night 13 card vs. Jeff Cox. How do you see this match-up?
Karo Parisyan: I think that’s like a gift for Manny, man. That’s hands down, Manny’s gonna maul him. I mean, seriously, who’s Jeff Cox? Never heard of him? They asked him what his strength is, and he said his training and coaching? Jesus Christ. I mean, I don’t know, but I think that Manny
doesn’t have his hands full at all. I think it’s going to be a first round win for Manny Gamburyan.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With such a talented family, do you have any other family members who we need to have on our radar?
Karo Parisyan: Bro, I got family all around the fricking country and the world, but as far as competing, it’s only Manny at this point.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you guys train together?
Karo Parisyan: I haven’t trained with him for this fight at all.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Fans of The Ultimate Fighter saw your disagreement with Nate Diaz. You also hold a win over his brother Nick. Is there any bad blood between you and the Diaz brothers?
Karo Parisyan: No, listen dude, I never had anything against Nick Diaz. When I fought Nick Diaz, I had nothing against him. Actually, I’m surprised my dad even likes Nick Diaz. He’s a gutsy kid. Even after the fight, I was the only guy that he wasn’t trying to get all rowdy, because I’m sorry, I’m not like the other guys he’s fought — not as far as talent, just that somebody outside of the mixed martial arts world, I look at stuff very different.
If somebody’s gonna try to mess with me, I take care of stuff in a different way. I actually came up, (Nick) looked at me, he said, “Did I do that to your nose?” I was like, “Yeah. Did I do that to your face?” We were just talking. People started taking pictures of us. I never had anything against Nick Diaz.
Even Nate Diaz. But Nate started running his mouth, and he was being disrespectful. I made him understand, yo, we’re on national television, don’t disrespect. I’m telling you.
And everybody made a fuss about me saying, “Do you know who I am?” Listen, man, English is my second language. Sometimes stuff comes out very wrong. When I say, “Do you know who I am?”, that doesn’t mean, “Hey yo, do you know who I am? I’m Karo Parisyan.” Duh. Obviously they know who I am. I never meant, “I’m Karo Parisyan, I’m this and that.” No, bro. God forbid, tomorrow I could be below zero, as far as a fighter. I know the reality.
But when I say, “Do you know who I am?” I mean like, do you know who I am outside of the mixed martial arts circuit? Do you know who I am on the streets, where I come from, what’s my background? You can’t disrespect me just like that. You know what I mean, you don’t know who I am. That’s how I said that. I didn’t mean like, “Oh you know who I am, I’m Karo, I can kick your butt.”
People say I’m trying to bully. Dude, I don’t give a shit who you are. You could be 400 pounds, the baddest mofo on this planet. You do something wrong toward me, I’m going to step up and try to fight you — do anything I can to try to make you understand that you’re wrong and I’m right.
People have to understand, this American shit they have — this bullying — what are we talking about? I wasn’t even going to punch Nate Diaz, I was going to slap him. I wasn’t even going to punch him. You know what, people have to understand that crap, it’s a different culture, it’s a different mentality.
I have no disrespect toward any fighter or anybody. You know, you going to respect me, I’m going to respect you. You put your one arm around me, I’ll put my both arms around you. Simple as that.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The headliner for Fight Night 13 is a lightweight match-up between Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon. Who do you like in that fight?
Karo Parisyan: Well I like Joe, I like Kenny. I’m good buddies with both of them, actually. I think Kenny’s got a little more experience on Joe Lauzon. Joe is one of those kids that can pull off a win from anywhere. He’s a tough kid and he comes out to fight, balls out. I think Kenny might have the upper hand on Joe, just because of his experience and all the guys he’s fought, but at the same time if Joe Lauzon wins, don’t be surprised, because he’s a tough kid.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Karo, I really appreciate your candor during this interview. Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors, and do you have any parting words for your fans?
Karo Parisyan: Yeah, I’d like to thank AutoMaxLeasing.com. He’s one of my good friends, he’s one of my sponsors, and he’s the best in the business as far as cars go. So thanks to AutoMax.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well thanks again, Karo, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. And good luck in your upcoming fight against Thiago Alves.
Karo Parisyan: No problem, brother. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that.
Anderson confirms possibility of fight with Roy Jones Jr
It’s not more rumor the news about a possible fight between Anderson Silva and the Box champion Roy Jones Jr, five times world champion, being the titles at four different weight categories. According to Anderson ’s manager, Ed Soares, the boxing fighter entrepreneurs showed the interest and contacted them to do the fight with boxing rules. “It looks like Don King (Mike Tyson’s ex entrepreneur) contacted UFC to do the promotion of this fight”, said Anderson .
Right from Seattle, at , where he’s doing some seminars with Rodrigo Minotauro, Anderson Silva confirmed the fight. “The weight he prefers we’ll be ready. The fight will be with boxing rules”, guaranteed the UFC middleweight
It’s not more rumor the news about a possible fight between Anderson Silva and the Box champion Roy Jones Jr, five times world champion, being the titles at four different weight categories. According to Anderson ’s manager, Ed Soares, the boxing fighter entrepreneurs showed the interest and contacted them to do the fight with boxing rules. “It looks like Don King (Mike Tyson’s ex entrepreneur) contacted UFC to do the promotion of this fight”, said Anderson .
Right from Seattle, at , where he’s doing some seminars with Rodrigo Minotauro, Anderson Silva confirmed the fight. “The weight he prefers we’ll be ready. The fight will be with boxing rules”, guaranteed the UFC middleweight
EXCLUSIVE ChokeHimOut Interview: Mike Ciesnolevicz
Current IFL fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz took a few minutes away from training for his upcoming fight April 4th to talk with us here at Chokehimout.com. "Mike C" weighs in on the Miletich camp, his opponent on April 4th (UFC veteran) Carmelo Marrero, walking on and making the Lock Haven University wrestling squad and paying the bills by doing what he loves.
C.H.O: You trained in Judo and kickboxing when you were younger. What made you want to get into MMA and into professional fighting?
MC: Actually when I first started watching mixed martial arts I knew if I wanted to be good, I needed to piece everything together. I traveled to a different gym everyday of the week. One day it was kick boxing, one day judo, one day boxing and one day wrestling. You know I did it all so I traveled and trained everything individually.
C.H.O: I checked out our bio and it looks like you also played basketball, baseball, some of the sports most commonly played.
MC: Yeah I played traditional sports growing up for sure.
C.H.O: Is it fair to stay you are the kind of guy that looks for more of a challenge maybe than the traditional sports would give?
MC: You know, actually I had a lot of fun doing traditional sports, but I never of had the passion or desire to do the extra work and be a champion. It's was more like something I did because all my friends were doing it. When I started watching mixed martial arts I thought "This is something I need to do". You know I walked onto a division one wrestling team at college, even though I didn't have any wrestling in high school, because I knew I needed to.
C.H.O: How difficult was the transition walking onto Lockhaven without any wrestling experience?
MC: Lockhaven was actually ranked fourth in the country the year before I got there. I went there for teaching and one day I went up to the wrestling coach and it was like "Hey man how do I try out for the team, or what do I do?" He was like "Show up Wednesday at 4:30" and I said alright. He was like "How did you do in high school?" I said I never wrestled before and he looked at me like I was crazy. He said "Well you look like a big strong kid" so he told me to show up because they could always use an extra body, so I just started showing up. A lot of guys didn't realize I didn't wrestle and they asked "How'd you do in high school", or "How did you do in states". I told them that I worked out with wrestlers a couple of times and they were just like blown away, they were like "Wow you pick it up pretty fast".
C.H.O: So you did pretty well then when you actually got into it?
MC: Yeah, I mean I wasn't a starter in division one level by any means, but I learned a lot of wrestling skills.
C.H.O: Your upcoming opponent, Carmello Marrero, is definitely known for his wrestling ability. He really displayed it in his fight against Cheick Kongo in the UFC. How are you preparing for Marrero?
MC: Usually in the morning I do some boxing and pad work along with take down defense. I go through the regular routines, you know trying to be solid in every area. I definitely want to try and exploit his weaknesses. He is definitely a fighter I want to try and keep standing. I think he is going to want to take me down, but I definitely want to keep the fight standing and test him standing up.
C.H.O: For some of the people that might not be familiar with you, is that what some of the fans can expect? Are you going to push the pace on him like you said, try to keep the fight standing?
MC: Yeah, I want to stay on his feet the whole time and keep him standing. I have a feeling he is going to want to take me down, but if not, I'm willing to stand the whole time. I'm not real worried if I get taken down, you know, I'm pretty solid in my wrestling and jiu jitsu but it's a fight that I would try to keep standing.
C.H.O: I want to talk to you a minute about the Miletich Camp itself. You graduated Lockhaven University. Obviously the trek to Iowa was a big jump. At what point did you decide "Hey this is for me and this is the move I've got to make"?
MC: You know I graduated college in Pennsylvania and I stuck around for an extra year and worked on substitute teaching and things like that. I lived with my roommate Tim Boetsch who is fighting in the UFC now. Tim was a senior and I had just graduated though we still lived together. I trained with the wrestling team still and trained with different guys who boxed. I'd also go to different jiu jitsu clubs in the area. I just traveled a lot and I had a friend out here (Iowa) that I was coming to visit. I came to Miletich with him and spent about five days training with him and I said "Man if I want to be a champion fighter at the next level then I need to be here." So I went home, tied up some loose ends, packed up my car and a drove fifteen hours.
C.H.O: You know that seems to be the story of a lot of guys. I read the first week is just make or break at Miletich.
MC: I put in a lot of hours. I thought about quitting a couple of times and it was like "You know maybe this isn't for me, maybe I should just go home and keep watching it on TV". I was like "Maybe this wasn't for" me because I was getting beat up so bad. Then I'd miss a day of practice because I couldn't walk, my legs were so battered from being kicked. I had a concussion and I was just like "This is ridiculous, what am I doing to myself"? But after a couple of months, you know, I just kept going and sticking it out and I just adapted.
C.H.O: Now you mentioned you were roommates with Tim Boetsch who has a fight coming up with Matt Hamill. How close are you going to be watching that?
MC: I don't know if I'm going to get to see it, I'm going to be traveling that day and getting ready to cut weight. I hope I get to watch him, but if not, you know, I'll definitely catch a replay. I feel pretty good about that fight for Tim. I think Matt Hamill is pretty basic and I think Tim really has the style and tools to beat him. When I found out Tim was fighting Matt, right away I thought Tim was going to win that fight. I've been friends with the guy for the last 8 years, we lived together through college and he's always been a tough rugged wrestler, you know a strong guy and he picked up the striking naturally. He is going to be hard to submit, he's pretty well rounded and I think Matt Hamill is going to have a lot of trouble with him.
C.H.O: You mentioned cutting weight and you fight at 205. What's your walking weight as far as your routine?
MC: You really want to know(laughs)? I've been up there pretty high. I've had almost 7 months off now. There was a period where I hit 245. I was jus lifting weights and eating what I wanted and drinking some beers with my friends. You know 6 or 7 months off is long a time. So I'm about 225 right now. The extra 20 lbs was just kind of being lazy and enjoying life. My normal walking weight on an average basis is about 232.
C.H.O: So where would you say you are at about 2 days before weigh-ins?
MC: I'll probably be 225. Yeah I'll probably cut 20 or 22 pounds in the last 2 days.
C.H.O: Well of course with a wrestling background you are kind of used to it so you don't have much of a fatigue factor?
MC: You know it's been hard sometimes making weight. A couple of times I messed up and cut the wrong way or messed up different things like my carb intakes and sodium intakes and had some trouble. But I've cut 24 pounds in twenty four hours before so it's definitely something that I can do. I know right now I can make weight tomorrow if I needed to. I think I'll be alright. I'm a little lower right now than I normally would be.
C.H.O: So ultimately what are your future plans for MMA? Obviously you are in the IFL right now. Are you looking to stay with the organization, or do you have any endeavors you're looking at? What's the big picture for you?
MC: You know honestly for me I don't really care as much where I fight, as much as I'm just taken care of and I'm fighting for professional organization. You know I want to be living off this sport. I've put a lot of time and effort into it and like I said, coming from Pennsylvania and traveling to here, I've been through a lot with this sport. My main goal is to make a decent living off this sport and not worry about being ripped off. I don't care where I fight. I've pretty much left it up to Monty Cox my manager. I trust him with my career and if you look at his track record I think he has done pretty good with the guys he has managed. So like I said I don't even care where I fight, I just want to make some money and have a good life. I've put so much into the sport, I'm not a greedy guy, I'm not trying to be a millionaire or drive ten different cars. I just want to pay my bills and live a comfortable life and make money off the sport I love.
C.H.O: Anything you want to say to your sponsor or fans?
MC: Yeah as far as my sponsors, I've got Headblade who has supported me and helped me out a lot as well as Muscle Milk and Cytosport. I hope everyone is going to watch the fight on April 4th and I'm definitely looking forward to putting on a show and I am excited to get back into the ring. I hope Carmelo is ready to fight because I'm going to be coming hard for three rounds and looking to finish him.
C.H.O: ChokeHimOut will be at the IFL on April 4th and we wish you luck on your fight.
MC: Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
Current IFL fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz took a few minutes away from training for his upcoming fight April 4th to talk with us here at Chokehimout.com. "Mike C" weighs in on the Miletich camp, his opponent on April 4th (UFC veteran) Carmelo Marrero, walking on and making the Lock Haven University wrestling squad and paying the bills by doing what he loves.
C.H.O: You trained in Judo and kickboxing when you were younger. What made you want to get into MMA and into professional fighting?
MC: Actually when I first started watching mixed martial arts I knew if I wanted to be good, I needed to piece everything together. I traveled to a different gym everyday of the week. One day it was kick boxing, one day judo, one day boxing and one day wrestling. You know I did it all so I traveled and trained everything individually.
C.H.O: I checked out our bio and it looks like you also played basketball, baseball, some of the sports most commonly played.
MC: Yeah I played traditional sports growing up for sure.
C.H.O: Is it fair to stay you are the kind of guy that looks for more of a challenge maybe than the traditional sports would give?
MC: You know, actually I had a lot of fun doing traditional sports, but I never of had the passion or desire to do the extra work and be a champion. It's was more like something I did because all my friends were doing it. When I started watching mixed martial arts I thought "This is something I need to do". You know I walked onto a division one wrestling team at college, even though I didn't have any wrestling in high school, because I knew I needed to.
C.H.O: How difficult was the transition walking onto Lockhaven without any wrestling experience?
MC: Lockhaven was actually ranked fourth in the country the year before I got there. I went there for teaching and one day I went up to the wrestling coach and it was like "Hey man how do I try out for the team, or what do I do?" He was like "Show up Wednesday at 4:30" and I said alright. He was like "How did you do in high school?" I said I never wrestled before and he looked at me like I was crazy. He said "Well you look like a big strong kid" so he told me to show up because they could always use an extra body, so I just started showing up. A lot of guys didn't realize I didn't wrestle and they asked "How'd you do in high school", or "How did you do in states". I told them that I worked out with wrestlers a couple of times and they were just like blown away, they were like "Wow you pick it up pretty fast".
C.H.O: So you did pretty well then when you actually got into it?
MC: Yeah, I mean I wasn't a starter in division one level by any means, but I learned a lot of wrestling skills.
C.H.O: Your upcoming opponent, Carmello Marrero, is definitely known for his wrestling ability. He really displayed it in his fight against Cheick Kongo in the UFC. How are you preparing for Marrero?
MC: Usually in the morning I do some boxing and pad work along with take down defense. I go through the regular routines, you know trying to be solid in every area. I definitely want to try and exploit his weaknesses. He is definitely a fighter I want to try and keep standing. I think he is going to want to take me down, but I definitely want to keep the fight standing and test him standing up.
C.H.O: For some of the people that might not be familiar with you, is that what some of the fans can expect? Are you going to push the pace on him like you said, try to keep the fight standing?
MC: Yeah, I want to stay on his feet the whole time and keep him standing. I have a feeling he is going to want to take me down, but if not, I'm willing to stand the whole time. I'm not real worried if I get taken down, you know, I'm pretty solid in my wrestling and jiu jitsu but it's a fight that I would try to keep standing.
C.H.O: I want to talk to you a minute about the Miletich Camp itself. You graduated Lockhaven University. Obviously the trek to Iowa was a big jump. At what point did you decide "Hey this is for me and this is the move I've got to make"?
MC: You know I graduated college in Pennsylvania and I stuck around for an extra year and worked on substitute teaching and things like that. I lived with my roommate Tim Boetsch who is fighting in the UFC now. Tim was a senior and I had just graduated though we still lived together. I trained with the wrestling team still and trained with different guys who boxed. I'd also go to different jiu jitsu clubs in the area. I just traveled a lot and I had a friend out here (Iowa) that I was coming to visit. I came to Miletich with him and spent about five days training with him and I said "Man if I want to be a champion fighter at the next level then I need to be here." So I went home, tied up some loose ends, packed up my car and a drove fifteen hours.
C.H.O: You know that seems to be the story of a lot of guys. I read the first week is just make or break at Miletich.
MC: I put in a lot of hours. I thought about quitting a couple of times and it was like "You know maybe this isn't for me, maybe I should just go home and keep watching it on TV". I was like "Maybe this wasn't for" me because I was getting beat up so bad. Then I'd miss a day of practice because I couldn't walk, my legs were so battered from being kicked. I had a concussion and I was just like "This is ridiculous, what am I doing to myself"? But after a couple of months, you know, I just kept going and sticking it out and I just adapted.
C.H.O: Now you mentioned you were roommates with Tim Boetsch who has a fight coming up with Matt Hamill. How close are you going to be watching that?
MC: I don't know if I'm going to get to see it, I'm going to be traveling that day and getting ready to cut weight. I hope I get to watch him, but if not, you know, I'll definitely catch a replay. I feel pretty good about that fight for Tim. I think Matt Hamill is pretty basic and I think Tim really has the style and tools to beat him. When I found out Tim was fighting Matt, right away I thought Tim was going to win that fight. I've been friends with the guy for the last 8 years, we lived together through college and he's always been a tough rugged wrestler, you know a strong guy and he picked up the striking naturally. He is going to be hard to submit, he's pretty well rounded and I think Matt Hamill is going to have a lot of trouble with him.
C.H.O: You mentioned cutting weight and you fight at 205. What's your walking weight as far as your routine?
MC: You really want to know(laughs)? I've been up there pretty high. I've had almost 7 months off now. There was a period where I hit 245. I was jus lifting weights and eating what I wanted and drinking some beers with my friends. You know 6 or 7 months off is long a time. So I'm about 225 right now. The extra 20 lbs was just kind of being lazy and enjoying life. My normal walking weight on an average basis is about 232.
C.H.O: So where would you say you are at about 2 days before weigh-ins?
MC: I'll probably be 225. Yeah I'll probably cut 20 or 22 pounds in the last 2 days.
C.H.O: Well of course with a wrestling background you are kind of used to it so you don't have much of a fatigue factor?
MC: You know it's been hard sometimes making weight. A couple of times I messed up and cut the wrong way or messed up different things like my carb intakes and sodium intakes and had some trouble. But I've cut 24 pounds in twenty four hours before so it's definitely something that I can do. I know right now I can make weight tomorrow if I needed to. I think I'll be alright. I'm a little lower right now than I normally would be.
C.H.O: So ultimately what are your future plans for MMA? Obviously you are in the IFL right now. Are you looking to stay with the organization, or do you have any endeavors you're looking at? What's the big picture for you?
MC: You know honestly for me I don't really care as much where I fight, as much as I'm just taken care of and I'm fighting for professional organization. You know I want to be living off this sport. I've put a lot of time and effort into it and like I said, coming from Pennsylvania and traveling to here, I've been through a lot with this sport. My main goal is to make a decent living off this sport and not worry about being ripped off. I don't care where I fight. I've pretty much left it up to Monty Cox my manager. I trust him with my career and if you look at his track record I think he has done pretty good with the guys he has managed. So like I said I don't even care where I fight, I just want to make some money and have a good life. I've put so much into the sport, I'm not a greedy guy, I'm not trying to be a millionaire or drive ten different cars. I just want to pay my bills and live a comfortable life and make money off the sport I love.
C.H.O: Anything you want to say to your sponsor or fans?
MC: Yeah as far as my sponsors, I've got Headblade who has supported me and helped me out a lot as well as Muscle Milk and Cytosport. I hope everyone is going to watch the fight on April 4th and I'm definitely looking forward to putting on a show and I am excited to get back into the ring. I hope Carmelo is ready to fight because I'm going to be coming hard for three rounds and looking to finish him.
C.H.O: ChokeHimOut will be at the IFL on April 4th and we wish you luck on your fight.
MC: Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
Marrero Returns to His Roots For New Jersey Bout
In just a few years, Carmelo Marrero’s career has already taken its share of twists and turns. He’s gone from the anonymity of the small shows to the bright lights of the big ones. He went from training himself to working out with one of the best MMA camps in the world.
It’s only fitting that things should come full circle for Marrero on April 4, as he returns to New Jersey a much different fighter than he left it.
Marrero’s career in MMA began once his college wrestling days at Rider University in New Jersey were over. He still had the competitive fire burning in him and decided to try fighting as a professional.
The only trouble was that he didn’t have much in the way of training partners or a training facility. The first three years of his career, Marrero says, he was essentially “self-training.”
Still, he must have been doing something right because after six professional bouts he was undefeated, downing Cheick Kongo by decision at UFC 64. But a couple of tough losses in a row, including one to American Top Team product Wilson Gouveia last may, got Marrero rethinking his training strategies.
He could no longer ignore the obvious benefits of training with other high-level pro fighters in a state of the art facility. So he packed his bags and headed to Coconut Creek, Florida, home of American Top Team.
“Being a part of a team like that, my training has come full circle,” says Marrero. “It’s the best gym in the world right now. Every time you come into the room, think about it, you’ve got Wilson Gouveia, Mario Rinaldi, Junior Silva, Alessio Sakara. We’re working out with some of the best guys in MMA.”
That training should come in handy on April 4, as Marrero faces an opponent who’s also getting the benefit of top-notch preparation, Mike Ciesnolevicz of the Miletich camp.
Both men are former college wrestlers, with Ciesnolevicz competing at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, and both have gone on to become members of high-level MMA camps. Marrero can’t help but see much of himself in Ciesnolevicz, which makes it difficult for him to predict where the fight will go.
“Sometimes when you get two good wrestlers in there it means that it may be a standup war,” he says. “It may be something where neither one of us wants to waste all our energy trying to get the other guy to the mat, so we might wind up trading on the feet. I’m really comfortable taking it to the mat, being on top or bottom.”
It won’t be an easy matchup for either man, but for Marrero it’s the opportunity to not only return to his roots fighting in front of a New Jersey crowd, but to do so while representing his new home, American Top Team.
It’s enough to give anybody some jitters, but Marrero’s used to it by now. Not that he doesn’t still feel the butterflies every time he steps into the ring, but at least now he’s come to accept it as part of his fighting life.
“I’m one of those guys, I get nervous before all my fights. That’s just how I am. It’s never about where you’re fighting, it’s about who you’re fighting.”
In just a few years, Carmelo Marrero’s career has already taken its share of twists and turns. He’s gone from the anonymity of the small shows to the bright lights of the big ones. He went from training himself to working out with one of the best MMA camps in the world.
It’s only fitting that things should come full circle for Marrero on April 4, as he returns to New Jersey a much different fighter than he left it.
Marrero’s career in MMA began once his college wrestling days at Rider University in New Jersey were over. He still had the competitive fire burning in him and decided to try fighting as a professional.
The only trouble was that he didn’t have much in the way of training partners or a training facility. The first three years of his career, Marrero says, he was essentially “self-training.”
Still, he must have been doing something right because after six professional bouts he was undefeated, downing Cheick Kongo by decision at UFC 64. But a couple of tough losses in a row, including one to American Top Team product Wilson Gouveia last may, got Marrero rethinking his training strategies.
He could no longer ignore the obvious benefits of training with other high-level pro fighters in a state of the art facility. So he packed his bags and headed to Coconut Creek, Florida, home of American Top Team.
“Being a part of a team like that, my training has come full circle,” says Marrero. “It’s the best gym in the world right now. Every time you come into the room, think about it, you’ve got Wilson Gouveia, Mario Rinaldi, Junior Silva, Alessio Sakara. We’re working out with some of the best guys in MMA.”
That training should come in handy on April 4, as Marrero faces an opponent who’s also getting the benefit of top-notch preparation, Mike Ciesnolevicz of the Miletich camp.
Both men are former college wrestlers, with Ciesnolevicz competing at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, and both have gone on to become members of high-level MMA camps. Marrero can’t help but see much of himself in Ciesnolevicz, which makes it difficult for him to predict where the fight will go.
“Sometimes when you get two good wrestlers in there it means that it may be a standup war,” he says. “It may be something where neither one of us wants to waste all our energy trying to get the other guy to the mat, so we might wind up trading on the feet. I’m really comfortable taking it to the mat, being on top or bottom.”
It won’t be an easy matchup for either man, but for Marrero it’s the opportunity to not only return to his roots fighting in front of a New Jersey crowd, but to do so while representing his new home, American Top Team.
It’s enough to give anybody some jitters, but Marrero’s used to it by now. Not that he doesn’t still feel the butterflies every time he steps into the ring, but at least now he’s come to accept it as part of his fighting life.
“I’m one of those guys, I get nervous before all my fights. That’s just how I am. It’s never about where you’re fighting, it’s about who you’re fighting.”
The Takedown Transition, by Ryan McGivern
IFL middleweight champ Ryan McGivern is one of the league’s most successful fighters, in no small part because of his formidable wrestling skills. A former standout Iowa Hawkeyes wrestler, McGivern has worked on transitioning from that sport to the full compliment of skills necessary for MMA.
Now, in the exclusive video from IFL.tv, McGivern shows one his favorite moves that combines elements of wrestling with the standup game.
Watch as he demonstrates how to move right into a takedown from a good striking stance, something McGivern himself has done with great results in the IFL.
Remember, MMA techniques like these are for use in the gym and the ring. They should only be practiced in a safe, supervised environment.
IFL middleweight champ Ryan McGivern is one of the league’s most successful fighters, in no small part because of his formidable wrestling skills. A former standout Iowa Hawkeyes wrestler, McGivern has worked on transitioning from that sport to the full compliment of skills necessary for MMA.
Now, in the exclusive video from IFL.tv, McGivern shows one his favorite moves that combines elements of wrestling with the standup game.
Watch as he demonstrates how to move right into a takedown from a good striking stance, something McGivern himself has done with great results in the IFL.
Remember, MMA techniques like these are for use in the gym and the ring. They should only be practiced in a safe, supervised environment.
CFC To Debut with Stacked Fight Card on 5/17/08
The UK's newest MMA organization is looking to make a big impact right away. Combat Fighting Championships is putting together a very nice fight card for it's debut event, which will take place on May 17th at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. The main event features former UFC heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez against former UFC fighter Jeff Monson.
Rodriguez, who has recently been seen on VH1's Celebrity Rehab, is coming into the fight off of a split decision loss to the highly touted Antonio Silva at EliteXC "Street Certified". Even though Rodriguez lost the fight, he showed the heart and determination that once made him a champion. He also became the first fighter to take Antonio Silva to a decision
Jeff Monson has traded wins and losses his last four fights. The highly decorated grappler looks to get back into the same form he once had during a 16 fight winning streak earlier in his career. A win here could really give him a much needed boost.
Also announced for the card is a bout that feature another pair of former UFC fighters. Team Jackson's David Loiseau will take on Terry Martin, in a fight that features two very dangerous strikers. Loiseau has lost 4 of his last 5 matches, most recently dropping a split decision to Jason Day in Canada's TKO organization.
Martin has also had a rough go of it lately. Losing his last two matches in the UFC. The most recent loss coming against Marvin Eastman at UFC 81 "Boiling Point". I'm not sure of his exact contract status with the UFC, but seeing as he's been announced for this fight card, it doesn't bode well for him.
In another bout on the card we'll see Travis Wiuff go up against Cyrille Diabate. This fight was originally supposed to happen in the now defunct IFO organization back in December of last year, but Diabate had to pull out due to an injury. Hopefully nothing goes wrong this time, so we can see these two do battle.
Check back here at MMANews.com for more updates on this fight card!
Combat Fighting Championships
May 17, 2008
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
-Ricco Rodriguez vs. Jeff Monson
-David Loiseau vs. Terry Martin
-Travis Wiuff vs. Cyrille Diabate
-Jean Silva vs. Melvin Guillard
-Dan Hardy vs. Mario Zaromski
-Melvin Manhoef vs. TBA
-Brad Imes vs. TBA
-Xavier Foupa Pokam vs. TBA
-Mark Weir vs. TBA
-Gaz Roristan vs. TBA
The UK's newest MMA organization is looking to make a big impact right away. Combat Fighting Championships is putting together a very nice fight card for it's debut event, which will take place on May 17th at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. The main event features former UFC heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez against former UFC fighter Jeff Monson.
Rodriguez, who has recently been seen on VH1's Celebrity Rehab, is coming into the fight off of a split decision loss to the highly touted Antonio Silva at EliteXC "Street Certified". Even though Rodriguez lost the fight, he showed the heart and determination that once made him a champion. He also became the first fighter to take Antonio Silva to a decision
Jeff Monson has traded wins and losses his last four fights. The highly decorated grappler looks to get back into the same form he once had during a 16 fight winning streak earlier in his career. A win here could really give him a much needed boost.
Also announced for the card is a bout that feature another pair of former UFC fighters. Team Jackson's David Loiseau will take on Terry Martin, in a fight that features two very dangerous strikers. Loiseau has lost 4 of his last 5 matches, most recently dropping a split decision to Jason Day in Canada's TKO organization.
Martin has also had a rough go of it lately. Losing his last two matches in the UFC. The most recent loss coming against Marvin Eastman at UFC 81 "Boiling Point". I'm not sure of his exact contract status with the UFC, but seeing as he's been announced for this fight card, it doesn't bode well for him.
In another bout on the card we'll see Travis Wiuff go up against Cyrille Diabate. This fight was originally supposed to happen in the now defunct IFO organization back in December of last year, but Diabate had to pull out due to an injury. Hopefully nothing goes wrong this time, so we can see these two do battle.
Check back here at MMANews.com for more updates on this fight card!
Combat Fighting Championships
May 17, 2008
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
-Ricco Rodriguez vs. Jeff Monson
-David Loiseau vs. Terry Martin
-Travis Wiuff vs. Cyrille Diabate
-Jean Silva vs. Melvin Guillard
-Dan Hardy vs. Mario Zaromski
-Melvin Manhoef vs. TBA
-Brad Imes vs. TBA
-Xavier Foupa Pokam vs. TBA
-Mark Weir vs. TBA
-Gaz Roristan vs. TBA
Misaki Not Signed To Strikeforce Just Yet
Although Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) may be headed to Strikeforce, the "Grabaka Hitman" hasn't signed on the dotted line quite yet.
News of Misaki's agreement with Strikeforce surfaced earlier this month when HDNet reported that the former PRIDE Grand Prix champ had signed a two-fight deal with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion.
Strikeforce vice president Mike Afromowitz went on to confirm the signing early last week. However, a source close to Misaki has told Sherdog.com that as of Friday, Misaki has not officially signed the contract.
Grabaka frontman Sanae Kikuta (Pictures), as well as World Victory Road executive and J-ROCK president Takahiro Kokuho are reportedly leading the negotiations with Strikeforce, which would reportedly allow Misaki retain the ability to fight for WVR's Sengoku promotion in Japan while competing in Strikeforce stateside. However, the source stated that while Misaki is waiting to officialize the deal, he has yet to even see the contract, let alone sign it.
Misaki fought earlier this month, competing on World Victory Road's debut Sengoku card, where he took a second round submission victory over Shooto world champion Siyar Bahadurzada (Pictures).
Although Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) may be headed to Strikeforce, the "Grabaka Hitman" hasn't signed on the dotted line quite yet.
News of Misaki's agreement with Strikeforce surfaced earlier this month when HDNet reported that the former PRIDE Grand Prix champ had signed a two-fight deal with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion.
Strikeforce vice president Mike Afromowitz went on to confirm the signing early last week. However, a source close to Misaki has told Sherdog.com that as of Friday, Misaki has not officially signed the contract.
Grabaka frontman Sanae Kikuta (Pictures), as well as World Victory Road executive and J-ROCK president Takahiro Kokuho are reportedly leading the negotiations with Strikeforce, which would reportedly allow Misaki retain the ability to fight for WVR's Sengoku promotion in Japan while competing in Strikeforce stateside. However, the source stated that while Misaki is waiting to officialize the deal, he has yet to even see the contract, let alone sign it.
Misaki fought earlier this month, competing on World Victory Road's debut Sengoku card, where he took a second round submission victory over Shooto world champion Siyar Bahadurzada (Pictures).
Bisping: Making 185-lbs. will "Not be a Problem"
It's become more and more commonplace for fighters to drop in weight following defeat. Among those who have successfully transitioned to lighter poundage include Sean Sherk (Pictures), Joe Stevenson and Mike Swick (Pictures).
Another fighter ready to take that plunge is likeable Liverpool contender Michael Bisping (Pictures).
Following a close defeat last time out to Rashad Evans (Pictures), the "Ultimate Fighter 3" light heavyweight winner is set to make his middleweight debut April 19 at UFC 83 against Charles McCarthy (Pictures).
For Bisping, who is setting up his own clothing label while juggling transatlantic training jaunts between the United Kingdom and California, the move to 185 isn't a case of looking to pick on the little guys. Rather, it's a sensible and perhaps overdue drop to compete at his natural weight class.
"It's pretty simple. All my career people said I was fighting at the wrong weight, but the thing was, I was winning fights convincingly," Bisping explained. "My thinking was, while I was winning, I'll stay at 205. I can make light heavyweight easily. I didn't have to cut any weight, and had I beat Rashad Evans (Pictures), the winner was set to break the UFC top five. Rashad was the one who got his hand raised and has gone on to be matched with Chuck Liddell (Pictures). So at that point it made sense to stay at light heavyweight."
That close, hard-fought defeat to Evans, however, would prove to be the turning point.
"I had a plan A and a plan B. Plan A was to stay undefeated my entire career," Bisping said with a laugh. "And plan B was to drop in weight if I ever got beat."
For many fighters, the process of cutting weight can be an agonizing one. Days of a miserable, restrictive diet are followed by horrendous sweatsuit-clad hours in the sauna. Bisping, however, anticipates few such problems squeezing his 6-foot-2 frame into the smaller division.
"Currently, I'm at 200 pounds with around five weeks to go before the fight," he said. "I'm a bit of a pussy when it comes to heat, so I try to avoid saunas. I'll eat sensibly and a few days before the fight I'll stop drinking, so making 185 will not be a problem."
After winning his first 13 bouts inside the distance, with most of his wins coming via knockout or TKO, the Wolfslair fighter has been forced to go the distance in his two most recent fights -- a controversial decision over Matt Hamill (Pictures) and the aforementioned defeat to Evans in November last year.
In both bouts Bisping revealed a more tactical -- some say more tentative -- side.
"Both of them fights were against very high standard wrestlers, so the game plan had to be different," Bisping said. "It's a bit of a pain because I didn't let my hands go as much as I would have liked because I had to be concerned with fending off their takedowns."
In MMA, seasoned American warriors with a solid wrestling base are commonplace. Their styles can prove nightmarish for strikers and submission wizards alike. Bisping, though, is not overly concerned.
"All fights are about game plans," he said. "Working your wrestling is part of the game. Being on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,' and of course being in the UFC, opens doors, and I'm not shy. I make a lot of friends. I'm like a sponge, constantly taking ideas from people. I'm not afraid of hard work either. Like a lot of guys here in the U.K., I have great striking, but I feel my wrestling is also at a high standard. I have a good double- and single-leg. I take a lot of people down in the gym, and I even took Rashad down at one point."
His next opponent, Charles McCarthy (Pictures), is a submission specialist. Will Bisping's natural desire to destroy his opposition override a more tactical approach to this tricky foe?
"Again, it's another opponent that's going to try to take me down," Bisping said with a sigh. "He's been in martial arts for a long time, an experienced guy, and it will be to his advantage to look to take me down. Those are his strengths, so it's up to me to neutralize those strengths. In some ways I'm still a novice, and I don't mind admitting that. I'm still pinching techniques from people to raise my game to the next level."
Right now, being a middleweight with title aspirations in the UFC is a chilling prospect. Sitting atop the 185-pound ladder is none other than Anderson Silva (Anderson Silva' class='LinkSilver'>Pictures), a man currently riding the hottest streak in all of MMA.
"With Silva, you're talking about a man up there with the best in the world," stated Bisping. "It's hard to argue with that. He's not just beating people; he's destroying them. Guys like Dan Henderson (Pictures), and he makes it look easy. The way he lost that first round against Henderson, went back to his corner, regrouped and came back to turn the fight around was really impressive. He's got the belt. Everyone else in the division wants to test themselves against the best and fight the number one guy. In that regard, I'm no different."
Silva's recent destruction of Henderson served to highlight the gulf in class between himself and the best of the rest. That doesn't mean Bisping is expecting a stroll in the park en route to a potential title shot, though.
"I'm new to 185 and I have to first establish myself at the weight," Bisping said. "Realistically, it will be three or four fights and a year or 18 months before we can talk about title shots. Middleweight is pretty stacked. Yushin Okami (Pictures)'s right up there, and Franklin, while not in immediate contention, is still one of the top guys. Chris Leben (Pictures) is doing well right now, and there's the likes of Nate Marquardt and veterans like Jeremy Horn (Pictures). It may be a cliché, but I'm not calling people out. I have no history or problems with anyone in the division, so I don't want to disrespect anyone by calling them out. The UFC calls and tells me who I'm fighting, and I have never once argued about anyone they have put in front of me. I take it one fight at a time."
Despite being "overwhelmed and grateful" for the level of support he receives, Bisping has been stung by some of the recent criticism that followed his bouts with both Hamill and Evans. Now the popular brawler is eager to get back on track with what he hopes will be an eye-catching performance against McCarthy in Montreal.
"I have been pissed off with the way my last two fights have gone down, and I know some of the fans have been disappointed too," he said. "I'm looking to get back to how I used to do things, by knocking people out in exciting fashion. That starts with Charles McCarthy (Pictures)."
It's become more and more commonplace for fighters to drop in weight following defeat. Among those who have successfully transitioned to lighter poundage include Sean Sherk (Pictures), Joe Stevenson and Mike Swick (Pictures).
Another fighter ready to take that plunge is likeable Liverpool contender Michael Bisping (Pictures).
Following a close defeat last time out to Rashad Evans (Pictures), the "Ultimate Fighter 3" light heavyweight winner is set to make his middleweight debut April 19 at UFC 83 against Charles McCarthy (Pictures).
For Bisping, who is setting up his own clothing label while juggling transatlantic training jaunts between the United Kingdom and California, the move to 185 isn't a case of looking to pick on the little guys. Rather, it's a sensible and perhaps overdue drop to compete at his natural weight class.
"It's pretty simple. All my career people said I was fighting at the wrong weight, but the thing was, I was winning fights convincingly," Bisping explained. "My thinking was, while I was winning, I'll stay at 205. I can make light heavyweight easily. I didn't have to cut any weight, and had I beat Rashad Evans (Pictures), the winner was set to break the UFC top five. Rashad was the one who got his hand raised and has gone on to be matched with Chuck Liddell (Pictures). So at that point it made sense to stay at light heavyweight."
That close, hard-fought defeat to Evans, however, would prove to be the turning point.
"I had a plan A and a plan B. Plan A was to stay undefeated my entire career," Bisping said with a laugh. "And plan B was to drop in weight if I ever got beat."
For many fighters, the process of cutting weight can be an agonizing one. Days of a miserable, restrictive diet are followed by horrendous sweatsuit-clad hours in the sauna. Bisping, however, anticipates few such problems squeezing his 6-foot-2 frame into the smaller division.
"Currently, I'm at 200 pounds with around five weeks to go before the fight," he said. "I'm a bit of a pussy when it comes to heat, so I try to avoid saunas. I'll eat sensibly and a few days before the fight I'll stop drinking, so making 185 will not be a problem."
After winning his first 13 bouts inside the distance, with most of his wins coming via knockout or TKO, the Wolfslair fighter has been forced to go the distance in his two most recent fights -- a controversial decision over Matt Hamill (Pictures) and the aforementioned defeat to Evans in November last year.
In both bouts Bisping revealed a more tactical -- some say more tentative -- side.
"Both of them fights were against very high standard wrestlers, so the game plan had to be different," Bisping said. "It's a bit of a pain because I didn't let my hands go as much as I would have liked because I had to be concerned with fending off their takedowns."
In MMA, seasoned American warriors with a solid wrestling base are commonplace. Their styles can prove nightmarish for strikers and submission wizards alike. Bisping, though, is not overly concerned.
"All fights are about game plans," he said. "Working your wrestling is part of the game. Being on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,' and of course being in the UFC, opens doors, and I'm not shy. I make a lot of friends. I'm like a sponge, constantly taking ideas from people. I'm not afraid of hard work either. Like a lot of guys here in the U.K., I have great striking, but I feel my wrestling is also at a high standard. I have a good double- and single-leg. I take a lot of people down in the gym, and I even took Rashad down at one point."
His next opponent, Charles McCarthy (Pictures), is a submission specialist. Will Bisping's natural desire to destroy his opposition override a more tactical approach to this tricky foe?
"Again, it's another opponent that's going to try to take me down," Bisping said with a sigh. "He's been in martial arts for a long time, an experienced guy, and it will be to his advantage to look to take me down. Those are his strengths, so it's up to me to neutralize those strengths. In some ways I'm still a novice, and I don't mind admitting that. I'm still pinching techniques from people to raise my game to the next level."
Right now, being a middleweight with title aspirations in the UFC is a chilling prospect. Sitting atop the 185-pound ladder is none other than Anderson Silva (Anderson Silva' class='LinkSilver'>Pictures), a man currently riding the hottest streak in all of MMA.
"With Silva, you're talking about a man up there with the best in the world," stated Bisping. "It's hard to argue with that. He's not just beating people; he's destroying them. Guys like Dan Henderson (Pictures), and he makes it look easy. The way he lost that first round against Henderson, went back to his corner, regrouped and came back to turn the fight around was really impressive. He's got the belt. Everyone else in the division wants to test themselves against the best and fight the number one guy. In that regard, I'm no different."
Silva's recent destruction of Henderson served to highlight the gulf in class between himself and the best of the rest. That doesn't mean Bisping is expecting a stroll in the park en route to a potential title shot, though.
"I'm new to 185 and I have to first establish myself at the weight," Bisping said. "Realistically, it will be three or four fights and a year or 18 months before we can talk about title shots. Middleweight is pretty stacked. Yushin Okami (Pictures)'s right up there, and Franklin, while not in immediate contention, is still one of the top guys. Chris Leben (Pictures) is doing well right now, and there's the likes of Nate Marquardt and veterans like Jeremy Horn (Pictures). It may be a cliché, but I'm not calling people out. I have no history or problems with anyone in the division, so I don't want to disrespect anyone by calling them out. The UFC calls and tells me who I'm fighting, and I have never once argued about anyone they have put in front of me. I take it one fight at a time."
Despite being "overwhelmed and grateful" for the level of support he receives, Bisping has been stung by some of the recent criticism that followed his bouts with both Hamill and Evans. Now the popular brawler is eager to get back on track with what he hopes will be an eye-catching performance against McCarthy in Montreal.
"I have been pissed off with the way my last two fights have gone down, and I know some of the fans have been disappointed too," he said. "I'm looking to get back to how I used to do things, by knocking people out in exciting fashion. That starts with Charles McCarthy (Pictures)."
BTT Opens Gym in Las Vegas
Brazilian Top Team leaders Murilo Bustamante (Pictures) and Luis Roberto Duarte have opened a new training center in Las Vegas. The academy has a ring, an Octagon, a weightlifting area and a unique place to train muay Thai.
Duarte will be responsible for leading the new BTT subsidiary.
"We will form a great team around here," he said. "The academy already is frequented by many professionals, but they have no flag. Now we will have."
Duarte will coach MMA; Ricardo Cavalcanti, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie, will teach grappling; and wrestling, boxing and muay Thai coaches will be named in coming weeks.
The BTT leaders expect the gym to produce new champions and also give their Brazilian fighters a place to train in the United States when preparing for a fight on American soil. Rousimar Palhares, who recently signed with the UFC, will use the facilities in the final stretch of his training before UFC 84.
"This is our home there," Duarte said. "We will bring [Palhares] before the fight for him to get used to the climate of Vegas, which is much more dry than that of Rio de Janeiro. We will do everything we can for him to have a good debut in the UFC."
Brazilian Top Team leaders Murilo Bustamante (Pictures) and Luis Roberto Duarte have opened a new training center in Las Vegas. The academy has a ring, an Octagon, a weightlifting area and a unique place to train muay Thai.
Duarte will be responsible for leading the new BTT subsidiary.
"We will form a great team around here," he said. "The academy already is frequented by many professionals, but they have no flag. Now we will have."
Duarte will coach MMA; Ricardo Cavalcanti, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie, will teach grappling; and wrestling, boxing and muay Thai coaches will be named in coming weeks.
The BTT leaders expect the gym to produce new champions and also give their Brazilian fighters a place to train in the United States when preparing for a fight on American soil. Rousimar Palhares, who recently signed with the UFC, will use the facilities in the final stretch of his training before UFC 84.
"This is our home there," Duarte said. "We will bring [Palhares] before the fight for him to get used to the climate of Vegas, which is much more dry than that of Rio de Janeiro. We will do everything we can for him to have a good debut in the UFC."
Joe Lauzon: I’m never going to have a guy blow his knee and brag about how I finish fights.
Joe Lauzon will take a significant step up in competition when he faces title contender Kenny Florian in Denver,Co on April 2nd. Lauzon faces tough odds against Florian, a consensus top five UFC lightweight, but doesn't count himself as an underdog. He recently sat down with InsideFighting.com to assess the match up and his opponent in more detail.
Lauzon On His Upcoming Fight With Kenny Florian:
One thing I have in my favor is my unpredictability. Maybe in a straight boxing or Jiu Jitsu match Kenny would beat me, but you put everything together and that’s where I’m best. I think on the ground if you put me in a gi he’d choke me out but out of the gi I figure I’d do pretty well. Stand-up wise, Kenny has good kicks and may have the better total package but I have ways to deal with that. My transitions are stronger, I have cardio and I’m more explosive. He’s a good athlete but if you’ll notice his arms are real small for his fights, he looks sucked out. I’m not the thickest guy either but I’m pretty explosive for my size, very technical and have strength good with a good base.
Lauzon On His Advantages In The Fight:
I’m more explosive with wrestling and things like that. I think I’m better at putting things together. I’ve knocked out guys that have better stand up than me but because of how I put things together I’ve done well. I’ve gone against real good wrestlers, submitted guys with real good Jiu Jitsu. I don’t think I’m the typical guy. I’m not the sum of my parts, you have to multiply my parts. I’m not too worried. I don’t think I’m out-matched in skills at all.
Lauzon On Florian's Past Fights:
Diego ran him over, Sherk ran him over, and in the toughest fight he’s had, against Din Thomas, his opponent blew out his knee. A win is a win but I’m never, ever going to have a guy blow his knee and then brag about how I finish fights. I think he came off really bad. I have so many people sending me messages, ‘You have to finish [Florian].’
Joe Lauzon will take a significant step up in competition when he faces title contender Kenny Florian in Denver,Co on April 2nd. Lauzon faces tough odds against Florian, a consensus top five UFC lightweight, but doesn't count himself as an underdog. He recently sat down with InsideFighting.com to assess the match up and his opponent in more detail.
Lauzon On His Upcoming Fight With Kenny Florian:
One thing I have in my favor is my unpredictability. Maybe in a straight boxing or Jiu Jitsu match Kenny would beat me, but you put everything together and that’s where I’m best. I think on the ground if you put me in a gi he’d choke me out but out of the gi I figure I’d do pretty well. Stand-up wise, Kenny has good kicks and may have the better total package but I have ways to deal with that. My transitions are stronger, I have cardio and I’m more explosive. He’s a good athlete but if you’ll notice his arms are real small for his fights, he looks sucked out. I’m not the thickest guy either but I’m pretty explosive for my size, very technical and have strength good with a good base.
Lauzon On His Advantages In The Fight:
I’m more explosive with wrestling and things like that. I think I’m better at putting things together. I’ve knocked out guys that have better stand up than me but because of how I put things together I’ve done well. I’ve gone against real good wrestlers, submitted guys with real good Jiu Jitsu. I don’t think I’m the typical guy. I’m not the sum of my parts, you have to multiply my parts. I’m not too worried. I don’t think I’m out-matched in skills at all.
Lauzon On Florian's Past Fights:
Diego ran him over, Sherk ran him over, and in the toughest fight he’s had, against Din Thomas, his opponent blew out his knee. A win is a win but I’m never, ever going to have a guy blow his knee and then brag about how I finish fights. I think he came off really bad. I have so many people sending me messages, ‘You have to finish [Florian].’
"TUF" Love from Troy Mandaloniz
With the debut of the seventh installment of SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" less than two weeks away, season six veteran Troy "Rude Boy" Mandaloniz (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) knows first-hand that the opportunity for success by the show's participants can often be hampered by the difficulties of life inside the "TUF" house.
Mandaloniz reflected on his memories of the season while a guest on Thursday's episode of The Lights Out Show on the TAGG Radio Network (www.taggradio.com), a partner site of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"It's the most prestigious thing I've ever done in my life," Mandaloniz said. "It's also the worst experience of my life. It's tough on the brain."
The grind of living in an isolated environment proved difficult for the 28-year-old.
"The second day I was in there I was thinking to myself, 'What did I get myself in to?'," Mandaloniz said. "You take everything for granted. Driving your truck, listening to music, watching TV, spending time with your friends. I missed my dog. It's hard. You don't know what's going on out there."
Although Mandaloniz enjoyed working with coaches Matt Serra, Ray Longo and Pete Sell, it was the time away from the gym that made the experience so tough.
"It's really pretty hard," Mandaloniz said. "You know, I'm not good at ping-pong, I'm not good at pool. I can't play chess. So all these guys are enjoying those things, and I'm sitting at the table where all there really is to do is talk to people. And for a while I couldn't even sleep."
Sleep was an issue throughout the season for Mandaloniz, and not all of it was stress related.
"I mean you got Ben Saunders snoring, chopping down trees in there," Mandaloniz joked. "You can't fall asleep. I'm up until six o'clock every morning."
Mandaloniz said he often related to the difficulties that fellow cast member Joe Scarola endured, a toll that eventually led Scarola to quit the show. While Mandaloniz felt Scarola's decision was the wrong one, he understood why Scarola made the choice.
"It was tough," Mandaloniz admitted. "I starting losing it at one point."
Mandaloniz found strength to continue in an unconventional method.
"How did I cope?" Mandaloniz asked. "With some Heineken Lights."
So what advice would Mandaloniz lend to the 32 would-be UFC fighters competing in season seven?
"There's days you just want to shove that camera out of your face," Mandaloniz warned. "There's days that you get emotional and they're right there in your face. And you've got to be prepared to take that."
Mandaloniz also discussed his friendship with fellow cast member Richie Hightower (whom Mandaloniz fought in the TUF 6 Finale), his decision to move back to Hawaii to train with B.J. Penn and Kendall Grove, and his experience fighting in Tijuana, Mexico. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of The Lights Out Show, available for free in the TAGG Radio Network archives.
With the debut of the seventh installment of SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" less than two weeks away, season six veteran Troy "Rude Boy" Mandaloniz (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) knows first-hand that the opportunity for success by the show's participants can often be hampered by the difficulties of life inside the "TUF" house.
Mandaloniz reflected on his memories of the season while a guest on Thursday's episode of The Lights Out Show on the TAGG Radio Network (www.taggradio.com), a partner site of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"It's the most prestigious thing I've ever done in my life," Mandaloniz said. "It's also the worst experience of my life. It's tough on the brain."
The grind of living in an isolated environment proved difficult for the 28-year-old.
"The second day I was in there I was thinking to myself, 'What did I get myself in to?'," Mandaloniz said. "You take everything for granted. Driving your truck, listening to music, watching TV, spending time with your friends. I missed my dog. It's hard. You don't know what's going on out there."
Although Mandaloniz enjoyed working with coaches Matt Serra, Ray Longo and Pete Sell, it was the time away from the gym that made the experience so tough.
"It's really pretty hard," Mandaloniz said. "You know, I'm not good at ping-pong, I'm not good at pool. I can't play chess. So all these guys are enjoying those things, and I'm sitting at the table where all there really is to do is talk to people. And for a while I couldn't even sleep."
Sleep was an issue throughout the season for Mandaloniz, and not all of it was stress related.
"I mean you got Ben Saunders snoring, chopping down trees in there," Mandaloniz joked. "You can't fall asleep. I'm up until six o'clock every morning."
Mandaloniz said he often related to the difficulties that fellow cast member Joe Scarola endured, a toll that eventually led Scarola to quit the show. While Mandaloniz felt Scarola's decision was the wrong one, he understood why Scarola made the choice.
"It was tough," Mandaloniz admitted. "I starting losing it at one point."
Mandaloniz found strength to continue in an unconventional method.
"How did I cope?" Mandaloniz asked. "With some Heineken Lights."
So what advice would Mandaloniz lend to the 32 would-be UFC fighters competing in season seven?
"There's days you just want to shove that camera out of your face," Mandaloniz warned. "There's days that you get emotional and they're right there in your face. And you've got to be prepared to take that."
Mandaloniz also discussed his friendship with fellow cast member Richie Hightower (whom Mandaloniz fought in the TUF 6 Finale), his decision to move back to Hawaii to train with B.J. Penn and Kendall Grove, and his experience fighting in Tijuana, Mexico. To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of The Lights Out Show, available for free in the TAGG Radio Network archives.
CLAY GUIDA IS READY AS UFC RETURNS TO DENVER
Despite having mixed results as a lightweight in the UFC’s talented 155-pound division, Clay ‘The Carpenter’ Guida has had an otherwise stellar mixed martial arts career.
Holding an impressive 22-9 professional record, Guida has competed against (and beaten) many of the top lightweight fighters competing in the sport today.
Some of Guida’s biggest career victories have been over opponents such as IFL lightweight standout Bart Palaszewski, in addition to victories over top lightweights such as Josh Thompson and Marcus Aurelio.
While ‘The Carpenters’ UFC record (2-3) may not be incredibly impressive to the amateur viewer, Guida has yet to be in a boring UFC contest and, in reality, has come up just short against an array of incredibly talented competitors.
Since joining the UFC, Clay has dropped decisions to both Din Thomas and Tyson Griffin before dominating the majority of rounds one and two of his fight with Roger Huerta. In the third stanza of his fight with Huerta, Roger caught the aggressive Guida with a knee that stunned him, halting his forward progress and putting the young Guida on the defensive for one of the first times of the night.
Huerta then smelled blood and went in for the finish and eventually succeeded, finishing ‘The Carpenter’ by rear naked choke at the 0:31 mark of round three.
Guida joined MMAWeekly’s SoundOff radio recently to talk about his upcoming fight against Samy Schiavo, a UFC newcomer who comes into the Octagon with a (10-4) professional record.
Of his preparation for his upcoming bout with Schiavo, Guida said, “I definitely think that this is my strongest camp yet as far as strength and conditioning goes.”
Since Schiavo’s April 2 fight with Guida is his UFC debut, Clay has only had the opportunity to watch Schiavo’s fights on tape, though he does believe that he’s picked up a few cues from his French opponent.
Clay said of his opponent, “He’s definitely an explosive striker, he’s dangerous. He’s unorthodox, he likes to throw a lot of spinning kicks.”
Guida continued, “He’s a go’er, man. He comes in good shape, he’s ready, and I’m here to spoil his UFC debut.”
Thinking back to his fight with Huerta, Guida understands that he may have gotten away from his bread and butter technique (grappling), and though he is constantly in the gym working on his stand up skills, Guida knows that the ground is the place where he has the best chance to dominate his opponent.
Clay said, “I know what my strengths are and I’m going to stick to that. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
With Guida’s prowess on the ground and his opponent’s slick style on the feet, what does ‘The Carpenter’ believe that fans can expect to see when these two men meet on April 2?
“I’d rather be humble and win instead of just shooting my mouth off and getting the crap kicked out of you,” Guida said.
Despite having mixed results as a lightweight in the UFC’s talented 155-pound division, Clay ‘The Carpenter’ Guida has had an otherwise stellar mixed martial arts career.
Holding an impressive 22-9 professional record, Guida has competed against (and beaten) many of the top lightweight fighters competing in the sport today.
Some of Guida’s biggest career victories have been over opponents such as IFL lightweight standout Bart Palaszewski, in addition to victories over top lightweights such as Josh Thompson and Marcus Aurelio.
While ‘The Carpenters’ UFC record (2-3) may not be incredibly impressive to the amateur viewer, Guida has yet to be in a boring UFC contest and, in reality, has come up just short against an array of incredibly talented competitors.
Since joining the UFC, Clay has dropped decisions to both Din Thomas and Tyson Griffin before dominating the majority of rounds one and two of his fight with Roger Huerta. In the third stanza of his fight with Huerta, Roger caught the aggressive Guida with a knee that stunned him, halting his forward progress and putting the young Guida on the defensive for one of the first times of the night.
Huerta then smelled blood and went in for the finish and eventually succeeded, finishing ‘The Carpenter’ by rear naked choke at the 0:31 mark of round three.
Guida joined MMAWeekly’s SoundOff radio recently to talk about his upcoming fight against Samy Schiavo, a UFC newcomer who comes into the Octagon with a (10-4) professional record.
Of his preparation for his upcoming bout with Schiavo, Guida said, “I definitely think that this is my strongest camp yet as far as strength and conditioning goes.”
Since Schiavo’s April 2 fight with Guida is his UFC debut, Clay has only had the opportunity to watch Schiavo’s fights on tape, though he does believe that he’s picked up a few cues from his French opponent.
Clay said of his opponent, “He’s definitely an explosive striker, he’s dangerous. He’s unorthodox, he likes to throw a lot of spinning kicks.”
Guida continued, “He’s a go’er, man. He comes in good shape, he’s ready, and I’m here to spoil his UFC debut.”
Thinking back to his fight with Huerta, Guida understands that he may have gotten away from his bread and butter technique (grappling), and though he is constantly in the gym working on his stand up skills, Guida knows that the ground is the place where he has the best chance to dominate his opponent.
Clay said, “I know what my strengths are and I’m going to stick to that. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
With Guida’s prowess on the ground and his opponent’s slick style on the feet, what does ‘The Carpenter’ believe that fans can expect to see when these two men meet on April 2?
“I’d rather be humble and win instead of just shooting my mouth off and getting the crap kicked out of you,” Guida said.
DANA WHITE TALKS ANDERSON, TITO AND TV
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White spoke with MMAWeekly following the promotion’s recent return to Columbus, Ohio. Following another dominating performance by middleweight champion Anderson Silva, White called his champion “thee best 185-pounder ever.”
He went on to discuss Silva’s amazing run to this point in his career and if Yushin Okami might be next up for him in the UFC.
At UFC 84, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz steps into the Octagon for what could be the last time. When he faces Lyoto Machida on May 24, Ortiz will have fulfilled the final fight on his current UFC contract.
White also discussed the volatile superstar and his status with the UFC. Even though it is no secret that Ortiz and White are anything but the best of friends, and Ortiz has repeatedly stated that he would not fight for the UFC again so long as White is in charge, the UFC president isn’t so quick to nail that coffin shut.
He doesn’t plan on going anywhere. “I’m not planning on quitting because Tito doesn’t want to fight here if I’m here.” But neither does he believe that automatically precludes Ortiz from returning. “Even with all the issues I’ve had with that moron, he’s still in the UFC. We’ll see what happens.”
White closed out the interview talking about the television landscape, as TV deals in MMA, once equivalent to the infamous search for Sasquatch, seem to be falling left and right.
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White spoke with MMAWeekly following the promotion’s recent return to Columbus, Ohio. Following another dominating performance by middleweight champion Anderson Silva, White called his champion “thee best 185-pounder ever.”
He went on to discuss Silva’s amazing run to this point in his career and if Yushin Okami might be next up for him in the UFC.
At UFC 84, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz steps into the Octagon for what could be the last time. When he faces Lyoto Machida on May 24, Ortiz will have fulfilled the final fight on his current UFC contract.
White also discussed the volatile superstar and his status with the UFC. Even though it is no secret that Ortiz and White are anything but the best of friends, and Ortiz has repeatedly stated that he would not fight for the UFC again so long as White is in charge, the UFC president isn’t so quick to nail that coffin shut.
He doesn’t plan on going anywhere. “I’m not planning on quitting because Tito doesn’t want to fight here if I’m here.” But neither does he believe that automatically precludes Ortiz from returning. “Even with all the issues I’ve had with that moron, he’s still in the UFC. We’ll see what happens.”
White closed out the interview talking about the television landscape, as TV deals in MMA, once equivalent to the infamous search for Sasquatch, seem to be falling left and right.